This article aims to show why we should add superset workouts to our training routine.
Firstly, what is a superset?
A superset is simply performing 2 exercises back-to-back with little to no rest time in between. So perform exercise 1, then immediately into exercise 2, then a short ~60 – 120 seconds rest. The original definition of a superset is to work 2 muscle groups that oppose each other. But as you will see below, we can combine superset exercises in numerous ways.
Types of supersets.
Opposing/Antagonist exercises
The original, most common and most beneficial method of supersetting is to choose 2 opposing muscles or muscle groups. Options for this include exercise 1 as a bench press and exercise 2 as a barbell row. Other opposing supersets could be: bicep curls and triceps kickbacks; leg extensions and hamstring curls. This superset allows the first muscle group to recover while the second is being worked.
Upper lower supersets
Full body supersets can also be used. Here, we can choose big compound exercises and/or isolation exercises to achieve a challenging high intensity session. Big compound movements are useful here but make sure you are comfortable with each exercise on it’s own before adding it to a superset. An example of a full body superset session could include: bench press and leg press; deadlift and shoulder press; lunges and rows; squats and pullups. This would be a very demanding session and requires a degree of experience and ideally a trainer to guide it.
Isolation supersets
Isolation supersets involve performing 2 exercises targeting the same muscle but to focus on different areas of that muscle. An example would be a bicep curl paired with a hammer curl.
Push/pull supersets
Another way to pair up exercises is in a push/pull way. So an example pair would be bench press and barbell row or leg curls and leg extensions.
Pre-exhaust and post-exhaust supersets
My least commonly used superset involves a very specific combination of exercises. In a pre-exhaust superset, we use an isolation exercise to fatigue a muscle and then a compound exercise to further exhaust the same muscle. An example of this for your chest would be a dumbbell fly for isolation and a bench press for compound.
Post exhaustion is just the opposite order. So to use the chest example again, we would use the bench press to fatigue the muscle and the dumbbell fly to focus on it.
Now the Benefits
I – Time saving
Probably the biggest benefit for us normal gym goers is time savings.
On those days when you are crunched for time, supersetting your exercises can allow you to get a full workout done in 30 minutes. Be warned, this requires an even higher training intensity, but if done correctly, can save time and bring gains.
If you want to use supersets in a time crunched session, I like to prescribe what I call a 3×3 session. 3 super sets of 3 different back-to-back exercises. Here, we can combine them in various ways depending on the specific goal. One way is to have 1 compound, 1 isolation and 1 core exercise in each superset. Others might be 1 upper, 1 lower and 1 core.
II – Variety
An easily overlooked benefit of adding supersets is variety in your program. Intermittently adding supersets to your sessions will bring a degree of variation to your workouts which has many benefits, best of all being the mental stimulation of a change in routine.
III – Intensity
This is somewhat a double edged sword. On one hand, if you don’t account for the added intensity of supersets, you may experience burnout or injury. However, if added correctly to your program, the extra intensity is a positive aspect.
IV – Greater calorie burning
To fully explain this one, we can go a bit sciency! We have to compare supersets versus normal sets. To do this we need to measure what is called Energy Expenditure. EE is made up of 3 components: 1 – resting energy (the energy required with no extra activity); 2 – diet induced energy or “thermic effect of food” (the energy required to digest and absorb food); 3 – the energy required for exercise (EE). This exercise induced energy requirement is what we are most interested in here. EE will also stay elevated for a period after any physical exercise. This is known as excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
When studies compare traditional sets with supersets, they found little difference in the energy expended during the workouts. However, when we take into account the reduction in time required for super versus traditional, we see that energy per minute is significantly higher for superset sessions. So in this sense, we get more calorie bang for our buck doing supersets. But there’s more! EPOC, the energy burned after exercise, is also much higher when we do supersets, 33% higher in fact.
So overall we will burn more calories when we do a superset session compared to a traditional weights session. The cost of this is a higher level of intensity in the session.
Sample Superset Sessions
I – To make your normal workout a little more intense
A more friendly but no less effective session is shown below. This is my favourite – 4 pairs of exercises back to back in a superset. Opposing muscles are paired off for the perfect balance of intensity and efficiency.
II – For time saving
If you are really time crunched but want to hit the weights, this is a great session to cram everything in. It’s technically a tri-set not a superset. I call it the 3x3x3 and it only takes around half an hour. For this example, we will have 3 units with 3 sets of 3 exercises. So the method here is firstly warmup. Then start with unit 1: complete exercise 1; then immediately into exercise 2; then immediately into exercise 3; and rest for 90-120 seconds. Repeat this twice more then rest for 3 minutes. Repeat this for unit 2 and rest for 3 minutes again. And repeat this for unit 3 then cool down.
As you can see this is a high intensity workout so be prepared for major fatigue. You should also be completely proficient in these exercises in isolation before combining them. Again ideally you will have a trainer on hand to assist.
Summary Conclusion
Despite a fancy, somewhat misleading name, supersets are a simple and effective way to alter your workouts. Use them intermittently as they crank up the intensity of your workout significantly. And enjoy the lifts!
