By Tom Venuto, CSCS
Wouldn't it be great if there was a safe and natural way to build
more muscle in a shorter period of time? In this day and age of
exercise gimmicks and quick fix solutions, most smart bodybuilders
and fitness enthusiasts would be skeptical if they heard such
a claim. But guess what? Such an "animal" really does exist. No,
it's not a drug. It's not some miracle supplement, either. Nor
is it a newfangled piece of workout machinery. If you've been
training seriously for any length of time, it's something you're
probably already familiar with but haven't fully exploited to
the maximum degree. What is this method for building more muscle
in less time? Surprise, surprise; it's called supersetting!
Even if you've used supersets before, you may not
be familiar with all the different types of supersets or the many
ways you can incorporate them into your workouts. Just in case
you're not familiar with supersets, let me start from the beginning
and explain the difference between a conventional set and a superset.
Conventional weight training is done with "straight
sets." A straight set is performed by doing a series of repetitions;
8-12 in a row for example, then stopping to rest for a minute
or so before doing another set. A superset is an advanced training
technique where you perform two exercises in a row with virtually
no rest in between. Supersets are an excellent technique for muscular
development, especially if you are short on time. Supersets are
not, however, the most effective technique for building strength
or power. Let me explain why...
When you perform two exercises in a row with no
rest in between, this will reduce the amount of weight you can
handle, particularly in the second movement. Your strength will
also decrease from fatigue with each subsequent superset. Because
supersets don't allow you to use maximal weights, they are not
well-suited to building strength. Supersets are definitely a body
building and "shaping" technique. You seldom see powerlifters
or strength athletes doing supersets. In fact, they usually do
the opposite; they take longer rest intervals between sets so
that they can recuperate as much as possible. After a 3-5 minute
recovery period, they can attack each set with maximum strength.
If you are still fatigued from the previous set, and you start
another set too soon, you won't be able to lift as much weight.
Ok, now you know what a superset is. The question
is; why should you bother using them? There are three primary
advantages of superset training over conventional straight set
training:
1. Supersets save time. The most obvious advantage
of supersetting is to save time. Even if you truly enjoy training,
it's probably safe to assume that you wouldn't mind getting equal
or better results in a shorter period of time.
2. Supersets increase intensity. Usually when you
think of high intensity, you think of forced reps, descending
sets, negatives, etc. Supersets are simply another method of increasing
intensity. Shortening the rest between sets is hard work - especially
if you're used to a long rest interval. The principle is: more
work performed in less time equals more intensity and more intensity
equals more muscle.
3. Supersets prevent injury or allow you to work
around an injury. I stumbled on the value of supersets as a way
to train around injuries at the age of 20 when I ruptured a disc
in my lower back. I was a strong squatter at a very young age,
doing 405 lbs for 6 reps before I was 20 years old. After the
injury, I wanted to maintain my leg size without putting so much
stress on the lower back. Because I could no longer squat more
than 315lbs without re-injuring my back, I sought a way to maintain
my leg size without super heavy squats. Out of necessity, I started
doing high reps and supersets. After a relatively brief period
training in this fashion, my quads quickly grew to become my best
body part. With the exception of brief strength phases when I
do straight sets with as much weight as I can, I utilize supersets
extensively for quads to this day. Supersets allow you to overload
a muscle and generate high intensity without requiring heavy weights.
This decreases your chances of injury.
There are three primary categories of supersets:
1) same muscle group, 2) agonist-antagonist, and 3) staggered
sets. Let's take a look at each category and a few examples of
each.
1. Same muscle group. The first and most common
category of supersetting is to combine two exercises for the same
muscle group. An example would be supersetting dumbbell flyes
with the bench press.
Within the "same muscle group" superset category
there are four sub-categories. Each one has a slightly different
effect:
Pre-exhaust. Pre-exhaustion is probably the best
known and most effective type of superset of all. A pre exhaust
superset is performed by choosing two exercises for the same muscle
group; an isolation exercise first, followed by a basic, compound
movement.
The idea behind pre-exhaust supersets is to take
a muscle group beyond the normal point of exhaustion and thereby
achieve muscle fiber stimulation and growth that you normally
could not achieve from a straight set. Here's how this works:
Suppose you are doing a set of leg extensions for your thighs
and you push yourself until you can't do another rep. Most people
think their legs are finished at this point and that they couldn't
go further if they tried. The quadriceps muscles may indeed be
completely exhausted - you couldn't do another leg extension if
you tried - but by walking over to the squat rack, you'll find
that you are still able to do squats (albeit with a lighter poundage
than usual). Why? Because even though the quadriceps reached total
failure on the leg extension exercise, other lower body muscles
that are used in a squat are still fresh and strong (glutes, hamstrings,
adductors and different sections of the quadriceps group.) By
"pre-exhausting" the target muscle with an isolated movement,
you can then continue to blast the fatigued muscle even further
with the help of the assisting muscles in the compound movement.
The only drawback with pre exhaust supersets is
that you will only be able to use a fraction of your normal weight
on the second exercise. Let's say you can normally squat with
315 for 10 reps when you do the exercise first. When you switch
the order and do leg extensions first, you might find that your
quads are so fried from the leg extensions that even 225 lbs for
10 reps on the squat is difficult. That's ok when it comes to
muscle growth, but if your goal is power or strength then this
would be counter productive. If strength is your primary goal,
it would be better to just do straight sets of squats and to do
your squats first. In a periodized training schedule for a bodybuilder,
straight sets should be used almost exclusively during the off
season strength and mass phase. Supersets can be added later during
the pre-contest phase.
PRE-EXHAUST SUPERSETS Isolation Exercise (1st) Compound
Exercise (2nd)
(1)Leg Extension / (2)Squat
(1)Leg Curl /(2) Stiff Leg Deadlift
(1)Dumbell Pullover / (2)Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
(1)Tricep Pushdown / (2)Close Grip Bench Press
(1)Dumbell Flyes / (2)Bench Press
(1)Dumbell Side Laterals / (2)Military Press
(1)Barbell Curl / (2)Curl Grip Pullups
Post-exhaust. The opposite of pre exhaust is post
exhaust. In a post exhaust superset you would again choose a basic
compound movement and an isolation movement. This time, however,
you would perform the compound movement first and the isolation
movement second. The advantage of the post exhaust superset is
that you will be fresh on the compound movement so you can use
more weight. Post exhaust supersets can also be used as an effective
variation on the heavy-light system. For example, instead of just
doing the regular sets of 8-12 reps, choose a heavy basic movement
for the first exercise and do about 6 reps. Then, follow it with
a lighter isolation movement and do around 20 reps. This gives
you the best possible of both worlds: a) size and strength increase,
and b) isolation with a wicked pump.
POST-EXHAUST SUPERSETS Compound Exercise (1st) Isolation
Exercise (2nd)
(1)Leg Press / (2)Leg Extension
(1)Incline Bench Press / (2)Incline Dumbbell flyes
(1)Press Behind The Neck / (2)Dumbbell Side Laterals
(1)Close Grip Bench Press / (2)Rope Pushdowns
Compound superset. This type of superset is reserved
for very brave people. Supersetting two compound exercises together
can create amazing muscle growth in a very short period of time,
but it's incredibly demanding and exhausting. It takes all the
energy you can muster to get through a series of compound supersets.
It is also very taxing on the nervous system and requires that
special attention be paid to recovery after the session. An example
would be supersetting squats with leg presses. Combinations like
these can easily leave you lying flat on your back gasping for
air (but the results are well worth it!)
COMPOUND SUPERSETS Compound Exercise #1 Compound
Exercise #2
(1)Squats / (2) Leg Press
(1)Bent Over Rows / (2) Deadlifts
NOTE: A word of caution about pre exhaust and compound
supersets: If your second exercise is a compound free weight movement
that requires a great deal of neuromuscular coordination or is
the type of exercise that requires a spotter, pay extra attention
to your form. When your prime movers are fatigued from the first
exercise, you may feel "wobbly" and your form is much more likely
to break in the second exercise. If you let your form become sloppy
because you are fatigued, you are more likely to get injured.
It's not uncommon for pre-fatigued muscles to give out suddenly
without warning. If this happens during a bench press or squat
and you don't have a spotter or safety mechanism in place, the
results could be disastrous. A safer method, especially for beginners,
is to select a movement for the second exercise that requires
less skill and coordination (leg press, smith machine squat, hack
squat) or one with a built in safeguard (power rack, safety catch,
spotter, etc).
Isolation supersets. The fourth and final way to
do a same muscle group superset is to superset two isolation exercises,
such as cable crossovers and dumbbell flyes. This is a useful
technique for isolating one particular muscle group or section
of a muscle group to the exclusion of others. It is used most
often during pre-contest or definition phases when mass and strength
are no longer the primary concerns.
ISOLATION SUPERSETS Isolation Exercise #1 Isolation
Exercise #2
(1)Dumbbell Flyes / (2)Cable Crossover
(1)Leg Extension / (2)Sissy Squat
Ok, now that you know all four types of same muscle
group supersets, let's take a look at the other two categories
of supersetting: antagonistic supersets and staggered supersets.
2. Antagonistic muscle groups. When you do two exercises
in a row for the same muscle group, it tends to significantly
limit the amount of weight you can use because of fatigue and
lactic acid buildup. Pairing opposing (antagonistic) muscle groups
together can help you keep your strength up because as one muscle
is working, the opposite one is resting. Common examples include
pairing biceps with triceps, chest with back, or hamstrings with
quadriceps. This is also an excellent technique for bringing up
lagging body parts (priority training). For example, barbell curls
paired with Tricep pushdowns are a great combination for blasting
the arms.
ANTAGONISTIC SUPERSETS Exercise #1 Exercise #2
(1)Barbell Curl / (2) Tricep Extension
(1)Leg Extension / (2)leg Curl
3. Staggered sets. The final category of supersetting
is staggered sets. A staggered set is a type of superset where
you combine a major muscle with a minor and completed unrelated
muscle. This technique is most commonly used for abs and calves.
The way you use this principle is to "squeeze in" a set of abs
or calves in between sets for any major muscle group. For example,
you could throw in a set of calves in between every set of chest
you do. Instead of resting and doing nothing in between sets of
chest, you are doing something productive - working your calves!
This gets your workout finished much more quickly and spares you
the monotony that many people feel from doing these small body
parts by themselves.
As you can see, many benefits can be gained from
including supersets in your training program. They are a proven
technique for increasing intensity and bringing up lagging body
parts. They allow you to gain muscle while working around injuries
that might be aggravated with heavy weights. If your training
program is getting stale, supersets can also help relieve your
boredom. Best of all, supersetting is a legitimate way to get
more results in less time. If you need to squeeze a result-producing
workout into a short period of time, then supersets could be the
answer to your muscle-building prayers.
