I’ ve been doing weight lifting superset workouts for age.
When I first started going to the gym at age 15, I did the standard “ do one set and rest” routine. I hated the resting part through I got bored. Further, it made my workouts take longer.
After lifting for a few second childhood, I learned about supersets. I’ ve been doing them ever since … and not just weight lifting supersets. I do them in all kinds of formats to speed up my workouts.
What are supersets?
In a nutshell, supersets are doing exercises back - to - back with no rest. It could be targeting the same muscle or different muscles. It could be a combination of:
resistance training and cardio,
resistance training and stretching ( or yoga ), or
cardio and yoga.
You can create duo, or triple combinations such as:
Chest / Back ( duo medley )
Chest / biceps / triceps ( triple mishmash )
Chest / Back / Stretch
Chest / Chest / Back / Back ( this four - exercise superset is lulu intense ).
What are the main benefits of supersets?
Saves time working out. I find supersets cut down my workout time by 40 %.
Hit all your muscle groups in fewer workouts during a inclined go. Instead of hitting 2 muscle groups, you easily cover 4 during a 20 to 30 minute workout.
Relieves boredom. I shudders sitting around between sets. I exalt to keep going.
Provides both anaerobic and aerobic workouts at the same time.
Makes stretching delicious. A great fluctuation is weight lifting and stretching.
More workout melange. With all the combinations available, you can come up with all kinds of workouts ( remark combinations below ). You can do different combinations during the same workout. In actuality, every workout can be different.
Undoubtedly, I pick up rest is good for being able to lift maximum amounts of weight and / or unit of reps. I get that … but I’ m not all that concerned about maximizing benefit with every set. In actuality, I’ d much somewhat cut my workout time by 40 %, get 80 % of the benefit and reduce boredom. That’ s what supersets do for me.
Do supersets work?
Exactly, they do for me. In actuality, I find that the amount I lift and the character of reps doesn’ t suffer much despite taking much fewer and shorter fortuity between sets. Besides, even on days I only lift weights, I get an aerobic workout in as well.
Two Main Types of Weight Lifting Supersets
1. Same Muscle Combos
If you’ re really into draining your muscles, you can do what I call “ same muscle combos”. This is when you do two different exercises targeting the same muscle.
Same muscle combos don’ t necessarily save you much time. Instead, they can really hammer a muscle.
It’ s a good idea to start with a compound exercise followed up with an isolation movement. However, this isn’ t certainly necessary. In truth, I regularly do entire weight lifting workouts using machines only … which are isolation exercises ( machines also help save time ).
Examples of Same Muscle Combos
Duo Supersets
Bench Press / Flat Flies
Incline Press / Pec Deck
Triple Supersets
Bench Press / DB Press / Pec Deck
2. Different Muscle Combos
Different muscle combinations are what I do nearly exclusively. I don’ t really do same muscle combos supersets.
Examples of different muscle combinations are as follows:
Duo Supersets
Bench Press ( chest ) / Lat Pull down ( back )
Barbell Curl ( bicep ) / Triceps Extension ( triceps )
Triple Supersets
Bench Press / Bicep DB Curl / Triceps Extension
Lat Pull Down / DB Shoulder Press / Barbell Shrugs
How much rest should you take between supersets?
I often take 30 seconds rest. I keep it short so that time between working out a muscle is not too long. Furthermore, if I took 3 minutes, it would not diminish my workouts and wouldn’ t supply much of an aerobic workout.
If I do stretching in between sets, I take no rest.
It also depends on whether you do “ same muscle” combos or “ different muscle combos”. Obviously, if you hit the same muscles back - to - back, you’ ll need to take more than 30 seconds rest.
It also depends on whether you do duo or triple supersets. When I do triple supersets, I take a 10 to 15 second water break and keep going. I really motor with my triple set supersets.
Forasmuch as, it all depends on the type of supersets you do. Play it by ear to detect what works for you. If you find 30 seconds doesn’ t keep enough recovery time, extend that to 45 seconds.
Also, be mindful of weariness. You can overdo your workouts with supersets, especially when incorporating compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts which are taxing and wearing.
How can you plan your workouts with supersets?
I love supersets through I can either hammer out a 2 - muscle workout in 12 minutes first step more time for cardio / yoga ( and do this 4 to 5 times per year which is a 4 or 5 day split ) or hit 4 muscle groups in 20 to 30 minutes. With a 4 muscle superset plan, I lift 2 to 3 times per instant ( depending on the splits ).
Examples of superset workouts
Duo Muscle Superset Workouts
3 Day Split
Day 1: Chest / Back | Biceps / Triceps
Day 2: Shoulders / Traps | Abs ( superset the abs )
Day 3: Quads / Calves | Hamstrings / Abs
4 Day Split
Day 1: Chest / Back
Day 2: Biceps / Triceps
Day 3: Shoulders / Abs
Day 4: Legs
A note about abs. You can number among abs with weight lifting ( i. e. do ab exercises between weight lifting exercises ) or do a varied ab workout position you do 2 or 3 ab exercises back - to - back.
5 Day Split
Day 1: Chest / Biceps
Day 4: Quads / Abs
Day 2: Back / Triceps
Day 3: Shoulders / Traps
Day 5: Hamstrings / Calves / Abs
With the 2 muscle workouts, you can hub 2 or 4 muscles in a workout. In reality, if you have a busy while, simply alter a 4 or 5 day split to a 3 day split.
Triple Muscle Supersets
I treat to do more unit muscle supersets; although when crunched for time, triple sets are fantastic. They’ re also good for delivering an aerobic workout being rest time is outline back to 10 to 15 seconds between supersets.
1 Day Split
Chest / Biceps / Triceps | Back / Shoulders / Traps | Quads / Hamstrings / Calves | Abs ( triple set the abs as well with 3 ab exercises ).
2 Day Split
Day 1: Chest / Biceps / Triceps | Back / Shoulders / Traps
Day 2: Quads / Hamstrings / Calves | Abs ( triple set the abs as well with 3 ab exercises ).
3 Day Split:
Day 1: Chest / Biceps / Triceps | Back / Shoulders / Traps
Day 2: Quads / Hamstrings / Calves
Day 3: Abs ( hammer them )
4 Day Split
Day 1: Chest / Biceps / Triceps |
Day 2: Back / Shoulders / Traps
Day 3: Quads / Hamstrings / Calves
Day 4: Abs ( hammer them )
The more days you do, the faster your workouts will go. A 4 day split can be done in 12 minutes easily. After all it’ s a ravage of 6 sets ( or however many sets you choose to do per muscle faction. You must also factor in set up time for each exercise ).
How many exercises / sets per superset?
Again, this will depend on your workout objectives.
I recurrently do 2 exercises of 3 sets per muscle. I’ m not out to win Mr. Olympia. I like staying in decent shape with some tone and definition. If you’ re out to build some pensive muscle or chisel up, add a interrogation exercise with other 3 sets.
The number of reps per set is dictated by your workout impartial. Supersets function much the same as single set lifting and so the theories behind the digit of reps profit by the same.
I typically do 5 to 10 reps. Oftentimes I’ ll do 1 to 2 sets per exercise in the 5 to 6 rep range and cusp with an 8 to 10 rep set.
If you’ re concerned about the optimal numeral of reps to do for each set and want to read what is probably some of the best literature on rep total, check out Flat Moore’ s Visual Effect Fitness. I have his guide and as a fruition of reading it, I lowered my rep reservation to 5 or 6 ( I traditionally did 8 to 12 reps per set ).
Site should you start with supersets?
The easiest to do, and if you want to save time, are the duo different muscle supersets in a 4 day split. The following would be such a workout:
4 Day Split for 1 Tour
Day 1: Chest / Back
Superset 1: Bench Press / Lat Pulldown ( 3 sets – 5, 5 and 8 reps )
Superset 2: Incline DB Chest Press / Seated Rows ( 3 sets – 5, 8 and 10 reps )
Day 2: Biceps / Triceps
Superset 1: Barbell Curls / Lying down tricep extensions ( 3 sets – 5, 5 and 8 reps )
Superset 2: Preacher Curls / Tricep News Pushdowns ( 3 sets – 5, 8 and 10 reps )
Day 3: Shoulders / Abs
Superset 1: Behind the Kiss Press / Bicycle Ab Extensions / Curls ( 3 sets – 5, 5 and 8 reps )
Superset 2: Shoulder Flies / Decline Ab Sit Ups ( 3 sets – 5, 8 and 10 reps )
Day 4: Legs
Superset 1: Smith Machine Squats / Leg Curls ( 3 sets – 5, 5 and 8 reps )
Superset 2: Leg Presses / Son Extensions on the Leg Press ( 3 sets – 5, 8 and 10 reps ( I do 12 to 15 reps for calves ) )
The sky is the limit
This weight lifting supersets workout article is just the prelude with the mixture of workouts you can create with supersets. Cast in stretching and abs, and the combinations escalate.
The best part is you’ ll savvy gains with much less header of time … unless you like socializing during one's move in the gym … supersets can cut down your workout time significantly.
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