Let’s Talk Supersets
Put simply (and also strongly, of course), a superset is when you go from one working set straight into another, with minimal or no rest in between.
Supersets are great because they allow you to incorporate a significant amount more working volume (sets*reps) into a particular workout day WITHOUT forcing you to spend a ton of extra time in the gym. We all know that adding working volume is a great way to drive progressive overload (and therefore see results), but if you’re like most ordinary people, adding another 10/20 minutes to your gym routine may not always be the most practical option - and this is where supersets can REALLY help.
Here are three of the most commonly used superset types:
1. Agonistic
Same muscle group/movement pattern
Examples:
Bench Press -> Press-Up
Row -> Pull-Up
Squat -> Lunge
These are great for really 'attacking' a muscle group that you're super keen to work on and grow, especially when you’re a bit short of time. Just be sensible with the weights you use, and I recommend doing the harder exercise in the pair first.
2. Antagonistic
Opposite muscle group/movement pattern
Examples:
Bench Press -> Row
Shoulder Press -> Pull-Up
Leg Extension -> Leg Curl
My personal favourite - a great way to make sure you're hitting all of the key movement patterns and muscle groups you should be and remaining balanced in your training, while potentially halving your training time. Arnold Schwarzenegger was famously fond of antagonistic training, and would regularly group chest with back and biceps with triceps - and I think it worked out ok for him, don’t you?
3. Unrelated
Unrelated muscle group/movement pattern
Examples:
Bench Press -> Hip Thrust
Squat -> Shoulder Press
Chin-Up -> Lunge
The possibilities are endless for this one. Great for anyone who's training multiple muscle groups per day and is really short of time, or someone who just doesn’t love being in the gym all that much - you could easily get a full-body workout done in 45 minutes or even less!
Some final thoughts
Personally, I would NOT recommend supersets for heavy strength work (anything greater than 85% of your max) - ESPECIALLY not agonistic supersets. You need to rest properly in order to lift the REALLY heavy stuff - save your supersetting for your lighter work where you’re less focused on the actual weight lifted and more focused on ‘getting a pump’.
While you can of course implement supersets however you'd like, I've found that lighter-weight, higher rep stuff (anywhere from 8-20 reps) is where supersets really shine.
Bottom line, supersets are a fantastic way to make your workouts more time-efficient, more intense, and more productive. But even leaving that aside, they’re also just goddamn fun, and are one of my favourite ways to make training programmes more interesting and enjoyable. At the end of the day, if your training feels boring and stagnant, chances are you won't feel like pushing yourself as hard as you could if you were more stimulated.
Give them a go at your next session and let me know how you get on - happy training!
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