Supersets pair two exercises back-to-back with little or no rest between them. Most often, the exercises work antagonistic (opposing) muscle groups, such as biceps/triceps or chest/back.
There are several benefits of including supersets in your workouts.
The first benefit of supersets done this way is greater strength and power.
Research shows that a muscle will contract with more strength and power if preceded by contractions of its antagonist, or opposing muscle group. For example, when you do a superset of barbell rows followed by the bench press, you’ll be stronger on the bench press. In fact, Australian researchers reported that when trained athletes performed rows before doing the bench press throw, they had significantly more power on the bench press throw than when they did it without first doing the rows.
University of Wisconsin – Parkside (Kenosha, WI) researchers found that when subjects did a six-second isometric leg curl to fatigue the hamstrings before doing the vertical jump, quadriceps force production was increased by almost 15% as compared to when they did the vertical jump without first doing the leg curl.
Another study, from Canada, reported that when subjects did three supersets of rows and bench presses using their 4-rep max on each exercise, they were able to perform more reps on sets 2 and 3 than when they did traditional sets. This may also be due to the greater inhibition of the antagonist muscles, but it is also likely due to getting a longer rest for each muscle group. When you are training the opposing muscle group, the other muscle group is getting some rest. And when you combine the rest taken between supersets that equates to greater total rest for each muscle group.
Another benefit of antagonist superset training is that you burn more body fat.
One study from Syracuse University found that when subjects performed supersets for chest/back, biceps/triceps, and quads/hamstrings, they burned 35% more calories during the workout and burned 35% more calories after the workout was over as compared to when they did straight sets. ( Several sets for a specific body part done in succession, such as three sets of overhead presses in a row.)
The big news here is the greater calorie burn after the workout is over. After all a workout may only last 1-2 hours, so you can only burn so many extra calories in that time. But burning 35% more calories after the workout is over when you are sitting around the rest of the day is where that extra calorie and fat burning can really add up.
And, if you're really ambitious, give tri-sets a go. Here you combine three exercises in succession without a break.
Get to work!
Mary Katherine Gallagher: " Sometimes, when I get nervous, I stick my hands under my armpits and then I smell them like this!"
Superstar(1999)
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