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SUPERSETS: HOW
TO, BENEFITS, &
WORKOUT
EXAMPLES

WRITTEN BY GARETT REID | NSCA,

CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S

Fact checked by
Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush
Institute

FACT CHECKED

December 17, 2022

These days, resistance training has become

much more complicated, particularly if you're
SUPERSETS: HOW
new to the lifting world. Back in the day, a
TO,program
basic lifting BENEFITS,
would prescribe&a
straight set ofWORKOUT
3x10s across the board. Simple
and eBective,EXAMPLES
there was nothing elaborate
about it.

But in an ongoing attempt to optimize

training, the Etness industry has introduced a
plethora of special sets and rep schemes. Of
these, supersets are one of the most common
and, in our opinion, one of the most eBective.

However, supersets only work if you use them

correctly, and that's where we come in. We're
about to get into all things related to
supersets, so you know what they are and
how to eBectively use them in your workout.

This article will discuss:

What is a superset?

Supersets vs. other types of sets

BeneEts and drawbacks of supersets

How to perform a superset

Examples of superset exercises

Best superset workouts

How to incorporate supersets into your

workout program

You're about to End out what's so super

about supersets.

STRAIGHT SETS VS BACK OFF

SETS VS DROP SETS VS
COMPOUND SETS

If you just read this section's headline, you're

probably thinking: "Whew, that's a lot of sets."
Don't worry. This article will only focus on
supersets, including the deEnition of a
superset, how to use them, superset exercises
and workouts, and superset programming
tips.

But if you are new to the gym, you'll likely also

hear about many other sets, which can make
things confusing. That's why it's important to
brieQy touch on the other sets, so you can
distinguish what's going on the next time you
walk into the gym.

Further, knowing the other types of sets that

exist will help highlight what makes supersets
unique.

We won't get into every set that exists as that

would take far too long. Instead, to provide
you with some key foundational lifting
knowledge, here's a look at 4 of the most
common sets.

1. STRAIGHT SETS:

Straight sets are the base of any workout split,

especially for beginners. It's also the most
basic type of set and is what most people
automatically think of when discussing weight
training.

A straight set means that you perform one

exercise at a time using a rep scheme that
does not Quctuate. For example:

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Squat 5x5: Perform 5 sets of back squats

with 5 reps in each set.

During these sets, the weight may or may not

Quctuate.

2. BACK OFF SETS:

The next type of special set is a back-oB set. A

back-oB set is usually only seen in strength
training programs when performing heavy
sets (>85%RM). After your last set, you will
drop some weight (usually 10-15%) and
perform 1 or 2 drop sets of the same exercise.

However, you usually don't max out (you can,

depending on your goals). Instead, you
typically concentrate on performing powerful,
crisp reps.

3. DROP SETS:

A drop set sounds similar to a back-oB set,

but it's used predominantly in bodybuilding to
accumulate maximal volume and completely
fatigue the muscles. These can also be used
with any type of exercise, including a smaller
isolation exercise.

A drop set is performed by working to near

exhaustion and then stopping. You strip some
weight and immediately perform as many
more reps as possible. This can be repeated
for as long as possible.

4. COMPOUND SETS:

Compound sets are most similar to supersets,

so pay attention. A compound set is when you
perform two exercises back to back with
minimal rest periods in between.

What distinguishes these from supersets is

that a compound set will use two exercises
that train the same muscle groups, like two
dumbbell chest exercises. Usually, compound
sets use one big exercise paired with one
smaller exercise that utilizes a diBerent
movement pattern. For example:

Dumbbell chest press and chest Qy

Pull-ups and face pulls

The main intent is to create as much fatigue

as possible.

WHAT IS A SUPERSET?

Now we'll get into supersets and superset

meaning. So, what are supersets?

A superset is a type of set used in strength

training to accumulate maximal volume in a
shorter time frame. To do this, supersets
involve performing two exercises back to back
with minimal rest periods in between.

Think of a superset as a smaller version of

circuit training.

SUPERSETS MUST TRAIN

DIFFERENT MUSCLE GROUPS

Supersets diBer from compound sets because

they train di'erent muscle groups. Not only
are they diBerent, but these are muscle
groups that don't interfere with one another.
For example, the calf and quadriceps would
interfere with each other so those wouldn't
work as a superset.

A few examples of muscle groups that would

work in a superset include:

Quadriceps and shoulders

Calves and biceps

Chest muscles and lats

SUPERSETS SHOULD (IDEALLY)

TRAIN OPPOSING MUSCLE
GROUPS

Depending on who you ask, some will deEne a

superset as not just training entirely diBerent
muscle groups but rather working opposing
muscle groups in your exercise program.
These muscles act on each other during
Qexion and extension and are known as an
antagonist-agonist pair.

Examples include:

Triceps and biceps

Quadriceps and hamstrings

Anterior deltoid and posterior deltoid

This is 100% acceptable and is arguably the

preferential method. However, sometimes
this is impossible to do. For example, if you
are running a push-pull split, you will never
train an antagonist-agonist pair.

The most important thing is to train diBerent

muscle groups that don't interfere with each
other.

SUPERSETS VS COMPOUND
SETS: WHAT'S THE
DIFFERENCE?

Supersets and compound sets are often

mentioned together, giving the illusion that
they're similar. But aside from both training
two exercises back to back, they're quite
diBerent and used for diBerent purposes.

We already discussed that compound sets

train one muscle group, while supersets train
opposing muscle groups (so you're
working multiple muscle groups within a set).
The diBerence occurs due to the purpose of
these special sets.

Compound sets are performed to

"compound" as much volume as possible on a
muscle group, thus breaking it down and
producing muscle hypertrophy. This is why it's
almost always seen in athletes interested in
muscle building rather than strength. Further,
there is more emphasis on allowing little to no
rest periods.

A superset is usually done to save time in the

gym rather than break the muscle group
down. This is why superset exercises don't
train the same muscle group.

Last, while supersets still have a short rest

period, the rest time is generally a bit longer
compared to compound sets.

6 SUPERSETS BENEFITS: FACT

OR FICTION?

So, are supersets as super as they claim to

be? Let's see what the research says, and take
a look at 6 commonly cited supersets beneEts
and whether each one is fact or Ection.

1. SUPERSETS SAVE TIME.

The Erst beneEt of supersets is one that we

already spoke about. Supersets save time.
This is a pretty obvious assumption. Compare
the following two examples:

Performing 6 exercises, one at a time, with

a 2:00 rest.

Performing 6 exercises, two at a time, with

a 2:00 rest.

Obviously, the second scenario will take about

half the time. However, it doesn't matter how
fast a workout is if it fails to produce
adaptations. Fortunately, research shows it
does produce the necessary adaptations for
muscle building.

A study from 2010 examined two protocols

for performing two exercises: a bench press
and a bench pull¹. The two diBerent protocols
included: 3 sets of bench pull followed by 3
sets of bench presses and 4:00 of rest
between each set, totaling 20 minutes, and
alternating 3 sets of bench pull with bench
press (pull, push, pull, push..), using 2:00 rest
periods and totaling 10 minutes.

The study found that the total volume for

each exercise was similar in both protocols,
suggesting pairing the exercises was more
ehcient.

The same conclusion was made in a review

that found that requiring a smaller time frame
was the strongest beneEt out of all proposed
beneEts².

It's important to note that some of these

studies used exceptionally long rest periods (4
minutes vs. 2 minutes). The majority of people
use 2 minutes as their longest rest period,
meaning a 1-minute rest period (or less)
would be more common in supersets. This
diBerence may make it more dihcult to get
similar amounts of volume.

So, do supersets save time? Yes, this is true!

2. SUPERSETS BUILD MUSCLE.

 MENU  0
First, it's true that supersets have the ability to
build
W A muscle.
N T T H E P E RWhen
F E C T W Oyou
R K O U use
T P R Oprogressive
GRAM? TAKE QUIZ

overload and proper training variables, all

sets and work will build muscle. However, you
may hear some gym goers attempt to suggest
that supersets are more eBective at building
muscle. Now, we like supersets, but there's no
research to indicate they're more eBective.

The primary driver of muscle growth is

accumulating volume³. While there may be
some evidence that factors such as metabolic
damage and fatigue can play a role, those are
seen more with compound sets. Plus, this
evidence is still far from conclusive.

As you saw in the study above, the two

protocols produced the same volume.
However, in that same study, the traditional
sets used rest periods that were signiEcantly
longer than normally used in general lifting
populations. Under normal circumstances,
the rest period would be closer to 1 minute
between exercises in supersets. The shorter
rest is deEnitely not going to allow more
volume and may result in less.

Do supersets build muscle? Yes, as long as

progressive overload is used; however, not
more so than other training regimens.

3. SUPERSETS INCREASE
STRENGTH.

Another proposed beneEt is that supersets

provide an increase in muscular strength.
Strength is a measurement of the
neuromuscular ehcacy of a muscle group.
When the muscle Ebers Ere quicker and more
eBectively, that same muscle group can lift
more weight.

At Erst glance, this may seem to have some

merit, as you're putting more stress on your
body and forcing it to work under greater
fatigue. However, this isn't how strength
works.

Optimal strength training requires the muscle

to be as fresh as possible before a set in order
to complete clean, powerful reps⁴. If you
compare a resistance training program
geared toward building muscle to one aimed
at strength, the strength-building workout
uses longer rest periods.

Even though you're alternating muscle groups

in supersets, the rest between the same
exercise is the same, yet there is another
exercise thrown in between. This
actually decreases the amount of rest. In
other words, the variables of supersets are
the exact opposite of ehcient strength
training.

Do supersets improve strength? It's unlikely.

4. SUPERSETS BURN FAT.

There's a lot to unpack with these claims.

Ultimately we believe it doesn't matter as
weight training's primary purpose is not to
burn fat. It's to build muscle and strengthen
muscle, or at the very least, preserve it.

That said, strength training obviously burns

calories, leading to fat loss if you're in a
calorie deEcit, but this is more of a secondary
beneEt. On that same note, it's a common
practice to perform heavy resistance training
in order to prevent muscle loss while
following a cutting workout and diet plan.

With the above in mind, resistance training is

indeed a useful tool during a cut. However,
there's no research that indicates supersets
are superior to following a traditional set.

It could be claimed that it's more intense and

you do more work, which results in greater
calorie burn. The issue with this is it presents
the same problem as the added volume
beneEt we discussed above.

If you do the same volume in 20 minutes or

60 minutes, the total work is equal, which
means the total calories burned would be
similar. And if you stay longer and do more,
either for calorie burn or muscular
endurance, you're forfeiting the primary
beneEt of supersets, which is reducing your
workout time frame.

So to recap, supersets burn fat, but likely no

more fat than any other weightlifting
program.

5. SUPERSETS IMPROVE YOUR

CARDIO ABILITY.

Being able to perform more work in the same

time frame will improve your work capacity. In
this context, a superset will likely have a
beneEcial eBect on your cardio ability.

However, it's important that we deEne cardio

here as all cardio tends to get incorrectly
lumped together. Cardio refers to exercise
that trains your cardiovascular system, such