super sets

[jahman]

hi was jsut wandering how many of you use supersets in your training and if yes what excercises do u use for them cheers.

[2guns]

yes i superset all my training except on shoulder days.

e.g chest and back ill superset a chest exercise with a back.

arms day ill superset a biceps with a triceps

legs ill superset quads with a hamstring - i do calfs at the end

delts i do alone follwed by traps at the end.

i usalluy do a progrm for about 12 weeks and if its working ill kep doing it. but if not ill change it. this way is working great for me

[jahman]

ccheers for that man

[2guns]

no worries let me know how u get on if u try it. good luck

[markm]

I've also never done supersets.

2guns,

when you do supersets, do you take a break between each set??

i.e. you do 1 chest exercise followed straight away by a back exercise, then do you rest for a coupla mins before repeating it again for the 2nd set?

[2guns]

my understanding of a superset:

say i was training chest and back e.g id do a chest exercise followed straight away by a back then id hav a rest after tht and do another set 90 seconds or a couple of mintues depending on wat rest time i wanted.

the next time i trained chest/back i would put the back exercise first etc etc.

is this how u superset MARK M?

[2guns]

oh ok i misread uve never done them, i find them very good but this is just my opinion of course. it also cuts done the time im in the gym too

[markm]

is this how u superset MARK M?

I don't do supersets, but I'm thinking of maybe trying 'em.

Your explanation is just how I thought they'd be done though.

Thanks for that.

[2guns]

no worries let me know how u get on if u try it. good luck

[Pseudonym]

So do you train with supersets constantly, 2guns? I've only ever used them as a periodic boost to the intensity level. I was told that like dropsets, 21's, and so on, a 6-8 week routine that includes them is fine, but to use them continuously risk burning out or overtraining. You haven't experienced this?

[2guns]

yes, ive been using them continuously for quite a while i dnt see how i could be overtraining as long as i get sufficsent rest b4 starting my next exerises.

and im also training opposong muscle groups im not superseting two bicep exercises. so my opposing muscle is fresh when i start the 2nd set

[jahman]

hey 2 guns is it possible to use supersets on forearm muscles and if yes which exercises would you use?

[2guns]

i think u guys r getting the wrong idea, im no expert!

i dnt train forearms consistently ill put them in my arm workout everynow and then.

i dnt know the names of the exercises for forearms but just do one for the underneath and one for the top muscles i spoze.

but yeah i dnt do any work on my forearms as they seem to be growing fine with deadlifts, curls etc

[2guns]

I was told that like dropsets, 21's, and so on

i think these r different to superseting two oppossing muscle groups.

yr talking bout exhausting one muscle group and ive never used drop sets and 21s in my training b4

[Pseudonym]

Yeah, that's a fair point. I tend to lump them all together as "intensity-boosting techniques", but you're right - supersets would have a different effect to the others.

[Oros]

If you're luck enough to train at a gym that has enough equipment, or atleast has other members with an IQ high enough to realise what you're doing a do'nt interfere with the equipment supersets & giant sets work well.

All my programs are set-up/planned so as my training partner and I can pick any one training day per week, if the gyms not too busy and go straight into superset mode.

Sometimes we do opposing muscle group exercises - leg press + leg curls, or leg curls + sissy squats, sometime same muscle groups - hack squat + db front lunges, or front squats + leg ext'ns, and sometimes odd-ball grouping - bent over reverse flyes + wide grip pull downs, or chins + bb shrugs.

We usually do each superset non-stop, with no rest period between each set, for no reason other than to limit/stop other members trying to use the same equipment.

I doubt if one day per week using a superset routine could lead to any overtraining, it does however dramatically reduce your time in the gym.

Straight set routine normally 40-50 minutes, same exercise routine done as supersets or giant sets, probably 25-30 minutes.

[Marcus]

I think of supersets as another variation to my workouts, depending on how I feel on the day. I think supersets & drop sets etc help burn extra calories when you're leaning out.

[jahman]

has anyone that has used supersets noticed any advantages over other types of training?

[CutTaBits]

I used a superset this morning, i was running out of time so i superset incline DB benchpress and bent over cable flys.

I think they have there place, like i don't use them if i am doing a heavy low rep work out... no point supersetting after maxing out on bench.

[2guns]

y not?

at the moment in my training im supersetting bb bench press with wide grip pull ups and i max out on the bench and then max out on the pull ups.

ther to different muscle groups and even if the same muscles r getting used for each exercise ther'ye just minor ones that the exercises arnt meant to be focusing on.

what im saying is that if i max out on bench say 140kg at 6 reps i can do just as many wg pull ups as if i didnt do the bench press in the 1st place. imo anyway

[Oros]

For the past few months I've been watching one of the young gym rats trying to use supersetting. As part of his back day routine, he supersets low cable rows with DB curls then T-bar rows with con curls. Next evening as part of his shoulder routine, BB military press supersetted with tricep pushdowns then DB Arnold press with DB kickbacks, a few days later he was does a dedicated bicep & tricep routine with sets of E-Z curls supersetted with E-Z French press, then cable curls with reverse grip extentions.

All sets are in the high rep range, very few of the reps are to correct form, his training partner (father) assists on every lift (just about), theres much grunting and puffing and plenty of "yeh mate.....good rep......strong lift...... all yours....etc.....etc....

Every evening he weighs himself then bitches & moans that he can't get passed xxkg's.....gee, I wonder why!

I have a strong feeling that following that type of "forced-rep-superset" routine, (he copied the program out of some or other fitness mag, then added extra exercises and sets himself) for more than just a few days can only lead to injury, & complete over-training of every muscle group.

Imo, supersets have their place in the overall scheme of a mid/long term plan, but not every work-out for months on end..........

[2guns]

well r either of them big?

[jahman]

I read about doing them in sets of 2-3 but anymore must be overtraining,I read a good article on it on abcbodybuilding.com.

[CutTaBits]

I just don't think i could sustain the same workout intensity doing supersets set after set day after day.

[jahman]

fair enough so do you think they should be a once evry two week thing maybe?