How to Use Supersets – Introduction
How do you do supersets to save time and burn more fat?
Strength training is one of the best things you can do for your body.
Whether you want to build muscle, improve athleticism, get stronger, get leaner, improve your health, or live a longer and more productive life, strength training will help.
Lifting weights is good for everybody’s body!
Unfortunately, strength training can also be very time-consuming, and most training programs involve spending more time resting than they do working out.
For example, if you do 20 sets per workout, and each set takes about 60 seconds to complete, you can expect to spend at least double that time resting and watching the clock.
So that 20 minutes of training ends up taking 60 minutes or more!
This is not an efficient use of your time.
Lack of time is arguably the most significant barrier to regular exercise, which is why so many people struggle to fit strength training into their already busy schedules.
One way to get more training done in less time is to use a workout method called supersets.
You can also use supersets to burn more fat and build fitness through strength training.
This guide reveals what supersets are and how to use them to make your workouts more productive and time-efficient.
Table of Contents
- How to Do Supersets Workouts – Introduction
- What Are Supersets?
- Common Supersetting Methods
- Superset Drawbacks
- How to Do Supersets Correctly in a Workout
- Save Time and Burn More Fat Supersets – Wrapping Up
What Are Supersets?
A superset is when you do two exercises back-to-back.
For example, you might do a set of push-ups immediately followed by a set of pull-ups.
Then, you rest after the second exercise and repeat the pairing for another couple of rounds.
In training programs, supersets are normally shown like this:
1a. 1st exercise
1b. 2nd exercise
Rest periods after the second set depend on what you are training for and your fitness level.
For example, you may rest as little as 30-60 seconds when training for endurance and fat burning or 3-5 minutes if you’re training for strength.
There are several ways to use supersets to make your workouts more effective and efficient.
Common supersetting methods include:
#1. Agonistic supersets
This method involves doing two exercises for the same muscle group, usually a hard movement followed by an easier one.
This extends your set beyond the normal point of failure, making your workout more intense.
In some cases, training harder means better results, e.g., for hypertrophy or muscle building.
For example:
1a. Squat
1b. Lunge
Or
1a. Bench press
1b. Push-up
#2. Agonist/antagonist supersets
This type of superset is also known as push/pull supersets.
You do an exercise for one muscle group and then, for the next movement, train the opposing one.
Agonist/antagonist supersets are a great way to save time, as one exercise provides a rest from the other.
Also, it ensures your workout is balanced and you train both sides of your body equally.
For example:
1a. Biceps curl
1b. Triceps pushdown
Or
1a. Leg extension
1b. Leg curl
#3. Agonist/opposing synergist supersets
This training method pairs a “big” exercise with a smaller movement to make the best possible use of your training time.
This is a good option if you follow a split routine that involves one major muscle group and a minor one, e.g., back and triceps or chest and biceps.
For example:
1a. Bench press
1b. Biceps curl
Or
1a. Bent-over row
1b. Triceps pushdown
Note: It’s generally best to avoid agonist/same synergist supersets, such as push-ups followed by triceps extensions or pull-ups and biceps curls.
Fatigue from the second exercise will invariably compromise your performance of the first movement, even if you rest for a couple of minutes between supersets.
#4. Agonist/distant agonist supersets
This method pairs muscle groups that are far apart to save time and make your rest periods more efficient.
This is a good option if you are short of time and don’t want to sit around doing nothing between sets.
However, neither exercise will interfere with your performance of the other.
For example:
1a. Leg press
1b. Wrist curls
Or
1a. Shoulder press
1b. Crunches
#5. Lower body/upper body supersets
If you want to burn fat and shorten your workouts, these are the supersets for you.
The first exercise raises your heart rate, and the second keeps it elevated, so you burn more calories without doing any cardio.
Paired with short rests, this superset method will also improve your cardiovascular fitness.
For example:
1a. Lunges
1b. Push-ups
Or
1a. Deadlifts
1b. Shoulder presses
#6. Strength and power supersets
Strength and power supersets combine different types of exercise for the same muscle groups or movement patterns.
This is an excellent supersetting system for athletes and anyone who wants to improve their physical performance.
The first exercise should be a slow, heavy strength move, while the second should be a fast, explosive power move.
For example:
1a. Back squat
1b. Squat jump
Or
1a. Bench press
1b. Plyo push-up
#7. Strength/cardio supersets
Most exercisers want to combine strength training and cardio, but doing both in the same session means your workout will probably last an hour or more.
This supersetting method involves a short burst of cardio between strength training sets.
These short bursts can add up to 20 or more minutes of cardio without making your workout any longer.
You’ll build fitness and burn fat with this method.
For example:
1a. Lunges
1b. Jump rope for 30-60 seconds
Or
1a. Bench press
1b. Spin bike for 30-60 seconds
#8. Lazy supersets
Most maximal strength programs involve resting 3-5 minutes between sets, even if that set only takes 10-15 seconds to complete.
This adds up to a LOT of wasted time!
Lazy supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back, but you don’t rush between movements.
So, instead of resting four minutes between sets, you do your first exercise, rest two minutes, do your second exercise, rest two minutes, and so on.
For example:
1a. Squat
Rest 2 minutes
1b. Bench press
Rest 2 minutes
Or
1a. Deadlift
Rest 2 minutes
1b. Overhead press
Rest 2 minutes
Superset Drawbacks
Organizing your training into supersets can save time, burn more calories, and make your workouts more balanced and effective.
But, before you start using this method, we must also discuss a couple of disadvantages:
#1. Equipment hogging
Supersets often involve monopolizing two sets of equipment.
That’s no problem if you train at home, but it could be a problem if you train in a commercial gym, especially during peak hours.
One way around this problem is to make one of the movements a bodyweight exercise.
That way, you won’t need to hog any extra equipment.
For example, bench presses and pull-ups.
However, if you do use two sets of equipment, you may find someone else doing one of the exercises when you come to it.
#2. Lower training weights
Because of fatigue, some supersetting methods will force you to use less weight on your second exercise.
This could be a problem if you are training for strength but is less of an issue for general fitness, fat loss, or hypertrophy.
#3. Cardiovascular fitness may become a limiting factor
Supersets tax your cardiorespiratory system as much as your muscles.
While this can be seen as an advantage, it may also be a drawback for some people.
For example, if your set of squats leaves you too out of breath, you may struggle to do justice to the next paired movement, e.g., triceps pushdowns.
If this is an issue for you, feel free to take 15-30 seconds between supersetted exercises and then take a full rest on completion of the second movement.
Gradually reduce the intra-exercise rest as you get fitter until you can do the paired exercises without a break.
#4. The location of the exercises
Depending on the layout of your gym, you may find that the exercises you want to superset are too far apart.
This could negate the time-saving effect of supersets, as you’ll need to walk back and forth between movements.
You can overcome this drawback by pairing free weight and machine exercises, taking the weights over to the station you are using, e.g., chest press and dumbbell shoulder presses.
How to Do Supersets in a Workout
There are no hard and fast rules on how or when to incorporate supersets into your workouts.
You can use them for your entire program or for one muscle group.
You can also use different supersetting styles as you need or want them.
Here’s a superset-based full-body workout to try.
Using the superset method means you should be able to complete this workout in 40 minutes or less, whereas doing it in the conventional style would probably take an hour or more.
Superset-based full-body workout
How to Do Supersets – Wrapping Up
Beginners, intermediate, and advanced lifters can use supersets to make their workouts more time-efficient.
Pairing specific exercises together, such as lower and upper body or strength and cardio, is also an excellent way to increase caloric expenditure and burn more fat.
Do you HAVE to use supersets in your workouts?
Absolutely not!
But they can be helpful, even if you only use them occasionally or for a small part of your training.
So, give supersets a try – you might like them!
Rich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer),