How to Build More Muscle in Less Time with Supersets
By Tom Venuto
Wouldn't it be great if there was a safe and natural way
to build more muscle in a shorter period of time? In this day and age
of exercise gimmicks and quick fix solutions, most smart bodybuilders
and fitness enthusiasts would be skeptical if they heard such a claim.
But guess what? Such an "animal" really does exist. No, it's
not a drug. It's not some miracle supplement, either. Nor is it a newfangled
piece of workout machinery. If you've been training seriously for any
length of time, it's something you're probably already familiar with
but haven't fully exploited to the maximum degree. What is this method
for building more muscle in less time? Surprise, surprise; it's called
supersetting!
Even if you've used supersets before, you may not be familiar
with all the different types of supersets or the many ways you can incorporate
them into your workouts. Just in case you're not familiar with supersets,
let me start from the beginning and explain the difference between a
conventional set and a superset.
Conventional weight training is done with "straight
sets." A straight set is performed by doing a series of repetitions;
8-12 in a row for example, then stopping to rest for a minute or so
before doing another set. A superset is an advanced training technique
where you perform two exercises in a row with virtually no rest in between.
Supersets are an excellent technique for muscular development, especially
if you are short on time. Supersets are not, however, the most effective
technique for building strength or power. Let me explain why...
When you perform two exercises in a row with no rest in
between, this will reduce the amount of weight you can handle, particularly
in the second movement. Your strength will also decrease from fatigue
with each subsequent superset. Because supersets don't allow you to
use maximal weights, they are not well-suited to building strength.
Supersets are definitely a body building and "shaping" technique.
You seldom see powerlifters or strength athletes doing supersets. In
fact, they usually do the opposite; they take longer rest intervals
between sets so that they can recuperate as much as possible. After
a 3-5 minute recovery period, they can attack each set with maximum
strength. If you are still fatigued from the previous set, and you start
another set too soon, you won't be able to lift as much weight.
Ok, now you know what a superset is. The question is; why
should you bother using them? There are three primary advantages of
superset training over conventional straight set training:
1. Supersets save time :
The most obvious advantage of supersetting is to save time. Even if
you truly enjoy training, it's probably safe to assume that you wouldn't
mind getting equal or better results in a shorter period of time.
2. Supersets increase intensity :
Usually when you think of high intensity, you think of forced reps,
descending sets, negatives, etc. Supersets are simply another method
of increasing intensity. Shortening the rest between sets is hard work
- especially if you're used to a long rest interval. The principle is:
more work performed in less time equals more intensity and more intensity
equals more muscle.
3. Supersets prevent injury or allow you to work
around an injury :
I stumbled on the value of supersets as a way to train around injuries
at the age of 20 when I ruptured a disc in my lower back. I was a strong
squatter at a very young age, doing 405 lbs for 6 reps before I was
20 years old. After the injury, I wanted to maintain my leg size without
putting so much stress on the lower back. Because I could no longer
squat more than 315lbs without re-injuring my back, I sought a way to
maintain my leg size without super heavy squats. Out of necessity, I
started doing high reps and supersets. After a relatively brief period
training in this fashion, my quads quickly grew to become my best body
part. With the exception of brief strength phases when I do straight
sets with as much weight as I can, I utilize supersets extensively for
quads to this day. Supersets allow you to overload a muscle and generate
high intensity without requiring heavy weights. This decreases your
chances of injury.
There are three primary categories of supersets. Let's
take a look at each category and a few examples of each.
1) Same
muscle group,
2) Agonist-antagonist
and
3) Staggered sets.
This article was provided by GHF.
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