Supersets

Part of training the body as a system requires the use of volume and intensity.

These are the real keys to results.

Go into any gym anywhere, and you will see some individuals who seem to be doing anything but working hard.

The main culprit of distraction is of course the phone.

Why are we in the gym?

To work!

What does the body want us to be doing when in the gym?

Working!

For some, socialising has an added component, and I'm all for this.

The prerequisite being as long as the work gets done.

Dopamine is the reward of doing, not the reward of attaining.

Not only is life a meditation, every workout is too.

It's a gift; an opportunity to spend quality time with our body.

With meditation we need to be free of distractions and when we are - the experience improves.

As more time elapses, both in the moment, and over the course of our practise, we learn and experience more.

We go deeper, we immerse into it, we become more present.

Training is the same.

Focus builds. Intensity builds. Dopamine builds.

If we do a set, then check emails or worse scroll social media, then do another set, we have broken the focus.

Each set, psychologically, can feel like we're starting again.

We leave so much on the table by doing this.

Of course it is possible to multi task, but it is not possible to simultaneously get the most from a workout whilst our mind is on other things.

Just like an engine, and a meditation, the optimal state is when it has been running for a while and exploring it's full capacity.

That's where supersets come in.

Caveat - if you're a power lifter or an Olympic Weightlifter, you're rehabilitating from an injury, or in general your programming demands are different, then again, this resource need not apply.

But for the vast majority, volume and intensity are the main goals of training.

Especially considering what we are all deficient in...

TIME.

No one has time for 90 minute workouts, at least during the week, and fewer still have time for two sessions in a day.

Most people are looking to integrate their workouts into the working day.

So the goal is to maximise efficiency and effectiveness in order to achieve overall strength and fitness, minimise injuries, and in all likelihood achieve optimal body composition.

In order to achieve this, supersets are a must.

What are Supersets?

They are two exercises back to back, with little rest in between.

As an example -

A1. Bench Press

A2. Single DB Row

They can be performed with any two exercises.

But let's stick to the simple rule - training the body as a system.

I feel the most effective is to utilise as much of the body into one superset as possible.

Like I outlined in my previous article ONE. SIMPLE. RULE.

One of my favourite supersets is

A1. Split Squats

A2. Incline DB Press

Here's the thinking -

The lower half does the bulk of the work during the first set, although not all of it, because the core and grip are heavily involved.

Then the incline press focuses the upper body, primarily the pectorals and the triceps, although it does still hit the grip, biceps, back and core to a lesser degree.

As an interesting side note - a true isolation exercise is hard to find and for good reason, the body was not designed that way, and in my mind that's the most engaging part - once you start to treat the body as a system and not broken down into component parts, the results start to amplify.

In terms of energy use -

Upper/Lower supersets are most effective because of the way they use energy.

You can expend a significant amount on the lower body in the first exercise whilst retaining some in the tank for the upper body in the second exercise, or visa versa.

Likewise, push/pull supersets make good use of this principle too.

You can exhaust the push, with room in the tank for a pull straight after.

A1. Bench Press

A2. Single DB Row

The third version, and one I would prioritise last of the three, is same muscle group supersets.

These in my opinion are best used when trying to bring up a weakness, or targeting a specific area.

This could be an isolation exercise followed immediately by a compound exercise.

Something like -

A1. Tricep pushdown

A2. Kneeling shoulder press

For the general gym user who is deficient on time, this is not the most bang for buck. It is effective, but there are more effective combinations.

If I was to superset an isolation exercise with a compound exercise, I would still pair push/pull.

For example -

A1. Tricep extension

A2. Seated cable row

Or -

A1. Leg curl

A2. Goblet squats

Time and effectiveness, for most, are the priority.

In ONE. SIMPLE. RULE you'll remember I also mentioned the AMPK pathway

The body's ability to generate new mitochondria and increase the bodies effectiveness at using energy through the AMPK pathway, is stimulated most effectively during full body training.

The volume and intensity of the workout also impact the degree to which this pathway get stimulated.

The way I like to think about it is -

AMPK is stimulated by output or revs. The more surface area of the body you can stimulate during a workout represents the number of engines you have switched on. The intensity you work each muscle group is how high you rev that respective engine.

The most engines, with the highest revs, yields the greatest stimulation.

The body is capable of considerably more than first perceived, and certainly more than I see a lot of people doing.

I do have empathy.

Quite often programs are generic, they don't add in the complexity or the nuance of supersets.

Often, they target one particular muscle group which makes supersets significantly more difficult.

When we hear strength, we also hear longer rest periods so therefore anything which eats in the rest window is detrimental.

Push/pull/legs has to be one of the most widely used splits going as well, which again does not really allow much room for effective supersets.

Add into this how busy many gyms are, it's difficult to get on one piece of kit, let alone reserve two.

So, I can definitely see the restrictions for supersets.

But, this is where opening up to the idea of at least push/pull, but ideally fully body training, opens the doors to using supersets.

You could have one fixed item of kit, and one moveable piece, such as a pair of Dumbbells or a Kettlebell, and you are then able to get a very effective superset in.

There is ample opportunity within a 30 minute workout to really increase the intensity and reap the rewards. 2-3 exercises turns into 4-6.

You could certainly stimulate the AMPK pathway this way, and generate the gains we are all after.

Of course, 45 minutes to one hour yields even more potential, but 30 minutes is surprisingly effective if used correctly.

I wouldn't be writing this unless I've been in the trenches testing it.

We are all time poor, so what do we need?

We need intensity and volume mainly, utilising the space we have between exercises and riding the waves of our energy as best we can.

For me, supersets achieve this.

Giant sets, tri-sets, and circuits do also achieve this no question.

I will often put three or four exercises together if I'm really short of time, or I am doing a HIIT class or interval workout.

Supersets though, seem to be the sweet spot.

You can go heavy in an 8-12 rep window with sufficient stimulus, you can pair two large exercises together, and you can get 3 or 4 sets in at this intensity before pairing two more exercises in the same manner and repeating the process.

Where you may have done one exercise, then rested two mins, you can throw in an additional exercise and rest for 75-90 seconds.

Experiment yourself, see what works, see how hard you can go and how your workouts become more effective with this principal.