If you've been lifting weights for a while or read bodybuilding journals and magazines, you've probably heard of super setting. But how often do you see people super set when they lift weights? If you did, did you notice that the big boys were almost always the ones who were really setting? If you want to get big, why didn't you superset like they did, since you know it helps you build big muscles?
What is a superset in weight lifting? A superset is when you do two exercises right after each other without taking a break. There are different kinds of supersets, such as antagonistic muscle superset, pre-exhaustion superset, and post-exhaustion superset, etc. In this article, we will only talk about these three of the most popular supersets.
- Antagonistic Muscles Superset
An antagonistic super set is when you work out two different muscle groups at the same time. Even though they are on opposite sides of your body, they help each other out when you move. For example, when you do dumbbell curls to work your biceps, you also use your triceps when you lower the dumbbells. Just like when you do a bent-over row, your back works when you move the bench press in the opposite direction.
So, if it's your chest and back day, you could do a bench press routine and then a bent-over row, or the other way around. That will be one set within a set. Rest for 2-3 minutes and then proceed with the second set and so on. This will give the muscles a deeper workout than just doing straight sets.
- Pre-exhaustion Superset
In a pre-exhaustion superset, you work on the same muscle group with an isolation exercise and then work on it again with a compound exercise without taking a break between sets. For example, on your chest and back day, you do dumbbell flyes (a chest-specific exercise) and then a bench press right after (chest compound exercise).
By doing flyes first, you warm up the targeted muscles, which in this case are your pectorals (pecs). Then, you hit your pecs hard again with a compound movement (bench press), which lets other muscles that are still fresh, like your deltoids and triceps, help your pecs in the exercise.
- Post Exhaustion Superset
The post-exhaustion method is another way to do super setting. It is the opposite of what happened before. In other words, do a compound exercise first and then a separate exercise for the same muscle group afterward. It will let you lift more weight for the compound exercise because you haven't already used up the muscle group you want to work.
Switch between these different kinds of supersets every two to three months and watch your muscles grow like crazy.
