Benefit of SuperSets?

[ChrisCan]

Hello,

What is the benefit of doing supersets? Should it be done only for isolation exercises?

What are some good combinations? Do you recommend it?

Is it just another way to shake up your routine/change things up, no specific benefit? I guess there is some kind of cardio benefit, not resting between sets?

Chris

[Frank Castle]

Supersets are a way of varying your workouts. For example, to try and overcome a plateau.

Basically, you train two opposing muscle groups with any or very little rest periods. For example, you would do a set of bicep curls then immediately move onto a set of tricep extensions. Thus giving the biceps time to recover while you work the triceps.

[IronHokie]

Supersets are just a basic way of increasing the intensity of your workouts. There is a slight cardio benefit in that your HR will stay up for a longer period of time, but I like it more just because I feel it gets more blood into the muscles.

I've only tried chest/back and arm supersets. both worked well, but I really enjoy the arm workouts the best. I actually do these at most of my arm workouts now. the workout usually is a basic 3 exercises for 2-3 working sets going from a triceps exercise right into blasting my biceps. I would recommend trying these and see what kind of results you get. The pump is amazing

[monkeydan]

It's simply all about efficiency for me.

If I'm training heavy and want to take about 3 minutes rest between sets of the same exercise, if I superset I can do a set of bench press, rest 1 min, do 1 set of rows, rest 1 min, go back to bench, etc. etc. It basically cuts the rest periods in half so you get through 2 exercises in just over the time it would normally take you to do 1. I always train this way.

[ChrisCan]

Cool- thanks.

I'm thinking to try
- skull crusher + EZ bar curl
- close grip bench + hammer curls
- some kind of rope pull up/pull down

These would be easy because of my gym layout/minimize changing out weights.

Chris

[jigga365]

You also don't have to superset different muscles. You can do barbell bench press then go straight into dumbbell flies for example.

[[maniac]]

Never mind i answered my own question

[powerman2000]

I can't believe nobody used the word 'shock' to describe a superset. The main reason for doing supersets or drop sets or anything else of this nature is to give your muscle fibers a good shock so they'll either start growing again in response or continue to grow even more. Muscle fibers are very efficient at accommodating themselves to our workouts and 'shock' methods are just different ways to break that accommodation and force your muscle fibers to adjust through hypertrophy. Afterall, for a BBer, hypertrophy is what we are all after.

[Pace]

I can't believe nobody used the word 'shock' to describe a superset. The main reason for doing supersets or drop sets or anything else of this nature is to give your muscle fibers a good shock so they'll either start growing again in response or continue to grow even more. Muscle fibers are very efficient at accommodating themselves to our workouts and 'shock' methods are just different ways to break that accommodation and force your muscle fibers to adjust through hypertrophy. Afterall, for a BBer, hypertrophy is what we are all after.

So its good when you stop seeing results..Now when you stop seing results and you do supersets how many times should you do this? Like would I do it for a few Biceps days or just 1 bicep day to shock my muscle than go back to normal lifting?

[dreaafit]

You also don't have to superset different muscles. You can do barbell bench press then go straight into dumbbell flies for example.

That would be a group set! It's only a superset if they are opposing muscles (: