A Superset describes two exercises that are performed in quick succession without a break. It is a super workout as you are exercising more than one muscle group with no rest between exercises. Not only are you saving time, but there are many other benefits to using such principle in your weight training routine. Progressing from one exercise to the next without rest will make the total workout shorter, more efficient and increase intensity. Exercising the same muscle with two exercises in quick succession will overload the muscles without using heavy weights. Using supersets will make your workout more interesting and challenging than doing straight sets.

Supersets used to involve the opposite muscle groups such as biceps and triceps, but now the two exercises that are performed can be for any muscle group. Traditionally a cable bicep curl for example would follow a rope tricep pushdown and both antagonistic muscles would be worked on a day that the bicep and tricep muscles are targeted. These muscles are antagonistic because the tricep muscle relaxes when the bicep muscle is exercised and doing a bicep exercise would not strain the triceps that have been worked. Another way of supersetting triceps and biceps would be a single arm dumbbell tricep kickback followed by a concentration curl and these two exercises would be performed without a rest, then repeat on the other arm. Another way to superset these arm muscles would be to perform barbell biceps curls then tricep dips off a bench.

 Pre-exhaustion supersets are two exercises for the same muscle group. The first exercise is an isolation exercise such as a concentration curl, which targets the biceps, and the second is a compound exercise such as a clean and press which targets multiple muscles, mainly shoulders and biceps. The biceps are fatigued, but the other muscles used in the second exercise are stronger. The opposite method is called post-exhaustion supersets where the compound movement is performed before the isolation exercise such as a bench press followed by dumbbell flyes for the pectoral muscles. Compound supersets involve two compound exercises which is a progression and should not be used by beginners until a base level of strength is achieved (isolation supersets that combine two isolation exercises can be considered). Staggered supersets uses unrelated muscles such as legs and biceps to save time and work two muscle groups (immediately after doing a leg press, get off the machine and do barbell bicep curls).

When superset become easy, progress to tri-sets. This involves doing three exercises rather than two and it becomes more intense to complete your workout. From straight sets to supersets to tri-sets (eventually giant sets), the fitness levels, heart rate and overall strength levels increase with nearly every workout.

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