SUPERSETTING - PART 1

For all the guys who are gym goers, they probably understand what is meant by supersetting. However, one might not have fully explored the benefits that supersetting can help you reap out of your workout. Conventional weight training invovles "straight sets." A straight set consists of a series of nonstop repetitions, usually somewhere between 6 and 12, followed by a rest interval of one to two minutes. A superset, on the other hand, is an advanced training technique where you perform two exercises in a row with virtually no rest in between exercises.

If you perform two exercises back to back, it is quite obvious that the weight in the second exercise is going to be less then if you had performed that exercise separately. Since the muscle didn't get sufficient time to recover, strength is bound to be less for te second exercise and subsequently lesser for further supersets.

Super setting can be done in more than one way, the most common among them is SUPERSETTING SAME MUSCLE GROUP. In this post, we will discuss the above mentioned type. The most common type to super set is super setting same muscle group. An example would be supersetting bench presses with dumbbell flyes.
HOwever we can further disintegrate this supersetting technique into four techniques.

1. ISOLATION + COMPOUND
2. COMPOUND + ISOLATION
3. COMPOUND + COMPOUND
4. ISOLATION + ISOLATION

Isolation exercises involves concentrating on isolated muscle groups while compound exercises involve more than one muscle group.

1. ISOLATION + COMPOUND : In this technique, you perform an isolcation exercise first followed immediately by a compound movement exercise. The idea behind is to pre exhaust the primary muscle group, and then perform the compound movement to blast the fatigues muscle with the help of other muscle group. e.g: Performing a dumble fly involved pecks, and then following it up with bench press, you can further stress your pecks with the help of shoulder muscles, and hence induce growth.
Some examples;
a. Dumbell Fly + Bench/Inclined Press
b. Leg Extension + Squat
c. D/B lateral raise + shoulder press
d. Tricep extension + bench dips

2. COMPOUND + ISOLATION: This is the exact opposite of the above technique. The benefit of this method is that you can usually go for more poundages in the compound exercise, giving more pump and a more satisfying feeling.
Some examples:
a. Squat/leg extension + Leg extension
b. B/B shoulder press + front/lateral raises
c. bench press + cable cross over

3. COMPOUND + COMPOUND: This technique is very taxing on the body and it is likely to leave one exhausted. Going with havey poundage in both the exercises, can cause faitgue pretty rapidly, and at the same time induce muscle growth like no workout before.
Some examples:
a. Bench Press + Pushups
b. Squat + Leg press
3. B/B curl + D/b curls

4. ISOLATION + ISOLATION: This technique is mainly used by proefessionals prior to a competition when they are going for definition.This is a useful technique for focusing on one particular muscle group or section of a muscle group to the exclusion of others.
some examples:
a. Dumbell fly + cable cross over
b. tricep pushdown + dumbbell kickback


More to follow on superset training.