What is a superset and should you do supersets based on science?

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What is a superset and should you do supersets based on science?
Image credit: Image by master1305 on Freepik

Sometimes it seems that time flies at the speed of light. So, if you’re very busy and don’t have much time for exercise but still want to get a great workout then supersets may be your way out.

The question is what is a superset workout and should you do supersets based on science? Are they really more effective than a traditional training? Let’s find out in this article.

What is a superset?

A superset is a type of training where you perform two exercises in a row, with little or no rest in between them.

The exercises in a superset are usually for different muscle groups, although they can also be for the same muscle group.
One of the main goals of a superset is to save time without sacrificing performance.

For example, here’s how a superset may look like:
10 reps of Bicep Curls
Followed immediately by
10 reps of Leg Press
Rest 1 to 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times if you want to do 3 supersets.

By the way, if you want to find out how many sets should you do to build strength based on science then click here to read my article.

Should you do supersets based on science?

One study shows that supersets with flat bench press followed by the incline bench press were less effective than traditional strength training. [1]

However, another study shows that supersets with bench pull paired with the bench press exercises were more effective than traditional training. [2]

One more study shows that superset training can enhance training efficiency and reduce training time. However, superset training may require additional recovery post-training to minimize effects of fatigue. [3]

A systematic review of 30 studies shows that the use of agonist–antagonist, upper–lower body supersets may provide an advantage to the traditional approach. [4]

In other words, the effectiveness of supersets mostly depends on which exercises you use in your supersets. If you use exercises for the same muscle groups then your superset training probably will not be as effective as traditional training. However, if you’re pairing supersets with exercises for different muscle groups such as bench pull paired with the bench press or bicep curls paired with leg press then your superset training will probably be more effective than your traditional training.

Which muscle groups can be paired in a superset without sacrificing performance?

If you do exercises for a specific muscle group or some full-body exercises such as squats or deadlifts then I don’t recommend you to use supersets.

However, if you want to do an effective workout while also saving some time then you can pair the muscle groups below in a superset if the exercise for one muscle group doesn’t use the other muscle group:

  1. Biceps and triceps
  2. Triceps and back
  3. Chest and back
  4. Shoulders and back
  5. Back and quadriceps
  6. Calves and shoulders
  7. Shoulders and quadriceps

Summary

So, should you do supersets based on science? Are supersets more effective than traditional training? Well, scientific research shows that if we use supersets with exercises for the same muscle groups such as flat bench press followed by the incline bench press then supersets are less effective than traditional training.

However, if we use supersets with exercises for different muscle groups such as bench pull and bench press then supersets may be more effective than the traditional training.

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