Supersetting for Real Growth - Lucas G. Irwin
So
just about anyone who has ever spent more than a week in a gym or
flipped through any one of the countless bodybuilding magazines
available has likely heard of supersetting. For most, supersetting is
simply clumping some exercises together without too much rest in
between. Unfortunately, there is typically very little science or
reason behind their pairing and the majority of the individuals
utilizing this technique couldn’t tell you why it is actually
beneficial. So lets make sure that you know the real deal.
By
simple definition, supersetting is completing two different exercises,
one after the other, without resting in between. Sounds pretty straight
forward, right? Well, it isn’t. There are a number of different
supersetting techniques that you should be familiar with and utilize in
your training. The three primary techniques are pre-exhaustion, post
exhaustion and antagonistic.
Pre-Exhaustion
This
technique is used to tire the targeted muscle group though the use of
an isolated movement before completing a compound movement. When done
properly, the compound exercise will more efficiently work that targeted
muscle group, while all other muscle groups involved simply assist in
the destruction of our target.
The
classic example of this technique is the pairing of the dumbbell flye
(isolation) with the flat bench press (compound). By performing the
flyes first, the pecs should be sufficiently pre-exhausted with little
or no effect on surrounding muscle groups (if performed with proper
form). Now when the bench press is executed immediately after, the pecs
tire rapidly, but the assisting muscle groups (i.e. deltoids, triceps)
have enough energy remaining to assist in the complete annihilation and
atrophy of the pecs. Mission accomplished.
Post-Exhaustion
The
post-exhaustion method is the exact opposite of the pre-exhaustion
method listed above. Therefore, the compound movement is executed first
and immediately followed by an isolated movement. This method allows
you to keep the weight used during the compound movement heavy and then
uses the isolation exercise to burn out the targeted muscle or muscle
group.
For
example, during a quadriceps training session, one might use heavy
squats as their compound (which recruits numerous different muscle
groups) and then zero in on the quads with leg extensions. If the
pre-exhaustion method had been used in this case, the squats would have
to be much lighter.
Antagonistic
This
approach is when opposite muscles or muscle groups are paired together
in the superset. Please note that I said “opposite” and not
“different.” Good examples of opposite pairings are biceps/triceps,
quads/hamstrings or chest/back. Poor examples of pairings would be
hamstrings/biceps or chest/quads. Now there are situations where these
non-opposing muscle pairing would be beneficial (i.e. circuit training),
but for the sake of supersetting for muscle growth, they should not be
applied.
It
is our body’s physiological and anatomical balance (I use that word
loosely) that allows the antagonistic approach to work. Keep Newton’s 3rd Law
in mind when utilizing this method: “For every action, there is an
equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction force.” So lets
apply this to those guns you’ve been trying to build since high school.
During a bicep curl it is quite obvious that during the concentric
phase (lifting of the weight) and the contraction (hold or squeeze at
the top) of the lift, the biceps are engaged and bearing the majority of
the work. However, it is during the eccentric phase (lowering of the
weight or the negative) of the curl that we should be focusing on for
two reasons.
Reason
1: 90% of the lifting population ignore the significance of the
“negative”; despite the fact that numerous studies suggest that it may
be the most important aspect of every exercise when it comes to
developing muscle mass and increasing natural hormone production.
Reason 2 (getting back on track): It is during this phase that our
triceps kicks in to assist in the fight against gravity, essentially
priming our triceps with blood and neuromuscular stimulation for the
upcoming exercise. It is for this very reason that many individuals are
actually stronger in a given lift when they superset it with an
antagonist (i.e. your bench increases when you do bent over rows
first).
Supersets Help Increase Growth Hormone
So
we have all heard about the benefits of Growth Hormone (GH) and how
beneficial it is to anyone trying to decrease body fat and increase
muscle (amongst many other things). Unfortunately, most people are
unaware that we can increase our body’s production of GH naturally,
without making any special trips to BALCO. The secret lies in lactic
acid (the stuff that “makes it burn!”). As your body releases more
lactic acid into your blood stream, your blood’s pH level decreases.
How does your body respond to this? By excreting more GH to negate the
decrease in the blood stream’s pH. There for the more lactic acid you
are able to generate through your workout, the more GH your body will
produce. Supersetting is hands down one of the best ways to generate
large amounts of lactic acid.
Other Benefits to Supersetting
1.
Another pretty obvious benefit to supersetting is the amount of time
that is saved. By using any one of the approaches above, one can
accomplish the same amount of work in significantly less time; which is
more than enough reason for many busy individuals.
2.
An increased caloric burn is another great reason to superset. By
limiting rest time and increasing the time of each set (1 superset vs. 1
set of an individual exercise) we are able to increase our body’s
working heart rate. An increase heart rate means more fat burned for
energy. The majority of the population would see this as a good thing.
3.
Finally, it is a great way to stimulate new muscle growth and
development. I don’t personally believe supersetting should be a
continuous and solo part of one’s routine; but I think the benefits of
supersetting certainly make it well worth cycling into or including in a
routine. The different supersetting approaches should be cycled into
your program or rotated every 4-6 weeks. The continuous change in
stimulation will be sure to take your development to a new level.
