What is a Superset?
A superset is when two exercises are performed back to back with no break in between. The exercises selected have to be working opposite muscle groups. For example a set of squats immediately followed by hamstring curlstricep or a set of tricep press downs followed by barbell curls.
Why perform Supersets?
First of all they are a break from the normal type of weight training you may have grown used to. They place a new type of stress on your muscles which provides additional stimulus to grow. After removing the pause between exercises you will be distracted a lot less easily. Also after completing a superset you will probably experience a powerful muscle pump as the muscles are literally being flooded full of oxygenated blood to help keep up with the muscles demands which is a great feeling. Overall they are a great way to build muscle up fast.Â
Doing supersets prevents you from cooling down to quickly and keeps your heart rate higher creating an almost aerobic workout too. Another wonderful aspect of supersetting is that they inject in to your training session great variety, excitment and also a real challenge.
What supersets can I try?
The following combinations are some of my favourite and provide a tough but satisfying workout: Bent bar curl/lying tricep extension, Dumbbell incline press/dumbbell pullover/seated lat row, Leg extension/leg curl/calf raise, Dumbbell alternate curl/overhead tricep extension, Bench press/wide grip pulldown, Chins/dips/rope tuck, Steep dumbbell shoulder press/sidearm lateral raise,
What tips can you give me when doing them?
Well, when you do them be sure to keep good technique. It is all to easy to get carried away with it and start using sloppy form. This is particularly true as you will be jumping from one exercise to another very quickly and also due to the fact that you will be out of breathe even more than usual. Keeping good form will prevent injury and ensure the muscles you want to hit will be trained properly.
Anything else I should know in order to build muscle now with supersets?
Bearing in mind supersets are very intense you may not really want to be doing more than a couple of supersets, although this will vary on your fitness and experience levels. use a different superset every workout between your normal sets to prevent yourself from becoming worn out.
It should also go without saying that you will have to continue to eat a lot of quality build muscle food, we all know muscle comes from excess calories so keep eating quality foods and also make sure you keep your water intake high. Finally, the number one reason for lack of muscle growth is overtraining so be aware of this. Training each muscle group twice a week will be plenty for most people and for hard gainers even once a week maybe enough. Ok then, why not go ahead and build muscle up with supersets just make sure you bear the above guidance in mind. I can near enough gaurantee you will not be disappointed!
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