Resistance exercise helps build muscle and improve overall fitness, but it also helps to burn fat, both during and for some time after a completed workout. The benefits of weight loss boost metabolism and cardiovascular health can be enhanced by incorporating supersets into your routine. In this article, Christopher Lee, Buffalo, New York fitness guru, explains what supersets are, why they are beneficial, and how to incorporate them into your workouts to improve your results.
In strength training, a set is the completion of a specified number of exercise repetitions. For example, a workout plan may call for wall squats 3X12, 30 secs. These shorthand instructions tell you to do three sets of 12 reps with a 30-second rest between each set. Or in other words, perform the wall squat exercise 12 times, then rest for 30 seconds. That is one set. Repeat this process three times to finish your three sets.
A superset is similar to a set, but a single superset includes two exercises with only a short rest between each. So to complete a superset, you would move from repeating wall squats to triceps dip reps with only a 30-second rest between, for example. You would then repeat the process to complete the prescribed number of supersets.
As the “no pain, no gain” adage implies, an increased result will demand a more challenging effort. Supersets will require a new level of dedication to your exercise regimen. The results, however, can be rewarding.
Two common strategies for employing supersets are exercising opposing muscle groups and exercising the same muscle group. Exercising polar muscle groups means you might move from an upper-body workout to a lower-body workout during the superset. Exercising the same muscle group could mean doing quadriceps extensions immediately after squats, as an example.
Supersets are used to build stamina along with strength. The rigors of moving directly from one exercise to another with little more than a pause in between will cause your body to adapt by increasing your endurance.
Supersets can also be used as a time-saving technique. If you are pressed for time or want to make the best use of the time you have available, using an opposing muscle group superset will save time and increase stamina. One muscle group can rest while the other is engaged; all the while, your heart rate increases.
As a fat-burning technique, supersets will increase the intensity of your workout. An increased intensity over a more extended period of time will require additional calories, and your body will burn fat.
If your primary exercise objective is to build strength, opposing muscle group supersets will be a good choice. Since each muscle group will be afforded a recovery period while the other group is working, strength will increase.
On the other hand, the same muscle group supersets are utilized to improve muscle shape. By different fatiguing muscles in the same group, the profile of the group can be refined.
Your trainer will help you choose the correct muscles to pair for your supersets, depending on your fitness goals. If strength is your objective, opposing muscle group supersets will help you achieve your goal. If muscle definition is your purpose, the right combination from the same group will be ideal. To burn fat, use supersets to increase the intensity of your workout.
About Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee is a certified fitness trainer from Buffalo, New York. Christopher specializes in workout plans that help his clients look and feel more athletic and avoid injury. Mr. Lee emphasizes a healthy diet and lifestyle so clients can fuel adequately to get the most out of their workouts and reach their fitness goals. His exercise programs and training sessions are custom-designed to help build strength and agility.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.