How to Use Supersets for Muscle Growth (Benefits and Drawbacks)

Supersets are a common set and rep scheme used in many programs and, like any training technique, have both benefits and drawbacks to implementing them.

A super set is when a second exercise is done immediately following the first exercise, with either no rest time or a set time given between the two.

Supersets can be used for the same muscle group, such as going from a barbell squat to a leg extension, or they can be used for two different muscle groups, such as going from a barbell bench press to pull-ups.

While supersets don’t have to be in every program, it is another tool in the tool belt of program building that every lifter can benefit from. I like to program supersets for clients as a way to maximize the number of sets we can accomplish in a shorter time period.

For example, if we’re in a time crunch supersets can be great to push a muscle further to failure in a more structured way, or to have some fun and get a big ol’ pump.

A superset will typically drive more blood into the targeted muscles and it allows us to push to failure through a different movement pattern beyond the first exercise. Remember, they’re a tool and not an end-all-be-all.

Within this article, I’ll discuss the benefits of supersets, the drawbacks to keep in mind, and some general guidelines on how to program a superset to spice up your next workout program.

Benefits of Supersets

Benefit 1: Bigger Muscle Pumps

When we do a superset, we can choose exercises that involve the same muscle group, or completely different ones. An example of using the same muscle group would be starting off with a dumbbell bench press and hitting failure on that movement, then moving to push-ups.

The push-ups will allow us to push the chest even closer to failure in the context of mechanical tension. I love this example because push-ups are generally safer to fail completely in for lifters at all skill levels.

With this superset flow, we will have forced more blood into the chest and recruited more muscle fibers via mechanical tension which can be great for hypertrophy (both sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar).

If your goal is getting a killer pump with supersets, pairing two exercises that utilize similar muscles and muscle groups can be a great way to drive mechanical tension high and take muscles closer to failure in an efficient way.

Benefit 2: Time Saver

Supersets allow us to combine movements and shorten the overall time that our workout takes. This can be great for individuals with highly demanding jobs and family lives who have limited time in the gym.

A great example of using a superset to save time would be to pair something like leg extensions and bicep curls together. Traditionally, these wouldn’t be two exercises you’d think of pairing together but if your goal is saving time then it makes a lot of sense.

We can complete our leg extensions without affecting our ability to execute and recover from our bicep curls (and vice versa) while also saving ourselves the rest time we would add on by doing both movements as straight sets rather than together.

You can manipulate rest times based on your needs and the exercises you’re performing. 

Benefit 3: Feeling Like You’re Working Harder

Whether we choose to use exercises that pair the same muscle groups or different ones, we are working harder in doing — or at least feeling like we are.

If you limit your rest times, it takes more effort from both a muscular and cardiovascular standpoint to move from one exercise to another immediately after, and you’ll certainly notice it when you’re breathing a little heavier than usual after finishing the second exercise.

If you feel like you’ve been slacking in your workouts as of late, a superset is a good way to spice up your workouts with an added variable of more intensity while avoiding a ton of extra fatigue or affecting your progress.

Benefit 4: Can Work Antagonistic Muscles

Arnold Schwarzenegger made the classic chest and back superset workout famous. This is a fantastic example of working a pair of antagonistic muscle groups, which means that one muscle group opposes the action of the other.

Other examples include the biceps and triceps, hamstrings and quadriceps, or in Arnie’s example the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi (your lats).

In each of these cases, as one muscle group works and contracts, the other muscle group allows this movement by lengthening. This allows for some recovery of the muscle being lengthened and more blood being pushed into both muscle groups due to the pairings chosen.

Drawbacks of Supersets

Drawback 1: Your Machine Might Get Taken

How effective a superset can be, and how easy it would be to set up and perform, is all dependent on what machines or exercises we’ve paired together.

Supersets can unfortunately be very hard to set up in busy commercial gyms without looking like a machine-hog. While we can hope to complete our sets quickly or leave our stuff at both machines, there’s always a chance of having your equipment taken.

For example, pairing a bench press and an assisted pull-up could lead to you stumbling upon another gym-goer having stolen your bench, simply because they didn’t know you were still using it.

Drawback 2: Machines May Be Far From Each Other

If you have your workouts planned by a coach or are running a program from someone who doesn’t go to your gym, you’re at the mercy of the program and the way the equipment is set up.

You might get lucky and pair a dumbbell bench with a chest-supported row (using the same bench), or you might be stuck trying to sprint between the leg press and leg extension across the entire gym from each other.

When we plan out a superset, we have to keep in mind how convenient it will be to set up and what makes sense with the equipment layout in our chosen facility.

Drawback 3: May Not Be Better Than Straight Sets for Some Cases

Supersets require us to complete one movement and dive into a second movement with a limited or modified chance to recover. With this in mind, when we begin that second exercise we are typically beginning from an energy deficit, meaning we’re not working with a full gas tank.

Whatever that second movement may be, we have to keep in mind that we likely won’t be pushing as hard or going as close to failure as we would have been able to had we executed that second movement on its own as straight sets with a proper rest time.

The effectiveness of an exercise is dependent on how well we perform that exercise and how close we can push that exercise to muscular failure, both of which can be heavily affected in a superset depending on your program.

Drawback 4: Higher Fatigue Accumulation At Faster Rates

Supersets will increase your heart rate as you move from one exercise to the next, especially if you’re not resting for an amount of time to allow your body to recover based on the intensity and exercises you’re performing.

While it may feel like you’re working harder and have a great pump, there’s no getting away from the fact that the increase in cardiovascular effort will leave you more tired at a faster rate.

This can then influence your ability to push exercises closer to failure. For example, if you’re getting exceptionally gassed during your supersets with rest times versus resting more then you may be losing out on pushing your effort as high as possible.

Considerations for Programming Supersets

Consideration 1: Pick Exercises That Make Sense Based On Goals

When planning a superset in your workout, it’s important to remember both exercises will affect each other and you likely won’t be able to push as hard on either due to the increased fatigue.

With that in mind, if your goal is to be able to push different muscle groups as hard as possible with each exercise, pick exercises that won’t affect each other, and don’t use the same muscle groups, like a biceps curl and a triceps extension.

An Example of Antagonistic Supersets

• Cable Biceps Curl: 3 x 10 (1-2 RIR)
  • Rest: 10-20 seconds
• Cable Triceps Extensions: 3 x 12 (1-2 RIR)

This flow can be great for those who want to give as much effort as possible to each exercise in their superset without a ton of purposely programmed pre-fatigue.

If your goal is accumulating mechanical tension, chasing a pump, or creating pre-fatigue for muscle groups then pairing exercises together that train similar muscles can be an awesome tool.

An Example of This Superset

• Weighted Chin-Up: 3 x 6 (1-2 RIR)
  • Rest: 20-30 seconds
• Barbell Curl: 3 x 12: (0-1 RIR)

This style of superset is not for the faint of heart and can be great when you’re in a time crunch and want to push intensity super high for targeted muscles. It’s typically a good idea to perform a “tougher” exercise first then a simpler second (bench press to push-up, etc.).

Consideration 2: The Layout of Your Gym

Gym layout and the ‘busy times’ will matter more than ever when trying to plan a superset. Pick machines or exercises that are close in proximity — ideally right beside each other or using the same equipment — and allow people to work wherever possible.

This is a consideration that you’ll have to adapt based on your situation. As you get with your programming and understanding supersets it’s also normal to naturally get better at creating a harmonious programming flow.

Consideration 3: Don’t Superset With Your Main Lifts

Both your recovery and your execution of a movement will be affected when it’s part of a superset. With this in mind, we want to avoid pairing our main lifts or the lifts we’re trying to progress with most in a superset.

We’re much better off executing these primary exercises with straight sets and leaving the supersets to accessory work. For example, if your main goal is increasing your back squat strength, then avoid performing them in a superset to limit unnecessary fatigue.

Consideration 4: Plan Rest Times Accordingly

We need adequate rest time to be able to work with the proper intensity and push close enough to failure to achieve the results in training that we’re looking for.

This means that when we plan supersets, though it may feel more intense or like we’re working hard to rest only 1 minute, we need the same amount of rest or more for a superset as we do for any straight set.

Give yourself a few minutes of rest time to ensure that you’re recovered enough to give every bit of effort you have to each set. If your goal is pushing higher intensities then you’ll want to increase your rest.

Conversely, if you’re hitting isolation exercises and your main focus is chasing a gnarly pump then shorter rest times will usually suffice. Don’t be afraid to play with your rest times and explore different formats.

Take-Home Points

Supersets are a programming strategy that every lifter should familiarize themselves with. This style of programming can be effective for saving you time in the gym and improving your work capacity and hypertrophy.

When beginning to program supersets, keep in mind the exercises you’re using and the intensities in which you’re performing them. There’s a fine line between pushing hard and accumulating a bunch of fatigue too quickly.

If you have additional questions about supersets and using them based on your training goals, drop a comment below.