Every athlete sometimes experiences a state of some emptiness, training becomes boring, results do not improve. The use of a technique such as a superset can bring you out of prostration. What it is?
A superset is a targeted training of antagonist muscles; in fact, it is a combination of two exercises performed without the slightest pause. The work of one muscle group causes a rush of blood to its partner, the antagonist. And if you immediately do an isolating exercise on it, the filling of the fibers with blood will be simply prohibitive. This fact was long ago noticed and adopted by bodybuilders of the 90s, and now it has been scientifically confirmed by modern sports medicine experts.
Supersets require a huge amount of energy, and you should use this technique no more often than every fourth workout.
Combinations of movements aimed at antagonist muscles are developed for all muscle groups:
- Quadriceps - hamstrings: hack squats - leg curls; or bench press in the simulator - lying leg curls.
- Legs - calves: bench press - calf raise.
- Chest - back: chest press - row to the belt.
- Back - chest: rows to the belt - pullovers with dumbbells; or T-bar row - arm arches on a bench.
- Back – shoulders: horizontal pull-down – arm raises; or vertical block row - lifting dumbbells to the sides.
- Press - back: twisting - hyperextension.
- Biceps - triceps: alternating dumbbell lifts - French press; or “hummer” - push-ups on uneven bars.
- Triceps - biceps: dips - lifting dumbbells with a reverse grip; or pulling the block downwards - “hummer”.
The main thing when training antagonist muscles is an impeccable technique for performing isolation exercises, minimal rest and light weights. Light weights will allow you to quickly recover between supersets, increase the overall volume of work due to a large number of repetitions, and increase oxygen in the blood. All together, these factors will improve the anabolism of working muscles.
Freshly trained bodybuilders should start with 2 supersets per workout; experienced athletes should be able to do 5-6. It is also important to keep in mind that with more approaches this technique begins to lose its effectiveness.
Another interesting point that you should definitely keep in mind is that, even without using super series as such, but by working through the entire group of antagonists in one workout, you significantly increase the effectiveness of your physical activity. Look at the training plan of any modern bodybuilding star. They always work the biceps on the triceps day, and the upper back on the chest, respectively, and the lower back on the abs day. Why do you think? Precisely because the joint complex work of multidirectional muscle groups has long proven its effectiveness. Upgrade your antagonists together and become big and ripped!