Supersets: The Key to Shorter and More Effective Workouts

What if you could shorten your strength training routine and make it more effective at the same time? What if this new routine could also help you stay more consistent with exercise? What if you could accomplish this by simply tweaking the timing and the order of the exercises you’re already performing? I know, it sounds too good to be true, but trust me: You can achieve all of these results with an exercise technique called supersets. 

What are supersets?

Put simply, a superset is when you perform one exercise and then immediately switch to another exercise without taking a break for rest in between. Research shows that supersets lead to better fitness gains with shorter exercise times. I love this idea, because while I enjoy exercise, I also like to get it out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of my life.

With traditional strength training techniques, you’ll typically rest for a minimum of 30 to 90 seconds between sets of an exercise (reminder: a set is the number of times a specific exercise is performed in a row). This gives you time to catch your breath and also gives your muscles an opportunity to recover. But most people spend more time resting between sets than actually performing exercises during strength training workouts. 

Supersets shorten our exercise time significantly by cutting out this rest break. It works because while your muscles are recovering from one set, you’re performing another exercise for a different group of muscles rather than taking a break. You can switch back to the first exercise to perform another set and continue with this pattern until you need a break.

Studies also show that it’s a more effective training technique for your muscles, heart, and lungs than traditional techniques because it increases the intensity of exercise. 

Strength training with supersets is simple. Both studies mentioned earlier use a specific type of supersets called reciprocal supersets, which switch back and forth multiple times between two different exercises that target different muscle groups on opposite sides of the body...

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