How to Effectively Use Supersets

All weight loss tips are not created equally. There are plenty of urban legends about how to loose weight quickly that simply do not work or are not sustainable. The truth of the matter is that you have to make some lifestyle changes to loose weight and keep it off. Diet plays about 80% of the roll in your weight management program with exercise and regular activity playing the other 20%. Yes it is the old 80/20 principle again. Yet this 20% can really make a difference.

It can be the difference between looking average and having a 6 pack. The difference between just being able to get your favorite jeans on or really being in great physical shape. The question is how to you get there? The answer is:

Super Sets

Using supersets to get a great workout out has a number of benefits. First the high intensity burns a lot of fat and revs up the metabolism for hours to come after a workout. The high cardiovascular output required to maintain a superset workout will also catapult you into a stratospheric level of fitness. Using all of your large muscle groups during a workout will stimulate lots of growth hormone and cause your muscles to be primed for growth. There are many other reasons but I see these as most important. So the question becomes how do I do a good superset workout?

How to do a Superset Workout

First, choose two exercises that work opposing muscle groups. My favorites are push ups and pull ups, squats and deadlifts, Military press and lunges, among many others. You may notice that all of these exercises focus on full body exercises and that is no coincidence. Doing full body exercises burns that max number of calories and also hits all of the smaller muscles like the biceps and calfs.

Try to set your exercises up as close to each other as possible, if you are in a busy gym it can be a challenge to commander two stations at a time but I would encourage you make it work. This may mean finding a better time to workout off peak or doing specific exercises that are close together or utilize the same piece of equipment.

Decide how many reps you are going to do. I suggest picking a number between 10 – 20. Now choose a weight that will allow you do preform the first set and complete all reps without cheating. You will be weary by the end so don’t hesitate to drop the weight a little bit.

Complete your exercises with no more than 30 seconds in between sets, less if possible. Your goal should be to not rest at all and let your opposing muscle group recover while you are working the opposite. This is a fitness tip that will really get your endurance up. Do at least 3 sets for both exercises

- Your last set should be a struggle and if you are able to do your last rep with good form it is time to add weight.

Do at least 6 exercises with this same set up and structure.

When you are finished with this workout you will be worn out and need to take some recovery time. Do not do this workout for more than one day in a row.

Other Things to Keep in Mind

The higher your reps the fewer sets you should do, but 3 sets is minimum. I know some people who do as many as 10 sets of a specific exercise.

This workout can be adapted to be a full body workout or it can be a lower body and upper body split. I do it both ways but if I do a split I may do the workout 4 times a week instead of just 3. Doing upper body and lower body on different days will allow you to workout 2 days in a row. I would suggest taking the third day off.

If you are focusing on full body movements don’t worry about abs, arms, or calf. They will get plenty of exercise from the full body movements. This is about using your time effectively and spending half of your workout time focusing on some of your smallest muscle groups is not time effective.

Change your workouts, exercises, weights, and reps on a regular basis to keep your body guessing. This will prevent adaptation and stimulate grow.

Progress every workout by keeping a log of your workout. It is easy to forget what you did last time you were in the gym, but if you kept a record you will see that you need to add 5 pounds to your bench press on the last set. Keeping records is for beginners and people serious about seeing results.

There is always more but for now this should be enough to get you started on a great super set workout. If you are trying to achieve maximum fitness this is the way to go or if you are simply looking for a weight loss tip this is a great way to maximize your efforts.