Your Guide to Supersets Part One

Your Guide to Supersets
by Jacob Wilson

Blood, sweat, and guts! These three words describe the most grueling shocking method ever utilized. The super set! Used correctly this heavy weight will separate the men from the boys. What am I talking about?
I'm talking about blasting the hell out of a specific bodypart with two exercises in rapid-fire succession, with no rest between them. For example, cranking out a set of seated dumbbell curls till your biceps are begging for mercy and then blasting them immediately with preacher curls.

If you've been following along in our forums you'd know that there has been allot of discussion regarding this
intense shocking principle. Today I would like to break down exactly what supersetting can do for you and
exactly how you can incorporate it into your workout regimen. This destroyer is not something to be taken lightly, it must me used correctly. And that is exactly what this article is about, how to make the most use out of it.

One of the main reasons I love supersets is because it is probably the most rewarding shocking method out there. In fact you will be able to see results from it in as little as two weeks. The reason for this is because this brutal method of training triggers immediate adaptations in a number of specific physiological responses.

Capillarization

Our vascularity not only contributes to a muscles overall size but also to how well the muscle functions. A pump will build more capillaries in a muscle, which gives it more size and also makes it way more efficient
at getting rid of waste products and pumping in needed substances for growth, such as creatine and glutamine. For your appearance new vascularity will be a sure sign to every one that you are in tremendous shape. You will be surprised at how a few new veins can bring you compliments such as " Damn, you're
looking huge and ripped today!"

Fiber Recruitment

There are a number of different types of fibers in every muscle. If you want the most growth out of exercise
you must stimulate hypertrophy in as many fibers as possible. Basically you need a variety of rep ranges
to attack all of the different fibers. Repetitions from 6 to 8 reps attack the highest amount of fast twitch type
2 fibers. However after this there are still a lot of higher rep type 2 fibers left over. Supersets can kill two birds with one stone. On your first set you should fail around the 7th repetition. On the next exercise you perform
you should again fail at around 7- 8 reps. Not only did you get the benefit of heavy training but you got the
added benefit of high rep training. Supersets allowed you to go heavy and high rep at the same time, in turn
you were able to stimulate hypertrophy in most of your fast twitch fibers and some of your slower twitch muscle
fibers. The more you stimulate the more growth you will experience!!!

How to Perform supersets for same muscle groups

Here's where I like to use my imagination. Using supersets are simple. First you should think about what muscle you want improved and then use a superset to bring that muscle out. I will usually
choose a compound for my first set. This is because the compound exercises are the ones that need your full
energy and are very difficult to perform as a second set. So Lets say that my inner chest needs work. First
I will choose a compound exercise like the bench press and pick a weight that I reach failure on in 7-8 reps.
Now that my whole chest is exhausted I will immediately pick up a pair of dumbbells and perform fly's and concentrate on squeezing extremely hard at the top of the movement. Painful? Yes, but also very rewarding
in the muscle gain department. Here are my favorite supersets:

Favorite Supersets

Upper Chest

Upper chest is a week point for several bodybuilders. I love supersetting incline dumbbell or barbell bench presses with incline dumbbell fly's. By the time you finish performing the fly's your chest will be on fire. For
a switch and some extra isolation you might also want to try using the smith machine on an incline instead
of the free weights.

Lower Chest

As with the above example I will start with a compound exercise and then use an isolation exercise like dumbbell fly's or machine flys. The bench press is an overall mass builder but if you have a weakness in
your inner chest then I would suggest using dumbbells for your compound set and then when you perform
fly's you need to squeeze extremely hard at the top of the movement.

I usually perform 7-8 repetitions on the first set and then around 8 on the second. Each exercise needs to be taken to complete muscular failure

Front Deltoid

Any kind of shoulder press will pack serious mass onto your front deltoids. If you really want to bring these muscles out superset any kind of shoulder press with front raises.

Side Delt

Often a neglected area, the side deltoid adds width to our bodies. It has a large part in giving us that square
appearance on stage and is an ally if your goal is to move up to the double XXL shirt club! The number one
exercise for this is upright rows. To up this a notch superset upright rows with side laterals. This will put a cap
on your shoulder muscles.

Back

It seems like when Ronnie Coleman turns around that we are witnessing an eclipse! My favorite exercise for the back is bent over rows. They are a staple in most champions regimens. My absolute favorite superset for the back is bent over rows supersetted with bent over dumbbell laterals. This not only packs mass onto the back but also creates a 3d look on the shoulder muscles!

I also like performing seated cable rows with bent over laterals.

If you want a barn door wide back then you need to be doing pull-ups. Perform wide grip pull-ups with your
palms turned away from you and superset this with close grip pull-downs where your palms are facing you.
This will not only give you a huge upper back, but will create a full sweep across your lats!

A Killer back superset!

Ok this is one of the more brutal tactics in my arsenal, but will produce tremendous results! You know how pull-downs are more difficult performed behind the neck then too the front? Mostly because you cannot involve the abdominals. Pick a weight in which you reach failure at around 7 or 8 reps on the lat pull down machine
behind your neck. When you reach failure take a breath and continue the set performing the pull downs to the
front. You will be surprised at how many more reps you can get! Extremely brutal! This can also be performed with pull-ups behind the neck supersetted with pull-ups to the front.

Biceps

First blast your biceps with seated dumbbell curls and then finish them off with easy curl bar curls.

Fry your bi's with incline dumbbell curls and then hit them with an isolation exercise such as machine
curls or preacher curls. I can guarantee you this, superetting any two biceps exercises are murder!
This is because these muscles have so many nerves in them. So even though they are small they
are tremendously painful to work. I remember when I was heavily into martial arts I was taught to strike
people on their biceps because of all the nerves that these muscles house. However biceps respond
extremely well to this shocking method and you will notice great gains in a matter of weeks.

Forearms Extensors

Without a doubt the absolute best superset for your forearm extensors are reverse barbell curls superseted
with hammer curls. So if this is a problem area then this is your solution!

Forearm Flexors

The number one exercise in the world for the flexors is behind the back wrist curls. After reaching failure on this
exercise immediately go and pick up a heavy pair of dumbbells in each hand and hold them for 30 seconds. Yes your forearms will feel as if they are going to pop but the growth you will experience is tremendous!

Triceps

Get ready to grit your teethe! My favorite combo is lying triceps extensions supersetted with dips behind the
back. I guarantee you that your tris will hate you for this! But guess what? That's why they are going to have to grow!

Quadriceps

Read my article titled 8 Weeks to Bigger Legs! In it you will see how I utilize supersets for the quads.
But suffice it to say that my favorite superset is definitely, parallel squats with sissy squats. This has taken
the peak and density of my quads to completely new heights and has done the same for everyone who I have
shone this to.

Hamstrings

If your hamstrings lag behind your quads then superset stiff legged dead lifts with lying leg curls. This will
work your hamstrings from top to bottom. Definitely ideal for complete development.

Calves

The calf muscles are made up of two parts, the thicker part being the gastrocnemius and the lower being the
soleus. Start by busting out 12 reps on the standing calf raise machine which primarily hits the gastrocnemius
and then head over to the seated calf raise machine to hit the soleus. This superset develops the full diamond shape of the entire calf region!

That my friends is your guide to supersetting. Enjoy the gains and don't hesitate to ask questions in our forums or to me personally at trainer@abcbodybuilding.com !

Jacob Wilson