Supersets for Super ResultsbyJohn Paul Catanzaro05/29/12

Some lifters seek size at any cost. They couldn't care less if their joints take a beating in the process. To them it's bodybuilding "carpe diem" seize the day and screw tomorrow!Guys with a few more grey hairs in their beards tend to take a different approach. Years of balls-out training have taken their toll, forcing them, kicking and screaming, to make joint health a priority. For these guys, a day without aches is as fulfilling as a new PR.Fortunately, there's a way to accomplish both objectives with one training method. It's calledsupersets.Supersets involve pairing two exercises and moving from one to the next with little to no rest in between. This training method can be very effective because short rest intervals increase lactate production and decrease blood pH, which triggers the anterior pituitary to secrete growth hormone.Lactate can also stimulate Testosterone release from testicular Leydig cells. By increasing anabolic hormone production in this manner, supersets (and the subsequent "burn" they induce) can promote some serious muscle growth and keep you lean in the process.Supersets also increase the density of training, another variable that can significantly boost muscle hypertrophy and improve body composition. In his bookArnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger explains how many advanced bodybuilders in Germany would use supersets to save time (i.e., do the same amount of work in less time)."What you'll be doing [with supersets] is building your body to its ultimate size and training it for maximum definition,"says the Oak. While I wouldn't ask Arnold how to land a hot mistress, I would definitely take his training advice!It gets better. Play your cards right and supersets can even increase strength, improve joint health and integrity, and promote left-right symmetry. Oh yeah, and build muscle! Now I'll show you how.

The Look-Better-In-A-Shirt Superset Routine

The elbow flexors (biceps brachii, brachioradialis and brachialis) are innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve (C5 and C6), and the elbow extensors (triceps brachii and anconeus) are innervated predominantly by the radial nerve (C6, C7 and C8). If these vertebrae are out of alignment, strength will be affected.In the bookOptimal Muscle Training, Dr. Ken Kinakin reveals that nerve compression of merely 10-50 mmHg (about the weight of a dime on the back of your hand) from the spine to the muscles can potentially decrease action potentials by up to 40%. Activating the long cervical extensors and upper traps with neck bridges and shoulder shrugs, respectively, can help reposition these often-misaligned vertebrae and increase strength, instantly. I talk about this in greater detail in my articleGet Ready For The Workout Of Your Life!With that in mind, here's a superset routine that will fill out your sleeves and neckline in no time:ExercisesSetsRepsTempoRest

A1Neck Bridge430-60 secisometrichold10 sec.

Use an appropriate level of resistance. Most trainees can perform this exercise on a Swiss ball using body weight only; some advanced lifters can use additional weight held on their chest, while many beginners will have to start with the back of their head leaning against a wall.You must hold a static position for 30-60 seconds before reaching muscular failure. If you can't maintain the isometric contraction for a minimum of 30 seconds, then the level of resistance is too high. Conversely, if 60 seconds is easy, then the level of resistance is too low.Proceed immediately to the close-grip bench press after the neck bridge. It should take you roughly 10 seconds to get in position and begin.

A2Close-Grip Bench Press48-1040102 min.

B1Seated Dumbbell Shrug410-12101210 sec.

Hold the top (contracted) position for 2 seconds

B2Seated Zottman Curl48-1040102 min.

C1Standing Twisting Rope Curl310-12301010 sec.

C2Flat Twisting Dumbbell Triceps Extension310-12301090 sec.

D1Seated Dumbbell Concentration Curl310-12301010 sec.

On the final pair of exercises, start with the weak side first. Let's assume your left side is weaker. Perform concentration curls with your left arm. Ten seconds after you finish, perform triceps kickbacks with your left arm. Ten seconds after you finish, perform concentration curls with your right arm. Ten seconds after you finish, perform triceps kickbacks with your right arm. Rest 90 seconds and repeat the process two more times.

D2One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Kickback312-15201090 sec.

NotesFor tempo, the first and third numbers indicate the amount of time it should take to perform the eccentric and concentric portions of the exercise, respectively. The second and fourth are the number of seconds you should pause after.Perform the routine once every 5 days.Do 6 cycles of the above routine and after 30 days, you should notice considerable neck and arm hypertrophy and your shirts should fit better, too!

The Unconventional Upper-Body Superset Scheme

Most conventional supersets pair agonists (same body parts) or antagonists (opposite body parts) for hypertrophy, or non-competing body parts (e.g., pairing an upper body with a lower body movement) for body composition purposes. However, you can also pair gross with specific movements, multi-joint (compound) with single-joint (isolation) movements, or prime movers with stabilizers.The following superset routine will not only improve upper body size, strength, and performance, it will also promote shoulder health and integrity. Often, upper body supersets can create a muscular imbalance in the shoulder joint with excessive internal rotation and insufficient external rotation of the humerus, but not with this scheme.Perform the following routine once every 5 days:ExercisesSetsRepsTempoRest

A1Wide-Grip Sternum Pull-up44-650X010 sec.

If you're unable to perform the prescribed number, do as many as you can in good form and then continue with regular wide-grip pull-ups until all reps are completed.

A2Seated Dumbbell Muscle Snatch48-1010X02 min.

B1Incline Bench Press46-840X010 sec.

B2ShoulderHorn Cable External Rotation410-1230102 min.

The ShoulderHorn is great to use during the cable external rotation movement. However, if one isn't available, you can simulate the device by resting your upper arms on a preacher bench.

C1Standing Cable Crossover310-12301010 sec.

C2Standing EZ-Bar Upright Row310-12301090 sec.

Use a mid-grip (shoulder-width) hand position. If you're concerned with long-term shoulder health, I suggest avoiding a close-grip position on this exercise.

D1Flat Dumbbell Flye310-12301010 sec.

Use a pronated grip (thumbs facing each other).

D2Bent-over Dumbbell Lateral Raise312-15201090 sec.

Use a supinated grip (thumbs facing away from each other).

The One-Side-At-A-Time Lower-Body Superset Plan

The beauty of supersets is that you can get more work done in a given period of time. By resting only 10 seconds instead of a minute or more between two exercises, you can squeeze another set in, thus supersetting is a great method to use for unilateral training.Many people shy away from unilateral work because it takes twice as long, especially personal trainers who generally have 60 minutes or less to work with a client. You can overcome that problem with supersets they allow you to perform exercises that don't pop up often in the rotation, and more importantly, they allow you to restore left-right symmetry that may have strayed with constant bilateral work.There are two ways to do this:1.Perform both sides of the first exercise followed by both sides of the second exercise with only 10 seconds between each movement (basically, just enough time to get set for the next exercise) and then rest, or...2.Perform one side of the first exercise, followed by one side of the second exercise, followed by the other side of the first exercise, followed by the other side of the second exercise, with only 10 seconds between each movement and then rest.Did you get that? If not, read it over again s-l-o-w-l-y!Perform the following routine once every 5 days:ExercisesSetsRepsTempoRest

A1Front Split Squat36-8301010 sec.

A2Single-Leg Hip Extension36-810122 min.

B1Back Step-Up310-12111110 sec.

B2Seated Single-Leg Press315-2010102 min.

If you don't have access to a leg press machine, substitute a one-leg (pistol) squat instead.

C1Standing Leg Curl36-8401010 sec.

C2Seated Single-Leg Extension312-15201090 sec.

D1One-Leg Calf Raise310-12211010 sec.

May be performed on a step with a dumbbell held on the same side as the working leg, or it may be performed on a dedicated standing calf raise machine if available.

D2Seated Single-Leg Calf Raise315-20101090 sec.

Whole-Body Muscle Mass Attack

Here's a superset routine that attacks the entire body! Unlike the whole-body routine that I presented in my21st Century Supersets article, this is a split routine where the lower body is trained on Day 1 and the upper body on Day 2. Each day starts with proximal pairs and progresses distally with each subsequent pair. In other words, larger muscles are targeted first and smaller muscles toward the end of the workout.The exercises are paired by joint in the following manner:Day 1 - Lower BodyA1) Trunk ExtensionA2) Trunk FlexionB1) Hip ExtensionB2) Hip FlexionC1) Knee ExtensionC2) Knee FlexionD1) Ankle ExtensionD2) Ankle FlexionDay 2 - Upper BodyA1) Shoulder ExtensionA2) Shoulder FlexionB1) Shoulder Horizontal AbductionB2) Shoulder Horizontal AdductionC1) Elbow ExtensionC2) Elbow FlexionD1) Wrist ExtensionD2) Wrist FlexionHere's the routine now with the exercises and appropriate parameters in place:Day 1 - Lower BodyExercisesSetsRepsTempoRest

A1Bent-Knee Deadlift46-831X010 sec.

A2Decline Sit-up48-1020X02 min.

B1Reverse Hypers310-1210X010 sec.

B2Incline Two-leg Lowering310-12201090 sec.

C1Seated Leg Extension310-12201010 sec.

C2Lying Leg Curl36-8401090 sec.

D1Standing Calf Raise310-12201010 sec.

D2Seated Cable Tibialis Raise315-2010101 min.

Day 2 - Upper BodyExercisesSetsRepsTempoRest

A1Mid-Grip Pull-up46-840X010 sec.

A2Standing Military Press46-840X02 min.

B1Seated Cable Row38-10301010 sec.

B2Flat Neutral Dumbbell Press38-10301090 sec.

C1Kneeling Rope French Press38-10301010 sec.

C2Incline Dumbbell Curl38-10301090 sec.

D1Cable Reverse-Grip Wrist Curl310-12201010 sec.

D2Cable Wrist Curl310-1220101 min.

NotesPerform each day twice a week (e.g., Day 1 on Monday and Thursday, and Day 2 on Tuesday and Friday). After a month, switch to a new routine.Make sure to keep the rest minimal (only 10 seconds) between the first exercise and the second exercise of each superset pairing.Always think of the results, not your ego! The key with supersets is to be successful each set, not to use extremely heavy loads. Put your ego aside and pick an appropriate load to accomplish the task for every set. It's not uncommon to lose a rep or two each set depending on your fiber makeup, so adjust the load accordingly.Let me put it in a way you might understand better. The chicks are checking out your body at the beach. They don't care how much weight you lift at the gym. Get it?This article offers several unique methods for using supersets as part of your muscle-building and joint-restoring arsenal: three body-part schemes that you can combine to form a super potent routine, and a whole-body attack that's lethal on its own. Either way, get ready for some super results.Note:John Paul has just released his new bookThe Elite Trainer: Strength Training for the Serious Professional. The book features 55 programs, dozens of training methods and cutting-edge techniques, and over 100 exercise illustrations.http://www.t-nation.com/training/supersets-for-super-results