Love At First Set

You, complete me … ever had that person in your life that just understands you? Let’s see if we can find that feeling through exercise pairings shall we? 

What is a Superset?

For those unfamiliar, a superset involves performing two exercises back-to-back with minimal rest in between. This technique can maximize time spent in the gym while creating unique training stimuli depending on what is completed.

Five Superset Soulmates

Antagonistic Supersets 

This strategy pairs opposing muscle groups, like biceps and triceps or quadriceps and hamstrings. The simplest example might be performing a bicep curl followed by a tricep pushdown. This strategy allows one muscle group to recover while the other works, maximizing your time spent in the gym while minimizing local fatigue.  

Compound Supersets

Here, we combine multi-joint exercises that engage several muscle groups simultaneously. A classic example is pairing squats with bench press. This method maximizes energy consumption and stimulates multiple muscle groups in less time.  Think of it like doing dinner and a movie at the same time so you can hustle up and get to making out in the car afterwards.     

High-Intensity Supersets 

For those looking to “feel the burn”, this could be pairing exercises like jump rope and kettlebell swings. This strategy elevates your heart rate and challenges your stamina.  Think of it like that date you went on years back with the fitness enthusiast who just wanted to hike and bike and swim and pickleball and NEVER STOPPED MOVING.  Maybe you’re married now, or maybe that was a one-time thing…  

French Contrast Supersets

Ah, the allure of Paris, the city of love.  French contrast training involves strength movements paired with a plyometric exercise of similar patterning.  This could be something like doing a heavier set of squats and then doing some jumping or hopping directly afterwards.   When done well, the strength exercise can have a positive effect on the plyometric, leading to improved performance.  Think of it like going to a French Patisserie with that special someone.  It really could be anyone as long as you get the croissant.   

Strength/Stretch Supersets 

Think of this one as a moonlit walk on the beach after a night of partying your socks off at Karaoke Night.  Pairing static or dynamic stretching with strength exercises can maximize training time while also allowing for much-needed rest and recovery between taxing sets.   This superset could look like pairing a heavy set of goblet squats with a lateral line stretch.   

What Do You Want? 

Superset strategies can transform your workouts, making them more efficient and effective. At Soma VT, we believe that fitness should be enjoyable and rewarding. So, this Valentine’s Day, why not commit to a workout that embodies the spirit of partnership? If you are looking to get into a new relationship with fitness, reach out to our experienced team to get started.

If at first you’re not succeeding, “throw another six months at it, groceries.”  (Bonus points for whoever gets that one.)

Here’s to love, fitness, and the perfect pairings that make it all worthwhile! Happy Valentine’s Day!