Superset Workouts: Same Gains, Less Time in the Gym Summary
- The superset workout allows participants to complete sessions in 36% less time than traditional resistance training without reducing overall performance, making it a time-efficient alternative.
- Despite the shorter workout time, a superset workout leads to similar muscle growth, strength, and endurance improvements compared to traditional training.
- The superset workout is more physically demanding; both superset and traditional training show comparable improvements in body composition, including reductions in body fat and increases in muscle mass.
Superset Workouts: Get Out of the Gym Faster, But Is it Less Effective?
Finding time for long workouts can be challenging in today’s fast-paced world. Many people want to gain muscle, improve their strength, and get fit, but the time commitment can make it difficult. Traditional resistance training requires several exercises, with long rest periods between sets. This can lead to longer workouts, which isn’t always feasible for those with busy schedules. However, recent research suggests that a superset workout might be a time-saving alternative that doesn’t compromise results. A study titled “Less Time, Same Gains: Comparison of Superset vs Traditional Set Training on Muscular Adaptations” offers valuable insights into how this method compares to traditional resistance training.1
What is Superset Training?
A superset workout involves performing two or more exercises consecutively without resting in between. Usually, these exercises target opposing muscle groups, such as biceps and triceps. Traditional resistance training involves completing all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next, with rest periods between each set. One of the key benefits of a superset workout is that it shortens overall workout time without reducing performance.2,3 A 2021 study demonstrated that superset training could effectively reduce fat mass while simultaneously increasing muscle mass, indicating a dual benefit of this training modality.4
Supersets are widely recognized as a popular advanced training technique among bodybuilders and athletes. et al. reported that 85% of competitive male bodybuilders utilize supersets, indicating their prevalence in resistance training regimens.5 It has been suggested that superset training may be less effective than traditional training.
The Downsides of Superset Workouts
One of the primary concerns regarding superset training is the potential for reduced performance in subsequent sets due to insufficient recovery. It has been noted that while supersets can be completed in roughly half the time compared to traditional sets, limiting inter-set rest to sixty seconds or less may hinder performance in subsequent sets, ultimately reducing muscle hypertrophy.1
This is particularly relevant when sets are performed to muscular fatigue, as the accumulated fatigue may impair the ability to lift heavier loads or complete the desired number of repetitions in subsequent exercises. The implications of this fatigue are critical, as the ability to maintain training intensity is a crucial factor in promoting muscle growth. Reducing rest periods between sets can help shorten the duration of the workout. Limiting rest to 60 seconds or less can hurt performance in later sets because of insufficient recovery. This reduction in performance can limit muscle hypertrophy or growth.6,7
The Study’s Design
To test whether a superset workout could match traditional training in effectiveness, the study followed 43 resistance-trained men and women over eight weeks. The participants were split into two groups: one followed a superset workout protocol, and the other used a traditional protocol.
Both groups performed the same six exercises twice a week, including lat pulldowns, bench presses, leg curls, and biceps curls. Participants lifted enough weight to only complete 8 to 12 repetitions before fatigue. The key difference between the groups was how the sets were structured: superset workout paired exercises for opposing muscle groups. In contrast, the traditional protocol had participants finish all sets of one exercise before starting another.
Supersets Training Doesn’t Reduce Muscle Growth!
One of the most significant findings from the study was the reduced time spent on workouts by the superset group. Participants in the superset workout protocol completed their sessions in 36% less time than those in the TRAD group, finishing in about 44 minutes compared to 69 minutes. This makes a superset workout an excellent option for people with busy schedules who want to maintain or improve their fitness without sacrificing time.
Muscle Growth: Despite spending less time in the gym, both groups saw similar increases in muscle size. Muscle thickness increased by 2-7% across the assessed muscle groups, including the biceps and quadriceps. These findings align with previous studies, which have shown that a superset workout can be just as effective as traditional training for muscle growth (Fink et al., 2021; Pringga et al., 2021).
Strength Gains: Both the superset workout protocol and TRAD groups saw comparable improvements in strength, particularly in the 1-repetition maximum on the bench press. The superset workout group increased their 1RM by 9.2%, while the TRAD group increased by 10.4%. This suggests that a superset workout is as effective as traditional training for building strength, even with the reduced time commitment.8
Perceived Exertion: Although both groups experienced similar physical results, superset group participants reported higher fatigue levels during their workouts. This is not surprising, as a superset workout condenses the workload into a shorter period, leaving less time for rest and recovery between sets. However, by the end of the eight-week training period, the difference in perceived exertion between the two groups had diminished.
Body Composition: A superset workout also proved effective for improving body composition, with both groups seeing reductions in body fat percentage and increases in fat-free mass.
Superset Workout Strategies
A superset workout provides flexible options for pairing exercises. Research highlights various strategies that can be used to create effective supersets. For example, pairing agonist muscles—muscles that perform the same movement—can be one approach. Another common strategy is pairing different muscle regions or opposing muscles, such as a biceps curl followed by a triceps pushdown. Notably, a superset workout allows for greater rest of the working muscles between sets than traditional resistance training because the opposing muscles are given time to recover while the other is being worked.9
Recent research shows that performing sets until muscular fatigue allows a workout consisting of supersets to be completed in roughly half the time compared to traditional sets. Furthermore, studies have consistently found no reduction in the total repetitions performed or volume load.10 However, the limited research on this subject has focused primarily on untrained individuals, making it difficult to draw solid conclusions for those with resistance training experience. A 2009 compared superset training to traditional training in trained individuals and found that both methods resulted in similar increases in strength.10
Practical Applications for Superset Workouts
This study offers clear evidence that a superset workout is an efficient and effective way to achieve similar gains in strength, muscle hypertrophy, endurance, and body composition in a fraction of the time needed for traditional resistance training. A superset workout provides a practical solution for individuals who want to improve their fitness but struggle to find time for lengthy workouts. The findings are especially significant for those who may not have hours to spend in the gym but still want to see progress. As the research grows, superset workouts demonstrate their potential to be a time-efficient, effective workout method for people at all fitness levels.
References
1 Burke, R. et al. Less time, same gains: Comparison of superset vs. traditional set training on muscular adaptations. (2024).
2 Fink, J., Jon Schoenfeld, B., Sakamaki-Sunaga, M. & Nakazato, K. Physiological Responses to Agonist–Antagonist Superset Resistance Training. Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise 3, 355-363 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-020-00092-z
3 Iversen, V. M., Norum, M., Schöenfeld, B. J. & Fimland, M. S. No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Sports Medicine 51, 2079-2095 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01490-1
4 Kamaludin, K., Subarjah, H. & Pitriani, P. The Influence of Superset Training Model and Circuit Training on Fat Mass Changes and Muscle Mass Increase in Men. Competitor Jurnal Pendidikan Kepelatihan Olahraga 13, 362 (2021). https://doi.org/10.26858/cjpko.v13i3.22807
5 Hackett, D. Training, Supplementation, and Pharmacological Practices of Competitive Male Bodybuilders Across Training Phases. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 36, 963-970 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000003989
6 Schoenfeld, B. J. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 24, 2857-2872 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
References
7 Grgic, J., Lazinica, B., Mikulic, P., Krieger, J. W. & Schoenfeld, B. J. The effects of short versus long inter-set rest intervals in resistance training on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review. Eur J Sport Sci 17, 983-993 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2017.1340524
8 Robbins, D. W., Young, W. B., Behm, D. G. & Payne, W. R. Effects of agonist-antagonist complex resistance training on upper body strength and power development. J Sports Sci 27, 1617-1625 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410903365677
9 Maia, M. F., Willardson, J. M., Paz, G. A. & Miranda, H. Effects of different rest intervals between antagonist paired sets on repetition performance and muscle activation. J Strength Cond Res 28, 2529-2535 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000000451
10 Pringga, G., Andriana, M., Wardhani, I. & Arfianti, L. Comparison of Hamstrings and Quadriceps Femoris Muscle Thickness Increment between Agonist-Antagonist Paired Set and Traditional Set Resistance Training in Untrained Healthy Subjects. Surabaya Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Journal 3, 60 (2021). https://doi.org/10.20473/spmrj.v3i2.20976
