Compound/supersets
- Thread starter coconutz
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The biggest benefit of compound sets, is you can keep the rest periods short and still be well enough rested to keep teh intensity up. That is while you are working the opposing muscle the other muscle gets a longer rest. So if you are resting 1 minute between sets and a set takes about 1 minute, each muscle gets 3 minutes of rest before being used again. I routinely compound set bench press and bent row, military press and chins, leg extension and leg curls, leg press and stiff legged deadlift, curls and triceps extension, etc. That way I can get a lot of sets in a 45 minute session and still be able to keep the intensity level up and not have it become a mainly aerobic session (which is what happens if you don't rest long enough between sets and reduce the weight used on each exercise to compensate).
Superset are good to use occasionally to get a little extra burn in a particular muscle. I like to do a compound exercise followed by an isolation exercise (bench press/flyes, barbell curls/preacher curls, chins/preacher curls, military press/lateral raises, chins/pull downs, leg press/leg extension, etc.).
I also do a "giant set" sometimes with calf raises, leg raises, abductor machine,adductor machine, hyperextensions, ab twist machine, with no rest between sets. Two cycles through those exercises at the end of a lower body workout hits all those little muscle groups, that often get neglected, with out taking up a lot of time, and it adds some good aerobic benefits to your weight session as well.
Superset are good to use occasionally to get a little extra burn in a particular muscle. I like to do a compound exercise followed by an isolation exercise (bench press/flyes, barbell curls/preacher curls, chins/preacher curls, military press/lateral raises, chins/pull downs, leg press/leg extension, etc.).
I also do a "giant set" sometimes with calf raises, leg raises, abductor machine,adductor machine, hyperextensions, ab twist machine, with no rest between sets. Two cycles through those exercises at the end of a lower body workout hits all those little muscle groups, that often get neglected, with out taking up a lot of time, and it adds some good aerobic benefits to your weight session as well.
I do the same with compound sets as dswithers. Another good thing about supersets if you are pressed for time is that if you keep the rest intervals short you can also get an aerobic benefit from weight training. The benefit can be similar to circuit training but not require numerous pieces of exercise equipment to be free at the exact moment you need them.
Opinions differ on which terms define what. Some say there are categories of supersets including same muscle supersets and agonist-antagonist supersets. To avoid general confusion, many use the term compound set to mean working the same muscle using two different exercises back to back and the term superset to define working two opposing muscles back to back. However, this depends on the reference you are looking at. But compound sets are always same muscle. (If I am confusing anyone, I will gladly re-explain more clearly ) 
I think they are great! Compound sets usually use pre or post fatigue, so they will give you good results in muscle hypertrophy granted that you use the right number of reps. Plus, both compound and supersets are useful in shortening your workouts! I like to use supersets in my maintenance phase, that is, when I am taking a break from intense lifting. They give me a sense of a better workout that classic "3 set of x reps for each exercise" type of workouts
I play around with my compound sets a lot. For example, my first exercise will be isolateral and my second exercise bilateral, or vice versa, depending.
Yup, they are fun and effective
I think they are great! Compound sets usually use pre or post fatigue, so they will give you good results in muscle hypertrophy granted that you use the right number of reps. Plus, both compound and supersets are useful in shortening your workouts! I like to use supersets in my maintenance phase, that is, when I am taking a break from intense lifting. They give me a sense of a better workout that classic "3 set of x reps for each exercise" type of workouts
I play around with my compound sets a lot. For example, my first exercise will be isolateral and my second exercise bilateral, or vice versa, depending.
Yup, they are fun and effective
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