Supersets — doing two exercises for opposing muscle groups back to back, such as chest and back or biceps and triceps — burn more calories than straight sets and are, therefore, a good way to burn off bodyfat.
RESEARCH
Male subjects in a Syracuse University (New York) study performed workouts comprising either supersets or straight sets. For the straight set workout, they did bench presses followed by barbell bent-over rows, then barbell curls followed by lying triceps extensions, and then leg extensions followed by leg curls, performing four sets for each exercise. They rested one minute between all sets and exercises. For the superset workout, they paired bench presses with barbell bent-over rows, barbell curls with lying triceps extensions and leg extensions with leg curls, all for four sets each. They rested one minute between all supersets.
FINDINGS
Researchers reported in a 2010 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that when the men did the superset workout, they burned 35% more calories per minute than during the straight sets workout and they burned 35% more total calories during the hour after the workout was over.
CONCLUSION
Supersets are a good way to burn extra calories while building mass. They ramp up calories burned during and after the workout, which can lead to significant loss of bodyfat.
APPLICATION
Use supersets to burn more calories and drop more bodyfat. – FLEX
