Are Supersets A Mega Muscle Growth Hack?

Summary

In this insightful discussion, Dr. Mike interviews Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, a renowned expert on muscle hypertrophy. They delve into the world of supersets, defining them as two exercises performed back-to-back with minimal rest. The conversation explores various types of supersets, including agonist, antagonist, and unrelated muscle groups. Dr. Schoenfeld clarifies that while supersets do not necessarily enhance muscle growth more than other training methods, they can be an efficient way to train, especially for targeting specific muscles or managing training volume within a limited time frame. The discussion also touches on the importance of not always training to failure and the potential for supersets to provide a cardiovascular benefit.

Takeaways

• 📚 Dr. Brad Schoenfeld is recognized as an expert in muscle hypertrophy, with his paper being the most viewed in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
• 🏋️‍♂️ A superset is defined as two exercises performed back-to-back with minimal rest, and includes types like agonist, antagonist, and unrelated muscle supersets.
• 🔄 The literature does not show supersets to be superior for muscle growth, but they do not negatively affect hypertrophy and can be completed in less time.
• 🤔 There's an exception where compound supersets, specifically pre-exhaust supersets, showed better hypertrophy results in one study, but this hasn't been consistently replicated.
• 🤮 Some subjects experienced nausea, especially in the early phases of superset training, but this effect lessened over time as the body adjusted.
• 💪 It's suggested that training to failure isn't necessary for all sets when performing supersets, which can help mitigate nausea and perceived exertion.
• 🕒 Supersets can be an efficient way to perform high volumes of training in a shorter amount of time, which can be beneficial for time-poor individuals.
• 🏃‍♂️ There's speculation that performing unrelated muscle supersets for a full-body workout could provide a cardiovascular benefit due to the body's neuromuscular response.
• 🤷‍♂️ It's important to choose the right exercises for supersets to avoid one muscle group compensating too much for another, which could reduce the effectiveness of the superset.
• 🧠 More research is needed to fully understand the effects of supersets and to provide definitive conclusions for practical application in the gym.

Q & A

What is the definition of a superset in the context of resistance training?

A superset is defined as two exercises performed in succession with minimal rest between the sets.

What are the different types of supersets mentioned in the script?

The script mentions Agonist supersets, Antagonist supersets, and unrelated muscle supersets.

What is an Agonist superset?

An Agonist superset, also known as a compound superset, involves two exercises that target the same muscle group, such as cable pushdowns followed by dumbbell presses for the triceps.

Can you explain Antagonist supersets?

Antagonist supersets involve exercises where one muscle is worked and then immediately followed by an exercise for its opposing muscle group, like tricep pushdowns followed by bicep curls.

What are unrelated muscle supersets?

Unrelated muscle supersets involve exercises that target different muscle groups with no direct connection, such as leg extensions followed by bicep curls.

Does the script suggest that supersets are superior for muscle growth?

The script indicates that the evidence does not show supersets to be superior for hypertrophy; they promote similar hypertrophy but in less time.

What is the significance of the study mentioned in the script regarding muscle hypertrophy?

The study mentioned is significant because it was one of the first reviews of overall strategies to maximize muscle hypertrophy in scientific literature and is now the most viewed paper in the history of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

What is the potential issue with supersets causing nausea, as discussed in the script?

The script discusses that supersets, particularly in the early phases of training, can cause nausea, especially if all sets are taken to failure.

How can one mitigate the potential nausea associated with supersets?

The script suggests stopping short of failure on all sets as a way to mitigate the negative perceived exertion and potential nausea associated with supersets.

What are some practical advantages of supersets mentioned in the script?

The script mentions that supersets can be time-efficient, allowing for high volumes of training in a shorter amount of time, which can be beneficial for those with limited time or those looking to maintain energy levels during workouts.

What is the importance of the research conducted by Dr. Brad Schoenfeld's students mentioned in the script?

The research is important as it provides insights into the effects of supersets on muscle hypertrophy, perceived exertion, and nausea, contributing to a better understanding of how to effectively incorporate supersets into training programs.

What advice does Dr. Brad Schoenfeld give regarding the use of supersets in training?

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld advises that supersets are not obligatory to be performed to failure and that they can be adapted in various ways to fit individual training needs and preferences.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Introduction to Muscle Hypertrophy and Supersets

Dr. Mike interviews Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, an expert on muscle hypertrophy, about various training approaches for muscle growth. They discuss the history of literature on muscle hypertrophy, with Dr. Schoenfeld's work being a significant contribution. They define supersets as two exercises performed consecutively with minimal rest, and list different types including agonist, antagonist, and unrelated muscle supersets. Dr. Schoenfeld clarifies that supersets are not necessarily superior for muscle growth but are efficient and can promote similar hypertrophy in less time.

05:02

🤔 The Effectiveness and Nuances of Supersets

The conversation explores whether supersets are particularly effective for muscle growth. While studies do not show supersets to be superior, they do not negatively affect hypertrophy and can be completed in less time. A specific study on compound supersets showed slightly better results but needs further replication. They discuss the side effect of nausea during superset training, which lessens over time as the body adapts. Dr. Schoenfeld suggests that training to failure is not necessary for all sets and stopping short of failure can reduce negative perceptions and potential nausea.

10:02

🏋️‍♂️ Practical Applications and Considerations of Supersets

Dr. Schoenfeld and Dr. Mike discuss practical scenarios where supersets might be advantageous, such as targeting muscles that are difficult to engage or when high volumes of training are desired in a short time frame. They speculate on the cardiovascular benefits of unrelated muscle supersets and the potential for them to provide a full-body stimulus. The importance of choosing the right exercises for supersets is highlighted, with a caution against choosing compound exercises that might lead to other muscles compensating and reducing the superset effect.

15:04

🧠 Research, Misconceptions, and Final Thoughts on Supersets

The discussion concludes with thoughts on the need for more research to solidify the principles of supersets and to provide definitive conclusions for practical application. Dr. Schoenfeld addresses misconceptions about supersets, emphasizing that they are not strictly a failure technique and can be used flexibly. He also advises caution with compound supersets to avoid reducing volume load on the second exercise. The conversation ends with Dr. Schoenfeld sharing his typical research activities, focusing on mentoring students and conducting assessments.

Keywords

💡Superset

A superset in the context of the video refers to a training technique where two exercises are performed consecutively with minimal rest in between. It is a method to optimize muscle hypertrophy. For example, doing cable pushdowns followed by dumbbell presses without rest targets the triceps twice in succession.

💡Muscle Hypertrophy

Muscle hypertrophy is the increase in muscle mass due to an increase in the size of muscle fibers. It is the primary focus of the video, discussing various training methods, including supersets, to achieve this growth.

💡Agonist Superset

Agonist superset is a type of superset where two exercises target the same muscle group back-to-back. It is mentioned in the script as a compound superset, such as doing a fly into a press, both targeting the chest muscles.

💡Antagonist Superset

Antagonist superset involves performing exercises that target opposing muscle groups consecutively, such as tricep pushdowns followed by bicep curls. This method is discussed as a way to maximize training efficiency.

💡Unrelated Muscle Superset

Unrelated muscle superset is a training technique where exercises for completely different muscle groups are performed consecutively, like leg extensions followed by bicep curls. It is mentioned as a way to potentially increase cardiovascular health.

💡Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy

This refers to the physiological processes that lead to muscle growth. The video discusses how understanding these mechanisms can help in prescribing effective training approaches, including supersets.

💡Perceived Exertion (RPE)

Perceived exertion is a subjective measure of how hard one feels they are working during a training session. The video discusses how superset training can initially lead to higher RPE and potential nausea, indicating a greater challenge.

💡Training to Failure

Training to failure means continuing an exercise until one can no longer perform another repetition with proper form. The video suggests that it's not necessary to train to failure in every set, especially with supersets, to achieve muscle growth.

💡Volume Load

Volume load refers to the total amount of work performed in a training session, typically measured in sets, reps, and weight. The video discusses how supersets can be an efficient way to increase volume load in a shorter amount of time.

💡Nausea

Nausea is a feeling of discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit. The video mentions that superset training can initially cause nausea due to the high intensity and lack of rest between exercises.

💡Contextual Training

Contextual training implies that different training methods are suitable for different situations or goals. The video suggests that while supersets may not be superior for muscle growth overall, they can be useful in certain contexts, such as time efficiency or targeting specific muscles.

Highlights

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld is considered one of the top experts on muscle hypertrophy.

His paper 'Mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training' is the most viewed paper in the history of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Supersets are defined as two exercises performed in succession with minimal rest.

There are three main types of supersets: Agonist, Antagonist, and Unrelated muscle supersets.

Agonist supersets involve two exercises that target the same muscle group, also known as compound supersets.

Antagonist supersets involve exercises where one muscle is the antagonist of the other, such as bicep curls into tricep pushdowns.

Unrelated muscle supersets pair exercises that target non-antagonistic muscle groups, like leg extensions followed by bicep curls.

The literature does not show supersets to be superior for hypertrophy, but they do not negatively affect it either.

Supersets can promote similar hypertrophy in much less time compared to traditional training methods.

One study showed better results for pre-exhaust supersets, but this has not been replicated.

Supersets can cause nausea, especially in the early phases of training, but the body seems to adjust over time.

Training to failure is not obligatory with supersets; stopping a rep or two short of failure can still be effective.

Supersets can be useful for targeting muscles that are hard to engage or for packing in volume efficiently.

Supersets can offer time efficiency in training, which can be beneficial for maintaining energy and focus.

There is speculation that doing unrelated muscle supersets for whole-body workouts could provide a cardiovascular benefit.

The choice of second exercise in a superset can affect which muscles are primarily worked and the effectiveness of the superset.

More research is needed to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of different superset techniques.

Dr. Schoenfeld emphasizes that supersets are not obligatory to be performed to failure and can be adapted to various training preferences.

Dr. Schoenfeld's research involves mentoring students and conducting assessments, with his students being integral to his research process.

Transcripts

are supersets especially muscle growth

promoting or are they just another cool

tool in the toolbox that you could use

in certain

context hey folks Dr Mike here for RP

strength and today I am joined by the

illustrious magnanimous is that a word

probably Dr Brad

shonfeld the are there are lots of

experts on muscle hypertrophy but there

is only one the best and that's Dr Brad

shonfeld Brad did you know that the

first metaanalysis or sorry the first

review of the literature I've ever read

on allaround approaches to training for

optimizing muscular hypertrophy was what

I believe was a part of your doctoral

dissertation or your Master's

thesis Capstone project and it was also

I believe the first review ever

conducted on overall strategies to

maximize muscle hypertrophy in the

scientific literature no there there

actually had been a few before but I

think it was it put things in a context

that now by the way it's called the

mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and

their application and resistance

training that paper is now the Le the

most viewed paper in the history of the

Journal of strength the conditioning

research and has close to 2,000 or maybe

more citations unreal it was it was a

landmark paper um and also yes I'm

familiar with the older stuff but it

wasn't really a global that's what I'm

saying it had a it had a certain um

cache to it because it looked at

mechanisms and tried to tie mechanisms

to how you might prescribe training

approaches yes all right that was one

hell of an intro now to Super sets first

question what is a super set is it a set

that's better than all the other sets

and wears an S and flies around it's two

I mean the simple answer is it's two

exercises performed in succession with

minimal rest as short rest as possible

between the

sets I know a couple of different types

of super sets I'm going to list them to

you let me know if I missed anything

there are Agonist superpets so for

example I do cable pushdowns then I do

dumbbell presses both hit the triceps to

some capacity so it's triceps then

triceps then there are antagonist supers

sets where you do tricep push downs and

then you run over and do bicep curls

when muscle opposes the other there are

also you could technically say unrelated

muscle supersets where you do a set of

leg extensions on the quads and you do a

set of bicep curls are there any other

kind of super sets I'm missing in that

no you hit the main ones so from a

semantical standpoint the uh one is

called an Agonist antagonist this is

from the literature so like a bicep curl

into a tricep press down would be an

Agonist antagonist supet what you call

The Agonist superset is generally called

a compound superset um where it's two of

the same basically working on the same

muscle group so that also can be used as

a pre-exhaust a lot of times so you do

like a fly into a prep

um but it doesn't have to be you could

do a technically you could do an incline

press and a flat press sure and then you

have your unrelated so you can have like

a squat into a bicep curer yes whatever

excellent my next question to you is are

supersets especially muscle growth

promoting or are they just another cool

tool in the toolbox that you can use in

certain contexts where do you stand on

that yeah they're not well generally

speaking when you talk about are they

muscle promoting the evidence that we

have now does not show they are superior

for hypertrophy we only have a couple of

studies on some of the different types

with one exception which I'll mention

shortly um but they're much more

efficient ways to to train so here's

what I would say they do not generally

the literature does not show a negative

effect of super sets on hypertrophy so

they promote similar hypertrophy and

they do it in much less time um now

there's one one study did look at a

compound a quote unquote pre-exhaust

superset and did show better results for

the pre-exhaust but that has not been

replicated in other in another study

there's only but again there's only been

a couple of studies on the compound a

couple of studies uh on The Agonist

antagonist I don't recall any on the

unrelated um give you a scoop here so

The Agonist The Agonist antagonist there

were two studies in the past both of

them untrained subjects we have carried

out we just finished I'll give a shout

out to Ryan Burke my master student was

part of his thesis one of your former

students great student really terrific

student and um we looked at two groups

one did Agonist antagonist super sets

and we did uh six different exercises we

did a chest press uh and a lat pull down

uh a bicep curl tricep uh press down and

a leg extension leg

curl um now I will say we don't have

unfortunately we've not finished the

statistical analysis of it um so we

should get that shortly but I think some

interesting findings here that I can

present that we do have information on

one is that the supet itself the

superset technique versus the non-s

superet uh the vast majority of subjects

got nauseous particularly in the early

phases of train

whereas much few some of the nons

superet group did as well but much much

less like half the amount got nauseous

and in some of the subjects have

persisted more of the subjects puked in

the uh in the superset group versus the

non-s superet group but again it was

more early phase over time that did not

replicate and interesting we did in an

acute session looked at the RP it was

higher in the superset but when we

looked at it across the length of the

study the RP kind of evened out so what

it shows is if you keep doing super sets

the body seems to adjust to it so if you

try them and you're like dude this is

way too hard keep cracking at it because

you eventually you'll get used to it

that's correct and another caveat to

this is that uh we had all sets to

failure you don't necessarily need to

train the failure on all sets so you can

somewhat mitigate conceivably the

negative uh RP the negative perceived

exertion and the potential nausea by

stopping a reper too short of failure

and probably getting the same I'm really

glad you said that because a lot of

people when they look at Agonist

antagonist super sets like let's say

cable push Downs to a pushup or

something they for some reason assume

that at least the first exercise has to

be to failure and the second maybe maybe

not but it's totally fine to that kind

of super set stop two reps in reserve on

push downs and then two reps in reserve

on push-ups still get a very good effect

these again are not there's no rules to

these things so you can make it we we

need to look to the literature which

tends to show that going to failure is

not obligatory that you don't need to

train the failure certainly on all sets

and that stopping a reper too short of

failure is not going to hinder your

gains and may actually help with

strength yeah that makes a lot of sense

so can you think of some situations I

know that globally super sets are not

somehow dominant to straight sets or um

maybe rest paw sets mybs Etc these are

all kind of good tools in the toolbox

contextually can you think of some good

context in which Super sets at least in

the real world do have some kind of

superiority I can think of a couple off

hand one is if you really have trouble

targeting a muscle and punching a lot of

volume into it you know some people

don't for whatever bro this is

worth they they do a couple curls and

their biceps blow up Pump sort of

everything they connect with they really

feel it for triceps do you remember

Marcus rule body builder from back in

the day he had huge biceps and his

triceps are obviously massive

but not as big as his biceps and he just

said like I have a really hard time

connecting with my triceps in that case

it makes sense to me that like if you're

going to do a bunch of push downs and

that's it it's kind of like yeah you do

push Downs it's fine but if you do push

downs and then get right into close grip

benching or something it can really just

Target and just beat the out of the

area that is something I know works are

there any other scenarios in which suets

offer to you a notable practical

Advantage I think that's fair uh I would

also at least put out we know that

volume there is a dose response at least

up to a certain point a benefit to

higher volumes if you're going to do

high volumes and you're having certain

let's say two minutes rest which

generally is what you're looking at for

proper rest uh between sets um your

session can take quite a long time by

doing super sets you can minimize the

total time and thus your energy level

like when you start boredom can set in

or whatever and people just have to get

out so I think from a the time

efficiency standpoint is really

important when it comes to Super sets

and I think at the very least it

provides the the general public with an

option for getting in the volume in a

manageable format yes

and maybe this is speculative of course

but from your study on that you recently

conducted showing a a great much more

nausea in the superet group at least at

first early phase early phase is it

possible that if we do unrelated muscle

supersets for whole body that we can

crunch a ton of volume into a short time

but because we're doing that and because

no one muscle is ever limiting we end up

getting a pretty not good but decent

cardiovascular and health stimulus at

the same time what do you think about

that uh speculative but I certainly can

see that look I I do think there is

um your whole neuromuscular system is

involved when you're it's not like your

your muscles your brain can send signals

directly just to that there's total body

effects when we're talking about the

neuromuscular system so I think there is

um you're and that conceivably is what

is driving the nuse at least initially

is that the body is just not used to and

by the way these were trained subjects

so they were used to training so but the

body is not used to to I guess directing

the neural impulses in that way

conceivably we don't know

mechanistically so how that all plays

out is still there's so much Mike that

we don't know and so much like you think

that we have all of these things really

well studied and I can come on here and

give you very definitive answers with

high degrees of confidence but uh we're

still in the really early phases

particularly when it comes to the

manipulation of variables in really

understanding uh or at least in giving

having strong conclusions on these

topics I was going to write an

autobiography of my life and it was

going to be titled strong conclusions

what do you think about that title does

that look like New York Times bestseller

material to you or kind of like bottom

shelf I think very

fitting thank

you Dr rad shonfeld thank you so much

for the superet chat anything you want

to get out to the public about maybe

some misconceptions about super sets or

things people ought to know that they

don't is there anything you see in

social media being discussed in around

this the topic of suets that you're like

damn it I wish people would know XYZ

well I think to your point uh you kind

of trumped me with it but uh the fact

that it's not

like a drop set where you train the

failure and then you're going to drop so

a lot of people think that it's

obligatory that you need to train suets

that they're a failure technique kind of

a Advanced Training technique that you

use when you're going to failure and

you're minimizing that you can use suets

in however you want in whatever way you

want and um I think the other thing is

that the I I would say this when it

comes to um s compound supersets which

is same muscle you do need to be careful

I think there is a Nega or conceivably a

negative effect to um if you're going to

do a pre-exhaust there may be some

benefits to that or at least not be

negatives to it needs more study but if

you're going to do like a incline press

into a decline press uh you're probably

going to be losing out on your volume

load on your second uh exercise and it

probably is not an effective way to

train yeah what do you think about the

idea that if you have something like a

closed kinetic chain second compound

exercise that you pref fatigue the

target muscle but then because that

Target muscle starts to feel like the

limiting factor on that second compound

set to your neuromuscular system it

seems in some people in in a particular

kind of exercise in which other muscles

can compensate for the Target muscle the

other muscles end up taking more of the

strain and actually the super set effect

largely disappears for example if you do

cable push downs and then you go into

incline close grip dumbbell presses

there's no way your pecs alone can press

a dumbbell because if you just activated

your pecs it would just do this you have

to extend and if your triceps are pre-

exhausted your triceps will be the thing

pushed closer to failure at the end your

pecs are kind of going to be like this

is easy whereas if you take a machine

press as that second exercise cable push

Downs first machine press second there

are no degrees of Freedom if your

triceps are even let's say

neurologically like inactivated we like

zap the nerves you can actually press

with just your pecs alone and so when

people have prefatigue triceps what ends

up happening is we see higher PEC

activity I know that's been found in at

least one study is that has that been

replicated do do you think that's a

concern of what kind of second movement

you choose good question uh it's not

been replicated longitudinally so I mean

there is some EMG evidence to to your

point I think the issue that I have with

that is that this is just anecdotal but

the triceps are going to be more limited

in a chest press if your Tri your

triceps generally will give out if

before your UH your pecs will your pecs

just a much larger muscle group so I

think regardless of the um method the

mode that you're using whether it's a

machine I think that to me would not be

an effective way to go about it I think

the better pre-exhaust would be doing

like a cable a fly either a cable fly or

a dumbbell fly and then a chest press

where your pecs are pre fatigued and

then because your triceps and aren't

going to be limiting where you would

then allow the pecs you've already

somewhat pref fatigued them and they're

not going to fail before basically they

can fail before you're Trier but is

there World in which let's say for the

PC we do a bunch of flies but then we

get into a machine press for our second

part of the super set and our triceps

end up doing most of the work because

your body detects like the pecs are

tired do more tricep work and it ends up

being that the biceps get a better

stimulus than you would think and the

pecs are more left alone or is that not

a suspicion well good question I I

hadn't thought of it that way but that I

guess conceivably would be a possibility

that's why we need to do the the

research so the basically the take-home

question or the take-home Point here is

the principles of suets are all pretty

sound they're decently well hypothesized

at least but we need considerably more

hard data to draw definitive um more

definitive conclusions that we can

really take to the gym with us and

actually get some results that we're

more confident in yeah well said I love

it Dr Brad shonfeld when you are not

literally eye lasering people's muscles

bigger which is your favorite hobby what

do you what is your typical uh you do

actual direct research you're in the lab

working with subjects that's what you do

well I I mean mostly I'm mentoring my

students so you know I don't uh

generally I help out doing the

ultrasounds and doing some of the uh

assessments but the actual data

collection my students are my uh

basically my lifeline and they uh I I

could never you know people talk about

how I can be so productive it's having a

great team so I would never be able to

do in a big shout out to my students

they are they are what fuels me and and

they are really the uh my lifeline to uh

to research so I love

it Dr shanfeld thank you so much for

appearing on the channel that was really

wholesome I thought he was going to say

some controversial it didn't work

out maybe we'll get it next time see you

guys then