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Plateau Breakers: Supersets

Plateau Breakers: Supersets

  • October 2, 2013 11:00 pm
  • 7 comments

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Let’s put another weapon into our arsenal of workout styles designed to break through your workout plateau: supersets.

Supersets

We previously discussed forced negatives and pyramids for getting around (or over) workout plateaus, and today we are going to look at “supersets.”

There are many different styles of supersetting exercises, but the most basic (and I think most effective) is the agonist – antagonist approach.

This means nothing but first working the muscle you plateaued on and then directly the muscle working against it:

Example Superset Muscle Combinations

I said in the video that I will give you some examples for good agonist – antagonist combinations and here they are:

Agonist
Antagonist
BicepsTriceps
ChestUpper Back
QuadricepsHamstrings
Front ShoulderBack Shoulder
Lower BackAbs

 
Of course each antagonist can also be the agonist. So if your triceps is lagging behind, you will use it as the agonist, and the biceps becomes the antagonist.

Example Superset Exercise Combinations

Let’s now look at example exercise combinations:

Plateaued Muscle
First ExerciseSecond Exercise
BicepsDumbbell CurlsKickbacks
ChestBench PressDumbbell Rows
QuadricepsLungesHamstring Curls
Front ShoulderShoulder PressLying Rear Delt Raises
Lower Back
DeadliftCrunches

 

Don’t Superset Squats!

If you wonder why I didn’t list squats, it’s because of what is known as “Lombard’s Paradox”: when getting up from a squatting position, both the quadriceps and the hamstrings contract, despite them being antagonists.

This mechanism is what basically allows us to walk, but not what we want when working out legs. Therefore don’t go agonist / antagonist superset with squats.

Picture courtesy of the U.S. Army.

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Latest Comments

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7 Comments

  1. William says:
    October 3, 2013 at 1:22 am

    Can you make a video showing some lower back exercises?

    Those are hard to find…

    Reply
    • evilcyber says:
      October 3, 2013 at 9:39 pm

      I have to think about it. Deadlift and squats are two execises you can do really wrong without noticing them and I have to make very sure people know how to do them right.

      Reply
      • William says:
        October 4, 2013 at 1:34 am

        Yes I was aware of those. I have lower back issues, so I don’t do either of those exercises right now. I am looking for a safe lower back exercise I can do that is minimal risk and the control I have over the weight is at a maximum. Some exercises are more dangerous than others, particularly without a spotter.

        Reply
        • RTalons says:
          October 7, 2013 at 11:37 pm

          If you want some lower back exercises with minimal risk and maximum control, try some bird dogs, supermans or unweighted extensions.
          http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BWBirdDog.html
          http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/Superman.html
          http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BWHyperextensionHips.html

          Extensions can be tricky without something design to do them on: you can try lying face down on a bench, gripping it with your legs and hanging your torso as far out as balance allows.

          All three can also be very good as static exercises, just hold as long as you can stand. Add tiny dumbbells / ankle weights if can hold it long enough to get bored đŸ˜‰

          Reply
  2. Vince @blog musculation says:
    October 3, 2013 at 5:34 am

    As he said deadlift is a must for thoses types of exercises, and if your not used to with the barbell, you can try with dumbells , its really effective too for the lower back, Vince.

    Reply
  3. William says:
    October 3, 2013 at 6:34 am

    How do you do a deadlift with dumbells?

    Reply
    • evilcyber says:
      October 3, 2013 at 9:39 pm

      Place the dumbbells right before your feet and then do the same motion as with the barbell:

      http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/DBStraightLegDeadlift.html

      Reply

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