Superset
Two exercises performed back to back with little or no rest between them.
A superset is a pairing of two exercises done one after the other with minimal rest. Pairing opposing muscles (like a push and a pull) is an antagonist superset; stacking two exercises for the same muscle is a common intensity technique.
It matters mainly for efficiency: supersets pack more work into less time, which is useful when time is tight. Pairing non-competing movements lets each recover while the other works, with little performance cost.
In practice, antagonist and unrelated pairings (for example calves with a core exercise) superset well; pairing two heavy compounds that fatigue the same muscles usually just reduces the load you can handle.
Put it to use
Related terms
Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
Last reviewed: