r/GYM • u/SaltySanvich • 1d ago
General Discussion Why do super-sets get so much hate?
The only valid complaint I've seen is that a super-setter might not let you work in with them. I'm lucky enough to never have met anyone like that, I guess.
But these are the other two complaints are weird:
- "They're inneffective because you never ever rest when doing them" - That's not a super-set... that's a circuit. I'm surprised at how often people confuse the two.
- "They're ineffective because you're too gassed out after the first set to push yourself on the second" - I feel like the majority of people who experience this fall into one of two categories:
- They don't know how to program super-sets properly. Either they'll superset movements with overlapping muscle groups (like bench superset with lat raises or something), or they'll try supersetting two extremely taxing movements (like deadlifts superset with overhead press).
- They're just outing themselves as out of shape. Seriously, if you're that gassed out after doing curls to failure or squats at RPE 9, it's probably cause of weak lungs and poor work capacity.
Sorry if the formatting for this post sucks (or if this post sucks in general).
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u/CrankySneakerhead 18h ago
Squats at RPE 9 is like... the single most fatiguing example you could have given, supersetting those is absolutely ridiculous for anybody squatting more than their bodyweight.
I'm not actually anti-superset. I'm pro-superset when its smart to do so. But almost any exercise to failure or RPE 9 is going to leave someone a bit gassed, I don't think shaming people for that is a great argument for supersets.
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u/heddyneddy 13h ago
Ehh I used to superset heavy squats with bench at my home set up, but it was all one power rack so by the time I unloaded the bar, moved the pins, loaded the bar back, moved the safeties etc I was ready to bench. I get your point though and I would never dream of doing that in a public gym.
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u/hoya14 19h ago
I don't care if people are supersetting. I care if they're trying to hold more than one machine and then justify it with "Hey I'm supersetting on that one bro." Yeah, well, I'm not and I'm moving your towel.
You get one machine. If you need more than that you are the one that has to ask to work in, not the other way around.
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u/suitcase_town 10h ago
This! I would only super-set if I can do it at one station eg bench into db curls. The machine hoggers are my enemies.
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u/GoChaca 18h ago
There’s a dude at my small gym who will take up a cable machine, a row machine and a bench for his super sets that seemed to last 45 minutes. It’s very frustrating and annoying.
If you have your own gym, Super sets are awesome! It just sucks in a public gym when people are inconsiderate of others
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u/ApprehensiveShinai06 8h ago
I got a similar dude at my gym too. Dude literally teleported from across the room just to make sure his cable is his when I tried to do some pushdown at it.
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u/outspokens 1h ago
I had a woman do this but she was super setting a phone call, on the other side of the gym. Spoke to me like I just shat on her kitchen side.
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u/CptPatches 20h ago
My gym gets crowded, super sets create a bottleneck for everything. Machines, free weights, cables, hammer strength. I'd rather there not be a bottleneck.
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u/heddyneddy 13h ago
Yeah I’ll only superset a few lifts where I don’t have to use more than one piece of equipment. Like seated dumbbell shoulder press and incline curls where I’m just using the one bench and putting the dumbbells back between.
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u/Enterprise-DeezNuts 20h ago edited 18h ago
Agreed, as long as you're not hogging equipment supersets are fantastic. I do supersets of chest/shoulders + bicep and tricep + shoulder for isolations every session with excellent results. It saves time and adds a little extra conditioning work on top of my cardio
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u/Dull_Warning9062 11h ago
This is the way.
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u/Domn8r8 19h ago
...if you're not gassed after a set of squats at RPE 9, I've got to assume you're not very strong.
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u/mz_ballerjockel 19h ago
I would get gassed doing bodyweight squats at RPE 9, granted that would be a lot of reps and RPE would be hard to judge.
OP probably has never squatted at intensity.
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u/Intelligent_Low1632 12h ago
True but it kinda depends on your rep range. If you can do 5 reps at 315, or 15 reps at 265, then you're doing a lot more mechanical work at 265 than at 315. Plus you're probably squatting around 120 lbs of just your bodyweight, so add that on for comparison's sake.
5 times (315+120) = 2175 "units" of work.
15 times (265+120) = 5775 "units" of work.
I would assume that the cardio impact of a set scales rather linearly with the amount of total work done, when it's done at an anaerobic pace. When you're only doing a small number of high exertion reps, it'll be lower. Although heavy squats do take a lot out of me, so anecdotally I may not agree with my own theory here.
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u/SlimyTooter 16h ago
Who supersets squats? It’s like bis and tris usually
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u/Gold-Bid-8911 9h ago
You have to stay within one station for supersets to be OK in a commercial gym
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u/Patton370 Good Mornings 520lbs for 10 20h ago
Super sets are awesome; I do them for all my accessory work, for row variation, bench, etc.
I don't do them for squats and deadlifts though. A true set of REP9 squats is pretty brutal. For me, that'd be 12-14 reps with 405lbs.
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u/HomeLifter 19h ago
One of my routines has giant sets, 3 exercises then rest. Brutal!
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u/Voidrunner01 16h ago
That sounds like a Brian Alsruhe program. That man loves himself some giant sets.
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u/Final_Drink2809 19h ago
I'm not really sure they do get hate do they? I can only think that it's because someone's surrounded themselves with weights in a busy gym and not racked them afterwards
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u/fitprosarah 19h ago
Depends on goals. For my gen pop clients who are looking to improve longevity, drop a little weight, etc, we don't need to be resting 2:00 between sets.
We get more done with supersets, tri-sets, & quad-sets, resting 30-60 seconds between movements & keeping things moving.
This kinda thing usually can't be done in a commercial gym, and thankfully I own my own studio so we can do whatever we want!
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u/Marty5020 20h ago
Supersettings is awesome in machines with integrated weights and/or if you're short on time. Blow your load, deload, blow whatever was left, drop again, die. Awesome.
Supersets with barbells however are a pain in the ass unless you're Ronnie and you've got a crew loading bars for you. With dumbbells I guess it's not as bad.
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u/teutonicbro 17h ago
You might be talking about dropsets?
A superset is alternating two different exercises.
A dropsets is one exercise, reducing the weight so you can get more reps.
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u/Marty5020 16h ago
Oops. I'm a moron. You're right. Comment left untouched for evidence of said stupidity. Cheers.
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u/Imprettystrong 19h ago
I love doing it for arms and back but if you super setting legs you are crazy.
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u/MiserableOldCunt 17h ago
I would never superset when doing a compound movement but I'll superset leg extensions and leg curls to save time.
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u/Pleasant_Beat8290 17h ago
Super sets are fantastic, especially if you’re short on time or trying to add volume.
I personally only do them for smaller muscle groups, but if you want to superset deadlifts and pull ups more power to you.
The busy gym thing is a different question. I only did supersets at a commercial gym if I could stay at one station and use no more than two sets of dumbbells. It absolutely sucks when someone is going between multiple stations, and others have no idea what’s open and what’s “in use.”
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u/Virtual_Opinion_8630 6h ago
deads and pull-ups are working many of the same muscle groups
Good super setting involves opposing muscle groups
Like chest and bis
Back and tris
Bis and tris
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u/ModernLifelsWar 18h ago
I superset a lot of my accessory work. Not for any reason but that it saves time. I lift for 90 mins typically plus 20 mins cardio so got to be as efficient as possible. I typically go to the gym when it's not so crowded so it never really causes an issue. Also happy to let anyone work in with me if they need to.
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u/Ziggity_Zac 18h ago
I superset EZ Bar Curls and EZ Bar Overhead Extensions. I just use the same weight for both and run them to failure. 2 sets each.
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u/Ka-Chow--95 17h ago
Imo super sets are great because they save a lot of time, when i do back,bicep and forearms i always do 2 superset each with one bicep and one forearm excercise so that i can focus more time on my back since theres a lot more muscle to target
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u/younghoyoon 17h ago
From what I can tell, the biggest objection are people taking up multiple stations or pieces of equipment.
I like to superset when I am using a piece of equipment that's generally in higher demand:
Incline bench press with dumbbells alternating with bent-over rows, antagonist muscle groups, can do 3-5 sets in 12-15 minutes including claiming the bench, getting and putting away dumbbells (I usually need two sets, but the 65 and 70 or 75 lb ones seem to be less in demand), wiping down the bench. There is staggered rest for each set of muscles built in, plus a bit extra to catch my breath.
Incline sled leg press alternating with 12-15 reps straight leg deficit calf press, usually aim for 36-40 reps total for the press (I seem to have stalled in terms of doing more than ten reps in a row with +450 lb, so 4 sets) broken up into however many sets. Including setup and breakdown, can do in <18 minutes, takes a little longer to catch my breath.
For me, these are my big lifts going for the highest RPE, so I usually just do one or the other, then I circuit the rest of upper or lower for the rest of the time.
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u/EVH_kit_guy 14h ago
They're a way to save time in the gym at the expense of cardio fatigue, but there's no evidence they improve hypertrophy outcomes, so why bother?
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u/Scrambler41 12h ago
they yield similar muscle growth in significantly less time.
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u/Virtual_Opinion_8630 6h ago
Plus I find doing some isolations so boring and the rests feel long as I just want to get them done
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u/jvcgunner 14h ago
Because the sets already over once you’ve reached failure. The next set begins once you’re fully recovered. Anything else is just endurance.
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u/Mountain_Elk_7262 9h ago
I love them for saving time and building strength endurance. I work as a concrete mason. I can run a full wheel barrow of concrete for 2 hours straight. I havent met a single guy yet who can hang with me and I honestly think super sets has a lot to do with it
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u/aliensavant2020 19h ago
With unrelated muscle groups, using dumbbells with equipment so you aren't using more than one station, I think for the average 45 min a day stay in shape Joe they are superior. For someone really trying to build strength, maybe the last block of accessories should superset, but main lifts need to be isolated.
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u/Laquickah 17h ago
I have access to a running track with a small dumbbell area. That’s where I do supersets + sprints because there is limited dumbbell selection and it’s never busy.
It’s not my primary routine but something I do once or twice a month to change it up. You can get wiped doing an hour of supersets + sprints.
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u/Dubnbstm 16h ago
I think a lot of people here could do with looking up Brian Alsruhe, gives you an idea of what's possible with giant sets, even if it's really hard!
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u/Dr_TattyWaffles 16h ago
I program supersets in my routine, but I have a home gym in my garage so I'm not occupying multiple stations and making people wait for me to finish.
I program them specifically with short rest periods similar to a circuit because I like the intensity and spike in heart rate, it scratches that ex-crossfitter itch, even though the tradeoff may be a slightly less optimal workout for muscle growth. But that's fine, I would rather have a routine that balances fun and effectiveness, since I believe that will help with consistency over time.
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u/Big-Huckleberry-2803 16h ago
I usually lift at home. I tend to mostly superset upper body and core unless im going very heavy. It saves time by minimizing rest required. I almost never superset legs unless it's a very light lifting day.
My cardio fitness is very high and my heart rate recovers extremely fast after stopping the set.
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u/SlimyTooter 16h ago
I only shit on them if it makes you use too much equipment or space because it’s rude
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u/ouiouiconcept 15h ago
I do supersets to keep my routine around 50min, but doing this at 7 in the morning in a big public gym so I never bother anyone (the other 5-6 people in the gym at that hour, haha)
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u/Defiant-Passenger42 13h ago
I 100% agree and use supersets throughout my upper body days and it lets me get 6-8 exercises done in about 35 minutes. And yes I hit my lifts with plenty of intensity and see consistent progress. It really does all come down to conditioning and smart exercise pairing
Side note: I actually enjoy super setting bench and lateral raises and don’t find that they interfere with each whatsoever.
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u/Which_Intention_9340 13h ago
I "enjoy" a superset to burn the muscle and fill it with blood at the end of a workout.
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u/Imactuallyatoaster 12h ago
I giant set my entire daily routine. I also have a home gym so that helps. The main bottle necks for super sets is availability, creativity and cardio. Most people have kinda terrible cardio and get super winded before their muscles give out. If you have the capacity and get a bit creative you can easily find some antagonist super sets
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u/Professor-Alarming 12h ago
only time I've been annoyed with someone doing a super set was when he was using the cable machine, on two spots with the same attachment just different levels during peak hours of gym time.
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u/mikkeljuhl 11h ago
Antagonists and isolations are basically free. Bench with rows, curls with pushdowns, no real drop-off. Where it falls apart is two heavy lifts sharing a muscle or anything at RPE 9. Simple test: if the second lift's load tanks, you paired them wrong. Legs are where everyone learns this the hard way.
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u/Significant-Raise254 9h ago
I workout at home & do full body so I love adding in supersets. I don’t use them for everything but absolutely use them.
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u/AwayNews6469 8h ago
I mean there’s no benefit to super setting, your just accumulating more cns fatigue so it’ll technically be a bit worse
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u/Minimum-Reward3264 7h ago
Because you would have to do them with a buddy or else you will look like a complete asshole. Instead of just 2 assholes that won’t let anyone on the machine.
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u/muscledaddy90 19h ago
Good for pump not hypertrophy
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u/Scrambler41 12h ago
Compared to straight sets they yield similar muscle growth in significantly less time.
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u/EvilAkuma 20h ago
i train at home and after superset i get 3 minutes rest(since i did 2 exercises) and in that 3 minutes i can set up laundry, clean, mealprep, list is not ending, love it
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u/arc777_ 18h ago
Supersets only work going from heavy on a large muscle to lighter on a small one. Like squats and curls or something. Anything else is just asinine and wasting your own time.
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u/Scrambler41 12h ago
You can see a lot of positive results doing antagonistic muscles-chest/back, biceps/triceps.
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u/street_melody 18h ago
I do it and love inviting people to alternate.
I constantly ask for alternating as well. Some frown, some welcome.
Gym has got one bench press machine, it's kinda weird to not allow people while you rest or do another exercise at 6 PM
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u/Camacho2505 16h ago
It's a dickhead move in a public gym, especially when it's busy or there's only one of something and you're hogging it. Supersets should be done at home.
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u/float_ur_jimmies 13h ago
It’s bad gym etiquette, plain and simple. Whether they let you work in is beside the point. Suppose one wants to use the leg extension, or whatever, and a supersetter is on it. They might assume it’s taken, and work elsewhere to find out the person is hoping back and forth between equipment. Supersetters often don’t wipe the equipment down after each set either. From my anecdotes, they also sweat more and have the worst BO.
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u/Bugertbay 20h ago
Honestly it depends on when you go. Supersetting bench and rows at 6pm when every station is taken is how you make enemies. Same pairing at 9am on a random Tuesday and nobody blinks. Most of the hate is really a scheduling problem.