What Is a Superset and Why You Should Be Doing Them

 

Hey hey beautiful human!

Some fitness terms sound way more complicated than they actually are.

Superset is one of them.

It sounds like something you need a gym membership, a trainer, or a bodybuilding background to understand, but sister, it is actually so simple. A superset is just two exercises done back-to-back with little to no rest in between.

That is it.

Instead of doing one exercise, resting, then moving on to the next, supersets help you keep your workout moving. They save time, add intensity, keep things interesting, and make the equipment you already have work harder for you.

In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are breaking down what a superset is, the different ways to use them, and why they can be such a helpful tool when you want a workout that feels effective without spending forever doing it.

What’s Discussed:

  • What a superset actually means

  • How supersets are different from regular straight sets

  • The three ways to structure a superset in your workout

  • Why supersets can help you get more done in less time

  • How supersets increase intensity without always needing heavier weights

  • Why supersets can keep your heart rate up and make workouts feel more engaging

  • How to use supersets without letting your form fall apart

The Movement With Julie app makes this simple because the workout structure is already done for you. With five brand-new workouts each week, challenging and time-efficient programming, and minimal equipment needed, you can stop guessing what to pair together and just show up. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

If you loved this episode, you’ll also love Episode 279: 9 Reasons Why I Choose to Workout with Dumbbells. It is the perfect next listen if you want to keep your workouts effective without overcomplicating them.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Transcript

(0:00) Hey, hey beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you (0:06) but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Reel with me, Julie Ledbetter.

(0:13) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. (0:19) Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Reel. Let's get it, let's go! (0:32) Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Your Reel podcast.

Today (0:36) we're talking about one of my favorite workout strategies of all time. And honestly, if you've ever followed any of my workouts (0:43) you've probably already done one without even realizing it. We are talking about supersets.

(0:48) Now, I know some of you heard that word and thought, Julie, that sounds like something only bodybuilders do. (0:53) And again, I get it, fitness lingo can feel intimidating, (0:56) but supersets are actually one of the simplest, most beginner-friendly strategies out there. (1:01) And if you're a busy person trying to get an effective workout in in less time, (1:04) which, let's be honest, basically all of us are listening, supersets are about to become your best friends.

(1:10) So in today's episode, I'm going to be breaking down exactly what a superset is, (1:13) the different ways that you can structure them, and the five reasons that you should (1:17) absolutely be working them into your workout routine. (1:20) Before I dive in, I want to share this review. I should give a five-star review and send my daily inspiration.

(1:25) Thank you so much, Julie, for always encouraging us to stay consistent and love ourselves through our fitness journey. (1:30) Thank you also for reminding me how much God loves me and that I was made in his image. (1:35) You are a daily reminder to me that there's actually good people left in this world, (1:39) and your workouts on Pinterest have been a daily motivation for me, much love.

(1:43) I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review. (1:47) Also, shout out to my Pinterest crew.

(1:50) You guys, I need to get back on Pinterest. (1:52) I took a long hiatus postpartum and I'm back on Instagram and TikTok and Facebook, (1:59) but I'm not back on Pinterest, and so thank you for encouraging me to get back on Pinterest, (2:05) because I have so many good workouts that I've done in the last three months that I've posted, (2:09) and I need to be posting them on Pinterest. So thank you.

(2:12) Thank you for inspiring me, and thank you for sharing this. (2:15) I appreciate every single one of your guys' reviews. I love you guys so much.

(2:18) I love hearing what the podcast, what you're gaining from it, (2:22) maybe it's a specific episode or just in general. (2:24) So thank you in advance for doing that. (2:26) If you could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating interview, (2:29) that would mean the world to me and our team.

(2:32) All right, so let's get into it. (2:33) First things first, let's kind of define it, (2:35) because I never want you to feel lost in this fitness lingo. (2:38) What is a superset? (2:40) A superset is simply just two exercises performed back to back with little to no rest.

(2:45) That's it. (2:46) Instead of doing all of your sets of one exercise resting and then moving to the next, (2:50) you're going to pair two exercises together. (2:52) So you do one set of exercise A and then immediately go into one set of exercise B, (2:58) and then you rest.

(2:59) The whole thing, A plus B, counts as one superset. (3:03) For example, let's say you do dumbbell shoulder press, (3:06) and instead of sitting on a bench scrolling Instagram for 90 seconds, (3:09) which I know, I know you are, because I am too, (3:13) you go straight into another set of bicep curls, (3:16) and then you rest, and then you repeat. (3:17) It's simple, right? (3:18) But here's where it gets fun, (3:19) because there are a few different ways to kind of build a superset, (3:22) and each one does a little something different for your body.

(3:25) So the first way is what's called an antagonistic superset. (3:30) So that's when you are pairing opposing muscle groups. (3:33) So I want you to think of biceps or triceps, (3:36) or chest and back, or quads and hamstrings.

(3:38) This is my favorite type for most people, (3:41) because while one muscle is working, the opposite muscle is resting. (3:45) So you stay strong on both exercises, but you cut your workout time way down. (3:50) The second way is the same muscle group superset, (3:53) sometimes called a compound set.

(3:55) So this is where you pair two exercises that hit the same muscle, (3:58) like a squat followed immediately by a walking lunge. (4:00) That one's spicy. (4:02) It's going to push that muscle close to fatigue, (4:04) which is amazing for building strength and shape.

(4:07) Just know it's more challenging, (4:08) so you'll likely need lighter weights on the second move, (4:11) or you're just going to need more time in between (4:14) set of superset one and set two of superset one, (4:18) if that makes sense. (4:19) And the third way is an upper lowering pair, (4:23) so like a shoulder press with a glute bridge. (4:25) One muscle group fully rests while the other works, (4:29) which keeps your heart rate up and your workout moving.

(4:32) This is a great option if you're short on time, (4:34) or you're working out in a crowded area. (4:36) Maybe you're working out in the gym. (4:38) A lot of my girls don't work out at the gym, (4:40) so they don't have to worry about that.

(4:41) But it's just going to help you keep the flow going. (4:43) So now that you know what a superset is, (4:45) let's talk about why you should be doing them. (4:47) So here's five quick reasons.

(4:49) Number one, they cut your workout time big time. (4:52) Like this is the number one reason (4:53) why I personally program supersets and also circuits, (4:57) which is a whole nother episode. (4:58) But when you superset, (5:00) you're essentially working during the time (5:01) that you would have been resting.

(5:03) Like a workout that normally would take an hour (5:05) could realistically maybe get done in 40 minutes (5:08) with the same amount of total work. (5:11) And you know what that means, (5:11) no more I don't have time standing between you and your goals, (5:14) because let's be real, (5:15) you never needed a 90 minute workout, right? (5:18) You just needed the time that you do have to count. (5:21) Number two, they increase the intensity (5:23) without adding more weight.

(5:24) You don't always need heavier dumbbells (5:26) to make a workout harder. (5:27) By shortening your rest and stacking exercises, (5:30) your muscles work harder (5:31) with the weights that you already have. (5:33) And that's huge if you work out at home (5:35) with a limited set of dumbbells.

(5:36) You can keep progressing without buying a whole new rack. (5:40) Number three, they keep your heart rate elevated. (5:42) Because you're moving more and you're resting less, (5:44) supersets give you a little cardio effect (5:46) inside your strength workout.

(5:48) Like you're building muscle (5:49) and you're challenging your cardiovascular system (5:52) at the same time. (5:53) It's not a replacement for all cardio, (5:54) but it is a kind of beautiful two for one. (5:57) And for those who dread the treadmill, (6:00) this is kind of your loophole.

(6:01) Number four, they build muscular endurance (6:04) and push through plateaus. (6:06) So if you've been doing the same straight sets for months (6:08) and your progress has stalled, (6:11) supersets are one of the easiest ways (6:13) to give your body a new stimulus. (6:15) Your body adapts to what you repeatedly do.

(6:18) So when you change how you work out, (6:20) not just which exercises you do, (6:22) your body has to respond (6:23) and that's where new growth happens. (6:26) And last but not least, number five, (6:27) they make your workouts more fun. (6:29) This one might sound small, but hear me out.

(6:31) Consistency is everything (6:32) and you will likely not stay consistent (6:34) with workouts that bore you. (6:35) Supersets keep you moving, they keep you engaged (6:38) and they give your workout a new rhythm. (6:40) There's no time to get distracted, (6:41) no time to talk yourself out of the next set.

(6:44) You get in, you flow (6:45) and you get out feeling accomplished (6:46) and a workout that you actually enjoy (6:49) is a workout that you will actually repeat. (6:52) Now, real quick, a few tips (6:53) before you go superset everything. (6:55) So first, try to not pair (6:57) two super heavy compound lifts together (6:59) like heavy squats and heavy deadlifts.

(7:01) You can, but it can also be a recipe for sloppy forms. (7:06) So just be mindful of that (7:08) but you can pair a big movement with a smaller one (7:11) or two moderate movements together. (7:13) Second, I want you to remember (7:14) that form always comes first.

(7:17) If your form starts breaking down (7:19) on the second exercise, lighten the weight (7:22) and add a touch of rest. (7:23) Fatigue is the goal, but sloppiness is not. (7:26) Third, you do not have to superset your entire workout.

(7:29) Even adding one or two superset pairings (7:31) into your routine is going to give you those benefits. (7:33) So just start small. (7:34) And if you don't want to think about any of this, (7:37) like pairing workouts together, the weights, (7:39) all of those things, (7:40) that's literally why I created my movement with Julia app.

(7:43) So all you need is a few pair of dumbbells (7:45) and a small space. (7:46) Like I said, inside the 60 minute workouts, (7:48) this is where you're going to see your superset. (7:50) So you're going to have supersets.

(7:51) You're going to have single exercises. (7:53) You're going to even have triceps and circuits. (7:55) So I really utilize all of it.

(7:57) In the 30 minute workouts, (7:59) you are going to have a giant circuit, (8:01) which is a whole nother episode that I will do (8:03) about why the giant circuit of five (8:05) to seven exercises can be so beneficial (8:08) because that is a quick workout. (8:10) I want you in and out. (8:11) It's not going to be your full 45 to 60 minute workout.

(8:16) And so I utilize that in my 30 minutes. (8:19) So if you're doing my movement with Julia workouts (8:21) and you're doing the 30 minute workouts (8:22) and you're like, Julia, I've never done a superset. (8:25) I don't know what that is.

(8:26) It's because likely you're not doing the 60 minutes. (8:28) So if you ever do the 60 minute workouts, (8:30) you will see those supersets in there. (8:32) So if you want to learn more (8:33) about my movement with Julie community, (8:36) dumbbell only workouts, (8:37) five brand new workouts every single week, (8:39) every workout comes with a 30 minute (8:40) or a six minute option, (8:42) depending on your time constraints.

(8:43) You can go to sale, (8:44) S-A-L-E dot movement with julie.com (8:47) or I will link it in the show notes. (8:49) Okay, let's quickly recap. (8:51) So a superset is just two exercises (8:52) performed back to back with little to no rest.

(8:55) And you can pair opposing muscles, (8:56) the same muscle group, (8:57) or totally unrelated muscle groups. (8:59) And here's five reasons why you should be doing them. (9:01) Number one, they cut your workout time.

(9:03) Number two, they increase intensity (9:05) without heavier weights. (9:06) Number three, they keep your heart rate elevated. (9:08) Number four, they build endurance (9:10) and can help you through plateaus.

(9:12) And number five, (9:13) they make your workouts more fun, (9:14) which makes you more consistent. (9:16) If you love this episode, (9:18) I know you will also love episode 279, (9:21) nine reasons why I choose to work out with dumbbells. (9:24) I will link that in the show notes below (9:25) because like I said, (9:26) my program is dumbbell only.

(9:28) You do not see any gym equipment in there (9:30) because literally all you need (9:32) is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. (9:35) If you learned something new today, (9:36) I would love for you to take a screenshot, (9:38) share it on your Instagram story. (9:39) You can tag me Julia Ledbetter.

(9:41) Next time you super set in your workout, (9:43) send me DM, tell me which one's your parent, (9:46) or maybe if you're following a super set (9:48) in the Movement With Julia app, (9:49) I would love to know. (9:50) I just love celebrating these wins with you. (9:53) And as always, (9:53) if this podcast has helped you in any way, (9:56) the best thank you is just a quick rating (9:58) and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (10:00) if you're over there.

(10:02) That is all that I have for today's bonus episode. (10:05) I know I told you it was short and sweet, (10:07) but I hopefully you got some value from it. (10:09) I love you so much, I mean it, (10:10) and I'll talk to you next time.

(10:23) All right, sister. (10:24) That's all I got for you today, (10:26) but I have two things that I need you to do. (10:29) First thing, (10:30) if you're not already following me on the Gram, (10:32) be sure to do so, (10:33) Julie A. Ledbetter.

(10:34) Yes, it's with an A in the middle (10:35) for that daily post-workout real talk, (10:39) healthy tips and tricks, (10:40) and honest accountability (10:41) to keep your mind and heart in check. (10:43) The second thing, (10:45) be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (10:47) to never miss an episode. (10:49) Thank you so much for joining me.

(10:52) It means the absolute world (10:53) and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. (10:55) The most beautiful women (10:57) that I have met in my life (10:58) are the ones who are completely confident (11:01) and secure in being authentically themselves. (11:05) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper (11:07) than the surface.

(11:08) So go out there and embrace the real. (11:10) Because you're worth it.

 
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