Written by Kiel DiGiovanni | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Supersets with resistance bands are sure to give you an intense, kick-ass workout. The famous Arnold Schwarzenegger is often considered the “Godfather of superset training”. He promoted supersets because of the intense workout leading to more calories burned while reducing the chances of injury. So, we took the liberty of recreating Arnold's infamous upper-body antagonist workouts with chest/back and biceps/triceps. We also created a shoulder superset workout to highlight the difference of supersetting the same muscle group. All of the following exercises can be performed using resistance bands.
What are supersets?
Supersets – are completing two exercises back to back without rest in between. They can be performed with two exercises targeting the same muscle or opposing muscle groups. We believe in supersetting opposing muscle groups to reduce any chances of overwork or injury. For example, doing a set of bench presses then wide grip pull-ups or standing bicep curls then over-head tricep extensions.
Who are they good for?
Supersets are great for people looking to increase strength, decrease workout time and burn more fat.
What are the benefits of supersets?
There are many benefits to using resistance band supersets during your workouts. Supersets allow you to burn more calories in less time compared with regular straight sets. Growth hormone levels also increase because the short rest intervals increase lactate production and decrease blood pH, triggering the anterior pituitary to secrete growth hormone. The increase in growth hormone leads to the release of fat cells which travel to the muscles to be used as energy resulting in increased fat loss. Lastly, supersets are also great in improving your cardiovascular health.
Follow the supersets below for a great upper-body workout split into three different training sessions. If you’re newer to fitness then start by performing 3 sets of each exercise and over time work your way up to recommended sets of each exercise.
Follow the workout below and make sure to keep your rests between supersets from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Keep in mind your fitness level when choosing the bands you use.
Chest/Back Supersets
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Superset 1 | ||
| Push ups | 5 | 12,10,8,6,5 |
| Wide-grip pull ups | 5 | 10 |
| Superset 2 | ||
| Incline bench | 5 | 12,10,8,8,8 |
| Standing lat rows | 5 | 10 |
| Superset 3 | ||
| Standing flyes | 5 | 10 |
| Reverse flyes | 5 | 10 |
| Superset 4 | ||
| Tricep push ups | 5 | 10 |
| Close grip pull ups | 5 | 10 |
Bicep/Tricep Superset
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Superset 1 | ||
| Bicep curls | 5 | 8 |
| Overhead tricep extension | 5 | 10 |
| Superset 2 | ||
| Reverse curl | 4 | 8 |
| Tricep push down | 4 | 10 |
| Superset 3 | ||
| Hammer curls | 4 | 8 |
| Iso. Tricep Extension | 4 | 10 |
Shoulders Superset
| Exercise | Sets |
Reps |
| Superset 1 | ||
| Lateral raises | 4 | 12,10,8,8 |
| Upright rows | 4 | 10 |
| Superset 2 | ||
| Shoulder press | 4 | 12,10,8,8 |
| Front Raises | 4 | 10 |
| Superset 3 | ||
| Face pulls | 4 | 12,10,8,8 |
| Shrugs | 4 | 10 |
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Kiel DiGiovanni
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