Working opposing muscle groups in supersets (SS) is a great way to stimulate muscle growth. The muscles spend more time under tension (TUT) and you can exercise more in the same amount of time, by cutting out some rest breaks.
In this example we double up on rowing: one horizontal row and one vertical row, coupled with a triceps press for a Tri-Set (TS). Rowing is a staple for shoulder health, our anterior chain – like the pecs- get developed easily, but the posterior chain needs more work to stay somewhat balanced.
There are many ways to perform a TS, this is just one of my favorites. I typically do 8-12 reps of each, but to keep the video length under control I just show a few reps each
Research by Weakley (2017) shows that supersets are efficient, but also may require longer recovery times. It also showed that supersets are effective in raising testosterone and lowering cortisol levels. Due to the longer recovery time needed, you should do these exercises early in the week, so you can adjust your workouts as needed later in the week.
1. Weakley JJS, Till K, Read DB, et al. The effects of traditional, superset, and tri-set resistance training structures on perceived intensity and physiological responses. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017;117(9):1877-1889.
Do you have pain?