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NOTE: All articles in BetterU News are written by Nick Nilsson -
http://www.fitstep.com/ unless otherwise credited.

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Supersets - What They Are, Why They Work, and Several Unique Variations You Can Try In Your Next Workout The Superset is an excellent intensity technique not only for fat loss but for muscle building as well. Find out what makes Supersets so super!

The Superset is a very simple concept...basically, you just do two exercises back-to-back, with no rest inbetween! A quick example of this is doing a barbell curl then going directly into a cable curl.

Sound simple? It definitely is. But there are many different combinations and ways to use the Superset to make it an incredibly powerful training technique.

Before I get into specific combinations, you need to know what, generally speaking, makes a Superset more effective than two regular sets done with rest inbetween. There are three major reasons why Supersets are so effective for training (and there are many more specific reasons that apply only to specific Superset types):

1. Supersets increase Lactic Acid production, which helps boost Growth Hormone (GH) levels in the body. The body responds to the reduced pH (increased acidity) in the body from the production of Lactic Acid by secreting GH. GH is a powerful fat loss and muscle building hormone.

2. Supersets are time-efficient. By doing sets back-to-back, you reduce your total workout time while still doing the same amount of total work. If you're in a hurry in your workout, Supersets can get you out of the gym faster.

3. Different Superset combinations can help increase muscle fiber activation. Essentially, this means you can use specific exercise combinations to increase the intensity of work on a specific muscle, helping to develop it faster.

As I mentioned above, there are many different types of Supersets that fall under the Superset umbrella. I will go through these different types, telling you exactly why they're so effective and giving examples of each that you can take to the gym and try out for yourself!

Keep in mind when you're doing these, they are intensity techniques and should not be used every day. Your body needs a chance to recover and using these techniques too often can hamper recovery. My suggestion would be to do workout supersets no more than once a week for any particular bodypart.

1. The Single Bodypart Superset

This is the typical type of Superset where you use two different exercises for the same bodypart. An example of this doing a pulldown for the back then immediately doing a seated cable row for the back.

The benefit of this is to hit somewhat different fibers of the muscle from different angles but without giving the bodypart time to recover from the first exercise. This forces the bodypart to work that much harder to complete the second exercise.

It's a powerful increase in intensity and one that can dramatically ramp up muscle development.

Here are some examples for other bodyparts:

Chest:
flat barbell bench press + incline dumbell press
incline flyes + flat dumbell bench press
cable crossovers + push-ups

Thighs:
squats + leg extensions
leg press + lunges

Shoulders:
side lateral raises + rear lateral raises
dumbell shoulder press + barbell shoulder press

2. Antagonistic Supersets

Instead of doing two sets in a row for the same muscle, you will do two sets for directly opposing (antagonistic) muscle groups. An example of this is doing a bicep exercise then a tricep exercise.

Antagonistic Supersets are excellent for allowing you to compress workout time while maintaining high strength levels. When you work an opposing muscle group directly after the original muscle, studies have shown that the nervous system activation can actually INCREASE strength in the second muscle group when you work it.

Here are some examples of Antagonistic Supersets:

Chest & Back
flat barbell bench press + bent-over barbell rows

Biceps & Triceps
barbell curls + close grip bench press

Quadriceps & Hamstrings
leg extensions + leg curls

The shoulders don't technically have any direct antagonist muscle groups, but you can work with the specific shoulder exercise movements to do the opposite movement. For example, you can do dumbell shoulder press then go directly into pulldowns for the back. You can also do rear delt lateral then dumbell flyes.

The antagonist muscle to the two major calf muscles is called the tibialis anterior. It's a small and relatively weak muscle compared to the major calf muscles (the gastrocnemius and the soleus) and not particularly useful for doing Supersets with.

3. Pre-Exhaust Supersets

This type of Superset focuses on first utilizing an isolation (single joint) movement to "pre-exhaust" the target muscle group before doing a compound (multi-joint) movement to allow the secondary mover muscles to push the target muscle harder.

In English, that means you start with an exercise that works just the target muscle, such as a dumbell flye. When you're done, you use an exercise that works the target muscle with help from other muscles, e.g. the bench press.

The net result is that you first exhaust the pecs with the flyes. When you move to the bench press, the pecs get help from the triceps and shoulders to help keep moving the weight, pushing the pecs much harder than they would normally have to work when doing the bench press.

The result of this is much faster muscle development!

Here are some other examples of Pre-Exhaust Supersets:

Shoulders:
dumbell side lateral raises + dumbell shoulder press

Triceps:
pushdowns + dips (bench or parallel bar)

Thighs:
leg extensions + squats

Biceps:
barbell curls + close grip pulldowns with the torso vertical

4. Giant Sets

The Giant Set is another very simple concept. Instead of doing just two sets for a Superset, you do three or more sets in a row for that bodypart using different exercises!

Giant Sets are generally done just targeting a single bodypart. They are very intense and shouldn't be used too often. The goal with the Giant Set is to really shock the muscles, forcing the body to activate many more muscle fibers than it normally would to perform these exercises.

In fact, you can even use the same exercise twice in a Giant Set to really shock your muscles!

Here are some examples of Giant Sets:

Chest:
incline barbell bench press + flat bench press + decline bench press

Back:
chin-ups + wide-grip pulldowns + seated cable rows + hyperextensions

Thighs:
squats + leg extensions + leg press

Hamstrings (here's a case where you can use the same exercise twice
in the Giant set):
leg curls + stiff-legged-deadlifts + leg curls

Some Giant Set combinations are not as practical, however. For example, if you do a Giant Set for back, you may not have the back strength (or grip strength) to finish with chin-ups.

5. In-Set Supersets

This is a unique type of Superset where you basically mesh two different exercises into a single set. There are a number of very effective variations of this that are EXTREMELY challenging, including one of my very favorite techniques for building powerful triceps.

In a nutshell, you will do one rep of one exercise then one rep of a different exercise, alternating reps until you can no longer do any reps of the weaker exercise. At that point, you finish with as many reps as you can do of the stronger exercise. It's a very intense technique!

This type of Superset maximizes training intensity and allows you to work several different aspects of the muscle at the same time, dramatically increasing workout efficiency.

Here are some examples of the In-Set Superset:

Chest:
dumbell flyes + dumbell bench press

Back:
barbell rows + deadlifts

Biceps:
regular dumbell curls + hammer curls

My All-Time Favorite For Triceps:
lying barbell extensions + close grip bench press

Finish by doing as many close grip bench presses as you can!

BONUS

A Unique 3-Bodypart Combination - Biceps, Shoulders then Triceps:

Start with one dumbell at a time the first time you try this. The coordination can be tricky. The weight you use for each of the three exercises is similar enough to make this a very effective and timesaving combination.

Begin with a regular dumbell curl. At the top of the curl, you then perform an Arnold Press for your shoulder (where you start with the dumbell in front of you in a top-of-curl position, then swing your elbow out to the side as you press up - your hand ends up facing forward). At the top of the press, immediately go into an overhead dumbell extension.

Reverse the order to bring the dumbell back down to the start position: extend the arm to the top of the tricep extension, perform the lowering phase of the Arnold Press to the top of the curl position, then lower the weight doing the down-phase of the curl.

When you are comfortable with the execution, you can move to doing both dumbells are the same time. For an extra challenge and test of your skill and coordination (or simply for your friends to have a good laugh), try doing this exercise reverse-alternating.

What that means is while you are curling up your right dumbell, you are performing an overhead tricep extension with the left dumbell. Then, as you do an upwards Arnold Press with the right dumbell, you are doing the lowering phase of the Arnold Press with the left dumbell. Then, as you are doing the lowering phase of the Overhead Tricep Extension with the right, you are lowering the curl with the left.

When it comes right down to it, Supersets are a VERY effective training technique. Give one of these Superset methods a try in your next workout. You'll be amazed at how powerfully they crank up the intensity of your training!

For pictures on how to arrange and perform Supersets, please click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue39-supersets.htm

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Training Software Review - Workout Manager by BuildingYourBody Get the inside scoop on this innovative software package designed with the novice weight trainer in mind. Find out if this program can help you achieve your goals!

Two of the most important aspects of getting started in weight training are learning how to properly perform exercises and knowing what type of program you should be using to get the best results.

Knowing exactly how to properly and effectively perform the basic exercises and knowing what kind of program to put them into is a challenge that many novice trainers find themselves struggling with when they first start. Quite often, they'll begin at the gym, get the quick tour of the machines then are turned loose without any further instruction (unless they want to pay big money for it).

Watching what others are doing can help but that's also a good way to learn bad habits!

That's where "Workout Manager" from BuildingYourBody comes in. This software package is designed to take away the confusion and teach the novice trainer exactly what he or she needs to know to start getting results quickly and, above all, safely.

The author of the content, Tobias Van Der Ort, has gone to great lengths to ensure proper exercise instruction. There are a good variety of exercises, all demonstrated with easily-accessed, high-quality video clips.

The preset sample workouts are very effective, are of appropriate level and easy to follow for the novice trainer. You have the ability to very easily switch out exercises in the program according to your preferences...and the program guides you in how to do this as well! You'll also be able to save your custom workouts for later reference.

In addition to exercise and program information, Tobias has also included a good amount of basic information on nutrition, physiology, anatomy, supplementation and much more. It's enough to give the novice trainer a good idea of how to get results but not so much that it will overwhelm. Tobias strikes a nice balance with the amount and depth of knowledge included - I know I've read many a program designed for beginners that read like they were meant for someone with many years of training experience.

The interface of the software itself is very sharp, professionally-designed from every angle, and easy to get around. This is definitely NOT a throw-it-together package.

One of the most startling features about this software is the price. At (currently) a price of only $16, you get an excellent value for the quality of information you'll be receiving.

While there are a few downsides to this software package, I didn't find anything that really affects the overall quality of the information you receive.

If you're a Mac user, unfortunately, you won't be able to access the full package of the book as the program itself is designed only for use with a PC. Several of the bonus files are in PDF format, however, which can be accessed on either type of computer. If your Mac has PC emulating software, you should be just fine.

When you download this package, you will want to have access to a high-speed Internet connection as the file size is quite large (130 MB). If you're on a dial-up connection, this size of a file is simply not practical to download.

The variety of exercises, while good, could be better. That being said, as a beginning trainer, it can actually be a good idea to stick with the same exercises for awhile in order to allow your nervous system time to learn the basic movements and develop specific strength in those basic movement. Once you get past that stage, however, it's good to have more exercises to work with to give yourself variety. The exercises included in the software are very well explained and very clearly demonstrated, leaving nothing to chance. You'll know EXACTLY what you're doing with every exercise listed.

Conclusion:

Overall, "Workout Manager" is an excellent package for the price for the novice trainer. If you've been training for a few years, the information, while good, will probably be a bit too basic for you. But if you're just starting out with your training and looking for some quality information and expert guidance on how to perform the basic exercises in the scope of a solid program, I would highly recommend grabbing a copy of this software today, before the price goes up.

Click the following link to learn more about this software and to get your copy right now!

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/building-your-body.htm

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Secret Training Tip #914 - 10 of the Most Unique and Powerful Training Tips That You WON'T Find Anywhere Else Bored with your regular workouts and need some new tricks to keep things fresh? Try these one-of-a-kind techniques to give your training a boost.

If you've been training for awhile, you know that the body can adapt quickly to just about anything, stopping your results in their tracks. So if you've been training for awhile and have been performing the same exercises and techniques for years, it's time for a change!

The 10 training tips you're going to learn about here will get your workouts moving in the right direction again. When you try these tips and feel the increase in intensity, you'll either curse me, think I'm a genius or possibly both at the same time!

One caveat: these tips are NOT designed to make you look normal when you're training :) These tips are designed to help you maximize your training and help you get the most out of every ounce of effort you're putting in. Believe me, after you try them, you won't care if people are staring!

I will include a link with pictures of all of these techniques at the end of the article.

1. Anchoring Yourself For Lying Cable Tricep Extensions

In doing lying cable tricep extensions on the low pulley, when you start to use fairly heavy weight, your body may have a tendency to slide towards the weight stack as the weight is pulling your body strongly backwards. To use more weight without sliding (this technique is best done on a cable crossover machine), hook a hip belt or straight bar to the other low pulley and set the maximum weight on the pulley. Hook your heels inside the belt or over the bar and contract the hamstrings to act as an anchor. With your body anchored like this, you will be able to use MUCH more weight without sliding.

2. PlateMates (TM) Dumbell Pressing for Chest and Shoulders

If you have access to the magnetic PlateMates attachments that add weight in very small increments, I've got a tip for you! Stick one or two PlateMates (depending on how many you have available to you) on the OUTSIDE of each of the dumbells you're going to press. I prefer to attach 2 of the 2 1/2 lb PlateMates to the outside of each dumbell to get the greatest effect. It's critical that the PlateMates are located on the outside of the dumbells for this to work.

As you press up (on both chest and shoulder pressing), tilt the dumbells in as though they are pitchers and you're pouring water on yourself. Since you have extra resistance on the outside of the dumbells, you must actively push in order to actually tilt the dumbells. This results in greater tension being applied to the target muscles. You'll notice the difference from the very first rep!

If you have do-it-yourself dumbells that you can put together yourself, try adding a single 5 pound plate to the outside only of each dumbell to achieve the same unbalanced effect.

3. Face Away Standing Calf Raises

When doing Standing Calf Raises, instead of facing the weight stack, turn around and face away from it. Don't worry if you're not able to get the bottom range of the movement - the real advantage comes at the top. When you hit the top contracted position, you'll notice a MUCH harder squeeze in the calf muscles. This is because as you come up, you're actually pushing AWAY from the pivot point rather than towards it, as you do in a regular calf raise. Pushing away adds a whole new element of tension to the exercise, resulting in a stronger contraction.

4. Overhead Dumbell Walking

Starting in a standing position, take two moderate-weight dumbells (something you would normally use for about 12 reps for a dumbell shoulder press) and press them to the top position. Now, hold them in that position and walk around!

Strive to hold the dumbells up for as long as possible as you walk, actively trying to push the dumbells up with each step. Every step you take will jostle the dumbells and every movement you make will force your stabilizing muscles to kick in and work to keep those dumbells up and in position.

As you start to lose the top position, fight to keep the dumbells up as high as you can, getting a slow negative out of it until you're holding the dumbells at your shoulders. Keep walking with the dumbells in that position on your shoulders (with tension - as though you're still trying to push them up) for as long as possible until you can't even keep them there.

You should feel a roaring pump in your shoulders at the end of the very first set. This is an extremely practical exercise for working the entire shoulder girdle. I wouldn't recommend using a barbell for this exercise as not only will there be less of a stabilization requirement, a barbell is harder to maneuver without crashing into something (it's possible that I may be speaking from personal experience here).

5. Lying Barbell Tricep Extensions On The Floor

Looking for a way to do these with heavy weight but don't have a partner to hand the bar to you? Lie flat on the floor instead of a bench and set the bar on the floor behind you. All you need to do is reach back and pick it up from directly behind you - no spotter required, no need to clean and jerk the weight from the floor then lay back on a bench with it. Use smaller plates (25's) to get more range of motion with the exercise.

6. Overhead Calf Raises

These are best done on a shoulder press machine. Stand in front of the machine and press the weight to the full lockout position. Hold that weight overhead in the lockout position. Now take a short step back, setting both feet a little back from the machine - your body should be on a slight forward angle. Now do a calf raise starting from your feet flat on the floor. Holding the weight in that position while doing the calf raise places a very different type of tension on the calves and activates the entire support structure of the body while doing it. [Thanks to my wife Kelly for inventing this one!]

This exercise can also be done holding a barbell or dumbells overhead (starting with your feet flat on the floor - your body won't be angled forward) but you won't get the same tension at the start as you do when you're using the shoulder press machine and leaning forward into it.

7. One Dumbell Hammer Curls

Use only one dumbell but grasp it with both hands. Grip one hand low on the dumbell handle and one hand above it. Only the thumb, index finger and maybe third finger of the top hand will be on the handle - the rest will be over your other hand.

Do a hammer curl from the position, bringing the dumbell directly in front of the middle of your body. This places a unique stress on the brachialis and can help improve the peak on your biceps. Switch hand positions on the next set to keep things balanced.

8. Tilting Bar Dips For Triceps

This is a more advanced version of the bar dip. It's a great alternative to using extra resistance if you don't have that available to use. When you do it, it's almost a one-arm dip!

As you do the dip, try to keep one arm straight while you drop down more on the other arm. This tilts the whole body to one side and puts a lot of the tension on the single side arm that's bending. The other side arm will still bend a little but try to keep that to a minimum. Your legs should stay as straight as you can keep them.

9. Concentration Leg Curls

This body position trick maximizes the contracted position of the exercise. It is best done on a leg curl machine with an angled bench. First, move the ankle pad(s) up a few notches higher than you would normally have them (I like to move it as high up as possible - the change in body position requires this). Use a lighter weight for this exercise (about half of what you would normally use the first time you try it).

Lay down on the bench but instead of bending your body like you normally would, use your arms to push your upper body up like you're at or near the top of a push-up. Hold your upper body up in that position then do the leg curl. Squeeze hard at the top - you should feel a VERY strong contraction in the hamstrings.

The reason this is so effective is that by pushing your torso up, you increase the amount of hip extension (this means having a straight body position, basically - bent over is the flexed position of the hips). The more extended the hips are, the more completely the hamstrings are anatomically able to contract. When the hips are flexed (like when you're bent over doing stiff-legged deadlifts), the hamstrings can achieve maximum stretch - when the hips are extended, the hamstrings are able to achieve maximum contraction.

You WILL feel the difference body position makes...

10. A Shoulder Exercise That Works the Abs

Want an exercise that performs double-duty, working not only the shoulder but also working to tighten up the obliques at the same time? This exercise will do the trick.

Pick up one dumbell (a weight that you would normally use for about 10 to 12 reps in the dumbell shoulder press) and press it up overhead. Hold it there for a second then set your feet close together (touching each other, in fact). Keep your feet solid in that position, keep your knees slightly bent, and keep an arch in your lower back.

Now lower the dumbell and do a one-arm shoulder press with it. As you lower it, you will feel a strong pull in the obliques on the opposite side of your body as they work hard to stabilize the torso against the unbalanced load on your body. Try your best to keep your shoulder girdle completely horizontal. If you let it tilt down, you will decrease the stabilizing tension required of the obliques.

Press the dumbell back up to the top. This is where you will REALLY feel the pull on the other side! It's absolutely critical that you keep your feet pushed tightly together as you do this exercise. If you separate them, the supporting mechanics change and your body will not require as much from the obliques to stabilize. Do as many reps as you can then repeat on the other side.

Conclusion:

New training techniques are just what you need to spice up your workouts and get results. If you've been looking for some new stuff to try, these unique tips will help you get more out of every single set you do.

To view pictures of these exercise tips in action, click on the following link right now:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue39-tips.htm

For more unique exercise information, be sure to check out my training ebooks "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of," both available here:

http://www.fitness-ebooks.com

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