Oh man it has been a while since I posted something. I just woke from a food coma and am fully charged to sit down and write.
This next section I’m a little behind on but I do what I want.
Well, I have to make some kind of comment about the Super Bowl. I really enjoyed the food eating that took place between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. That was the highlight of the night. Oh and Tim Tebow killing it as an actor. He is so good at everything he does except playing QB at a high level. And I heard that the Broncos didn’t even show up so their cheerleaders had to play for them (wait, that’s not fair to the Broncos cheerleaders because they would have made it a much more competitive game if that were the case).
So somehow that brings us to my next point of discussion, the Super Set (If you were wondering what links the Super Bowl to Super Set, it’s the word SUPER).
Simply put the super set is two exercises done back to back. They are a very time effective way of getting a workout in.
Yawn
That was boring. The more fun way to look at it is in the form of kickass dynamic duos. Two is almost always better then one. To prove my point here are my top ten list of dynamic duos of all time, from last to first.
10. Merry and Pippin (Defenders of Middle Earth)
9. Burt and Ernie (Leaders in Children’s Education)
8. Louis and Clark (First American Tourists)
7. Batman and Robin (Protectors of Chicago)
6. Peanutbutter and Jelly (Mouth Goodness)
5. Tomon and Puma (Singing Duet)
4. Mario and Luigi (#1 At Killing Turtles)
3. Bonnie and Clyde (Entrepreneurs)
2. Rocky and Bullwinkle (Stopping Russian Spy’s)
1. Ben and Jerry (Making Break Ups Just a Little Easier)
A Super Set is a dynamic duo of exercises. Two killer exercises paired together, joined for the greater good of mankind, having the power to whip you into great shape making you a stronger better you.
Even though super sets are great there are some rules to pairing them up. You can’t just go all wily nilly with them or you will end up with mouthwash and syrup (which is not a good combo, mouthwash and anything is not that great).
So to make sure this doesn’t happen here are some guidelines for setting up your super sets.
The Don’ts of Super Setting
Grip Dominant with Grip Dominant
One thing you want to avoid when creating your super set is putting two grip heavy exercises back to back. For example a Barbell RDL with a Barbell Bent Over Row. Your grip will eventually fail and lead to you not being able to lift as much weight for your row.
Over Taxing One Muscle Group
This could be doing squats with step-ups, or benching with push-ups. In the first case you are over working the quads and in the second you are using a lot of chest and triceps. This could also be seen in doing something like a squat and a ball rollout or front plank. If you are squatting heavy this may cause your rectus abdominis to prematurely fail.
Popular Super Set Combos
Push Pull
The Push Pull super set is probably the most commonly used. It helps insure that you are not doing too much pushing because you are always putting it with a pull exercise.
Examples:
Bench press and pull up
Push ups and Rows
Knee Dominant and Hip Dominant
Similar to the Push Pull, you will group a Hip with a Knee dominant. Again, reassuring you keep a balance between hip and knee exercises.
Examples:
Sled Push with RDL
Cable Pull Through with Lunge
Mobility Super Set
This is a great way to gain a little mobility and get some rest between heavy lift and power movements.
Examples:
Deadlift with No Money Drill
Squat with Ankle Rocks
Clean with Dowel T Spine Mobility
Med Ball Side Toss with Kneeling Adductor Mobility
Core Super Set
Just like it sounds, adding a core exercise with an exercise.
Example:
Lunges with Cable Rotation
DB Bench with front Plank (Push up with front plank not a good idea)
Closing
There are many other super sets the only limitation is your imagination. As long as you aren’t over working one muscle group and being safe you will be good to go.
Best
Josh
