One of the nice things about taking a fitness class is that you can let the instructor worry about the structure of your workout while you focus all your efforts on getting your heart rate up. You can trust them to program your entire workout in addition to hyping you up and providing form cues.

Working out solo is another story. It’s up to you to decide exactly how to structure your sets, reps, and rest times based on what you’re trying to achieve. While you could technically just hop from one workout move to another—completing random quantities of reps along the way—other strategies will probably serve you better. Supersets are one common approach, and they’re worth learning about if you prefer quick but effective workouts. 

Curious how to use supersets to optimize your time doing strength work and maximize your gains? Everything you need to know about supersets, below. 

What Is a Superset?

A superset is when you pair two different exercises together and alternate performing sets of each exercise back-to-back, often with little or no rest in between. “Supersets are a lifting protocol in which you perform one set [of an exercise], rest a specified amount of time, then perform another set [of a different exercise],” explains Peloton instructor Andy Speer. “The exercises are non-competitive, meaning they work opposing muscle groups or are split upper body followed by a lower body exercise.”

For example, you might perform a set of chest presses followed by a set of rows, a set of biceps curls followed by a set of triceps extensions, or a set of Romanian deadlifts followed by a set of front squats, Andy explains.

What Are the Benefits of Supersets?

Supersets are ideal if you want to fit a solid strength workout into a brief gym session. Compared to traditional sets, which require you to complete one set and then take ample rest before the next set, supersets cut down on the total time of your workout. 

“The idea behind supersets is that while you are working [the muscles targeted by] exercise A, [the muscles targeted by exercise B are] ‘resting,’ or at least not being used to move the weights,” says Andy. “This way, you are actually including your rest for exercise A while performing exercise B, so you can maximize your time efficiency while strength training.”

A 2021 research review in Sports Medicine focused on designing time-efficient strength workouts concluded that supersets cut training time in half without reducing training volume (the total amount of work you’re doing, taking the number of reps, sets, and weight lifted into account). 

Even if you’re not short on time, you might appreciate another effect of shorter rest periods. “A second benefit to supersets would be an increased cardiovascular effect, due to the decreased rest periods,” says exercise physiologist Tom Holland. This can translate to improved cardio fitness (making your body more efficient at using oxygen), especially in older populations or those who are new to exercise, and an increased calorie burn, Holland says.  

Are Supersets Good for Building Muscle?

Yes, supersets are great for muscle growth. While supersets can suit a variety of training goals depending on the exercise selection, rep scheme, and rest, they’re “most beneficial for hypertrophy training, or building muscle,” Andy says. When you perform supersets during resistance training, your muscles undergo local metabolic stress, i.e., a buildup of lactate and other molecules that drive muscle growth in response, according to a 2025 article in Frontiers In Physiology. In fact, a 2025 analysis of existing studies in Sports Medicine found that supersets led to a higher blood lactate concentration compared to traditional sets. 

That said, the jury’s still out on whether supersets are better than other rep schemes from a muscle growth perspective. In a 2020 study published in the Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise, athletes were separated into groups that performed band exercises as a superset without resting between, or as traditional sets with rests in between. There wasn’t a significant difference in biceps or triceps muscle growth between the groups after eight weeks. The traditional group also had improvements in strength, while the superset group did not. In another study from 2024 published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, people who performed supersets and traditional sets had similar improvements in body composition and strength, but the traditional set group had better improvements in maximal strength gains (i.e., increasing their one rep max).

Types of Supersets

While you can choose from a multitude of different superset formulas, these are three of the most common types of supersets, according to Holland.

Push-Pull Superset

One popular approach is known as a push-pull superset, which organizes exercises into pushing and pulling movement patterns. As the name suggests, you pair an exercise that requires you to pull the weight toward you (for example, biceps curls or deadlifts) with an exercise that requires you to push the weight away from you (e.g., triceps extensions or squats), according to Holland. 

Upper Body-Lower Body

Another route calls for pairing an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise. “Doing an upper body exercise such as a chest press followed by a leg press would be an example of the upper/lower protocol,” Holland says. “This structure is often used by those who wish to do a full-body workout in a single session, allowing the muscles of the lower body to recover while working the upper.”

Isolation-Compound

Isolation-compound supersets venture into slightly more advanced territory, as they can hit the same muscle with both exercises, Holland says. “They involve doing a single-muscle (isolation) exercise, such as a cable triceps press down, followed by a compound movement like a push-up, which targets the triceps as well as the chest and shoulders,” Holland says. “This routine is useful for those who are interested in significantly targeting and fatiguing specific muscle groups.” For example, this might make sense if you’re following a workout split where you dedicate an entire strength session to your chest muscles. 

Examples of Supersets to Use In Your Workouts

Whether you’re interested in muscle growth, strength, or cardio, you can create supersets that suit your goals. Here are some examples of supersets that you can slot into your workout routine, courtesy of Andy.

For Hypertrophy (to Build Muscle Mass)

As mentioned, supersets are especially useful for those who want to build muscle and create efficient workouts. To target your upper body, you can try this combination, which is an example of a push-pull superset. 

For Increased Strength

If your main priority is to build maximal strength (i.e., increase your one rep max), you’ll be better off with traditional sets that focus on a single exercise with ample rest in between sets rather than relying on supersets. “Straight sets with 90-second to five-minute rest periods are often a better choice, as they allow more recovery time so your muscular and nervous system are fresh for the next set,” Andy says. Training for maximal strength typically involves lifting heavy in the 3–5 rep range, he says. 

For example, a 2024 study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the results of 10 weeks of traditional strength training with 10 weeks of superset training and found that performing supersets of compound exercises slightly hampered maximal strength gains compared with traditional-set training.

Still, you can utilize a superset that’s more geared toward building strength by taking longer rests in between sets and decreasing the rep count compared to a superset designed for hypertrophy. Here’s one way to do so:

For Cardio and Muscle Building

If you’re more interested in cardio, then circuit training that incorporates four to five exercises will make more sense than supersets, Andy says. But if you want to increase your cardio capacity and build muscle at the same time, he suggests Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) training, a protocol that alternates between upper body exercises and lower body exercises. 

“The idea is that blood flow must travel from your upper body, then back to your lower body, increasing the demand of your heart to pump blood and in turn your heart rate,” says Andy. “You’ll want to use multi-joint exercises and large muscle groups for this.” Here’s one way to try it out:

To make it harder, instead of completing four rounds, complete as many rounds as you can in 8 minutes, without resting between rounds.

How to Add Supersets to Your Fitness Routine

You can use supersets as often you please, mixing and matching them with other rep schemes. “The best way to think about it is [to] use supersets for the training goal you’re working towards,” says Andy. “Changing the exercises, reps, and rest periods will add enough variety that supersets will continue to challenge you. Mix them with other training methods such as straight sets and circuits for a well-rounded training routine.”

Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, you can take advantage of supersets with exercises you’re familiar with, says Andy. “The three aspects to keep in mind are rest periods, weight selection, and overall volume,” he says. “Choose a weight that’s challenging for the final two to three reps but not going to high fatigue or failure. Start with a minimum of 30 seconds rest between sets and start with three to four sets per exercise. Increase weight, decrease rest, and increase volume as you become more experienced.”

Bear in mind that if you gravitate toward superset-heavy workouts, your body may take longer to recover compared to a plan that relies more heavily on traditional sets. In a 2017 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, athletes who’d used supersets or trisets (supersets with three or more exercises) had greater lactate responses from exercise compared to athletes who’d used traditional sets. Lactate response is an indication of the intensity of exercise in relation to someone’s conditioning, and the study authors concluded that athletes who use supersets and trisets may require additional recovery to minimize the effects of fatigue.

Who Supersets Aren’t Suited for

Supersets aren’t the most beginner-friendly approach, according to Holland. “Due to the decreased rest periods, which result in increased overall workout intensity and metabolic demands, maintaining proper form can be challenging when performing supersets,” he says. “Therefore, they might not be indicated for certain novice exercisers.”

Supersets may also be counterproductive if you’re focused on pushing past a strength PR. “Those wishing to perform maximal lifts and/or those who have a goal of increasing maximal strength often avoid supersets due to the added fatigue,” Holland says.

Common Superset Mistakes to Avoid

Typically, supersets pair together exercises that target opposing muscle groups. “One big mistake I see when programming supersets is using competitive exercises,” says Andy. “Supersets should use non-competitive exercises, giving [the muscles involved in] exercise A time to rest while [the muscles involved in] exercise B [are] working. If you pick two exercises that use the same muscle groups, like the chest press and skull crusher, you are using your triceps in both moves.”

That said, it isn’t unheard of to perform sets of exercises that work the same muscle group back to back, to maximize the fatigue of that muscle group. Recall the isolation-compound superset detailed above. Since both sets of exercises are taxing the same muscle group, you may need to reduce the amount of weight or reduce the number of reps in each set to ensure your form doesn’t suffer during compound-isolation supersets.

On that note, improper weight selection is one of the most common superset mistakes, according to Holland. “Often, people use too much weight, which results in decreased range of motion and compromised form, decreasing results and increasing the chance of injury,” he says.

The Takeaway

In short, supersets are a smart addition to a well-rounded workout routine, especially if you want to build muscle and keep your workouts efficient. There are many different approaches to supersets, so you can create combinations that suit your fitness level and current goals. And if you’d prefer to have someone else do the work for you, know that supersets are a common element in many of the strength classes on the Peloton App as well as in workouts you'll find in Peloton Strength+.