Build muscle with Super, Compound, and Tri Sets

If you've been bodybuilding for a while you may have heard of Supersets, Compound Sets, and Tri Sets. These are advanced weight training techniques used to increase intensity and overload on muscles. They're also excellent if limited on training time.

Some people believe they can lead to extra muscle growth. If a program is structured in the right way then this may result. Generally the main benefit will be muscle toning and increased definition, rather than size gains. For this reason they are better suited to a leaning up or dieting phase. They are suitable for both men and women.

There can be confusion as to what they actually are. Today let's take a closer look at these great overload techniques. 

Supersets

A traditional Superset is when you perform 2 exercises in a row for opposing muscle groups with no rest in between. It's best to break for 1 to 2 minutes between each Superset. Muscle groups combined usually include Back and Chest, or Biceps and Triceps, or Quads and Hamstrings.

Here's some Superset examples:

Flat Bench Press (chest) + Lat Pulldowns (back), 

Perform 5 x Super Sets of 8 to 12 reps

OR

Dumbbell Curls (biceps) + Cable Tricep Extensions (triceps),

Perform 5 x Super Sets of 8 to 12 reps

OR

Leg Press (quads) + Hamstring Curl Machine (hamstrings),

Perform 5 x Super Sets of 8 to 10 reps

Compound Sets

A variation of a Super Set is called a Compound Set. This is a Superset when you perform 2 exercises in a row for the SAME muscle group. For example; instead of training Back with Chest you train 2 x Back exercises in a row.

Here's some examples of Compound Sets:

Lat Pulldowns (back) + Dumbbell Rows (back),

Perform 5 x Compound Sets of 8 to 12 reps

OR

Barbell Curls (biceps) + Dumbbell Concentration Curls (biceps),

Perform 5 x Compound Sets of 8 to 12 reps

OR

Leg Press (quads) + Leg Extensions (quads),

Perform 5 x Compound Sets of 8 to 10 reps

Tri Sets

These are the same as Compound Sets but instead of performing 2 exercises in a row for the same muscle group you perform 3 exercises. These are intense.

Here's an example:

Flat Bench Press + Incline Bench Press + Dumbbell Flys (all pecs),

Perform 5 x Tri Sets of 8 to 12 reps

Including techniques like these in your bodybuilding plan is a good way to shock the muscles, introduce variety, and burn extra calories.

Note that these should only be used occasionally, they are not something to do at every workout.