Summary
SUPERSETS.A sophisticated set of levers systematically engages as we move. Together, these levers guarantee the effectiveness and fluidity of our motions. Action muscles—also referred to as “agonist muscles”—activate the skeletal motions we undertake.
The skeletal lever’s movement is produced by the contraction of these muscles. The antagonist muscles complement the agonist muscles by moving in the opposite direction, which helps them move more smoothly together. The antagonist muscles are among the several muscle groups employed in the performance of the actions.
What muscles are agonists and antagonists?
Muscles function in a pretty straightforward way: when one contracts, the other relaxes; the first acts first, and the second suffers. To put it simply, the agonist is the muscle that contracts during a movement, while the antagonist is the muscle that is stretched. Consider the biceps as an example. During the exercise, it is the muscle that contracts; the triceps, on the other hand, become the antagonist muscle since they are the one that is stretched. An agonist muscle may, however, change from playing this job to being an antagonist based on the exercise you choose.
Understanding how the muscles contract during a movement is crucial since it will simplify the process of selecting the workouts to strengthen, based on your goal. It’s a common misconception among muscle builders that all movements and exercises, no matter how little, have an impact on their body’s overall health. Thus, it’s critical to comprehend how muscles work together.
How can antagonistic muscles be trained during supersets?
Now that you’re persuaded of the advantages of superset training, you may be asking which muscles are the primary antagonists.
This is a little sample of the most typical ones.
Triceps and Biceps
Latissimus dorsi and pectorals
Myofascial / Ischio
The adductor/abductor
As we have said several times before, the antagonistic muscles function in a complementary manner. Therefore, using the same technique on both muscles is essential. You should thus avoid favoring one muscle over another in order to maintain a healthy balance of strength.
For instance, by switching up the muscles used in each exercise, you may connect two of them. Work your triceps during the second series if you worked your biceps during the first. Simply said, switch between your agonist and antagonist muscles.
A mismatch in muscle strength might change the stability and quality of the joint. There may also be detrimental effects on how your muscles look overall as a result of this.
What are the benefits of using supersets to train the antagonist muscles?
Superset training gained popularity in the 1970s thanks to actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-American. This rigorous method is well known for its ability to quickly increase muscle mass. Thus, they don’t seem to be workouts meant to improve muscular balance. The primary benefits of this well-known technique are:
- the overt induction of metabolic stress inside muscles. This encourages the growth of muscles. The muscles will benefit from this since they are not used to such high levels of tension.
- the rise in testosterone peak. In actuality, supersets encourage the build-up of testosterone in comparison to traditional training for the same amount of activity.
- a substantial time-saving. Supersets allow for a great amount of work to be completed in less training time. Any athlete who wants to see results quickly should give this idea some thought.
- The 2010 research conducted by Dr. Daniel Robbins
It is noteworthy that a number of scientific investigations have been prompted by the superset program. A 2010 research by Dr. Daniel Robbins shown how successful time management in supersets is.
Dr. Robbins separated his 16 male weight trainers into two groups for his experiment: one group trained conventionally, while the other group used the superset approach. The findings demonstrated that supersets had no effect on training quality as determined by electromyography when time was reduced.
The 2005 research by Dr. Dean
In a similar vein, it has been proposed that switching up your workouts to target opposing muscles effectively promotes muscular growth. Twenty-five rugby players were split into two groups for Dr. Dean’s 2005 observation: an experimental group and a control group.
These athletes tested their power on a level bench. The control group exercised a single muscle till the finish of the program, whereas the experimental group was required to alternate muscles in a bench press. The findings were quite evident: although there was no change in the control group, the experimental group’s muscular strength had improved by 4.7%. Thus, the need of switching between the two antagonist/agonist muscles in order to build muscular power is shown by this research.
Dr. Kelleher’s 2010 research
Furthermore, let’s examine Dr. Kelleher’s (2010) experiment on energy consumption after superset training. Five participants in this trial received superset training, while a second group received standard training. The participants’ blood lactic acid concentration and oxygen usage were determined at the conclusion of their 60-minute training sessions.
This experiment’s outcome was not unexpected. It was discovered that superset users used a lot more energy while training than did standard trainers. Thus, this research provides more evidence for the efficacy of superset training. Superset exercise is the ideal option for you if you want to burn calories quickly!