Should You Do Supersets or Straight Sets in Your Strength Training Workouts?

There are two common ways to arrange exercises in a strength training workout: in supersets or in straight sets.

Don’t know what a superset is or how you should structure your exercise? In this article, I’ll explain what supersets and straight sets are, and when you should choose each one.  

Supersets And Straight Sets

A straight set, also known as a traditional set, is when you do one exercise at a time, resting between sets and completing all sets of that exercise before you move to the next one.

For example, you would do one set of squats, rest for a minute or two, then do another set of squats, rest again, and then do a third set of squats.

A superset is when you pair two exercises together and alternate them. In a superset you do the first exercise, immediately followed by the second exercise, then rest before starting again with the first exercise. Once you’ve finished all your supersets for the first pair of exercises, you move to the next pair of exercises.

For example, you might do one set of deadlifts, then go straight into a set of shoulder presses, then rest for a minute or two. Then you would start again with the deadlifts, do another set of shoulder presses, then rest again and repeat for another set of deadlifts and shoulder presses.

When deciding which exercises to pair together, you have a few options. In a full body workout I usually pair upper body exercises with lower body exercises. You can also pair opposing muscle groups together, like a push exercise with a pull exercise and a squat with a hinge.

I usually program workouts in supersets, but not always. Here’s when I recommend using each one.

When To Use Supersets

If You Need To Save Time

The biggest benefit of supersets is time efficiency. You can cut the length of your workout pretty much in half by pairing exercises together rather than doing them one at a time, while still getting similar results. This benefit alone makes supersets a good option for most people in most situations.

If You Want To Improve Your Nervous System and Your Cardiovascular System

Supersets can be a useful tool for training your nervous system and your cardiovascular system to be more flexible and resilient, giving you extra benefits for your mental and physical health.

During an exercise, your brain has to send signals and resources (like blood flow) to the right muscles so you can complete the movement. When you do supersets, two different groups of muscles need those signals and resources, one right after the other.

Let’s say you’re supersetting a chest press and a squat. During the chest press, your chest, shoulders, and arm muscles are working. During a squat, your quads, hamstrings, and glutes are working. When you alternate between those two exercises, your nervous system has to be able to direct signals and resources from your upper body to your lower body, and back again.

Over time, this trains your brain and nerves to do a better job task-switching, and your heart and blood vessels to do a better job adjusting the flow of blood back and forth from one muscle group to another. 

The end result is a more flexible and efficient nervous system, which can help decrease chronic dizziness symptoms and anxiety, as well as a healthier and more flexible cardiovascular system which decreases your chances of chronic disease.

Your nervous system and cardiovascular system will get healthier no matter how you structure your workouts, but supersets deliver this extra challenge that helps them adapt even more.  

When To Use Straight Sets

If You’re A Beginner

I usually recommend straight sets for beginners who are just learning how to perform resistance exercises. In the first few weeks of working out, your main focus should be on learning how to do your exercises with good form and creating a strong mind to muscle connection.

Concentrating on one exercise at a time instead of switching between exercises is a good way to keep your focus and make sure you’re getting quality movement.

Supersets also tend to result in more fatigue, muscle damage, and make the workouts feel more difficult than straight sets. In beginners when workout motivation can be a challenge, it’s a good idea to make the workouts as easy and painless as possible so you don’t talk yourself out of doing the next one.

If You Want To Get As Strong As You Possibly Can

Based on the current research, it seems that straight sets are slightly better for building strength than supersets.

That difference is small, and probably only relevant for strength athletes who really need to maximize how much weight they can move. If that’s you, sticking to straight sets at least for your main lifts is probably a good idea.

For most other people, that’s probably not such a big deal. You’ll still get stronger even with supersets.

If You Know Your Stress Response System Is Overactive

In my work with people with anxiety and also people with chronic dizziness, there’s sometimes (but not always) a tendency for the stress response system to get stuck in “fight or flight” mode.

When that’s the case, straight sets can be a better option because it gives you the opportunity to take a break and breathe between sets, encouraging your nervous system to calm down.

Over time, alternating between short periods of hard effort and short periods of intentional rest can help train your nervous system to move into stress mode when it’s appropriate (like while you’re lifting a weight), and transition out of stress mode when that effort is over. That can make a big difference in decreasing symptoms of anxiety and chronic dizziness.   

Once you’ve passed the beginner stage and have trained your stress response system to work better, you can switch to supersets if you want to, or continue with straight sets.

Need Help?

To learn more about putting together a strength training workout, download my FREE Strength Training 101 eBook. You’ll learn which exercises to do, how many sets and reps you should aim for, and how to make progress towards your strength training goals.

Also check out my Strength Training For Anxiety and Strength Training For Chronic Dizziness programs to help you build mental and physical resilience and decrease your symptoms.

For personalized help, contact me to find out about my online and face-to-face personal training packages!