Our body moves using a complex system of levers, driven by agonist muscles that contract to create movement. These muscles work in tandem with antagonist muscles, which perform the opposite action. This synergy ensures efficient and safe movements. A common example is the biceps and triceps: when one contracts, the other relaxes, helping to control and regulate the movement.
TRAINING ANTAGONISTIC MUSCLES WITH SUPERSETS
So what are these antagonistic muscles? The most important are:
- Abductor / Adductor
- Biceps / Triceps
- Pectoral / Latissimus
- Quadriceps / Hamstrings
Since the antagonistic muscles works in synergy, it is important that both muscles are equally trained. This can be done in succession, thus ending all the series dedicated to a muscle and then move on to the training of its antagonist, or in supersets’, thus alternating agonist and antagonist muscles exercises.
An imbalance of strength in one of the two muscles of the pair can cause muscle imbalances that then affect both the quality of movement and the flexibility and stability of the joint.
THE ADVANTAGES OF TRAINING ANTAGONISTIC MUSCLES WITH SUPERSETS
The benefits of training with supersets have gained considerable notoriety since the 1970s thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, the main reason for executing these ‘supersets’ is not due to the search for muscle balance of antagonistic muscles, but rather to the fact that it is a very effective technique for muscle growth.
Superset training is a high intensity technique and its fundamental benefits are:
- It significantly stimulates intramuscular metabolic stress prompting muscle growth.
- It increases the testosterone peak when compared to traditional training for the same volume.
- It saves time by maintaining high volume of work while reducing or eliminating recovery time.
It is interesting to note that the supersets technique has raised scientific interest and has been studied in numerous scientific works. For example, a 2010 study by Dr Daniel Robbins demonstrated the time efficiency of superset training. In the experiment, 16 trained males performed two traction and thrust exercises; the control group in the traditional way and the experimental group with the supersets technique. The study showed that supersets, in the face of a reduction in duration, did not compromise the quality of training evaluated through electromyography.
Similarly, there is also a theoretical basis that the alternation of antagonistic muscles exercises has a positive effect on muscle development. In a 2005 study conducted by Dr Dean Baker, 24 rugby players, divided into an experiment group and a control group, were invited to perform a power test on the flat bench. The experimental group alternated the main movement with a traction exercise for the antagonist muscles to those trained on the flat bench. The results saw a significant increase of 4.7% in muscle power expressed by the experimental group and no change in the control group, highlighting the importance of training both muscles in the antagonistic pair in order to develop muscle power.
Also interesting is a 2010 study by Dr Kelleher on energy expenditure induced by superset training. A group of 5 people trained with supersets, while another 5 people maintained a traditional training regime. Oxygen consumption and lactic acid concentration in the blood were measured during the training session and 60 minutes after the end of the session. When expressed in relation to time, the energy expenditure throughout the workout was significantly higher during supersets than during traditional training. This demonstrates the effectiveness of supersets training when the goal is to burn energy in a limited period of time.
TRAINING ANTAGONISTIC MUSCLES WITH THE NEW SELECTION 700 LINE AND DUAL EQUIPMENT
The owner of a gym or fitness centre will surely be interested to know that the new Selection 700 Line presents features and advantages, not only in terms of training quality, but also in terms of space and design.
The training of antagonistic muscles in supersets is in fact a growing trend among gym users and it remains one of the most effective workouts for muscle development. Yet, if a gym user aims to perform a proper superset, the location of the machines inside the fitness centre could present an unexpected obstacle.
A user who wants to do a supersets workout will need various plate-loaded machines, often far from each other. In addition, it will be necessary to set these up before completing the set. Moving time and the need to use multiple machines frustrates the goal of supersets training. The scenario just described excludes other external events. For example, another user may be using one of the machines needed for the series.
To this end, the new Selection 700 Line, especially in its Dual products, offers a space-saving solution that allows the user to perform two different exercises on the same machine. In this way, it is possible to train the antagonistic muscles without compromising the biomechanics, and offering all the benefits of a real supersets workout.
