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If sets, reps and all the other terminology surrounding how to perform strength-training moves has you avoiding the weight rack, you’re not alone.
As a personal trainer, many clients come to me confused about the different strength-training techniques they hear mentioned in group fitness classes and at-home workouts. It can be tough to decipher what these terms mean and which approach is best for you.
“Superset” and “drop set” are two popular strength-training techniques that you’ve likely heard thrown around. In order to understand these more advanced strength-training techniques, it’s best to start with the basics.
What are sets and reps?
A set refers to repetitions of a certain exercise. So, if we do one set of lunges, that would be a set number of repetitions of the lunge. I usually start beginners with 3 sets of 10 repetitions. This means that we do 10 lunges, for a total of 3 rounds or sets, with a short rest in between each.
You might be thinking: “So, it’s basically doing 30 lunges.” Yes. But instead of doing 30 lunges straight through, many trainers (like myself) set up circuits for their clients, which is a group of exercises. For example, I may tell my clients to do one set of 10 lunges, then one set of 10 bicep curls, for a total of 3 sets. That means that the client will repeat that circuit for a total of 3 times with a short rest in between each circuit.
This type of circuit is very similar to a superset (read more on supersets below!). The difference is that it allows for rest periods between each set, which a superset does not.
What is a superset?
The difference between regular sets of strength-training exercises and supersets comes down to the amount of rest in between exercises. A superset means to perform two different exercises back-to-back, one right after the other, with minimal rest….
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