Upper-Lower Body Super-Sets vs Traditional Sets for Boosting Athletic Performance
A deep dive into how upper-lower body super-sets compare to traditional sets in enhancing athletic capacities.
This study investigated the effects of two different velocity-based training configurations—traditional sets (TS) and alternating sets (AS)—on athletic performance, specifically muscle strength, endurance, and jump performance. The aim was to determine whether alternating upper and lower body exercises could yield similar benefits to traditional training methods while being more time-efficient.
PMID: 36846453
Key Points
Objective: To compare the effects of TS (completing all sets for one exercise before moving to the next) versus AS (alternating between exercises) on performance metrics in a 6-week, velocity-based training program.
Participants: Seventeen moderately strength-trained young men participated, divided into two groups: TS (n=8) and AS (n=9).
Training Protocol:
Both groups trained twice a week for six weeks.
Exercises included full squats (SQ) and bench presses (BP).
Training loads were set at 55-70% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM), with matched rest intervals.
Performance Metrics:
Countermovement jump height (CMJ)
Muscle strength in SQ and BP
Muscular endurance in BP
Related
Results
Jump Performance: Both groups showed similar improvements in CMJ height, with increases of approximately 3% for TS and 3.77% for AS, indicating no significant difference between the two methods.
Muscle Strength:
Both groups experienced significant increases in muscle strength for SQ (6.19–11.55% for TS vs. 6.90–11.76% for AS) and BP (6.19–13.87% for TS vs. 3.99–9.58% for AS).
Muscular Endurance:
The AS group demonstrated greater improvements in SQ endurance compared to TS (10.19% vs. 2.76%, respectively).
Time Efficiency: The AS group completed their workouts significantly faster than the TS group, suggesting that alternating sets can lead to similar training outcomes in less time.
Conclusions
The study concludes that both TS and AS configurations yield comparable muscle strength and jump performance improvements. However, AS is more time-efficient, making it a viable alternative for resistance training programs that aim to enhance athletic performance.
Key Takeaways
Alternating upper and lower body exercises can be as effective as traditional methods while saving time.
Significant improvements in muscular endurance were noted with alternating sets, particularly in lower body exercises.
This research supports the use of velocity-based training as an effective methodology for resistance training prescription.
Reference
García-Orea GP, Rodríguez-Rosell D, Ballester-Sánchez Á, Da Silva-Grigoletto ME, Belando-Pedreño N. Upper-lower body super-sets vs. traditional sets for inducing chronic athletic performance improvements. PeerJ. 2023 Feb 21;11:e14636. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14636. PMID: 36846453; PMCID: PMC9951798.