Do you want to get broad but don’t have much time? Then paired sets are for you. Not to be confused with supersets.

WHAT ARE PAIRED SETS?

With paired sets (also called combo sets) you make a small circuit of two or more exercises, with just enough rest between the exercises to be able to perform optimally. For most exercises this means 60 to 90 seconds of rest. In contrast to supersets you do build in rest periods. For example:

barbell bench press
1 minute rest
barbell row
1 minute rest
barbell bench press
1 minute rest
barbell row
1 minute rest
barbell bench press
1 minute rest
barbell row

Advantages

Paired sets increase the rest intervals per exercise, allowing you to complete more training volume in the same amount of time as traditional sets. Put another way, you can do more volume in a given amount of time without increasing fatigue. Recent research confirms this.

But there is more. With paired sets it is common to train different muscle groups. For example, an exercise for the upper body (chin-up) and for the lower body (squat) exercise, or agonist-antagonist sets, where you train two opposing muscle groups one after the other, for example chest (push) and back (pull). Another study shows that agonist-antagonist paired sets even have a beneficial effect on performance. For example, stretching your chest can have positive effects on your strength performance during the subsequent rows. That is an extra gain in addition to the time saved.

Finally, paired sets improve your work capacity and therefore improve your cardiovascular health. But unlike supersets, this does not come at the expense of your strength training performance.

DISADVANTAGE

The disadvantage of paired sets is that you sometimes need multiple attributes in a row and that is not always possible in a busy gym. But with some creativity you can come a long way.

CONCLUSION

Paired sets are a training protocol that allows you to complete more training volume in a given time frame compared to traditional sets. It’s a matter of programming your exercises and rest periods smarter.