How I Boosted My Arm Gains with Superset Training

I can’t emphasize enough the importance and power of keeping the basics at the forefront. We like to seek out secrets, tricks, and other advanced techniques in hopes of finally unlocking optimal progress.

I’ve been training for a few years now (since I was 14, which makes 51 – 14 = math), and I’ve read, experienced, and practiced quite a few training techniques in my day. As a self-described “hardgainer,” I tried to leave no stone unturned.

The basics still work, and work very well.

This isn’t to say that we all shouldn’t be constantly seeking improvement. I’m all for making things better, progressing, and not wasting my time or efforts. But, there’s something to be said–strongly said about the fundamentals. If we can focus on the fundamentals and optimize them, then we can carry on and maybe try a new thing or two.

Something interesting I’ve stumbled across recently is how I train arms. Normally, I must confess, arm training can be rather boring. Give me a good ole-fashioned leg day any day.

Arms are just boring. They’re pretty much one-dimensional, and there isn’t much excitement to them. Curl anyone?

In hopes of making arm day bearable, I simply started to superset triceps and biceps. I know, I’m not really breaking the mold with that epiphany, but hear me out.

Supersetting arms for time efficiency yielded a nice little bonus feature. I started getting wicked pumps. This, in turn, started to rev up my motivation and brought back a little excitement to my arm training.

I would normally perform straight sets, which was actually slowing me down in the gains department. But by performing supersets, I have a newfound joy for arm training once again.

Here’s how it breaks down, and then I’ll list a few notes after.

Arm Bay A
Superset: Overhead triceps rope pull with dumbell curl 3 x 10-16
Superset: Cable triceps pressdown with cable curl 3 x 10-16

Arm Bay B
Superset: Cable triceps pressdown with barbell curl 3 x 10-16
Superset: Lying barbell extension with dumbbell curl 3 x 10-16

Notes:

• Arms are trained after shoulders.
• Minimal rest is taken between exercises, but a minute or two of rest is taken between supersets.
• It’s not a lot of volume, so I can focus intensely on each set.
• Every rep is performed deliberately–I don’t speed through things because of the fact that I’m doing supersets and higher reps.
• You’ll find that your joints will feel so much better due to all of the blood pooled around your elbows.

I know it’s not some revolutionary technique or “system” that can sell programs, but in my experience, it’s these little shifts that make all the difference.

Give it a shot and let me know in the comments how you do.

Happy lifting!