How to plan supersets in your training program

A superset is two or more exercises done back to back before you rest. You get the same work done in less time, as long as you pick the right exercises.

What a superset is

Do one set of each exercise in the group, one after the other, then rest. That’s one round. Repeat for as many rounds as you planned.

Two exercises is the classic pair. Three is often called a tri-set, and four or more a giant set. Same idea, just a longer round.

What goes well together

Opposite muscles. A press with a row, or curls with pushdowns. One side rests while the other works.
Upper with lower body. A dumbbell press with a split squat.
Small with big. Add lateral raises or calf raises to a pair you’re already doing.
Same spot in the gym. Exercises you can do without moving keep a busy gym simple.

Leave your heaviest lifts out. If a set of squats or deadlifts needs everything you’ve got, give it full rest on its own.

How to rest

Move between exercises in the group with little or no rest. After the last one, rest about as long as you would after a normal set, then start the next round.

Planning supersets in Voltra

Open a program, tap ⋮ next to an exercise and choose Superset pairing.
Tap Pair on the exercise to group it with.
To add a third (or fourth) exercise, start pairing from it and tap Pair on any exercise already in the superset.

Each group shows as Superset A, Superset B and so on, with members tagged A1, A2, A3. Dragging a superset moves the whole group, and every exercise keeps its own set targets.

Voltra's program page for Upper Body A: Bench Press on its own, Superset A with Incline Dumbbell Press, Chest-supported Row and Lateral Raise tagged A1 to A3, and Superset B with Biceps Curl and Triceps Pushdown. Sample data. — A program with a three-exercise superset and a pair · Sample data

Logging a superset

When you log a set, Voltra opens the next exercise in the group. After the last one it goes back to the first: A1, A2, A3, then A1 again. You never have to scroll around to find where you are.

If you use the rest timer, it starts after each logged set. You can also group exercises during a workout from the exercise’s options menu, without changing the program.

An example upper-body day

Block	Exercises	Sets
On its own	Bench press	3 × 6
Superset A	Incline dumbbell press, chest-supported row, lateral raise	3 rounds
Superset B	Biceps curl, triceps pushdown	2 rounds