Do you do more/wider supersets (circuits) as you age? I do

[hereiam2]

When I made this video (Strong After 60) I advocated supersets as a way of saving time and avoiding injury as we age. I am curious how widespread this practice is.

I started out supersetting with just 2 exercises, i.e. push-pull. Over the last few years I've widened out to 4-5 exercises, typically two leg push/pulls, two arm push-pulls, and one "rest" exercise like a calf raise to catch my breath. In between each set of 5 reps I'll pause for 10 seconds or so to catch my breath, then do the next set in the circuit. This works out to approximately 3 minutes between sets of any particular exercise, e.g. 3 minutes between squat sets, which from what I've read is close to the recommended rest period. Except during that 3 minute period I'm exercising other muscles instead of checking my phone...

I have to be careful not to hog too many pieces of gear in the gym - I encourage people to cut in, and in particular stay very vigilant for someone looking to share the squat rack (there's only 1 in my gym). For some reason the biggest problem I've run into with this is the seated calf raise - I do 90 lbs x 20 reps, far more weight than most people in my gym do, and it's a much more popular machine than the squat rack!

What are your thoughts? Do you superset, and if so how wide? Why or why not?

 

[kententen]

@hereiam2 I superset with just two. Mostly to save time. The second supersetting exercise is usually a core/ low back one.

 

[hereiam2]

@kententen That makes a lot of sense, unless you are combining low back with squat/dead lift.

 

[victoria52]

@hereiam2 The first time I heard of super-setting was in the 60s in a Weider magazine, the theory being that while the blood is in the area it's more efficient to go ahead and work the adjoining muscle, hence instead of doing merely overhead press, go ahead and do a set of bicep curls between OHP sets. I don't think it would work for power lifting. Never having gotten big, I dunno if it works better for bodybuilding or not, but it does save a lot of time IMO. On leg days, after I do my squats I'll do three circuits of leg extensions, leg curls, seated calf raises, and glute machine. On chest day I'll alternate bench press and bent-over rows, and on arm day presses, curls, wrist curls, and standing triceps extensions or cable pushdowns. As I get older I've gotten where I don't care that much about lifting heavy, I just want to take my body through the full range of motion with reasonable resistance.

 

[hereiam2]

@victoria52

As I get older I've gotten where I don't care that much about lifting heavy, I just want to take my body through the full range of motion with reasonable resistance

Thanks for the detailed response!
Sounds like you are in a similar place to where I'm at. I can't get much bigger any more no matter how much I work out, just not enough testosterone in the blood at this age. Injury prevention is my #1 priority.