If you’re looking to make the most of the minutes you spend in the gym, supersets are a great way to keep your gym visits short, sweet and effective.

Supersetting is a form of training in which you move quickly from one exercise to another without taking an extensive break between exercises—giving the muscles just enough time to recover, but not enough time to get stiff or cold. This type of rapid-fire strength training tactic can help build muscle, boost endurance and burn fat, all while cutting your workout time in half.

Although there are different ways to build a superset training routine, this workout will focus on the antagonist method or the “true superset,” which engages opposing muscle groups one after another (i.e., bicep curl and triceps extension). This antagonist method is great for beginners because it allows one muscle group to rest while the other is working—making it easier to lift a little heavier and get in a few more reps before failure.

For this workout, perform each exercise simultaneously to complete a set. If you are a beginner, perform 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps or each exercise at a 2010 tempo. If you’re at an intermediate or advanced skill level, perform 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps at a 4020 tempo.

Bent Over Row

  • Start with your feet hip-distance apart
  • Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than your hips
  • Hinge the hips forward, keeping your back straight and your head and neck in a neutral position
  • Initiate the row by bringing the elbows back and activating the rhomboids to move the barbell towards your body
  • At the top of the movement, squeeze the upper back before slowly lowering the weight back down to the starting position for one rep

 

Superset with Bench Press

  • Lie with your back on the bench, setting up your hands on the barbell at shoulder-width apart and an overhand grip
  • Ensure that your feet are flat on the floor and pushing down with your glutes engaged
  • Your shoulder blades should be set back and down “into your pockets” as you get ready to lift
  • Take a breath in and un-rack the bar before slowly lowering the bar to until it sits motionless just above your chest
  • As you begin to push the bar upwards, try to “spread” the bar apart and exhale as you get to the top for one rep

 

Triceps Press Down

  • Start by attaching a rope pulley to the highest setting on the cable machine
  • Grab each end of the rope with both hands, palms facing towards one another
  • Pull the rope straight down, ensuring that all of the movement takes place in your elbow joints
  • Slowly pull your hands apart at the bottom of the movement and pause for a moment to feel the squeeze in your triceps
  • Allow your elbows to bend, lowering the weight and lifting your hands back into the starting position for one rep

 

Superset with Bicep Curl

  • Begin standing with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms hanging at your sides
  • Be sure to keep your elbows close to your torso and your palms facing forward
  • Without moving your upper arms or bending your wrists, exhale and curl the weights up to shoulder level
  • Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position for one rep

 

Hip Thrust

  • Begin by sitting on the ground with a bench behind you
  • Rest the barbell on your hips, bend your knees and plant your feet on the ground
  • Push through the heels and drive your hips upward to lift the bar
  • Make sure you get a full hip extension as you move through the thrust
  • Once you’ve achieved full extension, pause for a moment before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position for one rep

 

Superset with Leg Extensions

  • Set up the leg extensions machine so that the pad at the top of your lower legs or ankles
  • Select a moderate weight load
  • Exhaling and keep your back pressed against the backrest as you extend your legs and lift the weight upward until your legs are almost straight
  • Inhale and lower the weight back to the starting position for one rep