In weightlifting, “supersets” involve completing one exercise or variation and then immediately performing another, in an effort to further tax muscles that are shared between the exercises.
Here's the issue: most people are afraid to ask to work in, I'm very sorry to say. Second, for supersets to work, you have to get the timing just right.
At least in my building gym, a significant annoyance with working in is that everybody has their candy-colored Beats headphones playing death metal or murder podcasts at skull-rattling volumes. It's hard to overcome.
Hmm. What follows is blatant whataboutery but . . . what about cardio instead? And when I say cardio I actually mean mountain biking. Anyone in South West London looking to hit the trails give me a shout!
I look at lifting weights the same way I do running or bike riding. If I am not being chased by a bear or Bobcat, I live in the country, why run? If I need to go somewhere, no bicycle, drive the car; and if I lift weight, it's either a fork with a cut of steak or a Warsteiner Dunkel.
A part of me wishes to be like you. The trouble is that a) I'm vain, b) I take an inordinate and probably unhealthy amount of pleasure out of being big (6'2ish and 240ish), and c) my medications ensure I'm heavy and have a belly, and for a guy one of the best ways to be fat but still attractive is by also having big muscles.
Plus it's an adaptation to our modern lifestyle, while we still are wired to move all day, that's just not possible for everyone. Also, I will say as somebody who does move all day doing physical work, working out is a good supplement- the same way pro athletes also train in addition to just playing their sport. Lift on!
As I said, I live in the country, have some acreage on which I take care of 25 dogs, 14 wolf-hybrids and 11 rescues, 3 horses and 2 cats. My place is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains so as I do my daily chores I go up and down hills throughout the day.
So I get a great deal of exercise each day, but I am not wasting energy, I'm being productive in accomplishing real things. And it's that satisfaction that enables me to be so humble.
It's easy being like me :) One way is to be as humble as I am, I'm quite proud of my humility quotient. I take pleasure in being a little lighter than norml, in the height of me youth I was 5'11" but gravity is doing its number on me so now I'm hovering around 5'10.5" and I think the most I ever weighed was 150 lbs which happened one day after I got stuck in a winter rainstorm and my 5 layers of clothes were soaked through. Since covid I started taking a few vitamins, but I hate taking pills so that's usually the low point of my day.
Have you ever thought about increasing your humility quotient to the point where your pride in your humility self-obliterates, becoming subsumed into that deepening and all-encompassing quotient? I imagine someone that humble would have such a slight manner that he might pass through the world undetected by other people.
Now that I'm in my late 30s, it's like 20% mental health and 80% not feeling like achy, sluggish garbage all the time. (I'd say vanity if exercise made me thinner, but sadly it does not)
I've read lots of articles/books on weightlifting, and have watched hours of videos, but not one of them has ever explained what's the best workout so I can get strong enough to cry in front of other men!
Thanks for sharing this part of your life, and I hope the shoulder improves. I have to nurse my shoulders as well, esp. since I'm a carpenter and need them to make a living. Also getting over a torn meniscus in the knee. I'm 58. It's clarified the years long voice in the back of my head that my exercising now needs to focus on the question "what do I want my body to be able to do" rather than what numbers I can hit or how I look. My first thing in the morning routine involves 15-20 min. of warming up my body, esp. shoulders, hips, etc. no matter what my day holds.
Why don't gyms have chairs to sit on in-between sets? I understand that there's an aesthetic involved in hanging off the equipment even when you're not using it but only using it when you're using it would solve so many problems.
I just want to say that perhaps the thing I value the most about your blog is its breadth of topics. Foreign policy, Modest Mouse, and weightlifting in one week (plus Elden Ring on Twitch) is not something I feel I could find on any other blog I read regularly, and I appreciate the hell out of that.
FdB: If you think about what Russia said, a lot of it is true. Anyway, war is bad, I guess. To ask me to comment further upon the situation is demeaning. Here a list of every bad thing the United States has ever done.
I'm not gonna have this discussion blow up here too, and I'll ban you if you insist. I gave three posts to you all to mischaracterize what I was saying (I literally never said anything about what "Russia" is saying) but I'm not going to have this comment section be a permanent free-for-all. You have been warned.
I don’t lift weights, at least not voluntarily. (I’m a 76 year old woman. I ride horses.) But from the experience of my younger friends and my descendants, I urge you to be VERY CAREFUL with that shoulder. Unlike hips and knees, shoulders are very intricate, fussy joints, and there is no quick fix if they get bunged up. And carpel tunnel, don’t even get me started. There are a lot more ways to get more injured, but only one cure: rest.
Heartily agree. I had a shoulder problem and went to one of the two or three best shoulder guys in New York City. I was lucky, he fixed it. But along the way I got to study the joint: very complex.
As it happens, I got bounced off a jury due to my shoulder knowledges. A guy was suing the MTA because a bus was in an accident and the guy hurt his shoulder. In the voir dire, one of the lawyers asked me, well suppose an expert told you there were three main tendons in the rotator cuff — could you accept that? I said no, because I happen to know there are four. They bade me adieu: Score!
I use my apartment building's (rather large) gym so I almost never encounter this problem. And I am a fan of supersets. Then, the other night, I ran into this exact problem! Exacerbated by her having a ten minutes long discussion with a friend and then stopping to take a phone call. This piece lands VERY differently now!
If you'd like to use this blog to do investigative journalism, you could solve the mystery of how half the small plates always migrate to one single station.
I think most people use supersets just to save time, for example, cable curls and lat raises so that the biceps can recover while the lateral head of the deltoid is working. Taxing the same muscle in different ways on shorter rest is probably a niche use of this strategy
FWIW, you see a bit of these kinds of bench press/ deadlift supersets in the CrossFitish strength community, mostly in pursuit of full-body high volume strength and metabolic conditioning dual training. The extent to which it works is not really for me to say, but there's some long standing titans of the industry who have advocated for it. Bobby Maximus comes to mind.
Also, I looked everywhere, including the linked post from December, but can't find WAMOW anywhere. Any help?
I finally have a good enough gym set up at my house where I'll never need to go to a commercial gym again if I don't want to. In the past I'd always programmed non competing super sets with antagonistic muscle groups. This was in an attempt to be efficient. Now that I have my own place, I've finally embraced a sort of lift and chill RPE style of training with 5 min+ breaks on the days I need them. I've given up on supersets and just focused on quality. This is the first time in my life that my upper body looks stronger than my lower body. It's done wonders for my bench. Also allows me to read between sets and not feel pretentious.
That brings me to point #2. I'm not a powerlifter. I'm from that generation of people who got into lifting just as starting strength 2nd or 3rd edition came out. It's taken me a long time to get over my initial biases instilled by Rippetoe. I don't actually care how heavy my squat or deadlift is past a point. My deadlift naturally sits at about 440 lbs after years of training. I can push it higher with focus but it doesn't improve my quality of life. It's actually fun doing bicep curls and benching from different angles. I hit front squats 1x week, deadlift 1x a week and that's fine with some open trapbar lunges and unilateral open trap deadlifts. I don't psyche myself up and I deload regularly when things stop being fun. I keep an AMRAP final set sort of like Wendler or Greyskull do and that's fun.
Was going to say that I finally invested in a cheapish cambered Swiss bar for my benching and its saved my shoulder. I don't think I'll ever bench much more than 250ish again, but I'm Ok with that. Have always preferred weighted dips as my strength movement.
As a 38 year old with two kids, lifting has become much more important and less important at the same time. The process and space keeps me more or less functioning mentally, and I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never be svelte again but I can still be strong enough to feel good about my capabilities.
Here's the issue: most people are afraid to ask to work in, I'm very sorry to say. Second, for supersets to work, you have to get the timing just right.
At least in my building gym, a significant annoyance with working in is that everybody has their candy-colored Beats headphones playing death metal or murder podcasts at skull-rattling volumes. It's hard to overcome.
Totally agree about the social aspect. ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AT A TIME in the shared gym.
Agreed, although whenever I hear the phrase “the greater good,” I think of “Hot Fuzz”…
I think of Frozone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2qRDMHbXaM
Finally, a hot topic on which we can all agree.
It’s also an excellent spectator sport
Hmm. What follows is blatant whataboutery but . . . what about cardio instead? And when I say cardio I actually mean mountain biking. Anyone in South West London looking to hit the trails give me a shout!
I look at lifting weights the same way I do running or bike riding. If I am not being chased by a bear or Bobcat, I live in the country, why run? If I need to go somewhere, no bicycle, drive the car; and if I lift weight, it's either a fork with a cut of steak or a Warsteiner Dunkel.
Otherwise, what's the point?
A part of me wishes to be like you. The trouble is that a) I'm vain, b) I take an inordinate and probably unhealthy amount of pleasure out of being big (6'2ish and 240ish), and c) my medications ensure I'm heavy and have a belly, and for a guy one of the best ways to be fat but still attractive is by also having big muscles.
Plus it's an adaptation to our modern lifestyle, while we still are wired to move all day, that's just not possible for everyone. Also, I will say as somebody who does move all day doing physical work, working out is a good supplement- the same way pro athletes also train in addition to just playing their sport. Lift on!
As I said, I live in the country, have some acreage on which I take care of 25 dogs, 14 wolf-hybrids and 11 rescues, 3 horses and 2 cats. My place is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains so as I do my daily chores I go up and down hills throughout the day.
So I get a great deal of exercise each day, but I am not wasting energy, I'm being productive in accomplishing real things. And it's that satisfaction that enables me to be so humble.
.
It's easy being like me :) One way is to be as humble as I am, I'm quite proud of my humility quotient. I take pleasure in being a little lighter than norml, in the height of me youth I was 5'11" but gravity is doing its number on me so now I'm hovering around 5'10.5" and I think the most I ever weighed was 150 lbs which happened one day after I got stuck in a winter rainstorm and my 5 layers of clothes were soaked through. Since covid I started taking a few vitamins, but I hate taking pills so that's usually the low point of my day.
Have you ever thought about increasing your humility quotient to the point where your pride in your humility self-obliterates, becoming subsumed into that deepening and all-encompassing quotient? I imagine someone that humble would have such a slight manner that he might pass through the world undetected by other people.
Wow, I'm humbled that you asked.
You see, it's already starting.
Uh oh, PRIDE ALERT!!!! It appears you are patting yourself on your back, taking credit for something that started 65 years ago.
Read 1 John 5:21 my friend.
The post-workout sense of accomplishment can't be beat.
I would say My workout motivation breaks down into the following categories, if I’m being honest:
70% mental health benefits
20% vanity
9% physical health benefits
1% so when the bear does chase me, I’m in good enough shape to run
Agree, run from the bear but run to the beer!
Now that I'm in my late 30s, it's like 20% mental health and 80% not feeling like achy, sluggish garbage all the time. (I'd say vanity if exercise made me thinner, but sadly it does not)
I've read lots of articles/books on weightlifting, and have watched hours of videos, but not one of them has ever explained what's the best workout so I can get strong enough to cry in front of other men!
Thanks for sharing this part of your life, and I hope the shoulder improves. I have to nurse my shoulders as well, esp. since I'm a carpenter and need them to make a living. Also getting over a torn meniscus in the knee. I'm 58. It's clarified the years long voice in the back of my head that my exercising now needs to focus on the question "what do I want my body to be able to do" rather than what numbers I can hit or how I look. My first thing in the morning routine involves 15-20 min. of warming up my body, esp. shoulders, hips, etc. no matter what my day holds.
Sniffles are acceptable at a 4 plate deadlift. Tears at 5.
Why don't gyms have chairs to sit on in-between sets? I understand that there's an aesthetic involved in hanging off the equipment even when you're not using it but only using it when you're using it would solve so many problems.
people need to burn the extra 3 calories from standing instead of sitting, makes all the difference
My gym does. It's an olympic weightlifting gym, though; maybe they're more sensible.
I just want to say that perhaps the thing I value the most about your blog is its breadth of topics. Foreign policy, Modest Mouse, and weightlifting in one week (plus Elden Ring on Twitch) is not something I feel I could find on any other blog I read regularly, and I appreciate the hell out of that.
Wait'll you see tomorrow's (subscriber-only) post!
Ruh-roh ;-)
Great now how I am supposed to sleep Freddy
Yeah, but you were still right last week
[Russia invades Ukraine on nonsensical premises]
FdB: If you think about what Russia said, a lot of it is true. Anyway, war is bad, I guess. To ask me to comment further upon the situation is demeaning. Here a list of every bad thing the United States has ever done.
[a guy uses two weight machines on a busy night]
FdB: This aggression will not stand.
I'm not gonna have this discussion blow up here too, and I'll ban you if you insist. I gave three posts to you all to mischaracterize what I was saying (I literally never said anything about what "Russia" is saying) but I'm not going to have this comment section be a permanent free-for-all. You have been warned.
Freddie is too polite. This sort of bullshit (off topic pointlessly cynical point scoring) does not belong here. Go back to twitter please.
I don’t lift weights, at least not voluntarily. (I’m a 76 year old woman. I ride horses.) But from the experience of my younger friends and my descendants, I urge you to be VERY CAREFUL with that shoulder. Unlike hips and knees, shoulders are very intricate, fussy joints, and there is no quick fix if they get bunged up. And carpel tunnel, don’t even get me started. There are a lot more ways to get more injured, but only one cure: rest.
Heartily agree. I had a shoulder problem and went to one of the two or three best shoulder guys in New York City. I was lucky, he fixed it. But along the way I got to study the joint: very complex.
As it happens, I got bounced off a jury due to my shoulder knowledges. A guy was suing the MTA because a bus was in an accident and the guy hurt his shoulder. In the voir dire, one of the lawyers asked me, well suppose an expert told you there were three main tendons in the rotator cuff — could you accept that? I said no, because I happen to know there are four. They bade me adieu: Score!
Is this my favorite substack or what. NEVER boring.
I use my apartment building's (rather large) gym so I almost never encounter this problem. And I am a fan of supersets. Then, the other night, I ran into this exact problem! Exacerbated by her having a ten minutes long discussion with a friend and then stopping to take a phone call. This piece lands VERY differently now!
If you'd like to use this blog to do investigative journalism, you could solve the mystery of how half the small plates always migrate to one single station.
I think most people use supersets just to save time, for example, cable curls and lat raises so that the biceps can recover while the lateral head of the deltoid is working. Taxing the same muscle in different ways on shorter rest is probably a niche use of this strategy
FWIW, you see a bit of these kinds of bench press/ deadlift supersets in the CrossFitish strength community, mostly in pursuit of full-body high volume strength and metabolic conditioning dual training. The extent to which it works is not really for me to say, but there's some long standing titans of the industry who have advocated for it. Bobby Maximus comes to mind.
Also, I looked everywhere, including the linked post from December, but can't find WAMOW anywhere. Any help?
Worry About My Own Workout, which is the personal form of Worry About Your Own Workout. Might only be in a piece linked there, can't remember.
I finally have a good enough gym set up at my house where I'll never need to go to a commercial gym again if I don't want to. In the past I'd always programmed non competing super sets with antagonistic muscle groups. This was in an attempt to be efficient. Now that I have my own place, I've finally embraced a sort of lift and chill RPE style of training with 5 min+ breaks on the days I need them. I've given up on supersets and just focused on quality. This is the first time in my life that my upper body looks stronger than my lower body. It's done wonders for my bench. Also allows me to read between sets and not feel pretentious.
That brings me to point #2. I'm not a powerlifter. I'm from that generation of people who got into lifting just as starting strength 2nd or 3rd edition came out. It's taken me a long time to get over my initial biases instilled by Rippetoe. I don't actually care how heavy my squat or deadlift is past a point. My deadlift naturally sits at about 440 lbs after years of training. I can push it higher with focus but it doesn't improve my quality of life. It's actually fun doing bicep curls and benching from different angles. I hit front squats 1x week, deadlift 1x a week and that's fine with some open trapbar lunges and unilateral open trap deadlifts. I don't psyche myself up and I deload regularly when things stop being fun. I keep an AMRAP final set sort of like Wendler or Greyskull do and that's fun.
Was going to say that I finally invested in a cheapish cambered Swiss bar for my benching and its saved my shoulder. I don't think I'll ever bench much more than 250ish again, but I'm Ok with that. Have always preferred weighted dips as my strength movement.
As a 38 year old with two kids, lifting has become much more important and less important at the same time. The process and space keeps me more or less functioning mentally, and I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never be svelte again but I can still be strong enough to feel good about my capabilities.