Calisthenics Supersets: Effective Workouts to Build Strength and Endurance

Calisthenics supersets are a powerful way to elevate your workout by combining multiple exercises with minimal rest. This workout will help maximize efficiency while increasing muscle endurance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Let’s explore the benefits of calisthenics and some great superset combinations you can add to your workout. 

What Are Calisthenics Supersets? 

Calisthenics supersets are an advanced training technique in which you perform two or more calisthenic exercises back-to-back with minimal rest between sets. They’re a popular way to maximize workout efficiency and help make your standard workout more aerobic. 

Calisthenics supersets typically target opposing muscle groups, like the chest and back, to stimulate muscle growth in a shorter time and help increase the number of calories burned during your workout (1). 

Is Supersets Good for Calisthenics? 

Yes, supersets can benefit calisthenics, depending on your fitness goals.  

• Improved Efficiency  

Supersets allow you to perform more exercises in less time by removing pauses between sets while allowing the muscles some rest time to prepare for the next set as you perform another exercise that utilizes a different muscle group.

• Enhanced Muscle Endurance 

Since supersets involve performing back-to-back exercises with little rest, they can help build your muscle endurance, leading to improved stamina over time.

• Improved Cardiovascular Fitness 

The intensity of performing one exercise after another will elevate your heart rate, helping to turn your standard workout into an aerobic routine that can have numerous health benefits and burn more calories (2). 

• Increased Intensity 

As mentioned, performing the exercises back-to-back will make your workouts more intense. High-intensity workouts are perfect for breaking through barriers and plateaus in your training. If you feel you’re not getting anywhere in the gym, a few weeks of calisthenics supersets can help turn things around.

• Balanced Strength Development 

Since calisthenics uses body weight and supersets target opposing muscles, consistently working out in this manner can lead to balanced muscle growth throughout the body, minimizing muscle imbalances and reducing the risk of injury (2). 

• Variety and Engagement 

Supersets can be a great way to add variety to your workout and prevent boredom, making you more likely to complete your workouts and stick to your goals. 

List of Supersets 

Performing calisthenics supersets at home can be a great way to get into shape or maintain your fitness level without requiring an expensive gym membership or purchasing equipment. There are many exercises to choose from, and you can combine them in different ways to create supersets that will help you reach your goals. Mastering the right calisthenics sets and reps can further enhance the effectiveness of your superset combinations (3). 

Calisthenics Supersets for Beginners 

• Push-ups + Bodyweight Rows (Upper Body) 

• Plank + Superman (Core and Lower Back) 

• Lunges + Step-Ups (Legs and Glutes) 

Strength Supersets 

• Pull-Ups + Dips (Upper Body) 

• Hanging Leg Raises + Plank (Core Strength) 

• Handstand Push-Ups + Incline  Push-Ups (Shoulder and Chest Strength) 

Chest Superset Workout 

• Standard Push-Ups + Diamond Push-Ups 

• Decline Push-Ups + Wide Push-Ups 

• Incline Push-Ups + Chest Dips 

Calisthenics for Strength 

• Pull-Ups + Dips (Upper Body Strength) 

• Pistol Squats + Bulgarian Split Squats (Lower Body Strength) 

• Bodyweight Rows + Archer Push-Ups (Push-Pull Strength 

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How to Increase Reps in Calisthenics 

Increasing the number of reps you can do in calisthenics requires a combination of strength-building and endurance training. You will need to push your limits consistently to gradually increase the difficulty and volume of your exercises and perform more repetitions at the starting weight. Performing calisthenics to failure can be a great way to do that (4).

Read more: Calisthenics Workout for Arms: 8 Must-Have Exercises for Upper-Body Strength

Calisthenics and Weight Training 

Calisthenics and weight training effectively build strength, muscle mass, endurance, and overall fitness. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, and combining them can offer a balanced, versatile approach to wellness that provides the best of both worlds.

Calisthenics 

Calisthenics involves bodyweight exercises focusing on pushing, pulling, squatting, and holding static positions. This form of exercise uses your body weight for resistance rather than an actual set of weights. Common calisthenics exercises include push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats, lunges, leg raises, and planks (5). 

Pros 

• can do anywhere
• focuses on real-life functional movements 

• helps build a strong and stable midsection 

Cons 

• difficult to isolate specific muscles 

• may eventually become less challenging 

Weight Training 

Weight training involves using external resistance, such as dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or resistance machines, to build strength and muscle mass. Standard weight training exercises include deadlifts, rows, bench presses, and lat pulldowns (6). 

Pros 

• easier to apply progressive overload by gradually increasing the resistance 

• allows for the isolation of specific muscles 

• easier to track progress and see improvements 

Cons 

• requires equipment 

• more risk of injury 

• might reduce flexibility if you forget to stretch

Are Supersets Good for Building Muscle? 

Yes, supersets can be effective for building muscle, though their impact depends on how you use them within a workout program. Supersets will increase intensity, improve blood flow, and keep your muscles under tension longer, which can help you break through plateaus and keep your body from getting used to your routine.

However, supersets can also tire you out, reducing your ability to put maximum force behind some of the heavier lifts, which might reduce your ability to build muscle (7). Due to this, rest intervals throughout the week will be crucial to ensure that your muscles are correctly recovering before your next workout. 

Which Muscle Groups to Superset Together? 

Opposing Muscle Groups 

One of the most common ways to perform supersets is to choose exercises that target opposing muscle groups. These muscle groups work opposite directions, so one rests while the other works (7).

• Push-ups (chest) + Pull-ups (back) 

• Bicep Curls (biceps) + Triceps Dips (triceps) 

• Leg Extensions (quads) + Leg Curls (hamstrings) 

Same Muscle Group 

Pairing exercises that target the same muscle group is a more intense approach designed to exhaust the muscle fully, which can help promote growth (7). 

• Bench Press (upper chest) + Chest Fly (inner chest) 

• Pull-ups (upper back) + Rows (mid-back) 

• Squats (quads) + Lunges (quads and glutes) 

Upper Body and Lower Body Supersets 

Upper body and lower body supersets are another popular routine that allows you to hit some of the muscles harder before fatigue sets in, and they can help you feel like you got a more complete workout (7).  

• Push-ups (chest) + Squats (legs) 

• Pull-ups (back) + Lunges (legs) 

• Overhead Press (shoulders) + Deadlifts (legs and glutes) 

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Push and Pull Supersets 

Push and pull supersets are similar to opposing muscle group exercises and will pair many of the same exercises (7).  

• Bench Press (chest) + Barbell Row (back) 

• Overhead Press (shoulders) + Pull-ups (back) 
• Squats (quads) + Deadlifts (hamstrings)

Core and Other Muscle Groups 

Incorporating core exercises into supersets with other muscle groups ensures that your midsection gets worked regularly without requiring separate core-focused workouts (7). 

• Plank (core) + Push-ups (chest) 

• Russian Twists (core) + Dumbbell Rows (back) 

5 Effective Calisthenics Supersets for Muscle Growth 

1. Push-Up + Pull-Up 
2. Dips + Bodyweight Rows 
3. Pistol Squats + Bulgarian Split Squats 
4. Chin-Up + Hanging Leg Raise 
5. Decline Push-Up + Diamond Push-Up 

Should You Superset Push-Ups and Pull-Ups? 

Yes, you can and should superset push-ups and pull-ups, especially if your goal is to improve strength, build muscle, and enhance workout efficiency. You work opposing muscle groups by alternating between these two movements, leading to more balanced upper-body strength (8). 

Do Supersets Burn More Fat? 

Yes, supersets can help burn more fat than traditional sets due to their ability to increase workout intensity and boost calorie burn, resulting in fat loss. Combining strength training and minimal rest periods in supersets can also help boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn calories throughout the day (9). 

Read more: Calisthenics Exercise Routine To Elevate Your Fitness Level

What Are the Disadvantages of Supersets? 

• Performing exercises back-to-back with minimal rest can lead to faster fatigue, especially for beginners.

• Supersets are great for endurance, hypertrophy, and fat loss, but they may not be ideal for building maximum strength because, compared to traditional strength training, you can’t lift as heavy or exert as much force. Strength development also needs rest periods between lifts; this does not typically happen with supersets. 

• Supersets can be overwhelming for those new to strength training. 

• Beginners may also struggle with the high cardiovascular demand of supersets, which can lead to early fatigue and reduced workout effectiveness. 

• As you move quickly from one exercise to another without rest, the quality of your form may decline, particularly during more technical exercises. This fatigue can ultimately lead to injury and prevent any progress you were hoping to make.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can a superset have 3 exercises?

Yes, a superset can include three exercises, and fitness pros usually refer to it as a tri-set. They are similar to supersets but add a third exercise to increase workload intensity, target more muscle groups, and maximize efficiency (2). 

• Which type of superset is best?

The best type of superset depends on your specific fitness goals. Different superset structures can target muscle growth (hypertrophy), fat loss, strength development, or endurance. For instance, an opposing muscle superset can help balance muscle definition and strength, and a same-muscle superset will improve muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness (10).

• How many reps for supersets?

The number of reps you need for your supersets depends on your goals. A lower number of reps with heavier weights will help increase strength, while a higher number of reps at lower weights will help with muscle endurance and cardiovascular activity (1). 

• Is it OK to combine push and pull days?

Yes, combining push and pull exercises in the same workout is perfectly fine. Doing so creates a type of superset popular with many fitness trainers. It helps you work on contrasting muscle groups, allowing one group to rest while the other works (2). 

The Bottom Line

Calisthenics supersets are an excellent tool for anyone looking to enhance their workout efficiency, improve strength, and build muscle endurance. Whether you’re a beginner starting with simple bodyweight exercises or an advanced athlete looking to push your limits, incorporating supersets into your routine can help you achieve a more balanced, intense, and effective workout that can help you push through the plateaus and burn more calories.