Supersets and circuits
A superset is two exercises done back to back, resting only after the second. A circuit is the same idea with three or more. Both let you fit the same work into less time, which matters when the gym is busy or your lunch break is short.
Done well, they cost you nothing. Done badly, they make both exercises worse. The difference is in what you pair.
How a superset works
Do a set of the first exercise, go straight to the second and do a set of that, then rest. That is one round. Repeat for as many rounds as you have sets.
Say a session has 3 sets of rows and 3 sets of bench press, with 2 minutes' rest after each set. Done one after the other, that is about 12 minutes of resting. As a superset, rows then bench, rest, rows then bench, it is about 6, and each muscle still gets a long break, because while you bench your back is resting.
What pairs well
The best pairs use different muscles, so one rests while the other works. Opposite movements are the classic choice: a push with a pull (bench press and row, overhead press and pull-up), or a front-of-the-arm move with a back-of-the-arm move (curls and triceps pushdowns).
Upper body with lower body works too, such as lunges with a pulldown, as long as the second exercise doesn't tire the grip or core you need for the first.
Pairing two exercises for the same muscle, like bench press then push-ups, is a different tool. It makes the muscle work much harder in a short time. It suits muscle building on accessories, but your second exercise will be weaker than normal.
Keep your heaviest lift of the day out of supersets. Give squats, deadlifts and heavy presses their full rest, then superset the accessories that follow.
Circuits
A circuit runs three or more exercises in a row, often for the whole body, with rest only at the end of each round. With light to moderate weights and short rests, a circuit raises your heart rate and becomes part strength work, part conditioning.
Circuits are a good fit for busy days, home workouts with little equipment, and conditioning at the end of a session. They are not the best way to build maximum strength, which needs heavier weights and longer rests.
Making it work in a busy gym
Set up both exercises before you start, close together, so you aren't walking across the gym between them. Dumbbells, cables and bodyweight moves are easiest. Two pieces of equipment on opposite sides of a crowded gym is a recipe for losing one of them.
Supersets in Durata
In a workout or in the session editor, open the ⋮ beside an exercise, choose Superset, and tick the exercises to pair it with. You can tick more than one, which makes a circuit. The group shares a letter, and in a workout the partner exercise shows as up next after each set. When the rest timer ends, Durata moves you to it. Auto-Advance in Settings, Rest Timer, sets how far that goes.
Every set keeps its own rest. Give the sets of the first exercise a short rest and the last exercise the full rest, and the timer follows the round.
Common questions
What is a superset?
Two exercises done back to back with no rest between them, then a rest after the second. It fits the same work into less time.
What exercises are good to superset?
Exercises that use different muscles, such as a push with a pull (bench press and rows) or biceps with triceps. One muscle rests while the other works.
Do supersets reduce strength?
Not when the two exercises use different muscles. Keep your heaviest lift of the day out of supersets and give it full rest.
What is the difference between a superset and a circuit?
A superset is two exercises in a row. A circuit is three or more, often for the whole body, with rest only at the end of each round.
Put it into practice
Durata is free to use — 50 proven programs, automatic progression, rest timers and PR tracking, all on your phone.