What Are Supersets?

Supersets are a form of resistance training where you perform two different exercises back to back with little to no rest in between. Usually, the two exercises target different muscle groups, but they can also target the same muscle group from different angles.

For example, you could do a set of bicep curls followed immediately by a set of tricep extensions to work opposing muscle groups. Or you could do a set of bench press followed immediately by a set of chest flyes to target the same muscles in different ways.

Conversely, you can also perform the isolation exercise (fly) before the compound exercise (bench press) to ensure the target muscle (chest) fails first. This is called the pre-exhaust technique, and you can apply it to other muscle groups, including the shoulders, as I’ll explain.

Benefits of Supersets

Supersets are a great way to increase the intensity of your workout by performing more work in less time. You can also save time and can complete your workouts faster by reducing rest periods.

Additionally, supersets challenge your muscles in new ways by pinpointing specific areas and tapping into hard-to-stimulate muscle fibers.

• Increase workout intensity
• Shorten workout duration
• Isolate and target specific muscles
• Exhaust muscle fibers completely

Shoulder Anatomy

To understand how to use supersets effectively in shoulder workouts, it helps to have a basic understanding of shoulder muscle anatomy.

The shoulder or deltoid muscle is comprised of three parts called the anterior, lateral, and posterior heads. Each of the three deltoid heads moves the arm through different angles or movement planes.

The anterior or front delt primarily lifts the arm to the front and helps during pushing movements. The lateral or side delt is most responsible for arm abduction or raising away from the body to the side. Finally, the posterior or rear delt rotates the arm externally and assists in pulling movements. 

With this in mind, we can unlock how supersetting shoulder exercises helps target specific deltoid heads.

Shoulder Superset Exercises

The anterior deltoids on the front of the shoulders get worked extensively during compound pressing movements. As a result, they are often more developed than the side and rear delts and don’t need as much attention.

When using supersets for shoulders, we can address imbalances by pairing two exercises that target weak or lagging areas of your shoulders. Specifically, we can use the pre-exhaust technique to increase side and rear delt activation on compound exercises.

For example, rear delts are notoriously challenging to activate because secondary muscles like the biceps, upper back, and traps take over. To remedy this, I suggest performing a rear delt isolation exercise immediately before the compound exercise.

For instance, you can do a rear delt fly followed by upright rows. Likewise, I recommend programming lateral raises before a shoulder press movement to make the side delts fail sooner than the front delts.

However, it’s also vital to perform each exercise correctly to elicit muscle adaptation. So here are some pointers for performing the major shoulder exercises.

Shoulder Superset Workout Examples

In the following sections, I’ll show you two example shoulder superset workouts using different exercises and equipment. This way, you can choose the workout that fits your gym setup and preferences.

Finally, I’ll include a third workout using a combination of machines and free weights for what I would consider the ideal shoulder superset workout.

Free Weight Shoulder Superset Workout

For this shoulder superset workout, you only need a few basic free weights like dumbbells, barbells, and plates.

The first superset is a dumbbell lateral raise followed immediately by a dumbbell or barbell military press. Each exercise can be done either seated or standing, depending on your equipment and preferences.

After the first superset, rest for at least one minute or as long as you need to catch your breath. Then, perform two more sets in the same fashion.

The second superset is a dumbbell rear delt fly followed immediately by a dumbbell or barbell upright row. Again, rest until you catch your breath and perform a total of three supersets.

The last exercise is barbell or dumbbell shrugs without a superset and is optional.

Barbell/Dumbbell Shoulder Superset Workout Example

1. DB Lateral Raise + DB or BB Overhead Press
   • 3 supersets, 8-12 reps each
2. DB Rear Delt Fly + DB or BB Upright Row
   • 3 supersets, 8-12 reps each
3. DB or BB Shrug
   • 3 straight sets, 8-12 reps

Machine Shoulder Superset Workout

For this next shoulder superset workout, you will use machines commonly found in most commercial gyms.

The first superset is a cable or machine lateral raise followed immediately by a machine or Smith machine shoulder press. After the first superset, rest for at least one minute or as long as you need to catch your breath. Then, perform two more sets in the same fashion.

The second superset is a machine rear delt fly on the pec deck followed immediately by a cable or Smith machine upright row. Again, rest until you catch your breath and perform a total of three supersets.

The last exercise is the Smith machine shrug without a superset and is optional.

Machine Shoulder Superset Workout Example

1. Machine Lateral Raise + Smith Machine Shoulder Press
   • 3 supersets, 8-12 reps each
2. Machine Rear Delt Fly + Smith Machine Upright Row
   • 3 supersets, 8-12 reps each
3. Smith Machine Shrug
   • 3 straight sets, 8-12 reps

“Ideal” Shoulder Superset Workout

If you have access to both free weights and machines at your gym, you can select the best exercise for each movement. I have also included some specific exercise variations for maximum deltoid activation.

For example, the machine lateral raise is ideal for keeping tension on the side delts throughout the range of motion. Then, follow that immediately with a dumbbell shoulder press.

The next superset is a dumbbell rear delt fly with a cable face pull. I recommend bringing the dumbbells over to the cable station so you can perform the exercises back-to-back with no rest, which really stimulates the posterior delt.

Finally, you can finish off your shoulder workout with the Smith machine shrug or another variation of your choosing.

Mixed Equipment Shoulder Superset Workout Example

1. Machine Lateral Raise + Dumbbell Shoulder Press
   • 3 supersets, 8-12 reps each
2. Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly + Cable Face Pull
   • 3 supersets, 8-12 reps each
3. Smith Machine Shrug
   • 3 straight sets, 8-12 reps