Q: You’ve mentioned supersetting a large muscle group and a small one within a 4X sequence. Like back and triceps or chest and biceps. But didn’t Arnold and some of the other Golden Era bodybuilders superset chest and back for old-school mass?
A: Yes, but they did not take short rests between sets. In fact, going from bench presses to rows takes a lot out of you and a rest of at least 1 1/2 minutes is required just to get your breath…
Some strength-training experts like Charles Poliquin recommend two to three minutes before moving to the next round. And he often prescribes a bit of rest after the first exercise to refocus and to catch your breath.
Arnold did not rest between his chest and back exercises; but he did rest between supersets.
Of course, the amount of rest you’ll need will depend on the size of the muscles. You may not need much if you are supersetting biceps and triceps, for example.
For more on the 4X training method, see the 4X Mass Workout:
Till next time, train hard–and smart–for BIG results.
–Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
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