Exercise order affects the total training volume and the ratings of perceived exertion in response to a super-set resistance training session

Sandor Balsamo^1–3, Ramires Alsamir Tibana^1,2,4, Dahan da Cunha Nascimento^1,2, Gleyverton Landim de Farias^1,2, Zeno Petruccelli^1,2, Frederico dos Santos de Santana^1,2, Otávio Vanni Martins^1,2, Fernando de Aguiar^1,2, Guilherme Borges Pereira⁴, Jéssica Cardoso de Souza⁴, Jonato Prestes<sup>4

1</sup>Department of Physical Education, Centro Universitário UNIEURO, Brasília, ²GEPEEFS (Resistance training and Health Research Group), Brasília/DF, ³Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, ⁴Graduation Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB), Brasília/DF, Brazil

Abstract: The super-set is a widely used resistance training method consisting of exercises for agonist and antagonist muscles with limited or no rest interval between them – for example, bench press followed by bent-over rows. In this sense, the aim of the present study was to compare the effects of different super-set exercise sequences on the total training volume. A secondary aim was to evaluate the ratings of perceived exertion and fatigue index in response to different exercise order. On separate testing days, twelve resistance-trained men, aged 23.0 ± 4.3 years, height 174.8 ± 6.75 cm, body mass 77.8 ± 13.27 kg, body fat 12.0% ± 4.7%, were submitted to a super-set method by using two different exercise orders: quadriceps (leg extension) + hamstrings (leg curl) (QH) or hamstrings (leg curl) + quadriceps (leg extension) (HQ). Sessions consisted of three sets with a ten-repetition maximum load with 90 seconds rest between sets. Results revealed that the total training volume was higher for the HQ exercise order (P = 0.02) with lower perceived exertion than the inverse order (P = 0.04). These results suggest that HQ exercise order involving lower limbs may benefit practitioners interested in reaching a higher total training volume with lower ratings of perceived exertion compared with the leg extension plus leg curl order.

Keywords: resistance training, super-set method, ratings of perceived exertion, total training volume