Based on expert advice from Mike Julom (ACE-certified trainer) and Mr. America Jason Kozma.

A training method from the 1970s, pre-exhaust supersets target muscles with a two-step approach. Designed to maximize fatigue and growth, this method aims to address one of the pitfalls of traditional lifting.

During compound lifts, our smaller muscles (synergists) fatigue faster than the main target muscle (agonist). However, this technique aims to ensure the target muscle is fully exhausted without being limited by smaller, supporting muscles. 

"The idea is basically to get the target muscle to feel the struggle during big lifts," Mike Julom said as per Men's Journal. Yet, not every target muscle group is best suited for Pre-exhaust Supersets. Bigger muscle groups such as the chest, back, and quads respond the best to this approach. Here's a breakdown:

For chest and arms:

• Pec deck, and then bench press,
• Cable curls followed by supinated chin-ups. 

For calves and legs:

• Leg extension and then squat, and
• Seated calf raise, and then perform a standing calf raise, 

For triceps and back gains:

• Triceps pushdown followed by triceps dips
• Dumbbell pullover, and then pull-ups.

For the shoulder and arms:

• Cable lateral raise, and Arnold press,
• Preacher curl followed by a barbell curl

“I pre-fatigue my chest by doing flyes first and my quadriceps and hamstrings by starting with leg extensions and leg curls before moving on to squats, leg press, and Romanian deadlifts,” said former Mr. America Jason Kozma.

However, it's important not stretch your rest periods for too long while following this approach. Rest for 10-15 seconds before starting the next exercise for the same muscle group. The recovery time between each pair must be less than 1 to 2 minutes. 

For this pre-exhaust training method, Arthur Jones designed resistance machines such as the lateral raise/shoulder press, leg extension/leg press, and pec fly/chest press machine.  These machines reduce the time spent moving between machines.

However, before following the pre-exhaustive superset approach, you need to know what to avoid.

Some Common Pre-exhaust Supersets Mistakes

While the method is straightforward, several common mistakes can undermine your workout. For instance, people sometimes get confused and mix up muscle groups, ultimately performing workouts that do not target the area they wish to train.

According to Mr. America Jason Kozma, “Sometimes, you’ll see guys doing biceps exercises before back, or triceps before chest. This ruins the mind-muscle connection with the main muscle”.Another mistake is starting with lifts that are too heavy at the beginning.

According to Mike Julom, the founder of ThisIsWhyImFit.com, “[Guys] usually go too heavy on the first exercise and kill the muscle before the compound movement even starts. The point is to wake up the muscle, not k*** it”.

It's also not the best approach for newbie lifters. "It’s not something I recommend for beginners... People should learn how to actually move and feel the lift first," said Julom.

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi