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How do superset weight training and a high protein diet affect your Body Fat? Obesity is a disease that is the root cause of various other diseases. In yesteryears, obesity was on the rise, and it prevailed in the entire world, whether it was a developed or underdeveloped country. With the increase in obesity and its notorious health effects, many people came forward and started giving weight training. There seems to be a decline in the rise of obesity in the past few years.
There are many ways to control obesity and reduce body fat and weight. Nutritionists and gym instructors recommend superset weight training and high-protein diets to people who weigh over 200 lbs. However, this weight training is not only for obese people. People who are overweight and wish to reduce can also opt for it if they don’t have any underlying issues. We wrote this article using one of the case studies from Universitas Pendidikan, Indonesia. This study’s primary purpose was to determine the effects of superset weight training, along with a high protein diet, on the body fat of obese adult men.
They carried out this study on 30 overweight men who were members of the VIP Fitness Centre. Fifteen members were in the experimental group, and 15 were in the control group to monitor the difference. This article will discuss the effects of superset weight training and a high protein diet on men’s body fat. So keep reading if you want to learn about superset weight training and a high protein diet.
What is superset weight training?
Superset weight training is strength training in which you have to switch from one exercise to the next exercise with no break. You don’t get to rest in between the exercises. Usually, people take a brief break to sip water or have a breather. But with supersets, you don’t get to do that. It’s a back-to-back exercise with no break, which eventually strengthens your body, muscles, and stamina.
Squares are based on repetitions in weight training, commonly known as reps. Reps are the number of times you perform one exercise in a go. For example, you are doing ten bicep curls in one go. Also, this is a set of 10 reps.
A superset will be one set of 10 bicep curls along with a set of 10 triceps extensions. You can perform many combinations of exercises in superset weight training. The number of reps keeps increasing as your body gets used to the stress and agility.
Types of supersets
A superset is mainly of two types, i.e., opposing muscle group supersets and the same muscle group supersets. The mechanism of both types is different, and they yield different results. Therefore, you cannot expect both types to give you the same result. Let’s have a look at the two types of supersets.
Antagonist Muscles –
As the name suggests, this superset works on two body parts in one go. So, for example, you will work on your upper body in one set and swiftly shift to your lower body when done with the first set. A ubiquitous combination is the bench press followed by the leg press.
In the bench press, lift the weight while lying on a bench with your feet on the floor. The leg press is a weight training exercise in which you have to push away weight with your legs. It strengthens the legs’ muscles and helps build up resistance and stamina.
Protagonist Muscles –
These supersets are the complete opposite of the first type we discussed. In this type of superset, the focus is on the same group of muscles. Back-to-back exercises are performed as combinations with no break on the same body part.
This superset enables you to focus on one part of the body at a time and strengthen it. One example of this type of superset is squats and quadriceps extensions. This superset combination will focus on your legs, hips, abdomen, and lower back. Finally, there are various other supersets that your trainer can suggest to you according to your body requirement.
This case study gauges the difference between superset weight training and a high protein diet in an obese adult man. As per the study, a person is declared overweight when his Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 25-30 kg and declared obese when the BMI is over 30 kg. Lack of physical activity and consuming high-calorie food in excessive quantity cause obesity.
The Research Study
The study subjects were 30 overweight men who were members of the VIP Fitness Centre. They all had fat levels of over 20%. They further categorized them into two groups: the experimental and control groups, with 15 men in each group. Both groups were treated for six weeks. They gave the experimental group superset weight training thrice a week. They did the weight training in sessions, starting from the lower body, upper body, and whole body. On the other hand, they made the control group do weight training twice a week with exercises according to their physical requirements.
The experimental group’s diet was based on a high protein nutritious diet. The diet was based on 40% proteins, 30% carbohydrates, and 30% fat. In contrast, the control group was free to eat anything. As a result, they calculated twice the body fat percentage. The first test was performed before starting the treatment, and they did the second after receiving treatment for six weeks.
The method used to measure the body fat percentage was Tanita BC -418MA. It is a process where gender, age, height, and body type are entered manually. They made the subjects stand on eight electrodes on bare feet for 10 seconds. Then, the body fat percentage would appear on the screen.
The result of the study was quite startling. Before starting the treatments, the results of both the experimental and the control groups were the same. The second test result showed that the t-count of the control group was 9.83, and the experimental group was at 11.58. The experimental group showed more body fat reduction than the control group.
Advantages of Supersets
Every exercise has its advantages and disadvantages. We have learned about the supersets. Now we will learn about their advantages and effects on men’s body fat.
Save Time –
Superset weight training saves time by reducing the interval between the two exercises. In addition, it enables your body to adapt to fitness in a lesser time. So if you think you don’t have 1-2 hours in a day to go to the gym and shed those extra pounds and inches, supersets are here to help you out.
With supersets, a workout session of 25 minutes will do the job for you. Discuss with your trainer, and 25 minutes of superset session three times a week will be enough to make your body fit.
Boost Metabolism –
Supersets help to boost your metabolism. Supersets help to burn calories faster. Also, this is because the increased amount of exercise in a lesser time helps build up more muscle. When you add muscle, you increase your metabolism. In addition, as the heart rate increases during the workout, calories continue to burn even after completing the workout because of the metabolic rate boost.
Muscle Growth –
Supersets help in boosting muscle production. The production of lactic acid increases in the body because of supersets. This increase in lactic acid helps the muscles shape up and maintain strength. In addition, supersets make the muscles more active, further increasing their endurance. People who want to improve their strength and muscle mass should try supersets.
Fat Loss –
Supersets are primarily for those whose primary focus is on shedding the extra fat deposited on their bodies. Therefore, people who wish to lean and tone up their bodies should opt for supersets. The higher intensity of supersets results in burning fat faster. People who want rapid results should go for supersets to get fit in less time than cardio.
Variety –
Doing the same exercises every day can get boring. There comes a time when people lose interest in working out and seek a change. Supersets can build up a good routine with a variety of exercises.
You can switch to different supersets’ combos if you feel there is a monotony in your workout sessions and your weight loss is at a halt. Also, a variety of exercises will keep you motivated and keep you interested.
What is a high protein diet?
A high protein diet is a diet where you have to consume high proteins and eliminate carbohydrates. Also, a high protein diet aims to consume lesser calories through proteins. Carbs contain more calories that add up to weight and fat in the human body. Proteins have saturated fat and lesser calories.
People who wish to reduce weight usually opt for a high protein diet. Foods high in fiber and protein felt full longer without adding much to the calorie intake. High-protein diets comprise large portions of proteins and a tiny amount of carbs so that the body does not deprive of the energy it requires to workout.
Advantages –
Trainers mostly recommend high-protein diets worldwide as they help make the weight loss process easy. They have many benefits; we mention a few of them below:
Burns Calories –
High-protein diets help to burn more calories. As proteins disburse more energy during the digestion process, it burns off calories. Also, this is known as the thermic effect. Though some carbohydrates have the same amount of calories, proteins still take the lead in the thermic effect and burn calories.
Reduces Appetite –
A high protein diet helps in reducing and controlling hunger. How does it happen? Protein increases the appetite-reducing hormones like CCK, PYY, and GLP-1. It also reduces the hunger hormone known as ghrelin. Also, the trick to controlling your appetite is to eat in portions.
It would be best to take smaller high-protein snacks between the main meals. Also, this helps in keeping your stomach full and reducing the urge to eat untimely. For example, you can have low-fat yogurt or a protein shake that helps you stay full until it’s time for your enormous meal. Low calories and high-protein snacks will help control the appetite and satiety, and there will be less hungry when it’s time to eat lunch/dinner.
Burn Fat –
High-protein diets help to burn fat and build lean muscle. In addition, a high protein diet helps in boosting metabolism, which further helps in burning more calories. When superset weight training is combined with high-protein diets, they help build muscle and burn fat.
Weight Loss –
They report that a high protein diet helps boost metabolism, which lessens calorie intake. As a result, the body loses weight instantaneously. But what is more important after losing weight is to maintain weight loss. A slight increase in protein intake helps in managing weight. A study proved that an 18%-20% increase in protein intake would reduce 50% chances of weight regain.
Repairs Cells –
Proteins work as a building block for the tissues and muscles. However, because of hard-core superset weight training, the muscles can feel weary, and in some extreme cases, they get injured. In such scenarios, the intake of more proteins helps speed the recovery of the muscles and tissues.
The Last Word on Superset Training
The study proves that superset weight training and a high-protein diet help reduce body fat percentage and weight. The study determined that weight training solely can reduce body fat percentage by up to 2.06%. In comparison, superset weight training and a high protein diet reduce body fat percentage, i.e., up to 4.15%.
Combining superset weight training with a high protein diet is ideal for obese men to reduce body fat and weight loss. They observed better results when obese men opted for a high protein diet with superset weight training. It takes around 6-7 weeks for a body to show results of superset weight training combined with a high protein diet. Finally, to reach your target weight and size, you have to be consistent with your workout training and diet.
