How do you like your eggs in the morning?

You know the song says "how do you like your eggs in the morning?" etc well following it up and having eggs for breakfast can help you lose fat, gain muscle and stop you from taking in extra calories later on in the day. First eggs are full of vitamin D with 20% of your RDA per egg, they optimise your fat burning, protect your bones and boost your immune system. Eggs are also great for muscle building. With 6g of protein per egg 2-3 will kick start your metabolism and fill you with vitamins and minerals from the yolk first thing. Lastly eggs are brilliant for losing weight as studies show that having eggs for breakfast stops you craving carby, starchy foods later on in the day. Try scrambled, poached or boiled eggs on wholegrain toast for breakfast or if you fancy something different a Spanish omelette will really fill you with plenty of vitamins from all the veg in there too.    

Gym Jargon

If your new to the gym or are not sure about things people are on about it can get confusing. Here are a few things that you might hear in the gym and you may think "what does that mean?":

Rep - This is doing the exercise once like performing one press up. Nice and easy to start.

Set - This is a multiple amount of reps. So if you do 8 press ups then stop that is one set.

Concentric phase - This is the lifting part of a lift. The concentric phase is the hardest part so the push in a bench press or pulling the bar to your chest in a bent over row.

Eccentric phase - This is the lowering phase in a lift. This is usually the easiest part but going slow on this phase will really help your gains.

1RM - If you see this on a sign or on someones workout it means 1 rep max. Simple really. The maximum amount you can lift on that exercise.

Anabolic window - This is the hour after a workout when your body is most responsive to building muscle so getting a source of protein in that hour as soon as your workout finishes is crucial.

Superset - Performing two exercises back to back is known as a superset. There are many different types of supersets. If you want to know more then check out my supersets blog.

These are a few of the many things you may hear in the gym but if you hear anymore then leave a comment or contact me and I will get back to your to help you with your query.

Slow and steady wins the race

When you lift tempo can be key to building lean muscle. The reason is that the longer a muscle is under strain the more damage it does to the tissue making it grow back bigger and stronger. This known as time under tension of the muscle. So if you regularly hit the gym but have started seeing your gains slow and you do your reps as quick as you can then this might be the problem. What can you do about it? Slow down! This is especially important for the eccentric phase or the lowering phase. The way you lift can also depend on your goals. It has been shown in studies that lifting quick will increase you calorie burn by 10% but you won't cause as big a breakdown of your muscles. If you are training for muscle I would recommend a 3120 tempo. This is 3 seconds for the eccentric phase, 1 second rest at the bottom, 2 seconds up and a no rest at the top. To build strength and power a the tempo mainly used would be 4010. This mean that your power comes from the explosive 1 second, or less, concentric (pushing or pulling) phase. Varying your tempo can also be a great way to get over a plateau in your training. Just mixing up such a simple thing can really help you reach your goals quicker. To avoid plateau's you can mix up your tempo each week to keep your body guessing and growing back bigger and stronger.

Your 6 pack guide

Everyone wants a six pack and to get it there is no point just doing endless crunches. They won't get your anywhere. To get your 6 pack you need to first remove the layer of fat sitting over the top of your abs. Then you need to stimulate the muscles with complex core busting moves. Your 6 pack is made up of mainly your transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques.

Transverse abdominis are major players in getting a lean and ripped looking 6 pack is to train the TA. This muscle sits behind your rectus abdominis and acts as a corset which holds your organs in and when trained gives you a leaner looking gut. It also protects your spine at the same time and strengthening the muscle will improve your strength in not just abdominal moves but also big lifts like the squat, deadlift and bench press. To train your TA use the plank and dragon flyes to really work that core and use big moves like the squat and deadlift too because when your core supports you in these moves the TA is trained at the same time.

The rectus abdominis is the bit everyone wants to see. This is your 6 pack muscle that runs from your rib cage to your pelvis. It isn't actually seperate muscle but just a single muscle seperated by tendons. To get this to show your need to reduce your body-fat % and also train the muscle with a variety of moves. A key more is the barbell rollout. This moves stretches the muscle and put it into a weak position so it will have to grow back stronger to support your next time.

The external obliques handle any movement of twisting, rotation etc like swinging a racket or bat or throwing a punch. Keeping these lean, in men especially can be crucial to getting the abs your want as men tend to store fat around this area. Get yours into shape with wood-choppers and cable rotations.

To finish the internal obliques are a diamond in the rough. These act as shock absorbers and protect your spine and core when you twist too quick. They also help raise your diaphragm up and down to help with breathing so training these are crucial. They will be hit with rotations and wood-choppers but add some side planks in their too to nail them hard then leave them to rest. Otherwise breathing for the next few days might be a bit achy.

When high GI can help

High GI foods get a lot of bad rep but there is one time when they can be helpful to us. High GI foods like white bread, white rice and white potatoes release their energy quickly and this can be a problem if you consume often, even in small portions. The reason being is that when they release their energy it is sent to the muscles to give them energy but if you don't use it then it will get stored as fat, nine times out of ten, around your abdomen. The only time to use these carbs then are either before or after training. If you consume them before you will feed your muscles the energy they need before a workout to power you through. Consuming them after will really enhance your recovery. How? The energy released will cause an insulin spike which will flood your muscles with protein to help them recover quicker and refill your glycogen stores for your next workout. To maximise the potential of these carbs consume them with protein to really give a super kick to your recovery period. I advise a jacket potato with tuna or buy an all in one shake as neither are high in fat but will give you the protein and carbs you need to really boost the growth and repair of your muscles. If you have whey protein powder then have it with a banana or even try blending the two together to make your own banana protein shake.

The magic of beans on toast

The classic, filling lunch can be a great way to help you reach your goals and build muscle. How you ask? Beans are full of slow release carbohydrates, fibre and protein to keep you full and burning muscle all day whilst giving you slow release energy to beat the mid afternoon slump. The magic of beans on toast really kicks in when you pair it with two pieces of wholegrain toast. The reason being that when you compare the amino acids in half a tin of beans compared to a sirloin steak the steak holds double the amount of aminos as the beans. This changes dramatically when you put half a tin on two pieces of wholegrain toast (the stuff with the seeds in) the beans then beat the steak in the amino race. The reason this helps is because amino acids are the base of protein in your muscles so upping the intake of foods in these will help you recover quicker and stop catabolism (the breakdown) of your muscles. So for a great start to the day or to aid your recovery look to beans on toast as a new muscle building meal.

Why women should do weights!

Yes ladies you read correctly. Women should do weights. Why?
It will get you a leaner and fitter body much quicker. How?
When you lift weights you raise the speed of metabolism for up to the next 72 hours which means your body is burning more calories than what it would do naturally. This then results in more calories burned and we all know you ladies love to count your calories. Also lifting weights increases your lean muscle tissue which will permanently increase the speed of your metabolism. And don't worry ladies. Lifting weights won't mean you will become a bodybuilder. A female doesn't have enough testosterone like a male to increase muscle tissue so you needn't worry about growing massive biceps. So to get a leaner body then stay to short cardio under 20 minutes and incorporate a weights circuit into your workout 2-3 times a weeks to keep the intensity up and the calories burning.

German Volume Training

Here is a blog for those who are struggling to put on size. German Volume Training is a guaranteed way of putting on size and muscle. Famous in NFL squads to add size during the off season, German Volume Training is the perfect way to add size. FAST! So how does it work. German Volume Training involves you taking one exercise for a body part and doing 10 sets of 10 reps at 60% of your 1RM. You pair two different muscles and then superset the exercises to really work you. This will really push you and while you may not feel it at the start you definately will be at the end. There are many ways to split the programme up but here is a rough idea. With the programme make sure you rest a day in between workouts and leave 5-7 days before doing the same workout again.

Day 1: Chest and Back

Flat Dumbbell Presses - 10 sets of 10 reps
Superset with
Chin Ups - 10 sets of 10 reps

Incline Dumbbell Flyes - 3 sets of 10 reps
Superset with
Bent Over Row - 3 sets of 10 reps

Day:2 Rest

Day 3: Legs and Abs

Barbell Squat - 10 sets of 10 reps
superset with
Straight leg deadlift - 10 sets of 10 reps

Hanging knee raise - 3 sets of 10 reps
superset with
Calf Raise - 3 sets of 10 reps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Shoulders and Arms

Dips - 10 sets of 10 reps
Superset with
Incline Dumbbell Curl - 10 sets of 10 reps

Lat raise - 3 sets of 10 reps
Superset with
Upright Row - 3 sets of 10 reps

Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Light cardio if you want or rest

Quick Hunger Busters

Here are a few quick hunger busters to keep the hunger pangs at bay:

1. Apples - Their fibre will keep you full in between meals and the sugar will stop you picking into the biscuit tin later.
2. Peanut butter - Their healthy fats and protein are great to keep you going and pair with an apple to really give you a top snack.
3. Oatcakes - Compared to ryvita or rice cakes oatcakes have low GI, slow release energy powers to keep you full up and stop a carb crash later on in the day.
4. Almonds - These again are like the peanut butter with their protein to keep you full but they have less saturated fat if your really looking to cut up.
5. And last but not least - Green tea. Yes not a food but green tea is a great hunger buster to swap your normal cup for a great hunger buster and fat burner.

Are you actually hungry?

Most of you might be thinking yes but in fact this post is about whether you are actually hungry or is your body thirsty. The reason being that many of us don't drink enough water and as the body is 70% water we need to keep our levels topped up. When our bodies are thirsty sometimes we mistake it for hunger and we eat. The problem is your not actually hungry but your body wants fluids so we eat and use the fluids in the food to fill ourselves. This can then cause excess, unnecessary eating which can lead to weight gain. So next time your hungry try drinking some water and see how you feel after. Another point to make is that your body needs water to function properly especially if you partake in exercise. The reason being that if we are dehydrated by just 2% you will feel tired and lose strength and endurance in the gym. Also the body needs water to aid the transportation of vitamins and minerals around the body to aid those workouts and help us recover after a session. So to make sure your on top of your game and drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day. If you don't want to carry a big bottle around then put 4 elastic bands on a bottle. Once you have drunk one bottle take one band off and put it on your wrist. Then re-fill the bottle and as soon as all 4 bands are on your wrist you have drunk your 2 litres. Anything more is a bonus.

Legs - The bodies natural growth hormone

Every gym has what I like to call an ''upside down triangle man''. These are the blokes with a big chest, broad back, cannon ball delts but no legs and they look silly because as soon as they wear shorts their lower body looks tiny. You will hear them saying "I want more size. I want bigger biceps" etc but they won't ever get any bigger because they don't work their legs. Your legs are the biggest muscles in your body and every time you work them they release big growth hormones into the body giving your muscles an anabolic state to work with. This then means that when it releases these hormones it feeds the other muscles being worked making them grow bigger and stronger. The result? A bigger, stronger, leaner body. Working your legs doesn't just mean you will get big. If you are looking for a leaner look then working your legs will help you burn more calories, resulting in reduced body fat and more lean muscle by increasing your metabolic rate. So don't shy away from leg work in fear you will have tree trunks thighs the next day. So no matter what your goal is working your legs will get you there a lot quicker. For the best way to get these hormones firing the body incorporate squats, dead-lifts and lunges into your next workout as these compound moves work all of your leg muscles burning more calories giving your better results.

Hit the hay

You might be dieting hard and sweating endlessly in the gym but still not be seeing gains and the time you go to sleep or the amount of sleep you get might be effecting this. When you train your body needs rest to grow and repair and when you sleep this is multiplied even more as your body releases hormones to repair those muscles that have been worked. The best results are seen for 7-8 hours worth of sleep with a minimum of 6 being what you need. Also hitting the hay before midnight will double the amount of hormones released making your recovery time and gains happen quicker too. So for those of you that feel your doing everything right but your still struggling then have a think about what time you go to sleep and how many hours your getting and how this could be effecting your true potential in and out of the gym.

More than mirror muscles

Many guys who want to get in shape want 3 things. 

1. Big arms

2. Big Chest

3. Ripped abs

The problem? You have muscles in your back too and not training them as hard or harder than these mirror muscles can have detrimental effects on your bodies overall strength and look. You've seen the lad who come in the gym and bench, then bench some more. Well next time you see them look at their posture and you will notice the way they stand reminds you of a gorilla. This is because all that bench work and not enough chest work has wound their chest so tight it rounds their shoulders and gives them a hunchback posture. To avoid this you need to work your back the same amount or slightly more and you also want your chest and back to be of equal strength or your back be stronger if you can. This will help to draw those shoulder back to where they should be and avoid injuries that can come with overstretched back and rear shoulder muscles. Also if you have a slight hunched posture it is important to get this sorted before you start to work on your chest, again to prevent injuries and give you a taller, broader posture. The other part to this is that you want to make sure you stretch you muscles to prevent them from tightening up after your workout. 

Beat the stress to beat your gut

We all get stressed in life but too much stress could be the reason you  are not achieving your fitness goals or reaching your full potential in and out the gym. You might have a perfect plan that changes every 6-8 weeks and you might have a set 7 day diet plan that would get anyone ripped but if your stressed these won't get you the body you want. Stress causes the release of cortisol in the body which causes fat to store around your abdominal region and can cause chronic diseases in the long run and it can also weaken your immune system making your prone to illnesses too. So to beat your gut for the summer your need to beat stress and relax. The only time stress might be useful is to get angry in the gym. Getting angry has been shown to increase strength in the gym but apart from this stress is a big no. So make sure you leave it in the gym and leave calm, relaxed and stress free for the ultimate stress free summer.

Rotator Cuff - A must work muscle

A lot of people performing shoulder, chest, back or even tricep and bicep exercises don't realise the importance of their rotator cuff muscle in their shoulder. The rotator cuff is the local muscle in your shoulder which provides stability and damage or injury to this muscles can affect any type of lifting exercise. The most common types of injury are impingement or eve tears of the rotator cuff. These tend to happen in athletes that throw like baseball pitchers, cricketers, American football quarterbacks or athletes that use a lot of shoulder work like swimmers. Without protection though these injuries can happen to weightlifters and bodybuilders or even general gym goers because of the general wear and tear to the tendons without strengthening the area. If you are ever unlucky and do get an injury to this muscle you will lose strength and may not even be able to perform some exercises like bench presses, pull ups, rows and of course shoulder exercises. To safeguard your shoulders you need to strengthen the rotator cuff. The best exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff are any exercise where you externally rotate the shoulder. The best examples are side lying external rotations or standing cable external rotations so get yours in for lifelong healthy shoulders.  

The Importance of correct form

Keeping correct and safe form is very important in any form of exercise you do. Not performing an exercise with correct form can result in muscle imbalances and even worse injuries. The main thing I see in the gym are people wanting to lift heavy, going to lift heavy then cheating or using improper form to make themselves look big and strong. These are the people that then go and get injuries and are sidelined for weeks from the gym. The main piece of poor form I see are on bicep exercises particularly barbell curls or dumbbell curls. When performing these exercises you see people leaning back or swinging their arms and gaining momentum to lift the weight. This shows terrible form and proves the weight is too heavy for you too lift. The answer....GO LIGHTER!!! Another reason that poor form won't help you is because if you cheat when you lift then you cheat your muscles and they won't grow. The best tips to make sure you lift effectively are to make sure you follow these points on any exercise:

1. Don't arch your back unless you want back problems in later life.
2. Don't strain your neck unless you enjoy neck ache.
3. Don't rock your body to gain momentum otherwise you are cheating your muscles.
4. Breath when lifting, otherwise you will cause your blood pressure to rise, causing you to feel light headed.
5. Use full range of motion to enhance your flexibility and the time and range your muscles are under tension.
6. Focus on the muscles you want to work on and make sure you feel it in those muscles.
7. And lastly only increase the weight on an exercise by small amounts so that none of the other 6 points apply. 

Superfood 5: Blueberries

The last one of your superfoods is blueberries because these little fruity snacks boost brain power. This is thanks to their antioxidants and flavanoids. These little numbers mop up the nasty cells that will damage DNA cell walls. Also they will lower bad cholesterol. This is due to the fibre in blueberries and they also encourage your body to burn fat by triggering hormonal changes in the body. The last thing is that blueberries can help you look younger due to their polyphenols which act as an antioxidant. So make sure your summer fruit salad contains plenty of fruit this year for a better looking and feeling body.

Superfood 4: Garlic

During those winter blues garlic can be your best friend. This is because it helps to fight the common cold due to its natural antibiotics. Garlic contains powerful antibacterial properties, anti yeast and anti-virus properties so stock up on yours in dishes like bolognese or add too your pizza toppings. Also it has anti cancer fighting cells like broccoli and it will also boost your mojo. Not a bad reason to chuck it into dishes to spice things up.

Superfood 3: Broccoli

Today is about Broccoli! The super veg. Broccoli can reduce your risk of heart disease if cooked properly. Don't overcook it basically. When you overcook it, broccoli loses all its nutrients including thioredoxin which protects heart cells from damage so to get the best from your broccoli then stir fry or steam lightly for five minutes. Broccoli also helps to lower blood pressure. It contains the vegetable protein glutamic acid which lowers hypertension. Broccoli  also has cancer fighting effects too so remember to get yours in three times a week if you can.

Superfood 2: Yoghurt

Yoghurt is the way to go. Have it on deserts or by itself with a pinch of cinnamon and you have yourself a great snack. Yoghurt firstly will help promote fat loss. this is due to the calcium reducing fat cells storage ability so the fat you do consume will be used as an energy source. Stay away from the Muller corners, even the fruit kind, and just get fat free Greek natural yoghurt. It also strengthens your immune system too by increasing a protein that will activate immune cells and boost the production of virus fighting antibodies. Lastly yoghurt contains protein so it is great as a snack to keep getting your protein hit throughout the day.

Superfood 1: Eggs

This next 5 blogs will cover 5 major superfoods that will aid your training, fitness goals and general health.

Today's superfood are Eggs.

Eggs are a great source of protein and your body will use 94% of the protein in an egg to aid your tiring muscles. A typical egg holds 6g of protein so they make great snacks in between meals or 3-4 in a meal will really do you a big favor. The high protein will also mean they keep your hunger at bay. Eggs will also protect your eyesight due to their antioxidants and due to the vitamins and minerals in the yolk they will help to maintain good hair, skin and nails. So for strong muscle building and a good look to go with it then forget egg white omelettes and get that yolk in too. 

The Big Myth!

To get a 6 pack you need to do sit ups right? Wrong! Sit ups don't even work you abs. They work your hip flexors. Everyone has a 6 pack...FACT! The problem with not being able to see it is that little layer of abdominal fat sitting over the top. The best way to move this and build you abs at the same time is doing weights and HIIT. These too together will burn more calories than thousands of sit ups and if you incorporate weights in they will keep your body burning calories up to the next 72 hours. To burn these calories though don't start doing bicep curls. You need big, compound moves to work those muscles to the max. The deadlift, squat, bench press, bent over row and military press will burn the most calories and earn you a solid core in no time and paired with high intensity interval training you will be seeing that beach body in no time!

Are you exercising too much?

Exercise alot? Still feel tired and lethargic? Then exercising too much could be your problem. Many people go to the gym and some believe 5, 6 or even 7 is the best way to get in shape. The problem is that if you pound away at your muscles and never give them a chance to rest how will they grow back better and stronger? They wont! I believe that unless you live the lifestyle of a model or a bodybuilder you shouldn't workout 3 days in a row. Every 3rd day take a rest and at the weekend treat yourself, relax, watch dvd's and eat pizza! This will let you unwind, stop you stressing and will help to give your metabolism a big kick if you have been eating clean and healthy Monday to Friday. The other problem is that you might not be eating enough. People who want to lose weight tend to cut calories, especially carbs from their diets. The problem is that doing this while going to the gym means you are burning so many calories you have none to fuel your day. To combat this don't avoid carbs but make sure your eating low GI carbs like wholegrain bread, wholegrain brown rice, brown pasta, sweet potatoes and porridge oats over the white refined versions. This will fuel those big workouts and give you the energy you need to keep you going.

Healthy foods making you fat?

Rice Cakes - They are supposed to be your healthy snack but with a high GI index there raise your blood sugar levels making you hungry sooner and not filling you up. Swap them for oatcakes to give you a slow release source of carbohydrates to keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Cereal bars - Most of these are full of sugar and fat and not even the good kinds of fat. Swapping these for a piece of fruit like an apple will fill you up a lot more with its fibre and give you plenty of vitamins.

Fruit Juice - For those trying to lose weight this is a definate no. Fruit is good for you but fruit juice is full of sugar and will cause weight gain around your midriff.  Fruit juice has also been found to contain more sugar than the actual fruit does itself.

Salad Dressing - Containing plenty of saturated fats and empty calories make your salad healthier with a little drizzle of olive oil or just enjoy it by itself to make sure your post meal isn't undoing your hard effort put into your gym sessions.

Saturday Night Calorie Savers

After a long hard week everyone looks forward to a takeaway. Here are a few rules to follow when eating out so you can enjoy your food and still be healthy.

1. Don't go for creamy or cheesy sauces. Go for tomato sauces and you will be saving yourself a ton of calories.
2. Go spicy. Spicy food will speed up your metabolism meaning you will burn more calories. So ditch the korma, man up and get that jalfrezi piling up!
3. Avoid anything deep fried or swimming in fat and if you having rice order steamed or boiled over the fried versions too.
4. If you have a starter, opt for lean meat sources like tandoori chicken if you at the Indian. Giving you plenty of protein as well this will fill you up before you main meaning you wont be tucking into nan bread as well.

Supplement Your Goals

To get the most from your training you have to have 3 key aspects. These are training, nutrition and supplementation. Supplementation can provide extra benefits to your training and get you to your goals quicker.  There are many supplements out there and today I will go over the basic but most effective one's to aid your training and fitness goals.

1. Whey Protein - The cheapest and most effective way to get extra protein in without bucket loads of cash going out. To keep building muscle you need to feed your body 6 times a day and try to base each meal with a source of protein. Shakes are convenient as you can have them as a snack in between meals and they are alot easier to consume than a meal. Anyone who is trying to gain muscle should be taking in a shake within 20 minutes of finishing their last rep in a workout. This is the anabolic window when protein will get to your muscles twice as fast and start the growth and repair procedure meaning you will recover quicker for your next session.

2. Creatine - Creatine is the most advanced way of increasing strength gains within your body. Creatine is naturally found in food but supplementation can speed up the rate that the body adapts to new stimulus meaning that if you keep your body guessing and use creatine you will grow bigger and stronger, quicker.

3. BCAA's - BCAA's are branched chain amino acids. These are the 3 amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine and they create a third of the essential amino acids in muscle protein and 40% of the required amino acids by humans. This supplement is a must if you train over one hour as it will prevent catabolism of your muscle if you do train over an hour. They also help you recover quicker and help preserve your energy during workouts and they are a must for anyone who trains on a regular basis.

4. Omega 3 - Omega 3 supplements are brilliant to aid training and reach your goals. One of the main things that makes them so good is that they will help you get your good fats and they have also been shown to increase lean muscle and reduce body fat levels. They are easy to consume as they come in pill form and they save you having to take in lots of oily fish which can also cost a lot too. Taking omega 3 will also help joint and skin health as well so you will keep your joints safe as your muscles grow and your body adapts to a new and better you.  

How Long is too Long?

Are you spending hours in the gym and still not seeing gains? Then the amount of time in the gym could be the key to a better body. If you spend hours in the gym you are most likely undoing the hard work you do in the first hour. The reason is none of us really have the lifestyle of a bodybuilder or a professional athlete as we work etc. So we can't train, then eat and rest, then train more because of time. If you train for 2 hours then during the second hour your body will go into a catabolic state and start to eat your protein and potentially muscle for fuel. This is because you will have used all your fats and carbohydrate stores up for that specific time and you body will need another energy source. So when you are going over an hour for your workout you are not gaining anything! The best way to protect yourself against this is to make your workout shorter. Do this by keeping your workouts more intense, shortening rest time ( no longer than 90 seconds in between sets) and once you have setup your next exercise get on with your first set straight away. If you try this and still find your 15-20 minutes over the hour mark then I will talk about supplements to help your goals including a special one to protect you against catabolism and increase your strength gains and lean muscle.    

Supersets

If your stuck in a hole or short for time then superset your workout.

Supersets are performing two exercises back to back. You can do this for the same body part or opposite body parts which is called antagonistic supersets. 

Same Set can then be divided into pre exhaust or post exhaust. Pre exhaust is tiring a muscle with an isolation move before then moving onto doing a big compound move. This will make sure you take the muscle to complete failure as you will start to use supporting muscles to help once the targeted muscle has completely failed. Post exhaust is the opposite as you will do you big compound move first then finish it off with an isolation move to push it beyond its boundaries. 

Antagonist sets are working opposite muscle groups so you would do a chin up for your biceps followed by dips for your triceps. This means whilst one muscle rests the other will work. It will also work your muscles hard in a short amount of time if you need a quick session. 

People doing supersets have shown to boost there strength gains a lot quicker than people who just do single set workouts. And they save themselves a lot more time!