Compound Sets: How They Work and When to Use Them

Compound sets are two exercises back-to-back for the same muscle group, with little or no rest between them.

Example chest compound set:

1. Bench Press
2. Machine Chest Fly

Both exercises hit the chest, usually with the goal of fatiguing the muscle from more than one angle.

Compound Sets vs. Supersets

A superset is also when you do two exercises back-to-back, but they don’t have to train the same muscle.

Supersets can combine the same muscle, but they can also mix and match freely.

The most common type of superset is the antagonist superset, where you combine opposing muscle groups, like biceps + triceps, or chest + biceps.

Antagonist superset:

1. Cable Curl
2. Triceps Pushdown

Same-muscle (agonist) superset:

1. Squat
2. Leg Press

And that leg superset is also a compound set. Both exercises hit the quads and glutes, and the second exercise keeps the stress on the same muscles.

But a superset can also mix completely unrelated muscles.

So, a compound set is basically a specific type of superset: two exercises, always the same muscle group.

Trisets and Giant Sets

A triset is when you do 3 exercises in a row. They can hit the same muscle, related muscles, or completely different muscles.

Shoulder triset example:

1. Lateral Raise
2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3. Reverse Dumbbell Fly

A giant set means doing 4 or more exercises in a row. They’re usually for conditioning or metabolic stress. And to save time.

For example:

1. Bench Press
2. Incline Dumbbell Press
3. Cable Fly
4. Push-Up

Compound Set Cheat Sheet

The biggest difference between these types of special sets is the number of exercises and whether they hit the same muscle group or not.

Benefits of Compound Sets?

So, are there any benefits to compound sets?

Well, they save a lot of time, and you get an awesome pump.

The first is big. A superset session can be close to 40% faster than the same number of sets done the old-fashioned way.¹

That’s the difference between a workout and no workout if you’re short on time.

The second – the pump – well, it feels great.

Muscle Growth

Compound sets probably don’t build more muscle than regular straight sets.¹

Most superset studies don’t look at compound sets specifically, but in general, supersets are as effective as traditional sets, but not more effective. As long as we’re comparing the same number of total sets.

Some researchers speculate that they might help build more muscle mass because they build up more fatigue, but that hasn’t been tested in any studies.²

In other words, they likely build the same amount of muscle, but in less time.

And that’s not half bad. A 40-minute workout that you have time for is infinitely better for muscle growth than a skipped 60-minute workout.

What About Strength?

As for strength, straight sets likely have the edge.³

For maximal strength gains, you want to be fresh and do clean reps with heavy weights.

Compound sets inevitably work against you here. They hamper your performance on the second exercise because you carry fatigue into it.

That’s not automatically bad for building muscle, but it does mean fewer reps and lighter weights (and possibly worse technique), all of which are suboptimal for strength.

They work, but not 100% as effectively as straight sets with plenty of rest.

Track Your Compound Sets With StrengthLog

Compound sets and supersets are super easy to track in our free workout log app, StrengthLog.

You can download the app for free with the buttons below.

You’ll also find 100+ great workouts and programs, plus the best way to log your training and make sure you’re on the right track.

Final Rep

Now you know what compound sets are: a type of superset where you train two exercises in a row for the same muscle group.

Do you have to use them? Nah. But they do help you get more work into a shorter workout, which is a big deal if time is the limiting factor.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your training.

Want more?

Listen to episode 45 of The Strength Log podcast, where Daniel and Philip talk about the best ways to save time in the gym, and yes, they include compound sets/supersets.

And subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get notified of new articles and get weekly training tips!

Last reviewed: 2026-06-12

References

1. Sports Med. 2025 Apr;55(4):953-975. Superset Versus Traditional Resistance Training Prescriptions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Exploring Acute and Chronic Effects on Mechanical, Metabolic, and Perceptual Variables.
2. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34(1):p 65-72, January 2020. The Effects of Superset Configuration on Kinetic, Kinematic, and Perceived Exertion in the Barbell Bench Press.
3. J Strength Cond Res. 2024 Aug 1;38(8):1372-1378. Efficacy of Supersets Versus Traditional Sets in Whole-Body Multiple-Joint Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial.