Godfather of bodybuilding Charles Glass recently shared a back superset. Charles Glass is one of the most respected bodybuilding coaches in the industry and has earned the nickname ‘Godfather of bodybuilding’ due to his huge impact on the growth and evolution of the sport. Glass routinely shares insightful training tutorials and guides across all social media handles and has shaped many professional as well as personal bodybuilding and fitness journeys through his vast knowledge base.
Having a strong back is important to improve the quality of life. A strong back allows a person to perform daily activities. It also protects against injuries and probable nagging health conditions that can have a significant impact on an individual’s prospects of achieving things in life. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Charles Glass shared a back superset and advised everyone to try incorporating it in the back workout.
What are supersets?
A superset is performing two different exercises back-to-back with very short rest periods in between. Traditionally it is preferred to perform all the sets of one exercise on a given day before moving to the next exercise. In a superset, the individual performs the first set of exercise B after the first set of exercise A before performing the second set of exercise A.
The total output and the number of sets are usually the same in the traditional method and a superset. However, performing exercises in rapid succession with minimal rest periods reduces the total workout time. In turn, the short rest periods increase aerobic intensity.
Seated Bent-over rows on the machine and lever barbell bent-over row superset
Charles Glass advised to include the superset of seated bent-over rows and lever barbell bent-over row in the workout for back gains.
The veteran bodybuilding coach explained that performing bent-over rows while being seated allows a shorter range of motion but gives maximum contraction in the back. This results in a fuller central back portion. When asked if the same workout can be performed with dumbbells, Charles Glass said the following:
“No, because with dumbbells, you get to stretch more. I don’t want to stretch. I want to keep all that concentration right in the center of the back.”
Charles Glass did not discuss the exact number of rounds of this superset. However, in this particular video, his associate performed three rounds of the superset with minimal rest periods between the sets.
Workout sequence
- Seated Bent-over rows set 1
- Lever barbell bent-over row set 1
- Seated Bent-over rows set 2
- Lever barbell bent-over row set 2
- Seated Bent-over rows set 3
- Lever barbell bent-over row set 3
Courtesy of Charles Glass’s YouTube channel, you can watch the full video here:
