Home workout guide: How supersets can ramp up your fitness

Bradley Simmonds, a personal trainer to celebrities and Instagram followers alike, is a huge fan of superseries.

A form of strength training that involves performing two exercises back-to-back (bicep curl and tricep press) effectively doubles the amount of work you’re doing in the same amount of time.

It’s high intensity, and you’ll need to channel Bradley’s “Do It” mantra to get the most out of it.

What to give it a try? Here, Bradley suggests some moves to try with dumbbells.

Bicep curls and triceps extensions

Bradley says, “Together, these will strengthen the front and back of your arms.”

For the bicep curl: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping your elbows tucked in close to your ribs, shoulders relaxed, bend your elbow and lift the weights so that the dumbbells reach your shoulders. Lower the weights with control to the starting position. Act for ten.

For the triceps extension: ‘Move straight down to the mat, on your back with your legs bent. Hold the dumbbells straight up over your chest, shoulder-width apart. Bending only your elbow, lower the weights, bringing them to your earlobes, then raise them back to the starting position. Perform for ten. ‘Rest. Repeat this circuit three times.

Oars tilted towards tail flies

Bradley says, “These two key exercises strengthen your upper back muscles and target your rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, and rear deltoids.”

For the row: ‘Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and twist at a 45-degree angle, chest parallel to the floor, core engaged. Pull the dumbbells up at a 90-degree angle bringing them to your hips, then lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Act for ten.

For the fly: ‘Moving straight into the fly, allow the weights to hang down. Raise the dumbbells up and to the side, while keeping your elbows gently bent and squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top. Lower the weight down. Perform for ten. Rest. Repeat this circuit three times.

Deep Squat Reverse Lunges

Bradley says: ‘Doing this together will help you build a stronger lower body as it builds your glutes and quads and challenges your core stability. Both of these exercises will also help strengthen your hamstrings, which is the secondary muscle group that works.

For the squats: ‘Support both dumbbells on your shoulders with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and engage your core. Send your hips back and bend your knees to lower as far as possible with control. Keep your chest up. Press through your heels and come back up. Perform 10.’

For reverse lunges: Moving straight into these, stand tall with both dumbbells at your sides. Step or lunge back with your right foot, dropping your body down as you go and keeping the weights at your sides. From the lunge position, push back up to the starting position. Repeat on the other leg. Perform for 10.

‘Rest. Repeat this circuit three times.

Romanian Sumo Squat Deadlift

Bradley says, “These are great for building a stronger lower body, focusing on building strength and muscle in the hamstrings and glutes.”

For the deadlift: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Put weights in front of your pelvis and begin to rotate at the hips; remember to keep your spine in a neutral position and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you go. Keep the dumbbells close to your body and lower them to your shins. Maintaining a neutral spine, drive through your heels to fully extend your hips and through your knees to come back up, squeezing your glutes at the top. Act for ten.

For sumo squats: ‘Once the deadlift is done, move your feet into a wide stance with your toes pointing out and hold the dumbbells between your legs. Keeping your weight in your back heels, begin to lower your hips and bend your knees into a wide squat. Go as deep as you can. Get back on your feet driving from your heels. Perform for ten.

‘Rest. Repeat this circuit three times.

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