Superset: Good for all muscle groups?

I recently read an article posted on this site about doing a superset routine for the pecs:

4 sets flat bench 4-6 reps followed immediatly with cable crossovers to fail
4 sets incline dumbell press, pushups to fail
4 sets flat fly, dips to fail

I tried it and it seemed to work well, maybe too well im afraid. I did my flat bench last and almost killed myself when i tried to do about 3/4 of my normal weight. In fact I struggled to press half my normal weight. Just wondering if this is normal after such a routine or if I should switch the order or what. Also wondering if supersets are good for all muscle groups, or just one at a time.

Thanks

I hate to say it, but this routine probably won't work too well when it comes to seeing gains. Sure, it'll make you feel like you've really hit your chest hard, and I'm not surprised that you couldn't lift you normal amount of weight- You're basically fatiguing the hell out of your muscles with a workout like that. The best way to build muscle is to overload it, not fatigue it- Resting in between sets is essential to give your muscles time to recover so they can complete the next set with the same heavy weight. Check out the Max OT thread at the top of the training forum, it'll change the way you look at working out. I've been using Max OT for months now, and to tell the truth, I don't even feel tired at the end of a workout. I feel like I can lower the weight and get plenty more sets out at the end of every workout, but remember, the only way to get big gains is to lift a weight that you can only perform a low amount of reps with. A lot of times, I don't even feel pumped, and most of the time I don't feel sore the next day- But I stuck to the program, and I've seen amazing results from it.
Other than that, I've always seen supersets performed between two seperate muscle groups, usually ones that oppose each other- For chest, you would superset with back exercises- After a set of bench presses, you would do some bent over rows, after a set of incline presses, perhaps some lat pulldowns... Supersets are a great way to change up your workout once in a while, but I would never do them every workout. Check out that thread on Max OT, download the manual (I know it's long, but it's worth the read) and let us know what you think.
Hope this helps!

Man.. cpl pretty much covered it all. I was going to say that fatiguing your muscles you'll never get to the overload stages. Like you said, you did 3/4 the weight and barely could finish it off.

Supersets are good for a switch up.

I think the listed routine above is a bit much. Overkill. I think it would be normal to be doing a lot less weight and feeling burnt after the sets.

I'd do something like flat bench followed by push-ups. 2 sets max. You can also superset opposing muscle groups like bicep curls followed by tricep pushdowns.

Tom Venuto, the guy who writes Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle also did an article on How to Build More Muscle in Less Time with Supersets. I respect his opinions. He's a good guy. Give that article a read for a little more information.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com