What Muscle Groups To Workout Together?

Muscle Groups

What does a strong body mean to you? Bodybuilding means strengthening the smaller layers of muscle around and beneath the larger muscles in the body. The goal is to have as strong a body as possible.

Bodybuilding is the development of the body using diet and exercise for a healthy lifestyle. Bodybuilders combine cardio workouts with targeting specific muscle groups. This burns fat as well as building muscle for an optimally defined body.

Trending now is trainers who work two to three muscle groups in one session. The reasoning is that since you’re bench pressing and doing deadlifts anyway, those muscle groups are getting targeted, right?

The best way to work out muscle groups simultaneously confuses lots of bodybuilders. The truth is that there is no “best” way to do it. Factors such as how long you’ve been bodybuilding and your schedule determine which should be worked out.

You also need to make sure you are putting emphasis and performing only the right exercises to achieve your desired goals.

Beginners should learn the basics of strength training and the Biology of different exercises, workout routines and how they can be utilized together to produce the best results.

This is going to be more beneficial than just lumping together a bunch of different exercises all into one workout.

Now, we’re going to look what muscle groups to workout together and which exercises to train using split schedule.

What Muscle Groups To Workout Together?

Bodybuilders benefit from knowing where the muscles are, especially the smaller supporting muscles. Equally important is to what they are attached, in addition to how to work them from different angles. There are major muscle groups to work out.

It is also important to work out opposing muscle groups. If bodybuilders work out one muscle to the detriment of another, then the body would look out of balance.

For example, bodybuilders shouldn’t work out the triceps less than the biceps, even if the triceps are smaller muscles. The arms would look unbalanced.

Remember to give each major muscle group 48 hours of rest. If you work out the biceps, shoulders, and chest on Monday, then you can exercise the triceps and back on Tuesday. Wednesday it can be “leg” day working out glutes and legs. On Thursday, it will be back to biceps, shoulders, and chest.

You can arrange the workouts any way you want on any day you want. It’s your body and schedule. The flexibility of your schedule is entirely up to you.

The Biceps, Shoulders, and Chest

Biceps exercise

Biceps – These are located on the front of the arm, attaching at the elbow and shoulder to bring the forearm to the upper arm. Additionally, they turn your hand palm-up.

The shoulders comprise the deltoids, which have three faces. The lateral and posterior delts are located on the back and top of the shoulders, where the collarbone is situated. The anterior deltoid sits on the front of the shoulder, where the collarbone sits.

The deltoids work in conjunction with chest muscles like pectorals as well as back muscles such as trapezius to bring the arm to different aspects. For example, the back delts work with the traps and latissimus dorsi (wrapping around the ribs to attach to the spine) to lift the arm behind the body.

The front delts work in conjunction with the pectorals in the chest to raise your arms in front of the body as if you were pointing. The lateral delts help these and more muscles in the shoulders, back, and neck to raise your arms to the side as if you were balancing on a beam.

The pectorals are the large muscles giving the chest that popped outlook. It has two sizes: pectoralis major and minor. They attach the front walls of the chest to the upper arms and shoulder bones.

In opposition to the deltoids, the pecs pull the arm around as if you were tossing a football. When the arms are overhead as if you were doing the wave at a football game, then the pecs help the trapezius muscles in the back keep the arms up.

Exercises: You’ll find curls the go-to exercise for well-defined biceps. Shoulders benefit from push-ups and bench presses, while the chest will benefit from push-ups as well as pull-ups. Try doing dips as well for a strong chest.

The Triceps and Back

What Muscle Groups To Workout Together

Four muscles in the back facilitate movement and support:

The trapezius muscle begins at the neck, goes down to the mid-spine, and connects at the scapulae or shoulder blade. The three parts (upper, middle, and lower) of this muscle govern movements of the shoulder as in shrugging.

The latissimus dorsi attaches at the humerus or the upper arm bone and stretches down into the pelvic girdle. This muscle allows the body to bend, stretch, lean back or lean over to tie shoes.

The rhomboid muscle stretches from the shoulder blade to the spine. When this muscle is engaged, the shoulder blades meet each other in the middle as if you were stretching upon awakening.

The erector spinae is just what its name implies. Located in the lower back, it keeps the spine upright and straight. The upper, middle, and lower muscles of the erector spinae attach to the ribs and pelvis.

Triceps. These are found in the back of the arm. They attach just below the shoulder muscles and go to the elbow. They do the opposite of biceps, meaning they push the forearm away from the upper arm. Working them out means keeping the hands palm-down.

Forearms. Most people only work out the upper arms. The forearm muscles assist in carrying grocery bags, unlocking the front door, in addition to carrying dinner to the table. It will look odd not to work out the forearms, leaving you unable to do these things.

Exercises: Since the triceps act to push something away from you, curls, push-ups, and triceps extensions strengthen those muscles. Push-ups, chin-ups, as well as rowing strengthen and chisel the back muscles.

The Glutes and Legs

Leg Presses Exercise

Of all the muscle groups to work together, the gluteus muscles in the buttocks and the leg muscles make the most sense. The upper, middle and lower glutes act to lift the thighs.

If you’re moving the thighs so a toddler can hug you, thank the glutes. Climbing stairs? The glutes are working. Walking uphill? The glutes are there for you.

Again separated into three parts, the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus all attach at the pelvis and the thigh bone. Together, they move the thigh backward, to the sides, and in a rotating manner. If your leg moves, it’s due to the glutes.

Some of the most powerful muscles in the body are located in the legs. Four of them comprise the front of the thigh. They are called the quadriceps, or quads. They attach at the hip and knee and act to lift the knee in forward motion.

The muscles in the back of the thigh are called the hamstrings. They, too, attach at hip and knee. These guys, though, work to bring the knee behind the body such as a workout or when running.

Exercises: Squats as well as lunges, with and without dumbbells, work out both quads and hamstrings. Leg extensions, leg presses, and leg curls all target different muscles. They are important in balancing the legs.

Three Day Split Workout Schedule

Now you’re aware of what muscle groups to workout, where they are located, and what they do. You have an idea on what days you can work out what muscle group.

This example is just to show you how other people schedule their workouts.

Day One: Biceps, Shoulders, and Chest

Working out the chest means using the arms and shoulders. Bench pressing with barbells, shoulder presses with dumbbells, cable flyes, and lateral raises all work out the arms, shoulders, chest from all angles, and overhead bicep curls for the biceps.

Day Two: Triceps and Back

Working out the back involves the arms, too, but from a different perspective. Triceps extensions and push-ups are good for this area. Rowing is the best exercise for the back.

Day Three: Glutes and Legs

Leg day is a full day of squats, lunges, leg presses, calf extensions, as well as leg curls.

Keep in mind that you can do the workout split any days you want. You can do a two-day split or even a six-day split. It depends on how many times per week you can or want to work out targeted muscle groups.

Conclusion

Exercising opposing muscle groups provides a fast and furious metabolism, stronger bones and muscles, in addition to a streamlined body.

Knowing which muscle groups to work simultaneously prevents injury. Non-targeted workouts cause what is called sports injuries.

Working for opposing muscle groups on different days gives them time to rest and recover. This means that something is being targeted every day of the week for a well-rounded workout.

Now, just look in the mirror and enjoy your new look!

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