Optimal method to vary muscle group recruitment?

Asked by: Lisa Young

How do you target different muscle groups?

The Best Exercises Targeting Each Muscle Group

1. Hamstrings: Squats. Deadlifts.
2. Calves: Jump rope. Dumbbell jump squat.
3. Chest: Bench press. Dips.
4. Back: Deadlifts. Pull-ups/ Chin-ups.
5. Shoulders: Overhead press.
6. Triceps: Reverse grip/close grip bench press. Dips.
7. Biceps: Close grip pull-up. Dumbbell curl.
8. Forearms: Wrist Curls.

How many exercises is optimal?

The ideal number of exercises per workout session is 3-4 exercises. If you select your exercises appropriately and train them with sufficient volume and intensity, this will be more than enough to make great progress. This means: Focusing on an 80/20 split of compound to isolation exercises.

What is the proper order of exercise selection?

There are three basic workout structures to choose from: (1) total body workouts, (2) upper and lower body split workouts, and (3) muscle group split routines. Total body workouts involve exercises that work all major muscle groups (i.e., 1 or 2 exercises for each major muscle group).

How should I organize my muscle groups for exercise?

The General Rules Of Exercise Order

1. Exercises for bigger muscles should come before exercises for smaller muscles. Examples: Chest or back before shoulders, biceps or triceps. …
2. Compound exercises should come before isolation exercises. …
3. Free weight/body weight exercises should come before machines.

Is chest and biceps a good combo?

Yes, chest and biceps can be trained together in a single workout safely and effectively. While many will train their full upper body or have days dedicated to just chest or biceps, combining chest and biceps on the same day can help you maximize training efficiency. It also allows you to follow many push-pull splits.

Is chest and back a good combo?

Both Are Major Upper Body Muscle Groups
If you are a beginner or at an intermediate level, then training your chest and back together is a very good option. Beginners can perform chest and back together with some shoulder exercises which cover the major muscle groups of the upper body.

How many exercises should you do for each muscle group?

To start, choose one to two exercises per muscle group, aiming for 3 sets and 10 to 12 reps as a beginner.

Is it better to increase reps or sets?

VeryWell Fit reports that the American College of Sports Medicine recommends higher reps (10-15) per set with lighter weights to support muscle maintenance and 8-12 reps per set with moderate weights to build strength.

How many sets should I do for each muscle group?

You should be aiming for 10-20 sets per muscle group per week split into two sessions. This will keep you fresh, avoiding potential over-training and should give you better gains. Aim for each workout to consist of 15-25 sets total but with less than 10 sets for a specific muscle group on one day.

What is the best training split?

The push/pull/legs split is probably the most efficient workout split there is because all related muscle groups are trained together in the same workout. This means that you get the maximum overlap of movements within the same workout, and the muscle groups being trained get an overall benefit from this overlap.

What is the best split for hypertrophy?

Studies show that hitting your muscle groups twice a week is best for hypertrophy. The upper lower split is particularly effective for building your legs because of this, as you have less muscle groups to focus on comparing to upper body days so you can really hammer your legs each lower body day.

How many sets per muscle group should you do a week?

If you’ve been training properly for less than a year, perform 10-15 sets per muscle group per week. If you’ve been training properly for one to five years, perform 15-20 sets per week. If you’re very advanced and have been training properly for over five years, perform 20-25 sets per week.

How do you target specific leg muscles?

Exercises for your leg workout

1. Back squat. Target your posterior chain — or the back of your body, including the glutes and hamstrings — with a back squat. …
2. Front squat. …
3. Romanian deadlift. …
4. Good mornings. …
5. Walking lunges. …
6. Reverse lunge. …
7. Lateral lunge. …
8. Stepup.

Can you target muscles?

The answer: Yes! You can totally shape your muscles with targeted exercises. “Here’s the thing: Body fat is systemic, meaning that it belongs to your whole body. That means that you can’t decide where you want to lose weight because you can’t target fat that way—it’s everywhere.

What muscle does cardio target?

The whole point of cardio is to work out one muscle, your heart. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build other muscles at the same time. Sprints, for example, will target your quads, groin, and hamstrings. Sprints are especially suitable for building muscle because they are a high-intensity, explosive exercise.

How do I target my arm muscles?

Weight Training Exercises for Arm Muscles

1. Curls.
2. Kickbacks.
3. Pushdown.
4. Dips.
5. Overhead press.
6. Power clean.

Which muscles should be trained together?

Chest, shoulders and arms muscles together are known as push muscles as they work in coordination to push resistance away from the body. By working on these three muscles together, you will be able to target the major muscles of your upper body.

Should I do chest and shoulders on the same day?

Because your chest muscles are larger than your shoulders, perform chest exercises first in your routine followed by shoulder exercises. However, train the shoulders first in your routine if your shoulders are your weaker muscle area.