Which muscle groups should I train together in bodybuilding? – GOOD SHAPE

Whether you’re a beginner or have been up to speed for a while, it’s important to get the most out of your workouts. One of the most common questions people have when starting strength training is which muscle groups to work together and how often to train each one.

Basic guidelines for endurance training American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that beginners train 2-3 times a week, intermediate 2-4 times/week and advanced 4-6 days/week, if the goal is really muscle hypertrophy, says Eduardo Nettotechnical director of Bodytech Company and member of the Federal Council of Physical Education (CONFEF).

When performing a stimulus on a muscle, the ideal is to wait for it to regenerate as much as possible for the next training session. Based on good nutrition and efficient rest, for super compensation to occur and, consequently, muscle development, 48 to 72 hours should be considered.

“However, this does not imply that you need to train only once a week for each muscle group, since it depends on the intensity and recovery”, says Netto. That is, it depends on how intense your previous training was and how you are feeling post-workout.

How do I know if I’m using enough weight to gain more strength?

The technical director of Bodytech Company explains that the repetitions within a given series must be performed to the point that results in a high degree of effort or relatively close to a momentary muscular failure. For example, if your exercise program includes 10 to 12 Rm, 12 maximum repetitions, the proper load means that you are practically unable to perform 13 repetitions. The recommendation is to increase the load by 5%.

Opposite muscle groups in strength training

One of the most common ways is to train opposing muscle groups. “Agonists actively contract to produce a desired movement. The antagonists, as we can imagine, oppose the action of the agonists, when the agonist contracts, the antagonist progressively relaxes, producing a smooth movement”, explains Netto.

Agonists and antagonists work together in many of the movements we make. So how do you separate muscle groups during training? If you can divide your training into four days, this is the suggestion:

Chest and Back and Abdominals
Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Glutes
Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders

These are some popular options for working certain muscle groups together, but this is not a definitive list. The important thing is to talk to your trainer at the gym so that he can create a workout with your goals in mind.

Below are some possible exercises.

CHEST, BACK AND ABDOMEN

Fly

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Hold the dumbbells over your chest.

Slightly bend your elbows and slowly open your arms to the sides. Squeeze your chest as you bring the weights together at the top as you return to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

One-sided row

Lean on a bench with your left hand and left knee supported.

Contract your core, as if you want to suck your belly towards your spine.

Pull the right dumbbell toward your right hip bone, keeping the weight close to your body to the side. Return slowly back down.

low row

It is usually done using a device. Remember to keep your core activated, contracting your abdomen and keep your torso firm in order to avoid that back-and-forth movement instigated by the traction of the weight of the machine.

chest press

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. The elbows are bent and the dumbbells are at shoulder height.

Extend your arms fully towards the ceiling. Then return to the starting position.

low plank

Start in a low plank position with your forearms flat on the floor.

Palms firmly facing down and elbows in line with shoulders.

Lift your knees off the floor, contracting your abs and buttocks. Imagine a straight line from head to heels

reverse plank

This inverted plank works all the same muscles as the traditional plank. But for the shoulders, it provokes the mobility and strength of that musculature.

Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you, feet together and toes pointed toward the ceiling. Place your hands on the floor behind your butt. Fingers facing the body. Look forward.

Engage your core, pushing your hips upward, bringing your legs together. Lift your chest up and look up at the ceiling.

HIP AND LEGS

Deadlift

Start by standing with your feet hip-distance apart and then the dumbbells resting in front of your thighs.

Engage your abs and keep your back straight as you bend your knees slightly, lowering the dumbbells toward the floor.

Squeeze your glutes and use the power in your legs to lift and return to an upright position.

alternating lunge

Stand with feet hip-distance apart.

Take a big step forward and lower your body towards the floor. Both legs should be bent at a 90 degree angle. Push off the front leg to come up back to start and repeat on the other side.

one-sided bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent hip-distance apart and your feet flat on the mat in line with your knees. Extend one leg towards the ceiling.

Squeeze your glutes hard and lift your hips off the mat into a bridge. Lower and raise your hips for the desired number of reps and repeat on the other side.

BICEPS, TRICEPS AND SHOULDER

shoulder press

direct thread

Standing, hold each dumbbell with your palm facing forward.

Keep the core contracted. Bend your elbows towards your chest. This is a repeat. Make 10 to 12.

triceps extension

Sitting down, hold a dumbbell above your head with both hands.

Bend your elbows so that the weight comes down towards your head.

Return. Do 10 to 12 moves.

Which muscles to train together in bodybuilding 2 days a week

We know life is busy, so if two strength sessions a week works best in your schedule, split your upper and lower body workouts. Since you’re doing more muscle groups each session, you can do fewer reps or fewer exercises for each muscle group, which is really good for beginners.

Day 1: Upper body: Chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders

Day 2: Lower Body and Core: Glutes, Hamstrings, and Abs

Which muscles to train together in bodybuilding 3 days a week

With this schedule, you can focus a little more on opposing muscle groups. Again, you can use the above exercises as an example.

Day 1: Chest, back (opposite groups), shoulders

Day 2: Biceps, triceps (opposite groups) abdominals

Day 3: Quadriceps, hamstrings (opposite groups) glutes