Which Muscle Groups Should You Train Together?
Ifiokobong Ene
Freelance Medical Researcher & Content Writer - Dedicated to making health and wellness information available, actionable, and understandable so that readers can make the best decisions about their health.
There’s no single correct approach to designing a strength training routine. That said, combining specific muscle groups can enhance the efficiency of your workouts.
When people consider exercise, they often think of aerobic activities such as running or cycling. While these workouts enhance cardiovascular health and lung capacity, a well-rounded fitness routine should include strength training, flexibility, and balance work.
Consistent strength training promotes the health of your bones, muscles, and connective tissues. Developing stronger muscles can boost your metabolism, helping you sustain a healthy weight. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, engaging in strength exercises at least twice weekly is recommended for optimal well-being.
There are various ways to organize a strength training regimen, and many people benefit from targeting specific muscle groups together. Alternating muscle groups on different days allows each set of muscles more recovery time and reduces the risk of overtraining.
In this guide, we’ll explore which muscle groups are effective to pair together and provide examples of how to plan your weekly workout schedule.
Groups of muscles
Your body contains three main types of muscle: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. Cardiac muscles power the heart, smooth muscles manage involuntary actions like tightening blood vessels, and skeletal muscles enable movement, which is the type you engage in workouts. Skeletal muscles make up roughly 40% of your body weight.
Fitness experts generally identify several major muscle groups, including:
Additionally, these groups are sometimes further broken down into more specific areas:
Engaging several muscle groups
Most exercises engage more than just a single muscle group. Take the biceps curl, a popular exercise aimed at strengthening the biceps in the front of the upper arm. Alongside the biceps, other muscles like the brachialis, located beneath the biceps, and the brachioradialis, a prominent forearm muscle, assist in flexing the elbow. Additionally, stabilizing muscles in the shoulder and core activate to help maintain balance and allow for an efficient lift.
When structuring a workout plan, you may notice that specific exercises overlap across different categories. Exercises involving multiple joint movements generally recruit a greater variety of muscle groups.
What muscles should you pair together?
No single “correct” way to organize your muscle group workouts exists. You might want to experiment with combinations to see which ones are most effective for you. A balanced program that works for all muscle groups equally is a solid approach for general fitness goals. Focusing more on the muscles most involved in your sport could offer added benefits for sport-specific training.
A common strategy is to pair muscle groups located near each other. For example, combining shoulders and arms in one workout session can be practical, as exercises like rows engage both areas.
The main advantage of dividing muscle groups across different days is that it allows each group ample recovery time. If you follow a weekly schedule with one leg day, your legs get a whole week to rest and rebuild before the next session.
Workout Example for Beginners: Here’s one way to arrange your muscle groups using the six primary categories:
For a two-day workout routine:
By sticking with these six core groups, beginners can create a solid plan to boost their fitness.
Workout Example for Experienced Lifters: If you’re more advanced, you may want to target specific muscles within each group to refine your program further.
An example split could look like this:
It’s not necessary to isolate every muscle; compound exercises, like squats, naturally engage multiple muscle groups, such as the:
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Schedule for workouts
The American Heart Association advises leaving at least two days between weightlifting sessions to allow muscles adequate time for recovery. Many individuals prefer a strength training routine that includes three workouts per week.
Here’s a sample schedule for structuring weekly workouts:
Monday: Arms and Shoulders
Wednesday: Legs
Friday: Back, Chest, and Core
Types of Exercises
When considering strength training, you might picture using dumbbells or barbells, but resistance training includes various methods like:
If you're planning to add free weights to your routine, start with a weight that allows you to easily complete 12 to 15 reps. As your strength improves, you can gradually increase the weight while reducing the repetitions.
When to consult a personal trainer
While many appreciate the flexibility of designing workout routines, you might prefer collaborating with a certified personal trainer or another fitness professional. A personal trainer can demonstrate the correct exercise techniques, allowing you to perform them safely in the future.
For some, employing a personal trainer enhances motivation and adds enjoyment to their fitness journey. A trainer can help maintain your accountability and ensure you exercise at the right intensity for your current fitness level.
Takeaway
To achieve effective results, you can design your weekly workout routine in various ways. A common approach is to focus on different muscle groups during strength training sessions, allowing ample recovery time for each muscle. It’s advisable to rest for two days between these workouts to prevent overtraining.
If a gym isn't accessible, you can perform numerous practical strength training exercises at home with everyday items, resistance bands, or just your body weight.
Prior to each strength training session, it’s beneficial to spend at least 10 minutes warming up and ensuring that your technique is on point.
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