Strength training on a regular basis can help build muscle and improve health. When performing a strength training program, people may find it beneficial to train specific muscle groups at the same time. This can aid in avoiding overtraining and maximizing results.
Various exercises can target various muscle groups. Muscles require both exercise and rest in order to function properly and generate strength.
To help improve these results, a number of muscle groups may benefit from working out together while other muscle groups rest. This ensures that the body has plenty of time to recover between workouts.
Let’s see which muscle groups can be worked out together as well as provide an example workout schedule.
Strength training helps to isolate and target a specific muscle in the body. One of the target muscles in a bench press, for example, is the chest. However, other muscles, such as the triceps and shoulder muscles, are involved in this motion.
Many of the targeted muscles collaborate with other muscles to function. Targeting one muscle may neglect the other muscles.
As a result, if a workout focuses on one specific muscle group, the muscle groups that work in tandem with that muscle get some attention as well.
Working for specific muscle groups together may also allow for more time for rest, which is important. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends working out each muscle group twice a week and resting for at least two days between workouts.
This may also help with the mental aspect of working out, according to anecdotal evidence. If one knows he/she will only be engaging one muscle group per day, there’s a tendency that they may be more likely to give it their all, knowing that they will be able to rest that muscle group in the days ahead.
Among the most popular muscles to work on are the hamstring muscles, gluteus maximus, the quadriceps muscles, biceps, triceps, the deltoids and the lats, the nets.
Certain muscle groups collaborate to perform certain movements. People may group muscles based on whether they perform “push” or “pull” movements, for example. Others may group muscles based on where they are in the body, such as the many muscles in the legs or abs.
Some examples of common muscle groupings are:
The chest, shoulders, and triceps are the three major muscle groups.
These are referred to as the “push” muscles. This is due to the fact that many exercises aimed at these muscles involve pushing resistance away from the body.
Many exercises, such as the pushup and bench press, target both of these muscles at the same time.
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The biceps and the back
These are the muscles that pull. Many workouts that target these muscles involve pulling resistance toward the body.
These muscles will be engaged in a variety of exercises, such as pull-downs.
Are two exercises enough for biceps?
If you want to develop a serious set of pipes (biceps and triceps), you must train them directly. Many misguided souls, on the other hand, will train their arms into oblivion in the belief that MORE IS BETTER. This is not true.
So, how many exercises constitute a good workout? And how should you choose the appropriate number of sets, reps, and exercise types?
An effective arm workout should consist of no more than 1-3 movements per session, with any more resulting in excessive fatigue and inconsistent form and technique. An arm routine typically consists of 1-3 arm exercises per muscle per workout.
In this article, we’ll be looking at some factors that can influence your training program to help you figure out what the most effective arm workout split looks like for you and your goals, as well as how many arm exercises make an effective workout. I’ll also provide you with a sample arm routine.
When you want to make a decision on the number of exercises to include in a single-arm workout, you must first decide how many days per week you will train your arms. When it comes to arm training, it is recommended that you perform at least 8 total sets (per week) to maintain your arms, with some recommending that you perform 10-15 total sets per week to be the most effective for the majority of people.
After you’ve established those ranges, you are free to break it down as you please, performing 3-5 sets per movement and getting adequate volume over the course of the week.
Personally, I believe you should train your arms more than once per week (2-4 times for most people). If you train your arms three or more times per week, you will also do LESS each day, often choosing only one arm exercise per muscle.
This gives you the opportunity to train with higher quality repetitions, add more variety, and allow the arms to recover just enough between sessions to maximize muscle growth.
It is best to choose 2-3 movements that vary in angle per cycle when training the biceps (for example reclining incline curls, preacher curls, and standing curls). Furthermore, experimenting with wrist supination and pronation can shift focus to various aspects of the biceps and forearms (hammer curls vs supinated curls).
Whatever you do, make sure to add some variety by switching up your movements every 4-6 weeks and choosing at least three exercises to do throughout the month.
Exercises for the Biceps
i. Inclined Preacher Curl
ii. Hammer Curls with Dumbbells
iii. Standing EZ Barbell Curl/Bar Curl
iv. Twisting Curl Cable Curl.
What are 5 exercises for biceps?
It’s all about the biceps when it comes to looking strong. And knowing the best bicep exercises is essential for developing strong biceps.
What Are the Most Effective Bicep Exercises?
The five best bicep exercises for targeting and building your biceps are listed below. The first three
should be carried out with a dumbbell, the fourth is a barbell bicep exercise, and the fifth is a cable bicep exercise. Incorporate three or four into your regular routine, which should already include upper-body work, such as rows and pull-ups. Perform three to five sets of six to twelve repetitions, resting 30 to 90 seconds between sets. Use a weight that allows you to barely complete your final rep with proper form.
Increase your weight as soon as you can perform two extra reps during your last two sets. After you have carried out the bicep curls variations for roughly six to twelve weeks, you can then switch to three to four new ones. When you’ve exhausted the list, restart the cycle.
1. Alternating Dumbbell Curls While Seated
We’d be remiss if we didn’t start with the tried-and-true dumbbell curl when discussing beneficial bicep exercises. Sure, it’s the foundation for every exercise on this list, but research published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine shows that it’s still popular, with it activating the biceps far better than other curl variations (not listed here).
Alternate your traditional bicep curls to get the most out of them. When curling one arm at a time, the vast majority of exercisers can lift slightly more total weight than when curling both arms together. And the more weight you use to curl your biceps, the stronger they will become.
How to Go About It:
i. Sit on a 90-degree bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, arms straight but not locked out, and shoulders pulled back.
ii. From here, slowly raise one weight to the front of your shoulder while keeping your back firmly pressed against the bench and your elbows and shoulders stationary.
iii. Pause for a second and at the same time squeeze your bicep at the top, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the beginning.
iv. Repeat on the other side.
2. Incline Dumbbell Curls Alternating
When you think of your biceps, the next thing that comes to your mind is your biceps brachii, which sits above your brachialis. This move helps in developing the biceps brachii.
How to Go About It:
i. Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, arm straight but not locked out, and shoulders pulled back.
ii. From here, slowly raise one weight to the front of your shoulder while keeping your back firmly pressed against the bench and your elbows and shoulders stationary.
iii. Pause for a second at the same time squeezing your bicep at the top, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the beginning.
iv. Repeat on the other side.
3. Alternating Hammer Curls While Seated
By curling dumbbells with a neutral grip rather than an underhand grip, you automatically switch the main muscle worked from the biceps brachii to the brachialis. Because your biceps brachii assist you in rotating your forearms so that your palms face up. While the brachialis is a barely visible muscle, it helps shape and strengthens the biceps as a whole.
How to Go About It:
i. Sit on a 90-degree bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in toward your body, arms extended straight toward the floor but not locked out, and shoulders pulled back for this biceps exercise.
ii. From here, slowly raise one weight to the front of your shoulder while keeping your back firmly pressed against the bench and your elbows and shoulders stationary.
iii. Pause for a second and at the same time, squeeze your bicep at the top, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the beginning.
iv. Repeat on the other side.
4. Reverse Standing Barbell Curl
This variation increases activity in the brachioradialis, the third and final muscle that makes up your biceps. This is because curling a weight with an overhand grip (which is easiest to maintain with a barbell) puts the biceps brachii at a significant mechanical disadvantage, requiring the typically underutilized brachioradialis to step in to pick up the slack.
It is important to note that you will not be able to curl nearly as much weight with this variation as you will with the other exercises on this list. Don’t be afraid to go light.
How to Go About It:
i. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and both hands holding a barbell, palms facing in toward your body, arms extended straight toward the floor but not locked out, and shoulders pulled back.
ii. Lift the weight slowly to the front of your shoulders while keeping your elbows and shoulders stationary.
iii. Pause at the top, squeezing your biceps, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the beginning.
iv. Repeat on the other side.
5. Stable Cable Curl Standing
Cable curls complement free-weight bicep exercises well. While dumbbells and barbells apply the most force to the biceps when your elbows are bent to 90 degrees, cables provide consistent resistance throughout the range of motion. With this, you will begin to see that your biceps work much harder at the top and bottom of the movement than they do with dumbbells.
How to Go About It:
i. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, in front of a cable station, with a straight handle set to the lowest setting.
ii. Hold the handle with both hands, shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward, arms straight but not locked out, and shoulders pulled back.
iii. Lift the weight slowly to the front of your shoulders while keeping your elbows and shoulders stationary.
iv. Pause at the top, squeezing your biceps, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the beginning.
v. Repeat on the other side.
How many times a week should I train back and biceps?
For intermediate lifters, 12-20 total work sets per week are recommended. For some lifters who do a lot of pulling, as the biceps are also responsible for this movement, performing as few as 6-8 sets per week may suffice.
Loading for biceps training can vary, with the exception of heavyweights (less than 8 reps), which can increase injury. It is recommended that a mix of moderate (8-15) and high rep (20-30) exercises be used throughout a training program.
Note that the key to maximizing muscle growth with biceps training is to maximize the range of motion and tension placed on the muscle. Individuals frequently sacrifice deep muscular strength and high amounts of muscle tension for a fast-paced, partial range of motion reps. It is critical that muscular fatigue occurs in the biceps. If you’re not feeling local fatigue within the muscle, you’re probably going too fast, too heavy, or not using a full range of motion.
