Photos by: Ben Powell | WVUGo Photographer
Need help figuring out what the different muscle groups are? Look no further!
When you decide you want to start strength training, it is important to make a plan of what muscle groups you’ll be focusing on any given day. This will help prevent muscle fatigue, which is caused by overworking your muscles and not giving them the rest they need to perform. Want to find out what muscle groups are best trained together? Keep reading!
The Back and Biceps
Diagrams from: GymNeed.com
Training your back and biceps together is a good idea since many exercises for both of these muscle groups overlap and support each other. For example, the basic row is an exercise for the back that relies on the biceps to get the correct form. Also referred to as “pull muscles,” the back and biceps focus on pulling weight towards the body. Having a strong and sturdy back can help with posture, support for all other exercises, and many more benefits!
The Shoulders, Chest and Triceps
Contrary to the back and bicep workout, the chest, shoulders and triceps are referred to as “push muscles,” since they focus on pushing the weight away from the body. Again, many of the exercises performed when training these muscles overlap and support each other. Having a strong chest can benefit overall health in many ways, including better breathing!
The Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes
Leg day is something that many people try to avoid at all costs, but it is just as important as the upper body workouts! Having strong legs can provide health benefits in many ways. From improvements in balance to supporting other exercises, having sturdy legs proves to be a great way to prevent injury and overall health. Training four muscle groups in one day may seem like it can be a lot, but many of the exercises used to target these muscles overlap and will hit many groups at once. For example, the basic squat benefits every lower body muscle– and then some!
The Core
Having shredded abs is something that many people strive for in their
fitness goals, but having a strong core has many more benefits than
appearance. When your core is strong, every part of your body is
more balanced and you’ll be able to support yourself while doing
other exercises. The best part about training the core is that you
can create your own routine, filled with fun and practical movements!
Instead of having the core on its own day, try incorporating exercises
into the workouts you’re already doing. You’ll be surprised how fast
your core gets strong!
When creating your schedule, it’s important to rotate which muscle groups you train, if you only focus on one group the body can become out of balance and make it harder to perform daily activity. When training, always start with the biggest muscle and move to smaller muscles as you progress through the workout. By doing this, you’re warming up the larger, more supporting muscles that will help every movement you do.
What's your routine? Let us know!
About the Author
Kenzie has been a senior writer for the WVUGo Media Team since
August 2019. She is pursuing her degree in Multidisciplinary
Studies with focuses in Advertising, Public Relations, Creative
Writing and Interactive Media Design and anticipates graduating
in May of 2020.
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