When most people think of working out, they picture activities like jogging or biking. These cardio exercises are great for your heart and lungs, but a well-rounded fitness routine should also include strength training, flexibility exercises, and balance workouts.
Regular strength training is key for keeping your bones, muscles, and connective tissues healthy. Plus, building muscle can boost your metabolism and help you maintain a healthy weight. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends doing strength training at least twice a week for the best results.
There are different ways to organize a strength training routine, and many people find it helpful to work on specific muscle groups together. Focusing on different parts of your body on different days allows your muscles to recover better and helps you avoid overtraining.
In this article, we’ll explore which muscle groups you might want to pair up and give you some examples of how to plan your weekly workout schedule.
Muscle groups
The three types of muscles in your body are skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Cardiac muscles control your heart, while smooth muscles manage involuntary actions like tightening your blood vessels. Skeletal muscles, the ones you work on in the gym, help your body move and make up about 40% of your body weight.
Most fitness experts focus on these major muscle groups:
- Chest
- Back
- Arms
- Abdominals
- Legs
- Shoulders
Some people break these down even further, such as:
- Calves (lower legs)
- Hamstrings (back of upper legs)
- Quadriceps (front of upper legs)
- Glutes (butt and hips)
- Biceps (front of upper arms)
- Triceps (back of upper arms)
- Forearms (lower arms)
- Trapezius (traps) (top of shoulders)
- Latissimus dorsi (lats) (under the armpits)
When you work out, you rarely target just one muscle group. For instance, a bicep curl primarily works the biceps in your upper arm, but it also engages other muscles like the brachialis (under the biceps) and the brachioradialis (in your forearm). Plus, stabilizer muscles in your shoulder and core help you lift the weight properly.
As you plan your workout routine, you might notice that some exercises target more than one muscle group. Generally, the more joints involved in an exercise, the more muscle groups you’ll be working.
What to pair together?
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to group your muscles for a workout. It all comes down to figuring out what suits you the best. If you’re aiming for general fitness, a balanced program that targets all muscle groups is a good approach. But if you’re training for a specific sport, you might focus more on the muscles you use the most in that sport.
Many people like to group muscles that are close to each other. For example, pairing shoulders and arms together makes sense since many exercises, like rows, work both areas.
One big advantage of splitting your workouts by muscle groups is that it gives each muscle more time to recover. For instance, if you train your legs once a week, they have seven days to rest before the next session.
Examples for Beginners
If you’re just starting out, here’s a simple way to group your workouts based on the six basic muscle groups:
Day 1: Chest and shoulders
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Back, abdominals, and arms
If you plan to lift weights twice a week, you might try:
Day 1: Chest, arms, and shoulders
Day 2: Legs, back, and abdominals
Sticking to these six basic groups is a solid way to build a workout plan that will improve your fitness.
Example for Advanced Lifters
If you’re more experienced, you might want to get more specific with your muscle targeting. Here’s a more detailed split:
Day 1: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and forearms
Day 2: Calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes
Day 3: Biceps, back, abdominals, traps, and lats
You don’t need a separate exercise for each muscle. For example, squats work your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, back, and abdominals all at once.
Schedule for workouts
The American Heart Association suggests waiting at least two days between lifting sessions to allow your body time to recover. Many people find that working out three times a week for strength training works well for them.
Here’s an example of how you could set up your weekly workout schedule:
Monday: Arms and Shoulders
- Push-ups: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Bicep curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Shoulder press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Bench dips: 2 sets of 12 reps
- Lateral raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
Wednesday: Legs
- Barbell back squats: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Dumbbell lunges: 2 sets of 10 reps
- Romanian deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Step-ups: 2 sets of 12 reps
- Calf raises: 3 sets of 12 reps
Friday: Back, Chest, and Abs
- Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Dumbbell fly: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bicycle crunches: 3 sets of 20 reps
- One-arm dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Dumbbell bent-over rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
- Crunches: 3 sets of 20 reps
Also Read: Perfect Balance: Cardio vs Strength Training
Types of exercises
When you think of strength training, you might picture using dumbbells or barbells. But resistance training can take many forms, like:
- Resistance band exercises
- Medicine ball exercises
- Bodyweight exercises
- Free weights
- Machine exercises
If you want to use free weights in your workouts, start with a weight you can lift comfortably for 12 to 15 reps. As you get stronger, you can increase the weight and lower the number of reps.
Exercises that target certain muscles
Here’s a simple guide to exercises you can do to target each muscle group:
Chest
- Bench Press: You can use a barbell or dumbbells. It’s good to have a workout buddy spot you in case you need help.
- Push-Ups: Widening your hand placement puts more focus on your chest muscles.
- Band Chest Press: Hook a resistance band with handles behind you and push forward like you’re passing a basketball.
Back
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: Strengthens your upper back, shoulders, and arms.
- Resistance Band Pull-Apart: Hold a resistance band shoulder-width apart and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the band apart.
- Superman: To make it harder, hold a weight in your hands above your head.
Arms
- Biceps Curls: If you don’t have dumbbells, you can use soup cans or other heavy items from around the house.
- Triceps Dips: Works your triceps and chest.
- Pull-Ups: Engages your upper back, shoulders, core, and arms.
Abdominals
- Plank: Support yourself on your forearms and toes, keeping your abs and core tight.
- Bicycle Crunches: The twisting motion targets your obliques, the muscles on the sides of your core.
- Hanging Leg Raises: Start with bent knees for an easier option and progress to straight legs as you get stronger.
Legs
- Squat: You can do bodyweight squats or use dumbbells or a barbell.
- Lunges: Try variations like walking lunges, reverse lunges, or barbell lunges.
- Calf Raises: Start with just your body weight and add extra weight as you get stronger.
Shoulders
- Seated Shoulder Press: It’s smart to have a partner help you get the weights into position to avoid shoulder injuries.
- Resistance Band Shoulder Press: Stand in the middle of a resistance band with handles and press your hands toward the ceiling.
- Plank with Straight Arms: This exercise works your core, shoulders, and back.
When to talk with a pro
While some people love the flexibility of creating their own workout plans, you might prefer working with a certified personal trainer or fitness expert. A personal trainer can teach you the right way to do exercises, so you can do them safely on your own later.
Many people find that hiring a trainer helps them stay motivated and makes workouts more enjoyable. A trainer can also keep you accountable and ensure you’re exercising at the right intensity for your fitness level.