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What Muscle Groups Are

Best to Work Out Together?
Medically reviewed by Jake Tipane, CPT — By
Daniel Yetman on May 28, 2020

Muscle groups Pairing muscle groups

Schedule Types of exercises
Targeted exercises Talk with a pro Takeaway

There is no right or wrong way to

create a strength training routine.
However, pairing certain muscle
groups together can help make your
workouts more efficient.

When many people think of working out, they

think of aerobic exercises like jogging or biking.
These types of exercises are important for
strengthening your heart and lungs, but a
complete training program should also include
strength exercises, flexibility training, and balance
training.

Regular strength training improves the health of

your bones, muscles, and connective tissue.
Building stronger muscles also raises your
metabolic rate and helps you maintain a healthy
weight. The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services  recommends strength training
two or more times per week for optimal health.

There are many ways to structure a strength

training program, but many people find it helpful
to pair certain muscle groups together. Working
out different body parts on different days gives
your muscles more rest between workouts and
helps you prevent overtraining.

In this article, we’re going to look at which

muscles groups you may want to combine. We’ll
also provide you with samples of how you could
set up your weekly training schedule.
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Muscle groups
There are three types of muscles in your body:
cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. Cardiac muscles
are the muscles that control your heart. Smooth
muscles control involuntary functions like
constricting your blood vessels. Skeletal muscles
are the muscles that you target in the gym that
help your body move. They make up about 40
percent  of your body weight.

Many fitness experts often consider these to be

the major muscle groups in your body:

chest

back

arms

abdominals

legs

shoulders

Some people also divide these muscle groups

into more specific categories such as:

calves (lower leg)

hamstrings (back of upper leg)

quadriceps (front of upper leg)

glutes (butt and hips)

biceps (front of upper arms)

triceps (back of upper arms)

forearms (lower arm)

trapezius (traps) (top of shoulders)

latissimus dorsi (lats) (under the armpits)

Working multiple muscles

Few exercises truly isolate only one muscle

group. For example, the biceps curl is one of the
most common exercises to strengthen the biceps
in the front of your upper arm. However, several
other muscles also help your body flex at the
elbow including brachialis, which is beneath your
biceps, and brachioradialis, which is a large
muscle in your forearm. Other stabilizer muscles
need to brace your shoulder and core so you can
efficiently lift the weight.

When designing your program, you may find

some exercises fit into more than one category. In
general, the more joints that bend in an exercise,
the more muscle groups you’re using.

What to pair together?

There’s no right way to group your muscles
together. You may want to experiment with a few
different pairings until you find one that works
best for you. If you’re training for general fitness,
you can follow a program that balances all the
different muscle groups. If you’re training for a
sport, you may benefit from emphasizing certain
muscle groups frequently used in your sport.

Many people find it helpful to pair muscle groups

that are close together. For instance, you may
want to pair your shoulders and arms together
since many exercises, such as rows, use both
body parts.

The primary benefit of splitting different muscle

groups onto different days is your ability to give
each muscle more rest. For example, if you’re
training on a weekly schedule and have one leg
day per week, your legs have seven days to
recover between sessions.

Examples for beginners

Here’s one example of how you could combine

your muscle groups together using the six basic
groups we listed above:

Day 1: chest and shoulders

Day 2: legs

Day 3: back, abdominals, and arms

If you’re only planning on lifting twice per week, a

good way to structure your workouts may be:

Day 1: chest, arms, and shoulders

Day 2: legs, back and abdominals

If you’re a beginner, sticking to those six basic

muscle groups is enough to build a great workout
plan that can help you improve your fitness.

Example for advanced lifters

If you’ve already been lifting for a while, you may

want to be more specific with the muscles you
target when building your program.

Here’s an example of how you could combine

muscle groups using the more detailed groups we
outlined:

Day 1: chest, shoulders, triceps, forearms

Day 2: calves, hamstrings, quadriceps,

glutes

Day 3: biceps, back, abdominals, traps, lats

You don’t necessarily need a separate exercise

for each muscle group. For example, squatting
uses your:

hamstrings

quadriceps

glutes

back

abdominals

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Schedule for workouts

The American Heart Association  recommends
taking at least two days between lilting sessions
to give your body time to recover. Many people
find they like strength training three times a week.

Here’s an example of how you could structure

your weekly schedule:

Monday: arms and shoulders

push-ups: 3 sets of 8 reps

biceps 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

calve raises: 3 sets of 12 reps

Friday: back, chest, and abdominals

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

Types of exercises
When you think of strength training, you may think
you need dumbbells or barbells. However,
resistance training comes in many forms such as:

resistance band exercises

medicine ball exercises

bodyweight exercises

free weights

machine exercises

If you want to include free weight training into

your program, it’s a good idea to stick to a weight
you can lift comfortably for 12 to 15 repetitions. As
you get stronger, you can lower the number of
reps and increase the weight.
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Exercises that target certain

muscles
Here’s an example of some exercises you can
perform to target each muscle group.

Chest

1. Bench press: You can use a barbell or

dumbbells. It’s a good idea to have a partner
spot you in case you get stuck.

2. Push-ups: Increasing the width of your

hands puts an emphasis on your chest
muscles

3. Band chest press: Hook a band with

handles behind you and push away from
your body as if you’re passing a basketball.

Back

1. One-arm dumbbell row: Helps strengthen

your upper back, shoulder, and upper arms.

2. Resistance band pull apart: Hold a

resistance band with your hands shoulder-
width apart. Focus on squeezing your
shoulder blades together as you pull the
band.

3. Superman: To make the exercise harder,

you can hold a weight in your hands over
your head.

Arms

1. Biceps curls: If you don’t have access to

dumbbells, you can use soup cans or other
heavy household objects.

2. Triceps dips:Works both your triceps and

chest.

3. Pull-ups:Pull-ups work your upper back,

shoulders, core, and arms.

Abdominal

1. Plank: Support yourself on your forearms

and toes with your abdominals and core
flexed.

2. Bicycle crunches: The twisting motion in this

exercise helps target the muscles at the side
of your core called your obliques.

3. Hanging leg raises: You can start with your

knees at 90 degrees for an easier variation
and progress to straight legs as the exercise
becomes more difficult.

Legs

1. Squat:You can perform bodyweight squats,

use dumbbells, or a barbell.

2. Lunges: There are many variations of the

lunge including walking dumbbell lunges,
reverse lunges, and barbell lunges.

3. Calf raises:You can start with your body

weight and add weight as they become
easier.

Shoulders

1. Seated shoulder press: It’s a good idea to

have a partner help you get the weights into
place to avoid injuring your shoulders.

2. Resistance band shoulder press: You can

stand in the middle of a large resistance
band with handles and push your hands
toward the ceiling.

3. Plank with arms straight: This exercise

helps work your core, shoulders, and back.

When to talk with a pro

Although some people enjoy the freedom of
creating their own workout plans, you may also
find that you’d rather work with a certified
personal trainer or another fitness expert. A
personal trainer can show you how to perform
exercises with proper technique so you can safely
do them on your own later.

Some people find hiring a personal trainer helps

them stay motivated and makes working out more
fun. A trainer can keep you accountable and make
sure that you’re working at an appropriate
intensity for your current fitness level.

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The bottom line

There are many ways you can structure your
weekly workout to get results. Many people find it
helpful to separate their strength training
workouts by muscle group to give their muscles
more time to recover. It’s a good idea to give
yourself a two-day break between strength
training workouts to avoid overtraining.

If you don’t have access to a gym, there are plenty

of great strength training exercises you can do at
home using household items, resistance bands, or
your body weight.

Before every strength training workout, it’s a good

idea to take at least 10 minutes to warm up and
concentrate on good technique.
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Last medically reviewed on May 28, 2020

How we reviewed this article:

SOURCES HISTORY

Our experts continually monitor the health and

wellness space, and we update our articles when
new information becomes available.
Current Version

May 28, 2020

Written By
Daniel Yetman

Edited By
Allison Tsai

Medically Reviewed By
Jake Tipane, CPT

Copy Edited By
Amy Whitley

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