The back and biceps are pulling muscle groups. The biceps are actively involved in all the main exercises for the back muscles. It is impossible to completely isolate the biceps in back exercises (unless you tie the barbell to your elbows). Therefore, one of the split options is to train the back biceps.
The back is a large muscle group, second only to the leg muscles. Therefore, you should start training with it. To work your back, you need heavy weights. If you tire your biceps at the beginning of your workout, your strength capabilities when working on your back will noticeably drop.
The biceps are trained with much lighter weights, so pre-warming them up in back exercises will give the biceps muscles a good workout in the second part of the workout.
Importance and benefits of the method
To understand the need for the method, you should know what exercises you need to do to work the “back-biceps”.
One of the most effective options is to train these muscle groups in one day, this is recommended by instructors. A number of back exercises make the biceps work, although this is not included in the back training plans. But when we pump our arms, our back doesn't work.
Reference. The exception is lifting a barbell with a large weight with the biceps muscle - then the back is included in the work, since “cheating” is used - swinging the body. Flying dumbbells while tilting the body gives work to the back and rear delta. The biceps remain without significant load.
Use supersets
This is not a new idea, but supersets will help the widow reduce the time she spends in the gym, allowing her to do more work in less time, giving her an incredible feeling of fullness in her muscles. There are no strict rules for creating your own supersets, but most often they consist of a combination of two exercises on the antagonist muscles.
Let's look at how this is done using the example of the chest-back ligament.
Supersets were popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger and have repeatedly led him to victories in numerous competitions. The superset recommendations described below will allow you to achieve the kind of upper body volume that the great Arnie would approve of.
If you plan to do this workout today, don't wear a T-shirt that is too tight unless you want to rip it. Get ready, an incredible pump awaits you!
In the classic sense, a superset is when you perform the first exercise, and then immediately (after catching your breath if necessary) move on to the second exercise. Both of these exercises together make up one set of your superset.
Move on to the next superset after completing all sets of the previous one. Rest no more than 90 seconds between sets; if 60 seconds is enough for you, rest less.
Superset 1: Bench press with medium grip / pull-ups
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It may seem more logical to you to start with the bench press in combination with the lat pulldown, but the proposed implementation is better for two reasons. Firstly, the incline bench press develops the upper pectoral muscles, and, you see, there is not a single athlete who could complain about an overdeveloped upper chest. Secondly, there is nothing better than pull-ups for developing a wide and powerful back.
If you cannot freely perform pull-ups with a wide grip, still try not to replace this exercise with lat pull-downs. Use your partner's help, let him support your feet. Whatever you do, try to stay within your target rep range.
If you cannot lower the bar low enough due to a weak shoulder sprain or previous injury, then stop a few centimeters from your chest in a position where your shoulder joints feel comfortable. Use restraints if necessary to protect you from injury.
Superset 2: Dumbbell Flat Press/Dumbbell Bent Over Row
I love this combination because both exercises work well together. When we pump the pecs with dumbbells rather than a barbell, we force each arm to work separately and this allows us to engage many stabilizer muscles. As you perform, focus on the negative portion of the movement, slowly lower the dumbbells, and then actively but control the weight back up. Use the peak contraction method at the point of maximum tension.
Don't give in to your ego when you're in the gym. If your barbell weight is 90kg, that doesn't mean you should use two 45kg dumbbells for this exercise, they're not the same thing.
Superset 3: Crossover/Close Grip Lat Pulldown
It is normal if you feel tired at this stage, especially if you are new to this type of back and chest training. Exercising on a cable machine will give you a little respite, but this does not mean you can relax or work half-heartedly.
When performing a crossover exercise, try to stretch and contract the pectoral muscles as much as possible at the extreme points of the amplitude. Doing this exercise will help fill your muscles with blood and nutrients.
When performing a lat pulldown, similarly focus on contracting your back muscles at the bottom of the movement. Lower the implement very slowly in a controlled manner.
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4 superset. Push-ups/hyperextension
While these chest and back exercises are great when done with just your body weight, you can make them more difficult by lifting one leg during push-ups or picking up extra weight when doing hyperextensions.
Hyperextension is an exercise that involves the hip joint. The lumbar region should not be overloaded. Focus on working and contracting the upper gluteal muscles.
And finally, a pullover
Arnold regularly did this exercise, rightly believing that it allowed him to enlarge his chest. Lower the weight slowly, counting to five, and raise the weight quickly, counting to one. Contract the muscles at the top as hard as possible before lowering the weight again.
As practice shows, most people find it convenient to train 2-3 times a week. Therefore, training programs are selected in such a way as to evenly work out all muscle groups over the week and allow time for their recovery before the next workout. Experienced athletes create an individual training plan, which can consist of 5-6 workouts per week. But for most people, sticking with the classic approach is enough.
Duration of training . The duration depends mainly on the purpose. The optimal workout for gaining weight should not be longer than 1.5 hours. During long-term training, the body produces cortisol, a hormone that leads to muscle breakdown. If your goal is to lose weight , then the workout should not be shorter than 40 minutes. This is necessary to start metabolism. The longer the workout, the more effective it is in terms of weight loss. However, it is worth remembering that after an hour of training you will burn not only fat, but also muscle mass.
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Workout THREE times a week
Below are 2 options for training three times a week. The goal is to gain muscle mass.
Workout 1
Monday - chest and biceps; Wednesday - legs and shoulders; Friday - Back and triceps;
Day 1 (Chest and Biceps Workout)
- Breast
- Bench press on an incline bench 4 sets of 10 reps;
- Bench press 4 sets of 10 reps;
- Dips 3 sets of 10 reps;
- Incline dumbbell flyes 3 sets of 12 reps;
- Biceps
- Barbell curls 3 sets of 8-10 reps;
- Concentrated curls of one arm with a dumbbell 3 sets of 10 repetitions;
- Barbell curls with overhand grip, 3 sets of 12 reps;
Day 2 (Leg and Shoulder Workout)
- Legs
- Barbell squats 5 sets of 10 reps;
- Leg press in the simulator 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions;
- Leg curls on a lying machine 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions;
- Calf raises, standing on one leg, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions;
- Standing calf raises 3 sets of 12-15 reps;
- Shoulders
- Seated chest press 4 sets of 8-10 reps;
- Dumbbell lateral raises 3 sets of 10 reps;
- Dumbbell lateral raises in a forward bend, 3 sets of 10 reps;
- Wide grip barbell row to the chin 4 sets of 10-12 reps;
Day 3 (Back and Triceps Workout)
- Back
- Pull-ups 4 sets of 8-12 reps;
- Lat Pulldowns 4 sets of 10 reps;
- Dumbbell rows to the lower back 4 sets of 10 reps;
- Bent-over bar row with support 4 sets of 10 reps;
- Triceps
- French press 3 sets of 10 reps;
- Extension of the arms in the upper block with an overhand grip 3 sets of 12 repetitions;
- Extension of one arm with a dumbbell from behind the head, 3 sets of 12 repetitions;
Workout 2
Monday - Legs and abs; Wednesday - Chest and triceps; Friday - Back and Shoulders;
Biceps or back – which is better to start training with?
Any training should begin with basic exercises. Exercises first on the biceps, then on the back, take away strength to fully work out the spinal muscles. Training your back and biceps on the same day suggests the opposite. During the training process, you need to choose exercises that give the desired effect, without being afraid to change them.
Basic training
Back:
- Deadlift.
- Pull the block behind the head.
- Wide grip pull-ups.
- Articulated rod.
- Half squats with a barbell on the shoulders using heavy weights.
Hands:
- Reverse grip pull-ups.
- Lifting dumbbells for biceps with an inclination of the body.
- Lifting the barbell - sitting or standing. You can use an inclined support - a music stand, which provides maximum isolation.
Wherever the weight is lifted while bending the arms, there is work for the biceps muscle.
If you decide to train your back and biceps on the same day, you need to start with the more difficult part of such training – the back. Each body is individual and reacts differently.
Only he can understand whether an athlete needs a back-biceps training program himself by devoting several sessions to the training. It happens that he simply does not have enough preparation for the “biceps and back” program. For example, if you don’t have enough strength after arm exercises and feel tired, then it’s too early to talk about a training program for the back with biceps; such a method should be postponed until better times.
Biceps exercises on a separate day
When your biceps are not tired from back exercises, you can do more arm exercises.
For example:
- Curling arms with a barbell.
- Hammer.
- Concentrated biceps curl.
Instead of a hammer, you should periodically do dumbbell curls. For example, one week you do a hammer, and the next week you do a regular curl. Some people say that turning your palm during dumbbell curls is harmful. But many athletes do it and achieve excellent results. It's up to you what to choose.
Since your biceps are not yet exhausted, you can do all the exercises in 4 sets. Work to failure in everything except fat loss. In the latter option, your task is to do many repetitions in a short time.
Hammer and dumbbell curls can be done with both hands at the same time or alternately. In the latter case, you cannot raise the second hand until the first one stops. There are explanations for this, just remember this nuance.
Don't raise your hands too high
One of the common mistakes lifters make during biceps curls is trying to raise their arms as high as possible to go through the full range of motion. I'm a big fan of full-range training, but in our case the movement is often performed using the front delts.
One of the common mistakes lifters make during biceps curls is trying to raise their arms as high as possible to go through the full range of motion.
The fact is that we do basic biceps curls with the elbows pressed to the body, and the movement occurs only in the elbow joint. Bicep curls with proper form allow you to lift the barbell to approximately shoulder height.
In an attempt to lift the apparatus even higher, many athletes push their elbows forward. As soon as they do this, the front delts immediately go into action. This not only introduces another muscle group into the equation, but also creates a resting area for the biceps at the top of the movement, since the arms are now resting on the extended elbows. Biceps tension is reduced to a great extent.
For better isolation, don't break the single-joint nature of the biceps exercises. Be aware of the tendency to push your elbows forward as you lift the barbell. It's okay to use some form of cheating from time to time to extend a grueling set, but don't do all your reps in this style.
Shoulder exercises
We have already decided that in shoulder training the entire emphasis will be on the development of the deltoids. Therefore, the exercises proposed below are intended exclusively for their training.
Barbell press standing (sitting)
Overhead presses are the most common exercise. It involves 3 deltoid bundles at once. But the main load goes to the front and middle. Performing a standing barbell press is more basic. Since not only the deltoid muscles are loaded, but also the core (abs) muscles. This option is perfect for both beginners and professional athletes. The seated press will deprive us of such benefits. But the load on the spine will be reduced. And the exercise will become more isolated. So this option is more suitable for professionals. As for the head press, I will only say the most important thing. This style of execution is very dangerous, since the movement occurs in an unnatural plane for the shoulder joint. And most importantly, this risk is not justified. Therefore, it is better not to use it in your training.
Dumbbell press sitting (standing)
Like the barbell, dumbbells are also one of the main attributes of the gym. Although this exercise is very similar to the previous one, there are significant differences.
- Firstly, the range of motion will be much greater than when working with a barbell.
- Secondly, each delta (left and right) will work independently of each other. Which will help eliminate the imbalance in development. This is useful for those athletes in whom one of the deltas dominates in development.
- Thirdly, to control the dumbbells relative to each other, a large number of stabilizer muscles are involved in the work.
Otherwise, the technique is similar to the previous exercise. A large load will be placed on the front and middle deltas. The weight of dumbbells will be much less than when working with a barbell. But thanks to the large amplitude, the load on the muscles will remain the same. And maybe it will even increase. These exercises can be alternated. Doing dumbbell bench presses in one workout and barbells in another.
Wide grip barbell row
This exercise is aimed at working the rear and middle deltas. It will fit perfectly into our training program. But to get the most out of it, you need to adhere to some rules.
- The grip should be wide so that the trapezoid is not included in the work.
- Due to the position of the body, we can change the load between beams. When bending forward, the rear delta is more involved. With a level body position, average.
You should not take a heavy barbell from the very beginning. This will greatly affect the technique. And instead of working the deltas, we will load the back and trapezius. This means our shoulder training will go down the drain. We'll be wasting our time. Therefore, at the initial stage, we are working on technology. Thanks to it, we will be able to use the muscles that we need.
Pull of the upper block to the face
But this is an isolated exercise aimed at developing the rear delta. It is perfect for athletes who do not feel their muscles working. This happens due to poor neuromuscular connection between the brain and them. Of course, beginners shouldn’t lean too heavily on it. Since you won’t be able to gain muscle mass using facelifts. But professionals often use it in their training to give their deltoids an ideal shape. This exercise is performed on a block simulator with a cable handle.
Dumbbell lateral raises
This exercise is also isolated. With its help you can perfectly work out the middle delta. I think many of you have noticed that this bundle is involved in all of the above exercises. Therefore, to achieve it, you can do dumbbell raises to the side. The main thing is not to chase weight. At the beginning, the technique must be worked out to the smallest detail. Since the delta is easy to injure. We can perform the wiring while standing, sitting, and with each hand alternately. It is better, of course, to alternate these exercises at least once a month. This will make your workouts less monotonous.
Of course, this is a small fraction of all the exercises that athletes use to train their shoulders. But they are enough to build up the muscle mass of the deltas and give them a ball-shaped shape. And then, you can add exercises such as: TILT SWINGS, DUMBELL RAISES IN FRONT OF YOURSELF, ARM BREAKS IN A CROSSOVER or EXAMINER. To get acquainted with them, just click on their name.
Which muscle groups to pump in one day, Basic principles of training which muscle groups to pump together
But write a comment only because you thought there was something there BadMadPanda sent of the day. One thing I don’t understand is why TS doesn’t first describe the main types of splits.
Where does the myth come from that a five-day split is for pros and there’s no way to do it “without farming”? Degre sent day.
Psst, guy, there is no such thing as supercompensation, and everything about supercompensation is actually about the level of glucogen in the muscles.
Glycogen can be burned in a day, just as it can be filled. The rest was verified by muscle sensors and muscle tissue biopsies from volunteers.
My friend is a good scientist, he talks in detail about supercompensation https: Fast fiber, non-skeletal groups need time to “repair” By the way, I respect Seluyanov!
Okay, I actually agree about the hour break. But, regarding fullbadi, this training is completely justified if you give a break to pass the delta test. That is, the results will be quite effective, since the muscles have already had time to recover.
After all, there, internal glucogenesis pumps itself out, etc. I re-read you 2 times - I didn’t understand anything. The author claims that the optimum is 3 strength training sessions, aerobic training and running, which I don’t take into account.
And since you know that the optimum is 7 days, then you take the main muscle groups: And even with this approach, you cannot train muscles that intersect.
Why a five-day split is convenient - it’s mentally very easy to train one group a day. You'll be done in minutes. And she’s guaranteed to have a week’s rest.
Attention!
Firstly, read about splits, which are recommended for the first months to train the whole body once a week.
From my own comment. Beginners should do this for the first months.