Training opposing muscle groups together works the front and when part of an zone on your soul at the same time, which promotes strength, stability, and plane muscle growth.
As a fitness expert, one of the most worldwide questions people have when they first start strength training is, “What muscle groups do I work out together?”
Whether you’re just getting started strength training or you’ve been in the groove for a while, it’s important to be educated on getting the most out of your workouts. I recommend training opposing muscle groups (agonists and antagonists) together considering they work together for many of the movements we make, and it’s way increasingly efficient.
Simply put, you are working both the front and the when of one particular zone of your soul within the same session. This training strategy moreover helps you create a plan to target variegated areas of your soul on variegated days of the week while still providing necessary rest periods.
So I put together four opposing muscle group workouts with a few of my favorite combinations to exercise together:
- Workout #1: Chest and Back
- Workout #2: Quads and Hamstrings
- Workout #3: Biceps, Triceps, and Shoulders
- Workout #4: Glutes and Abdominals
These strategic muscle group workouts will help build muscle and promote overall strength and sculpting!
Muscle Groups Workout #1: Chest & Back
This opposing muscle groups workout will target your chest and when muscles to strengthen and tone your upper body.
Chest & When Workout Instructions:
- Grab a medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells in a weight that allows you to well-constructed the workout while providing a little rencontre (somewhere between 8-15 lbs). I typically use 12 lb dumbbells when working my upper body!
- Complete the exercises unelevated in a spin format, performing each exercises for a total of 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
- The 15 second rest period allows to you reservation your vapor and prep for the next movement.
1. Chest Fly
The chest fly is a unconfined strength training exercise that targets your chest and shoulder muscles.
How to Perform a Chest Fly:
- Lie on when with knees wilting and feet on the floor and hold dumbbells straight up over chest.
- With a slight wrench in the elbow, slowly unshut stovepipe wide out to the side.
- Squeeze your chest as you bring the weights when together at the top.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
2. Renegade Row
The renegade row is a recipe exercise that targets your back, shoulder, and cadre muscles simultaneously. You’ll finger your muscles burning, and your heart rate go up!
How to Perform a Renegade Row:
- Begin in a full plank with dumbbells in hands, stovepipe extended, and toes (kneeling variation is fine if you are not worldly-wise to do a full plank). Engage your viscera drawing the vitals inward towards your spine.
- Pull the right dumbbell up toward right hip unorthodoxy keeping the weight tropical to your side. Slowly return it to the floor and repeat with the left dumbbell.
3. Push-Up
The push-up is the holy grail of strength moves considering it targets several muscle groups in one efficient exercise. The chest, aka your pectorals, are the focus but you moreover use your shoulders, triceps and core.
How to Perform a Push-Up:
- Begin in a plank position with hands unelevated shoulders, legs long overdue you, and soul contracted to hold your spine in a straight line.
- With elbows pointing slightly back, wrench elbows and slowly uncork to lower your soul until you are just whilom the ground. Alimony your gaze over your fingertips and soul in a straight line.
- As you exhale, tighten your vitals and then push yourself when up to a plank position. That is one repetition.
4. Reverse Grip Double Arm Rows
The reverse grip double arm row exercise targets the when muscles, which is an often-overlooked muscle group in women and will help modernize your posture.
How to Perform a Reverse Grip Double Arm Rows:
- Start with legs together and sit when into a slight squat engaging abdominal. Stovepipe are in front of the soul holding dumbbells at hip height with palms facing the ceiling.
- Draw elbows when past hips gently hugging the side soul so you finger lats and triceps engage and return forward with control.
5. Chest Press
The chest printing is a matriculation move that targets your chest muscles with shoulders and stovepipe stuff the helper muscles.
How to Perform a Chest Press:
- Lie on when with knees wilting and feet on the floor. Elbows are wilting and dumbbells start at shoulder height.
- Extend stovepipe fully pressing yonder from your chest. Then, slowly lower to start position.
6. Overhead Pull
The overhead pull exercise powerfully targets your when muscles. For your information, this is my personal favorite when exercise!
How to Perform an Overhead Pull:
- Lie on when with knees wilting and feet on the floor. Stovepipe are extended whilom the chest to start. Engage your abdominals.
- Lower dumbbells past your throne keeping stovepipe mostly straight with elbows slightly bent.
- Keeping viscera tight, raise dumbbells when to start. The low back should stay firm versus the floor throughout.
Repeat this spin three times for a well-constructed 20-minute upper-body workout!
Muscle Groups Workout #2: Quads & Hamstring
This opposing muscle group workout focuses on the quads and hamstrings and it will get your legs pumping while improving strength, stability, and performance.
The goal of this lower soul workout is to target the quad and hamstring muscles together and to find fatigue in the lower half of your body.
If you get to the last couple of reps and you finger like you can’t do one more, that’s exactly where you should be. However, if you come to the last couple of reps and finger like you could do more, pick up heavier weights!
Quads and Hamstrings Workout Instructions:
- You will need a set of medium-to-heavy dumbbells. AI would personally grab a set of 12 or 15 lb dumbbells, but anywhere between 8 lb and 20 lb dumbbells would be recommended depending on your level of fitness.
- Complete 12 repetitions per exercise and repeat the unshortened workout a total of 3 times!
1. Basic Squat
The vital squat is a fundamental lower soul exercise that targets your glutes, quads (thighs) and hamstrings (back of the legs).
How to Perform a Basic Squat:
- Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart. Your hips, knees, and toes should all be facing forward.
- Bend your knees and proffer your buttocks wrong-side-up as if you are going to sit when into a chair. Make sure that you alimony your knees overdue your toes and your weight in your heels.
- Rise when up and repeat.
2. Deadlift
The deadlift is a recipe weightlifting exercise that engages muscles throughout your body, expressly targeting your hamstrings, glutes. Good form is key to keeping it from going into your lower back.
How to Perform a Deadlift:
- Start standing with feet hip-distance untied and then dumbbells resting in front of thighs.
- Tighten your viscera and alimony a unappetizing when as you wrench the knees slightly, lowering the dumbbells towards the floor.
- Squeeze the glutes and use your hamstrings and legs to lift and return to your upright position.
3. Alternating Lunges
The successive lunge exercise targets lower soul muscles while moreover improving wastefulness and coordination.
How to Perform Alternating Lunges:
- Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Take a large step forward and lower your soul toward the floor. Both legs should be wilting at a 90-degree wile at the marrow of the lunge.
- Push off the front leg to rise when up to start, and repeat on the other side.
- Perform 6 reps on each side.
4. Single-Leg Hamstring Bridge (Left Side)
The single-leg hamstring bride is used to engage your hamstrings and glutes which stabilize the soul and modernize lower soul strength and stability!
How to Perform a Single-Leg Hamstring Bridge:
- Lie on when with wilting knees hip-distance apart, and feet unappetizing on mat stacked under the knees. Proffer one leg long towards the ceiling.
- Squeeze glutes and lift hips off the mat into a bridge. Lower and lift the hips for the desired number of reps then repeat on flipside side.
5. Pistol Squat
The pistol squat is a bodyweight exercise that challenges your balance, strength, and flexibility in your lower body. This is an wide exercise so if needed, hold onto a counter or table for stability.
How to Perform Pistol Squats:
- Stand with feet hip-distance untied and proffer 1 leg long on the front of the body.
- Bring hands to hips or the front of your soul for balance. Sit when into a squat with weight in the heel of the foot, then slowly stand when up using your glute and hamstring muscles.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps and switch sides.
6. Single-Leg Hamstring Bridge (Right Side)
Complete the same single-leg hamstring underpass you did earlier, but on your right side!
Instructions Reminder:
- Lie on when with wilting knees hip-distance apart, and feet unappetizing on mat stacked under the knees. Proffer one leg long towards the ceiling.
- Squeeze glutes and lift hips off the mat into a bridge. Lower and lift the hips for the desired number of reps then repeat on flipside side.
Muscle Groups Workout #3: Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders
I designed this HIIT upper soul muscle group workout to target and strengthen your back, biceps and shoulders in one efficient training program. All you need is dumbbells and your bodyweight!
Bicep, Tricep and Shoulder Workout Instructions:
- Choose a light to heavy set of dummbells (I use anywhere between 10-12 lbs) that you can hold onto for a 20 second internal.
- Perform each exercise at the highest level possible for a working interval of 20 seconds, followed by a rest of 10 seconds surpassing moving to the next move.
- Repeat the unshortened training sequence then for a total of 5 intervals (approximately a 20 minute workout)
Block 1: Bicep Curls, Push Up Punches, Hammer Curls
Perform each of these exercises for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest surpassing moving to the next exercise:
Block 2: Tricep Kickbacks, Tricep Dips, Overhead Tricep Extensions
Perform each of these exercises for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest surpassing moving to the next exercise:
Block 3: Overhead Shoulder Presses, Shoulder Front Raises, Renegade Rows
Perform each of these exercises for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest surpassing moving to the next exercise:
Muscle Groups Workout #4: Glutes & Abdominals
The overly popular glutes and viscera muscle groups workout will strengthen your cadre and firm up your buns while improving posture and overall sturdy performance. The glutes and abs are two of the most popular muscles groups to workout together!
Glute and Rectal Workout Instructions:
- Perform spin 1.
- Complete the exhaustion round if you still have the energy!
Circuit 1: Glutes and Abs
Complete each of the spin 1 exercises unelevated for 30 seconds each, followed by 15 seconds of rest and rotate through the well-constructed spin three or four times through:
- Cross Overdue Lunge (30 Seconds)
- Forearm Plank (30 Seconds)
- Glute Kicker (30 Seconds)
- Full Sit Up (30 Seconds)
Circuit 2: Exhaustion Exercises
End your workout by completing the two exercises unelevated to “burnout” or for 30 seconds. Well-constructed this spin two times through:
Muscle Groups to Workout Together: Sample Schedules
These sample workout schedules will help you plan your week. As I stated below, by working opposing muscle groups together, you can split up your soul throughout the week permitting zaftig rest for each muscle group. Whether you only have time for two days a week or if you can split it up three or four days, the key thing I will unchangingly remind you is consistency matters. Stay resulting and work to fatigue and you will see results.
Opposing Muscle Workouts: 4 Days a Week
| Monday | Upper Body: chest and back |
| Tuesday | Legs: glutes and hamstrings |
| Thursday | Upper Body: shoulders and arms |
| Saturday | Lower Body: glutes and abdominals |
Opposing Muscle Workouts: 3 Days a Week
| Day 1 | Chest, when (opposing groups), shoulders |
| Day 2 | Biceps, triceps (opposing groups) abs |
| Day 3 | Quads, hamstrings (opposing groups) glutes |
Opposing Muscle Workouts: 2 Days a Week
We know life is rented so if two strength sessions per week works weightier in your schedule, divide up the soul into the upper and lower body. Considering you are doing increasingly muscle groups in each session, you may do less repetitions or less exercises for each muscle group, which is unquestionably good for beginners.
| Day 1 | Upper Body: chest, back, bicep, tricep, shoulders |
| Day 2 | Lower Soul and Core: glutes, hamstrings and abs |
FAQS
You should pick a weight where you finger muscle fatigue by the 15th repetition. It’s the feeling like you can barely do one increasingly rep. But if you are a beginner, then start lighter and build up to indulge your joints and muscles to acclimate.
Many of these exercises in our workout are just bodyweight. But as you get stronger you can add dumbbells. And yes the larger muscle groups like lower soul muscles, chest and when can take heavier weights than your smaller muscle groups like shoulders, biceps and triceps.
There is no right way to divide up your week. It all depends on your job, lifestyle, and fitness level. It’s a good idea to indulge at least one or two days between strength sessions to indulge your muscles to recover and repair.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle pain and stiffness that occurs without strenuous or unusual physical activity.Its the phenomena that happens as part of s the repair process that happens in your muscles in response to microscopic muscle forfeiture causes by strength training. Often DOMS is worse on Day 2.
