Three muscle groups per workout. Which muscles should you train together to get the maximum benefit from your workout? Rest and recovery

New to strength sports? Then building your training schedule is of paramount importance. Next, you will find out which muscle groups are best combined on a training day to maximize muscle growth.

In bodybuilding, no one will ever give you a training program that will magically transform you into a successful competitive athlete. This takes more than one year hard work, trial and error to get the body of your dreams. Here you can only find recommendations about the best exercises, successful schemes for the number of approaches and repetitions, interesting methods of training, but in the end only you are both the “jury” and the “judge” regarding the effectiveness of certain training methods for your body.

So, building your workout and training split depends on several factors:

Training Experience

Beginners should stick to less voluminous and intensive programs, but with greater frequency than experienced athletes.

Goals

Are you just going to keep your muscles toned, or maybe you want to make larger changes to your physique and reach new heights?

Your options

Can you train 5 days a week, or is your schedule so busy that you can only afford to go to the gym a couple of days? Be that as it may, it is important to realize that each subsequent workout builds on the previous one. So you should have the opportunity to at least visit the gym.

Rest and recovery

Depending on your job, lifestyle, and recovery abilities (including sleep), you may need more or fewer rest days between training sessions. And you shouldn’t neglect it in the pursuit of muscle mass. Growth happens outside of the gym, if you have good nutrition and full recovery. Be sure to listen to your body.

Recovery may also include a mental recharge - if you are mentally tired from regular training, take a few more days to rest. One of the workouts can be done outside the gym by running a long distance or working on the horizontal bar and uneven bars.

Your weaknesses

If you have lagging muscle groups or those that you would simply like to tighten, work on them first after a period of rest, when energy reserves are in abundance.

What combinations exist

There are many training options, dividing the pumping or combining muscle groups in one day. Below are the 5 main training split, starting with the easiest and ending with the most advanced and complex. Make no mistake! Beginners should choose the first option, while more or less experienced athletes can consider the other variations.

As you become more experienced and acquire new knowledge and skills, you will find that you begin to use more exercises, and the intensity and volume of your training increases. All this will require more time for rest, which means each muscle group will be worked out once a week. So, which muscles are best to train together?

Combining all muscle groups in one workout is the best option for beginners, based on performing 2-3 sets of one exercise per muscle group. The main reason why the training volume (few approaches per group) is low is the initial adaptation of beginners to power loads passes through nervous system. After all, first you need to teach your body to activate and use as much as possible muscle fibers, and only then work on their strength and size. This in turn requires greater frequency, and the workout must be repeated 3 times a week with 48 hours of recovery in between.

Another reason why volume and intensity of training is kept low for a beginner is to minimize the next day. Pumping up the whole body not only helps you become familiar with all the equipment and exercise machines, but also allows you to work out each muscle group in moderate volumes, instead of “burning out” one specific one.

Day	Muscle groups	Exercises per group	Approaches	Repetitions
1	All	1	3	10-12
2	Rest
3	All	1	3	10-12
4	Rest
5	All	1	3	10-12
6-7	Rest

Split TOP/BOTTOM

The amount of work (number of sets and reps) done for each muscle group in a fullbody program is low. The next step is to break the whole body down over two days and do 2 exercises per group. On a training day, combine the muscles of the upper part (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and lower part (quadriceps, buttocks, hamstrings, calves, abs).

By increasing the volume of work for each body part, you can hit a specific area from different angles. In the example below, you need to do 6 sets - 3 sets of two exercises for each muscle group on one day.

Top and Bottom
Day	Muscle groups	Exercises per group	Approaches	Repetitions
1	Top	2	3	6-8, 10-12
2	Bottom	2	3	6-8, 10-12
3	Rest
4	Top	2	3	6-8, 10-12
5	Bottom	2	3	6-8, 10-12
6-7	Rest

You can train in two different rep ranges:

• the first is focused more on developing strength indicators (choose a weight with which you will reach failure in 6-8 repetitions)
• the second is as close as possible to the growth of muscle mass (10-12 repetitions)

Press/Deadlift/Legs

The third stage also involves increasing volume in training. This time you will train each muscle group not twice a week, but three. Most effective way creating such a three-day split means combining muscle groups in one training day that:

• press (chest, shoulders, triceps)
• pull (back and biceps)
• legs separately

Why is the combination like this? The fact is that many basic exercises involve other muscles. For example, when doing a bench press, the chest, deltoids and triceps are involved in the work. Therefore, after loading the pecs, it would be wise to finish off the shoulders and triceps. If you do chest on Monday, shoulders on Tuesday, and triceps on Wednesday, there simply won’t be enough time for recovery and your effectiveness will noticeably decrease. next workout, since some muscles had already received a certain load the day before.

Advanced athletes can perform the split twice in 8 days, that is, taking one rest day after every three days of training. For beginners, it is better to stick to the diagrams below. The repetition range should also be selected individually, depending on the intensity of the workout. The larger it is, the heavy weights you need to use fewer repetitions.

Press, deadlift and legs
Day	Muscle groups	Exercises per group	Approaches	Repetitions
1	Chest, shoulders, triceps	3	3	6-8, 10-12
2	Back, biceps	3	3	6-8, 10-12
3	Legs	4	4	6-8, 10-12
4	Chest, shoulders, triceps	3	3	6-8, 10-12
5	Back, biceps	3	3	6-8, 10-12
6	Legs	4	4	6-8, 10-12
7	Rest

Four day split

And here is a split that shows that you are becoming more serious! With fewer muscle groups combined in one day, you can further increase the volume and intensity of your workouts - factors that are important for continued progress. A four-day split is most often done over the course of one week, which means you get 3 days of rest. But as an alternative and to complicate the training process, you can do just one day of rest after 4 days of work, or train for two days and rest for two days.

The best combination would be grouping large muscles with small ones (only traction or pressing). You can do a split of chest with biceps, back with triceps. Just take at least one day of rest between antagonist workouts or lift your legs to give yourself time to recover.

Four day split
Day	Muscle groups	Exercises per group	Approaches	Repetitions
1	Back, biceps	4, 3	3-4	6-15
2	Chest, triceps	4, 3	3-4	6-15
3	Rest
4	Legs	5	3-4	6-15
5	Shoulders	4	3-4	6-15
6-7	Rest

It is also very important to work out a large muscle group first, and only then move on to a small one. The smaller the muscle group, the faster it gets tired. If you do the opposite, you will not be able to lift heavy weights, since the assisting muscles were already exhausted in the first half of the training.

Five day split

A good option for athletes with experience behind them and a better understanding of all the intricacies of the training process. No combination occurs. Allows you to pay maximum attention to one muscle group, increasing intensity and volume to the limit. You can work your muscles much harder by spending an hour or more in the gym. Rest days can be left on weekends or shifted to other days depending on your schedule and workload. For example, loading two large muscle groups two days in a row and then taking a day off. Then carry out the remaining three classes and again have a day off.

Again, do not pump synergists one after another under any circumstances, otherwise the recovery will be incomplete. That is why such muscles in the table below are separated by an interval of 48 hours.

Five day split
Day	Muscle groups	Exercises per group	Approaches	Repetitions
1	Breast	4-5	3-4	6-15
2	Back	5	3-4	6-15
3	Shoulders	4-5	3-4	6-15
4	Legs	5-6	3-4	6-15
5	Biceps, triceps	3-4	3-4	6-15
6-7	Rest

Abdominals and calves are not included in any of the splits. Small muscles recover very quickly and can work within a day. The best option would be to leave them until the end of the training.

Our body consists of many muscle groups. In the training process they are divided into main and auxiliary. The main ones are the chest, back, shoulders, legs, arms and abs. Each of them contains a large number of auxiliary muscles, which are included in the work along with the large muscles.

Professional bodybuilders can afford to devote one day to training one main group in order to work it out and achieve maximum proportionality in order to show themselves in all their glory in competitions. As you understand, pros train almost every day. For beginners or gym enthusiasts, daily workout will not bring any benefit, since the body of an ordinary person will not have time to recover after training, which can lead to negative results. In addition, people who engage in bodybuilding at an amateur level have many everyday worries, such as work, study, etc. Because of this, a person is simply not able to fully devote himself to training. While the pros live from bodybuilding, this is their main income and because of this, athletes go to the gym as if they were going to work.

So that you understand professional bodybuilders resort to the use of pharmacological support in order to recover faster, improve anabolic processes in the body, etc. Therefore, they go to the gym every day, without harm to themselves.

In order to achieve the maximum effect from training, you need to break down the training of the main muscle groups into individual days. However, here the question arises - which muscles should be trained together and how to combine them? Today, the three-day split is the most common among beginners and experienced athletes. That is, you divide the training into three days, say Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is an ideal option to build up as quickly as possible muscle mass and completely restore the muscle. A little later, when you are more experienced, you can break the training into four days, dedicating one day, for example, to training your arms or shoulders. For more information on how to properly create a training program, see here.

There are several options, based on which you can understand which muscles to train together. Here is one of the most common examples today:

Example No. 1

This is a fairly widely used option, in which everything is quite simple and logical. Look, we take the main muscle groups and break them down into three days: day 1 – chest; day 2 – back; day 3 – legs. After that, we add smaller muscles that are directly involved in training the main muscle, with the exception of the leg and shoulder combination. For example, take the same chest workout, which is based on repelling exercises. That is, take the same bench press or dumbbell press and so on. All of them involve pushing (squeezing) weight away from the chest, and as we know, the triceps are responsible for this function in the arm muscles. So he takes direct part in chest training.

The same goes for the back and biceps. If in chest training, we push (squeeze) the weight away from ourselves, then in back training, we pull the weight towards ourselves, and, as you know, not only the back muscles are responsible for this movement, but also the biceps, which helps to pull the weight and increase the amplitude movements.

As for the third day of training, the shoulders are not involved in training the legs, however, this is the only day that can be allocated for high-quality pumping of the deltoids. As you know, the deltoids consist of the front, middle and rear beams; if you want to pump up your shoulders, you need to train them together, in one day.

Thus, by combining training in this way, we tire out the secondary muscles quite well in advance, and then work them out efficiently.

Example No. 2

The second option is less common, however, also has its fans. Many people believe that training the main muscle and the secondary one, which is directly involved in the movement, such as the chest and triceps, back and biceps, is at least stupid, since having first tired the secondary muscle (biceps or triceps), we will no longer be able to pump them properly . In principle, for some people this is quite relevant. Remember that everyone's body is different, and everyone may react differently to one or another type of training, so you can experiment and try both complexes to determine for yourself which one is right for you. In addition, the program still needs to be changed at least once every 1-2 months.

MUSCLE TRAININGANTAGONISTS

Many people believe that antagonist training is the most effective for building muscle mass, and this is true. Such training involves working out two antagonist muscles in one day. These are the muscles that are located parallel to each other, that is, back - chest, biceps - triceps, hamstrings - quadriceps. You can read more about training antagonist muscles here.

An example of such a training plan

Having trained according to this plan, I can say that this is a pretty good solution if you need to change the program, try something new. This complex is suitable for fairly experienced athletes, as it requires a lot of energy and strength to recover, but for a beginner it is better to train according to the first or second example.

Personally, I recommend training according to the plan presented below. He absorbed a little from the training of the antagonists and from the first standard plan. It can be used by experienced athletes with at least 1 year of experience.

Training plan in gym

FULL BODY WORKOUT

In this embodiment, you can combine all the muscles at the same time, only in a certain sequence. If you are a beginner athlete, you can use a workout that includes working all major muscle groups in one session. As you remember, at the beginning of the article we said, for beginner athletes the best option is to break the workout into splits, that is, train each major muscle group separately. As for a full body workout, this is a fairly energy-intensive plan, but if you approach the process wisely, you can balance your activities.

Whole body training is needed in order to prepare a novice athlete, namely his muscles, for a further increase in loads, that is, to tighten his overall physical fitness. The workout itself does not consist of twenty exercises, as you might think, it includes basic exercises, thanks to which we can pump up and use the main, secondary and various auxiliary muscle groups in the process. Training does not take much time if you train intensively, without half an hour of rest and hackwork. You can find out more about full body training here

This concept refers to some exercises from the world of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Basic exercises include those exercises that have a targeted effect on large muscle groups and are the most effective for the development of strength and muscle mass.

As in any sport, training in bodybuilding has certain features. Each athlete sets certain goals before training, and, depending on them, creates his own program. And to make the exercises even more effective, many athletes actively use those that are considered basic in their training. There are four basic principles that allow us to call the exercise basic:

1. With the exception of push-ups and pull-ups, all basic exercises are performed with a barbell
2. Impact falls on large muscle groups
3. When performing the exercise, at least two joints are set in motion
4. The starting position in the exercise is the most convenient for developing greater effort from an anatomical point of view

The benefits of basic exercises

The main effect is the development of strength and muscle mass. If you set these goals for yourself, then basic exercises should be the basis of your training. During their execution, the muscles receive maximum load, in addition, most muscle fibers are actively involved in the work. One more positive effect has a powerful effect on the nervous system.

All body systems receive maximum training impact during basic exercises. Thanks to this, a maximum response is caused on their part, which leads to greatest growth indicators of strength and muscle mass.

There are also isolated exercises, which are in addition to the basic ones. They are used when they want to more fully work out a particular muscle group.

Basic exercises in bodybuilding and strength sports

Today there are nine basic exercises:

1. Standing or seated barbell press
2. Bench press on a flat or incline bench
3. Bench press narrow grip
4. Dips (possibly using weights)
5. Deadlift
6. Overhand rows or pull-ups on the bar with any grip
7. Bent-over barbell row
8. Squats with a barbell on your shoulders
9. Front Squats

These exercises are considered the basis for developing strength and mass.

In weightlifting, exercises such as the snatch and clean and jerk are actively used. As for bodybuilding, there are several non-basic exercises that also have effective impact on hand strength. The most famous of these exercises are French press and standing barbell curls.

Effective workouts at home

Not everyone has the opportunity to go to the gym and train with a heavy barbell or use special racks for squats and presses. But they shouldn't be upset, the right approach With home workouts you can achieve equally impressive results. Execution correct exercises with heavy dumbbells, the effectiveness is almost as good as basic exercises with a barbell. Exercises such as dumbbell presses in a lying or seated position can develop strength and mass well.

In addition, to perform some basic exercises you don’t need or need to come to the gym. You can do push-ups from the floor without leaving your room; pull-up bars and push-up bars are available in almost every room. sports ground. In terms of their effectiveness, these exercises are in no way inferior to exercises with a barbell; they are also basic.

The most important thing in home training– drawing up the right training program. It is necessary to select the most best exercises, which allow maximum load on the muscles. The training itself must be carried out carefully and wisely, then you will achieve impressive results. There are many athletes who have been able to develop amazing strength and gain significant muscle mass by training at home.

Is it possible to do only three exercises?

Some athletes claim that there are only three effective basic exercises - squats with a barbell on the shoulders, deadlift and bench press. They say with complete confidence that you need to do only these three exercises and that’s it, you don’t need to do any others. Most of those who think this way are involved in powerlifting (powerlifting).

This is a completely wrong view of strength sports, it is too “limited”.

The reason why many powerlifters hold this opinion is understandable, because these are the three exercises that are competitive. The goal of each of them is to raise maximum weight, which is why misconceptions arise about this.

By the way, during preparatory period these same athletes use a fairly wide range various exercises. But some time before the competition itself, they discard everything “unnecessary” and focus entirely on basic training.

The effect of training only competitive exercises will only be if we are talking about professional athlete with harmonious developed body. As for amateur athletes, this technique is unlikely to suit them.

If you are not involved in powerlifting, but in bodybuilding or other strength sports, then you definitely shouldn’t limit yourself to a basic program of three exercises.

The human body consists of countless muscles, joints and ligaments that provide it with excellent mobility. This motor system needs to be developed, and this must be done in a variety of ways so that each link is distinguished by its strength. Take any sport represented on olympic games– only the use of a large arsenal of exercises allows athletes to achieve high results in them. An athlete's preparation should consist of both basic and auxiliary exercises.

The best way to develop strength and muscle mass is to perform basic bodybuilding exercises. You shouldn’t limit yourself to just three of them, use the entire arsenal, this is the only way you can effectively develop your body. Naturally, we are not talking about one training session, but about training program, which includes various activities. If necessary, supplement the program additional exercises. As already stated, proper training consists of performing basic exercises, with the help of which the body’s abilities are comprehensively developed, and auxiliary exercises that need to be used to work on separate groups muscles. These could be exercises that help further work out the abs, lumbar region and any other lagging muscles.

It is necessary to distribute all the exercises into separate workouts, in each of them you need to solve some specific problems.

Muscle structure and basic exercises in bodybuilding

It is necessary to very clearly know the area of ​​influence of basic exercises, which muscle groups are involved when performing them. You need to know the structure of a particular muscle group in order not to just say to yourself and others: “Yes, such and such an exercise affects such and such a muscle.” You need to have a good understanding of muscle anatomy and a clear understanding of their location on your body, then the effectiveness of your training will increase many times over. So, it’s time to move on to describing the structure of the muscles and those exercises that have the most impact on them:

1) Shoulders ( shoulder girdle) . Its basis is deltoids, which consist of an anterior, posterior and lateral beam. The shoulder girdle also includes the trapezius muscle, or rather only top part trapezoids. The main exercises for the shoulders are: bench press from behind the head in a sitting position (impact on the front and side beams), bench press from the chest while sitting (front beams), raises with dumbbells while standing (the main load falls on the side beams, the secondary load on the front and rear), pulling the barbell to the chin with a narrow grip (top of the trapezius), raising the shoulders with arms down, holding the barbell or dumbbells (top of the trapezius).

2) Rib cage . It is based on pectoral muscles and serratus muscle. Most effective exercises are: wide-grip barbell press in a lying position horizontal bench(building up total mass pectoral muscles), exactly the same bench press, but on a bench inclined to the upper side (redistribution of the load on the upper part of the pectoral muscles), push-ups on the uneven bars (outer and lower parts of the pectoral muscles).

3) Back. Consists of the latissimus muscles (wings), the erector spinae muscles and the lower part of the trapezius muscle. Basic exercises: rear pull-ups with a wide grip (extension of the top of the wings), bent-over barbell rows with a narrow and medium grip ( outer part latissimus muscles), one-arm dumbbell row in a bent position (working out the lats), pull-down block in a sitting position with a narrow grip to the stomach (bottom of the lats and general development spinal muscles) and deadlift (spinal extensor muscles).

4)Hands. Their structure is known to every athlete; they consist of the forearm, biceps and triceps. The main exercises: close-grip barbell press on a horizontal bench (triceps), dips (triceps), French press (triceps), seated dumbbell curls (biceps) and standing curls with a barbell or dumbbells (biceps).

5) Legs. Much more complex in structure than hands. They consist of the quadriceps femoris (quadriceps), biceps femoris (biceps), calves and calf muscles. Key exercises: squats (quadriceps), deadlifts (thigh development), and calf raises (calves).

6) Press. The press itself is the rectus abdominis muscle, which can be divided into two sections: upper and lower. In addition, the abs are made up of oblique muscles. Key Exercises: Supine Curl (Upper Abs), Roman Chair Curls (Upper Abs), Leg Raises (Lower Abs), Flat Tucks (all rectus muscles) and Crunches with Torso Curls or Leg Raises (Obliques) muscles).

Basic exercises in bodybuilding: Newbie mistakes

Many of those who are just starting their journey in bodybuilding make the same mistake, namely, they almost completely ignore basic exercises and focus all their attention on isolated exercises. Moreover, almost all of them have only some general and rather vague idea of ​​what isolated exercises are. Such athletes come to training and spend all their time moving from one auxiliary exercise to another. Naturally, they think that I’m doing everything right and expect results. But the only result in this case can only be the complete destruction of one’s own muscles.

And some beginners, having seen a professional’s training method in some specialized magazine, immediately begin to practice it. But we must understand that he is on entry level development, and the described training plan belongs to professionals, and only a few will be able to withstand it. Most beginner athletes understand this only over time and begin to look for other ways. Sooner or later, they all come to the realization that basic exercises are the basis of any training.

Testosterone

Due to the fact that when performing basic exercises in bodybuilding or other strength sports, several joints are involved in the work at once, the result is the development of more testosterone.

The term testosterone does not mean various stimulants, but the fact that naturally produced by our body. Testosterone– a male hormone, almost all athletes consider it the main muscle builder. In other words, the more hormone our body produces, the better good muscle mass is built. In addition, the amount of fat in the body is significantly reduced.

Research has revealed a number of important factors that need to be taken into account during training in order to produce more testosterone. First of all, it is produced while working with weights. Its amount depends on the intensity of training and the volume of muscle mass that was stimulated. That is, lifting a lot of weight in itself will not do anything. For active testosterone production, workouts must be varied; muscles must be influenced by different methods, and not just by lifting heavy “iron”. As already mentioned, the main factor is gaining muscle mass; let’s dwell on this point in more detail.

There is a very simple relationship: if during training, muscle mass is stimulated to a considerable extent, then testosterone will be produced in increased quantities. It is for this reason that basic exercises naturally stimulate an increase in hormone levels, since they affect several joints at once. A special study was conducted in which participants performed bench press and squats with a barbell. Testosterone levels increased in both cases, but more high level development was recorded during squats, since several muscle groups are stimulated in this exercise.

A very successful example can be given - weightlifters competing at the Olympics. They produce simply gigantic amounts of the hormone. Therefore, beginners should spend more time on deadlifts, squats and other basic exercises, rather than spending almost the entire workout on isolated biceps or leg muscles.

The most active production of testosterone occurs in the first 45 minutes of weight training, after which its level decreases sharply. So athletes who spend hours doing one exercise after another should think about the productivity of this method.

One more important factor is the intensity, that is, the number of repetitions in 60 seconds. One of the studies involved two groups. The first performed exercises to increase muscle volume according to the following scheme: 10 repetitions were performed per minute, the break between approaches was also exactly one minute. Participants in the second group developed strength by performing 5 repetitions per minute and taking a three-minute break between sets. According to the study results, higher testosterone levels were recorded in participants in the first group. However, participants in the second group also experienced a significant increase in the level of hormone produced.

So, one main conclusion can be summed up: if the basis of your training is compound exercises, then you do not have to worry about the fact that your body will secrete too little testosterone. Everything will happen exactly the opposite.

When working out in the gym, pay attention only to yourself. You don’t have to think about the fact that someone training next to you is looking at you and evaluating how you train. The most optimal training duration is considered to be 40-50, including warm-up; you should not spend more than this time in the gym. Between approaches you need to rest for 1-2 minutes; longer breaks can be harmful to the body. You need to exercise several times a week, it is best to train 3 times a week, but no more. And don’t forget: growth in strength and mass occurs not during exercise, but during rest and sleep.

The number of approaches and repetitions in them depends on your goal. If you want toned muscles, then do 4-6 sets of 7-13 repetitions. Do not do more than this, this is too much stress for the muscles, as a result they can simply burn. The working weight should be such that during the last repetitions you apply maximum effort.

Exercises such as squats and deadlifts are best done with a regular bar, without weight, in the beginning. This will help you get used to the correct technique. Any discomfort during the exercise can only mean one thing - you are doing something technically incorrect. Without doing the basic exercises, your progress will be very slow and minimal.

Do you need muscle, or do you want to get lean and get rid of fat? If you come to the gym for muscle mass, then your diet should mainly consist of high-calorie foods. Some fat is burned on its own during exercise, but exercise alone is not enough to completely get rid of it.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to approach any experienced athlete in the gym and ask them. Most bodybuilders are open people who are happy to advise and explain to beginners all controversial issues.

A different opinion about basic bodybuilding exercises

As already mentioned, most athletes are well aware of the need to take basic exercises as the basis of their training. But there are also those who openly declare that the base is a matter of taste, an alternative for which, if desired, you can easily find a replacement. And we are not talking about amateur athletes, but rather experienced bodybuilders. Of course, such a point of view seems absurd, but not everything is so simple.

Many famous bodybuilders, in all their years of training, have never done basic exercises, and, nevertheless, achieved amazing muscles. They performed completely different exercises and with different equipment, for example, the barbell was replaced with heavy dumbbells, and instead of squats they trained on a machine. Thus, everyone decides for themselves how necessary these exercises are.

Hello everyone, the “ABC of Bodybuilding” project is in touch! Well, the long-awaited spring has arrived - the snow is melting, the birds are singing, and there is less and less clothing. There are only a few left before the beach season. 3-4 month, which means that now is the hottest time for those who decided to lose weight, bulk up and get the proportions they always wanted. Today's topic is basic exercises.

Spring can be felt not only on the street, but also in gyms and fitness rooms. In particular, if earlier such establishments were empty, now there is simply nowhere for an apple to fall, wherever you spit, there are new bodies and faces everywhere. The female half simply comes in an endless stream, and newbies arrive with every training session. Of course, on the one hand, all this cannot but rejoice, however, on the other hand, it is clear that people do not know what to grab onto, how and where to start their training. This is exactly what we will be dealing with today, i.e. We will learn how to properly organize your training process, what exercises and how to perform them technically correctly. in general, let's get acquainted with the basic exercises in bodybuilding or, more simply put, work on the basics.

So, let’s get comfortable, prick up our ears and pay attention, let’s go...

Basic exercises: a guide for beginners

I am always glad to see new faces in gyms, fitness centers, and because... In the spring-pre-summer season the movement is unreal, so I’m doubly glad. A lot of green, inexperienced people come to the gym, whose eyes simply run wild from the number of exercise machines and from the fact that there is so little time ahead, and the results were needed yesterday.

I would like to say that most of those passing through are very actively involved in the work at the first stage. They rush headlong from one simulator to another, trying to fit into 1 hour-long workout exercises on all machines at once. What did you want, time is running out, and there’s a lot to do: develop your shoulders, get rid of your stomach, and get your abs in 6 pump up some cubes and a lot more. There is, of course, a minority who have already heard at least a little about hardware, training programs and go with their own specific goal - for example, to try out the program of some eminent athlete live.

That those of others have the same question scrolling through their heads: “Where should I start?”, “Which exercises should I do first?” And it must be said that this question requires the most detailed answer. In order to find a solution to the problem, let's dive into the theory.

In one of our previous articles (here in) we talked about the anatomy of human muscles and muscle groups. As we remember, the human muscular frame is made up of various muscle groups (both small and large), and a specific exercise involves one or another of them. Some exercises involve two or more muscle groups.

Now the question is: “If we want a comprehensive (from head to toe) affect the whole body at once, then what exercises will help us with this? Everything is very simple: those exercises that bring into work (use) the maximum possible number of muscles will help. In bodybuilding, they received a special name - multi-joint, basic exercises or, in common parlance, the base.

Note:

From many trainers you can hear the following words addressed to beginners: “Don’t know where to start? Screw the base.”

Very often, beginners are tempted to jump on the machines and “score” the base, because... in their understanding, this is something incomprehensible, complex, and they just have thoughts - I came to the gym to pump up my biceps, and not to do some kind of base. Often, those who come to the gym think: I need to pump up my chest, otherwise it lags behind other parts and they start doing exercises specifically for the chest, but often, for beginners, all the muscles lag behind, and therefore local training is far from the most effective. So, the moral - for a beginner to start building his body with local influence on some muscle - is fundamentally wrong.

To make it completely clear, I’ll explain it popularly: exercises on simulators are isolating movements that polish our body (like icing on the cake), and multi-joint exercises are the cake itself, which you first need to knock out of your body.

So, the basis of strength training for any beginner is basic exercises with free weights. They simultaneously affect different muscle groups (each of which does its own job), although none of them receive full load. This puts more muscle mass into action than any isolated, single-joint exercise. This makes it possible to work with heavy loads and provide more rapid growth muscle mass.

In order to completely dispel all doubts regarding the benefits of the “base” at the initial stage of training, I will give the advantages that it has:

• These exercises are more physiological than isolating (local) exercises - i.e. movements in them correspond as closely as possible to the anatomy of the human osteoarticular system, therefore the risk factor (with proper technique) kept to a minimum;
• When they are performed, less energy is consumed, because Several muscle groups work at once, which redistribute the load;
• There is a rapid strengthening of the ligamentous and articular apparatus, due to the cumulatively greater load on the body, which allows for muscle mass growth to be achieved in a much shorter period of time.

It should be remembered that without the correct technique for performing basic exercises, all your efforts will come to nothing. In addition, you can easily get injured and be disconnected from the training process for a fairly long period.

Therefore, we will pay the closest attention to technology, read on.

Basic exercises: technique

A classic set of basic exercises (which, by the way, moved to bodybuilding from the discipline) The following are considered: lying on a horizontal bench, squats with a barbell on the shoulders.

Also to multi-joint (not classic) can be attributed to the following: (barbell chest press), pull-ups on the horizontal bar, bent-over barbell rows, dips, and a couple of others. In general, as you already understand, these are all those exercises that involve a large number of muscle groups (from largest to smallest). Let's take a closer look at the technique of performing these three golden exercises in bodybuilding. Gold because it is on them that all your training process and laying the foundation for future muscle volumes.

Note:

If you think that recognized bodybuilding stars (For example, Schwarzenegger or Dorian Yates) you are not at all familiar with the basics, the technique of its implementation and you only pumped up due to your genetics and some special training programs, then you are deeply mistaken. Almost all athletes work with basic exercises, so for a beginner these exercises should be like a balm for the soul.

It depends on how well you master the technique of performing multi-joint exercises. (how well will you perform them), all further progress of training and the time period that you need to move to the next level in building your body depends.

Now about the technology itself. And we'll start with...

1. Deadlift

Despite the fact that newcomers devote too little time to the database (or not at all), that's half the trouble. The other “sex” is the absence correct technique performing the exercise. Very often in gyms you can observe rather depressing pictures - a person performs an exercise, thinks that he is doing it absolutely correctly, and then at one fine moment one of the trainers “fucks” his entire technique (and “fucks” for the cause).

And all because over time, initially incorrect execution ceases to become a habit and the body automatically repeats this programmed program every training session. As a result, we have that the person seems to be already experienced (1-1,5 went to the gym for a year), and performed the basic exercise incorrectly, thereby robbing himself during the entire training period. Therefore, in order not to step on such a rake, but to immediately set yourself up and do everything correctly and correctly, you need to study all the nuances of the execution technique.

Well, let's get started.

The first of the big three exercises is the deadlift. This is an excellent basic free weight exercise that stimulates overall muscle growth.

The main workers here are (see image):

• Hamstrings ( 1 ) ;
• Buttocks ( 2 ) ;
• Spinal erectors ( 3 ) ;
• Latissimus muscles ( 4 ) ;
• Upper back muscles ( 5 ) ;
• Quadriceps ( 6 ) ;
• Adductor muscles ( 7 ) ;
• Forearms ( 8 ) ;

Starting position (see image)

So, step by step sequence of actions (preparation for execution) looks like this (see image):

1. Come close to the bar, feet narrower than shoulders and parallel to each other ( 1 ) ;
2. Squat down and grab the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The arms are vertical, the shoulders are under the barbell, the gaze is directed straight up ( 2 , 3 )

Note:

There are two types of grip: power (multiple grip) - allows you to hold significantly larger weights and classic - two hands with palms facing you.

Execution technique

After you have moved to the starting position, i.e. Having completed all the steps and stood in a stance, you can proceed to the exercise. The sequence of actions will be as follows (see image):

1. Take a deep breath and, as you exhale, begin to pull the barbell. The separation is smooth and uniform (no jerking from the floor), the bar slides along the legs ( 1 ) ;
2. After passing the barbell through your knees, you should straighten up completely and slightly bring your shoulder blades together ( 2 );
3. Return to starting position.

So, an illustrative step-by-step series will be as follows.

During a deadlift, the erector spinae muscle functions to strengthen and stabilize the spine, and gluteal muscles And back surface hips - extend the spine in the lower back.

What to pay attention to:

• You need to lower and raise the barbell quite slowly and smoothly;
• The downward movement must begin by moving the pelvis back;
• The bar should slide along your thighs throughout the entire movement;
• The lower back should be arched;
• After passing your knees (lower movement), you need to lightly touch the floor bar with the weights.
• Mentally imagine that instead of lifting up, you press your feet into the floor;
• Breathing: inhale – slowly down, exhale – up.

Note:

Because multi-joint exercises are classified as heavy, then they must be done 1 once a week. If you are a beginner, then you should not take heavy weight (hang a lot of pancakes), just practice with the weight of the bar or small weights (By 10 kg per side of the bar), to hone the technique of execution and the filigree of movement. When lifting heavy weights, use a weightlifting belt to protect your spine from unnecessary stress.

Errors

Despite the fact that I tried to present everything in as much detail as possible and demonstrate it illustratively, the following errors very often arise: rounded back ( 1 ), hitting the bar off the floor ( 2 ), when lifting, the pelvis overtakes the torso ( 3 ) (see image).

Try to catch errors (fix your attention), performed in the process of execution, and also memorize the movement until it becomes automatic and perform everything technically correctly from the very beginning. At first, a mirror, or more precisely, your reflection in it, can become a non-illusory assistant for you. Look at yourself from the outside (in the mirror) when you deadlift, and then mistakes will be minimized, if any occur at all.

Execution options

In addition to the classic version, there are the following options. These are deadlifts: straight legged, sumo style and block pulls (we will talk about them in our next issues). It should be said that this multi-joint exercise not only develops the athlete’s strength “from head to toe,” but also causes a neuro-endocrine response in the body - the release of anabolic hormones (including testosterone). So after performing a deadlift, you feel a surge of strength, “male” as well.

Actually, we're done with deadlifts, let's move on to...

Barbell press

This is a multi-joint free weight exercise used to develop strength and mass in the upper body muscle groups. We can say that the barbell press is the most beloved and most popular exercise for all times and peoples. The main load in it is received by: (see image):

• Pectoral muscles ( 1 ) ;
• Deltoids ( 2 ) ;
• Triceps ( 3 )

Starting position(see image)

So, the step-by-step sequence of actions is as follows (see image):

1. Lie down on a bench and grab the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart; head - press tightly to the bench ( 1 ) ;
2. Bring your shoulder blades together, bend your lower back, spread your legs wide, let your feet rest firmly on the floor ( 2 ) ;

Execution technique

(see image):

1. Remove the barbell and bring it to your chest, then smoothly (as you inhale) lower it until it touches your lower chest ( 1 ) ;
2. As you exhale, press the barbell up and return to the starting position. The grip width should be such that at the bottom of the movement, the forearms are vertical ( 2 ) ;
3. During the exercise, the bar must move strictly in a vertical plane, and the elbows must be under the bar ( 3 ) ;
4. The shoulder blades remain retracted throughout the movement, the lower back is arched. Breathing: while inhaling - slowly down, while exhaling - powerfully up.

Note:

There are different options for placing your hands - classic, or medium. Narrow - the load shifts to the sternum and requires more effort from the triceps. Wide – the load shifts to the sides of the chest, reducing the effort of the triceps. You can do the press not at full (shortened) amplitude - this allows you to load the pectoralis major muscle more, relieving tension from the triceps.

Errors

When performing a bench press, the following errors often occur: raising the head/turning it to the sides, lifting the pelvis from the bench ( 1 ), incomplete range of motion ( 2 ) (see image).

Execution options

There are different options for performing the bench press: classic ( 1 ), with an arched back ( 2 ), with legs raised and arched ( 3 ) (see image).

Although this exercise secretly the most favorite among bodybuilders, however, not all athletes can feel the work of the pectoral muscle, and therefore some simply exclude it from their training program.

That's it, the next exercise is next...

Squat with a barbell on your shoulders

This is a basic leg training exercise. It is best for increasing muscle mass and muscle strength throughout the body, but is mostly used to achieve bulging buttocks. (girls are your thing :)). The maximum impact is on (see image):

• Quadriceps (quadriceps femoris) (1 ) ;
• Hamstrings ( 2 ) ;
• Buttocks ( 3 ) ;
• Muscles of the lower back (static voltage) (4 ) .

Starting position (see image)

The step-by-step sequence of actions is as follows (see image):

1. Go to the power rack/rack where the barbell (bar with weights) is located, take a wide grip and go under it, then put the barbell on your shoulders and bend your lower back ( 1 ) ;
2. Remove the barbell from the racks, take a step back and place your feet shoulder-width apart, move your elbows back, squeeze your shoulder blades and tense your back muscles, look up ( 2 ) .

Execution technique

After you have taken the starting position, you can proceed to the exercise. The sequence of actions will be as follows (see image):

1. Inhale deeply and slowly squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or slightly lower), and as you exhale, return to the starting position. Remember, your knees should not go beyond your toes and you should not straighten them completely at the bottom ( 1 ) ;
2. Move your pelvis back as you move down (putting body weight on the heels and outer edge of the foot), your balance will be helped by leaning your body forward ( 2 ) ;
3. The back is arched throughout the entire movement. Breathing: inhale – down, exhale – up. The gaze is directed ahead ( 3 ) .

So, the illustrative step-by-step series will be as follows.

Note:

There is a small trick that will help you perform the exercise better, it sounds like this: you should take the bar strictly in the center, and you need to go under it with your shoulder blades drawn together in advance. Thus, a special layer of tense muscles is created on the upper back and above the shoulder blades, which will eliminate unpleasant feeling from the pressure of the bar on the back.

Errors

Very often the following errors occur in this exercise: round back ( 1 ), bringing the knees together ( 2 ), lifting the heels and bringing the knees forward behind the toes ( 3 ), barbell on the neck ( 4 ) (see image).

Execution options

There are various options for performing squats with a barbell, and they depend on how the legs are positioned ( 1 ) and from the location of the rod - front squats (2 ) (see image).

When your feet are already shoulder width apart ( 1 ) , the lateral is loaded latissimus muscle hips and abductors. When your feet are shoulder-width apart ( 2 ), all thigh muscles are worked out as much as possible. When the stance exceeds shoulder width ( 3 ), the emphasis shifts towards greater development of the inner part of the quadriceps, sartorius and adductor muscles.

In addition to performing squats with a barbell on your back, it can also be performed with a barbell located on the collarbone (upper chest), in this case, the load shifts from the gluteal muscles towards the quadriceps. If you are still new to bodybuilding (experience up to 1 year), then performing squats in a Smith machine may be an ideal option for you. This machine will provide better control over technique and overall increase body stability.

Note:

In order to perform a barbell squat technically correctly, you must first use the “lock” technique. It consists in sequential and simultaneous execution 3 actions: take a deep breath and hold your breath, tense all the abdominal muscles, arch the lower back. All this allows you to avoid excessive tilt of the body forward and the possible negative effects of large weights on the spine.

Actually, we finished with squats, and somehow imperceptibly our article also came to its logical conclusion (what, really? finally), but before I say goodbye, I’ll give you some interesting statistics that show the value of basic exercises. A scientific experiment was conducted in which it was found that muscles grow more from hormones than from training. (see image).

Exercises that have the greatest impact on the production of testosterone and growth hormone are just these three classic, basic ones. So screw it :) base! So, as always in conclusion, some results await you regarding all of the above.

Basic exercises: F.A.Q.

In order to assimilate all the material as much as possible and sort it out, remember the following advantages that basic exercises will give you.

• When performing basic exercises, the production of growth hormones and testosterone increases, which has the most beneficial effect on muscle growth;
• By gradually honing your technique and adding weight, you can achieve constant progress in your training;
• Maximum immediate involvement in work large quantity muscles;
• Enormous energy consumption will inevitably lead to the “melting” of excess subcutaneous fat;
• All muscles will grow evenly
• There is no need to “pound” your body with grueling approaches and huge repetitions;
• The period of implementation of the “base” must be provided with appropriate support from.

Remember these benefits when you do your next multi-joint exercise, and progress will be obvious!

Afterword

So, dear readers, today we got acquainted with the big three, or basic exercises: deadlift, squat and bench press - these basic exercises are exactly the foundation on which you will build your initial muscle frame. From this moment on, it is multi-joint exercises that are your initial task in training and the foundation for the future that will allow you to progress further, so pay close attention to the above exercises and especially the technique of performing them.

PS. Yes, I completely forgot, don’t even try to do the exercise like this...

PS2. If you have any questions, something is unclear or anything else, write in the comments, I will be glad to help.

Understanding the required rep range helps resolve the issue of approaches. Approaches, also known as sets, will guide you in the number of exercises, and the exercises will help you choose a split successfully. Before moving on to solving the issue, how many exercises and approaches to do per workout And training week, I recommend reading about the number of repetitions first.

So, let's go :)

To begin with, the number of exercises, sets, and repetitions you do is called training volume.

If the exercises/sets/reps aren't enough, you're not giving your body the stimulus it needs to start changing. If the volume is too high, you prevent your body from recovering without getting results. At best.

From reps to sets
From the article on repetitions, it becomes clear that in order to select the desired range, you need a goal and training experience that allows you to achieve this goal.

The most popular set-repetition schemes:
1. Intensive for the development of strength qualities: 8x3, 6x4, 5x5, 4x6;
2. Moderate for muscle growth: 4x8, 4x10, 3x10, 3x12;
3. Low-intensity for developing endurance: 2x12, 2x15, 2x20.
This is a rough division, more correct in the above-mentioned article.

According to Verkhoshansky, strength training for hypertrophy should contain 2-3 exercises for each muscle group with the number of working approaches from 2 to 5 at an intensity of 50-90% of RM.

Workout to develop strength also suggest the use of 2-3 exercises per muscle group, but due to the high intensity - from 70 to 100% of RM and the small number of repetitions, the number of sets can be from 6 to 15. Accordingly, endurance development requires a small number of approaches and a large number of repetitions.

RM is the repetition maximum or the weight with which you can do only one repetition. Author Ekaterina Golovina The lighter the weight, the more repetitions you can do. How to choose the weight I.

The number of approaches in training depends on:

• Intensity - the higher the intensity (heavier the weight of the projectile), the more warm-up sets with relatively heavy weight, respectively, the heaviest ones will be few;
• Level of training - the higher the experience, the more exercises and sets you can perform. Beginners cannot always perform a given number of approaches with the required intensity, so it is better to start training with a small number, gradually increasing to the required level;
• Total number of exercises - the more exercises per muscle group, the fewer approaches;
• Indirect load - small muscles work in big exercises, therefore, the volume of load on small muscle groups should be lower than on large ones.

Task strength training– destroy muscle proteins so that, while recovering, the body can build new ones. With a surplus of calories, muscles grow; with a deficit, they don’t (you lose weight). In total, in training, according to the NSCA, there should be minimum 2 and maximum 8 exercises. You understand that if a student decides to do 8 sets of each exercise to develop strength, then a workout of 8 exercises will be endless, and too much volume is unlikely to be beneficial.

How many repetitions do muscles need per workout?
Large areas of the body (legs, chest, back) need more load than small areas (shoulders, arms, calves, abs). The latter already receive enough indirect load in basic and multi-joint exercises

Referring to the Znatok_ne guide, optimal quantity repetitions - 40 to 70 per workout and 80 to 210 per training week for EACH major muscle group.

This is consistent with other recommendations I've seen. For example, that to train a large muscle group you need to do from 9 to 15 sets per week (if you take an average of 12 repetitions, then it comes out to 9x12 and 15x12 = 108 and 180 repetitions). Small muscle groups need less volume because they are indirectly worked in larger exercises - 3 - 9 sets per week.

If you don't know what volume to start with, start with the smallest volume and then adjust as you gain training experience. This will be more correct and safer. Also consider:

• Goal (weight loss/hypertrophy/strength development/endurance development) – number of approaches and repetitions;
• Type – the more often a muscle group receives load, the lower the volume of each individual session;
• State of health - after illness or a break, the volume should be reduced, fewer sets and repetitions should be done for hypertension, hypotension, arthritis, varicose veins, etc.;
• Imbalances and other problems - for example, with poor posture in thoracic region spine, it is recommended to reduce the amount of load on the pectoral muscles, or increase the load on the back muscles. Of course, if you balance the load across planes from the very beginning, such problems can be avoided. Often the cause of certain violations is an incorrectly selected program.

Balance of exercises per muscle group
Balance is necessary to work the entire body to avoid injury and impairment. For example, an excess of horizontal presses in the program leads to a shift shoulder joint forward. Excessive horizontal traction creates extra stress on the trapezius, which visually shortens the neck. Similar to the legs, imbalance of the load on the front or on back hip may cause injury.

Thus, for every knee-dominant exercise (squat, leg press, extension, lunge) there should be a pelvic-dominant exercise (Romanian, hyperextension, calf flexion, gluteal bridge), for each horizontal press(barbell/dumbbell press/in a machine lying down or at an angle) should be horizontal thrust(lever, bent-over barbell/dumbbell or pull-down block), for each vertical press (dumbbell/barbell up, side raises while standing/sitting) – vertical thrust(on upper block or pull-ups on a horizontal bar/in a gravitron). Read more about plane training from Dmitry Smirnov.

Let's summarize:

1. The workout should contain up to 8 exercises.
2. It is optimal to train a muscle group in 2-3 exercises, depending on its size.
3. The muscle group is not “legs” or “back”, but for example, the “front surface of the thigh” (quadriceps, sartorius, rectus muscles), “back surface of the thigh” (gluteus muscles, as well as semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps, popliteus) and “back muscles” (latissimus, trapezius, rhomboid, teres major, rectus muscles). Therefore, the volume of load on the “legs” should be greater than on the other muscle group, but less than on all the muscles of the “upper” body. Keep in mind that large exercises work small muscles, so there is no point in including 100,500 abductions, extensions, swings and lunges in all directions in the program. More doesn't mean better.
4. Goal and training experience determine the number of repetitions, and repetitions determine the number of sets.
5. The training program should be safe - exercises balanced in planes plus taking into account all features and disorders. The most common mistake is that women for some reason think that they don’t need to train their upper body, when most of them have underdeveloped shoulder girdles.

In the next article we will continue the topic and figure out when the volume training load insufficient or excessive. Follow the blog updates.