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When it comes to working out, pairing certain muscle groups together can make your training more efficient and help you reach your fitness goals. There are around 600 muscles in the human body, and while there is no right or wrong way to pair muscle groups, certain combinations are better for achieving specific results. For example, pairing upper and lower body movements can increase muscle hypertrophy, volume, and recovery. Another example is pre-exhaust training, which involves pairing similar muscle groups to maximise fatigue and target specific muscles. Other factors to consider when deciding which muscles to pair include your goals, preferences, and availability.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Muscle Groups | 6 |
| Muscle Groups | Cardiac, Smooth, Skeletal, and more specific muscles |
| Training Frequency | Twice a week |
| Training Benefits | Improved muscle mass, bone density, strength, metabolic rate, weight loss, and body recomposition |
| Training Techniques | Pre-exhaust training, Supersets, Upper and Lower body splits, Exercise pairing |
| Muscle Group Combinations | Bicep curl and tricep dip, Shoulder press and lat pull-down, Leg press and calf raise, Planking and Superman exercise, Back and chest, Chest and biceps |
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What You'll Learn
Upper and lower body movements
A good way to design a workout training split is by pairing muscle groups by movement or force. This type of resistance training pairing is called a push-pull program, or push-pull-legs program. Push exercises involve pushing or pressing weight and include most muscles on the front of the body, with the exception of the biceps, which are classified as a pull muscle. Pull exercises, on the other hand, involve a majority of muscles in the posterior chain and the back of the body, with the exception of the triceps.
For example, you could pair "back and chest" as these two groups are opposing each other. This type of training split will have more training frequency and volume distribution. You can also pair a large muscle group or movement with a smaller but opposing movement of lesser intensity. For instance, pairing a heavy bench press with a bicep curl is a great way to add in some arm volume while also allowing your chest to recover for longer without compromising your performance.
Full-body training can also be beneficial. Over four days, you can pick and prioritise one big movement pattern each session before hitting the others. For example, on Monday, you may do heavy squats, followed by moderate chest and back movements and light hinging movements. Then, on Tuesday, you’ll go heavy on the chest, with moderate back and hinging movements and a light set of legs to finish.
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Pre-exhaust training
The method is simple: first, you fatigue the target muscle with an isolation exercise, and then you move on to a compound lift. For example, you can do incline dumbbell chest flys before a bench press to pre-exhaust your chest. This way, your chest will be pre-exhausted when you start benching, and it will give out before your delts or triceps.
It's important to note that pre-exhaust training is a controversial technique. Some studies have shown that muscle activation in the pre-exhausted muscle is reduced during the compound exercise compared to post-exhaustion. However, bodybuilders argue that the reduction in muscle activation proves the effectiveness of pre-exhaustion training. They claim that it increases workout intensity and helps them target specific muscles.
When incorporating pre-exhaust training into your workouts, it's important to listen to your body and maximise your recovery. This technique can be exhausting, so it's recommended to only target one or two muscle groups per workout with one or two supersets.
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Opposing muscle groups
The body can be split into opposing muscle groups, also known as antagonistic muscle groups or antagonist pairs. These opposing muscle groups work together to perform the two phases of most movements.
When one muscle contracts, the other muscle in the pair relaxes or lengthens. The muscle that contracts is called the agonist, or the "primary mover", and the muscle that relaxes is called the antagonist. For example, when you perform a bicep curl, the biceps contract to produce the movement, while the triceps relax to allow the movement to occur.
When it comes to exercise, it is important to develop well-rounded and balanced strength in both groups to progress with fitness and remain injury-free. It is not necessary to train opposing muscle groups on the same day or on different days, but it is important not to neglect the antagonist when training the agonist. By strengthening one muscle in an opposing pair in isolation, the other muscle tends to lengthen and weaken.
A good way to structure a strength training program is to pair certain muscle groups together. This can help prevent overtraining and maximize results. For example, pairing a heavy bench press with a bicep curl allows the chest to recover while also adding some arm volume. This is known as peripheral heart action training, which increases calorie burn and fitness levels.
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Peripheral heart action training
Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) training is a form of bodybuilding circuit training that involves pairing upper body and lower body exercises back-to-back, with minimal to no rest in between. This method of training forces the heart to pump blood quickly throughout the body, increasing caloric expenditure, decreasing body fat, and increasing lean muscle mass.
PHA training was popularized by former AAU Mr. America and Mr. Universe Bob Gajda in the 1960s. The technique requires the exerciser to perform a series of multi-muscle exercises, such as squats, pulls, and presses, with no breaks in between. A common approach is to alternate between upper and lower body exercises, providing continuous blood flow throughout the body. For example, a chest press exercise can be followed immediately by a ball squat and then a back exercise, before moving on to a leg exercise like a step-up, without rest.
PHA training combines cardiovascular work with resistance training, making it a challenging form of exercise that maximizes the benefits of both worlds. It builds both muscular and cardiovascular endurance while burning off body fat, especially when paired with a reduced caloric intake. This form of training is excellent for those looking to lose weight or increase muscle size or tone, as it increases overall caloric burn.
A typical PHA training session can be structured into two or three ten-minute blocks, with each block containing an upper body and lower body exercise pairing. The goal is to perform as many high-quality rounds of each pairing as possible within the time frame. It is important to note that PHA training should not be taken to muscular failure, and a proper cool-down period is essential to allow the heart rate to return to normal. Additionally, a post-workout shake with a 50:50 carb-to-protein ratio can promote optimal recovery.
PHA training has been used by top-level athletes, including the late Bruce Lee, to build both muscle and cardiovascular endurance while preserving muscle mass. It is a versatile training method that can be adapted to various fitness goals and has been shown to provide significant benefits.
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Push and pull movements
Push-pull training is a style of strength training that involves training the upper body muscles that perform pushing movements one day and then training the upper body muscles that perform pulling movements another day. The number of rest days between training sessions depends on your experience level. This training style allows you to exercise all the major muscle groups a maximum of twice a week, assuming you train 6 days a week with 1 day off.
The push-pull training regimen supports muscle recovery and can be adjusted according to your preferences and training goals. For instance, you can perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise, resting for 2 to 3 minutes between sets. An example of an exercise in the "push" category is the dumbbell incline chest press, where you position dumbbells to the sides of your upper chest and press up until your arms are extended, slowly lowering your elbows back to the starting position. An example of an exercise in the "pull" category is the bent-over row.
The push-pull training regimen is also beneficial because it allows your muscles to recover for 48 to 72 hours before training again. This regimen also helps prevent overtraining and maximize results. For example, when you train your chest with a bench press, you are also training your triceps and anterior deltoids. Similarly, when you train your back, your biceps are heavily involved, so it makes sense to train these muscle groups together.
Pre-exhaust training is a similar concept that involves pairing movements that use the same or similar muscle groups to maximize fatigue and target specific muscle groups. For example, you can perform tricep press-downs before the bench press to fatigue the triceps and better target the chest.
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Frequently asked questions
Exercise pairing is a method of performing exercises that target two opposing muscle groups in succession. For example, a bicep curl (which targets the biceps) can be coupled with a tricep dip.
Exercise pairing ensures a balanced workout and comprehensive muscle development. It also helps to increase muscle hypertrophy, volume, and recovery.
Upper and lower body movements can be paired, such as pairing a heavy bench press (upper body) with a squat (lower body). Another example is pairing the shoulder press (targets shoulders and upper arms) with the lat pull-down (targets the back).
Pre-exhaust training involves pairing exercises that use the same or similar muscle groups to maximise fatigue and target the muscle groups with intensity. For example, doing tricep press-downs before a bench press to fatigue the triceps and better target the chest.
The leg extension strengthens the quadriceps at the front of the thigh, while the leg curl works the hamstrings at the back. This pairing helps to build balanced leg strength and improve knee joint stability.
