How many exercises do you do for a muscle group and why?

[purpleflower2]

@dawn16 yeah I'll keep that in mind, thank you for a clear response, it helps

 

[frustratedhusband]

@orthodox_christian As few as possible. I only have about 2-4 good ones per muscle group so doing all of them will take away the imo importancy of rotation when it becomes stale.

 

[justcc]

@orthodox_christian A lot to consider but anything is just a mixture of volume, intensity, and frequency. It depends on the muscle group and my ability to recover but typically i do 3 exercises per muscle group. 3-4 sets. That seems to be my sweet spot for growth.

 

[lorenasa]

@orthodox_christian Usually do 3 x 4 for triceps and biceps, 4 x 4 for back, chest, legs, 2 x 4 for traps. In the late 70s through mid 80s when I was younger and lifting pretty regularly, the convention wisdom was 12 total sets (hence 3 x 4) for smaller muscle groups and 16 (4 x 4) for larger groups was the way to go. It worked for me so I've stuck with it.

 

[timelesstim]

@orthodox_christian Generally 2 in a workout, with an A/B for each day, so 3-4 per training week.

Upper back and lats are counted separately. And sometimes a compound will count towards more than one thing.

 

[pearl123]

@orthodox_christian It depends on your goal. If you are powerlifting you need only exercises that help you in squatting, deadlifting and benching more weight. On the other hand if you are doing bodybuilding you will need to hit all muscle groups from different angles targeting different muscles i.e. flat bench and incline. Personally i am more of a less is more type of guy, because i dislike training that takes 2 hours. Regarding training intensity again it comes down to your goal, if cutting is the goal, I would recommend incorporating high rep moderate/low intensity on “off” days, but if not, a split like lower/upper with high intensity on all training days works fine. No need to lower intensity unless you are doing a deloading week.

 

[steve126]

@orthodox_christian I do PPL Mon-Friday and bleed to the next week. 5-6 exercises a day. Sessions take 1 hour or less. I keep my weekends off for my kids sports and family activities.

Push 1: incline bench, DB shoulder press, cable Flyes, DB Lateral Raise, Tricep isolation

Pull 1: Pull up, Cable row, inverted row on rings, Facepull, Incline Curls

Legs 1: Leg curl, leg press, RDL, Calves, ABS

Push2: Overhead press, Dips, Ring pushups, Tricep Isolation, Cable lateral raise

Pull2: Cable row, Lat pulldown, Seal row, rear delt cable flyes, Curl of choice

Legs 2: Leg extension, Back extension, Lunges, Abs

Since I do 5 days every week one of the PPL is missing. To make up for that I usually add a bit of volume for the day that is missing when I hit it. Like if I only have 1 leg day that week I will add another leg exercise on the one leg day.

 

[spaceigniter]

@orthodox_christian I do ONE exercise per group. My lifting strategy is based on volume, progressive overload, and muscular tension. Weight is used to keep reps per set in 8-12 range. I do as many sets as necessary to reach 50+ total reps which usually works out to around 5 to 6 sets.

As I get stronger and can break past 12 reps on the 1st set, I increase the weight. When I increase the weight if I'm unable to reach 8-12 reps on subsequent sets, I utilize drop sets and/or rest pauses to keep reps per set in the 8-12 range. Eventually I get strong enough to handle the higher muscular tension loads and don't need the drop sets anymore. I also don't go to failure, keeping 1-2 reps in the tank.

Rinse repeat. Be consistent every day lifting. Sleep good and eat good. Our body adapts. I have not stopped growing yet.

 

[allysolkins]

@orthodox_christian Around 3 or 4, I use to do a ridiculous amount like 6 or 7 exercises just for chest but it took way too long plus I've progressed a lot more by lowering the amount I do

 

[mike230]

@orthodox_christian For chest, I stick with three exercise (heavy compound, light press, light fly,) 3 for small muscles and quads, 2 for hams, and 5 for back (1 heavy vertical pull, 1 heavy horizontal pull, 1 light vertical, 1 light horizontal and 1 light lat-focused.)

 

[nabidreams]

@orthodox_christian It's more important to get 10-20 sets per muscle per week rather than looking at how many different exercises you do. The smaller muscles need less sets (like your forearms), the bigger ones need more (back for example). I always do these 10-20 sets with about 2-3 different exercises per muscle.

 

[lernestof]

@orthodox_christian Yeah 2 for most stuff.

2 chest / 2 triceps

3 back / 2 biceps

4 legs

5 shoulders / 1 shrugs

3 working sets near failure and some warm up sets in there.

Why? I dunno I am a noob and it seems to be working so far.

 

[liddie]

@orthodox_christian 2-4 per movement pattern. You can hit the muscle from a different angle mainly recruiting different fibers

 

[spjustin]

@orthodox_christian I have 2 or 3 go to exercises for every muscle group. All machines or cables at this point. I get three full body workouts in per week each one taking 80-90 minutes. Each muscle group gets 10-20 sets per week.

 

[soli_deo_gloria]

@orthodox_christian no less than 1 (obviously) but no more than 3 throught the week

 

[monicawinter]

@orthodox_christian 4 to 6 exercises, 12 to 20 sets a week per muscle group.

I’ll preface this by saying that if you’re a newer lifter, you’re probably going to make gains with what you’re doing. It may not be optimal but that’s not really important early on. What is important is learning different lifts, and finding what you like. It’ll help you stay consistent if you enjoy your workouts, and you’ll learn a lot through experimentation early on.

The issue with constantly switching exercises in and out is that you have to build your proficiency with that lift. That typically means that you have to start with lower weight as you develop your skill with that lift, and this often slows your progress. You’ll notice that you make very quick progress with most new exercises, even as an advanced lifter. Thats not necessarily muscle development or neurological adaptation. You’re just becoming more proficient with the lift. Now change is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s necessary to overcome plateaus, but switching too many exercises more than every few months may be counterproductive.

 

[orthodox_christian]

@monicawinter Thanks

"You’ll notice that you make very quick progress with most new exercises" - it also might be not going to true failure just because the exercise is new and you are focusing more on form.

 

[royaleternity]

@orthodox_christian My own program I do is a PPL version. Plus, it works for me even at 36.

Chest/Front & Side Delts/Tri’s

Back/Rear Delts/Bi’s/Abs

Hams/Quads/Calves/Forearms

Everything currently is 10-12 reps & 8-10 sets, Roughly 2-4 exercises each group except sometimes legs. twice a week.

Mondays are my rest day.

Some say it’s a lot, but I have no problem recovering.

Also, I do everything in a 1.5 - 2 hr window or even less.

 

[sammieliz]

@orthodox_christian

"How many exercises do you do for a muscle group and why?"

You're overcomplicating this shit. It's not about the number of exercises but the quality and intensity of each. It's about fucking up the muscle enough for growth and recovery, not how many damn machines you can hop onto. Ask yourself: are you training for strength, size, or endurance? That shit matters more than the number of exercises.

"if one machine is occupied, I can easily go to another one."

Fair, but don't let convenience dictate your workout. If you're just hopping machines like a bunny, are you really pushing your muscles to their limit? Are you just doing shit for the sake of doing it?

"you hit the muscle from different angles (especially on back)"

Variety is key, but it's not a free pass to do every fucking exercise under the sun. Are the exercises you're doing effective, or just for show?

"the same exercises becomes not that good after a while."

Muscle adaptation is a bitch, but it also means you're getting stronger. Ever thought of increasing the weight or changing the tempo instead of swapping the exercise entirely?

"if you get really good at a lift and do it often, you will develop that muscle"

Basic, but true. It's like getting good at anything; practice makes perfect. But how do you balance that with avoiding overuse injuries and plateaus?

"harder to take notes and follow progression."

Why complicate shit? Focus on a few key lifts, track the hell out of them, and see real progress. You want a diary or a workout?

"something GVS said about doing the same exercise, but with low reps one day and high reps another day."

Variation in rep schemes can shock your muscles into growth, but it's not a golden rule. Have you experimented to see what works best for your body?

"switching to only 2 exercises per group"

It's not a bad idea, but why limit yourself? Can you find a middle ground where you're not overwhelmed but still challenging your muscles effectively?

"So, how many exercises do you do for a muscle group and why?"

It depends on your goals, your experience, and your body's response. Are you training like you mean it, or just ticking boxes? What's your endgame here?

 

[machoke47]

@orthodox_christian More of a newbie both with lifting and starting out here with trying to create my own routine with a 4 day split. I'm not sure if it's considered 'balanced' but here is a starting area for me. Open to any and all feedback or recommendations as I could use all the help I can get lol.

Monday - Upper Focus

• EZ Barbell Curls - 3x8-12
• Barbell Bent Rows - 3x8-12
• Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 3x10-12
• EZ Skullcrushers - 3x12-15
• Incline Dumbell Press - 2x8-10
• OHP - 2x8-10

Tuesday - Lower Focus

• RDL - 3x8-10
• Sumo Squat - 3x8-10
• FFE Split Squad - 2x10-12
• Leg Press - 3x8-12
• Calf Machine - 2x8-10
• Abs (Planks)

Thursday - Upper Focus

• Hammer Curls - 3x8-12
• Seated Cable Row - 3x8-12
• Assisted Pullups - 2x10-12
• Tricep Extensions - 3x10-12
• Push-ups - 3x10-12
• Lateral DB Raises - 3x8-10

Friday - Lower Focus

• Single Leg DB Deadlifts - 3x8-10
• Machine Glute Kickbacks - 3x8-10
• High Bar Squats - 2x8-10
• Leg Press - 3x8-10
• Smith Machine Calf Raises - 2x8-10
• Abs (Planks)