Workouts for the Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms and Legs

A full-body workout is tough to achieve in a one-day session. You have several major muscle areas to cover, and a limited amount of time to cover them. For an effective workout for the chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs, consider using a split schedule that groups complementary muscle exercises together into separate routines. Split routines let you fold in more exercises, and more sets of beneficial lifts. Whether you want to build mass or increase endurance, the exercises are mostly the same. The difference will be the weight, sets and reps you use during each lift.

  1. Chest

    • The three variations of the bench press – flat, incline and decline -- are the foundational exercises for the chest. Flat bench presses work the middle and outer portions of your pectorals, while the incline bench press engages the middle and upper pectorals, along with the deltoids. The decline bench press is one of the few exercises that works the lower pecs, toning and sculpting the area between your chest and your abs. Switch out some of your presses with dumbbell flyes after a few weeks to vary your routine and continue making gains. Group your chest exercises with triceps and shoulder exercises for best results.

    Back

    • To work the latissimus dorsi and the trapezius, the two main muscle groups in the back, select compound lifts that require the movement of multiple joints. For example, lat pulldowns, bent-over rows and simple pull-ups provide the foundation for an effective workout. Many back exercises also engage the core as a stabilizer. For split routines, back exercises pair with biceps workouts. Some weight lifters may be tempted to group back, biceps and leg exercises together, but avoid this grouping. Certain back and leg exercises conflict, and you run the risk of injury from overtraining.

    Shoulders

    • The deltoids receive a lot of attention as secondary muscles in your chest and triceps exercises, but this doesn’t mean you can leave it at that. Incorporate several lifts that specifically target your deltoids as the primary muscle. Common lifts include the standing military press, the lateral dumbbell raise and the seated shoulder press. If you do your shoulder lifts paired with chest exercises, carefully select the number of reps and sets you perform. You can easily overtrain your shoulders and cause injury.

    Arms

    • The biceps and triceps are the commonly targeted muscles for arm exercises. These two muscles oppose each other, meaning when one is engaged, the other is at rest. This is true for most exercises, but a few advanced, compound lifts actually engage both the triceps and biceps. Triceps presses, overhead extensions and dips are effective, simple to learn exercises. You can do presses with a dumbbell while seated or standing, but dips and extensions require specific equipment. Dips require a rack or Roman chair, while extensions require a flat bench and a weighted barbell. The biceps are easy to work, because most exercises are a variation on the same motion: the curl. Standing barbell curls, seated dumbbell curls, and alternating hammer curls will give your biceps a well-rounded workout. Pair your triceps exercises with chest and shoulder work, and do your biceps exercises in conjunction with your back routines.

    Legs

    • The three main leg muscles are the quads, hamstrings and calves. Leg presses engage all three of those muscles, but several routines isolate each muscle for more effective gains. Leg curls, for example, work the quads, while leg extensions isolate the hamstrings. Weighted toe raises strengthen your calves. Advanced exercises include deadlifts and squats. Deadlifts are another exercise that works all three muscles, while squats concentrate on the quads and hamstrings. Leg exercises should be performed during a separate workout session, to protect upper-body muscle groups from overtraining, and to give you enough time to adequately exercise your legs.