Which Muscles to Workout When
The Subconscious Fat of It
“Why the above pic?” Asks Mr. Skeptical.
“I like to post at least one pic per post, so I put up that one.”
“How do people know you haven’t manipulated the picture? Maybe you’re using Photoshop to make yourself look better.”
“I’m not. I like to live up to the idea that I’m Hermann Diehl, the real deal, and I wouldn’t use Photoshop. And if you don’t believe me, you can kiss my ass.”
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 feet
The main point about knowing which muscles to work out is knowing your goals. Which muscles to train will depend a lot on whether you want to gain muscle, lose weight, get toned, or for sports performance. This is why the most common question a personal trainer asks a new client is, ‘What are your goals?’
“What about the goal of simply wanting to get a good pump?” Asks Mr. Skeptical.
“I’d argue that goal would be related to wanting bigger muscles. However, a lot of people don’t want bigger muscles. For example, many women over 30 are concerned about getting flabby arms or legs, so they want to tone up instead of growing more muscle. They want to remove the jiggly fat.”
“In other words, they want a feminine look.”
“Yes. In that situation, it makes sense to strengthen both the back (triceps muscle) and front (biceps muscle) of the arms on the same day.”
Mr. Skeptical folds his arms and puts on a disturbed face. He’s upset about something but is keeping quiet for now.
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 feet
To build muscle for a masculine look. It’s critical when and which muscles you train. Likely the most common workout is listed below.
The Bro Split Workout
Day 1 Workout Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Day 2 Workout Back and Biceps
Day 3 Legs
Some say the ideal is to do the above workout 5 or 6 days in a row. But I don’t think it’s the best way. I like to divide the whole body up into a simple push-and-pull day.
“Which muscles are worked out on a push/pull.”
“A push day would involve most of the muscles used in the Day 1 Bro Split, the chest and triceps muscles, and most posterior shoulder muscles. Think about it logically: if you do a push-up, you feel it in the chest, triceps, and posterior shoulder. By working those muscles only on a push day, you allow blood flow to remain in those muscles, allowing for maximum breakdown and rebuilding of the muscle fibers.”
“So, one is resting the pull muscles on that day.”
“Yes, the pull muscles (mainly the biceps and back) rest on a push day. Then, the next day, you can strengthen the pull muscles, the same muscles one would use to do a pull-up, mainly the biceps and back.
“Where I disagree with the bro workout is in doing the entire leg training in one day. The legs should also be split into front (quad muscles) and back (hamstring muscles). This way, the blood stays in those areas throughout the workout, allowing maximum use and rest.
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
Mr. Skeptical chimes in, “I don’t like your way of working out.”
I roll my eyes. “Really! I’m so surprised.”
“I work my arms all in one day. I like to get a pump by going hard and heavy on my biceps and then hard and heavy on my triceps. This makes my arms swell up, and I like that look.” Mr. Skeptical’s eyes narrow in on me. His face shows rage. He adds, “It’s not because I want to get rid of the jiggly in my arms.”
I chuckle at Mr. Skeptical’s insecurity and add, “Sure, you’re working out to show off. But it’s not the best way to build muscle.”
“I also workout my chest and back the same day, getting that Hulk look. I do all my legs in one day, and I raise my shorts in the mirror and look at my bulging thigh muscles.”
I’d call him a vain Neanderthal, but that would unjustly insult Neanderthals.
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
Don’t be like Mr. Skeptical, attempting to look good in the mirror while working out. Be practical, and use science and common sense depending on your goals.
If you want a feminine look (toned up arms and legs), work out the upper body one day and the lower body the next. However, I train many women who want to tone up their upper body but want to increase the size of their glutes and legs. In those cases, I recommend the push/pull workout for the lower body.
If you want to keep a masculine look and grow muscle, then doing a full-body push/pull workout is best.
Which muscles to train and when is essential. This is where good advice, and a trainer can help you.
Be aware.
PS Links in Facebook and Instagram. Full disclosure: Chat GPT was used to research and enhance this post.