When you are working out in the gym, it is important that you remember to train every part of your body. The most efficient way to do this is to break your body down into parts and work certain parts on certain days. For example, instead of working your entire upper body on one day, divide your upper body down into two groups like chest, shoulders, triceps on day one and then back, biceps on day two. This will allow you to work each body part harder, but not make you work too long (which will invite muscle wasting). Then, do your lower body on day three and repeat the pattern. There are obviously other training splits as well.
There are several reasons you want to make sure you work your entire body each week with resistance training. Two of the more important reasons are listed below:
- Any time you increase muscle mass, you speed your metabolism. Therefore, to maximize your metabolism and make it as fast as possible, you want to add muscle to every body part. If you are neglecting a body part, that neglect is keeping you from maximizing your metabolism. Also, pay particular attention to train large muscle groups very hard (i.e. legs and back). You can increase your metabolism fastest by adding muscle to the largest muscle groups (there is more muscle there to gain). Guys tend to skip legs more than women, and women tend to skip upper body more than men. Both groups are penalizing themselves and not realizing the fastest metabolism possible by skipping body parts.
- Working everybody part assures you that you will not be out of balance and will be less likely to injure yourself due to an imbalance. For example, a lot of guys love to bench press. They will torch their chest via barbell bench presses, dumbbell presses and flyes and many other chest exercises. However, most chest exercises (particularly the bench press) work the front delt very hard as well. If the rear delt is not also getting equal or adequate work, the front delt will overpower the shoulder, and a rotator cuff tear is possibly in the near future. The shoulder muscles will not be in balance unless the front, side and rear delts are all being worked properly. Working the rear delts hard will almost by itself prevent rotator cuff tears caused by an imbalance. This applies to all other body parts as well. Don't work your quads and neglect your hamstrings. Don't work your lower back and not your abs, and so on.
If you would like more information on how to train and eat properly to maximize your physique, visit www.mikephelpstraining.com, www.easternshorefitnesscenter.com or www.mikejanhorn.com. You can also email mikephelpsmail@gmail.com.
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