confusion in working same muscle groups

[fhardwick]

Cathe:
I have been doing exercise videos (I started with cassette tapes!) for about 20 years. In the past few years there's been talk about switching around your exercise routine so that you're not using the same muscle groups two days in a row. Now I'm confused. Do I do just cardio one day, and then only strength training the next? But then I feel like I still need cardio on days when I'm just strength training! Help! What would be your suggestion using a 5-6 day program of using your DVDs?

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi fhardwick! You can do cardio on your strength days too just do it after your strength training so that you are most focused and fresh for the main goal of your workout that day.

Not working the same muscle groups two days in a row as it applies to weight training is so that your muscles groups can recover and gain strength benefits. If there is no rest, your muscle will continue to breakdown and the total benefits would not be gained. Also, you wouldn't want to do related muscle groups two days in a row either. For instance, if you work back one day, you wouldn't want to work biceps the next day since back muscles assist the bicep muscles and then you would have never really given your back muscles proper recovery time.

As far as cardio, varying your mode each day is better so that you don't over use your muscle groups through wear and tear of a certain movement pattern. For instance, if you step one day, then run the next, and then bike the next etc. Your still doing cardio but not "wearing a path" in the joints of one redundant movement pattern.

Hope this helps!

 

[lala1]

Wow! I've been working out for a long time and knew about not doing the same body part 2 days in a row, but had no clue re: related body parts. so, besides back and biceps, what are the other related parts so I can avoid that, too?

Also, on a related topic, if I do a circuit one day, can I do strength the next, figuring that the circuit wasn't a "heavy" strength day?

Thanks!

 

[kathryn]

> so, besides back and biceps, what are the
>other related parts so I can avoid that, too?

Triceps are worked as synergistic (helping) muscles when you do shoulder or chest work.
Shoulders are worked when you do chest (front shoulder) or back (rear shoulder) work.

One thing to be especially careful of would be working back one day, then chest the next, then shoulders the next (which is a routine some people use). This works the shoulder directly or indirectly 3 days in a row, and can be too much for this complex, easily-injured area.

If you look at some of Cathe's split routines, they are divided into logical muscle groupings for the most part: chest/shoulders/triceps are worked the same day, back/biceps worked the same day.