GS upper body ??

[lilmo]

This month I'm doing a 4-day split rotation, based on Cathe's rotation from 2003 with one exception. I don't have the S&H series, so I decided to sub the Gym Style series. Tuesday was the day to do Chest, then Shoulders, then Triceps. I completed the chest work, including the barbell tricep/chest press, and set up for shoulders. My goal is to increase strength, so I did as many pushups on my toes as possible (10 in the first set, then 8, then 6, with the remainder on my knees, ankles crossed). I did the first set of each chest exercise on the flat bench with 20s, the dropped to 15s. I did all the work on the incline with 15s. 1st set of barbell bench press was 40#, the rest were 25#.

So, moving into shoulder work, I picked up my usual 15s for overhead press. I could barely finish the first set and my form was not so good. I dropped to 12s for the 2nd set, still not the best form. I finished with 10s. The rest of the shoulder work I didn't even try to use my usual weight, I just knew I couldn't do it so I used 3-5# less than usual. By the time the band work came around, I felt stronger, and the tricep work was pretty typical for me in terms of the weights I used and my endurance.

Not having the S&H series to compare to, I am wondering what went wrong. Is the chest work harder in GS than in S&H? Could it have been a form issue during the chest press and flys? I thought it was okay, but maybe I was too far back and my shoulders took over. . . . (Don't tell my pecs that - they're on FIRE!!) Was it all those darn push ups pre-fatigueing my shoulders?

I know I still have the strength to use the heavier weights because I did a few sets of overhead press last night just to prove it to myself. I guess I'm really wondering whether it's reasonable to expect to be able to do this combination with my usual weights. Any thoughts?

Mona

 

[clareMc]

I never do chest work and shoulder work on the same day because there is an overlap in the muscles used for each group. So, when you have already tired those muscles out through the chest work,, they don't have much to give for the shoulder work.

If you must do both on the same day, alternate your order so the shoulders also get their chance.

This applies equally to the S&H series. Don't do chest and shoulders on same day.

Clare

 

[twosquared]

>I never do chest work and shoulder work on the same day
>because there is an overlap in the muscles used for each
>group. So, when you have already tired those muscles out
>through the chest work,, they don't have much to give for the
>shoulder work.
>
>If you must do both on the same day, alternate your order so
>the shoulders also get their chance.
>
>This applies equally to the S&H series. Don't do chest and
>shoulders on same day.
>
>Clare

So does that mean you should also have a rest day in between or can you do chest one day and shoulders the next??
Thanks

 

[lindadrobinson]

I would put a day between the chest and shoulders.

You fried your shoulders, when you did chest because many of the muscles for chest work is working the shoulders, i.e. 72 PUSH UPS!!! That alone is a burner.

I do GS Chest/Tri on Tuesdays; GS Legs on Wednesday and GS Shoulder, Back and & Bi on Thursday. Along w/some sort of cardio. I throw in a circuit workout and full body either Monday or Saturday. Depending on what is going on.

Hope this helps.

Linda
"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated."
Maya Angelou

 

[twosquared]

Yes, thank you. But an additional question - sorry for being so dense. Usually a circuit workout involves cardio and weights, like cardio and weights or bootcamp. If you do this on Monday and weights are involved, why do you do another weight workout on Tues?
Is it because the circuits are lighter workouts and does not tire the muscles in the same way??

This is a point I've really been confused about.

Thanks in advance for responding.

 

[Shaz]

This has been asked before, and I beleive the advise is to go by how you feel. For example, if you are very sore from doing circuits the day before then don't do weights that involve the sore muscles.

Many people do lift heavy weights the day after the same muscles got (lightly) worked in a circuit workout. However, these are usually people who are experienced, know their body's ability to recover, etc. If in doubt, rest the sore muscle and do something else.

 

[kathryn]

I recommend giving your shoulders more rest. Like doing the GS rotation as follows:
Day 1: chest/triceps + abs
Day 2: cardio
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: cardio
Day 5: back/shoulders/biceps
Day 6: cardio
Day 7: rest

I have a sensitive shoulder, and this rotation worked out well ofr me, giving the delts more recovery time both so I could lift heavier on delt day, and so I didn't overwork the muscle group. (You'll notice that there are 2-3 full days in between working shoulders (either directly, or as assisting muscles with chest work) rather than the typical 1 day in between when using the upper body workouts on days 1 and 3 or days 3 and 5, for example).

Another option for you, if you want to work chest and shoulder the same day, is to put a longer rest between chest and shoulder work, and between shoulder exercises, allowing the muscle group to recover more within the workout. Also, When doing chest, I don't think anterior shoulder work is necessary (in fact, I don't think it's necessary to isolate the anterior shoulder at all, because it's a muscle that's often overworked, and it gets worked whenever we do chest presses), so you could omit that exercise. (I found that when I started omitting anterior delt work, and made sure to include rear delt work---sometimes replacing the anterior work with posterior work if the workout doesn't include it--my posture improved a bit --though it was already good--and I had fewer shoulder twinges).