What muscle groups should you work out together?

When it comes to developing a workout plan, most people don’t have enough time during the week to work out each muscle group separately. To maximize time at the gym and give your body more rest time between gym sessions, you can combine exercises.

While there is no hard-core rule of thumb when it comes to combining muscle groups, the ultimate goal is to work front and back muscles at the same time. Ideally, you would work your back muscles and your abdominal muscles in the same session and give your legs a break.

Here is an example of what muscle groups can be combined to provide you with a good workout on a three-day-per-week gym schedule.

1. Chest, shoulders, and triceps. For your upper body day, push-ups, shoulder presses, and lateral raises can be a staple in your routine. These muscles work your chest, shoulders, and arms together to give you a good, solid upper body workout.
2. Calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes.For your leg day, squats and lunges are ideal, along with deadlifts, step-ups, and calf raises.
3. Biceps, back, abdominals. For the final day, dumbbell bench presses, one-armed dumbbell rose, and bicycle crunches can sufficiently work out your biceps, back, and abdominal muscles.

The key to creating a smart workout routine is selecting exercises that do double and triple duty while making sure your body has enough time and energy to repair themselves before the next workout. Adding high-quality protein snacks, such as beef jerky, to your routine can ensure you have the strength to put in a good workout at the gym.