People go to the gym and work out for many reasons like losing weight, strengthening muscles, improving muscle tone and bodybuilding. Out of these, bodybuilding focuses on developing and sculpting each muscle group independently to achieve a balanced and aesthetically pleasing physique.
Bodybuilding comprises a variety of different exercises that target specific muscle groups like chest and shoulder muscles, abs, leg muscles etc. This maximises gains and helps build a symmetrical body.
If you’re looking to increase muscle mass and build a sculpted body, your workout routine should have a balance of different exercises for different parts of the body. In this blog, let us look at some of the best bodybuilding workouts for each major muscle group so that you can optimise your routine and get the best results.
Chest Workouts
Building a bulked-up and strong-looking chest is the goal of many bodybuilders. The bench press remains the staple exercise for building an imposing and well-defined chest. The muscles to target in order to build the chest are the pectoralis major and minor. The goto exercises for that are the flat traditional bench press and the inclined bench press. You can also mix it up with close grip bench press and dumbbell bench press to spread out the load to both the upper and lower chest.
Back Workouts
A well-shaped and muscled back complements a built-up chest and rounds out your upper torso to look symmetrical and bulked up. For the back, the best exercise is, without a doubt, the deadlift. The deadlift engages a wide range of muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and erector spinae. Deadlifts can be complemented by exercises like pull-ups, barbell rows, and seated cable rows to target different areas of the back and promote overall thickness and width.
Bulking Up The Shoulders
To build impressive shoulder muscles, the overhead press is highly effective. It primarily targets the deltoids while also engaging the trapezius and triceps. Variations of the overhead press, such as the Arnold press and seated dumbbell press, can be incorporated to target different areas of the shoulders and ensure balanced development.
Arm Workouts
For your biceps, the classic exercise is the barbell or dumbbell curls. They isolate the biceps effectively and help in toning them up, achieving muscle definition and increased muscle mass.
For the triceps, You can go back to the bench press and practise close-grip bench press, triceps dips, and triceps pushdowns.
Developing Strong Legs
When your upper torso is well-built, you need a solid base to improve posture and stability by working on your leg muscles. Building strong and muscular legs requires a combination of compound exercises and targeted movements. Squats are the go-to exercise for overall leg development because they effectively engage the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Lunges, leg presses, and Romanian deadlifts can further target these muscle groups to ensure balanced growth and strength.
Building 6-pack Abs
Ab workouts may be the most popular bodybuilding workout because everyone wants attractive 6-pack abs. A well-defined set of abs is the result of a combination of targeted exercises and low body fat. Core exercises such as planks, crunches, and bicycle crunches are effective for developing abdominal strength and definition. Incorporating exercises like cable crunches and hanging leg raises can provide additional challenges and enhance overall abdominal development.
A balanced bodybuilding workout routine that targets each major muscle group is essential for achieving a well-developed physique. By incorporating the best exercises for each body part, you can stimulate muscle growth, promote symmetry, and attain just the type of body you’re looking for..
If you want to create a balanced workout routine that effectively targets different muscle groups, then get the FITPASS app today. You can not only find the best bodybuilding gym near you, but with a FITCOACH membership, our AI-led fitness assistant can prepare a highly personalised workout routine that is perfectly suited to your bodybuilding goals.
FAQs
What’s the best 5-day workout split?
A 5-day workout routine can be split in many different ways, and what may be considered best may vary from person to person, depending on their goals, fitness levels and preferences. A common 5-day workout split is given below, but feel free to adjust according to your fitness goals.
- Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps.
- Day 2: Back, Biceps, Core.
- Day 3: Legs.
- Day 4: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps.
- Day 5: Back, Biceps, Core.
- Day 6 & 7: Rest.
What are the best 2 body parts to work out together?
The back muscles and the biceps, or the chest and shoulders are commonly worked together in strength training routines in order to increase efficiency and because these muscles usually work in tandem.
What exercises hit all muscle groups?
There are many full-body workouts that target multiple muscle groups at once. These are push-ups, squats, burpees, lunges, swimming, cycling, running etc.