Chest & Biceps vs. Chest & Triceps

[Josh]

Hi Everyone,

So depending on where you read and who you talk to, some people will recommend doing biceps on the same day as chest (with triceps on the same day as back,) and some will say the opposite... to do triceps with chest and biceps with back. What's that all about? Can someone shed some light on why one way might be better than the other?

Thanks,
Josh

[#8]

it depends on whether you like training complimentary or opposing muscle groups. try an 8 week program of each and see which you like best.

[Ritch]

don`t have much time here, but triceps after back??? I sometimes hear this and don`t agree at all. I do back by itself, it needs alot of work for both width and thickness. I would even like to do a workout for each in an ideal world. Each split will have it`s advantages favoring one muscle a little more over the other. I`ll give you a better answer tomorrow.

[420]

i prefer doing bi's and tri's on the same day. excellent feel good arm pump.

[spankmonkey]

it depends on whether you like training complimentary or opposing muscle groups. try an 8 week program of each and see which you like best.

Agreed. try it and see how it works for you. Personally I do not think your muscles will know the diff. it is all just stimulation and muscles will respond accordingly.

[Josh]

i prefer doing bi's and tri's on the same day. excellent feel good arm pump.

that's what I've been doing, yeah.

[Musclehead]

Of all the programs I've tried, I prefer donig opposing muscle groups....chest with biceps. This way you are not pre exhausting them. Biceps and triceps recover rather quickly so when I do chest and bis, and then do back a few days later it's like they get 2 workouts......one direct workout and one indirect. The same goes for triceps only I do them with shoulders and not back. Back is too large to incorporate anything else imo. This is my prefered method.

[bigdaddydrew123]

they both work well,do one way for awhile then switch,do bis and tris too,your body adapts quickly always good to switch things arround

[Ritch]

Of all the programs I've tried, I prefer donig opposing muscle groups....chest with biceps. This way you are not pre exhausting them. Biceps and triceps recover rather quickly so when I do chest and bis, and then do back a few days later it's like they get 2 workouts......one direct workout and one indirect. The same goes for triceps only I do them with shoulders and not back. Back is too large to incorporate anything else imo. This is my prefered method.


I agree with this way of thinking. They get hit one directly and then indirectly. Here`s my split

Shoulder /Biceps /abs / lower back light
quads / hams
Calves (done at home)
Chest /triceps /abs
Back/ abs /lower back heavy

This is done 5 days back to back with weekends off so I can get high and have sex with hookers. (JK) But you see how many muscles get 2 workouts? Sometimes on shoulder and bicep days, in between sets of biceps I may do some fast speed higher rep triceps just for a pump. Triceps get 2 full days to recover so it dosen`t affect the chest and tricep workout at all. Plus on chest /tricep day the shoulders get some extra work as well. I would do some biceps in between triceps on but the next day I train back so it`s a no go. Back itself is a monster workout and the bi`s get plenty of assistance work so it`s not necessary. Another must in my mind is splitting back and legs as far appart possible in any split as they tax the nervous system the hardest.

[Josh]

Back itself is a monster workout

Could you go into detail?

[gixxman]

I like to do my bi's on leg days although sometimes its hard to keep ur balance...and lately i have done tri's and chest but the weight has decreased for tris as they are weaker after chest.

[Ritch]

Could you go into detail?

Sure thing. A back workout or any workout for that matter is never more than 12 sets. Not including abs. I say back is a monster workout because training the same muscle group over so many sets just seems a little tougher. I do 6 exercises total for 2 sets each. 3 exercises for width and 3 for thickness. Usually rotate over 3 week periods starting with either. There are so many exercises one can do for back that`s why I really like training it. Back is the only muscle group I use pretty much all machines. I don`t care what anyone says about chins or pullups, I`ve done them for years and the results don`t compare to when I do machines. Lately here`s what I`ve been doing:

2 sets of unilateral pronated chest pad rows
2 sets of neutral close grip cable rows
2 sets of neutral medium grip cable rows

2 sets of wide grip pronated pulldowns
2 sets of close neutral grip pulldowns
2 sets of neutral medium grip pulldowns ( by the time I do these 2 sets I rather tired)

If I didn`t have a problematic left rear shouder/lat I`d do more barbell rowing pronated and supinated and t-bar rows done in a corner with the olympic bar. Depending on the day I may change the order of the exercises like if someone is on a machine I want... If I feel like doing 3 sets per movement, I`ll drop an exercise so the total sets don`t pass 6 for thickness or width.

Did try doing more for thickeness ( 8 sets ) then doing 2 sets of 2 exercises or sometimes 3 sets of 2 exercises for width again doing 12-14 sets total and it works good from time to time. Then doing the opposite the next week ( 8 sets width and 4 for thickness ) or maybe even 6 for thickness ( 3 sets of 2 exercises ) all depends if I`m feeling it or not. When I do more volume like that it`s because I know I have a planned week off in the next week or so.