What's the maximum amount of workouts for one body part that one should do during one visit to the gym? For example, if I'm working out my chest one day, how many different chest workouts should I do that day?

Demystify said:

What's the maximum amount of workouts for one body part that one should do during one visit to the gym? For example, if I'm working out my chest one day, how many different chest workouts should I do that day?

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Believe you mean "exercises" not workouts. You generally want to do at least 2-3 exercises for say chest. For instance incline barbell work, ramped up to 1-2 all out sets, followed by flat dumbbell or decline or say a machine chest press for 2-3 sets last one being all out. (generally on the second exercise I go higher rep, especially if dumbbell work, saftey reasons for db, but just to get more "volume" also)

Than after 1-2 main pressing movements, you want to do a fly pec movement, be it machine fly or as I like to do which is lean more towards low incline cably fly work or standing low to high flys. for higher reps, focusing more on feeling the chest work real hard and getting again some more volume/stimulation.

for legs and back though you can generally pound them harder as they are the two biggest muscle groups in your bodies.

for instance yesterday for back I did 5 exercises. and last time for legs I did 4 exercises some times also doing 5.

This why I stress full body workouts for the most part aren't sufficient enough for most people for effectively stimulating their muscles to the fullest. Doesn't matter if beginner or advanced...everyone is different and everyone should focus on overall work and pinpointing imbalances from the get go before they get out of hand.

One person might naturally have big/strong shoulders and will need to work on minimizing shoulder involvement when trying to hit the chest (e.g. lots of low incline work,+ fly variations, back tight chest high keeping shoulders on bench the whole time/stopping shy of lockout on each rep) and prob could get away with minimal shoulder work. (one pressing and one lateral movement)

arms bis 2 exercises is suffice and 1 for forearms/brachialis
bis things like preacher curls, drag curls, barbell curls/ez bar, ruhl bench curls (on back off high pully, pully cable to forehead) cable variations also, machine curls are fine too.
generally 6-15 rep areas (maybe one heavy 6-8 followed by a lighter pump set 12-15) or some focus one day on all heavy work and another day do lighter sets

forearms pinwheels, reverse cable curls, reverse ez bar curls, hammer curls,
2 sets 10-15 reps



tris 2 exercises also one main pressing movenment be it barbell close girp bench press, smith machine work, machine dips or reverse grip bench press

followed by an extensions, dead stop floor skull crushers, pjrs, larry scott extensions, power pressdowns (kevin levrone style)

shoulders are fine usually with 2 main pressing movements seated shoulder press, machine shoulder press, BHTN hammerstrength is great, smith machine high incline shoulder press, barbell behind the neck you must be very careful just go down to ear level and back up. Again I ramp up to one heavy set on an exercise and either move to another exercise and do higher reps or on that same exercise I'll strip weight and hit a high rep set.

and 1-2 lateral movements, machine,cable, db side laterals

rear delt work is best done on back day though

anyways just get in the gym and find what your body best can recover from. Just make sure to stay on top of your eaiting.

check out my thread/journal The Brotherhood of Iron and you can see what I mean through all the workouts I post.

Keep it simple brosef. ALWAYS MIX UP EVERYTHING!

example last week

4 set of barbell incline to start
5 sets of cable flys
4 sets of barbell declines
3 of dumbbell flat bench
3 of dips followed by push ups to end it.

two days ago
3 sets of dumbbell flat benching
4 set of smith inclines
5 sets of cable flys
4 sets of dumbbell overhead pullovers
4 sets of pec dec.

Notice I don't list weights and reps,I just go with whatever feels good that day. Always between 3-5 set, and 7-15 reps. unless warm up,20 reps.

Just make sure you feel like your entire chest has been worked out not just the top,bottom,inner or outer part.

:yes:

Wait I missed the fact that you said per body part and for example...I thought you just wanted chest.

Biceps. 9-12 sets/week

Triceps. 12-16 set/week

Back. 16-22ish sets/week

Chest. 16-20 sets/week

Shoulders 12-16 sets/week traps 4-10 sets/week rear delts 3-5 set/week

Quads/(minor) hamstrings 9-15 sets:6-10 sets/week or Hamstrings/(minor) quads 9-15 sets:6-10 sets/week w/ Calves 4-8 sets/week

Abs 8-10 sets/week

Surely the asnwer to this depends on the extend to which the trainee has already trained in the past, their level of development.

A professional body builder will need loads of sets to see any improvment, a total beginner may well be wiped out after 3 sets.

Ive found one main exercise per body part, 3-4 sets per exercise, with maby a supplementary exercise, to be very effective so far.

No point fixing it if its not broken.

Cure.