Alternating different muscle groups in one session

[Energy]

Hi,

This might be a silly question but i'll ask anyway...

Today I was in a rush and was training legs/shoulders.

I alternated between excersises to minimise recovery time e.g: squats,shoulder press, squats, shoulder press.

I did this for the rest of the work out alternating between my shoulder exercises and leg excersises.

I performed the same (and some better) weight however I didn't quite feel the same 'pump' as just doing legs and then shoulders. However I did feel like my body was under a higher threat and was more exhausted.

Should I train one muscle group and then move on to the other or could both at the same time be beneficial?

Anyway it got me thinking...is this kind of training good or bad and why?

 

[rockhardly]

What you are describing is a superset. However you should try to use excercises that concentrate around the same areas for a superset to keep all the blood concentrated around a local muscle group. For example, you were doing legs and shoulders. Instead of supersetting the 2, try supersetting quads and hams, then supersetting posterior and anteriod delts. I do legs and delts on different days but a this would be an example.

Delts
Superset:Arnold press-80#-2x10; Lateral raises-40#-1x10, 30#-1x10
Dropset: Arnold press-80#-1x10, 60#-1x8, 40#-1x6

Superset:Cleans-135#-2x8; Bent Laterals-40#-2x10
Dropset: Cleans-135#-1x6, 75#-1x8

Quads
Superset:Leg extensions-105#-2x10; Back squats-205#-2x8
Dropset: Back squats-155#-1x8, 135#-1x2
Superset:Front squats-155#-1x8, 1x10; Leg extensions-105#-2x7


Hams
Superset:EZ Bar good mornings 65#-1x10, 75#-1x10; Leg curls-75#2x10
Dropset: Leg curls-80#-1x10, 60#-1x8

 

[Phineas]

What you are describing is a superset. However you should try to use excercises that concentrate around the same areas for a superset to keep all the blood concentrated around a local muscle group. For example, you were doing legs and shoulders. Instead of supersetting the 2, try supersetting quads and hams, then supersetting posterior and anteriod delts. I do legs and delts on different days but a this would be an example.

Delts
Superset:Arnold press-80#-2x10; Lateral raises-40#-1x10, 30#-1x10
Dropset: Arnold press-80#-1x10, 60#-1x8, 40#-1x6

Superset:Cleans-135#-2x8; Bent Laterals-40#-2x10
Dropset: Cleans-135#-1x6, 75#-1x8

Quads
Superset:Leg extensions-105#-2x10; Back squats-205#-2x8
Dropset: Back squats-155#-1x8, 135#-1x2
Superset:Front squats-155#-1x8, 1x10; Leg extensions-105#-2x7


Hams
Superset:EZ Bar good mornings 65#-1x10, 75#-1x10; Leg curls-75#2x10
Dropset: Leg curls-80#-1x10, 60#-1x8

Those are quite the drop sets. Your Arnold Presses decrease in the 3rd set by 50%.

What's your training goal?

 

[rockhardly]

Those are quite the drop sets. Your Arnold Presses decrease in the 3rd set by 50%.

What's your training goal?

I am bulking. I train outta my house with free weights only and I don't have all the DB's I need. For example, I have 2-60's, 2-40's, and 2-30's but don't have the 65's, 55's, 50's, etc. so I have to go with what I have. I am continuously adding to my collection, though.

Perhaps there is some info I need to add. My lifting tempo during these types of workouts are 1/0/1/0 and rest between sets is around 30-90 seconds. I should also add that I am currently training with a program based on p/rr/s. I am not sure what you mean by "quite the dropsets". The training I put up there gives me a hell of a pump and by time I am thru, I am tore down. Also, doing a dropset from 100% to 75% to 50% with 0 sec's of rest between seems pretty good to me. But again, I am not quite sure what/why your asking. I am always open minded and all ears.

 

[Phineas]

I am bulking. I train outta my house with free weights only and I don't have all the DB's I need. For example, I have 2-60's, 2-40's, and 2-30's but don't have the 65's, 55's, 50's, etc. so I have to go with what I have. I am continuously adding to my collection, though.

Perhaps there is some info I need to add. My lifting tempo during these types of workouts are 1/0/1/0 and rest between sets is around 30-90 seconds. I should also add that I am currently training with a program based on p/rr/s. I am not sure what you mean by "quite the dropsets". The training I put up there gives me a hell of a pump and by time I am thru, I am tore down. Also, doing a dropset from 100% to 75% to 50% with 0 sec's of rest between seems pretty good to me. But again, I am not quite sure what/why your asking. I am always open minded and all ears.

I was just confused over the justification of the rep ranges. I'll admit: I'm not a fan of drop sets, so I don't know a whole lot about them (so I'll admit ignorance right there). It just seems to me that with the intensities and rep ranges all over the place that there's no real linear approach to reaching a certain goal. What I mean is, you're bulking, right? Well, I understand that doing sets immediately after another would give you an intense pump, but is that the way to bulk? You rarely delve into the strength/mass rep range, and when you do the intensity is too low to stimulate mass/strength. It seems like more of a hypertrophy or even endurance program.

I'm not attacking you, or anything. I could be completely blowing smoke out my ass. Again, I don't know the science behind dropsets. I was just giving my two cents.

 

[rockhardly]

No worries, I don't feel like it is an attack at all. I am always willing to listen and learn.

As far as the somewhat scattered rep-ranges and inensities, I am still trying to nail down the correct amount of weights to do a predetermined amount of sets/reps. So, when you see 40#-1x10, 30#-1x10, the 40# was to heavy and I had poor form towards the end of the set. During my next cycle, I will start with 30's or 35's and do 2x8-10 of good sets.

Based on p/rr/s program, the described workout was during shock week. Power is the following week which breaks down to 4x6 of 80% of 1RM. There is more to the p/rr/s system. Check it out if you're interested. This is only my 7th week so I am still fine tuning some things. I will probably go thru 1 more mesocycle and change to a different program; depends on progress. I have made good gains, from 175 to 183 in 2 months so far.

 

[Phineas]

No worries, I don't feel like it is an attack at all. I am always willing to listen and learn.

As far as the somewhat scattered rep-ranges and inensities, I am still trying to nail down the correct amount of weights to do a predetermined amount of sets/reps. So, when you see 40#-1x10, 30#-1x10, the 40# was to heavy and I had poor form towards the end of the set. During my next cycle, I will start with 30's or 35's and do 2x8-10 of good sets.

Based on p/rr/s program, the described workout was during shock week. Power is the following week which breaks down to 4x6 of 80% of 1RM. There is more to the p/rr/s system. Check it out if you're interested. This is only my 7th week so I am still fine tuning some things. I will probably go thru 1 more mesocycle and change to a different program; depends on progress. I have made good gains, from 175 to 183 in 2 months so far.

Gotcha.

I've actually never tried the p/rr/s. Mayhaps some day. I gotta do some block training in a few weeks. So many training styles to experiment with..so little time.

Life would be so much easier as a Gap model. 1000 sit ups a day plus a few light sets of flies...then, just strike a little Blue Steel and you're golden!

*sigh....then again, I must admit that I do rather enjoy actually having legs bigger than my girlfriends, which is more than I can say for a lot of pretty boys.

I wonder why it is that legs and backs aren't desired in hollywood. I find that strange. I would absolutely love to take those Twilight twerps into a power cage and wreck em' with some deads and squats. I wonder if they've ever even a BB