Emphasizing one or two muscle groups?

[thrandui1]

I've been going to the gym for about 18 months, an average of three-four times a week (one-hour sessions). I have a 4-way split routine; at the moment:

Shoulders + Biceps
Chest + Triceps
Thigs + Calves
Back + Abs

So far, the bodypart that responds best seems to be the legs (thanks to years of moderate-to-keen cycling, maybe?). Chest is doing all right. But I would really like to grow more in the shoulders and back departments.

So my question: What's the intelligent way of helping your body grow more in one or two muscle groups?

Should I increase the strain during the shoulders and back workout? Increase sets? Increase variety of movements?
Should I train shoulders on their own that day (i.e., move the biceps to another day)? Same with back (moving abs to another day)?
Should I train those two body parts more often?
Should I make sure I rest the day before AND the day after the workout? (Not even any cardio)...
Should I decrease intensity for other muscle groups? Should I stop working out other body parts for a little while?

 

[mino lee]

u definately can't follow a chest day right after a shoulder day unless you already have huge shoulders. your definatley over analyzing. first of all, have u ever recalled in the last 18 months of anything that has made your shoulders grow even a bit? if not, that means you are a beginner and should not give shoulders their own day. do chest and shoulders on the same day. and posterior delts on back days. once a week, nothing more, even if you feel you have th strength to work twice a week.

do this for 3 months. and you should notice gains.

if you already have shoulders that stick out and you want them bigger, then give them their own day, and as the first muscle group to work on of the week, then chest 3 or 4 days later.

IMO, unless you are massive and only maintaining, no one can succeed with a chest day following right after a shoulder day.

 

[Egoatdoor]

What's the intelligent way of helping your body grow more in one or two muscle groups?

Should I train those two body parts more often?

Should I decrease intensity for other muscle groups?

My answer to the last two questions is yes. I don't want to write out my idea for a solution all over again, so read my October 1 10:14 PM response( my second response that day, not the first) to this thread with how I dealt with a similar problem. It is a bit unorthodox, but it worked.

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?t=37213

 

[camarosuper6]

IMO.. Work Shoulders after the most days off you take (ie after the weekend).

Low to moderate volume and high intense, heavy weights.

Start with the exercise you can move the most weight, which would most likely be shoulder press or dumbell press.

Follow with side laterals and upright rows and you should be good.

Some people recommend doing shoulder/chest same day to keep the shoulder joint under as least amount of stress as possible. Other people seperate their days as much as possible.

I would recommend seperating your days if you really want to focus on your delts. If your benching like a PL, then your shoudlers arent under near the strain the would be if you bench conventionally anyway.

Another thing.. EAT! You wont grow at ALL without nutrition.

 

[thrandui1]

Thanks, guys, it all makes a lot of sense.

Egoatdoor, I had been thinking along the same line of thought: having a cycle over 8 or 9 days, but I didn't think it was worth experimenting on it, since I had never seen anybody else recommend it. I might try that in a few months' time.

BTW, I just realized that I hadn't listed the four workout-days in the order in which I do them. duh! At the moment it's
Sat: abs + back (including shoulder raises)
Sun: chest + triceps
Tue: shoulders + biceps
Thu: legs + calves
Cardio on Mon and Wed.

Given what you all said, I'll give a try to chest + shoulders together. It'll force me to put biceps and triceps together; I've always felts that was an unnatural combination, but there's nothing like trying it...

Another thing.. EAT! You wont grow at ALL without nutrition.

My big problem is not the nutrition department. It's the sleep department... (Late nights, early mornings, eight hours of sleep is a very rare luxury.) But that's a different kettle of fish...

 

[Egoatdoor]

Egoatdoor, I had been thinking along the same line of thought: having a cycle over 8 or 9 days, but I didn't think it was worth experimenting on it, since I had never seen anybody else recommend it. I might try that in a few months' time.

It is rather radical, totally outside the normal way of thinking.