The Great Debate: Is It Ok To Train Shoulders Before Chest Day?
When it comes to structuring your workout routine, the order in which you train your muscles can significantly impact your results.
One common question that arises in this context is, “Is it OK to train shoulders before chest day?” This question may seem trivial, but the answer can make a difference in your workout effectiveness, muscle growth, and injury prevention.
Understanding the importance of workout order is crucial for both beginners and experienced fitness enthusiasts. The sequence in which you train your muscles can affect the intensity of your workout and the focus on each muscle group. Therefore, it’s essential to make informed decisions about your workout routine.
Is It Ok To Train Shoulders Before Chest Day?
“Is it OK to train shoulders before chest day?” is a common question among fitness enthusiasts. The answer largely depends on individual goals and preferences. However, most fitness experts recommend training larger muscle groups, like the chest, before smaller ones, like the shoulders. This is because larger muscles require more energy to train effectively. Training shoulders before chest day could potentially affect your performance when you subsequently train your chest, as many chest exercises also engage the shoulders. However, if your shoulders are a weak point, you might want to train them first to ensure they receive adequate focus. It’s crucial to balance your workouts, focus on proper form, and allow adequate time for rest and recovery. Warming up before a workout is also essential to prepare your muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
Understanding the Muscles: Chest and Shoulders
Before delving into the debate of whether it’s advisable to train shoulders before chest day, let’s first understand the anatomy of these two crucial muscle groups.
Chest Muscles
The chest muscles, also known as the pectorals, are some of the largest muscles in your body. They consist of the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the larger of the two and covers most of your chest area.
It’s responsible for the movement of the shoulder joint in various directions. On the other hand, the pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle located beneath the pectoralis major. It plays a role in the movement of the shoulder blade.
Shoulder Muscles
The shoulder muscles are a complex network of muscles and tendons that provide strength and stability to the shoulder joint. They consist of four main muscles: the deltoids, the teres major, the rotator cuff, and the trapezius. The deltoids are the outer layer of the shoulder muscles and are responsible for arm rotation and shoulder abduction.
The teres major helps in the movement and rotation of the arm. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Lastly, the trapezius extends down the back of the neck and upper spine, helping in the movement of the neck and shoulders.
Understanding the anatomy of these muscles is crucial because it helps you target your workouts effectively. It also helps you understand the relationship between different muscle groups and how they affect each other during workouts.
The Debate: Training Shoulders Before Chest Day
The question of whether to train shoulders before chest day has sparked a lot of debate among fitness enthusiasts and experts. There are two primary schools of thought on this matter.
View 1: Train Shoulders First
Some believe that it’s perfectly fine to train shoulders before chest day. The logic behind this view is that by training your smaller muscle group (shoulders) first, you can ensure they receive adequate stimulation before moving on to the larger muscle group (chest). This approach is often favored by those who want to prioritize their shoulder development.
View 2: Train Chest First
On the other hand, many argue that it’s better to train the chest before the shoulders. The reasoning here is that the chest muscles are larger and require more energy to train effectively. By training chest first, you can dedicate your energy reserves to this larger muscle group. Moreover, since chest exercises often indirectly engage the shoulders, your shoulder muscles will still get a decent workout.
Expert Opinions
Most fitness experts lean towards the second view, recommending that you train larger muscle groups before smaller ones. This approach is based on the principle that you should prioritize larger muscles that require more energy to train. However, it’s important to note that individual preferences and goals can influence the optimal workout order.
For instance, if your shoulders are a weak point, you might want to train them first to ensure they receive adequate focus.
Related: Decoding the Best Order: Shoulder Press or Lateral Raise First?
The Impact of Training Shoulders Before Chest Day
The order in which you train your muscles can have a significant impact on your workout performance and results.
Workout Performance
Training shoulders before chest day can potentially affect your performance when you subsequently train your chest. Since many chest exercises also engage the shoulders, pre-exhausting your shoulders can lead to a decrease in the amount of weight you can lift when training your chest.
Risks and Benefits
One potential risk of training shoulders first is the increased likelihood of injury due to fatigue when you move on to chest exercises. On the other hand, a potential benefit is that your shoulders might receive a more intense workout, which could be beneficial if they are a weak point.
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the order of exercises can influence muscle activation and perceived exertion during a workout.
Best Practices for Shoulder and Chest Training
When it comes to training your shoulders and chest, there are several best practices that can help you maximize your results and minimize the risk of injury.
Recommended Order of Workouts
As discussed earlier, most fitness experts recommend training larger muscle groups before smaller ones. Therefore, it’s generally advisable to train your chest before your shoulders. However, this can vary based on individual goals and preferences. If your shoulders are a weak point, you might want to train them first to ensure they receive adequate focus.
Tips on Effectively Training Shoulders and Chest
- Focus on Form: Proper form is crucial for effective training and injury prevention. Make sure you’re performing each exercise correctly.
- Balance Your Workouts: Ensure your workouts are balanced and target all parts of your chest and shoulders. This can help prevent muscle imbalances.
- Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight or reps over time to challenge your muscles and stimulate growth.
- Rest and Recovery: Allow adequate time for rest and recovery between workouts. This is when your muscles repair and grow.
Importance of Warming Up
Warming up before a workout is crucial to prepare your muscles for the exercises ahead and reduce the risk of injury. A good warm-up should increase your heart rate and loosen up your muscles and joints. It can include light cardio and dynamic stretching exercises.
The CBD Influence
CBD, or cannabidiol, may play a beneficial role in the debate of whether it’s OK to train shoulders before chest day. CBD is known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, which can aid in muscle recovery after intense workouts.
If you decide to train shoulders before chest day, CBD might help manage any potential muscle soreness or inflammation that could impact your subsequent chest workout. A study published in the Future of Neurology highlights CBD’s potential in reducing inflammation and pain.
For more information on how CBD can aid your fitness journey, check out this beginner’s guide to CBD.
If you’re interested in incorporating CBD into your workout routine, you can explore a range of products at the Sport CBDs store.
Related: Why Do My Ribs Hurt When I Shoulder Press? (Causes and Prevention)
FAQs
What should I workout before chest day?
It’s generally recommended to train larger muscle groups like the back or legs before chest day. This allows you to dedicate your energy reserves to these larger muscles.
Can I train back before chest day?
Yes, you can train your back before chest day. In fact, many fitness enthusiasts prefer this order as it allows them to train two large muscle groups on separate days.
Can you do shoulders and arms before chest and back?
While it’s possible, it’s generally not recommended to train smaller muscle groups like the shoulders and arms before larger ones like the chest and back. This is because smaller muscles often assist in exercises for larger muscles and can become fatigued, reducing your performance on subsequent exercises.
Should you train shoulders with chest?
This depends on your individual goals and preferences. If you want to prioritize your shoulder development, you might choose to train them on a separate day from your chest. However, if you’re short on time, you can train them on the same day, but it’s generally recommended to train your chest first.
Final Thoughts…
The order in which you train your muscles, particularly shoulders and chest, can significantly impact your workout performance and results. While most fitness experts recommend training larger muscle groups like the chest before smaller ones like the shoulders, individual goals and preferences can influence this order.
It’s crucial to focus on proper form, balance your workouts, progressively overload your muscles, and allow adequate time for rest and recovery. Warming up before a workout is also essential to prepare your muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
Remember, the most effective workout routine is the one that you can consistently follow and enjoy.
Is it ok to train shoulders before chest day? Have our tips been beneficial to your training? We’d love to hear your feedback, so please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you’re a sports enthusiast who utilizes CBD for optimal recovery after intense workouts, then you’ve found your tribe. Welcome to Sport CBDs, where we push our limits in training and prioritize recovery in the most effective way possible.
We regularly share workout routines on our YouTube channel and offer a range of health and fitness products designed to give you that competitive edge.
Why not explore the high-quality CBD products we proudly feature on our site? Visit the Sport CBDs Store by clicking here. In addition to CBD, we also offer an array of fitness clothing and yoga accessories to complement your active lifestyle.
Until next time, we wish you the best in your fitness journey. Remember, your progress is our passion. Stay strong and keep pushing!
Lee
Founder – Sport CBDs
Featured Image Attribution – Image by ArtPhoto_studio on Freepik
