When training the chest and arms, the muscle group you train first matters most in terms of your results. The bench press is a common exercise for the pectoral muscles, or the chest. Working out the arms before doing the bench press puts more focus on the arms, while training them after the bench press puts more focus on the chest. To minimize the risk of injury and maximize results, muscle groups should be trained in a specific order, according to your goals.
Goals
Before you lift weights for your chest and arms, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, such as if you are looking to build size, strength, endurance or power. Muscular strength refers to the maximum amount of weight a muscle can lift in one repetition, while endurance refers to the amount of weight a muscle can lift over a long period of time. Power means the amount of weight a muscle can lift at a high speed.
Weight
Choosing the most appropriate weight is also important when training your chest and arms. When lifting for muscular size, sets of six to 12 repetitions at 70 to 80 percent of your one repetition max with 3 to 5 minutes of rest in between sets is ideal. Lifting for strength means sets of one to five repetitions at 80 to 100 percent of your maximum with several minutes of rest between sets. Power requires sets of six to 10 repetitions at 70 to 80 percent of max at a fast speed. Endurance needs sets of greater than 15 repetitions at 30 to 50 percent of your max.
Order
The order in which you train your muscles affects your results. Traditionally, the larger muscle groups should be trained before the smaller muscle groups. The pectorals of the chest are much larger than the biceps and triceps in the arms. Training your chest before your arms means that you have your maximum capability to lift the heavier weight for your chest and that your arms are already warmed up and ready to be trained. If you train your arms first, they will not be able to assist as much when you train your chest, as they will be pre-exhausted. However, this can be an ideal strategy to increase arm muscle size when gains are slow or small. In short, whichever group is most important should be trained first.
Lifting Safely
Lifting weight for any muscle group can be risky. This risk can be minimized, however, with a few simple steps. Before you train your chest or arms, warming up is key. Warming up gradually increases the body temperature, making the muscle tissue more pliable and ready to be trained. Skipping the warm-up increases your risk for injury. Doing 5 to 10 minutes of aerobic activity such as walking, jogging, jump rope or using a cardio machine before lifting is an ideal way to warm up. After your strength workout, it is important to stretch. Stretching not only feels great, but keeps you flexible. The greater your flexibility, the more weight you can lift.
Variety is Key
Fitness programs must evolve to stay effective. Having the same goal and doing the same workout for long periods of time can lead to disappointing results, boredom and muscular imbalances. Try lifting for size one month and strength the next, or change your exercises every few weeks. If you usually lift four sets of eight, try two sets of 20 or eight sets of three.
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