Designing the perfect bodybuilding routine is not always easy. There is a lot to be considered, such as how many times per week you should work out, and how much time is needed in between workouts for your muscles to rest and repair. It can also be confusing as to which groups of muscles should be exercised during a workout. Whether you are lifting free weights, or focusing on machines, here are some guidelines to follow when designing your workouts.
If you are a beginner, chances are you are working with lighter weights. In the very beginning, when you are only working out twice a week, it can be helpful and time efficient to do a light workout for the entire body. But as you begin to work with heavier weights and increase the frequency of your workout days, working two major muscle groups at the same time is not advisable. First, this method can simply be too taxing on your body, and will require too much energy expenditure to be effective. Also, it is better to stagger working out the major muscle groups, so that you can rest each group on one day, while working on the other.
Working one major muscle group during a workout is generally a good practice. For example, on one day you could work the shoulders, triceps and chest. Then, you could work your biceps, abs and back. Finally, you could work your calves, quads and hamstrings. By staggering your sessions in this fashion, every muscle group will get a good workout, and then have time to rest and repair.