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Chest and Delts - Train Separately or together

Chest and Delts together or separately?

  • Total voters
    253

LunaHotel

Member
I'm wondering how you guys get your best results. I'm training naturally so of course that's a factor for me. Still, for those who have tried it both ways do you get better delt and pec growth by training them in separate sessions or all tied up in one?
 
Definitely same workout, after I get done with some heavy benches my delts are on fire. I couldnt imagine doing them on a different day also.
 
Same day for me. Since I am concentrating on overhead pressing primarily now, I put that or inclines first thing each day, then train flat/decline presses afterwards.
 
Seperate. IME...if I am taxing my delts when training chest I am not training chest correctly. Used to be that I trained at too high an incline when performing inclines. Now I use ~25-30 deg incline and no taxing of the delts and much more isolation of and impact on the pecs.

I then train my delts/traps on a different day so as not to wear out my shoulders and/or delts by over taxing them at one time. I also find that I get a better (more intense) workout on my delts this way.

JMO
 
I train seperately and have been told my shoulders are my best part. Maybe my body is suited to a higher frequency, I'm sure it's different for everyone.
 
I used to train them the day after. Now I train them on chest day and the day after. I do all pressing movements on bench day. The day after I do upper back and all shoulder movements that are not pressing movements.
 
I do them seperate. My shoulders tend to recover quick, but if I train them on the same day I can't push my shoulders to the extent as if on another day. I like to do my heavy barbell presses.
 
Chest day 1 (of 5 day routine)
Delts/Tri's day 4

For me training naturally, this is ideal. I generally believe that for most guys who aren't competing (which is most of us) that stronger = more mass. You're going to move more weight on overhead presses if you haven't just done bench press/flys.

If you're looking to do some sets in a state of "pre-exhaustion" (which is what some of the guys above are advocating), do 3-5 heavy sets of either dumbell or barbell presses with your heavier weight, and then follow up with another 3-5 sets of supersets of either front lateral raises or side lateral raises, with lighter dumbell or barbell presses. You still get the benefit of heavier weights first, and smoldering the delts with supersets afterwards ; )
 
I nearly always train chest and shoulders together. But I change the emphasis from one to the other at each concurrent workout by shifting the exercise order around.
 
OK you guys. I've nearly always trained them together in the past. From seeing the responses to my poll, I switched up to separate workouts, dropping my triceps from my program altogether because they are simply too far ahead of the rest of me. That was about september 22 (6 weeks ago).

What I find is that my front delts are INCREDIBLY changed over that period of time. MUCH bigger, although only a little stronger. My chest is also doing noticeably better in terms of size, but not much in terms of strength.

To me, that is an incredible transformation. I am AWED at the difference it makes. Now bear in mind that I am 37 years old, all natural, have 10 years training experience and weigh 210 @ 12% on 5'10¾".
 
I feel strongest on overheads after murdering chest, from a couple differ. angles...

my tri's are zingin and my shoulders are fully ready for a beaten, i feel this has worked for me on shoulders, I do 205-215 for reps on overheads.(right at my BW)

i dont do much shaping right now because of this,(combining the two) i have always had big shoulders, and i dont want to thrash them internally as of yet.
altought training them seperately would allow me to resume shaping...hmmm
 
Here's another little tip for making training them all together work. Cycle your training poundages such that in the first workout you train chest-heavy, shoulders-light, tricepts-heavy. In you next workout you'll do the opposite chest-light, shoulders-heavy, tricepts-light.
 
My routine is all over the place, so I train whatever with whatever other part.. I've done delts/quads, chest/delts, calves/delts.. I'll work them either separate one week, then with another part the next, and switch it up regularly.. ;)
 
Either can work fine.

If you have overdeveloped shoulders, work them on chest day. If they are a weak point, give them their own due.
 
i'm a fan of both. When I trained with IA he had a chest/shoulder/tri's split. Seems like a good way to overtrain but I just focused on a select few primary exercises and its done wonders for me.

Then again it depends on what your split looks like.
Mine is:
Chest/Shoulders/Tris
Back/Bis
Leg/Abs
going everyother day.
 
How the hell do you train chest without training shoulders as well? 20 sets of cable crossovers? My bench work, then a few sets of dumbell shoulder press and I'm good to go.
 
i agree w/ exnihilo - how do you guys train them separately?? If you do a heavy chest work out w/ same 2 different presses, dips and maybe cables all you've got to do are db presses or heavy lateral raises.
 
I've gotten the most results out of my shoulders from training them with my arms. I was overtraining my arms and shoulders when I was doing them seperatley, so I cut back on the sets and combined the workouts. Now they grow like never before... arms too.
 
i've done both, switching up occasionally as the mood strikes me. haven't noticed a real difference between the two.
 
My chest pressing movements work my delts far too much for me to have a seperate day for shoulders. However my chest responds to a low work load which allows me to give delts fairly high volume in the same workout.
 
I found my shoulders look the best when training them separate. I tax them a little with chest, then hit them by themselves later on in the week. To me this is almost like training twice a week. Never thought it would work till I tried it. I have naturally well defined and big shoulders though even for being an ecto.
 

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LakeMountD said:
I found my shoulders look the best when training them separate. I tax them a little with chest, then hit them by themselves later on in the week. To me this is almost like training twice a week. Never thought it would work till I tried it. I have naturally well defined and big shoulders though even for being an ecto.
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Damn Lake you're fuckin JACKED, bro!
 
Twin Peak said:
Either can work fine.

If you have overdeveloped shoulders, work them on chest day. If they are a weak point, give them their own due.
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What do you do if all of your bodyparts are lagging? :)
 
LakeMountD said:
I found my shoulders look the best when training them separate. I tax them a little with chest, then hit them by themselves later on in the week. To me this is almost like training twice a week. Never thought it would work till I tried it. I have naturally well defined and big shoulders though even for being an ecto.
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Your traps look huge in that pic. What exercises and rep scheme do you use to train shoulders/traps?
 
Separately is better for me. Like Luna I use to train them together, then switched to separate workouts. Actually, because of the success of this and of training my bi's twice a week, I am planning on switching my entire training routine to a "revisit" style. That is, do a couple sets of a bodypart that was already trained the same week, working every bodypart 1.2 times a week, so to speak.

When I get my first cycle going, that is.
 
I dont see how you could train chest without hitting the ant delts.

But IMO chest+delts+back+arms+legs+abs all in the same workout.
 
I think the main issue of training them together is the fact that most chest movements use alot of front delt but lillte side and or rear involvent. If i was to train them both together the shoulder portion would come after and would mostly consist of side and rear delt motions.
 
Old thread but I always like the push pull method..Mon-Thurs
Chest shoulders triceps..Tue-Fri Legs Back and biceps..
this gives me ample rest seems to work for me..
 
I have done it both ways, but if i train then together, i dont do any isolated front delt exercises.
 
i agreed here, i trains my chest and delt together, i only do two set for my front delts... the of my delt workout is for my rear and middle delts..
cheers,
darkpoet3113
 
Chest gets it's own day then i train shoulders and traps on their own day, i also find i can't work bi's and back or tri's and chest, otherwise my arms will lag. I just find i'm too fatigued after a real intense chest workout to go onto shoulders and do them justice.
 
CHAPS said:
Chest gets it's own day then i train shoulders and traps on their own day, i also find i can't work bi's and back or tri's and chest, otherwise my arms will lag. I just find i'm too fatigued after a real intense chest workout to go onto shoulders and do them justice.
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so r u saying your bi's and tri's are getting not enough work if you do it that way?
 
I like to focus on delts seperately from chest.
 
i always liked to do shoulders/chest together. for me, i've made the most progress doing so.

however, i have a hypothesis. that is that if you have more endurance fibers, you have to stimulate your muscles not only by high weights, but also from multiple sets to really beat your system down. if you have less endurance fibers (endomorphs), this will do more harm than good.

my first 4 exercises for chest/shoulder day - i picture someone wincing at this, is :

bench
military press
incline bench
front delt raises

4 sets, 4 exercises, 12-15 minutes. i don't think most lifters would benefit from high volume though. if you're an ecto, this might make a huge difference in your gains. GVT would also be a program designed for ecto's, though all other body types overtrain within 2-3 months - unless you're taking something.
 
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