Two Exercises for Basically Same Movement

For those of you who train with a strength/progress driven bodypart split, what are your opinions on doing two very similar exercises for the same bodypart.

For example, two shoulder presses on shoulder day, or two pulldown variations on back day.

Now I’m not saying the same exercise twice, but something like dumbbell shoulder press and behind the neck smith machine press for shoulders or close grip pulldowns and wide grip pulldowns for back.

Is the extra exercise worth it for better complete development or will it just hurt your recovery and progress?

I believe that would be a waste of time. If your going for strength, you want to hammer FEW basic movements. Now, you need some sort of variety in your weekly schedule to keep things alive and from stagnating quickly, so instead, I would just save the different variation of a particular movement for another day.

I also believe that it would most definitely cut into your recovery time as well.

“One arm laterals (two exercises for the same muscle group because my focus is on really bringing them out because I don’t believe I have ever seen someone with lateral delts that were too big)
Reverse pec deck flyes for rear delts.”

I found this quote from the ProfessorX:A Request thread. So maybe it’s okay to do two very similar exercises on just one bodypart you’re trying to bring up?

If this is true, would you guys think it should only be done with more isolation type movements (like how X was doing it with laterals) or could it be done with a press or row?

[quote]SquatDeep385 wrote:
“One arm laterals (two exercises for the same muscle group because my focus is on really bringing them out because I don’t believe I have ever seen someone with lateral delts that were too big)
Reverse pec deck flyes for rear delts.”

I found this quote from the ProfessorX:A Request thread. So maybe it’s okay to do two very similar exercises on just one bodypart you’re trying to bring up?

If this is true, would you guys think it should only be done with more isolation type movements (like how X was doing it with laterals) or could it be done with a press or row?
[/quote]

Start with one movement, try to increase the weight the fastest you can.
If all is good, add a second movement after you get a feel of how fast you progress with one. If you can progress at the same speed, and dont feel additional tiredness in the days following the training, go for it.

I do two pressing movements for shoulders because one doesn’t seem like enough…

Maybe I should cut it back though.

In my opinion you usually don’t need to do the same or very similar movements in the same workout, such as military press and dumbell shoulder press. If you are pushing yourself hard enough in the first exercise their is little need for the second.

BUT if you are seeing results and making progress on both, than why the hell not?!

[quote]SquatDeep385 wrote:
“One arm laterals (two exercises for the same muscle group because my focus is on really bringing them out because I don’t believe I have ever seen someone with lateral delts that were too big)
Reverse pec deck flyes for rear delts.”

I found this quote from the ProfessorX:A Request thread. So maybe it’s okay to do two very similar exercises on just one bodypart you’re trying to bring up?

If this is true, would you guys think it should only be done with more isolation type movements (like how X was doing it with laterals) or could it be done with a press or row?
[/quote]

I like to hit flat db press and then hammer incline on the same day, and it seems to work well for me.

Not necessarily about shoulders, but I can do arched Close Bench and Dips in the same work out. Good progress for me? Fairly similar movements, just a few degrees of angle difference.

[quote]vikingrob wrote:
In my opinion you usually don’t need to do the same or very similar movements in the same workout, such as military press and dumbell shoulder press. If you are pushing yourself hard enough in the first exercise their is little need for the second.

BUT if you are seeing results and making progress on both, than why the hell not?!
[/quote]

if you aren’t see results when doing something…IT’S NOT THE EXERCISES’ FAULT, IT’S YOUR OWN

I find keeping just one is fine. If you want to do two, just cycle them every week or every other week. For example, I find that Push Presses and Seated DB Press are best for my shoulders, so Week 1 I’ll do the Push Presses and Week 2 I’ll do the DB Presses.

[quote]prospa7 wrote:
vikingrob wrote:
In my opinion you usually don’t need to do the same or very similar movements in the same workout, such as military press and dumbell shoulder press. If you are pushing yourself hard enough in the first exercise their is little need for the second.

BUT if you are seeing results and making progress on both, than why the hell not?!

if you aren’t see results when doing something…IT’S NOT THE EXERCISES’ FAULT, IT’S YOUR OWN[/quote]

You should refrain from giving advice of any sort.

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
I do two pressing movements for shoulders because one doesn’t seem like enough…

Maybe I should cut it back though.[/quote]

I think it’s because it ends up to be around 3 working sets on a pressing movement. I don’t think 1 is enough.

Maybe you guys could tell me if this is a good idea or not. Its what I’ve been doing for chest.

I don’t have a spotter for bench press, so I can’t go to failure. I get as far as I could though. While the muscle is still warm, I go do 3 sets of flat bench dumbbell presses because I can do these to failure. Either that or I got to the flat bench HS machine and work till failure.

The only other similar exercises are 4 sets of pullups, followed by 4 sets of chin ups.