Question About Shoulder Work

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

I initially posted this question in a thread in the bodybuilding forum, but upon further reflection think it’s better posted here since I’m a beginner, so I’ve moved it.

I was a lurker for several months before joining T-Nation and I’ve definitely used the search function but can’t quite seem to find the answer. Apologies if I’ve missed something obvious.

Here’s the question: I’ve been reading and thinking about the different split routines that people have posted. It seems that some people do chest and shoulders on the same day, while others do them on different days. If it’s a chest day and I’m doing, say, flat and incline pressing but then also do shoulders on the same day, I would think that the amount of weight I can use when overhead pressing and doing lateral raises would be reduced compared to if I did OHP and LR on a shoulders-only day. So wouldn’t a shoulders-only day be preferable? Or is the overall volume of shoulder work that’s done on a combined chest and shoulders day sufficient to make up for the decrease in max weight that could be used compared to a shoulders-only day? Or maybe there are other variables and considerations at play?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for initially posting this question in the bodybuilding forum.

2

try it

if you want any body part to blow up, giving it its own day is a great idea, but you can still make gains on a combo day.

personally speaking, I’ve been alternating my presses (ohp+flat bench, or incline bench+CGBP) so that I always do a vertical press and a horizontal press every chest/shoulders/tris day. however, my isolation work always stays the same. I’ve had no trouble progressing.

3

Thanks, fr0IVIan. Appreciate hearing your personal experience.