The most effective training protocols are pretty basic at their core. You don’t need to hit different muscle groups if you focus on specific girdles (hip and shoulder) while doing whole body movements .
My regular practice (and the strength protocols I design for students) utilize whole body movements that alternate a focus between:
Hip Girdle
Shoulder Girdle
work on each girdle will require core stabilization and thus exercises for the midsection will often serve as good warm-ups for the body of a training program
When building shoulder strength we can use two major categories in our pursuit: pulling and pushing.
Today our focus will be on pulling strength and the path toward pulling your bodyweight. For folks practicing on a bar these movements, the only difference is the sustained supinated grip in the chin-up (as opposed to the rotation allowed by the rings).
Beginners to pulling should consider working on the row as demonstrated below. With access to gymnastic rings (or TRX pulleys), the height can be adjusted to the height of the hip with the placement of the feet determining the difficulty:
Easiest: several steps behind the rings (body remains more upright)\
Intermediate: Feet directly under the rings (shoulders are at about a 45 degree angle to the rings)
Advanced/Intermediate: Feet step in front of the rings (approaching a 90 degree angle)
Advanced: Feet are elevated (approaching a 130 degree angle)
-If you only have access to dumbbells you can practice the movement there first (isolating the shoulder, prior to learning how to target the shoulder in a full body row)
Individuals able to perform the advanced version of the row for 3-5 repetitions may be ready to approach more advanced versions of pulling such as the chin-up. As with all strength movements, the eccentric or negative portion of the movement will be easier than pulling up to an object. The lowering should always be done with slow control and thus starting here will help to pattern the movement that will eventually lead to the pull.
Consider aiming to perform 5 negatives in a row: jumping up to the rings and lowering with slow control before progressing toward work on the full chin-up.
For those ready to work on building strength in the chin-up, you’ll want to be capable of performing 2 uninterrupted pulls to advanced toward more difficult pulling actions. Consider a program of 2 reps with a 2-3 minute rest before practicing a second set, working up to 20 repetitions in a training program before progressing to more repetitions in a single set.
If you can perform 5 uninterrupted repetitions of chin-ups, consider progressing toward the pull-up. Generally considered slightly more advanced this movement will help to target the long head of the bicep as well as muscles of the back such as the rhomboids.