FULL BODY WORKOUTS

The lost science of full body workouts and why it could supercharge your gains.

It seems that the majority of websites, trainers and publications are making the point of bodybuilder splits workouts (Monday = chest day, Tuesday = back day, Wednesday = shoulders, Thursday = leg day, Friday = arms day). For the average person that's NOT on PEDS (performance enhancing drugs) this way of training can actually hinder rather than help. Let me explain why - so when you train a muscle you trigger protein synthesis in that muscle which aids in that muscles growth, it last between 12-72 hours if you're new to training it lasts longer, the more experienced the trainer the shorter it lasts. Once it has stopped that muscle isn't going to grow until triggered again, if you are leaving it a week before training it again then the muscle could even start to reduce size due to inactivity. 

If you choose to do a full body workout approach instead of the body part split, by doing 3 full body workouts a week then your frequency of each muscle group is much higher, the stimulation to each muscle is more consistent and keeps protein synthesis consistent and higher, speeding up your ability to gain muscle.

Full body training can be suitable for beginners all the way to advanced lifters. In the case of a beginner, by doing the main lifts - squats, deadlines, bench press and over head press, more regularly, you become better at these lifts and increase/improve technique and performance, and if we are honest, big compound lifts (multi joint movements) is the best way to build muscle and gain strength, forget leg extensions, lateral side raise machine and other small movements they don't build much muscle.

With advanced trainers, full body training can be done under the same 3 days a week approach or even 5 days a week approach, it all depends on the amount of volume and tolerance you have built over your years of training, still focusing on big lifts and implementing the correct techniques to challenge and effect the muscles intended.

If you look at it this way as long as each muscle group is getting 10-20 sets each week then this will be sufficient stimulus to grow, so if you train 3 days a week and aim for 5 sets each muscle group 15 sets by the end of the week, you will be bang on the sweet spot between not too much and not enough. Focus on exercises like - barbell back squats, front squats, deadlifts, RDL, barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press, standing/seated over head barbell press, standing/seated dumbbell over head press, pull ups, chin ups, lat pull downs, bent over barbell rows, v bar rows, t bar rows, close grip row and one arm dumbbell rows and many more. These exercises are good for adding on slabs of new muscle, just ensure your form is good and leave 1 to 2 reps in the gas tank at the end of each set so you don't fail to complete each set.

the gas tank at the end of each set to ensure your to not failin

Try the full body approach give it a good few weeks I guarantee you won't be sorry.