The full body program or training split isn’t often talked about much. It’s more common to here about the the bro split, push pull legs or the lower and upper body splits.
For those that don’t know, a training ‘split’ is a method in which to spread out your training across the week. Meaning each workout will have a different focus. The main thing to consider when looking at training splits is your training frequency. In other words how many days will you be in the gym each week?
The truth is, unless you’re a bodybuilder, an athlete or training 4 or more days per week. Then you should be following the full body workout.
Bold statement I know but here is why.
Full body program is flexible to fit around you
There will come a time when you’re asked to stay late at work. Maybe your child is sick, or something has come up in your day meaning you can’t train. If you’re following any of the other training splits mentioned. Then you have reason to panic because a missed training session can throw your entire routine off. Meaning an entire muscle group could go untrained. But with the full body workout there’s no stress, just skip a session and continue the next one like nothing happened, simple.
No more dreading your gym workout
Let’s talk about the other reasons you may skip a session, that session being leg day. Yeah, that’s right we all have a part of the body we hate training. Mine personally is core, it bores me. Now if one of my sessions were to have a large chunk of core in it, then I’m going to be honest with you. I’m coming up with any excuse to skip that one, sorry but it’s true. So, if you hate training legs yet follow a program with a dedicated leg session then I wish you good luck on being consistent.
The full body workout allows you to spread all the exercises out across the week in small doses, meaning you’re more likely to do it. Particularly if you program it early on during the session. So that should see an end to all those upside down triangles that walk into the gym.
Full body programs equals less days in the gym
Whether you are a beginner or an advanced gym goer. You need to be training each muscle group around 2-3 times per week. In order to do that with most of the splits mentioned at the start. You would need to attend the gym at least 3 if not 4 times per week. To ensure each body part has been trained more than once. Now as this article is aimed at everyday people. Achieving that level of consistency in the gym is going to be tough, particularly if you have work commitments and kids. Doing just two full body workouts in a week should provide sufficient stress on the muscle to elicit some growth. Then of course on your quieter weeks you may even get that third session in too.
Spreads out your training volume
Now I’m sure you’ve experienced that feeling of pain when sit down after a big leg session, yeah me too. Most people like to feel enough soreness to know they have trained, but not too much that they can’t continue with their day. By dedicating a session to a muscle group, or even doing an entire upper body workout will only increase the chance you’ll feel that sore again.
By following a full body plan you are spreading the training volume of each muscle more evenly across the wee. Rather than hitting it hard during one session and so it can reduce the chance of overtraining. You’ll also find your training will be of a high quality since you’re not training past that fatigued state. Please note I’m not saying by following a full body plan you’ll never feel soreness the next day. I’m simply explaining that the training intensity is more evenly distributed.
Here is an example of a workout from a full body program, if you want to add in some cardio then do that at the end.
If you found this article helpful do give it a like and left me know your experience of training splits too. On a final note. If you are feeling a little stuck with your training or perhaps you have no idea where to start when it comes to the gym. Then head over to the online personal training page to see how I can help you accelerate your progress in the gym.
You can also check out my Instagram here, where I post a lot of content to support you in the gym.
