By healthiergang writer , majoring in Medicine and Surgery.
Full Body vs Split Routines
Full body routine… ever heard of it?
Most likely, if we asked this question to the "average gym man" the answer would invariably be no. In a simplistic way we could say that a full body workout aims at train all the muscle groups in the same session, using multiarticular exercises with a not too high number of series.
While in recent decades the classic "split routines", The" full body "were widely used a few decades ago: in the '30s-' 50s any bodybuilder used to train three times a week in total body and all the most beautiful bodies ever sculpted (Jules Bacon, Alan Stephan, Jack Delinger , John Grimek, Reg Park, Steve Reeves, Leroy Colbert, Clarence Ross, George Eiferman, Marvin Eder, Arnold Schwarznegger…) were built just like that!
Split routines were used exclusively a few months before the races, when the athlete needed to increase the workload. It was Joe Weider, in the 60s, to start sponsoring "split routines", characterized by several exercises with a high number of sets for each muscle district, in order to increase blood supply and therefore, perhaps, growth. Their spread was favored by the increasingly common use of anabolic steroids that allowed them to bear a greater load and recover quickly, so this new training method began to be preferred.
So it was that the use of full bodies declined and nowadays they are used exclusively in the periods of reconditioning. But why they were used, and maybe would it still be better to use full body workouts? The rationale is very simple, and it is actually possible to highlight several reasons why an athlete could choose such a workout.
Follow Marco's workout routine:
Advantages of the Full Body
First of all, the internal organs work independently of the muscle group trained, so every workout can be an occasion for work "overload" ... using a full body workout allows you to reduce the weekly sessions and therefore the stress to these organs. The same obviously applies to the joints and muscles, which would thus have more days of rest to optimize recovery (remember that the body NEVER works in watertight compartments).
Not only that, in case you were to skip a weekly workout, you would still have it already worked on all muscle groups... sorry if it's cheap!
Not enough for you? Don't worry, the list is by no means exhausted.
# 1 Post workout protein synthesis remains elevated for 36-48h, then returns to baseline levels… with a split routine how many days of possible anabolic window do you waste?
# 2 They allow for a higher TOTAL weekly training volume.
# 3 They are extremely versatile.
# 4 Fewer days of training, more time to devote to other activities as well.
Disadvantages of the Full Body
Obviously, as is normal and for completeness, we also list the disadvantages of such a structured training:
# 1 The workouts last for a long time (don't worry about cortisol as it will quickly return to baseline since you won't break down).
# 2 Build-up of fatigue that will prevent you from maintaining the same performance throughout your workout (to avoid this, you can rotate the order of the muscle groups at each workout).
# 3 High stress on the nervous system.
# 4 Subjects with lower resilience may overtrain more easily.
Scheda Full Body
But how to set up in practice a full body workout?
# 1 First of all, avoid machines as much as possible ... green light for dumbbells and barbells.
# 2 Use a low recovery between sets: never more than 2 minutes (but 1 minute would be ideal).
# 3 Use isolation exercises to stimulate the muscles that work less.
A practical example? Here it is!
Of course they exist many versions full-body tables, all adaptable to different needs. It will seem like a rough workout, with few frills, but I assure you it is effective and fun ...Why not try it?
