Evidence Based
Picking a workout routine can feel like picking a political candidate.
Many people have strong opinions as to which is best and are often quick to denounce all other options.
For instance, after reading about why the push pull legs routine is the best, you’ll find someone claiming that upper lower routines are better, and then another who plumps for body part training, and so on.
It shouldn’t be this complicated, you’ve probably thought to yourself. And you’re right. It shouldn’t, and it doesn’t have to be.
To escape this quagmire, you need to . . .
- Clarify your goals.
- Survey your options and learn their pros and cons.
- Choose the one that’ll help you achieve your ends as efficiently as possible.
Now, if you’re like most people listening to this podcast, your goals are to build a muscular, proportionate, and strong body and maintain low but healthy levels of body fat.
At first blush, full-body training would appear to be a perfect fit for the first goal, because, well, it trains every muscle in your body. Plus, it sounds a lot simpler than training different muscle groups every time you work out.
There are many advocates of full-body workouts who say as much.
This style of training, they claim, is not only simpler and easier to follow than other kinds of workout routines, but also more effective for gaining whole-body muscle and strength.
So, if you want to learn the pros and cons of full-body workout routines, whether you should use one, and the best way to program them, you want to listen to this podcast.
Oh and if you like this episode and want to get notified when a new one goes live, head on over to Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Soundcloud, Podbean, or Google Play and subscribe.
Lastly, if you want to support the show, please drop a quick review of it over on iTunes. It really helps!
Timestamps:
5:31 – What is a full body workout routine?
10:26 – What are the advantages of full body training?
17:09 – What are the neurological or the systemic implications of full body training?
24:10 – Does full body training produce better results?
33:44 – Who should do full body training?
38:31 – How can you get the most out of your full body workout?
40:56 – How do you build a well-designed full body workout?
Mentioned on the show:
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
+ Scientific References
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- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Gabriel, D. A., Kamen, G., & Frost, G. (2006). Neural adaptations to resistive exercise: Mechanisms and recommendations for training practices. In Sports Medicine (Vol. 36, Issue 2, pp. 133–149). Sports Med. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200636020-00004
- Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. In Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Vol. 24, Issue 10, pp. 2857–2872). J Strength Cond Res. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
- Parr, M., Price, P. D., & Cleather, D. J. (2017). Effect of a gluteal activation warm-up on explosive exercise performance. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000245
- Ribeiro, A. S., Romanzini, M., Schoenfeld, B. J., Souza, M. F., Avelar, A., & Cyrino, E. S. (2014). Effect of different warm-up procedures on the performance of resistance training exercises. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 119(1), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.2466/25.29.PMS.119c17z7
- Robbins, D. W., Young, W. B., Behm, D. G., & Payne, W. R. (2010). Agonist-antagonist paired set resistance training: A brief review. In Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Vol. 24, Issue 10, pp. 2873–2882). J Strength Cond Res. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f00bfc
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Ratamess, N. A., Peterson, M. D., Contreras, B., & Tiryaki-Sonmez, G. (2015). Influence of Resistance Training Frequency on Muscular Adaptations in Well-Trained Men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(7), 1821–1829. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000970
- Zaroni, R. S., Brigatto, F. A., Schoenfeld, B. J., Braz, T. V., Benvenutti, J. C., Germano, M. D., Marchetti, P. H., Aoki, M. S., & Lopes, C. R. (2019). High Resistance-Training Frequency Enhances Muscle Thickness in Resistance-Trained Men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33, S140–S151. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002643
- Yue, F. L., Karsten, B., Larumbe-Zabala, E., Seijo, M., & Naclerio, F. (2018). Comparison of 2 weekly-equalized volume resistance-training routines using different frequencies on body composition and performance in trained males. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 43(5), 475–481. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2017-0575
- Damas, F., Phillips, S., Vechin, F. C., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2015). A Review of Resistance Training-Induced Changes in Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and Their Contribution to Hypertrophy. In Sports Medicine (Vol. 45, Issue 6, pp. 801–807). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0320-0
- Crewther, B. T., Heke, T. O. L., & Keogh, J. W. L. (2016). The effects of two equal-volume training protocols upon strength, body composition and salivary hormones in male rugby union players. Biology of Sport, 33(2), 111–116. https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1196511
- Saric, J., Lisica, D., Orlic, I., Grgic, J., Krieger, J. W., Vuk, S., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2019). Resistance training frequencies of 3 and 6 times per week produce similar muscular adaptations in resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33, S122–S129. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002909
- McHugh, M. P. (2003). Recent advances in the understanding of the repeated bout effect: The protective effect against muscle damage from a single bout of eccentric exercise. In Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports (Vol. 13, Issue 2, pp. 88–97). Scand J Med Sci Sports. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0838.2003.02477.x
- Noakes, T. D. (2012). Fatigue is a brain-derived emotion that regulates the exercise behavior to ensure the protection of whole body homeostasis. In Frontiers in Physiology: Vol. 3 APR. Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2012.00082
- Howatson, G., Brandon, R., & Hunter, A. M. (2016). The response to and recovery from maximum-strength and -power training in elite track and field athletes. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 11(3), 356–362. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2015-0235
- Latella, C., Hendy, A. M., Pearce, A. J., VanderWesthuizen, D., & Teo, W. P. (2016). The time-course of acute changes in corticospinal excitability, intra-cortical inhibition and facilitation following a single-session heavy strength training of the biceps brachii. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(DEC2016). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00607
- menno henselman. (n.d.). Bro splits optimal after all? [New study review]. Retrieved August 4, 2020, from https://mennohenselmans.com/high-frequency-resistance-training-is-not-more-effective-than-low-frequency-resistance-training-in-increasing-muscle-mass-and-strength-in-well-trained-men/
- Ochi, E., Maruo, M., Tsuchiya, Y., Ishii, N., Miura, K., & Sasaki, K. (2018). Higher Training Frequency Is Important for Gaining Muscular Strength Under Volume-Matched Training. Frontiers in Physiology, 9(JUL), 744. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00744
- Nunes, J. P., Grgic, J., Cunha, P. M., Ribeiro, A. S., Schoenfeld, B. J., de Salles, B. F., & Cyrino, E. S. (2020). What influence does resistance exercise order have on muscular strength gains and muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. In European Journal of Sport Science. Taylor and Francis Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2020.1733672
- E R Helms 1 , P J Fitschen, A A Aragon, J Cronin, B. J. S. (n.d.). Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardiovascular training – PubMed. Retrieved August 4, 2020, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24998610/
- Buford, T. W., Rossi, S. J., Smith, D. B., & Warren, A. J. (2007). A comparison of periodization models during nine weeks with equated volume and intensity for strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(4), 1245–1250. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-20446.1
- Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. In Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Vol. 24, Issue 10, pp. 2857–2872). J Strength Cond Res. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11), 1286–1295. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906
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