weightlifters....full body workouts or 1 body part per day?

Determinednoob

Interesting responses - I love the idea of compound movements when you are a "young" lifter but I also LOVED the comment about shredding a muscle so hard that you wouldn't even think of working it again until the next week......

Any good recommendations for full body workouts for beginners?

Depends one goals\eating surplus or deficit but Stronglifts, Starting Strength, Reg Park's 5x5, or Allpro's beginner routine http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=147447933

SocWkrBee

Very helpful...keep it coming, please!

Determinednoob

I started with a full body routine, but find I prefer to split. I currently do a 3 day split with back, shoulders and abs on 1, legs and abs on 2, and biceps, triceps and chest on 3. I then add aerobics classes on 'rest' days which give more of a full body work out, bringing me up to 5 workouts each week.

I will be changing it up next week going for a more advanced workout where I will be splitting to upper body on 1 and lower body and abs on 2 which I will be doing twice a week, making it a 4 day/week weights and still doing the 2 aerobics classes each week. If I find that is too much, I will cut back to 3 weight days again, first week being 2 upper days and 1 lower and the next week having 2 lower days and 1 upper.

The key to any workout is to not allow your body to get comfortable so there needs to be constant changes in variables.

upper\lower is actually less advanced than 3 day split in terms of frequency\volume. Just sayin'

KittieLea

I do one or two muscle groups per day. Usually one day for back, one day for chest, one day for legs, one for arms, one for shoulders. I usually throw some ab work into my shoulder and arm days too. I wouldn't recommend doing full body because I know after my workouts I'm pooped! I wouldn't be able to give my other body parts 100%. But if that's all you have time for, it's better than nothing!

sydnisd183

I've fluctuated back and forth depending on what i'm in the mood for.

I like the full body workout because it keeps me moving with little rest time, so it's like a weight training/cardio session wrapped up into one. It was good for when I was short on time as well.

I also like a 3 or 5 day split. Your basic chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, shoulders/calves, abs, etc....nice for when I feel like concentrating on separate body parts.

Right now i'm training 3x a week. Doing 1-2 compound movements followed by an accessory movement per session for a total of 20-25 sets and lifting heavy (deadlifts/chinups, bench press/shoulder press/dips, squats/good mornings/step ups). Each session takes me about 50 minutes to complete.

I believe they all work, provided I am challenging my body with progressive resistance, doing the training consistently and combining it with a nutrition plan that supports my goals.

mellabyte

I usually do the following combos (per day):

chest/biceps

legs

back/shoulders/triceps

abs

martinbeks

Bump

jacksonpt

Bull body, 3-4x week

Sweetsugar0424

I started with a full body routine, but find I prefer to split. I currently do a 3 day split with back, shoulders and abs on 1, legs and abs on 2, and biceps, triceps and chest on 3. I then add aerobics classes on 'rest' days which give more of a full body work out, bringing me up to 5 workouts each week.

I will be changing it up next week going for a more advanced workout where I will be splitting to upper body on 1 and lower body and abs on 2 which I will be doing twice a week, making it a 4 day/week weights and still doing the 2 aerobics classes each week. If I find that is too much, I will cut back to 3 weight days again, first week being 2 upper days and 1 lower and the next week having 2 lower days and 1 upper.

The key to any workout is to not allow your body to get comfortable so there needs to be constant changes in variables.

upper\lower is actually less advanced than 3 day split in terms of frequency\volume. Just sayin'

If you're going from a 3 day week to a 4 day week, now doing each muscle group twice a week and not once a week, is that not becoming more advanced? Also, it's not just the focus, but the actual exercises that are more advanced. I am following a weight lifting book for women from Muscle and Fitness Hers and this is what is says is the next step. I am going to try it and if I don't like it, I will keep the advanced exercises, but change it up to make it a 3 day split again. That's the great thing about weight lifting...if something isn't working, it's not that hard to change it up and try something else.

Plates559

I lift for movements instead of body parts so i do something like

Squat & assisting
Deadlift & assisting
Bench " "
yada yada " "
Olympic & " "
Blah Blah " "

jacksonpt

I lift for movements instead of body parts so i do something like

Squat & assisting
Deadlift & assisting
Bench " "
yada yada " "
Olympic & " "
Blah Blah " "

What is "and assisting"?

urloved33

I do body parts each time...like, legs, back etc.

Determinednoob

I started with a full body routine, but find I prefer to split. I currently do a 3 day split with back, shoulders and abs on 1, legs and abs on 2, and biceps, triceps and chest on 3. I then add aerobics classes on 'rest' days which give more of a full body work out, bringing me up to 5 workouts each week.

I will be changing it up next week going for a more advanced workout where I will be splitting to upper body on 1 and lower body and abs on 2 which I will be doing twice a week, making it a 4 day/week weights and still doing the 2 aerobics classes each week. If I find that is too much, I will cut back to 3 weight days again, first week being 2 upper days and 1 lower and the next week having 2 lower days and 1 upper.

The key to any workout is to not allow your body to get comfortable so there needs to be constant changes in variables.

upper\lower is actually less advanced than 3 day split in terms of frequency\volume. Just sayin'

If you're going from a 3 day week to a 4 day week, now doing each muscle group twice a week and not once a week, is that not becoming more advanced? Also, it's not just the focus, but the actual exercises that are more advanced. I am following a weight lifting book for women from Muscle and Fitness Hers and this is what is says is the next step. I am going to try it and if I don't like it, I will keep the advanced exercises, but change it up to make it a 3 day split again. That's the great thing about weight lifting...if something isn't working, it's not that hard to change it up and try something else.

In terms of properly structured routines with good exercise selection taken for granted, 4 day upper\lower is for less advanced lifters than 3+ day body part splits. Refer to my first post.

Also keep in mind that in terms of getting the best results as fast as possible, everyone should attempt to stick with the simplest programming possible that allows for results. Too many people are eager to think of themselves as more advanced when the best mindset is to hope for making gains with beginner\novice style programming for as long as possible.

LoraF83

Bump for info!

Sweetsugar0424

I started with a full body routine, but find I prefer to split. I currently do a 3 day split with back, shoulders and abs on 1, legs and abs on 2, and biceps, triceps and chest on 3. I then add aerobics classes on 'rest' days which give more of a full body work out, bringing me up to 5 workouts each week.

I will be changing it up next week going for a more advanced workout where I will be splitting to upper body on 1 and lower body and abs on 2 which I will be doing twice a week, making it a 4 day/week weights and still doing the 2 aerobics classes each week. If I find that is too much, I will cut back to 3 weight days again, first week being 2 upper days and 1 lower and the next week having 2 lower days and 1 upper.

The key to any workout is to not allow your body to get comfortable so there needs to be constant changes in variables.

upper\lower is actually less advanced than 3 day split in terms of frequency\volume. Just sayin'

If you're going from a 3 day week to a 4 day week, now doing each muscle group twice a week and not once a week, is that not becoming more advanced? Also, it's not just the focus, but the actual exercises that are more advanced. I am following a weight lifting book for women from Muscle and Fitness Hers and this is what is says is the next step. I am going to try it and if I don't like it, I will keep the advanced exercises, but change it up to make it a 3 day split again. That's the great thing about weight lifting...if something isn't working, it's not that hard to change it up and try something else.

In terms of properly structured routines with good exercise selection taken for granted, 4 day upper\lower is for less advanced lifters than 3+ day body part splits. Refer to my first post.

Also keep in mind that in terms of getting the best results as fast as possible, everyone should attempt to stick with the simplest programming possible that allows for results. Too many people are eager to think of themselves as more advanced when the best mindset is to hope for making gains with beginner\novice style programming for as long as possible.

Thank you for your input. You've actually confirmed what I was kind of thinking before anyway. I was actually questioning how well I'd be able to push all of my upper body muscle groups when I'd be combining them as then I'd end up with a longer work out and overall muscles would be too tired to focus properly.

While I may be new to this site, I am not that new to weight lifting as I had a personal trainer work with me 6 years ago and I lost quite a bit of weight and learned a lot about lifting, but then I ended up injured and needed a lot of time to recover and am now 8 months back at the gym and have made decent progress (much more than this site shows). That being said, I think I will stick with the 3 day split as I'm currently doing it, but will add the advanced workouts as I know that my body is ready for them and that I need to change up the variables in order to continue progressing.

cindaboo1

Three day full body for beginners. Changes as you progress. Here is a good write up by VoxExMachina from bodybuilding.com forums

Full Body Routines vs. Splits

The question often arises, especially from beginners, about what type of routine to use. Your buddy told you to use a full body routine, but the muscle mags suggest a 5-day "bodybuilder" split. You don't want to start off on the wrong foot, but there is so much information out there that sorting through what to do can be difficult.

This is some of my opinion on the subject, and maybe it'll help a few people out.


Full Body Routines:

In my opinion, this is the place for a beginner to start. I have many years of lifting experience, and have pretty much always used some form of bodybuilding split routine. However, if I had it to do over again, I would have begun with a good full-body routine, built around the compound lifts, done 3 times per week. When you are a beginner you don't generally have the muscular strength to work intensely enough, or with enough volume, to require as much recovery time as someone who is stronger or more experienced. If you are a young beginner, on top of that, you have very good recovery abilities due to high hormone levels. So, because you are recovered relatively quickly after each workout, you want to stimulate each muscle group more often to induce strength and growth.

Another reason to start with a full body program is that this gives you the opportunity to learn and practice the basic lifts: squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, barbell rows, etc. Whether your goal is bodybuilding, strength athlete, sports, or just remaining fit, these really ought to form the basis of any routine. No matter what path you choose to "branch out" on later, these core lifts will serve you well.


2-Day Split Routines:

So the next question becomes: when should I think about split routines? In very simple terms, the answer is: when full body routines become too much. Usually, as you get stronger, it becomes very difficult to maintain enough energy to do squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc. all on the same day. You may also find that you want to add in a few isolation exercises to bring up your weak areas, or you may want to begin focusing more on each core lift. Another issue is recovery; as you get stronger, you are able to work out more intensely, and that means longer recovery times. So at that point, it makes sense to "split" things up by only doing a part of your previous full routine on any given day.

A logical place to make your first split is into an Upper / Lower type routine. This will have you doing your upper body work like bench press, rows, overhead pressing on 1 day, and your lower body work like squats on another day. Another way to go would be a "push/pull" type split where you do all your pulling exercises (rows, deads) on one day and your pushing exercises (squats, overhead press, bench) on another day. Exactly how you do it is up to you, but the point is to divide the workload per session. This will give you more time (and volume) per body part, and also give you a bit more recovery before you work that muscle again. Most people will typically cycle through a 2-day split like these twice per week. So instead of every muscle being stimulated 3 times per week with the full body, now it's twice per week with the 2-day split.


3+ Day Splits:

3, 4, 5 (or more!) day splits come in when you again feel the need to divide your workload to match your recovery abilities, or increase the amount of work you want to do on specific muscles or lifts. Generally, these type of splits are mostly bodybuilding related, but even strength athletes may chose to split so they can work on speed lifts one day, strength work another, etc.

At this point (speaking to bodybuilding) many lifters will only hit each muscle group once per week. This has the advantage of letting you really hammer a muscle group with a lot of weight and volume, and then give it plenty of time to recover while you're bringing the pain to the next group. Your full body effort is broken down into segments that are manageable from a workload, energy, and recovery standpoint.

If you are an "experienced" (older) lifter with decreased recovery abilities (we all ain't as young as we used to be), this type of split often is useful for staying healthy due to the increased recovery time per body part. The kids might not think it's important, but your tendons might.

There are so many variations of splits that I won't even attempt to detail all the possibilities. If you follow the advice in this post, by the time you need a multiple day split, you'll know your body, your goals, and have a pretty good idea of what you want to do.


Final Thoughts:

I believe it's a logical notion to start with a full body routine, and begin splitting only when you feel the need to increase your recovery or increase your volume. If you stick with the concept that you're trying to hit a muscle as often as you are able while still recovering adequately, and let that be your guide, you'll do okay.

Hopefully, this gives some food for thought to help you decide what type of routine you should use. Ultimately, however, it's worth saying that you can do fine with any well-designed program even if you begin with a split routine right from the beginning.

VERY informative!!!!!! Thanks so much for the great advice!!

cindaboo1

I've done it both ways. I used to do total body workouts when I was younger...with little to no results. Of course I wasn't lifting heavy enough at the time, so I'm sure it'd be different if you lift heavy. You already know what I do now--1 bodypart at a time. I like to try to DESTROY the muscle group I'm working--so much so that I wouldn't even THINK about working it again until the next week. :laugh: I've loved the results so much, I can't imagine going back to full-body work :flowerforyou:

Hope you get some constructive answers and food for thought, girl.

Thanks girl!!! Yes you definitely have had some GREAT results you are one of my biggest inspirations no lie!! :flowerforyou:

Leadfoot_Lewis

A beginner to lifting would be better served starting with a full body workout, then progressing to upper/lower x2/week then training each muscle group every 5-6 days.

I've pretty much tried everything - full body, upper/lower, working a muscle group once/week. Went from working each muscle group once/week with dismal results to my current routine which is kind of a P.H.A.T. hybrid, and I'm loving it and seeing my big lifts finally going up-

SUNDAY - Back, Shoulders, & Biceps (HEAVY 3X5) + Abs
MONDAY - Cardio
TUESDAY - Chest & Triceps (HEAVY 3X5)
WEDNESDAY - OFF
THURSDAY - Back, Shoulders, & Biceps (HYPERTROPHY)
FRIDAY - Legs + Abs
SATURDAY - Chest & Triceps (HYPERTROPHY)

Everyone is different and you have to experiment and find what works best for you.

Plates559

I lift for movements instead of body parts so i do something like

Squat & assisting
Deadlift & assisting
Bench " "
yada yada " "
Olympic & " "
Blah Blah " "

What is "and assisting"?

Something like:

Deadlift - farmers walks, GHR, roman chair, Planks
Squat - Lunge, front squat, box, leg press
Olympic - Snatch Balance, heavy high pulls, power cleans etc
Bench - Kroc rows, unilateral DB press, close grip bench, push ups
my assisting is usually weakness focused.

BigMech

I started out with a full-body workout 3 days a week, moved to a 2-day split after 3 months, went to a 3-day split after about 6 months of that, and I now do a 4 days split.

The full-body routine is the way to go if you are just starting out, and then when you stop making gains doing that, it's time to start breaking it up, and hitting each muscle group with more work. At some point I may go to a 5-day split, but I'm still making gains and progress on the 4-day.

This is what my current workout looks like. I lift 5 days a week, so I end up doing each workout once every 5-6 or days depending on where my rest days fall.

Day 1: Cardio, Upper/Middle Back, Biceps, Abs, and Machine Squats
Narrow Grip Pull downs
Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Wide Grip Pulldowns
Decline Situps
Hammerstrength ISO Row
Incline seated dumbbell curls
Standing Squat Machine
T-Bar Rows
Dumbbell side Bends

Day 2: Cardio, Chest, Abs and Deadlifts
Flat Bench Press
Leg Lifts / Knee Lifts
Incline Dumbbell Press
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Pec Fly Machine
Chest Dips
Pushups/Decline Situps

Day 3: Cardio, Quads, Hamstring, Glutes, Calves, Triceps, Abs, Lower Back.
Skull Crushers
Barbell Squats
Decline Situps
Hamstring Curls
Calf Extensions
Close Grip Bench Press
Dumbbell Split Squats
Dumbbell Side Bends
Lower Back Extensions
Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

Day 4: Cardio, Deltoids, Traps, Abs, Quad Extensions.
Dumbbell overhead Press
Standing Barbell Row
Decline Situps
Dumbbell side raises
Dumbbell front raises
Face Pulls
Quad Extensions
Barbell Shrug
Barbell Overhead Press