Full body training vs Split muscle training

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Armani0434
Armani0434 Posts: 50 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi Everyone

I am new to weight training and would like some advice. Is it better to do split muscle training and focus on a specific muscle group per workout or to do a full body routine?

My goals are to lose weight, tone/sculpt muscle and build A LITTLE bit of muscle as well.
I have a bowflex home gym to use if that makes a difference.

What would work best for me?
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Replies

  • Paulbp4
    Paulbp4 Posts: 59 Member
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    Hi and welcome!

    There are more than enough well informed people (and women) on here who can probably point you to good routines or programs but to answer your question a full body routine is typically better for a beginner and working more muscles at once typically increases the metabolic benefits you receive.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Compound lifts tend to give the best results. From there, you can use isolation lifts to target areas you specifically want larger.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
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    For a beginner, stick with full body focused on compound moves.
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
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    Bumping BC I'm curious too...I'm seeing my trainer for the first time today, I will also come back here and pass along what he says as we have similar goals!
  • BellaFe
    BellaFe Posts: 323
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    For a beginner, stick with full body focused on compound moves.


    A lot of people say this. My question is why do a lot of people say this?
  • Armani0434
    Armani0434 Posts: 50 Member
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    What are compound moves?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    For a beginner, stick with full body focused on compound moves.


    A lot of people say this. My question is why do a lot of people say this?

    Best use of your time. It's important to develop a good strength over your whole body before you worry about targeting individual things. It also helps prevent favoring one muscle over the other (dude with big biceps and no triceps, or dudes that never work legs).

    Long but good:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-2.html
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,179 Member
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    What are compound moves?


    Squat
    Deadlift
    Bench press

    There are many more but these are some of the easiest for beginners.

    Any move that incorporates more than one muscle group.
  • BellaFe
    BellaFe Posts: 323
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    What are compound moves?


    Bench press, deadlift, squat, barbell row, OHP
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    What are compound moves?

    The basic ones are:

    Squat
    Bench
    Pendlay Row
    Overhead shoulder press
    deadlift

    Some of these are difficult to do with a Bow Flex (I have one and never use it) but do the best you can, then think about joining a gym if possible.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    What are compound moves?

    Compund moves are things like: bench press, squats, deadlifts, overhead press, rows...

    They use more muscles groups than isolation lifts. This allows for training of more muscles at a single time. It is a HUGE time saver.

    It also targets muscle groups that simply cannot be trained in any other way.
  • BellaFe
    BellaFe Posts: 323
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    For a beginner, stick with full body focused on compound moves.


    A lot of people say this. My question is why do a lot of people say this?

    Best use of your time. It's important to develop a good strength over your whole body before you worry about targeting individual things. It also helps prevent favoring one muscle over the other (dude with big biceps and no triceps, or dudes that never work legs).

    Long but good:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-2.html


    Thanks :) Great answer
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    This is largely my opinion (even though I'm right), but unless you are in the advanced strength category, your time will be more efficiently spent training the big compounds. I think iso/split training is only really justified for the more advanced lifter or bodybuilder.
  • Texafornia23
    Texafornia23 Posts: 177 Member
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    Full body compund workouts have by far given me the best results. The are more efficient (1 exercise hits multiple body parts), I never have to work one isolated body part to fatigue since I'll hit the same groups througout the week, and when you work multiple muscles together they learn to work together and build more practical muscle.

    Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses will hit the majority of you body... throw in one or two more lifts and you've got a great full body workout. But the biggest reason I use compounds is that I consistently get the bet gains and build the best muscle that way. I do what works for ME and I suggest you find what stimulates your body the best.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    This is largely my opinion (even though I'm right), but unless you are in the advanced strength category, your time will be more efficiently spent training the big compounds. I think iso/split training is only really justified for the more advanced lifter or bodybuilder.

    Or people that just plain want to be in the gym lifting weights as much and often as possible.
  • Armani0434
    Armani0434 Posts: 50 Member
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    Thank you all for the advice.

    I think I will go with the full body work out and see how that works for me.

    I found a "routine" online that gave some recommended exercises. Would this be a good start or can you make some suggestions if i should change anything....

    Also, do I increase the amount of weight I use or the amount of reps I do?


    1st exercise: squats
    2nd exercise: bench press
    3rd exercise: deadlifts
    4th exercise: bent over bar rows
    5th exercise: shoulder press
    6th exercise: tricep pushdown
    7th exercise: bicep curl
    8th exercise: sit ups
    9th exercise: calf extensions
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Since you're absolutely brand new, I'd recommend 1-2 sets of 12-15 reps.
    Take your time and try to find a weight that you struggle to complete the last rep.
    Rest for 60-90 seconds between sets, and aim for a tempo where you lower the weight for a count of 4, and lift it faster so it's to a count of 2.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
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    You can find a lot of info and beginner routines here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/848374-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners-2013-edition
  • Texafornia23
    Texafornia23 Posts: 177 Member
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    Thank you all for the advice.

    I think I will go with the full body work out and see how that works for me.

    I found a "routine" online that gave some recommended exercises. Would this be a good start or can you make some suggestions if i should change anything....

    Also, do I increase the amount of weight I use or the amount of reps I do?


    1st exercise: squats
    2nd exercise: bench press
    3rd exercise: deadlifts
    4th exercise: bent over bar rows
    5th exercise: shoulder press
    6th exercise: tricep pushdown
    7th exercise: bicep curl
    8th exercise: sit ups
    9th exercise: calf extensions

    Okay, despite claims that I may have made to meet women wen I was single... I'm not a doctor (or even a trainer), but I'll give advice like I am anyway.

    I'd suggest hitting 1-5 on your list, keep 8, and scrap the rest. Make those first five good lifts, with the right amount of weight and great form and you'll have hit everything you need. IMO

    Bench will eliminate the need for the pushdowns, squats will knock out the need for calf extensions, and deadlifts will work your arms (secondary). Keep your routine simple, focus on form before weight, and you'll hit everything you need to hit without injury from fatigue and overworking the same muscles.

    Again, just my opinion based on whats made a difference for me. When I get fancy I get injured, when I keep it simple I see results.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
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    Why full body for a beginner?
    The muscles are not yet conditioned to extensive and demanding workouts, thus they will fatigue relatively quickly. On the flip side they will also recover relatively quickly.
    Also because of this, it will not take a tremendous amount of stress on the muscles to elicit a response that results in greater strength and some muscle growth.
    There will come a time when you will hit diminishing returns on full body and may consider a split routine. That will hit after about 18 to 24 months, depending on the person's physiology and how they train.

    why compound moves?
    In a word "efficiency"
    What are they?
    Lifts that use multiple joints. As a result that lift works multiple muscles. You get more work and results from a compound move than from an isolation move. This is a better use of your time training. If you are already a well trained, high performing athlete, then isolation moves are great for addressing specific weaknesses. For the beginner, compound moves deliver far more results for the training time put in than isolation moves.

    For example:
    Lets look at a couple of leg exercises:
    The leg extension - it works the quadriceps (front of the thigh). It is a great move for isolating the quadriceps, which makes it well suited for the experienced lifter wanting to hammer the quads at the end of there leg routine. However it is very ill suited for overall leg development of a new lifter.

    Front Squat or Back Squat (whichever you are more comfortable with) - The squat will work the glutes (butt), hamstrings (back of thighs), and quadriceps (front of thighs), and to a lesser extent your abdomen and back. 3 sets of these work many more muscles than leg extensions. As a result you burn more calories, put more muscles into the recovery process and as a result build more strength.



    It's a simple economics question at that point. What gets you a greater return on your gym time.

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