Advice needed - full body or isolated strength training?

lamps1303
lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am female, 5'3, 125lbs, ~23% BF. I'm not necessarily concerned with how much I weigh, to me it's more about how I look and being physically healthy. Essentially I want to lose my belly fat (who doesn't?!) and tone/build muscle. I have started lifting weights 3 x week and attending 2 fitness classes a week (always kettlercise and choose one other - this week was body pump, next week is spinning) - I use the classes for cardio as I hate the treadmill and it's harder to give up in a class!

My current programme looks like this:
Monday - shoulders and biceps
Tuesday - spinning/rest
Wednesday - triceps and back (AM) and kettlercise (PM)
Thursday - body pump/rest
Friday - legs and glutes
Weekend - rest and abs

Each workout involves warm-up, cool down and stretches

My question is - should I continue with this routine or should I complete a full body workout 3 x a week rather than isolating muscle groups? Full body something like:
Squats
Bench Presses
Bent-Over Rows
Overhead Barbell Presses
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
Barbell Curls
Calf Raises

I know about the various books and routines (5x5 Stronglifts, NROLFW, etc.) but what would be the best thing for me?

Thanks!

Replies

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    To be fair, as long as you are engaging your muscles, getting protein in and not in too sharp a deficit, then you'll lose mostly fat.

    If you want to get stronger more quickly whilst doing the above, then full body x3/week will be the option.

    If you don't really care about the rapidity of strength gains, then just about any routine that allows you enough recovery will probably be ok.

    ETA: That full-body routine looks like All Pro's SBR. It's a good x3/week routine to run on a cut.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    compounds trump isolation's

    Isolation's are good for sculpting body parts- so very good for figure/physique/body building training.

    General health/strenght and muscle building- compounds are the way to go.

    Plus- well- most people don't have the time dedicated to do a full isolation split. it can easily be a 6 day a week hour or more each lift process.

    if you are looking for 3 days a week- go with a standard compound lift split. You'll be happy about it.
  • frannie078
    frannie078 Posts: 21 Member
    Curious about people's thoughts on this. I'm currently doing a full-body program 3 times a week, with the goal of losing a bit more fat, but also want to increase strength.
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    My primary goal at the moment is to shift the BF, rather than build strength. My reasoning for doing strength training to stop myself becoming 'skinny fat'

    *addition - and also because you burn more calories at rest the more muscle you have
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    I prefer the full body workout 3 times a week. It seemed like I got stronger and gained muscle quicker than when I was doing more isolated lifts on separate days. Plus with the full body you are working out almost all of your muscles 3 times a week, the other way you are only working each muscle group once a week.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    How come your split routine does not include any chest training? That is one of the larger muscle groups and should be done, especially if you are doing dedicated tricep and bicep workouts, you will get a lot more out of a couple chest exercises.

    That said I do like the 3 day full body.
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    How come your split routine does not include any chest training? That is one of the larger muscle groups and should be done, especially if you are doing dedicated tricep and bicep workouts, you will get a lot more out of a couple chest exercises.

    That said I do like the 3 day full body.

    I do a set of pec flys on my shoulder/bicep day. Being female I don't want to tone the chest too much if you get my drift!! haha
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    How come your split routine does not include any chest training? That is one of the larger muscle groups and should be done, especially if you are doing dedicated tricep and bicep workouts, you will get a lot more out of a couple chest exercises.

    That said I do like the 3 day full body.

    I do a set of pec flys on my shoulder/bicep day. Being female I don't want to tone the chest too much if you get my drift!! haha

    Why not? Don't you want perky boobs?
  • keithemp
    keithemp Posts: 71
    I do a set of pec flys on my shoulder/bicep day. Being female I don't want to tone the chest too much if you get my drift!! haha

    Working chest is important to women as well as men. Your misconception is that you'll end up with a man's chest, which couldn't be further from the truth.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    How come your split routine does not include any chest training? That is one of the larger muscle groups and should be done, especially if you are doing dedicated tricep and bicep workouts, you will get a lot more out of a couple chest exercises.

    That said I do like the 3 day full body.

    I do a set of pec flys on my shoulder/bicep day. Being female I don't want to tone the chest too much if you get my drift!! haha

    breast tissue sits on TOP of the muscle.

    There is no training in the world that will change your breast tissue. You may loose boobage- but that's not from the training- that's from the fat loss.

    I have a 170 bench and I'm still a D.

    You'll be fine.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    if you are looking for 3 days a week- go with a standard compound lift split. You'll be happy about it.

    This. I like Stronglifts.
  • sklpersonaltrainer
    sklpersonaltrainer Posts: 5
    I prefer the full body workout 3 times a week. It seemed like I got stronger and gained muscle quicker than when I was doing more isolated lifts on separate days. Plus with the full body you are working out almost all of your muscles 3 times a week, the other way you are only working each muscle group once a week.

    If your looking to gain muscle mass and strength you need to be working muscles groups at least 2-3 times a week. This why people like yourself tend to get better results on a full body plan. Plus full body routines emphasize compound exercises like lamps1303 listed. If you rotate through a few different "heavy lifts" on your 3 days i.e (back squats on day 1, step-ups on day 2, front squats on day 3) you be training in a more 'complete' manner. Plus compound exercises (squats, deadlifts) burn more calories due to more weight being lifted as well as greater loading as compared to assistance exercises (bicep curl, lateral raise).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm partial to full body...I like it for efficiency and effectiveness...also, I personally believe it to be superior for noobs. I personally think splits can hinder noob progression.

    I would only advise a split to someone who is already an intermediate to advanced lifter who is well versed in the compound lifts and for which to improve on those lifts, they need to start doing a lot more isolation work. Also, bodybuilders. For strength and general fitness I do not find splits to be the optimal way to train. Of course, that's just me...I know lots of guys who love doing split routines...to me it's just way too much time in the gym and efficient as to my personal goals.
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    So I have taken all of your advice (thanks btw!!) and have decided to try full body training. My plan is as follows:
    Monday (pull exercises):
    Pull-ups, bent over rows, straight leg deadlift, bicep dumbbell curl, cable curls, side lateral raises

    Wednesday (push exercises):
    Dips, bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, tricep cable pushdown, tricep extension

    Friday (leg exercises):
    Squats, lunges, deadlift, leg extension, leg curl, leg press, calf raises.

    I will complete ab exercises after each workout too.

    Feedback?? :smile:
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    That doesn't look like full body, you're still only doing legs once a week, chest once a week, etc. To get a full body workout you'd need to take the best exercises from each of those and combine them. Then do them three times a week.

    So Monday/Wednesday/Friday you do squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, rows, and pull ups (or something to that extent).
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    So I have taken all of your advice (thanks btw!!) and have decided to try full body training. My plan is as follows:
    Monday (pull exercises):
    Pull-ups, bent over rows, straight leg deadlift, bicep dumbbell curl, cable curls, side lateral raises

    Wednesday (push exercises):
    Dips, bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, tricep cable pushdown, tricep extension

    Friday (leg exercises):
    Squats, lunges, deadlift, leg extension, leg curl, leg press, calf raises.

    I will complete ab exercises after each workout too.

    Feedback?? :smile:

    A couple of things

    1) This is a push/pull/legs split. Not a full-body routine. Not that there's anything wrong with push/pull/legs...

    2) You shouldn't really do back squats and deads on the same day - these are both monster exercises and there's a reason most routines on the planet split them out to different days. You'd be better doing SLDL as an assistance on squat days and the Deads as the main exercise on the other day.

    3) You don't list any set/rep schemes - it's more like a list of exercises. What volume are you intending to do? How are you intending to progress? These are important details and if you don't know the answer (or why you have chosen the answer you have) then you would be better off not going any further with this one.

    The thing is, you seem like you're new to putting together a program. You would probably be better off sticking to a recognised routine that will have balance, progression, recovery, etc already sewn into it's DNA.

    Some good full-body beginners options would include: Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, Greyskull LP, All Pro's SBR and any of the NROL books...

    There are plenty of push/pull/leg splits around online, but most are normally made up by the lifter doing them because by the time you need to split things out like this you're probably already an intermediate anyway.

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