Will a full body routine be as effective as a split workout?

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saltedcaramel86
saltedcaramel86 Posts: 238 Member
edited October 2014 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm currently doing You Are Your Own Gym which should be finishing up in a few weeks. Without going into the logistics of it all, but basically due to my shifts, workouts can be sporadic/inconsistent some weeks. Because it's focused on push/leg/pull/core splits, when work shifts change or increase unexpectedly it can hinder doing planned workouts but hey, that's life. Just means that I can go 10+ days without working a certain muscle group.

Are full body workouts are effective? I'm toying with the idea that once I'm done with YAYOG, creating my own full body routines. I've got the general idea about incorporating pistol squats, weighted lunges, push ups, pull ups, variations and so on. This way, I know I can commit to 2-3 days a week where all muscle groups are being worked, but is it as effective as focusing on a specific area for each workout?

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  • saltedcaramel86
    saltedcaramel86 Posts: 238 Member
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    Anyone?
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
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    I'm no expert, but I've been doing YAYOG for a while now, and I know that if I go too long without working one muscle group, I'm much more likely to be sore after the workout. For that reason alone, I try to hit each muscle group twice a week. I would think for someone who can't work out as often full body workouts would be better. I'd love to hear some more opinions on this from people who know more than me (which is a lot of people!)
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
    edited October 2014
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    At the beginning I was doing full body workouts but as I started getting into the heavier weights I had to split my workouts, it was just way easier for me.

    It really is up to you. Play around with it and see what works for you.
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    BlueBombers wrote: »
    At the beginning I was doing full body workouts but as I started getting into the heavier weights I had to split my workouts, it was just way easier for me.

    It really is up to you. Play around with it and see what works for you.
    Same here. I did a lot of full body workouts with isolation exercises in the beginning. Just trying to find all bits and pieces, and condition the muscles was a challenge. I had used lighter weights then, and the recovery was a bit faster and easier. With heavier weights came really sore muscles. Now I'm working a 4day split, one cardio day, one HIIT day, one rest day. Not in that order, though. The split keeps enough recovery time for the respective muscle groups, which has resulted in surprisingly fast progress.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    I'm guessing you're a beginner and the answer is yes absolutely full body routines are perfect for beginners in fact I wouldn't reccomend starting out with split routines.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I'm a big fan of full body routines. They can be very effective.
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
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    It depends on your goals. Bodybuilding is more effective with a split training routine, but strength training involves more compound movements that include all muscle groups.

    As I have aged, I had to let go of pure strength routines, because it just breaks me down.
    I no longer dead lift, squat or perform maximum bench presses.
    Today, I do full body calisthenics as well as some body building split routines. Just find what works for you based on your goals and what is reasonable.
    Good Luck! :)
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    If you're a beginner lifter, full-body three days a week is the best use of your time and the fastest way to get strong. Take a look at either the Starting Strength or Stronglifts programs.

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