Body Split VS. Full Body Round 1.

[hitsquaddd]

It's one of the biggest questions of preference when you work out. Do you prefer the conventional Body Split or do you like doing Full Body workouts? Whichever one you like, please list what you think are the pro's and con's for either style of training. I'm kinda in the middle as of now, I'd like to see how many people here actually do a full body routine and what results they get. Then after I gather some info, we can go for round 2 in this discussion.

 

[SRS2000]

I use an upper/lower split, but I am a powerlifter so that makes the most sense. I do four days/week; Heavy bench, heavy SQ/DL, bench assistance, SQ/DL assistance. I've built way more size and strength using this type of training that using a more strict bodypart split for years.
Full body or upper/lower split
Pro's - better for overall size and strength
- more frequency of the main lifts (better for beginners)
Con's
- less able to focus on refining lagging areas (for advanced bodybuilders)

Body part splits
Pro's
- able to focus on lagging areas with more attention (for physique athletes)
Con's
- usually less frequency of training each area (using most splits)
- some compound movements don't fit into this scheme as well (are DL's a back or leg exercise or both?)(SQ and DL both hit many of the same muscles)

Ultimately I believe most will get the best results by focusing on increasing strength in the main lifts (SQ, DL, BP, military press) then training like a bodybuilder to hit the primary muscle involved in the main lifts (SQ then do something to get a pump in the quads, hamstrings, and low back; BP then do some rep work for the pecs and triceps, etc...).

 

[Resolve]

Both have their place and their benefits. To adhere strictly to one or the other is narrow-sighted and, honestly, easily leads to short changing yourself in some way.

I'm currently PL'ing 2days and week and bb'ing 3days a week, with something close to a full body routine each day. However, I've done push/pull, upper/lower, 5,4 and 3-day splits too.

 

[ambulldog]

push-pull 3 day rotation. ive found this easiest on my shoulders. to do too much pushing volume in a week kills me

 

[BUCKNUTS]

push-pull 3 day rotation. ive found this easiest on my shoulders. to do too much pushing volume in a week kills me

x2 this is me exactly. I've tried full body workouts in the past but I lift heavy and I run out of gas before I can finish.

 

[timmmah]

x2 this is me exactly. I've tried full body workouts in the past but I lift heavy and I run out of gas before I can finish.

That's the whole point in bodybuilding: do something to your body that it isn't used to doing. Your body will then build muscle to acclimate to the new strain it is experiencing. Your body will naturally try to use the least effort possible to achieve the task at hand, that's why you change your routines up, to keep the body guessing.
Go ducks!

 

[roids1]

I've tried the FB and upper/lower routines before, but always go back to split. After a few weeks on a FB or upper/lower routine, I start to feel overtrained, even though the volume is still about the same. When I do a 4 day split, I always feel fully recovered for the next workout. So, intensity over frequency seems to hold true for me.

 

[BUCKNUTS]

That's the whole point in bodybuilding: do something to your body that it isn't used to doing. Your body will then build muscle to acclimate to the new strain it is experiencing. Your body will naturally try to use the least effort possible to achieve the task at hand, that's why you change your routines up, to keep the body guessing.
Go ducks!

That's true but how effective is it going to be if I don't train a body part at all because I run out of gas? I suppose if I changed things up a bit it could be doable but I'm 42 and I don't recover like I used to so for that reason as well I prefer a 3 day split.
GO BUCKS!

 

[timmmah]

That's true but how effective is it going to be if I don't train a body part at all because I run out of gas? I suppose if I changed things up a bit it could be doable but I'm 42 and I don't recover like I used to so for that reason as well I prefer a 3 day split.
GO BUCKS!

Just don't get stuck in a rut of the same old lifting routines. Remember: Train your weaknesses, not your strengths.

 

[Rommel65]

Another one!

That's true but how effective is it going to be if I don't train a body part at all because I run out of gas? I suppose if I changed things up a bit it could be doable but I'm 42 and I don't recover like I used to so for that reason as well I prefer a 3 day split.
GO BUCKS!

Buckeyes! Tressel actually came to my house to recruit me when he was head coach at Youngstown. My friend, whose last name is Gray, Justed named his first daughter Scarlet Anne. It's good to meet you my friend.

 

[BUCKNUTS]

Just don't get stuck in a rut of the same old lifting routines. Remember: Train your weaknesses, not your strengths.

I change things up every 6-8 weeks, unfortunately my shoulders are my weakness and that due to wear and tear injuries so they will remain my weakness.

Buckeyes! Tressel actually came to my house to recruit me when he was head coach at Youngstown. My friend, whose last name is Gray, Justed named his first daughter Scarlet Anne. It's good to meet you my friend.

Sweet! I love Senator Tressel he is already a Buckeye legend and his time in Columbus is no where near done. Scarlet Anne Gray that's awesome! That's a true Buckeye right there, I love it.

 

[captgarrett]

cough "choking against SEC teams" cough.

 

[diezel]

Just don't get stuck in a rut of the same old lifting routines. Remember: Train your weaknesses, not your strengths.

I don't completely agree with this especially if you compete. Its your strong areas that get you noticed. You never want to have weak areas and it's important to bring them up to par, but I think embracing your strengths as well is what can really set you apart.

 

[timmmah]

I don't completely agree with this especially if you compete. Its your strong areas that get you noticed. You never want to have weak areas and it's important to bring them up to par, but I think embracing your strengths as well is what can really set you apart.

Kinda like a guy that benches 405 with chicken legs?
It's the legs that definitely "get him noticed"

 

[diezel]

You don't want neglect an area. Nonetheless, think about bodybuilders like flex wheeler with his legs or arnold with his chest . Thats what really made them stand out . They didn't neglect bodyparts but they knew what they had working for them. I'm not calling you out or anything just had a slightly different perspective.

 

[timmmah]

Good point. Merry Christmas!

 

[xink]

Kinda like a guy that benches 405 with chicken legs?
It's the legs that definitely "get him noticed"

Haha... I was just working out with a cousin of mine, he has pretty decent keeping up with me when it came to lifting, but then when it came to anything involving legs he was like a quarter or less what I was pushing! It was nuts! On calves I was racking it at 300LBS and he was struggling at 50! It was like that with everything involving his legs! A couple days later we went back (I never work out with him, but I was visiting his family) and I saw his legs (he had been wearing sweats) and they were ridiculous! I actually was kind of taken aback and was like - "Seriously, your legs look WWII prison camp scary, put some ****ing weight on!!!" - you'd never guess it looking at his arms though!

 

[suncloud]

i used the full body routine 3x per week to build my foundation. now i need a more conventional split. if i was training for sports, i'd never have stopped the full body routine.

 

[R1balla]

i love to do a split body routine and throw in the 5x5 once a week

 

[DipsRus]

I was loving a chest/back, shoulders/arms, and legs 3 way split, until I got tendonitus. I was on a 6 day rotation. Now I just do an upper/lower split 4x a week maximum, sometimes up to 5 days rest though. (yes I can feel over trained at times on that schedule, so I back off sometimes.) I'm going to try simply going every other day now, so everything will be 2x every 8 days.

I am starting a new upper/lower this week, where upper "A" will concentrate on chest and shoulders, and "B" will concentrate on back. However, SOME work will be done for all bodyparts in a "carryover" fasion on the day they are not being concentrated on. Arms are done at the end of each workout, the heavy biceps with a lighter triceps at the chest/shoulder "A" workout, and heavier on triceps with light biceps work at the end of the back "B" workout. (because my bi's will be pretty fresh after only doing 1-2 sets of back work on "A" workout, and tri's will be fresh with very little pushing sets going on in the "B" workout.) If it works I'll let you all know

 

[pcproffy]

If lifting for strength then I like to split upper and lower body.

Lifting hard, full body, seems like its too much stress for the body. And then what do you do the next day?

I do like full body if its lower weight for more endurance purposes. Run a circuit and keep the heart and breathing elevated through the entire routine for a change from heavy lifting.

 

[Resolve]

If lifting for strength then I like to split upper and lower body.

Lifting hard, full body, seems like its too much stress for the body. And then what do you do the next day?

I do like full body if its lower weight for more endurance purposes. Run a circuit and keep the heart and breathing elevated through the entire routine for a change from heavy lifting.

You do your whole body again!