Full body or Upper lower?

[blessard1]

So I've been training on and off for the past couple years and I always followed a bro split during my time training but after taking almost 6-8 months off I pretty much lost everything. Right back to the weight I started at 137-140 lbs. I want to get back into it but doing it the most beneficial way possible. My main goal is gaining size but I also would like to have some strength to show for it this time around. I read in multiple articles and forums that people get results from both full body and upper/lower splits. Where should I start? I would really like to get some more opinions on the topic so I can get started in the right direction.

 

[Mraesthetic12]

I would do upper lower, the reason being full body can lead to cns overtraining due to longer workouts. What benefit would you get from doing full body? You would still have to take some rest days. I wait 4 days before i train the same body part again. That seems to be the sweet spot. 3 days is too short for me to recover and 5 days seems like overkill

 

[Mraesthetic12]

But honestly how you train doesnt really matter, as long as its a structured program with a reasonable amount of volume and keeping track of your strength gains you will grow. Through my years of training i have finally understood why diet and rest play the bigger role in gains. Sleep as much as you can and eat at a caloric surplus its that simple

 

[blessard1]

Gotcha. I guess the thinking behind the full body stuff is your body goes through protein synthesis for 48 hours after hitting a muscle group so if you do full body Monday, Wednesday, Friday you'll be basically benefiting from it all week. But you have a point with the recovery. Is there a certain upper lower program you'd recommend?

 

[Mraesthetic12]

If i were to do upper lower i would do
Upper
Rest
Lower
Rest
Repeat
If you feel like you can train the same muscle group in less time and are seeing results then go for it. As for exercises id keep it simple, flat bench, bent over row, pull up, and shoulder press, and assistance work like lateral raises and rear delt raises, bicep curls and push downs. But if your main goal is strength and overall mass i wouldnt focus too much volume into the assistance exercises except for shoulders just to keep them healthy and functional

 

[Mraesthetic12]

As for lower id do squats, deadlifts, leg extensions, curls, calf raises

 

[blessard1]

Okay cool and I'm assuming really heavy low reps on main movements and moderate weight higher reps on assistance work?

 

[Mraesthetic12]

I would do 6-8 on compounds and 10-15 on assistance.

 

[blessard1]

3-4 sets?

 

[Mraesthetic12]

I honestly wouldnt be able to give an accurate answer on volume since i do what work for me, but yes i do 3-4 sets on compounds

 

[Mraesthetic12]

And assistance

 

[blessard1]

Alright cool I'll start out with 3 and go from there. Thanks for the help man!

 

[Mraesthetic12]

Anytime dude! Hopefully some other people can add in their recommendations tmrw

 

[PaulBlack]

Okay cool and I'm assuming really heavy low reps on main movements and moderate weight higher reps on assistance work?

Personally, if you are more or less just staring out, then certain exercises might need some tuning in, (like squats or deads) before you start working too heavy. I would start all work with moderate weight/reps, not much if any failure and work the form some to get really acclimated. Start with weights well within your reach and slowly add #5 a week on big stuff, #2 on the smaller stuff like say OHP's. Novices can run long(er) cycles of work before burning out, because a few different systems are getting fit and you have room to expand on them.
IMO, if you stuck with just the 5-7 large compound exercises and added in some arm/ab work, you would most likely be ahead of the game over 6+ months.
If you rush and start adding in all kinds of heavy work, or differing exercises because that is what the stronger bigger pros do, one could end up hurt or fall behind, or lose momentum with less focus on the main moves. I believe guys do much better, if they just work hard on a handful of large compound exercises getting the weight up over 1x-2x+ body weight for sets/rep(s).
Splitting or full body is mostly preference but more advanced guys seems to split in some ways.

Main movements...
Squatting
Leg Pressing
Deadlifting
Rowing
BP's
OHP's
Chins
Dips
then maybe some iso work curls/extens etc.

Did you see this thread...

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/training-forum/292616-looking-some-guidance.html

 

[blessard1]

Okay so are you saying for example to start with a weight I can hit for 12 but only do 10 reps and increase weight often? Haven't read it yet but I'll check it out rn

 

[PaulBlack]

Okay so are you saying for example to start with a weight I can hit for 12 but only do 10 reps and increase weight often?

Well, since you most likely do not have 1RM's, which is fine, you could do something like that. The thing you want to do is have some wiggle/ growing momentum start light and be able to easily finish the sets and reps and not be hitting it as hard as you can with low reps in just a few weeks. Progression keeps building, slowly. You wanna feel like you worked out afterwards and feel great or good or pumped. Not beat up, since working larger lifts, (especially say squats or deads) you want the reps to be "well performed" and not so you have to cheat, or change or slop up form just to finish sets. I know a guy who starts his trainees on "bar only" for say squats and does not add weight for a few weeks or until they are cementing the form. Patience will pay big dividends for longevity and interest.
As a novice one is training more than just muscle tissue. ie: your CNS, your tendons & ligaments, some cardio vascular, lung capacity etc. So some things, may adapt faster than others.