Full body workouts get maligned all the time as being “not enough” to grow muscle. In my experience this is just plain false. I have gotten some of the greatest gains using the full body approach. I will explain this to you and then show you an amazing full body workout that you can use to pack on muscle and improve strength.
The Logistics of the Full Body Workout
Most bodybuilders use a body part split approach to training. A typical split would be:
Monday – Chest/Triceps
Tuesday – Back/Biceps
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – Shoulders
Friday – Legs
The idea is that you can work each body part with maximum intensity and give it time to recover so that it can continually be trained with such intensity. In their way of thinking, this is the only good method for building muscle mass. I happen to disagree.
I completely agree that body part splits need to be a part of anyone's training routine, but they should not be the exclusive method of training. I personally use a full body routine for part of each year and I find the results amazing. I happen to use the HIT method for my full body routines. I do one set per exercise and take them to complete failure. I train 3 days per week when I start a full body routine and have been known to actually drop that to 2 days per week when recovery begins to become an issue.
The Full Body Assault
For this workout please make sure you get a good squeeze on every repetition. Use a 3-1-3 cadence (3 seconds up, 1 second squeeze, 3 seconds down) on every repetition. You will do one warm up set per body part and then one working set per exercise taken to complete failure. It is important to note that it is one warm up per BODY PART so if you have 2 chest exercises you only do a warm up on the first chest exercise. Take just 30 seconds rest between sets.
| Exercise | Repetition Range |
| BB Bench Press | 6 to 8 |
| Lat Pull Down | 6 to 8 |
| DB Pullover | 10 to 12 |
| Pec Dec Flyes | 6 to 8 |
| Arnold Press | 6 to 8 |
| Seated Cable Rows | 6 to 8 |
| Leg Extensions | 6 to 8 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 6 to 8 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 6 to 8 |
| Chin ups | 10 to 12 |
| BB Curls | 4 to 6 |
| Tricep Pushdown | 6 to 8 |
| Back Squats | 10 to 12 |
| Deadlift | 4 to 6 |
14 exercises performed with maximum intensity that cover the full body. This workout will have you puking if you do it right. I have put people through this workout who looked at it on paper and laughed. They then got into the gym and by the Seated Cable Rows had to run to the bathroom to throw up. It causes severe metabolic changes in your body. It hits you harder than you expect. Give it a try!
