The Benefits of "FULL BODY WORKOUTS"?!

FITNESS WRITER BO HEAMYAN LOOKS AT THE MAIN

ADVANTAGES AND SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF FULL BODY WORKOUTS.

HERE ARE THE FACTS TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY ONE IN PLACE OF THE NOW UBIQUITOUS BODY PART SPLIT

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WHO WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM FULL BODY WORKOUTS?

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, WHILE IT DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL’S PHYSICAL CIRCUMSTANCES (BODY SHAPE, AGE, GENETICS, HEALTH), IT IS FAIR TO SAY BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATE LIFTERS ARE LIKELY TO BENEFIT MOST FROM FULL BODY WORKOUTS. IN ADDITION, THOSE WHO ABSOLUTELY LOVE CARDIO (BUT HATE STRENGTH TRAINING) OFTEN FIND FULL BODY WORKOUTS ADVANTAGEOUS, AS DO PEOPLE WHO CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF INTENSE WORKOUT SESSIONS. IF YOU FALL WITHIN ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES, THEN THE PROS OF FULL BODY WORKOUTS WILL LIKELY CANCEL OUT THE CONS.

SO WHY NOT GIVE IT A TRY?

|PROS

MISSING A FULL BODY WORKOUT IS NO BIG DEAL

Missing a body part split workout session can be serious. If you miss out on ‘Chest Monday’ then your pecs will not get worked directly for the best part of two weeks. The same concerns simply don't exist when you keep to a full-body workout routine,

as you will hit all of your muscle groups one or two times more in the same week.

FULL BODY WORKOUTS CAN HELP YOU GET A MORE BALANCED LOOKING BODY

The body to be one large integrated muscle, as all of the muscles within it are, in a sense, connected to each other. When you look at things from this viewpoint, it is clear to see that splitting the body (as you do with a body part split) into separate areas doesn’t make a lot of sense from a functional point of view, as it can lead to some areas getting too much attention and others getting too little. Hitting a large number of different muscle areas and groups in one workout ensures your entire body gets exercised, thus helping you to achieve a natural, more balanced look.

|CONS

FULL BODY WORKOUTS CAN ENGENDER OVERTRAINING

If you’re keen to lift weights three times per week then doing a (poorly structured) full-body workout each session can lead to overtraining. Muscles that get worked hard with heavyweights, especially when they’re taken through lots of sets (more than five), typically require five to six days to recover. If you’re not flexible enough to cut down to two full-body sessions per week then you’ll need to alter the movement patterns accordingly, lift lighter weights, and/or reduce the number of sets per muscle group.

IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FOCUS ON A PARTICULAR MUSCLE GROUP

It could be argued (most vehemently by pro bodybuilders and fitness models) that the main downfall of full-body workouts is that they make it hard to hit a given muscle group, or movement pattern, with specific intensity. While this isn’t likely to be a pressing concern for those new to weightlifting, it is of great importance to experienced lifters who want to sculpt specific muscles.