If you are looking for a training method that allows you to work all the muscles in your body in a single session, then full body is for you. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete, this type of program can be adapted to your needs and quickly improve your physical condition.
What exactly is full-body?
As the name suggests, full body is a complete body workout that targets all of the muscles in one session. It is less demanding than a half-body or body program and can be adapted to beginners as well as more experienced practitioners.
Full body workouts offer several advantages over other strength training methods:
A complete workout
This way you work all the main muscle groups, which promotes harmonious and balanced development of your physique.
Rapid progress
Working each muscle more frequently helps speed up exercise progression and improve performance quickly.
Better recovery
Since the sessions are shorter than in programs where each muscle group is worked in isolation, it is generally possible to recover more quickly between two workouts.
Save time
Full body is often considered a training method particularly suitable for people with little time to devote to bodybuilding . By using all muscle groups in a single session , it becomes possible to reduce the number of weekly sessions while maintaining optimal effectiveness.
Muscle balance
One of the risks of bodybuilding is developing a muscular imbalance, especially if certain muscle groups are worked more intensely than others. Full body allows you to avoid this by offering a balanced program that focuses on all the muscles of the body.
Development of coordination
Full body exercises typically involve complex movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. This approach promotes the development of coordination and proprioception, i.e. the perception of the body in space.
The objectives of full body
The objectives of full body can be multiple:
- Improved overall fitness: A full body workout strengthens all of the muscles, which contributes to an overall improvement in fitness.
- Strength Development: Working all of the body's muscles allows you to gradually increase your muscular strength.
- Weight loss or muscle gain: Depending on the intensity and frequency of the sessions, full body can help burn calories and thus promote weight loss, or on the contrary contribute to muscle mass gain.
The key principles of a full body workout
To design a full body weight training session, it is essential to respect a few fundamental principles:
Choosing polyarticular exercises
These are exercises that use several muscles at once and therefore allow you to work effectively with a limited number of movements. Examples of polyarticular exercises include the squat, deadlift, bench press, barbell row, military press and pull-ups.
Vary the stimuli
In order to maximize progress and avoid stagnation, it is important to regularly vary the exercises, the loads used and the work intensities during the different sessions.
Manage volume and intensity
When working full body, it is important not to go overboard, both in terms of volume and intensity. It is recommended to perform between 3 and 5 sets per exercise, with weights adapted to your level and sufficient rest times (about 2 minutes between each set).
Don't neglect the warm-up
Before starting the session, remember to warm up well to prepare your muscles and joints for the effort. You can start with a few minutes of cardio (bike, treadmill) then perform movements specific to the exercises planned during your session.
The advantages of full-body
Full-body has many benefits for those who want to build muscle or simply improve their general physical condition. Among these benefits, we can mention:
- Time saving: By working all the muscles in one session, you don't need to dedicate several days a week to weight training. Two or three sessions are enough to get good results.
- Better consistency: With a full body program, it is easier to avoid muscle imbalances and maintain constant progress. Indeed, each session works all the muscles, thus limiting the risks of neglecting certain areas.
- Easier recovery: By using all the muscles during each workout, you leave several days of rest between each session, which allows for better recovery and therefore faster progress.
- A workout suitable for beginners: Full body can be set up very easily for people who are not used to training regularly or who lack experience in bodybuilding. It offers a structured framework and simple exercises to perform.
The limits of full-body
Although full-body has many advantages, it should be remembered that it does not allow you to work muscles from different angles or perform specific exercises for certain parts of the body. In fact, most of the exercises are polyarticular, which implies a global solicitation of the muscle groups concerned.
Comparison with the split routine
The opposite of full-body is the split routine method, which is a type of targeted bodybuilding program where you train specific muscle groups during each session. So, rather than working the entire body at once, you divide the sessions according to muscle groups (for example: Chest/Back/Shoulders one day, Legs/Arms another day).
The split routine allows you to work each muscle from different angles and perform more specific exercises. It can be interesting for those who have specific goals or for experienced athletes who want to improve their performance.
Also read: Which muscles should you work together?
Perform an effective full body session
To fully enjoy the benefits of full-body, it is essential to plan your sessions well and choose the exercises adapted to your level and your objectives. Here are some tips for setting up an effective full-body session:
- Vary the exercises: To avoid boredom and maintain constant progress, remember to regularly vary the exercises you include in your program. For example, you can change the order of the movements, change the type of grip (wide, narrow, etc.) or opt for variations of the same exercise.
- Respect an appropriate rest time: Between each set, take the time needed to recover, without excess. This rest time will depend on your goals and the loads used. Generally, it is recommended to take about 1 to 2 minutes of rest for strength exercises and 30 seconds to 1 minute for endurance work exercises.
- Pay attention to technique and safety: As with any sport, it is essential to perform the movements correctly and follow safety instructions. Do not try to lift too heavy to the detriment of technique, and do not hesitate to seek advice from a professional if necessary.
- Progress regularly: To continue to progress and improve your performance, it is important to regularly increase the workload and/or the number of repetitions during each session. This progression can be gradual (increase the weights every month), or more rapid depending on your abilities and how you feel.
Example of a full body bodybuilding session
To help you design your own full body workout program, here's a sample workout suitable for beginners:
- Squat: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Bench press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Wide grip front pull-ups: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- High Pulley Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Adapting the full body to your objectives
Full body is a training method that can be adapted according to your goals. Thus:
- To build muscle: You can gradually increase the weights and training volume while paying attention to the intensity.
- To lose weight: Full body training can be supplemented with cardio sessions to burn more calories and promote fat loss.
- To build strength: It may be a good idea to incorporate specific, heavier exercises to work on short sets (1-5 reps).
Full Body: In summary
Finally, it is important to listen to your body and adapt recovery times according to your abilities and needs. Do not hesitate to consult a fitness or bodybuilding professional to benefit from personalized support and optimize your results with full body.
