Alex is very correct with there being a systemic fatigue of larger exercises which you have to account for. That's the basis for how I program my Full Body routines, I use the H/L/M system. This also gets around the issue with the connective tissue and joints. I do think full body for hypertrophy, especially at the intermediate/advanced level, is a bit of a lost art, I have done it upto 5 times a week for years and coached others to do the same. It's possible if the right principles are used. Another good snippet, this is a big area of interest for me.
Fully body twice a week has given me the best strength and size I've ever had. I'm about to attempt a 3 plate bench today thanks to it. I was stuck in 185x5 intermediate hell for YEARS. Full body 2x a week is the truth
I did full body 3x a week for a while and I loved it, but 48 hours to recover is to little for me once I started pushing weights to my max. I might tweak it to monday and thursday with high intensity and have saturday as a lighter day with weights + calisthenics and yoga
Great interview. Honestly full body workout 2 times a week is the best set up..especially if you're doing other sports and cardio. The fittest and strongest I ever was, was when I was hitting high volume.full bodies 2 times a week and training martial arts up to 4-5 times a week.
@@jmgonzales7701 just a full body workout 2 times a week and whatever other strength and conditioning I happen to do. The full body will change depending on what I'm doing but I typically prefer higher volume . I'm 37 so not chasing any extreme goals it's just about good strength endurance and being well rounded , fit and healthy. I couldn't give a specific workout routine as I very much go on feel thesedays and also I consider what else I'm doing. If I'm planning a bike ride for example I won't hit my legs with loads of volume. It's probably worth mentioning that I sometimes do a 2 way split only still training 2 times a week. This will either be a push /pull . Upper/lower. Torso/limbs or any other combo. I find this allows me to push more volume and or intensity it also makes workouts more fun. I've tried bro splits etc and they aren't sustainable for me. This method is sustainable, flexible and most importantly enjoyable.
Great chat, guys! I'm 61. Being training since ever 😂 and I look 15 years you ger, genetics I guess. And I love fullbody workouts. Mondays: belt squats Dips Wide grip upright rows Curls Triceps Calves. Wednesday: Chin ups Dumbbell RDL Dumbbell OHP Carries Backward walking on trendmill. Friday : Inclined bench press Db unilateral rows Db walking lunges Curls thiceps Calves I always star ramping up the weight. Focus on an especific total numbers of reps to be achieved doing los of mini sets of 5,3,2,1 reps occationally will do a back off set of 10 - 20 reps depending on the exercise. I'll do explosive reps, a bit slower on the negative, and Sometimes partíals on the streched end of the rep. It works for me. I leave the Gym "fresh" activated NOT destroyed. And getting stronger and growing on weekly basis. Never rest longer than 30 sec between mini sets. 💪🙏
I did Full body everyother day for about six months ending about a year ago. It was too much for me. I ended up injured. Elbows, shoulders and knees were all hurting so much I did PT. Full body twice a week would be much more manageable. Now I'm doing an upper/lower A/B split with cardio in the middle and am liking it and haven't got hurt. I'm on week 25 now.
The best full body workout I have followed were 3 Day but each Day was different exercise and only 2 sets pr exercise reps 6 - 9 focus on form and concentration 😊
Yeah I’m a huge full body fan, and while you can make it work as you get advanced, the workouts just become so damn brutal. If you’re just doing one exercise per body part then it’s no problem, but as soon as you start doing two or more exercises per body part then it becomes very difficult.
Agree. I started lifting in the 90s using full body for my first few years with really good results. ultimately though I started building most of my mass once I switched to a bro split and hitting each muscle group with more volume and focus per week. Full body 'can' still be good even at an advanced level. but by that time it's very individual to each lifter what that routine and split looks like as you have to know your body and recovery well and really fine tune and finesse to make it work. Which unless its the only way you can train (if only having two days of the week to train etc) there are just far better and less complicated options
Great topic and discussion. Great program for a limited schedule and still produces great results while allowing you to tend to other aspects of overall health and life. Thank you.
Just started back in college and with it alongside work and a generally busier life I can only train 2 sometimes 3 times a week. What I've realized from it is that the sessions where I get 2 consecutive rest days are unreal! Mentally locked in and progress numbers wise has been incredible. The recovery is beautiful! When I only get the one day it's just not the same. So for the foreseeable I'll be giving myself the two days between workouts and adjusting where needed. Accidentally stumbled into the whole 2x full body thing lol
Super engaging conversation. I'm tempted to try twice a week full body to see how it feels. Lately I've been getting pretty exhausted in my workouts, might be nice to come in feeling more fully rested.
I go all out 2 to 3 sets heavy full body squat deadlift bench over head press, rows bicep triceps rear delts and side lateral 5 sets 1 time a week 6 days rest it's been working
The best part about full body for me is that I'm always able to do upper body work when I go in the gym, instead of having to restrict myself on certain days with other splits. Also bonus points for the workouts being so tough and long that you feel actually immersed in the gym, like when you do a hard cardio session and feel like Rocky.
Fully agree, full body training allows for flexibility, and variability- changing emphasis on any aspect of fitness or strength you want to improve. I’ve been fullbody for at least 10 years- it can maintain or improve your physique over time depending on your goals. Having a family, busy job and other hobbies, it is very forgiving too- especially if you travel. All muscles are covered! You never really miss a workout
After a certain point you need to go the high frequency route for fullbody to continue to yield results. Its a very viable option but to pull the 5-6 or 4x fullbody you need some sort of DUP scheme, HML or high exercice selection. And obviously lower the intrasession volume. Its by far my favorite split but you need to make accomodations for it to be efficient and not run you into the ground
Consider leaving behind the "sessions per week" measurement. 7 is kind of a wonky number. I think days of recovery needed per workout is a better way to think about frequency, rather than trying to force a certain frequency into a 7 day window. Then again, people are really attached to their synchronous splits. I thought this split up for my next mesocycle to match my actual recovery capacity, but it's an 8 day split. 1. push A (tricep focus, low chest volume) 2. pull A (axial/horizontal focus, high volume) 3. push B (horizontal focus, high volume) 4. legs A (posterior/hinge focus) 5. pull B (bicep focus, low back volume, non-axial) 6. push C (incline/vertical focus, high volume) 7. pull C (vertical focus, high volume) 8. legs B (anterior/squat focus) It seems overly complicated, but it keeps things fresh for me. I get bored doing the same routine all the time. I'll probably do core work on push days and calves on pull days to further spread out the work evenly. It's kind of just a PPL split optimized for recovery like a custom bro split.
Some of the best progress I made later in life was twice-weekly, full-body, 5 to seven exercises. At 61 currently, I do an upper/lower, 3 times weekly. Works great, but I miss those full-body, compound workouts.
I like doing torso, limbs, full body I put squats on the limbs day A back raise on torso day, a heavier hip hinge on the full body day Overhead press and pull-up on full body Chest press and row on torso day That way every week I’m getting vertical and horizontal rows, good work for the erectors, it’s much easier to have a full body day when you don’t do squats because squats gas me, and I can also fit in chest press and overhead press in the same week instead of alternating
@@machado6377 I personally use GHD and 45 degree back raises as my hip hinges, I’ve always had issues with RDLs and deadlifts, but those two I can continually make PRs and instead of hurting my lower back, they make my lower back feel better after
@@AntiGravityResearch2022 Thanks makes sense to me. whatever let's you keep stacking PRs! I was doing torso limb full body for a few weeks before I did 2x full body but I like the opportunity for arm focus!
Alex's Naturally Enhanced structure in his books are fabulous. It's hard, sometimes long, and mostly yoke-centric (not a great focus on quad, more on posterior)
I do full body 3 times a week, 2 sets per muscle group on each day. Only arms have more on one day (2 at beginning and 2 at the end) ans always start with arms and delts as they are my priority. Best gains of my life, just have to go with maximum intensity. Edit: i was writing it before listening to whole thing. It's nice to be reassured that I got it right, lol
@@ZyroSugar it's my best training block from years. Almost every session i hit prs on most exercises if not all. For example on my dips I went from +40x10 to +47,5 in not even 2 months? I could check out my numbers for reference.
On rdls I started with 140x10 in march? 2 days ago I did hit 180x10. I will have to test out my bench too because I replaced it with dips. Oh and I remember that on march I could hit normal ohp 62,5 or 65kg for 8, now I can behind the neck press 65x10. I stalled on ohp for a long time...and i'm crushing prs on btn press easily.
Personally, it's how many workouts per month; 18 to 24 days over a month is an average. What I do isn't as important as it is to exercise so long as I'm doing each body part twice a week. Entire body is always an option but not necessary. However, if utilised, it is completed using a sledge, pushing, and pulling with a rope attached, framers walk, suitcase carries and kettlebells. If you are following a weight-lifting full-body programme, your joints will hate you due to a lack of recovery and a spike in cortisol over a week. Therefore, I've concluded that tracking your workouts over a week can weaken you, but over a month should make you see better results.
I do a semi fullbody upper lower type mix with 5 days with almost every muscle group getting trained 3x a week except arms as they take the longest to recover the recovery seems great 2 rest days seems enough for me and the volume is pretty manageable My split is kind of unique but it technically is a fullbody
It really depends on how you program the days. If it’s just one exercise per body part and you’re only doing a couple sets then it’s totally doable. If you’re trying to do multiple exercises per body part and doing 3 sets per exercise then it becomes more difficult.
I’m pretty sure the leg work in my full body split heaps on the fatigue, but I’m really not doing all that much of it. So I feel I could make more progress on the rest of the body but I’m not willing to dial back the leg work.
I dont find full body optimal if having the time and energy for other splits at this point in life, But that said full body is really good. I started lifting in the 90s with my first few years using full body. back then NO ONE was doing full body and Id often be asked why I did so many muscle groups in one session in a mocking manner. full body back then was seen as an old antiquated 'obsolete' system. Everyone else starting out were doing a bro split being in the gym everyday where I was doing only every other day and was racing ahead of everyone in terms of gains
Upper, Lower, Full Body, done 3x per week. Thank me later this is the best balance of upper/lower and full body. You get the best of both worlds. Not too many days in the gym, not too many long sessions and the ability to do more focused work in the upper and lower workouts. I strongly believe this is the perfect setup for the natty lifter.
@ZyroSugar Then just take an extra day off and train on Friday, you will not need more rest days anyways. Or you could do slightly less volume on the lower days. So many ways to go around this. It's an excellent routine, been at this 10+ years now and nothing beats it imo
I actually blame my diagnosed IBS and the need for TRT in my late 30’s do to smashing full body novice programs for literally a decade, all gas, no breaks in my 20’s. You know what I blame for that? Early RUclips It was the worst when it came to the idea of overreaching/overtraining. As in, those words were non existent. And then when the topic came up, it was subsequently smashed into the ground by EVERY fitness RUclipsr circa 2012. If you even mentioned those words you were an utter failure and should reconsider your life choices. This led me to working a brutal midnight shift for 6 years while subsequently smashing 3 full body workouts a week, and then doing all out HIIT sprinting Tuesdays and Thursdays between those days. Start grinding on those 5x5 reps and feeling like I was going to die every set/rep? Just deload bro.. but not too long, some RUclipsrs think deloads are useless. Why can’t I hit those advanced strength standards for my body weight? Something must be wrong with me. Just grind out those reps bro. Keep going.
Yeah I've learned the deload are critical. There's more than just the regular fatigue/recovery from a workout day. There is the systemic fatigue that slowly builds over time that you have to account for too. I don't even work out during my deload week, just to be sure I get enough rest.
I go all out 2 to 3 sets heavy full body squat deadlift bench over head press, rows bicep triceps rear delts and side lateral 5 sets 1 time a week 6 days rest it's been working
Hey guys, I would really appreciate if I could get any feedback on my full body workout. Workout A: Bench press 4X6-10 Squats 4X6-8 Pull ups 4x 6-10 RDL 3x8-10 Overhead press 3x6-10 Bicep curl 3/4x 8-10 Workout B: Incline dumbell/bench press 4x6-10 Squats/Deadlifts 4x6-8 Barbell Row 4x6-10 RDL 3x8-10 Lateral raises 3x10-15 Diamond pushups/Skullcrushers 3/4x8-10 Any tips, is it too much volume or just enough? Btw, i'm doing it 3x a week. For example, on mondays and wednesdays I'll do high intesity and on fridays I'll do high volume and also my recovery is pretty good even tho I have some trouble with my sleep for couple of years now.
If you're recovering and making gains, the volume is fine. I don't know what you mean when you say "squat/deadlift." Are you doing both or choosing one? Overall, it looks close to how I would program a full body program, but I'd make a few tweaks. When I do full body programming, I pay close attention to axial loading. If I did squats one day, I would try to hit hamstrings with a non-axial exercise like hyperextensions or glute-ham raises. If I did deadlifts or RDLs, I would try to do a lunge or hack squat rather than squats. Doing two axially loaded exercises in a lower body workout is doable, but when you also add upper body in a full body workout, the systemic fatigue becomes more significant and it may impact your performance. Barbell rows would probably pair better with a squat day than a deadlift day so your erectors are fresher, and pullups could be moved to deadlift day. I would also do overhead press before any axially loaded hinge or squat movement.
In other words... Workout A: Bench press Barbell rows Overhead press Squats Hyperextension/glute-ham raise Biceps Workout 2: Incline dumbbell press Deadlifts or RDLs Lunge/hack squat/Bulgarian split squat Pull-ups Lateral raise Triceps Just my two cents. Others may disagree. Earlier exercises will probably end up being those you see the best gains in, so you can mix them up accordingly.
@@limitisillusion7 Thank you for your insight, I'll give it a try. Btw, i haven't made gains as I would like to but i suppose its due to my calorie intake and inconsistency, rather than my sleep. I've been in a deficit for 6 months and only recently i've started eating at a maintenance level. I'm pretty sure I'll see better results once I start my bulking phase. Thanks again
I hate full body training because I'm used to do short, intense but frequent training sessions that last like 45-50 minutes max, after that I lose my concentration, effort goes to sh*t etc..
Did the Full Body 2-3 times per week for years,but switched to 3 day Upper/Lower. The workouts is better,recovery is great and its a very flexible schedule.✅✅💪💪😎😎
@@sengunvolkan Workout is about 30 mins. I do couple of warm up sets on the bigger muscles and just straight to working set after that. I train 2 sets per exercise, 1-2 exercise per muscle and 4-8 sets per muscle per week.
I didnt enjoy full body cos it was like tough training man. I switch to PPl 6times a week. Chest, back Legs and shoulder Arms now I enjoy cos Arm is my favorite day yo.
Can you really grow AND get stronger with 2 sets per day per muscle? I did it (just like 2 or 3 weeks tbf) and I kinda felt I got weaker but maybe there were other reasons.... I do full body 4 days a week (because I work on weekends).
You definitely can make progress with two sets, but I’d argue you’d be better off throwing in a second exercise for another 2 sets (4 sets total). You can definitely progress on just 2 though.
I split my upper body Push & Pull movements into 2 exercises with 2 sets each. To focus my chest, I do 4 sets bench press, but split them into 2x 2 sets. It looks like this: Day 1: … 2 sets chest supported row 2 sets barbell bench press 2 sets chest supported t bar row 2 sets barbell bench press … Day 2: … 2 sets Pull Up machine 2 sets standing OHP 2 sets Lat pulldowns 2 sets Incline barbell bench press … So you can train the same muscle group from a slight different angle. On day 1 you could do incline dumbell bench press as your second push exercise. It gives you a lot of flexibility and keeps your training interesting imo.
I like full body pushing/pulling on an A/B split. Eg: Bss Dip OHP Ext Rdl Pull up Row Curl Repeat Good for recovery but still hitting things twice a week
Full Body 2-3 times per week is the goated! There’s a misconception that you have to be in the gym 5-6 days a week to have a great physique and build strength and that’s simply just false
I tried 8 weeks of full body when trying to lose fat for the summer. I did it five days a week (M-F), using antagonist supersets with fairly short rest periods, staying about two reps from failure on the first few sets and one rep from failure on the last set. I'd only go to full failure on day five. Not going to complete failure all the time allowed me to recover enough to lift frequently. Of course, I was a noob so anything would have worked.
In the end though the total volume is all that matters for 95% of gain potential. Do 10 work sets of chest once or twice a week, same result. Funnily enough I was always science based from when I competed in 2012. Followed layne Norton phat routine . Nearly a decade later iv tried DUP and many routines and found that I can get the same or better results with a 4 day bro split and feel much less fatigue and it’s much more fun. Tried 2 long ass full bodies and also had great results but was fried for 1-2 days following workouts.
I do full body 3x per week. I'm 48 and still cranking hard.
Twice a week full body has been great for me currently. I can put max effort in and then recover. For this stage in my life it’s perfect.
How many working sets per muscle per workout?
Facts!!! 💯 2-3 full body workouts per week is goated.
Alex is very correct with there being a systemic fatigue of larger exercises which you have to account for. That's the basis for how I program my Full Body routines, I use the H/L/M system. This also gets around the issue with the connective tissue and joints. I do think full body for hypertrophy, especially at the intermediate/advanced level, is a bit of a lost art, I have done it upto 5 times a week for years and coached others to do the same. It's possible if the right principles are used.
Another good snippet, this is a big area of interest for me.
so whats ur program
Fully body twice a week has given me the best strength and size I've ever had. I'm about to attempt a 3 plate bench today thanks to it. I was stuck in 185x5 intermediate hell for YEARS. Full body 2x a week is the truth
Did you get it?
Can u please share your exercises ? :)
As in you literally only go to the gym twice a week and you have a near 3 plates bench? What are your other lifts like?
The most beneficial aspect of FB is that your pre workout will last twice as long 🧠
That thumbnail goes so hard
I did full body 3x a week for a while and I loved it, but 48 hours to recover is to little for me once I started pushing weights to my max. I might tweak it to monday and thursday with high intensity and have saturday as a lighter day with weights + calisthenics and yoga
look into h/l/m system, it solves the recovery issue.
Great interview. Honestly full body workout 2 times a week is the best set up..especially if you're doing other sports and cardio. The fittest and strongest I ever was, was when I was hitting high volume.full bodies 2 times a week and training martial arts up to 4-5 times a week.
so whats ur program
@@jmgonzales7701 just a full body workout 2 times a week and whatever other strength and conditioning I happen to do. The full body will change depending on what I'm doing but I typically prefer higher volume . I'm 37 so not chasing any extreme goals it's just about good strength endurance and being well rounded , fit and healthy. I couldn't give a specific workout routine as I very much go on feel thesedays and also I consider what else I'm doing. If I'm planning a bike ride for example I won't hit my legs with loads of volume. It's probably worth mentioning that I sometimes do a 2 way split only still training 2 times a week. This will either be a push /pull . Upper/lower. Torso/limbs or any other combo. I find this allows me to push more volume and or intensity it also makes workouts more fun. I've tried bro splits etc and they aren't sustainable for me. This method is sustainable, flexible and most importantly enjoyable.
results aside FB is definitely the most fun split i've ran, you do a great variety of exercises
I really needed to hear full body is the split for me I am a beginner and very busy it seems. Really liking these conversations with you both.
Great chat, guys!
I'm 61. Being training since ever 😂 and I look 15 years you ger, genetics I guess. And I love fullbody workouts.
Mondays: belt squats
Dips
Wide grip upright rows
Curls
Triceps
Calves.
Wednesday:
Chin ups
Dumbbell RDL
Dumbbell OHP
Carries
Backward walking on trendmill.
Friday :
Inclined bench press
Db unilateral rows
Db walking lunges
Curls thiceps
Calves
I always star ramping up the weight. Focus on an especific total numbers of reps to be achieved doing los of mini sets of 5,3,2,1 reps occationally will do a back off set of 10 - 20 reps depending on the exercise.
I'll do explosive reps, a bit slower on the negative, and Sometimes partíals on the streched end of the rep.
It works for me. I leave the Gym "fresh" activated NOT destroyed. And getting stronger and growing on weekly basis. Never rest longer than 30 sec between mini sets.
💪🙏
I did Full body everyother day for about six months ending about a year ago. It was too much for me. I ended up injured. Elbows, shoulders and knees were all hurting so much I did PT. Full body twice a week would be much more manageable. Now I'm doing an upper/lower A/B split with cardio in the middle and am liking it and haven't got hurt. I'm on week 25 now.
The best full body workout I have followed were 3 Day but each Day was different exercise and only 2 sets pr exercise reps 6 - 9 focus on form and concentration 😊
Sounds great
I've just started doing Full body because of this new job I got saves a lot of time.
so whats ur program
Full body is fantastic until it isn't. Get the most out of full body until the volume needed to grow can't fit in a reasonable workout
Agreed
Yeah I’m a huge full body fan, and while you can make it work as you get advanced, the workouts just become so damn brutal. If you’re just doing one exercise per body part then it’s no problem, but as soon as you start doing two or more exercises per body part then it becomes very difficult.
@@Soccasteve The recovery from hard full body can also be a bit too much. If you're doing heavy squat, bench and row...the next day is hell lol
Agree. I started lifting in the 90s using full body for my first few years with really good results. ultimately though I started building most of my mass once I switched to a bro split and hitting each muscle group with more volume and focus per week.
Full body 'can' still be good even at an advanced level. but by that time it's very individual to each lifter what that routine and split looks like as you have to know your body and recovery well and really fine tune and finesse to make it work.
Which unless its the only way you can train (if only having two days of the week to train etc) there are just far better and less complicated options
Depends on how you plan it. I do full body 4-5 days a week and I’ve been making great gains for over 2 years on it.
Did my boy alex dirty with that video placement
what
Great topic and discussion. Great program for a limited schedule and still produces great results while allowing you to tend to other aspects of overall health and life. Thank you.
Just started back in college and with it alongside work and a generally busier life I can only train 2 sometimes 3 times a week.
What I've realized from it is that the sessions where I get 2 consecutive rest days are unreal! Mentally locked in and progress numbers wise has been incredible. The recovery is beautiful!
When I only get the one day it's just not the same. So for the foreseeable I'll be giving myself the two days between workouts and adjusting where needed.
Accidentally stumbled into the whole 2x full body thing lol
id say the only downside to fullbody is specialization is more difficult but the overall growth is great
Super engaging conversation. I'm tempted to try twice a week full body to see how it feels. Lately I've been getting pretty exhausted in my workouts, might be nice to come in feeling more fully rested.
I go all out 2 to 3 sets heavy full body squat deadlift bench over head press, rows bicep triceps rear delts and side lateral 5 sets 1 time a week 6 days rest it's been working
The best part about full body for me is that I'm always able to do upper body work when I go in the gym, instead of having to restrict myself on certain days with other splits. Also bonus points for the workouts being so tough and long that you feel actually immersed in the gym, like when you do a hard cardio session and feel like Rocky.
Fully agree, full body training allows for flexibility, and variability- changing emphasis on any aspect of fitness or strength you want to improve. I’ve been fullbody for at least 10 years- it can maintain or improve your physique over time depending on your goals.
Having a family, busy job and other hobbies, it is very forgiving too- especially if you travel. All muscles are covered! You never really miss a workout
I Switch between U/L 3 x wk (4-5 days muscle recovery) and FB 2 x week (3-4 days recovery)and occasionally U/L 2 workouts per week (7 days recovery)
Mike Mentzer incoming, Recovery is key!
Light upper/Lower/upper/lower/upper/sprints/fullbody. I only do the fullbody day as it's the one day i go to a powerlifting gym.
Loving all the podcast content we're getting from Alex. Info that feels too good to be free
After a certain point you need to go the high frequency route for fullbody to continue to yield results. Its a very viable option but to pull the 5-6 or 4x fullbody you need some sort of DUP scheme, HML or high exercice selection. And obviously lower the intrasession volume. Its by far my favorite split but you need to make accomodations for it to be efficient and not run you into the ground
Consider leaving behind the "sessions per week" measurement. 7 is kind of a wonky number. I think days of recovery needed per workout is a better way to think about frequency, rather than trying to force a certain frequency into a 7 day window. Then again, people are really attached to their synchronous splits.
I thought this split up for my next mesocycle to match my actual recovery capacity, but it's an 8 day split.
1. push A (tricep focus, low chest volume)
2. pull A (axial/horizontal focus, high volume)
3. push B (horizontal focus, high volume)
4. legs A (posterior/hinge focus)
5. pull B (bicep focus, low back volume, non-axial)
6. push C (incline/vertical focus, high volume)
7. pull C (vertical focus, high volume)
8. legs B (anterior/squat focus)
It seems overly complicated, but it keeps things fresh for me. I get bored doing the same routine all the time. I'll probably do core work on push days and calves on pull days to further spread out the work evenly. It's kind of just a PPL split optimized for recovery like a custom bro split.
3x a week is best for athletes. 2x a week when priming for competition and or in season ❤
Do you guys have standard templates for fullbody or is a discretionary decision making for excercizes per workout?
Some of the best progress I made later in life was twice-weekly, full-body, 5 to seven exercises. At 61 currently, I do an upper/lower, 3 times weekly. Works great, but I miss those full-body, compound workouts.
Why dont you do a full body workout Monday and Friday, with a 3 basic exercise rotation 2 set per exercise
I can't find your videos with Skip La Cour, is it still on yt?
What Alex mentions at at around 7 minutes, Marvin Eder had a routine like this, breaking it up through the week, benching one day, pressing the next.
Every other day ?
@@89Epro Eder worked four times a week on that routine, two days on, two days off.
Great interviewer
Yeah, he lets his guest speak 😊
What is a good way to set up a full body routine the way Alex explained
I like doing torso, limbs, full body
I put squats on the limbs day
A back raise on torso day, a heavier hip hinge on the full body day
Overhead press and pull-up on full body
Chest press and row on torso day
That way every week I’m getting vertical and horizontal rows, good work for the erectors, it’s much easier to have a full body day when you don’t do squats because squats gas me, and I can also fit in chest press and overhead press in the same week instead of alternating
And I fill in the blanks with isolations, ie ham curls, Tricep press, upright rows, pec flies etc…
Back raise like a back extension/good morning?
Seems like a fun split!
@@machado6377 I personally use GHD and 45 degree back raises as my hip hinges, I’ve always had issues with RDLs and deadlifts, but those two I can continually make PRs and instead of hurting my lower back, they make my lower back feel better after
@@AntiGravityResearch2022 Thanks makes sense to me. whatever let's you keep stacking PRs! I was doing torso limb full body for a few weeks before I did 2x full body but I like the opportunity for arm focus!
Which is better upper lower vs full body ?
It's crazy that ppl learning this now 😂😂😂😂😂😂 body is a full unit and should always work out totally. Arthur jones was way ahead of his time
Fatigue metrics chart per exercise now required to track and compile based on the workout design.
Alex's Naturally Enhanced structure in his books are fabulous. It's hard, sometimes long, and mostly yoke-centric (not a great focus on quad, more on posterior)
I do full body 3 times a week, 2 sets per muscle group on each day. Only arms have more on one day (2 at beginning and 2 at the end) ans always start with arms and delts as they are my priority. Best gains of my life, just have to go with maximum intensity.
Edit: i was writing it before listening to whole thing. It's nice to be reassured that I got it right, lol
so whats ur program
@@jmgonzales7701
Day1:
Triceps pushdown+dumbbell lateral raises 2x8-12
Hack squat 2x8-12 + calves 15-20
Back extensions 2x8-12 + db curls
Dips 2x6-10 + power shrugs 2x8-12
Btn press standing + chest supported rows 2x8-12
Day 2:
Triceps pushdown different handle + preacher curls 2x8-12
Cable lateral raises+ forearms 2x8-12
Leg curls + leg extensions 2x8-12
Incline bench 2x8-12 + chinups 6-8
Skull crashers + hammer curls 2x8-12
Abs 2x8-12+ nect curls 15-20
Day 3:
Triceps overhead cable extensions+ incline curls + cable lateral raises 2x8-12
Squats 2x6-10+ forearms 2x8-12
Rdl 2x6-10+ neck extensions 15-20
Seated btn press 2x6-10+ lat pulldowns 2x8-12
Chest fly machine 2x8-12+ dragon flags 15-20
@@michamazur6854and you’re recovering from that and making PRs every workout? I like the routine
@@ZyroSugar it's my best training block from years. Almost every session i hit prs on most exercises if not all. For example on my dips I went from +40x10 to +47,5 in not even 2 months? I could check out my numbers for reference.
On rdls I started with 140x10 in march? 2 days ago I did hit 180x10. I will have to test out my bench too because I replaced it with dips. Oh and I remember that on march I could hit normal ohp 62,5 or 65kg for 8, now I can behind the neck press 65x10. I stalled on ohp for a long time...and i'm crushing prs on btn press easily.
I do a primary / secondary split. Every other day. De-load as necessary.
Jim Wendler programs full body assistance work in 5/3/1. I really like that. The doing some kind of upper back pull every workout feels really good
Full Body is King
Sad
@@AlmostlessThanHumanget a tissue then
@@LJ2K2025 for him not me
@@AlmostlessThanHuman why?
@@LJ2K2025 because he is small
Full body 6/7 days week. High frequency calisthenics. 45yr old
Personally, it's how many workouts per month; 18 to 24 days over a month is an average. What I do isn't as important as it is to exercise so long as I'm doing each body part twice a week. Entire body is always an option but not necessary. However, if utilised, it is completed using a sledge, pushing, and pulling with a rope attached, framers walk, suitcase carries and kettlebells. If you are following a weight-lifting full-body programme, your joints will hate you due to a lack of recovery and a spike in cortisol over a week. Therefore, I've concluded that tracking your workouts over a week can weaken you, but over a month should make you see better results.
How bout an example 3x per week, including all exercises/sets/rep ranges???
I do a semi fullbody upper lower type mix with 5 days with almost every muscle group getting trained 3x a week except arms as they take the longest to recover the recovery seems great 2 rest days seems enough for me and the volume is pretty manageable My split is kind of unique but it technically is a fullbody
problem with 2x fullbody is those days would kill you
You could not be more wrong. I have done full body 2 to 3 times a week for years.
I can do a full body session in 60 minutes. 30 sets total. Antagonistic supersets all the way....
@@GeggaMojjaaaaaaa to do the same volume as you can do 4x full body?
It really depends on how you program the days. If it’s just one exercise per body part and you’re only doing a couple sets then it’s totally doable. If you’re trying to do multiple exercises per body part and doing 3 sets per exercise then it becomes more difficult.
Full body is great for ppl that don't work or have part time work prefer the push pull legs , arnold split, or bro split more recovery time.
I’m pretty sure the leg work in my full body split heaps on the fatigue, but I’m really not doing all that much of it. So I feel I could make more progress on the rest of the body but I’m not willing to dial back the leg work.
I dont find full body optimal if having the time and energy for other splits at this point in life, But that said full body is really good.
I started lifting in the 90s with my first few years using full body. back then NO ONE was doing full body and Id often be asked why I did so many muscle groups in one session in a mocking manner. full body back then was seen as an old antiquated 'obsolete' system.
Everyone else starting out were doing a bro split being in the gym everyday where I was doing only every other day and was racing ahead of everyone in terms of gains
I think that dividing the video in so many parts make the division useless.
Upper, Lower, Full Body, done 3x per week. Thank me later this is the best balance of upper/lower and full body. You get the best of both worlds. Not too many days in the gym, not too many long sessions and the ability to do more focused work in the upper and lower workouts. I strongly believe this is the perfect setup for the natty lifter.
I don’t like it as you don’t have the same amount of rest between upper and lower. Best 3 times full body or upper lower 4 times
@ZyroSugar Then just take an extra day off and train on Friday, you will not need more rest days anyways. Or you could do slightly less volume on the lower days. So many ways to go around this. It's an excellent routine, been at this 10+ years now and nothing beats it imo
@@ZyroSugar I did both full body 3x and upper lower 4. This has better recovery than both and you still have the 2x frequency
I have tried that one too actually! How do you set it up?
I actually blame my diagnosed IBS and the need for TRT in my late 30’s do to smashing full body novice programs for literally a decade, all gas, no breaks in my 20’s. You know what I blame for that?
Early RUclips
It was the worst when it came to the idea of overreaching/overtraining. As in, those words were non existent. And then when the topic came up, it was subsequently smashed into the ground by EVERY fitness RUclipsr circa 2012. If you even mentioned those words you were an utter failure and should reconsider your life choices.
This led me to working a brutal midnight shift for 6 years while subsequently smashing 3 full body workouts a week, and then doing all out HIIT sprinting Tuesdays and Thursdays between those days.
Start grinding on those 5x5 reps and feeling like I was going to die every set/rep? Just deload bro.. but not too long, some RUclipsrs think deloads are useless. Why can’t I hit those advanced strength standards for my body weight? Something must be wrong with me. Just grind out those reps bro. Keep going.
Yeah I've learned the deload are critical. There's more than just the regular fatigue/recovery from a workout day. There is the systemic fatigue that slowly builds over time that you have to account for too.
I don't even work out during my deload week, just to be sure I get enough rest.
Fullbody 1 exercise per body part high intensity 1-2 warms ups last set all out .
Rest 3 days Repeat with different angles and rep range
I go all out 2 to 3 sets heavy full body squat deadlift bench over head press, rows bicep triceps rear delts and side lateral 5 sets 1 time a week 6 days rest it's been working
Hey guys, I would really appreciate if I could get any feedback on my full body workout.
Workout A:
Bench press 4X6-10
Squats 4X6-8
Pull ups 4x 6-10
RDL 3x8-10
Overhead press 3x6-10
Bicep curl 3/4x 8-10
Workout B:
Incline dumbell/bench press 4x6-10
Squats/Deadlifts 4x6-8
Barbell Row 4x6-10
RDL 3x8-10
Lateral raises 3x10-15
Diamond pushups/Skullcrushers 3/4x8-10
Any tips, is it too much volume or just enough? Btw, i'm doing it 3x a week. For example, on mondays and wednesdays I'll do high intesity and on fridays I'll do high volume and also my recovery is pretty good even tho I have some trouble with my sleep for couple of years now.
If you're recovering and making gains, the volume is fine. I don't know what you mean when you say "squat/deadlift." Are you doing both or choosing one?
Overall, it looks close to how I would program a full body program, but I'd make a few tweaks. When I do full body programming, I pay close attention to axial loading. If I did squats one day, I would try to hit hamstrings with a non-axial exercise like hyperextensions or glute-ham raises. If I did deadlifts or RDLs, I would try to do a lunge or hack squat rather than squats. Doing two axially loaded exercises in a lower body workout is doable, but when you also add upper body in a full body workout, the systemic fatigue becomes more significant and it may impact your performance. Barbell rows would probably pair better with a squat day than a deadlift day so your erectors are fresher, and pullups could be moved to deadlift day. I would also do overhead press before any axially loaded hinge or squat movement.
In other words...
Workout A:
Bench press
Barbell rows
Overhead press
Squats
Hyperextension/glute-ham raise
Biceps
Workout 2:
Incline dumbbell press
Deadlifts or RDLs
Lunge/hack squat/Bulgarian split squat
Pull-ups
Lateral raise
Triceps
Just my two cents. Others may disagree. Earlier exercises will probably end up being those you see the best gains in, so you can mix them up accordingly.
@@limitisillusion7 Thank you for your insight, I'll give it a try.
Btw, i haven't made gains as I would like to but i suppose its due to my calorie intake and inconsistency, rather than my sleep. I've been in a deficit for 6 months and only recently i've started eating at a maintenance level. I'm pretty sure I'll see better results once I start my bulking phase. Thanks again
@@bigismols-o5f Ya, I've been in the same boat. You might make gains in a surplus with half the volume. Calories matter a lot.
i just dont understand how you are supposed to efficiently hit all muscle groups twice a week doing fullbody
Is this a new episode or the old one
I hate full body training because I'm used to do short, intense but frequent training sessions that last like 45-50 minutes max, after that I lose my concentration, effort goes to sh*t etc..
ADD training lol
It takes time for you to adapt. Give it a few weeks and you’ll feel right at home
Sounds like you can’t handle the real tough workouts
@@goat252 Real tough workouts last 1 hour maximum, if you’re training for longer you’re half assing it
@@corenko first I’m hearing of this 1 hour limit for intense workouts…
Personally, I like UL, every day, so I hit every muscle 3.5x/week, giving me 48h of rest between hitting each muscle.
Did the Full Body 2-3 times per week for years,but switched to 3 day Upper/Lower. The workouts is better,recovery is great and its a very flexible schedule.✅✅💪💪😎😎
3-4 days torso/limbs is crazy flexible
@@sengunvolkan Yes. A great schedule as well 😎😎💪💪
@@espendahl9719 how long does workouts take when you do 3 day UL. do you have warmup sets for BSD?
@@sengunvolkan Workout is about 30 mins. I do couple of warm up sets on the bigger muscles and just straight to working set after that. I train 2 sets per exercise, 1-2 exercise per muscle and 4-8 sets per muscle per week.
I didnt enjoy full body cos it was like tough training man. I switch to PPl 6times a week.
Chest, back
Legs and shoulder
Arms
now I enjoy cos Arm is my favorite day yo.
Alex has top tier knowledge in this space.
Full body (torso legs) / rest / rest / arms and calve / rest / rest / full body (torso legs) is a good programm ?
Better will be torso rest rest arms/legs and maybe some side delts rest rest repeat. H.I.T
Can you really grow AND get stronger with 2 sets per day per muscle? I did it (just like 2 or 3 weeks tbf) and I kinda felt I got weaker but maybe there were other reasons.... I do full body 4 days a week (because I work on weekends).
You definitely can make progress with two sets, but I’d argue you’d be better off throwing in a second exercise for another 2 sets (4 sets total). You can definitely progress on just 2 though.
I split my upper body Push & Pull movements into 2 exercises with 2 sets each. To focus my chest, I do 4 sets bench press, but split them into 2x 2 sets.
It looks like this:
Day 1:
…
2 sets chest supported row
2 sets barbell bench press
2 sets chest supported t bar row
2 sets barbell bench press
…
Day 2:
…
2 sets Pull Up machine
2 sets standing OHP
2 sets Lat pulldowns
2 sets Incline barbell bench press
…
So you can train the same muscle group from a slight different angle.
On day 1 you could do incline dumbell bench press as your second push exercise. It gives you a lot of flexibility and keeps your training interesting imo.
I like full body pushing/pulling on an A/B split.
Eg:
Bss
Dip
OHP
Ext
Rdl
Pull up
Row
Curl
Repeat
Good for recovery but still hitting things twice a week
I love that split as well. 3 sets each but every other day. I find it better than 2 in a row.
Full Body 2-3 times per week is the goated! There’s a misconception that you have to be in the gym 5-6 days a week to have a great physique and build strength and that’s simply just false
Goddamn with the talking over each other
I tried 8 weeks of full body when trying to lose fat for the summer. I did it five days a week (M-F), using antagonist supersets with fairly short rest periods, staying about two reps from failure on the first few sets and one rep from failure on the last set. I'd only go to full failure on day five. Not going to complete failure all the time allowed me to recover enough to lift frequently. Of course, I was a noob so anything would have worked.
No more than 3 x's per week, and 2 x's is usually better.
@@oldnatty61 Five was great for a period, but now I’ve implemented a modified pull-push-legs split that is working well for me.
Why don't we just stop with this "Everybody you have been told is wrong" business and just discuss and exchange useful info?
💪
4 days is the sweet spot !
algo algo algo
In the end though the total volume is all that matters for 95% of gain potential. Do 10 work sets of chest once or twice a week, same result.
Funnily enough I was always science based from when I competed in 2012. Followed layne Norton phat routine . Nearly a decade later iv tried DUP and many routines and found that I can get the same or better results with a 4 day bro split and feel much less fatigue and it’s much more fun. Tried 2 long ass full bodies and also had great results but was fried for 1-2 days following workouts.
Alex I demand you unhide me from commenting on your channel I need more places to troll
Kick rocks manlet
@@jayden_2_savage635 I hope Alex sees this bro he'll be proud lol you know he is a manlet aswell
@@jayden_2_savage635 a 150lb manlet lol
Training frequency is overemphasized. Nonsense.
You cen get bigger traning a muscle group once a week.
I do not hear anything.
CopeDestiny
How lol