Full-body training is a type of strength training program suitable for those looking to gain strength and muscle mass. This strength training program involves working the entire body and all major muscle groups in a single session.
Goals of a full body workout
Full-body training involves training all of the body's major muscle groups in a single strength training session. This means that each exercise will work several different muscle groups.
For example, a squat works the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, abs, and lower back. A bench press works the pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoids.
Full-body strength training programs are also called “multi-joint training” or “high-volume training.”
A coach can help you develop a program tailored to your needs, including basic exercises to help you progress in strength training. Rest days are also important for bulking and muscle gain, and should be taken into account when planning your program.
It's important to understand the goals of a full-body program in order to implement it effectively. The main goals of full-body strength training programs are to build and develop strength, endurance, and muscle mass:
- Muscular strength is a person's ability to lift a certain weight repeatedly.
- Muscular endurance is a person's ability to maintain a certain physical activity for a long period of time.
- Muscle mass is an indicator of a person's total muscle volume as well as their ability to recover after intense physical exertion.
A full body strength training program can also be used to develop muscular power and explosiveness:
- Muscular power is a person's ability to produce maximum force in minimum time,
- Muscular explosiveness refers to a person's ability to produce maximum force over a short period of time.
Finally, this type of strength training can be helpful in improving flexibility and joint mobility:
- Flexibility is a person's ability to perform movements requiring a wide range of motion without experiencing pain or excessive tension.
- Joint mobility refers to the limiting factor in the movement of a joint caused by restrictions imposed by surrounding ligaments, tendons and muscles.
The benefits of a full body workout
One of the main benefits of a full-body strength training program is that it allows you to work all your major muscle groups in a single session. This can be very effective if you're short on time and want to maximize your workouts.
It has the advantage of focusing on overall muscle development. A full-body program involves working all muscle groups.
It allows muscles to grow while avoiding stagnation in a particular muscle group.
Moreover, this form of training is very effective if you are a beginner because it allows you to quickly acquire solid skills and knowledge in physical training.
Another advantage of this type of full-body program is that it can be done at home or in the gym without much effort. You can easily incorporate it into your daily routine without having to dedicate a lot of time and money to your workout program.
A full-body workout can be helpful for burning calories and losing weight. By working different muscle groups simultaneously, you can achieve an elevated heart rate that will allow your body to burn calories faster and more efficiently than if you were performing isolated exercises.
Additionally, full body strength training is very effective in improving overall fitness as it allows the body to adapt to different types of exercises and varied movements.
It is important that the movements are performed correctly in order to achieve the best results while minimizing the risk of muscle or joint injury.
This requires proper technical mastery of movements as well as good motor coordination and physical fitness. It is also recommended to consult a qualified professional before starting a new program so that they can adapt the training to your current level and specific goals.
Full body training frequency
The frequency of full-body strength training sessions is essential for achieving optimal results. For a beginner, a full-body strength training program can be performed two to three days per week, while more advanced athletes can opt for daily or more frequent workouts.
People with a good level of fitness experience may feel comfortable with more intense workouts. If you're a beginner, gradually increase the intensity to avoid injury.
Another factor to consider is the duration and variety of exercises. Full-body workouts typically involve a combination of bodyweight, resistance, and cardio exercises to work your upper and lower body muscles simultaneously. Another option is to split your full-body strength training workout over several days, depending on your specific goals.
Athletes looking to gain strength should consider a routine that involves several sessions per week focused on compound movements such as squats, presses, and pulls, while those looking to improve their cardiovascular endurance can alternate full-body days with intense cardio sessions such as sprinting or cycling.
Finally, it's important to consider recovery between sets and sessions to prevent injuries and optimize physical performance. A good diet combined with sufficient sleep allows the body to fully recover between sessions and achieve its goals. Active or passive stretching between sessions can also help cushion the impact of physical activity and maintain good posture.
The duration of a full body workout
During a full-body workout, the duration of the session is essential to achieving satisfactory results. Indeed, depending on your goals and the time available, the length of a session varies. Thus, for a full-body workout, several solutions are available to you.
If your time is limited and you still want to train effectively, it's possible to perform short but intense sessions. In this case, exercises should be chosen carefully and focus on a few muscle groups at a time. While this method isn't ideal for achieving lasting results, it can be very beneficial for saving time and maintaining and improving your overall fitness.
If time isn't a limiting factor and you're looking for more significant results, it's best to dedicate more time to your full-body workout. By working each muscle group for longer and with greater intensity, your results will be better and more lasting.
In this type of training, you will not only need to vary the exercises in order to work different muscles but also add endurance and cardio exercises in order to improve your overall physical condition and offer variety to the workouts.
Finally, you can divide the session into separate parts, each focusing on a different muscle group. For example, half-body strength training involves training half of your body during each session, alternating between your upper and lower body. This allows you to progress in your strength training while still providing sufficient rest time for the muscles you're working.
And the split in bodybuilding is a training method that consists of dividing bodybuilding sessions into several parts to work different muscle groups in each session. Unlike full-body training, which aims to train all muscle groups in a single session, the split allows you to target each muscle group more closely and give them more recovery time between sessions. Thus, by spreading the effort over several days, physical activity becomes less intense while remaining effective and efficient.
Full body workout exercises
To achieve an effective full-body workout, it's important to combine a variety of movements that promote overall strength development and the improvement of different muscle groups. Exercises can be varied to provide optimal stimulation and ensure no muscle is neglected.
A complete bodybuilding session can include multi-joint exercises and upper body isolation exercises: shoulders, pectorals, arms (biceps, triceps, etc.), back , abs, as well as those of the lower body: buttocks (gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus), legs (hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, etc.).
A good program must take into account the deep muscles, which are more difficult to stimulate, such as the psoas or the transverse abdominis.
Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups help target these deep muscles and promote faster overall development. Cardio can also be incorporated to improve endurance and progress in strength training.
When it comes to using weights, a gradual progression is recommended to avoid excessive stress on the body. It's important to find the right balance between weight and intensity to achieve satisfactory results without injuring yourself or unnecessarily tiring your muscles. You can use dumbbells, a barbell, a weight bench, high and low pulleys, guided and unguided machines, etc.
It's important to take breaks between sets to properly recover. Rest time between sets is crucial to allow muscles to regenerate and prepare for the next set. At the end of each session, it's recommended to perform gentle stretches to promote muscle recovery and prevent muscle soreness.
It's also crucial to ensure proper back support during exercise to protect the spine and avoid back pain after training. It's important to combine rest periods between sets to ensure proper recovery.
The duration and frequency of breaks obviously depend on the desired goals and the initial physical level, but they must be sufficient to allow each muscle to rest adequately. The choice of exercises depends on the time available but also on the physical level sought by the user.
Proper technique is also essential because it allows you to amplify the desired effect without risking injury. It is recommended to start with simple exercises that do not require too much effort but are still very effective for quickly achieving visible results.
Examples of exercises with explanation
Here are some full-body strength training exercises to perform with a barbell and weights of varying weights depending on your level:
Squat
Place the barbell on your shoulders and hold it firmly with a wide grip. Lower into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then return to a standing position by pushing through your heels.
Deadlift
Place the bar in front of you with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend over to grab the bar, then push through your heels until you're standing with the bar in front of your thighs.
Rowing bar
Hold the bar with a wide grip and lean slightly forward. Pull it toward your body until it touches your torso, then release and repeat.
Bench press
Lie on a bench with the barbell across your chest. Lift it until your arms are straight, then slowly lower it until it touches your chest. Repeat.
Curl bar
Hold the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing up) and lift it until it touches your chest. Slowly lower back down and repeat.
Shoulder press
Hold the bar behind your neck with a wide grip. Lift it overhead by pushing with your shoulders, then slowly lower it back down and repeat.
There are other exercises like leg press, seated leg curl, leg extensions… Each exercise should have a set number of repetitions and sets, with rest between sets.
Finally, it's important to adapt your diet to support your workout and reap all its benefits: consume enough protein to build muscle mass, but also enough carbohydrates to provide the energy needed for intense and prolonged exercise. You can seek advice from a sports nutrition professional to guide you.
In summary.
Full-body training is an effective training method for working all the major muscle groups in the body in a single workout. It can be very beneficial if you have limited time to train or for beginners looking to work all muscle groups in a balanced way.
It is important to choose exercises that work several muscle groups at once and to vary the exercises to avoid stagnation.
A full-body workout can improve your fitness and well-being, and promote muscle gain. It's recommended to adapt exercises to your fitness level and goals, and to vary your sessions. To maximize results, it's recommended to get enough rest between sessions and to follow a diet tailored to your program.
