Strength training is very beneficial according to many different studies. Although it may not be the most popular type of workout, one should definitely do it at least once in a while for the positive effects it can have.
While having strength training sessions that focus on one part of the body is a great choice, combining it all together for a full body workout can also give you a wonderful workout. This post will discuss full body workouts and provide you with one that you may want to try!
Full body workouts-why and when
These types of workouts work the whole body all in one session. There are a few benefits of training this way and they are as follows:
- More calories burned-When you target more muscles in a workout, more calories can be burned than strength workouts that focus on one section of the body.
- Good start- Having a strength training workout that involves moves for all parts of the body is a wonderful way to get started with them. It allows you to get a grasp of the different strength training exercises so you can feel more confident doing them. Eventually you can branch out to having workouts that only focus on one part of the body (called split workout routines) if you want.
- Convenience for one’s schedule- These workouts are great for people who are limited on days they can workout due to various reasons.
- More interesting- Some people have a tendency to get really bored during their workouts which makes it hard for them to be consistent with them. With full body workouts, there is a enough variety in the movements where boredom may be less likely to happen.
- Good choice after skipped workouts- If you have missed a couple days of strength training workouts during the week, a full body workout will help ensure that you get all your muscles at least some work that week.
- Great for general fitness- Full body workouts are wonderful for those that just want the health benefits that come with strength training and nothing more.
There are some things that might be considered negative when it comes to full body workouts. They are as follows:
- No special focus on certain parts of the body- If you are wanting to build up certain muscles, you may not be able to do that with full body workouts. this is because you are working more than one area and are likely not doing a lot of the “small” movements.
- Too tough on the body- Depending on how many exercises are in the workout and how it is arranged, it may be really hard on your body. This may mean that doing the full body workouts three times a week could be too much and lead to injuries (such as tears and tendonitis).
- May take more time- Depending on the full body workout you are doing, it may take more time than a workout that only focuses on one part of the body.
There are quite a few different full body workouts that you can find around the internet. They are usually arranged in straight set, superset, tri-set, circuit set and descending set form.
If you don’t have a weight set-don’t worry! There are plenty of great fully body workouts that only use body weight.
Full body workouts can be done 1-3 times a week. This means they can be the sole strength training workouts of your routine or combined with other ones. It is important to make sure to listen to your body and take off extra days as needed.
Explanation on my full body workout
This workout is a good one! You do not need a workout bench for it (I don’t have one!), you will need dumbbells for it though.
It has three circuits (A,B and C) that have five exercises each. For each circuit, you are to work through the five exercises with minimal rest in between each. After the five exercises are done, you will rest. This all should then be done two more times for a total of three for each circuit.
Circuits A and B use weights (you can use a dumbbell set, adjustable dumbbells or barbells). You are to do 12-15 reps per exercise. This means the weights you choose needs to be light enough to get up to that number range.
Circuit C is all body weight which involves push ups (three types), jump squats and jump lunges. You are to do each exercise 12-15 times (or as many as you can). This circuit can be scrapped if you are too tired from A and B. It is just to give the muscles a little extra work and a bit more of a burn.
This full body workout can be done as the sole strength training workouts for the week. Another option is to do one of the these workouts with the other two days as heavier lifting- focusing on the upper body and lower body.
This is more of an endurance workout than a muscle size booster. If you are going for the latter, this might not be the right workout for you. You could do it every once in a while though as you will still get a good exercise session in when you do it.
If you have the time and will, you could get some cardio in on the days you do this full body workout. The reps and circuit style of the workout will provide a cardio-like effect though so you may not even need to.
My full body workout
Circuit A (done 3x; 12-15 reps per each exercise)-
A1. Chest press
A2. Regular squats
A3. Bent over rows
A4. Regular deadlifts
A5. Weighted crunches
Circuit B (done 3x; 12-15 reps per each exercise)-
B1. Shoulder press
B2. Narrow squats (feet together)
B3. Hammer curls
B4. Single leg deadlifts (12-15 reps per each leg)
B5. Bicycle crunches
Circuit C (done 3x; 12-15 reps or as many as you can)-
C1. Regular push ups
C2. Narrow grip push ups
C4. Jump squats
C5. Jump lunges
So there you have it!
This is the workout I created a while ago now. I use it sporadically when I want a break from my regular split workout routine and I always enjoy it.
I would highly recommend trying it sometime if you are looking for a full body workout to do. If you do try it, let me know how it goes!
Thanks for reading!
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