Full Body Workout Routines

Full Body Workout Routines
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Full body workout routines are designed to exercise the entire body in one single workout session and, according to researchers of the online publication fullbodyworkout.org, is the most effective muscle building and fat burning program available. Full body routines allow you to work out your muscle groups in a smaller amount of time than the more commonly used split routines.

Function

The function of the full body workout is to work out the entire body in one session so you only have to spend two days a week in the gym lifting weights, which allows you more free time to enjoy any activity you may not have time to when you were spending four days a week in the gym. The routines are also designed to allow you to burn a greater number of calories per session because you are working out every major muscle group in your body.

Benefits

The benefits of full body routines are benefits that you should be able to notice in a few short weeks. Because you are working out the entire body, you will be burning more calories than you would with a traditional split routine. Combine the calorie loss with the strength and muscles you will be building, and you will have a lean, muscular physique. Another benefit of these workouts is that you will have more time to allow your muscles to recover because you will only be exercising them twice a week. The researchers at gainingweight.info explain that you should allow 48 hours of rest for your muscles in between workouts. If you do one workout on Monday and your second workout on Friday, you will have given your body plenty of time to recover, which should lead to better results.

Misconception

The main misconception about full body routines is that they do not build any muscle. While you may gain more muscle mass with split-routines that focus on low reps and heavier weights to gain mass, you will definitely gain muscle tissue through full body workouts. When a muscle is placed under enough stress that it has to push its limits and work harder than it is used to, it has no choice but to grow and become stronger. You will achieve a muscular physique through these intense workouts.

Types

The main type of full body routine is circuit training, a highly intense workout that involves 10 to 12 exercises that work the entire body and are performed with very little rest in between each set. A good example of a circuit routine includes chest press, seated row, shoulder press, bicep curl, tricep extension, squats, leg extension, hamstring curl, leg abduction, leg adduction, calf raises, and crunches. Perform a set of 12 repetitions for each exercise, then repeat the entire circuit one more time.

Considerations

When performing full body routines, always consider the exercises you are performing and how often you do them. You never want to continually do the same routine every time you exercise because that will lead you to plateau and not see anymore results. Try to have two separate routines for each week, then after two to three weeks of doing those routines, create two more workouts for the next couple of weeks. This will keep the body from getting used to a routine and becoming stagnant, which will lead to better results for you.

References

Article reviewed by OmahaTyppo Last updated on: Sep 28, 2010

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