To be muscular in the upper and lower parts of your body along with your abs and back, you'll need a solid full-body workout program. BodyBuilding.com suggests performing a full-body workout in one session, rather than working certain muscle groups on certain days.
Benefits
Full-body training has several benefits. First, you'll train each muscle group more frequently. Another benefit is that you'll burn more energy per workout than you would in a split routine. The increased energy output gives you more freedom at the dinner table because you won't be as concerned about adding fat. Additionally, you won't have to spend as much time performing cardio.
Straight Set Workout
According to bodybuilder Jen Heath at Bodybuilder.com, an effective straight set full-body workout should target 11 parts of your body. Some of these include the chest, deltoids, back, biceps and abs. You'll begin by working the chest with the bench press and later move on to squats for your quadriceps. Near the end, perform bench press with a close grip for your triceps and dumbbell curls on an incline bench for your biceps.
Sets and Repetitions
Perform about three sets in the first two weeks at about 11 repetitions. The number of sets stay the same for the third and fourth week, but you'll be performing two fewer repetitions. For the fifth and sixth week, perform a fourth set and decrease the number of repetitions by two.
High Volume Workout
If you have limited time to spend at a gym, BodyBuilding.com suggests a fast full-body workout. This regimen is designed to shed body fat. Some of the exercises you'll perform are squats, bicep curls, bench presses and sit-ups. You'll still need to perform cardio to help shed fat. This routine is effective for shedding fat because it's performed at a high volume in a short period. Perform two sets for the squats and bench presses and one set for everything else, except bent-over rows.
Considerations
Full-body workouts are strenuous for the body. Heath suggests additional rest and lessening training volume to combat exhaustion.
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