For a complete resistance training program you need to have an exercise for each major muscle group and you should perform those exercises two to three times per week. The muscles need at least two days of rest between workouts. This can be accomplished by performing a full body workout twice a week or split routine multiple days per week, working different muscles each time.
Definition
A full body workout is defined as a resistance training program that works every major muscle group in one session. The major muscle groups include the legs, hips, abdomen, chest, arms and back according to the American Council on Exercise, ACE. A split routine spreads the exercises for these muscle groups across multiple days.
Full Body Routine Benefits
Full body workouts provide structure that is very beneficial for people who are new to resistance training. ACE experts say that this routine is the best choice for people who are looking to improve their overall health and enhance conditioning. An example full body routine would include four upper body exercises such as the bench press, shoulder press, biceps curl, and bent over row along with three choices for the lower body including squats, lunges and calf raises. This is also the best routine if exercise time is limited.
Split Routine Benefits
Advanced strength training often includes split routines because this method concentrates on one or two muscles at a time allowing for more muscle overload in each session. ACE states that more overload may be more effective. This type of training is used for people with specific fitness related goals such as increased muscle definition. It also allows for resistance training every day which may be helpful in establishing a daily exercise routine.
Research Results
Resistance training results do not depend on the type of routine followed. In 1994 Aaron Calder et al. studied young healthy women for 20 weeks while they performed resistance training exercises following either a full body workout or a split routine. The full body workout included four upper body and three lower body exercises twice a week. The split routine was four upper body exercises two days per week and three lower body exercises on two separate days. The results, published in "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism" found similar increases in the weight lifted while performing arm curls, bench press and leg press. The only significant difference was lean leg mass, which increased more in the full body workout. The researchers concluded that the resistance training routines produced similar results.
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