There are advantages and disadvantages to both full body and split training routines, and which one is better suited for you depends exclusively on your fitness needs. This is not to say that one is necessarily better than the other, but rather that the type of training routine you use is just one of the many tools you have to accomplish your goals.
Full Body Routines
A full body routine is just that: a routine that has you working your entire body several times a week. Various weightlifting routines are all full body workouts, as each of the Olympic lifts work the majority of the muscles of the body. Other routines, such as Starting Strength or Bill Starr's 5x5 are other examples of full body routines, although these involve the squat, bench, deadlift, press, power clean, and row. As each session would feature the large, compound lifts, you would be getting the stimulus of extra testerone production, according to Dr. George McCaulley of Appalachian State University.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Body Routines
With a full body routine, programming is usually simpler, as over the course of the training week you focus on fewer exercises. It also allows you to use lifts that hit multiple muscles at once without worrying about it affecting your next workout, as rest and recovery should be part of your properly planned routine. This sort of plan has some disadvantages as well, as there is little time or energy to focus on any specific weak point, because by the time you are done doing, for example, cleans, squats, deadlifts, and press, you will not have much of a desire to do anything else. If you train intensely, using short rest periods and compound lifts, you will achieve a greater level of testosterone production, which is the primary anabolic hormone, according to research by Dr. Andrew Fry of the University of Kansas.
Split Routines
Split routines have become popular with bodybuilders since the late 1960's, when they no longer had to compete in Olympic lifting to earn athletic points under the Amateur Athletic Union rules. Since that time, the number and complexity of the split routines has skyrocketed. A basic split routine often consists of training each body part, or what is considered a body part, once a week. For example, you might train your back on Monday, your chest on Tuesday, your shoulders and arms on Thursday, and your legs on Friday.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Split Routine
The advantages are immediate and obvious: you can really focus on one body part, and you can often have an easier time manipulating your training to support your recovery. However, sometimes it can be hard to fit in the larger, compound lifts and not have them effect another training session. You do not want to deadlift the day before you squat heavy, as squatting with a heavy bar balanced on your shoulders with your back fatigued is not exactly a good training plan. It is difficult to fit in exercises like the power clean as well, but with some work, and some creativity, a lot can be done.
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