Thread: Full body workout for gaining mass?

i voted yes because you can definetly gain mass using a full body workout, assuming diet is on point and workload (volume, frequency, and intensity) is ample but not excessive.

I've never tried a full-body split but i have heard that HST, which is full body, has worked well for many poeple.

i did hst for a while last summer and it worked pretty well although my upperbody started lagging behind my lower body which didnt happen as much when i focused on different sections each day

The key would be varying the intensity if your going three days a week.For example a heavy,light,med day.Of course if you are deadlifting you should kaap that to once a week and substituting the other days with hypers,rows or chins.Just my 2$.

yes

Originally posted by P-funk
yes

lol

because im aware that doing the basic exercise will really make people look bigger.. (e.g bench press, military press, deadlift and etc) So what if i do all the basic movements of each muscle group in the full body workout( upper and lower different days)? i guess that should work fine isnt it?

Originally posted by Yanick
lol

hehehehehe, I have no energy to argue so I just wanted to keep my answer short and sweet.

Buffed,

Yes, you can do your whole bosy in the entire workout I would recommed three times a week with a minninmum of 1 day of rest inbetween workouts (you can take a second day of rest if you are really tired.). I would change the intensity of each workout by either changing the intensity for the entire body like this:

day 1- total body (heavy day...lower volume here, focus on low
reps (2 and threes and even some singles) and long rest
intervals)

day2- total body (moderate weight day......a rep range of 6-10 is
good)

day3- total body (light day......reps 10-15. lower rest interval
more of a condidioning workout. Supersetting upper and
lower body exercises is also good.)

Make sure that you mix up what exercise you start with (ie squat, bench, overhead press, pull ups, rows, deadlifts). No direct arm work in neccessary. Yes it is had to train like this but your body will adapt and you will most defenitly get stonger, put on size and condition yourself on a whole different level. Other training slpits wil feel like a cake walk after you do this. I recommend cycling this into yuor training for 4-6 weeks (it is hard to hang on this split for 4 weeks) and then switch to something else.


Or you can vary intensties between body parts while still staying total body. Like this:

day1- legs (heavy)/ shoulders (heavy)/ back (light)/ chest
(moderate)
day2- chest (heavy)/ back (light)/ legs (moderate)/ shoulders
(light)
day3- back (heavy)/ shoulders (moderate)/chest (light)/legs
(light)


hope that helps.

^Now that's better! You're a mod for pete's sake!

Originally posted by x~factor
^Now that's better! You're a mod for pete's sake!

I have pretty much given up on this board as far a talking about training splits because everyone here is only into traditional bodybuilding splits and fails to realize that there are other ways, that may be more beneficial, to train. Everyone here is to close minded. Just look at the results of this poll. The "no's" are winning when I bet most people here have never even tried a total body workout or can even set one up properly. I hate answering things with long posts like that because you take your time to help people and then they shrud it off without giving it a shot. I'd say most people here train well below their maximum potential and couldn't hang for a workout with Yanick.

I did a full body routine for the first 6 months or so that I started lifting again. I had excellent results, but the traditional split is working better for me now. However, I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I started eating a lot more when I switched splits (Thanks to this board I realized how important it truly was).

I did high intensity full body workouts every time. I didn't even do what I would consider an optimal routine. I didn't do squats or deadlifts, which was definitely a big mistake. Despite that, I gained 20 pounds in only a few months.

Originally posted by P-funk
I'd say most people here train well below their maximum potential and couldn't hang for a workout with Yanick.

Wow, thats a hell of a compliment coming from you bro. Honestly all i really try to do is keep up with you, lol.


Cowpimp,

you had newbie gains (first year or so you can do pretty much anything and progress, not optimally, but progress nonetheless). You cannot compare doing a full body split when you were a noob and doing one when you know what you are actually doing, as far as diet/training. You kind of proved P-funks point with your post. Look at all the knowledge you gained since then, don't you think that knowing all you know now, you can set up a high frequency routine and gain?

Thx p funk for the "short" info that u wrote above... trying to change my workout routine to a full body workout...

keep us updated with your results, start a journal if don't have one already, i would definitely follow that one (you'll also get tons of advice from others).

Originally posted by P-funk
I have pretty much given up on this board as far a talking about training splits because everyone here is only into traditional bodybuilding splits and fails to realize that there are other ways, that may be more beneficial, to train. Everyone here is to close minded. Just look at the results of this poll. The "no's" are winning when I bet most people here have never even tried a total body workout or can even set one up properly. I hate answering things with long posts like that because you take your time to help people and then they shrud it off without giving it a shot. I'd say most people here train well below their maximum potential and couldn't hang for a workout with Yanick.

hey man, don't give up. I'm open minded, i voted yes, and backed it up. keep spreading the truth.

I simply dont have the time for a full body workout

Well,
I got the full blown HST thing goin on now. Ending my second week. It's a bit modified for the exercises, but it's a complete full body workout every other day.
Got it down to about 50 minutes with one set for most exercises and 2 sets for a select few.
Keeping a strict log which shows excellent increase in both reps and weight. And I am gaining good muscle mass, even with this HORRIBLE diet I have.
I will post my HST log at th end of 5 weeks.

One thing I noticed right away is how good I feel on the program. I'm getting stronger, and at the same time I'm not walking out of the gym with one of my body parts tired for the next two days.

I voted yes. Although I haven't tried HST, many have and are getting good results. Those who know me, know I have always advocated twice a week, lower volume bodypart training. In fact, everytime I've tried the popular once a week bodypart training, I have had awful results. I really should give HST a try, but I must admit, I LIKE going to the gym.

The old school split that worked REALLY well for me was:

Monday: Chest, shoulders, tri's
Tuesday: Back, bi's, legs
Wednesday: off
Thursday: repeat Monday
Friday: repeat Tuesday
Saturday: off
Sunday: off

My current split:
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders, tri's
Day 4: Back, bi's
Day 5: off
repeat

Originally posted by Yanick
Wow, thats a hell of a compliment coming from you bro. Honestly all i really try to do is keep up with you, lol.


Cowpimp,

you had newbie gains (first year or so you can do pretty much anything and progress, not optimally, but progress nonetheless). You cannot compare doing a full body split when you were a noob and doing one when you know what you are actually doing, as far as diet/training. You kind of proved P-funks point with your post. Look at all the knowledge you gained since then, don't you think that knowing all you know now, you can set up a high frequency routine and gain?

I know very well about newbie gains. I was just sharing my experience with a full body workout. I could setup a full body workout again, but I like my new split because my workouts are a lot shorter and I hit more muscles. I will probably try a full body workout again one day, or a two day split that I complete twice per week, but I'm sticking with a more traditional split for the time being.

Furthermore, I would say that gaining more than 1 pound per week is pretty damned good, even for a newbie, especially considering my diet was way too low in caloric intake and I did about 15 miles of jogging per week then.

Doing HST with some changes! Orientated for 6 day workout! Good results!

HST is an excellent method. I think if people truly gave it a chance (more than one quick cycle) it would do wonders for many people.

I wouldn't recommend doing 'total' body, because you'll spend too much time at the gym when you need to be out or at home ingesting calories to repair and build your body.

I gave HST, 2 relatively long cycles! Also split the full body workouts in two! So, in two days i perform full body! And each training i don't go further than an hour!
With good diet and rest i think this method is one excellent!

Originally posted by leg_press
I wouldn't recommend doing 'total' body, because you'll spend too much time at the gym when you need to be out or at home ingesting calories to repair and build your body.

Why does everyone think that a total body workout needs to take so long? It should take you 45-60min like anyother workout. You do your important lifts and some core work. You don't waste time with direct arm work. If you can do things like direct arm work after a total body workout then you didn't work hard enough. A solid total body program should have you in and out of the gym and leave you blasted.

Originally posted by P-funk
Why does everyone think that a total body workout needs to take so long? It should take you 45-60min like anyother workout. You do your important lifts and some core work. You don't waste time with direct arm work. If you can do things like direct arm work after a total body workout then you didn't work hard enough. A solid total body program should have you in and out of the gym and leave you blasted.

i agree that it doesnt have to take long, but Bryan Haycock, the adminstrator of the HST site(and probably owner) advises to do the direct tri/bi work... i haven't used HST yet, so i am not arguing, just confused at this statement.

Well it sucks that my bulk is pretty much over, or I'd DEFINITELY give this a whirl....I can't wait till my next bulk...does anybody stay on this programme while cutting?

Peace.

Originally posted by sentricyphen
i agree that it doesnt have to take long, but Bryan Haycock, the adminstrator of the HST site(and probably owner) advises to do the direct tri/bi work... i haven't used HST yet, so i am not arguing, just confused at this statement.

It depends on what kind of total body workout you are doing. If you are doing more olympic training so you are lifting total body and spliting between snatches and cleans on different days then you probably don't need to be doing direct arm work. I don't think I would do dierect arm work on a total body routine anyway just because it takes up time at the end when I am fried and could be doing core work anyway. I may throw in some arm work once a week to build shoulder stabality for bench pressing, especially some bicep curls.

I just said that because most people, when they first start working out, do total body and they do everything in about a 2hr workout. that leaves this bad taste in their mouths that a total body workout is to much. All I am trying to do is present the possibility that there is a way to set it up and train in an effective manner.

I just split upper and lower body up in either am/pm sessions or I do upper on monday, lower on tues, upper on wed (etc) and I get in and out of the gym in and hour or less.

Just did my first full body workout since 2.5 years... awesome workout...