Although some bodybuilders follow true full-body workout programmes, which include working out every major muscle group in one session, resting for a day or two, and then repeating the process, this method has gone out of favour because it results in gruelling, unsustainable sessions.
Most modern "full-body" workout regimens are actually "high-frequency" workout routines, which include training two or more muscle groups per workout and each muscle group at least twice per week.
We'll get into the science of high-frequency training later, but the short version is that a growing body of evidence suggests that training each muscle group at least twice, if not more, per week is ideal for building strength and muscle.
You must, however, train various muscle groups in each workout to achieve this degree of frequency.
Mind you, you don't have to train every single muscle group in every workout, and you certainly don't have to do the same exercises in every workout, which is why the new evidence-based approach to full-body training differs from the old one.
So much so that many modern "full-body" workout programmes don't comprise a single actual "full-body workout," because the goal is to attain optimal weekly training and volume frequency for each major muscle group, not only to train every major muscle group in each session.
As a result, whenever I say "full-body" training, I mean "almost full-body training that involves training two or more muscle groups per workout so that each major muscle group is trained at least twice per week."
How To Warm Up
It's critical to properly warm up before every workout on this training regimen. Because your muscles aren't going into heavy lifts cold, preparing your body will not only ensure you're primed to perform in the workout, but it will also make it less likely that you'll succumb to injuries during the training plan.
Warming up properly requires activating the muscles that will be used in the workout, which is why spending five minutes on a cardio machine before a weights session isn't the best option.
Instead, follow Yasmin Saadi's warm-up program from The Fitting Rooms gym. It begins with a set of seven stretches designed to mobilize the entire body. After that, you should do some particular warm-ups for your workout. The simplest method to achieve this is to perform the exercises you planned for your workout with very little or no weight, as this will force you to engage the muscles you expect to be tested throughout the workout. You can also do extra stretches that target the essential muscles.
When you're short on time, it's tempting to skip the warm-up in favor of focusing on the workout itself, but it's better to abbreviate the workout and make sure you're doing it correctly than to go in cold and sloppy sets while your muscles warm-up.
The Best Full-Body Workout Routines for Building Muscle
WORKOUT ONE: CHEST AND SHOULDERS
1 Bench press
Lie on a flat bench with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and an overhand grip on a barbell. Lower the bar to your chest by bracing your core and pressing your feet into the ground. Return to the beginning by pressing the button once more.
Sets 7 Reps 6 Rest 90sec
2 Dumbbell overhead press
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height and stand tall. Press the weights directly overhead until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start, keeping your chest up.
Sets 3 Reps 8 Rest 90sec
3A Lateral raise
With your palms facing each other, stand with dumbbells by your sides. Lean forward slightly, then raise the weights to your sides with your elbows leading the way. Slowly lower them back to the starting point while maintaining control.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3B Front raise
Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your body with straight arms and stand tall. Raise the weights in front of you to shoulder strike while keeping your chest up and arms straight. Return to the starting position.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3C Reverse flye
Bend forward from the hips, hands facing forward, with a light dumbbell in each hand. Raise the weights to shoulder height while keeping a slight bend in your elbows, then lower them back to the start.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 90sec
4 External cable rotation
Set the cable at a low height and retract your shoulder blades in a split stance. Hold your arm so that your elbow is parallel to the ground and your forearm is level with your shoulder. Pull the wire so that your elbow remains stationary but your forearm is upright.
Sets 3 Reps 15 Rest 60sec
WORKOUT TWO: LEGS
1 Front squat
Stand tall with your elbows up, gripping a bar across the front of your shoulders. Squat as low as you can while keeping your core braced. To get back to the beginning, drive up through your heels.
Sets 7 Reps 6 Rest 90sec
2 Glute-hamstring raise
Adjust the glute-ham developer (GHD) so that your quads are resting on the middle of the GHD while your feet are attached, and you may lower your torso over the end. With your arms folded over your chest, position your body above your knees at right angles to your lower legs. Brace your core and descend your torso over the GHD's edge until your hips make a straight angle. By contracting your hamstrings, quickly return to the starting posture.
Sets 3 Reps 8 Rest 90sec
3A Prone hamstring curl
Lay face down on the machine and arrange yourself correctly and carefully according to the machine's directions. Raise the pad by squeezing your hamstrings while holding it against the back of your lower calves. Slowly make your way back to the beginning.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3B Hack squat
Lay down on the machine and arrange yourself carefully and safely according to the machine's directions. Lower until your thighs and calves are at right angles, then press back up.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3C Dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift
Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs while standing upright. To activate your glutes, brace your core and slightly bend your knees. Hinge from your hips without rounding your back until your hamstrings' range of motion is exhausted. Return to the starting position after a brief hold.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 90sec
4 Seated leg extension
Sit in the leg extension machine and position yourself carefully and safely by following the directions. Lift the weight using your quads while wearing the pad on your shins. Slowly make your way back to the beginning.
Sets 3 Reps 15 Rest 60sec
WORKOUT THREE: BACK AND BICEPS
1 Bent-over row
Hold a barbell with an overhand hold at shoulder width, hands just outside your legs. Bend your knees slightly, then bend forward from your hips, keeping your shoulder blades back. Pull the bar up to your sternum with your elbows leading the way, then drop it back to the starting position.
Sets 7 Reps 6 Rest 90sec
2 Neutral-grip pull-up
With hands facing each other, hang from a pull-up bar or handles. Pull yourself up until your lower chest hits the bar, bracing your core. Lower your arms till they are straight again.
Sets 3 Reps 8 Rest 90sec
3A Preacher curl
Sit on a preacher bench with an underhand grip on an EZ bar. Curl the bar to the top, pause to squeeze, and then slowly lower the bar until your arms are completely straight.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3B Dumbbell spider curl
Bend down and rest your elbows on your thighs, arms straight, while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Curl the weights up to your shoulders, squeeze your biceps at the top, and then slowly drop back to the starting position.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3C Narrow-grip EZ-bar curl
With your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, stand. With your arms outstretched, holding an EZ-bar with a thin, underhand grip. Curl the bar up to your chest while keeping your elbows tucked up at your sides.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 90sec
4 Cable face pull
Hold a double-rope attachment on the high pulley with straight arms while standing tall. Pull the handles to either side of your head, then controllably return to the start.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 60sec
WORKOUT FOUR: TRICEPS AND ABS
1 Triceps dip
With your arms straight, grip rings or parallel bars. Bend your elbows to lower your body as much as your shoulders will allow while keeping your chest up. To get back to the beginning, press up hard.
Sets 7 Reps 6 Rest 90sec
2 Hanging leg raise
Begin in a dead hang, with your legs straight and your knees and ankles contacting the pull-up bar. Keep them together as you elevate them with your lower abs, then slowly lower them down to the start.
Sets 3 Reps 8 Rest 90sec
3A V-sit
Raise your shoulders and legs off the floor while lying on your back. Raise your torso till your chest hits your knees at the top of the action while keeping your arms straight. Lower to a safe level.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3B Reverse crunch
For support, lie flat on your back with your head and shoulders on a mat, your thighs upright, knees bent at 90 degrees, and arms by your sides. Curl your knees up to your chest and hold them there. Lift your hips off the mat by contracting your abs. Slowly return to the starting position.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 0sec
3C Russian twist
Begin with your feet off the ground, at the apex of the crunch movement. Rotate to one side then the other while keeping your abs braced to accomplish one rep.
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 90sec
4 Diamond press-up
Start in a press-up position, but make a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers touching. Bend your elbows to drop your chest to the floor while keeping your hips high and core support. To get back to the beginning, push down with your hands.
Sets 2 Reps To failure Rest 60sec
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