“Full Body Workout Vs Split Training – Which One Is Better?” – Monica May

 

Back in the days when I started working out, I only did split training.

It was known to be the most effective way to build muscles and get fit overall, and my impression was that full body workout is for beginners only.

Years passed as I was doing my split training, and never ever trying out full body workout at least for a day, because of fear of muscle loss.

Yup, I’ve heard it all:

You’ll lose muscles!
You’ll just burn them!

God forbid that!

However, after becoming a home worker a few years back, I ended up trying out full body workout for a month, and I can’t wait to share my experience with you.

Let’s jump right into it!

Full Body Workout Vs Split Training

What’s The Difference?

A split training, aka bro split, is when you are focussing and working on one muscle group per session.

For example:

  • Monday – chest
  • Tuesday -arms
  • Wednesday back
  • Thursday- legs
  • Friday- shoulders

A full body workout on the other hand is basically a training session where you are working on more muscles at the same time.

  • Legs – Squat
  • Chest – Push-Ups
  • Back – Bent Over Rows
  • Posterior chain – Deadlift
  • Tricep – Dips
  • Bicep – Dumbbell Curls
  • Ab – V-Ups

Now, while many will argue about which one is more effective in terms of burning more fat while gaining more muscles at the same time, I have to say that they are both effective and they both can give you results.

Let’s dive into the pros and cons.

Split Training

Pros

Great For Focusing On Building Muscles
By doing one muscle group at a time, you can focus on that muscle group, and by doing that you will maximize the muscle gain.
Plus, it’s easier to target the muscle groups when you are dedicating a full training session to them.

The Workouts Feel Easier
Don’t get me wrong, every workout is hard and challenging, but when you only focus on working on one single muscle group a day, it’s easier to both target the muscle and go through the workout overall.

Helps You Improve The Form
You focus on the form more and more when you workout with one muscle group at a time.

It Allows Better Muscle Recovery
Your muscles recover better because they have the time to recover.
It’s good to have a good rest for the muscle group till your next workout, so you have that better if doing split training.

Cons

Less Calorie Burn
When doing split training, you burn fewer calories, compared with the ones you burn when working out your whole body.
That’s why doing a 20-30 minute cardio session afterward is highly recommended.

It’s A Big Deal If You Skip A Workout
You have to be more committed when it comes to split training.
Skipping a workout is not the best idea because that muscle group is worked once a week, and skipping a workout means you are skipping a whole muscle group.

It’s Not Optimal
Split workouts tend to have lower frequency per muscle group.
You do chest on Monday, and your chest is really only growing for about 36–48hours afterward.
There are 168 hours of the week, and that’s why it’s believed to be not as optimal!

 

Full Body Workout

Pros

Maximize Fat Burn
The first great thing about full body workout is that you actually maximize the fat burn, and that makes you lose weight faster.
Studies consistently show that full body routines cause better fat loss, often double or more of that of a split routine.

Muscle Growth
High frequency of muscle protein synthesis.
Compared with the split routine, every muscle group is getting hit multiple times per week, meaning that it leads to more muscle engagement = more muscle growth 

You can skip the cardio machine
By doing a full body workout, you are already maximizing the weight loss.
If you add exercises such as burpees or kettlebell swings and working on more muscles in one exercise, you won’t have to do that extra cardio at the end or at the beginning of the workout.

Skipping a Workout Is Not That Bad
When you workout your whole body at once, you have already worked out all of the muscle groups with just one workout, so it is not a big deal if you skip a workout.
You shouldn’t do that very often, but again, it’s not that bad.

Cons

They Are Hard
Yes, workout should be really hard, and really challenging, because multiple times per week can be tough to sustain, especially as you become more advanced and start lifting heavier weights. And if you try and give your very best, you may find yourself not being able to finish the workout.

Can Easily Lead To Over Training
By doing a full body workout vs split, you can easily over-train, if you are not extra careful.
Overtraining can lead to muscle fatigue, muscle loss, and injuries. However, if you are careful and rest properly, there’s no need to worry.

Full Body Workout vs Split Training

Conclusion

At the end of the day, there is no such thing as the best workout.

The best workout is the one you can do and stick to doing it consistently, and give you the best results.

For me, that’s definitely a full-body workout, including High-Intensity Interval Training aka HIIT.

I was a split girl for so many years, and said to myself, okay I’m trying a full-body workout just to see what happens.
If I don’t like it, I’ll just get back to my old routine.

And then amazing things happened – I just fell in love with it.

I don’t know if it was the fact that after long years I did a change or the style of training I did, but I’ve had the best results in both fat loss and muscle gain.

It works amazing, the workouts are harder but shorter, and the results are just astonishing.

If you want to find out more about my style of training, head on to my workout program here.

 

What’s your style of training?

Let me know in the comment section below!

Till next time!
xoxo

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