Full Body Workouts are the future. I was initially apprehensive, stuck in my ways of doing every variation of a bicep curl for an hour plus, but it’s hard to argue with the logic of doing big, compound movements compared to little, dodgy ones (I’m looking at you, Triceps Kickbacks). A quick Google search brought up some bodybuilding forum talk about how it’s great for beginners. While this is definitely true, I disagree in that I think they’re great for everyone! Unfortunately, it also revealed some routines and explanations that were a bit overkill in my opinion. For something that’s supposed to be quick, effective and to the point, this doesn’t quite make sense. So let’s keep it short:
Benefits
- Saves Time - Time is Money – it would actually cost you NOT to do full body workouts!
- Gets Your Heart Rate Up – if done right! (so counts as cardio – See tip 1)
- Post Workout Metabolism Boost - Using your muscle in intense exercise upsets your body’s state. It needs to return back to it’s normal state, and repair itself. This requires energy. Full Body Workouts use more muscle, meaning more repair, and more energy use. This translates to More Fat Loss.
- Bigger Gains – Working Muscle causes your body to release a hormone, called Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF). This is thought to have a role in muscle gains. Working all the major muscles of your body at once causes your body to release more IGF. More growth, bigger muscles!
- Fun, Fun, Fun! – workouts are intense and varied. Rests are short, you’re always moving. It’ll be over before you know it, and you’ll have enjoyed every second of it.
How To Do It?
Like I said earlier, a lot of the routines I found look a bit overkill. I like to take a more laid back, simpler approach to my workouts. Here’s what I do:
Similar to the circuits I do from time to time, these exercises focus on large, compound, natural movements.
2 Different Workouts – A & B - At least three times a week (I do A twice and B Once, just because of my specific goals)
Workout A:
- Deadlift
- Horizontal Push (Bench Press)
- Vertical Pull (Pull Up)
Workout B:
- Squats
- Vertical Press (Shoulder Press)
- Horizontal Pull (Bent Over Row)
Don’t get bogged down with sets, reps, rests and weights. If you’re just starting out, then select a weight that’s challenging and try to do as many reps as you can on it. It should be intense enough for you to do 3 or 4 sets on. Rest between doing sets of the exercise, but not for too long. The point of this routine is to keep it simple, quick and efficient, and keep your heart rate up. It’s what I do over exam period, my busiest time of the year. I timed myself doing this the other day and it took just 30 minutes.
Remember to warm up before doing heavy lifting with a bit of light cardio and some stretches for the muscles you’ll be using, and also consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regime.
Happy lifting!
