A full body workout (FBW) is a resistance training strategy that involves exercising every major muscle group in a single session, typically performed multiple times per week. This approach differs from traditional split routines, which target different muscle groups on separate days. For individuals focused on increasing muscle size, known as hypertrophy, the full body method is effective, especially for those new to lifting or at an intermediate level. Training the entire body in one session leverages a higher training frequency, which is a significant factor in promoting muscle growth.
Training Frequency and Muscle Protein Synthesis
The effectiveness of full body workouts for muscle gain is rooted in muscle protein synthesis (MPS). MPS is the metabolic mechanism responsible for repairing and building new muscle fibers, and stimulating this process is the direct trigger for hypertrophy. Following resistance training, the rate of MPS is temporarily elevated, creating an “anabolic window” where muscle growth is maximized.
This elevated MPS response typically lasts for about 24 to 48 hours before returning to normal levels. If a muscle is trained only once per week, as is common in many split routines, the MPS rate increases only briefly, leaving the muscle in a non-growth state for the majority of the week. Full body training stimulates a muscle group multiple times a week, allowing the MPS rate to be re-elevated more frequently.
By repeatedly triggering MPS, full body workouts keep the muscle in an anabolic state for a greater portion of the week. Training a muscle group two to three times per week is optimal for maximizing muscle growth. A three-day full body routine ensures each muscle is stimulated roughly every 48 hours, aligning with the duration of the elevated MPS response. This higher frequency creates more opportunities for growth compared to a lower frequency approach, provided the total weekly volume is managed appropriately.
Designing an Effective Full Body Routine for Growth
The structure of a full body workout intended for hypertrophy must prioritize efficiency and recovery. The most effective schedule is training three times per week on non-consecutive days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), allowing for a full day of rest between sessions. This frequency allows muscle groups to recover while still providing necessary stimulation.
Exercise selection should focus heavily on compound movements, which engage multiple joints and large muscle groups simultaneously. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, and rows form the backbone of the routine, as they are potent drivers of strength and muscle mass development. Using these lifts allows the entire body to be trained with a small number of exercises, keeping the session manageable.
Volume and intensity must be carefully calibrated to avoid excessive fatigue. For hypertrophy, most working sets should fall within the 6 to 12 repetition range, with intensity high (sets taken close to muscular failure). The volume per muscle group per session should remain low, generally two to three working sets, sufficient to initiate the MPS response. This lower per-session volume allows the lifter to maintain high intensity and recover adequately, contributing to a high total weekly volume spread across the three training days.
Full Body Workouts Compared to Split Routines
When comparing full body workouts to split routines, such as a “Bro Split” or Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) schedule, the primary difference lies in the distribution of training volume and frequency. Split routines concentrate a high volume of work on one or two muscle groups per session, training them intensely but only once per week. Full body workouts spread the same total weekly volume over two to three sessions, resulting in higher frequency but lower per-session volume for each muscle group.
For individuals new to resistance training or at an intermediate stage, the full body approach is often superior due to frequent muscle stimulation and balanced recovery. Since the per-session volume is lower, localized fatigue and muscle soreness are less severe, which improves adherence. Full body routines are also time-efficient, requiring fewer total days in the gym than many split routines to achieve optimal training frequency.
Advanced lifters, who require a significantly higher total weekly volume to continue making gains, may find that split routines are more manageable for fatigue. Concentrating volume into a single session allows them to accumulate a high number of sets for a muscle group without the systemic fatigue that would occur if they tried to perform that same high volume across a full body routine.
However, for most people, research indicates that when the total weekly volume is equalized, both full body and split routines produce similar gains in muscle size and strength. The choice depends on an individual’s preference, recovery capacity, and overall schedule.