Full body routine or one body part a week

[tacklejunkie]

I do full body three times a week but I have heard of some that train one body part a week. Is there any advantage to training onebody part a week?

[TR21HP]

Depends on what your training goals are. Are you looking to add size or are you looking for overall body conditioning. The one body part a week is strictly a bodybuilding routine that stresses going heavy and targeting a part of the body and hitting it hard. The theory is to hit it hard and let the body rest for growth. If you're looking to add size and strength this routine, combined with a good meal plan and plenty of rest is what you want. On the otherhand ,if you are looking for general body conditioning and fitness the 3 a week routine will do just fine. Each routine depends on the individual and how they respond to training. You can easily change routines and should for that matter to accomplish both over a couple of months time.

[mrklean]

i use to always train full body but your muscles need to rest and recover, i switched to one body section per workout and noticed a big difference right away. If you want muscle growth gotta keep switching it up.

[fishersofmen]

Right now I go chest/bi's, shoulders/tri's, legs/back. I change things up quite often though. May go to a 2 day split for a while since I have been short on time.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

One body part a week, really!? Sounds very advanced. You mean one body part a day? Each routine will have its advantage or disadvantage. Full body is good for beginners or people that dont have as much free time. Just make sure you are indeed doing a full body and build a routine around compound lifts. You shouldnt have a bunch of isolation movements as your routine. Other great options are push/pull/rest. Some variation of legs, back/bi, chest/tri, shoulders/core.

Right now I actually do legs, back/chest, arms/core, rest, repeat. I dont think its very common but Ive made progress with it. You can make progress with most routines as long as you stick with it for a while and give it an honest effort. You dont need to switch routines often in fact youre better off sticking with one for at least a few months. Muscle confusion is a gimmick made up for an infomercial.

[fishersofmen]

Muscle confusion is a gimmick made up for an infomercial.

Lol

[mrklean]

I beg to differ with you on that but to each there own

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Lol? You guys believe in the actual concept of "muscle confusion?" Is a buzzword, jargon, used to sell a workout.

You really think you need to switch your routine up all the time to "confuse" your muscles? Muscles dont learn, they dont get confused... Progressive overload and eating above maintenance is all that is needed for gains whether its through weight or reps. Ive been doing some of the same compound movements since I started lifting years ago and am still making progress on those lifts.

[TR21HP]

Turnupthefishing, You really need to do a little research on kinistheology because you are way off base here. The body, given the same exercise and rep scheme, will adapt to the routine allowing you to perform the exercise easier. By changing the exercise or rep scheme you cause the brain to send those messages to the muscle to execute what is being asked of it. The body will adapt to exercise, cardio or diet if the function is repeated for an extended period of time. That time depends on the individual and the way he or she is wired. Eating above maintenance, unless it's clean eating will get you nothing but fat.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

The body, given the same exercise and rep scheme, will adapt to the routine allowing you to perform the exercise easier. By changing the exercise or rep

[TR21HP]

The fact that your body adapts demonstrates that there is memory there. There are many ways to build size other than increasing the weight on a given exercise. Take your example of squats. Instead of increasing weight I can decrease the rest time between sets with the same weight and get far better gains than going conventional. There are descending sets, supersets, giant sets and antagonistic sets that provide a far better result than just squating with incresed weight. Hitting the muscle with these training pricipals will cause the muscle and brain with no other choice but to grow. No one mentioned a few weeks or to quit an exercise, just to hit it different ways for maximum growth if that's what you're after.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I agree with everything you're saying. Its all great info, you know your stuff and Im by no means claiming to be any where near an expert. Im almost completely self taught through books, web and trial and error.

The whole reason I brought up the muscle confusion as bunk, was after it was mentioned several times about changing routines often. I guess I dont know someones definition of often but I just immediately thought of the p90x commercials saying how they have all these routines you do and you have to switch all the time to keep your muscles confused and break plateaus, plateaus at two weeks?

Ive had people ask about lifting and when I ask their routine they say "I just do different stuff every week, you know, keep the muscles confused." or "train legs? nah, Im on my feet most the day."

I dont even know why I got into it. Heck in person I avoid fitness talk with anyone but close friends that lift. I just got to do like I do at the gym and let people do whatever makes them happy, even if its a bicep curl turned back exercise In this day an age anyone who gets their butt up and moving deserves some credit.

[fishersofmen]

I may throw in different exercises every week but don't change my basic routine that often. Say for triceps one week I may do french presses, the next week close grip benches and the following dips instead etc....along with other sets.

TR...you mentioned supersets which I do a ton of, just makes my workouts go a lot quicker.

[tacklejunkie]

What's a good routine for full body, three times a week workout?

Mine for example, is flat and incline bench presses, flat and incline flys, tricep presses, lat pulldowns, barbell and dumbell curls, seated rows, squats, leg curls, leg presses, abd routines.

Is there something I should add or not do?

[TR21HP]

Tacklejunkie,

Not bad but you're too heavy on some bodyparts and too light on others.

You might want to try this workout - all exercises are 8-12 reps each and one set.

D.B. flat bench, D.B. incline bench, Dips, Lat Pulldowns or pullups, Seated Rows, Shoulder Press, Shrugs, Barbell Curls, D.B. curls or preacher curls, Tricep pushdowns, Tricep overhead extensions, Leg curls, Leg extensions, Squats or leg press and Ab work. Do the exrecises in the order shown 3 times a week. Rest between sets should be a minute or however long it takes to set up the weights. Warm up set if you need it.

[tacklejunkie]

Tacklejunkie,

Not bad but you're too heavy on some bodyparts and too light on others.

You might want to try this workout - all exercises are 8-12 reps each and one set.

D.B. flat bench, D.B. incline bench, Dips, Lat Pulldowns or pullups, Seated Rows, Shoulder Press, Shrugs, Barbell Curls, D.B. curls or preacher curls, Tricep pushdowns, Tricep overhead extensions, Leg curls, Leg extensions, Squats or leg press and Ab work. Do the exrecises in the order shown 3 times a week. Rest between sets should be a minute or however long it takes to set up the weights. Warm up set if you need it.

I'll try this. So just to make sure I'm clear, you mean do one set of DB presses flat, then one set of incline, and so on and so on?

[TR21HP]

Thats correct Tacklejunkie. Try to go at 70% of your max with each exercise.

[tacklejunkie]

TR21HP...

Thanks for the workout. I've been doing it for a while and it does save time due to my tight schedule and I get a good, full body workout.It takes me about 20 minutes to do it

[TR21HP]

That's great, Don't be afraid to use machines or barbells in the workout to keep the body from adapting. Up the weight sometimes or up the reps as well. Good luck, glad I could help.

[tacklejunkie]

Still doing your workout but I have one question. Does it seem like the triceps get alot of work? The dumbell presses, along with the dips, the shoulder press, and then the tricep exercises seem to give alot of workout for the triceps

[mrklean]

Since i do splits i have cut back my triceps during arm days for that exact reason i felt they were being over worked with my other exercises no need to train them that much.

[TR21HP]

Tackle Junkie,

Your triceps can handle that besides the shoulder presses don't involve the triceps as long as you don't come below parallel and don't lock out on the top of the movement.

When you are ready to switch I have a new program for you that has a number of people I'm training reporting great strength gains.

[tacklejunkie]

Tackle Junkie,

Your triceps can handle that besides the shoulder presses don't involve the triceps as long as you don't come below parallel and don't lock out on the top of the movement.

When you are ready to switch I have a new program for you that has a number of people I'm training reporting great strength gains.

That would be great. Thanks. I owe you a cold beer

[fishersofmen]

That would be great. Thanks. I owe you a cold beer protein shake.

[TR21HP]

A cold protein shake would be preferred as I don't drink alcohol.

Try this. 8-12 reps each set again.2 days on 1 day off

Workout 1

Chest fly, Bench press, Pullover, Pullups, Lateral raise, Shoulder Press, Rear delt raise, seated row, tricep extension, bicep curl

Workout 2

Squats, leg curl, walking lunge, leg extensions, ham abduction, abs

Workout 3

Pulldown, shoulder press, high row, incline press, seated row, chest press, low row, decline press, upright row, dip.

Workout 4

Leg press, straight leg deads, step ups, wall sit, calf raise, abs