The Best Full Body Workout: Lose Weight in 2024
Overview
Looking for the right workout program is a difficult task, some people may have a packed-out schedule that’s time constraining, or certain preferences as to how they like to train in the gym. If you’re pressed for time and looking to train a diverse range of muscle groups in one session, the full body split is the perfect routine for you. We’ll provide you with a sample workout programs to get you started. Then, we’ll dig a little deeper into this workout split that’ll help you lose weight.
Full Body Split - Free Workout Program
We’ll provide you with 2 sessions, one which is more upper body focused, and another which is more lower body focused. It'll take some time for you to establish a baseline for what weights you’re capable of lifting for a certain number of reps. It’s best to start light and slowly increase the weight each workout to a point where you’re struggling on the last couple reps of each set, that’s when you’re really training optimally, where you can lose weight and reach your fitness goals. Here are the workouts.
Workout 1: Upper Body Focused
Barbell Bench Press - 4 sets
12 reps warm-up (just with the bar)
10 reps (try to find a weight where you struggle on the last couple of reps)
10 reps, same weight as previous set
8 reps, increase the weight slightly (2.5kg)
Pull Ups - 4 sets (use assistance through bands or a machine if you’re new to the gym)
10 reps (you may have to work up to this, again, it’s perfectly fine to have assistance)
10 reps, same as last set
10 reps, same again
10 reps, same again
Barbell Squats - 4 sets
12 reps warm-up
10 reps with a reasonably difficult weight (same situation as with the bench press)
10 reps with the same weight
8 reps, increase the weight slightly
Dumbbell Bicep Curls - 3 sets
10 reps, find dumbbells that will force you to struggle with the last two
10 reps, same as previous set
10 reps, same again
Overhead Press - 3 sets
10 reps, look for the same sort of struggle that you had with the dumbbell curls
10 reps, same as previous set
10 reps, same again
Leg Press - 4 sets
12 reps at a medium weight
10 reps at a slightly greater weight
10 reps at the same weight as the previous set
8 reps at a slightly greater weight again
And that’s it! Well done, now go home and eat some protein.
Workout 2: Lower Body Focused
Goblet Squats (with a dumbbell) - 4 sets
12 reps warm-up (no weight)
10 reps with a reasonably heavy dumbbell
10 reps with the same weight
8 reps with the next heaviest dumbbell
Leg Curl - 4 sets
12 reps at a medium-heavy weight
12 reps, same as previous set
12 reps, same again
12 reps, same again
Barbell Bench Press - 4 sets
12 reps warm-up (just with the bar)
10 reps (try to find a weight where you struggle on the last couple of reps)
10 reps, same weight as previous set
8 reps, increase the weight slightly (2.5kg)
Barbell Squats - 4 sets
12 reps warm-up
10 reps with a reasonably difficult weight (same situation as with the bench press)
10 reps with the same weight
8 reps, increase the weight slightly
Barbell Row or Machine Cable Row - 3 sets
12 reps warm-up with a light weight
10 reps at a medium heavy weight, should be struggling with the last 2 reps
10 reps at the same weight
8 reps at a slightly higher weight than the previous two sets
Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 3 sets
15 reps with light dumbbells
15 reps with the same dumbbells
15 reps, same again
And that’s the end of workout two, now let’s discuss how you structure these workouts throughout your week.
Proposed Weekly Schedule
Depending on your commitments, you can schedule your workouts for whenever you want, the only thing is that you should try and balance rest out equally throughout the week. Here’s how we would structure our weekly split.
3 workouts per week:
Monday - Workout 1
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Workout 2
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Workout 1/2, if you feel your upper or lower body is lacking, do the more focused workout towards those muscle groups twice each week
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Rest
4 workouts per week:
Monday - Workout 1
Tuesday - Workout 2
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Workout 1
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Workout 2
Sunday - Rest
What is a full body split?
Unsurprisingly, full body workouts involve you training all of your main muscle groups in one workout. Generally, lifters tend to separate the full body routine into 3 or 4 workouts, with either 1 or 2 upper body focused days, combined with 1 or 2 lower body focused days. You might be wondering, is this effective? And if so, how? The answer is yes. Here’s the reasoning behind that:
Allows for intense and efficient training through less frequent sessions
Limit muscle fatigue through plentiful rest
Stimulates muscle growth whilst being greatly time efficient
These are just a few of the full body split’s many upsides, with the split being flexible to your weekly schedule, whilst also being flexible in regard to the exercises you can perform, and how many of these you can do during your workouts [source].
How are workouts structured?
The majority of weightlifters that utilize a full body split structure their workouts around compound exercises (exercises that train multiple muscles simultaneously), and performing these workouts 3 to 4 times each week. Compound exercises include the bench press, deadlift, squat, pull up, overhead press, and many more. They’re imperative to any good workout routine, no matter your gym intention, whether it be to lose weight or build muscle.
After you’ve scheduled times in the week for your workouts, you can construct your program. As we mentioned previously, you can see some sample workout splits if you scroll further down, but regardless, we’ll tell you how you can formulate your own routine now.
Your main goal should be to target each of your main muscle groups at least once each workout. Here’s how you can do that with compound exercises intertwined throughout the session:
Sample Session
Chest: Bench Press (compound)
Legs: Squat (compound)
Arms: Tricep Pushdown"
Back: Pull ups (compound)
Legs: Leg Press (compound)
Shoulders: Lateral Raise
Arms: Bicep Curls
Core: Leg raises/Farmers Walk/Russian Twists
Although physically taxing, doing this workout once a week, combined with your other 2 sessions that you can structure differently for variation (or keep the same), is a highly optimal schedule for muscle growth and strength development.
It’s also a great idea to implement some form of cardio to the end of your workout to stay fit on the endurance side of the spectrum and to ultimately lose weight [source].
Why should you use a full body split?
As discussed in the introduction, the full body split is perfect for a certain demographic of lifters who have busy time schedules, but still want to dedicate time and effort towards building muscle.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be pressed for time to use a full body split. It’s also great for people new to lifting that want to improve their capabilities of lifting heavier weights for compound exercises, and who want to perfect their form and technique.
You should consider using a full body split if you can’t be bothered getting in the gym on 5 or 6 days every week. This is perfectly reasonable, and a large part of why my first workout routine was a full body split.
I had football training on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so Tuesday, Friday and Sunday were my gym days where I focused on muscle building. This structure is great for people who have large commitments on a regular basis, yet another reason to start using a full body split that’ll promise to help you lose weight.
The full body split versus other routines
Let’s look through some features maintained by the consensus three most popular workout routines used by weightlifters (upper-lower, push pull legs, full body)
Upper-Lower Split:
4 - 5 weekly workouts (convenient for those that love being in the gym)
Time consuming (one upper body workout can take as long as a full body workout)
Great for those pursuing maximal muscle growth
Generally more suitable for adult lifters in their physical prime
Push Pull Legs Split:
5 - 6 weekly workouts (also good for those who love the gym)
Time consuming (due to high weekly workout demand)
Similar to the upper lower split, great for those exclusively pursuing muscle growth
Convenient configuration (training is based on natural movements of muscle groups)
Full Body Split:
3 - 4 weekly workouts (great for those pressed for time)
Time efficient (considering lower weekly workout demand)
More diverse/holistic training (every muscle group, plus cardio trained in workouts)
Great for those with broader intentions (want to build muscle, core strength, endurance, and joint strength simultaneously)
The truth about the best workout routine
One segment of health and fitness that’s seen plenty of debate over the years is “the best” workout routine/split for building muscle. You’ll discover a number of contrasting views on whether a simple upper-lower split is best, or the push pull legs split, or a full body routine, but the truth is, none of them are better than the others, it purely depends on a variety of factors that influence your abilities, like genetics, age, experience, and passion.
For example, the bro split (or the muscle group split) involves training each muscle group on a different day, so you have a chest day, arm day, leg day, shoulder day, and back day. Many professionals suggest that this is not optimal for muscle growth and hinders lifters’ ability to build muscle efficiently and effectively.
Yet, arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time, Chris Bumstead, uses a bro split in his training, and has made an incredible career out of it through his multiple Mr Olympia victories and various other successes.
The point we’re making is that wherever you look, you’ll find different answers to the question you’re asking. What we advise you to do is consider your aims and intentions and look to find the routine that’s most suitable to your interests. If you’re interested, you can read our articles on other workout splits. Click here to learn about the push pull legs split, or here for the upper-lower split.
To Conclude
There are so many different workout routines out there. Today, we discussed the full body split, a fantastic option for anyone looking to build muscle and get fit through a diverse workout that trains enables you to train every muscle group in just one session. We hope this article provided you with the assistance and information you required to find your desired workout routine. Best of luck in your future fitness endeavours!
The Weigh Out is a proud participator in a number of affiliate programs.
Inspiration: dailyfitness