FULL BODY VS SPLIT TRAINING: SHOULD YOU DO FULL BODY WORKOUTS? (Best Workout Split to Build Muscle)

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  • Опубліковано 10 лют 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 117

  • @Wayf4rer
    @Wayf4rer 3 роки тому +15

    I've tried all kinds of splits, but I just keep coming back to full body every other day. Long workouts are fun, and always getting to fully recover before the next session keeps me motivated and hungry. The last natties of the 1950's knew their stuff!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      That's a solid approach for sure!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Do you have different muscle group emphasis on different days?

    • @Wayf4rer
      @Wayf4rer 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole My training cycle is 8 days total, four training days. Each day has an emphasis on one of the big four lifts, so you can think of it as two upper focused days (OHP/Bench) and two lower focused days (Squat/DL). I do more volume and intensity for the Chest/shoulders/back on the upper focused days, with more volume and intensity for the legs, posterior chain, and arms on the lower focused days. I stick mostly to compounds, training with supersets and giant sets for every lift. Everything is trained each day to a degree, and over the past 6ish months it's been working great.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@Wayf4rer Nice! Glad it's working well for you. I also find it really convenient to arrange workouts around those main 4 lifts

    • @curtisharolson6643
      @curtisharolson6643 Рік тому

      @@DrSwole I do, chest and back on W1, shoulder and abs W2, and arms on Workout 3, but I don’t have dedicated leg day, I play ball, run, and box so I stay light
      Workout 1
      Deadlift 4 6-8
      Squats 4 4-6
      OH shoulder press/1-1-2 4 2-5
      Bent over Row 4 2-5
      Bench press 4 2-5
      Pull-ups 2 3-6
      Dips 2 3-6
      Dumbbell curl 3 6-8
      Overhead extension 3 6-8
      Carry’s/Kettlebell swings 5 10-15
      Calf raise 3 15-20
      Workout 2
      Lunges 3 8-10 each leg
      Glute raise 3 8-10
      Inverted body row 3 6-8
      Push-ups 3 6-8
      Dips 3 1-4
      Chin-ups 3 1-4
      Lateral raise 3 10-15
      Shrugs 3 5-7
      Rear fly/Face-pulls 3 10-15
      Side chop/Seated twist 3 10-15
      Crunch/Ab roller 3 10-15
      Calf raise 3 15-20
      Workout 3
      Leg curl 3 10-15
      Leg extension 3 10-15
      OA Incline bench 4 4-6
      OA row 4 4-6
      Shoulder press/Pike pushup 4 4-6
      Band curl 2 6-8
      Incline hammer curl 2 6-8
      Skull-crushers 2 6-8
      Press-downs 2 6-8
      Leg raise 3 10-15
      Bicycle crunch 3 15-20

  • @troycastellitto
    @troycastellitto 3 роки тому +7

    I've been doing a 4-5 day full body split ever since watching jeff nippard's videos on it. I just love hitting every body part, getting that full body pump every workout. Also it makes training legs easier bc you're never doing a full leg session, it's spread out over the week

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Nice! It has its advantages for sure

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +2

      Do you have different muscle group emphasis on different days?

    • @troycastellitto
      @troycastellitto 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole yes. I center my workout around my powerlifting movement for the day. So like I'll squat, ohp, then deadlift, and bench separate days, focusing on that respective muscle group for the workout. Typically I do one exercise per body part per day besides that. Once you've been doing full body for a while, your body gets used to the soreness like you said

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      @@troycastellitto sounds like a solid routine! Full body is nice for giving attention to the big lifts

  • @DrSwole
    @DrSwole  3 роки тому +2

    Learn about the other bodybuilding splits and their pros and cons here: ua-cam.com/play/PL-U2jvez_hi-iiaj4lNjqnAyngLP2odZe.html

  • @LMarcon11
    @LMarcon11 3 роки тому +1

    When I first started training I used to do bro splits in the gym because I had no idea on how to programm and that was the standard at my old gym. Needless to say, I never stick enough at it to experience gains because of studies, work and baseball practice. Later on I decided to try full body 3x a week and it did wonders for me. Nowadays I do mostly calisthenics at home and split upper/lower with tons of volume

  • @leonardoharper3772
    @leonardoharper3772 3 роки тому +2

    In my opinion, full body splits are definitely the best options when you are a beginner, specially if you’re trying to maingain. I think this is because they provide a lot of flexibility in terms of how much time you spend at the gym, and also get you used to different movements/exercises quicker than most other splits. If you’re taking the slow/longterm path as a beginner, I would definitely suggest trying the full-body split for at a couple of weeks. (I haven’t watched the video yet, hoping to learn something new!) Keep up the good work!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      I would agree that they’re great for beginners!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      What split are you following?

    • @leonardoharper3772
      @leonardoharper3772 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole Your advanced PPL split! It’s great so far!!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@leonardoharper3772 Awesome to hear it's going well!

  • @user-zk4dv2nx8k
    @user-zk4dv2nx8k 3 роки тому +2

    Im going to start barbell medicine's beginner template when I go to the gym for the first time in my life ( probably next month ) , since I hv been training at home from the past two yrs , I'll be adding exercises on top of that . So this video was very useful for me 🙏

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Glad to hear it!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      What’s the template like?

    • @user-zk4dv2nx8k
      @user-zk4dv2nx8k 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole
      www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.barbellmedicine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/The-Beginner-Prescription.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiMzYis-_zvAhU64zgGHZ_TB1EQFjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw0ZLFzIywtcgLVQOw5mcX32

    • @user-zk4dv2nx8k
      @user-zk4dv2nx8k 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole it's publicly available for free 👆

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@user-zk4dv2nx8k oh cool

  • @porkchopproductions0314
    @porkchopproductions0314 3 роки тому +1

    I do a 5 day legs, push, pull, upper, lower split. I don't have a lot of time as well, but I've found Vince Gironda's 10-8-6-15 workout. The 10 reps are 50% of your 6 reps max, the 8 are 75%, the 6 are 100%, and the 15 are 35%. Rest between sets are 30 seconds and 1 minute after each exercise. My workouts last between 30-45 minutes

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Glad you found a way to fit your training into a short time frame

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      What advantages have you found with that rep scheme?

    • @porkchopproductions0314
      @porkchopproductions0314 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole Thanks! It's good as I train the short and fast twitch fibers along with I train close to failure so I don't injury myself, but still get the necessary stimuli. It's also great for breaking plateaus as well

  • @ZeKiran3
    @ZeKiran3 3 роки тому +2

    Very well explained

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Thanks! Hope it helped

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      What split are you using?

    • @ZeKiran3
      @ZeKiran3 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole Yes, it was helpful since I'm trying to use Full Body, thank you.
      At first I was doing Push Pull Legs, and then I switched to Upper Lower, but now I have less time so I'm trying Full Body

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Cool! Full body works really well if you don’t have a lot of days to train

  • @Ron-gb8cg
    @Ron-gb8cg 3 роки тому

    Hi doc! Good video again! How long you would recommend a upper workout should be? As in how many minutes in the gym maximum? And how long you rest between sets? Thanks again for all the good info!

  • @jpjpthedude830
    @jpjpthedude830 3 роки тому

    I am lifting a 4-day muscle building split. Full-body, with more emphasize on pushing movements/ Rest/ Full-body day, with emphasis on pulling movements/ Rest/ Upper-Body, with a focus on accessories/Lower-Body, with a focus on accessories.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Sounds solid!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      How have your results been?

    • @jpjpthedude830
      @jpjpthedude830 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole I've seen fat loss, haven't seen too much muscle gain. I've been on the routine for 2 weeks but the workouts are long. Would a PPL/UL 5x split would be better?

    • @jpjpthedude830
      @jpjpthedude830 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole I'm in a 500 calorie surplus. But my weight has been consistent with lower body fat.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@jpjpthedude830 if you find your workouts are too long then splitting it up over more days is worth a shot

  • @RyanJCherry
    @RyanJCherry 3 роки тому +1

    Hey man! Love the book and great video as always! Side question. I had to train with bands, bodyweight and a pair of light dumbbells for a week while on vacation. I trained close to failure on everything, added Myo Reps where practical and maintained decent volume around where I normally would. Considering the weight was very low (like back in quarantine) should I consider this a Deload and restart this upcoming week with a new meso or count it as a normal week of training

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +2

      Hmm good question. I'd probably count it as a week of training

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +2

      Where were you in your mesocycle?

    • @RyanJCherry
      @RyanJCherry 3 роки тому

      It was like week 7. It was definitely challenging but in a high rep way lol

  • @sebastianbenitez4401
    @sebastianbenitez4401 2 роки тому

    Hi Doc! Thanks for the video! Do you think full-body workouts are slower than PPL slipt for building muscle? I'm a beginner but my main goal is to grow up as faster as I can! Greetings!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  2 роки тому +1

      No they aren’t

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  2 роки тому +1

      Both can work, they have pros and cons

  • @Lb-ri5wr
    @Lb-ri5wr 3 роки тому +1

    iv just come out of lockdown and I'm starting a fresh upper lower split. I'm doing: U,L,rest,U,L,rest,rest, after a month or two when my bench stalls, I'm thinking of adding another upper day so: U,L,rest,U,L,U,rest. Would one day of rest between the last and first upper day be an issue recovery-wise if I'm benching on both of the days?
    Also how do I know when to add a set to a lift? Is it just when a particular muscle group stops getting DOMs? Or should i just add a set every week or 2 weeks repeatedly until I feel that I've hit my MRV

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Upper lower is solid! And the one day of rest shouldn’t be an issue as long as you’re careful about volume and intensity ie don’t do a whole bunch of sets to failure

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +2

      In terms of adding sets you I’d probably look at rate of progress and see when you’re slowing down. I do a deep dive on volume manipulation with Eric helms here ua-cam.com/video/icl45XD6vVA/v-deo.html

  • @juliebriddon1736
    @juliebriddon1736 3 роки тому

    May I ask what split you do? Full body or upper/lower body and how often do you go to the gym? Also what is your favourite? Thanks

  • @austinjeon807
    @austinjeon807 3 роки тому +1

    Hey Dr Swole, can you make a full body program for people who want to do calisthenics (at the nearby park)? My gyms been closed for a fat minute and I'm not sure what the best bodyweight exercises are. Thanks so much!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Hmm I’ve thought about it. But you can do a lot at home with a weighted backpack/suitcase too

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Have you seen my home training series? ua-cam.com/play/PL-U2jvez_hi9QhqD-LxeXAlkJ1zuFJZO3.html

    • @austinjeon807
      @austinjeon807 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole I'll definitely check it out later tonight! Thank you!

  • @miguelmiranda9122
    @miguelmiranda9122 3 роки тому

    Another great video Doc! Ok, so in my case I have been doing push pull legs push pull legs every week for about 1 year. I seemed to have been doing a lot of volume. Training like 30 sets per workout, some days even more. My joints started to suffer, Now I am enjoying very much your full body split 3x per week. And doing 30 minutes of inclined treadmill walking. But I miss the pump and mentally I feel like I need more or better said I feel like I will not be able to make gains training so little compared to what I used to do. Will my body stop creating muscle because it was used to more volume and now I am doing less volume. Don't know if muy cuestión makes sense. Thanks Doc.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      What matters is that you find the optimal volume for yourself. If you were doing too much before then lower volumes will be beneficial

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      How is your progress and how is your recovery?

    • @miguelmiranda9122
      @miguelmiranda9122 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole my progress has been ok till about 1 month ago. Regarding gains in strength I have seen progress but physique wise haven't seen any mayor improvement. I feel fine doing your workout, loved it as I mentioned before. Only thing is that if my muscles were used to so much stimuli before; will they react to the new WO even if it is "less" amount of volume and frequency? thanks again.

  • @hhfbko
    @hhfbko 3 роки тому +6

    Looking lean doc💪🏻

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Thanks my friend! Mini cutting hasn’t been the most fun time ahah

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Have you trained full body before and how was it?

    • @hhfbko
      @hhfbko 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole not really I've always been doing a push/pull/legs and an upper/lower split as it always seems to be more time efficient and fits in my daily routine
      Also, sorry for the late reply btw

  • @Ak-qn9qc
    @Ak-qn9qc 3 роки тому +1

    Hey Doc I'm following Jason Blaha's full body workout novice program 2.0 what are your thoughts on that?

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      I think it’s decent! Maybe not optimal if your main goal is hypertrophy

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Have you been using it?

  • @omarmukhtar7195
    @omarmukhtar7195 3 роки тому +1

    Can you make a video about how to train at home without weight specially the back

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      I have a series on home training!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      ua-cam.com/play/PL-U2jvez_hi9QhqD-LxeXAlkJ1zuFJZO3.html

  • @carlosmorris4510
    @carlosmorris4510 3 роки тому

    I'm actually going from a 2-day to a 3-day split now... It's evolving. 3 days on/2 days off within a 10-day span of time; each body part hit directly every 5 days. I'm needing more flexibility with my workouts, so they've become shorter.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      Flexibility is important. Ultimately whatever fits into your lifestyle is best!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      How long are your workouts now?

    • @carlosmorris4510
      @carlosmorris4510 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole About 45 minutes to an hour, tops... This is the only way that I can shorten my workouts, as I see it; to split them up into 3 sessions instead of just 2 - similar to a PPL split, but with more rest days. Otherwise, I'd have to workout 6 days a week - which is too much for me. I'm going to be doing chest & triceps/back & legs/shoulders & biceps... A 3-day series of workouts within a 10-day 'split extension'. Moderate volume within each workout, which will also make them a little shorter. True half body splits (upper/lower; push/pull) are a little too thickly spread for my schedule, I've found. Plus, I'm going to be alternating between home and gym workouts - so this is just more convenient for me. The overall frequency is inbetween a bro split and a 2× a week frequency split - 6× a month total. Back-to-back workouts, but they're shorter... Consistency is the biggest factor for me at this point. After all, without consistency it wouldn't matter which split I do! So this just makes the most sense in my current situation; my bedroom is kinda cramped and I'm somewhat wary during this crazy pandemic time... Being able to adapt is crucial to being able to maintain consistency.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      @@carlosmorris4510 yes very true. You could still probably spread out the volume over more days in a modified split if you wanted the frequency. But Consistency is #1 and it’s good that you know yourself!

    • @carlosmorris4510
      @carlosmorris4510 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole Yeah... No 6 days per week for me though! 😄 And I've tried adding body parts to additional workouts within the week before too; the split turns into either a semi half body routine, or it basically winds up looking like a kind of modified full body... That would be the opposite of what I'm trying to accomplish - as it would just make workouts longer. I'm trying to reduce/minimize. I'll let you know how it goes.

  • @jadecleveland865
    @jadecleveland865 3 роки тому +1

    The best split I've tried is upper, lower, push,pull,legs,upper, rest, repeat.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Interesting split!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      What was the main advantage you found?

    • @jadecleveland865
      @jadecleveland865 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole 1. I get to work each muscle group on my upper body 3 times a week and my legs 2 times a week. I feel like thats perfect. Legs 3 times a week seems overkill and very taxing on ur CNS, 2 is perfect imo.
      2. Its a 6 day split and i prefer lifting 6 days a week.
      3. I enjoy doing upper body workouts as well as push/pull workouts and i get to do both!
      4. I just enjoy it

    • @jadecleveland865
      @jadecleveland865 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole and, because i hit each muscle group multiple times a week i dont feel like i have to go balls out every session

    • @joshshneyder1545
      @joshshneyder1545 3 роки тому +1

      @@jadecleveland865 sweet split! I'm currently doing U/L/U/L/U but I'll give that a try if I ever do 6 weeks

  • @jimft4934
    @jimft4934 3 роки тому

    Which split works better for a soccer player? Upper lower or full body?

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      That depends - how many days per week are you in the gym

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      And how often are your soccer poractices?

    • @jimft4934
      @jimft4934 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole I can be at least 4 an my practices are 4 times a week or 3 sometimes

  • @deez994
    @deez994 3 роки тому

    Commenting for the algorithm

  • @michaelsammon1301
    @michaelsammon1301 3 роки тому

    My wife says I should train full body every time I go to the gym and she is always right 😂

  • @snoopys14
    @snoopys14 3 роки тому

    Full body is good if you train a split you will get tried and your form will die on other exercises, with a full body split if your feel tried you can have two days rest and then go gym, its not like you have missed a bod part and not trained it you have. Plus as a beginner/ intermediate lifter you can do 5/6 exercises and thats it.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Some solid advantages!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      What split do you use?

    • @snoopys14
      @snoopys14 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole Full body
      Dips,Chin ups, Overhead Press, Squats/Deadlifts, Pull Ups and Press ups. Lunges and Farmers walk soon to be added
      I can't do chin ups or pulls up so negative chin ups and scapula pull ups etc

  • @fcstrength7058
    @fcstrength7058 3 роки тому +1

    I do way better doing two routines 3x per week each than trying to do full body workouts

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Fair enough. Split training has its merits

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      What split do you use?

    • @fcstrength7058
      @fcstrength7058 3 роки тому +1

      @@DrSwole Swole,
      I do 6 sets of bench 3 days a week. Then I do back/biceps/legs 3 days a week.
      I used to do full body routines but I tire heavily after 30 minutes, so I was never able to maximize hypertrophy for any muscle.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@fcstrength7058 ahh okay interesting! I definitely find myself fatiguing on some of my longer sessions but I do it because I don’t have the space in my schedule lol

    • @fcstrength7058
      @fcstrength7058 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole 😀

  • @pinao512
    @pinao512 3 роки тому +1

    THE PROB WITH FULL BODY,,,AND I HAVE DONE IT MANY TIMES ,IS THAT YOU ZAP MOST OF YOU ENERGY ON THE 1ST COUPLE OF BODY PARTS,,SO THE REST GETS KIND OF A HALF ASSED EFFORT,,I RATHER USE FULL BODY ON A DELOAD WEEK,,I PREFER TO SWITCH MY ROUTINES EVERY 2 WEEKS,,KEEPS IT FUN AND INTERESTING,,UPPER/LOWER,,THEN BODY PART SPLIT,,THEN PUSH PULL,,THEN I DO A WEEK OF ONE MUSCLE DOMINATE=5 EXERCISES FOR THAT 1 WITH JUST 1 SET OF ALL OTHERS,,KIND OF A FULL BODY,,,JUST MY WAY OF KEEPING IT INTERESTING,,I'M NOT A COMPETATIVE BODYBUILDER,,JUST TRYIN TO MAKE SOME GAINS,,LOL

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Ah running into fatigue for the later body parts can definitely be an issue with full body training

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      How many days per week do you train?

    • @pinao512
      @pinao512 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole i do 2 days on and 1 off,,off day is usually a light active recovery day,,gettin old,,found that a rest day ever 2 is very helpfull with fatigue,,also found taking atleast 4 straight days every 4 weeks really help as all bodyparts recover,,also found it doesn't help to keep trying to break down the same muscle over and over without letting it heal completly,,but its hard to just look at the weights on those days off,,cause their always calling me back,,lol

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@pinao512 Having adequate rest is definitely important!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@pinao512 And I know the feeling of weights calling you back 😂

  • @deez994
    @deez994 3 роки тому

    Doc can I do full body every other day ?

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Yes that works well!

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      What are your goals?

  • @its_james_fitness
    @its_james_fitness 3 роки тому +1

    How tall are you out of interest?

  • @stefanlin8228
    @stefanlin8228 3 роки тому

    Full body, PPL, Upper Lower. Anything is better than bro split with 1x a week frequency haha

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      Yes pretty much ahah

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому +1

      What split are you following?

    • @stefanlin8228
      @stefanlin8228 3 роки тому

      @@DrSwole I do an upper/lower split. Each day it's a different focus on a barbell compound movement(squat, bench, deadlift, ovrehead press) in lower rep ranges.
      For upper body I super set a push movement with pull and even volume so no imbalances.
      On lower body I do squat/deadlifting's and some conditiong with functional movements like swings/turkish get ups.

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      @@stefanlin8228 upper lower is great!

  • @Von199X
    @Von199X 3 роки тому

    I got no time for full body

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      The workouts can be long for sure

    • @DrSwole
      @DrSwole  3 роки тому

      What split do you use?