Split vs fullbody: what to choose for a beginner and an advanced athlete

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Full analysis of the pros and cons of both systems from Iya Zorina.

What is the difference between split sessions and full body

Full body training is a system in which all major muscle groups are worked out in each session. You train 2-4 times a week and always do 1-2 exercises for all major muscle groups.

In such training, the main emphasis is on basic multi-joint exercises. These are movements in which several joints and muscle groups work at once - for example, squats, bench press and standing, deadlift. Such exercises allow a good load on the target muscle group in one movement and provide it with an incentive to grow.

Split is a training method in which the body is divided into major muscle groups or several zones, and each of them is trained on a separate day. For example, on Monday, you swing your chest and triceps, on Wednesday, your back and biceps, and on Friday, your legs and shoulders.

In addition to basic exercises, there are also many isolated movements in split workouts in which only one joint works. For example, curling the arms for biceps or extending the legs on the machine. These exercises are less energy consuming, but at the same time they allow you to work out the muscles in detail and "finish off" them - to provide the maximum mechanical stress required for growth.

Full body workouts take longer than splits, burn more calories, and require at least 48 hours to recover. Splits allow you to exercise every day: while one muscle group is resting, you can train others.

It is believed that full body is more suitable for beginners in strength training, and for experienced athletes it is better to use splits. And most bodybuilders do just that. But science shows that not everything is so simple and it is not worth recognizing a full body system for beginners.

Which is best for strength and muscle mass

Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, trainer and scientific writer, conducted a study to compare the effects of splits and full body sessions.

20 trained men were divided into two groups: some performed strength exercises using the split method (group C), others trained the whole body in each lesson (group BT). At the same time, the weekly training volume - the number of approaches, repetitions and working weight - was the same for both groups.

After eight weeks, all participants gained good strength and muscle mass, but at the same time, the BT group grew more biceps than those who participated in the split training. In addition, the men in the full body group were able to take more weight in the bench press - strength indicators in this movement increased by ⅓ more than in the other group.

These results echoed another, earlier study, where 12 weeks of full-body training provided 8% more muscle mass and ⅓ more strength than the same volume, but in a split-session format.

However, despite research, fullbody cannot be unconditionally recognized as the king of hypertrophy, and here's why:

1. In the experiment, the volume of training was the same in both groups, but in real life splits allow you to increase the number of approaches and repetitions for a specific muscle group without the risk of overtraining.
2. Changing your training method can be more important than choosing a specific system. The participants in the experiment were involved in strength sports for at least four years and worked according to the split method. Perhaps the greater gains in strength and muscle mass were due to the change in program, rather than its effectiveness.

Thus, scientists do not have a clear answer to what works better. Both split sessions and full body workouts have their pros and cons. To understand what is right for you, you need to consider your level and goals.

What should a beginner choose

For the first three months, it is better to train the whole body in one lesson. The emphasis on multi-joint movements will help you master the correct technique faster, improve the interaction of the brain and muscles, and accustom the body to power loads. By performing basic movements, you will not only increase strength faster, but also improve your body's aerobic capacity - the ability to use oxygen more efficiently for work.

Moreover, in the first two months of training, additional single-joint exercises have virtually no effect on muscle strength and size. In other words, you only need the base at first.

As for the duration and general fatigue, at first your workouts will not differ in large volumes, so you can easily keep within 40-60 minutes, and the risk of overloading the body will be minimal.

What should an advanced athlete choose

When your body is adapting to strength training and has built up a few pounds of muscle mass, it's time to increase your training volume. You can upgrade to split workouts or stay full body. The choice depends on your capabilities and goals.

When to try split sessions

If you need short workouts

If you cannot spend more than an hour in the gym - for example, arriving late from work or prefer to train at lunchtime - it is better to choose splits. To properly tire 1-2 muscle groups, 40 minutes is enough. A full body workout will take much longer, since you will need to do at least 7-8 exercises.

What's more, you will feel much less tired after a split than after a long full body session. If workout isn't the last thing you'll do and there's a full day of work after the gym, split sessions are best.

If you need to work out every muscle in detail

In split workouts, you can do many isolated exercises to focus on different heads of the same muscle. This will harmoniously pump all parts of the body and achieve a stunning look. But this only makes sense for experienced athletes with significant amounts of muscle mass.

If you do not carry large volumes

During strength loads, not only muscles are tired, but also the central nervous system (CNS). Particularly hard on her beat multi-joint movements for the development of large muscle groups. Since they are the priority in whole-body workouts, a large weekly volume can overload the central nervous system, which will negatively affect the working weights and will not allow the muscles to be tired enough.

Moreover, you may not notice this: you will try your best, but the tired nervous system will no longer include as many fibers as is needed for fatigue and muscle growth.

In split-sessions, you don't have to do a lot of heavy exercises in one workout: you can finish off the target muscles with single-joint movements, which are not so tiring for the central nervous system. This will allow you to increase the volume without the risk of overloading the nervous system.

When to try full body workouts

If you need to get rid of excess fat

At the same volume, a full body workout burns twice as much fat as a split workout. First, full body exercises involve more multi-joint exercises and expends more energy. Moreover, both during the lesson and after it, in the recovery process.

Second, they provide a better testosterone to cortisol ratio than split. Because testosterone promotes fat loss and cortisol helps store fat, full body provides a more hormonal setting for weight loss.

If you exercise 2-3 times a week

If you can only appear in the gym three times a week, for example, due to work schedule or other tasks, full-body training will help to properly load the muscles and ensure their growth. Yes, you will have to spend more time in the gym, but you will not lose anything in terms of hypertrophy: each muscle will receive a good load and growth will not stop.

When to change the system

Scientists believe that it is worth changing the training method from time to time in order to provide the body with an unusual load and thus stimulate hypertrophy. You need to try a new technique for yourself if:

• your progress has stopped;
• your life circumstances have changed - for example, your work schedule.

But remember that the volume of training must remain the same or increase, otherwise there will be no benefit from the change.