March 27, 2017

Whole-body training vs. split programs: An analysis

Ganzkörpertraining vs. Splitprogramme: Eine Analyse

There has been a lot of discussion lately about whether it is better to use a full body workout or some version of a split program where different parts of the body are trained during different workouts.

There are adamant advocates for both approaches and usually every discussion ends with people shouting at each other as if they are talking politics or religion. Sometimes, to avoid serious discussion, people focus on what these two systems have in common instead of addressing the important differences between the systems. My goal is to avoid both of these situations and to point out the pros and cons of both training methods so that you can decide for yourself which method is most appropriate for you at this time.

The definitions

First of all, we need to define what we are talking about. I think most people will recognize a full body training program when they see it, but for the sake of clarity, I'll define a full body workout as performing at least one of each of the following exercises during a training session:

Upper body push exercise (chest and/or shoulders)
Upper body pull exercise (latissimus)
Multi-joint exercise for the lower body (gluteus, quadriceps and leg flexors)

A split program is defined as performing two or fewer of the exercises listed above. Examples would include a lower body/upper body or push/pull split program or training only one or two muscle groups per session.

When looking at these two systems, it is critical that we do everything possible to analyze only the systems themselves and not other variables as well. How can we do this? By simply making everything else equal.

The real question when comparing full body workouts and split programs is: what frequency is best for muscle stimulation? Frequency in this case refers to how often - usually per week - each muscle group is stimulated. The vast majority of exercisers fall into one of three frequencies. Those who train each muscle group three times a week, those who train each muscle group twice a week and those who train each muscle group only once a week.

The first thing we should ask ourselves is whether this is a fair question. Does it really matter? I believe the answer to both questions is yes. This is a fair question because basically all trainers and exercisers agree that the right frequency is critical to success in the gym. It matters because this question attempts to address one of the key training paradigms: if a person's fitness level increases, then that person needs to do more work to further improve their fitness. The flip side of this paradigm is that the more work you do, the more recovery time you need. I therefore believe that any attempt to solve this puzzle is an endeavor well worth the effort.

The variables & the training sessions

What we are really talking about is frequency and to assess only this, all other variables must be equal. This means that over the course of the week you use the same exercises, the same sets, the same reps, the same weights, the same rest times, the same total training time and the same number of training sessions per week. Everything is the same. The only thing that changes is the frequency.

I mentioned above that most people train each muscle group either once, twice or three times a week. Training each muscle group twice a week is kind of a compromise. The total body training devotees seem to agree that sometimes twice a week is good, and even the "once a week" guys agree that sometimes twice a week is good.

That's all well and good, but we want to see the differences between these two plans, which is why we leave out twice a week. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that training each muscle group twice a week is bad in any way, but the following discussion will focus on the pros and cons of training each muscle group three times a week or just once a week. Twice a week is basically somewhere in the middle between these two frequencies, trying to bridge the gap between the two.

We said before that both workouts are the same apart from the training split. Since most people are visual learners, you can see both workouts side by side below. The full body workout program follows Chad Waterbury's recommendations for a full body workout program. The exercises are listed in the order in which they are performed. In general, this workout would be performed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Day 1 - Full body workout	Day 1 - Chest and back
Bench press	Bench press
Pull-ups	Dumbbell incline bench press
Barbell shoulder press	3-Board Press*
Front squats	Pull-ups
Tricep press	Bent over rows
Dumbbell biceps curls	Dumbbell rowing
Day 2 - Full body workout	Day 2 - Legs and lower back
Dumbbell incline bench press	Squats
Bent-over rowing	Front squats
Push Press	Deadlift
Squats	Good Mornings
Skull Crushers on the reverse incline bench	Seated leg curls
Seated leg curls
Day 3 - Full body workout	Day 3 - Shoulders and arms
Deadlift	Push Press
Good Mornings	Barbell shoulder press
3-Board Press*	Dumbbell side raise bent over
Dumbbell Row	Skull crushers on the reverse incline bench
SZ Curls	Tricep press
Dumbbell side raises bent forward	SZ Curls
	Dumbbell bicep curls

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgLinau1oxg

If you look at the workout programs above, you may see something you particularly like or don't like at all. Let's say you hate leg curls and think people should do glute ham raises instead. Just substitute any exercise you want. To maintain balance, all you have to do is substitute the same exercise on both programs.

If you feel something is missing - let's say ab workouts, for example - feel free to add it, keeping in mind that whatever you do on one program, you'll need to do on the other. The purpose of comparing the workouts in the above way is simply so that people can see the differences.

Now that we've put the workouts together, let's start analyzing them. First the positive:

The benefits of a full body workout

Higher frequency might be better for increased neuromuscular coordination - this is a crucial component of strength and therefore a great benefit. Exercise makes perfect and generally you get a better exercise effect from shorter and more frequent executions rather than a long session.
You are relatively rested with each exercise as you train one area of the body and then move on to the next, so there is no accumulated fatigue.
It's easier to incorporate full body exercises like Olympic weightlifting exercises, gymnastics exercises and strongman stuff into this type of training program.
Basically, all fitness experts agree that a full body workout is ideal for beginners.
A full body workout can prepare an athlete better than a split program to deal with body-wide fatigue that occurs in team sports during a game.
A full body workout trains a higher percentage of the total motor units in the body per day than a split program.
Since you are training your entire body, a full body workout may be better for burning calories and promoting fat loss.
A full body workout is good for recovery after an injury or a break from training, as in these cases the intensity is reduced by default, so you can get more out of the workout if you train more frequently.
If you miss one or two training sessions of the week, you will still get some training stimulus for the whole body rather than neglecting certain muscle groups that week.
A higher training frequency can help prevent "undertraining".
It's easy to incorporate supersets (antagonistic sets) into your workout, which saves time.
Light full body days are harder than light split days (e.g. full body vs. arms).
You won't get the kind of pronounced muscle soreness from a full body workout as you would from a split program.
You can get a good full-body workout with just three training days per week.
My personal opinion: I have found for myself that it seems to be easier to do a hard full-body workout without a training partner than a hard split program without a training partner.

Advantages of a split program

A split program allows for maximum intensity regardless of how advanced you are.
Repetitive sets with a fatigued muscle will build muscle endurance better (especially endurance over multiple sets).
A split program allows you to easily train more than three days per week.
Additional training days allow you to pay more attention to weak areas in your body development or performance.
Split training gives your muscles more time to recover, which can help prevent overtraining.
Basically, all fitness experts agree that split training is better for bodybuilders and fitness athletes.
Split training trains a higher percentage of the body's total motor units per week than a full body training program. When one is exhausted, you recruit more motor units, which is better for hypertrophy (muscle mass).
The hardest split day is usually harder than the hardest total body day (e.g. legs vs. full body workout).
It's easy to incorporate intensity techniques (e.g. descending sets, compound sets, etc.).
Could be better for learning to train intensely.
You will tend to get very sore muscles and will feel every muscle you worked out for several days after the workout (some people like this feeling, others don't).
Split training is better if you need to train several days in a row (e.g. if Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the only days you can train).

Disadvantages of a full body workout

High frequency combined with high intensity could overtrain certain areas of the body (e.g. shoulders, pushing three days a week, tendonitis in the elbows, etc.).
Most split programs allow the exerciser to train 4 to 5 or more days per week. It is difficult to do more than three full-body workouts per week, otherwise you would have to start working out on consecutive days.
A full-body training program may not allow enough recovery time, especially if you train at a high (relative) intensity or move a lot of weight (high absolute intensity).
A full body workout may not allow enough work to compensate for or improve weak areas. Furthermore, addressing weak points in combination with regular training can lead to overtraining.
Exercisers may be tempted to reduce intensity as they will essentially be doing the same thing again in a few days.
A full body workout might not improve local muscle endurance or resistance to fatigue (lactate threshold) as much as a split program.
It is difficult to incorporate most intensity techniques (e.g. descending sets, compound sets) into a full body training program due to the short recovery time (in days) before the muscle is trained again.
You don't get that strong muscle pump in a specific muscle group that some people like (and that Arnold says is the greatest feeling you can feel).

Disadvantages of a split program

A lack of frequency might not improve neuromuscular coordination as much, which could limit strength.
You will be exhausted to some degree after your first exercise for a muscle group, so continued training of that area will force a slight reduction in weight.
Splits must be properly planned to avoid overtraining muscle groups or areas that are prone to this (e.g. lower back, front shoulder muscles, etc.).
It is difficult to incorporate full body exercises or combination exercises (Olympic weightlifting exercises and the like) into a split program.
Splits do not promote body-wide fatigue, so the exerciser will not be prepared for this.
The exerciser may not stimulate the muscles hard enough to require such a long recovery time (in days).
They may feel the need to train 4 to 5 days a week, which requires more time.
My personal opinion: You may need a training partner to be able to do really good split training sessions on a regular basis.

Anecdotal experiences

If you look at athletes from the present and past, there is anecdotal experience in favor of both training systems:

Total body training programs have been used successfully in the past to produce muscular and strong athletes.
Olympic weightlifters, gymnasts, some athletes and some strength coaches continue to use total body training with good results.
Basically all bodybuilders and fitness athletes use a split system.
Most people who move weights in a gym use a split system.
Split training seems to be more fun for most people (at least in my experience) and this should not be discounted. The main reason people do something for a long period of time is because it's fun.

The bad arguments

In addition to the pros and cons listed above, both sides have made some claims that don't have much merit and should be debunked as worthless. Some of these claims are as follows:

Bad Argument #1: "Muscles always work together in real life and you can't separate muscles in the gym."

The body is an amazing entity and we still don't fully understand it to this day. However, the idea that not always doing a full body workout will result in less functional muscles doesn't make sense.

Take another look at the workouts described above. To say that the person doing the total body workout will get a better training effect for sprints because they train latissimus and gluteus together - as opposed to the person doing a split program and training gluteus and latissimus on different days - doesn't make sense.

If I develop strong biceps in the gym - and even if I only have a single training day for biceps - then those biceps will help me in any activity that involves the biceps, be it rope climbing, tug-of-war or arm wrestling. The frequency component of the training program has very little to do with how transferable the skills in the gym are to other skills outside of the gym.

Bad argument #2: "Many muscles are involved in an exercise (such as the obliques in side raises, the abs in standing barbell shoulder presses, and the calves in squats). So how can you find out exactly which muscles an exercise really trains?"

This reasoning basically says that something like a chest day or a back day makes no sense. I'm not sure where this assertion comes from, as this question was addressed and answered years ago and is now coming up again.

Sure, an exercise usually involves many muscles and muscles rarely work in complete isolation. The problem, however, is the definition of "working". Many muscles contract during an exercise, but a pure contraction is different from receiving a training stimulus from an exercise. A training stimulus means that the muscles respond to an exercise by getting stronger, getting bigger, increasing their endurance, etc.

Here is an easy way to realize this. When performing an exercise, ask yourself: "If I only perform this one exercise and no more, which muscles will respond to this?" For example, are the biceps working on the bench press? And if by "working" you mean contracting, then the answer is "yes", because the biceps contract during the bench press.

However, will doing only bench presses help you get stronger and bigger biceps? Here the answer is "no". The biceps will not receive much training stimulus from the bench press. The triceps and shoulder muscles will certainly receive training stimulus, but not the biceps. If bench pressing is all you do and you still expect to perform well on biceps curls (a measure of biceps strength), then you will be disappointed.

Going back to the original example, the idea that performing side raises will train your obliques to the extent that you'll get better at side crunches or upper body rotations has no hand or foot. Similarly, standing barbell shoulder presses won't make you better at crunches, and just doing squats won't develop great calves either.

Bad argument #3: "A total body workout is too easy and only used by wimps."

This is simply not correct. It's load, exercises, sets, repetitions and rest periods that make a training session easy or hard. Look at the workout above: deadlifts, followed by good mornings and then board press and dumbbell rows - all of these are hard exercises. Doing them all in a row with heavy weights would be brutal.

Ask a powerlifter if a powerlifting competition (a total body workout) is easy and you'll obviously get a "no" answer. You can make a total body training session light, which is also true for any split training session, but will such a training session automatically be light? Definitely not.

Bad argument #4: "A full-body workout may be good for beginners, but that's it."

Again, this doesn't have to be the case. Look at Olympic weightlifters at an elite level. They are constantly loading the entire body and you perform excellently. Sheiko-oriented powerlifting programs have exercisers training at a very high frequency on a regular basis. While it's true that you need to balance the intensity of the workouts with the frequency of the workouts, there are enough examples to prove that full-body training can work for advanced athletes.

The conclusion?

So what is the conclusion? I hope you can see that both methods have significant benefits and most people would benefit from spending time with both of these methods. A key point to remember is that the ideal frequency for you is not static. Rather, it is dynamic because you are changing and your exercise intensity will change as well.

In general, it is true that many people start with a full body workout and then move on to training each muscle group twice a week for a period of time before moving on to training each muscle group only once a week, with this being done in line with increasing their training intensity. However, training each muscle group only once a week is not what everyone is aiming for. You should periodically re-evaluate where you and your training are at to see if your training frequency is still appropriate.

The bottom line

To the full body guys

Full body training, as you know, can be very effective, but as you progress, you may find that your body would benefit from training hard with a more direct, intense stimulus to the muscles and giving the muscles more time to recover, which is especially true if you are striving for muscle growth or if you are moving very heavy weights.

You may also find that a split program will allow you to focus more on weak areas that you could not prioritize with a full body program. You can always try a split program (training each muscle group once or twice a week) for a while and go back to your full body workout if you don't like it. You won't lose the gains you've made.

To the split program guys

A split program, as you know, can be very effective. However, when you reach very intense levels of training, you may find that your ability to train exceeds your ability to recover even if you only train each muscle group once a week. Lee Haney once said, "Train to stimulate, not to destroy."

You may find that your training intensity has decreased somewhat over time as you've gotten stronger and more muscular, or perhaps because your training partner has moved away. Your body may now be ready to respond better to a higher frequency and a (slightly) lower intensity. You can always try a higher frequency (two or three workouts per muscle group per week) for a while and go back to your split program if you don't like it. And no, you won't lose your gains.

The bottom line

How will your body respond if you train each muscle group or exercise X times per week? If you don't know the answer to this question, then it could be a sign that it's time to change things up.

You can always try a month of training one muscle group three times a week, a month of training one muscle group twice a week and a month of training one muscle group once a week to see how your body responds. Think about it, try it out and see what happens!

From Tim Henriques | 12/27/06

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tbt-vs-splits-an-analysis