Full body workouts queston. Can someone help?

[LindenGarcia18]

Was wondering why most full workout routines work on a A-B system, and why you dont just hit every bodypart in the same workout?
example.

A-
DEADLIFT
BENCHPRESS
ROWS
SQUAT

B-
SQUAT
PULL-UPS
MILITARY PRESS
HYPER EXTENTIONS

alternating a and b throughout the week.

Why Dont you just do one workout you do 3 times a week rather than alternating between 2? Like this:

MILITARY PRESS
BENCH PRESS
INCLINE BENCH
DEADLIFT
BENT OVER ROWS
SQUAT

[MikeM]

Because all that pressing is tough on the old shoulders and all that deadlifting is murder on the old low back.

You could certainly do:

Squat
Bench
Row
OHP
Deadlift/or variation

But, you'd have to cycle the intensity weekly (like HLM) to survive it unless you're very new to the game.

[LindenGarcia18]

Originally Posted by MikeM

You could certainly do:

Squat
Bench
Row
OHP
Deadlift/or variation

.

Is that in one workout?
And yeah I'm a new lifter, 3 weeks in.
Thanks for the comment

[MikeM]

Yeah, all in one session. Here's the thing. When you're new, you're not lifting as much weight so 3 sessions a week like that is mangeable, especially if you have a heavy day, a light day, and a medium day. And you could even work it so you squat heavy one day, bench heavy the second, and deadlift heavy the third. I started out with something similar to that.

However, as you get stronger, the workouts take a lot longer since you are going to higher weights. And your body is getting hammered physically, so recoveryand even motivation is now going to be an issue.

Also, you'll begin to notice things particular to yourself such as I noticed pressing OH more than one a week was pretty darn hard on my shoulders, benching and squatting more than twice a week wasn't allowing for recovery and those lifts progression slowed way down. And deadlifting heavy from the floor more than once every couple of weeks doesn't work for me either.

Once you realize those things, you need to listen to your body and adjust your program to what works for you.

A good way to start out would be doing all the exercises in each day for 2 highish rep work sets one day at 100% one day at 90%, and one day at 70% or less. Do that for a couple months and log it. Keep an eye out for what's working and what's not. Then tweak as you go along.

Check out Kuytrider's log. He's doing something very similar right now.

Good luck!

[Off Road]

It is a "minimalist" routine that optimizes recovery.

Squat, Bench and Rows covers all the body's main muscle groups.

Deadlift, Press, and Chins covers all the body's main muscle groups.

Go to the gym, work hard on three BIG lifts, do enough to stimulate growth, go home and rest and grow. This split allows you to gain on the minimum amount but still allows for the use of some different lifts. Squat and Deads hit pretty much the same muscles, Bench and Press hit pretty much the same muscles. Rows and Chins hit pretty much the same muscles. See the pattern? No sense doing both Squats and Deads in the same session if they are doing pretty much the same thing. Also, six BIG lifts seems about right for the average person to push hard and make consistent gains. Try to add too much too soon and something will stall and not make progress.

[MikeM]

Better yet, do what Offroad just said! He answered your original question a lot better and more concise than I did!

That is pretty much exactly the way my original routine evolved into after a few months and it worked great.

I never did the dead/press workout more than once a week though. I squatted/benched Mon and Fri, dead/press Wed. So it wasn't truly and A/B thing as I always did twice as much A as B.

[LindenGarcia18]

Mike and OffRoad, thanks allot for the contribution.
The varying of intensity levels seem like a really good idea, then I'm not pounding my muscles too hard, and yes, I failed to realize that the exercises you do on either A and B do in fact hit the same sort of muscles.
Thanks for the advice guys

[glwanabe]

take a few minutes and read the included links.

http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/13690-post13.html

[leefarley]

Originally Posted by LindenGarcia18

Was wondering why most full workout routines work on a A-B system, and why you dont just hit every bodypart in the same workout?
example.

A-
DEADLIFT
BENCHPRESS
ROWS
SQUAT

B-
SQUAT
PULL-UPS
MILITARY PRESS
HYPER EXTENTIONS

alternating a and b throughout the week.

Why Dont you just do one workout you do 3 times a week rather than alternating between 2? Like this:

MILITARY PRESS
BENCH PRESS
INCLINE BENCH
DEADLIFT
BENT OVER ROWS
SQUAT

you can do a true fullbody, check out the reeves classic.