full body workout

[slydeflex]

Has anyone on this post ever try a three days a week full body workout such as the one Reg Park, Steve Reeves and Marvin Eder, used to use. If so, were there any good results? I just started doing one with only basic heavy compound movements and find that I am getting stronger. I want to know how long I should do this cycle. All exercises are 5 sets x 5 reps using heavy weights. I was wondering how long I should continue this routine? I find that I am getting stronger each workout and am able to increase the weight.

[Paul Stagg]

Yes - I used the first routine in KTP for several weeks.

I got stronger, but the big plus was the increase in conditioning and work capacity.

[fevan]

i am a hard gainer, about as hard as then come. i find that doing total body 2 - 3 times a week is the best work out i get. it saves time, i get more full days of rest, i don't need cardio to burn the fat, and my strenght and endurence and improved alot. i've been doing this for two months but i'm going to change it for end of april. back to 1 part a day to see if i can add weight.

[Alex.V]

I do terribly on full body workouts.... even twice a week is pushing it. I never felt like I could do the bodyparts later in the routine justice, and my poundage pretty much stagnated on them. Doesn't mean they don't work for some people....

My advice if you're progressing... continue until you don't anymore. Never change something that's working for you.

[MarshallPenn]

How long did you train full body Belial?

[Gavan]

slydeflex are you growing too ?

[Alex.V]

About 4 months, marshall.

[MarshallPenn]

that's a pretty good legnth of time. Were you doing more than 1 set per bodypart? If so, that may have been the problem, but like you said everyone is different.

[Paul Stagg]

One thing to point out - I did not train to failure.. hard, but not to failure.

The KTP routine is pretty high rep stuff, so the loads weren't all that high. At first, it was tought to get through the workout, but as conditioning improved, that got easier (much like Westside).

[Blood&Iron]

For the first year/year and a half I trained I pretty much stuck to a full-body workout performed three times a week, which was something like:

Squats/Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Overhead Press
Lat Pulldown
Bench Press
DB Shrugs
Standing Calf-Raise
Weighted Crunch

One set of each exercise to failure. Usually felt like I was gonna puke after I finished. Worked pretty decently and I was able to progress at each workout, but after awhile I stagnated. The last two years I've pretty much stuck to split routines, working each bodypart once or twice a week. Recently, though, I've gone back to full-body 3x per week workouts, under the rubric of Hypertrophy-Specific Training. So far, it seems to be better than my old HIT methods, as you only train to failure once every two weeks(And you don't really need to go to failure at all.) and avoid the CNS fatigue that is, from what I understand, a limiting factor with HIT. Might want to check out some of Bryan Haycock's writings on the subject at
www.thinkmuscle.com
as they're pretty good

I've got a journal here as well that details my experiences with HST which might or might not be informative.

[MarshallPenn]

HST is definitely the best way I've ever trained.

[slydeflex]

Originally posted by Gavan
slydeflex are you growing too ?

I have been growing and getting stronger on this routine. I thank every one for their feed back. I will continue to use this routine until the gains stop. I feel alot stronger doing this routine. I have been able to increase the weight on each workout, which I was not able to do on once a week training.

[tony touch]

1 set of 20 rep breathing squats (to failure or close to it)
no rest
1 set of 10 rep max on bench
no rest
1 set of 10 rep deadlift (not quite til failure but u should struggle to get those 10 reps)

rest 2 minutes

1 set of bentover rows 12 rep max
no rest
1 set of preacher curls (barbell) 10 rep max
no rest
1 set of squats 10 rep max
no rest
1 set to failure of chins and then get a partner to help u bust out some negatives

rest 2 minutes

1 set military press 10 reps (not to failure but make it intense)
no rest
1 set of db shrugs 20 rep max (failure)
no rest
1 giant set of lateral raises running down the rack

2 sets of incline bench
rest a minute in between those 2 sets but when u finish last set go straight into
1 15 rep set of skullcrushers to failure
1 set of pushdowns 10 rep max


13 total sets, awesome intensity needed, go home and sleep and eat.

crazy **** but ya gotta actually go to failure to get the effects. this is good for alot of guys training twice a week.

a buddy of mine used this to break out of a plateu and he put on a solid 10 lbs in a month eating 4,000 k a day and bustin ass wit this.

this routine is extremely advanced and i dont recommend this to everyone. alot will overtrain

[mds_79]

I've used full body workouts with good results in the past. You can look in my journal for my current incarnation of a full body workout. In the past I would do 1 or 2 sets of each exercise to failure and beyond. I found when going to failure i could only train every 4 days. Today I only go to failure on a maybe one or two body parts per workout this allows me to train more frequently if I so desire. I think full body workouts are great if you have a busy schedule and never know when you;ll be able to hit the iron. With a split, missing a day or couple days can mess up your whole schedule. But when doing the whole body missing a day or two isn't such a big deal.