Why we should be doing whole body training.

SemperFi

Well-known member

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Reference and Credits - Dr. Jim Stopanni Bodybuilding.com November 2017


Whole-body training, aka full-body training, refers to training every muscle group in one workout, rather than training them separately.


Split-style training has been a staple of the bodybuilding community for years. With splits, you can lift more volume per individual muscle groups, but you sacrifice frequency. Whole-body training involves less volume per body part per workout, but each muscle group gets worked more frequently. Frequency, as it turns out, is the way to go.


Here are four reasons why I think you should switch to whole-body training.


1. Greater Fat Loss Research shows whole-body training can improve fat loss over typical split-style training. In one study, individuals who performed whole-body workouts three times per week lost more body fat than those who were following a typical split-style training program.


[1] Whole-body training appears to influence fat loss through gene activation—my area of study while at Yale School of Medicine. Gene activation is critical for determining training outcomes, be it muscle growth or fat loss. Whole-body training instigates gene activity to keep metabolic processes revved up in every single muscle, an effect that lasts all day long. Your body essentially burns more fat and carbs for fuel throughout the day with whole-body training.


2. Greater Muscle Mass In the same study, the whole-body training group gained slightly more muscle mass than the split training group. One possible reason: Whole-body subjects showed improved testosterone-to-cortisol ratios. The higher your testosterone is and the lower your cortisol is, the more anabolic you are.


Activating this ideal anabolic ratio through frequent whole-body training maximizes potential muscle-protein synthesis, leading to greater muscle growth.


3. Greater Strength When researchers split the subjects into groups of stronger individuals—those who could squat heavier—and weaker individuals, they found the stronger individuals in the whole-body training program had greater strength gains than the stronger individuals assigned to split-style training. This suggests advanced lifters may experience even greater benefits from using a whole-body training programs than their novice counterparts.


This represents a sea change among exercise scientists, who used to recommend beginners use whole-body training because it allows more frequency for training the motor system and nervous system—the main changes a newbie sees in the first few weeks of training. Now it appears the greater frequency of whole-body training may be of greater benefit to experienced lifters seeking to improve their strength gains.


4. Greater Overall Health By activating genes in every muscle fiber every single day, whole-body training keeps metabolic processes firing, which plays a role in helping to prevent the onset of various metabolic diseases.


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| References | Crewther, B. T., Heke, T. O. L., & Keogh, J. W. (2016). The effects of two equal-volume training protocols upon strength, body composition and salivary hormones in male rugby union players. Biology of Sport, 33(2), 111.


 


SEMPER FI


 


 

 

blastthru23

Moderator

I love total body training. I do it 2-3 per month, which may not be optimal. The training program is damn close anyhow, which is upper/lower front/back with arms, delts and/or calves at the end. 

 

JdDaniel01

New member

Im gonna have to read this a couple of times. I’ve tried full body training a few times and I just can’t get myself to the point where I feel like I can get ”fully stimulated”... i pretty much always train multiple body parts during cutting phases just because your rest periods become working periods and your energy expenditure never gets a chance to slow down. I’m sure, as with anything else, it takes time and experimenting to find what works. I’m down to try (almost) anything. 

 

Dolf

Moderator

Dr Jim is awesome! I haven't done fullbody training in a long time. Might give it a go this spring cut.

 

SemperFi

Well-known member

I posted in the over 40 section for a specific reason......whole body training makes good sense for anti aging. You can spend a ton of $ on all the creams, pills or hGH you can afford or go to the gym. Which one is a better investment?

Here is an article about the positive effects on resistance training and age reversal (gene expression). Grow younger!

https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/ageresistUNM.html

 

SEMPER FI

 

JdDaniel01

New member

A pretty much unrelated, I have definitely noticed a drastic improvement in bodily response since I have switched to a multi bodypart, high rep routine. How would you reccomend to initially implement a full body routine?

 

SemperFi

Well-known member

Dive in the deep end. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. ;) I am not advocating a whole body routine for everyone. Although it is the basis for my personal training, I was simply sharing the information in favor of it. Dr. Jim is a very smart man and I enjoy learning from him. Not all of us are bodybuilders, powerlifters, or athletes. Some simply want to be the best that we can be..... for as long as we can! The US Army had one on the very best slogans in modern history, "Be All That You Can Be". 

As some of us begin moving into the best years of our lives we may want to consider shifting some of our thinking and the actual focus of our training. I know I am.... after all this is the over 40 forum. ;)

 

SEMPER FI

 

Dolf

Moderator

AKA: one foot in the grave forum lol

It took me a year into my 40's to realize I couldn't walk in the gym and have dick measuring contest by loading the bar up with huge weight anymore. My goals now are a good physique and endurance. 

 

siegmund

Moderator

I totaly agree with you dolf ,

its a humbling pf myself that i needed to do. ,  i cannot bench with bb, if i do my shoulder always goes , so i use db.  i feel i get a better pump ,also for my age its about looking good being healthy, now i do 100lb dumbells.  , and a stright bar shoulder press only#225 is needed , and rep it out and imo reping out 225 , for 10 sets of reps is far from not having strenght 

if i had to go up aginst a man , and 1 was benching 650 lbs.  and the other was reppi g 225 for 15s , i would go up aginst the power lifter. .... light weight is not weak.  , i know you didnt mention weak in your post but. a brother doing 225 for 10 sets of 10 to 15 on , bench ,shoulders back traps , squat.   is a fucking beast imo.   good post dolf +2.   

 

siegmund

Moderator

I totaly agree with you dolf ,

its a humbling pf myself that i needed to do. ,  i cannot bench with bb, if i do my shoulder always goes , so i use db.  i feel i get a better pump ,also for my age its about looking good being healthy, now i do 100lb dumbells.  , and a stright bar shoulder press only#225 is needed , and rep it out and imo reping out 225 , for 10 sets of reps is far from not having strenght 

if i had to go up aginst a man , and 1 was benching 650 lbs.  and the other was reppi g 225 for 15s , i would go up aginst the power lifter. .... light weight is not weak.  , i know you didnt mention weak in your post but. a brother doing 225 for 10 sets of 10 to 15 on , bench ,shoulders back traps , squat.   is a fucking beast imo.   good post dolf +2.   

 

Dolf

Moderator

The only lift I do with more than a 100lb db anymore is kroc rows. I primarily use to 60 to 90lb db for everything else. I rarely use bb's for any pressing movements due to the shoulder impingement issues they can cause.

 

blastthru23

Moderator

I have to use the smith machine for bb presses. Otherwise I have to say good bye to my right shoulder. But, I can use dumb bells no problem. I wish my gym had them greater than 100 tho. There's something satisfying pressing 140's, maybe it's a little ego shit, but it's still fun nevertheless.

 

SemperFi

Well-known member

I jacked my shoulder with a lot less than that. I spent the majority of my life injury free.... thank God. The downside is that until last year I trained with reckless abandonment. Until you actually have an injury preventative measures are far from the forefront of our thinking.

I encourage everyone to begin thinking of injury prevention.... the earlier the better. There has been enough testimony from members concerning dealing with injuries (Strong, Dolf, Jarhead, Metalhead, etc.) there is no excuse not to be more cognitive about it. When it happens, because it will, you may wish you did things a bit different.

 

SEMPER FI

 

Good advice for the younger crowd. Take care of yourself now and save yourself later.

I just had an appointment yesterday with the orthopedic Dr because of lingering pain in my right shoulder. Turned out to only be tendonitis of the rotator cuff muscles but it has forced me into an unplanned three week upper body layoff.

 

SemperFi

Well-known member

Personally I would advise you to avoid the smith machine at all cost. It is one of the leading causes of shoulder injuries and locking you shoulder into a single plain of motion is flirting with disaster. It might be working for you in the moment but be aware of the extreme risk.

 

SEMPER FI

 

JARHEAD2

Member

Prevention is the key!! It really sucks when you’re injured & limited in your workout or you can’t workout at all.... then is when many say it wasn’t worth it!!

 

PREVENTION IS KEY!!

 

bigjerseyd

Member

Do the injuries normally occur when you have been training on a smith machine for a period of time, and then switch to a bb's or db's? or is it just from repetitively using the smith machine?  

 
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