Full body workouts are an effective way to build strength and muscle mass. They involve training all the major muscle groups in a single session, which can save time and provide a balanced workout. But how often should you do full body workouts to maximize your progress and avoid burnout?
Factors to Consider
The frequency of your full body workouts depends on several factors, including your fitness level, training goals, recovery capacity, and schedule. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:
Fitness Level
If you’re a beginner or intermediate lifter, doing full body workouts 2-3 times per week can be sufficient to stimulate muscle growth and improve overall fitness. However, if you’re an advanced lifter or have been training for several years, you may need to do full body workouts less frequently to allow for proper recovery and avoid overtraining.
Training Goals
Your training goals also play a role in how often you should do full body workouts. If you’re primarily focused on strength or powerlifting, you may benefit from doing more frequent, lower-volume full body workouts to practice your technique and build your work capacity. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in hypertrophy or muscle building, you may need to do fewer, higher-volume full body workouts to maximize muscle protein synthesis and recovery.
Recovery Capacity
Your recovery capacity refers to your ability to recover from training stress and adapt to new stimulus. If you have good recovery capacity, you may be able to do full body workouts more often without getting excessively sore or fatigued. However, if you have poor recovery capacity due to factors like age, stress, sleep, or nutrition, you may need to space out your full body workouts more to avoid overtaxing your body and risking injury.
Schedule
Finally, your schedule and lifestyle can influence how often you can realistically do full body workouts. If you have limited time or access to a gym, doing full body workouts fewer times per week but with higher intensity or volume may be more practical than doing lower-intensity sessions more often. On the other hand, if you have more free time or prefer a more frequent training frequency, doing full body workouts multiple times per week can be an enjoyable and effective way to stay active and challenge yourself.
Sample Training Plans
Based on the factors above, here are three sample full body workout plans for different goals and experience levels:
Beginner Plan
- Day 1: Squats, bench press, rows, overhead press, biceps curls, triceps extensions, planks (3 sets of 8-12 reps for each exercise)
- Day 2: Deadlifts, chin-ups, dips, lateral raises, leg curls, calf raises, crunches (3 sets of 8-12 reps for each exercise)
- Frequency: 2-3 times per week, with at least one day of rest in between sessions
Intermediate Plan
- Day 1: Squats, bench press, rows, overhead press, biceps curls, triceps extensions (5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise)
- Day 2: Deadlifts, chin-ups, dips, lateral raises, leg curls, calf raises (5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise)
- Day 3: Squat jumps, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, box jumps, lunges, planks (3 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise)
- Frequency: 2-3 times per week, with at least one day of rest in between sessions
Advanced Plan
- Day 1: Squats, bench press, rows, overhead press, biceps curls, triceps extensions, pull-ups (6 sets of 3-5 reps for each exercise)
- Day 2: Deadlifts, chin-ups, dips, lateral raises, leg curls, calf raises, plank variations (6 sets of 3-5 reps for each exercise)
- Day 3: High-intensity intervals (e.g., sprints, burpees, rope jumping, kettlebell swings) (10-20 minutes)
- Frequency: 1-2 times per week, with at least two days of rest in between sessions
Conclusion
Full body workouts can be a great way to get a challenging and productive workout in a short amount of time. However, the frequency and intensity of your full body workouts should be based on your individual goals, fitness level, recovery capacity, and schedule. Experiment with different plans, track your progress, and listen to your body to find the sweet spot that works for you. Whether you do full body workouts every day or once a week, remember that consistency, effort, and proper training technique are key to achieving your fitness goals.
