There are many choices when it comes to training programs and workout methods. One of the arguments you will find is full body routines versus split routines. Which one is best? There are different opinions. You will find one trusted professional who recommends a full body workout while another will advise that you split your efforts and routines for a more effective session. Your current level of physical fitness, your weightlifting experience, and your age are all relevant factors that may make one of these two methods a better pick than the other.

If you are a beginner in weightlifting or bodybuilding then this can be one of the first and one of the most important questions that you need to answer. You will find professionals and many magazines devoted to this goal which recommend a split routine, but others may suggest the exact opposite. You need to find out which of these choices will give you the most benefits and fewest drawbacks, and the answer may be different in specific situations and circumstances. You may end up deciding to go with a full body routine, at least in the beginning. You could end up choosing to start off with split routines instead. There is no right or wrong choice, only the fact that one will be better than the other in your case.

What are Full Body Routines?

A full body routine will include a number of exercises that are basic, and these will generally impact all of the various muscle groups and body areas. The goal is to workout and target all of the muscle groups every time you workout. This can provide good overall coverage and help you strengthen all of your muscles with one session. When you first start lifting and working out, you may have many weaknesses, and a full body routine will strengthen your muscle groups evenly. If you have already gained considerable bulk and strength then you may reach a point where you realize that continuing to workout your entire body each session is too extensive. You may decide that it is better to split up the muscle groups that are targeted in order to gain more muscle growth and see bigger results. Some individuals never move on to split routines, while others start out from the beginning using this method.

What are Split Routines?

Split routines can follow a number of different formats, but they all have the same goal. When you split up the body areas and muscle groups, you can engage in a more intense workout that focuses on a specific group of muscles. This can help you gain more muscle mass and strength because each session includes a longer or more strenuous workout that targets the specific group. You may split your training between two day, three days, or even more depending on your objectives and your specific preferences and workout requirements. When you use a split routine, you may workout your chest during one session and your lower body on the next. This means that you will spend more time each week on each muscle group, and this will help you increase in size more effectively and help you achieve greater strength. You divide your body into muscle groups and then rotate the ones that are targeted in each training session.

Which Type of Routine Should You Choose?

Before you decide to start with either split routines or full body routines, there are some factors that you need to consider. Younger individuals will naturally have a faster recovery time. A 19 year old man will not need as much time to recover from the same lifting routine as a 40 year old man. Your unique metabolism and other fitness factors will also be important. Some people heal faster and have a body type that makes bulking up easy. Others may have to struggle for each pound and inch. You need to choose the routine that will help you reach your goals fastest without increasing your risk of injury.

What Role Does Nutrition Play?

Nutrition plays a big role in whether you succeed or fail in your bodybuilding and fitness goals. In order to build muscle, you will need plenty of protein in your diet. Your specific dietary needs may not be the same as someone else. Whether you choose full body routines or split routines, the time spent working out each day, the amount of weights lifted, and many other choices all depend on proper nutrition for successful gains. No matter what schedule or training program you use, if you do not have sufficient nutrients to repair the torn muscle fibers and allow the tissues to recover completely then you will not see the gains that you could.

Consider Your Age and Fitness Level

How old are you? Are you in decent physical shape or are you less than ideal in this area? Both of these factors will help determine what you can reasonably gain, and whether you should go with a full body routine or split things up. You want to match your full recovery potential with the right intensity and training time each week. Once you have reached a level where you can not advance any further then you may want to spit up the routines in order to maximize the gains you get with each of the muscle groups.

If You Choose a Split Routine Then How Should You Split It?

If you decide that split routines will work best in your circumstances then you also need to decide how many splits you want. If you are switching from full body routines then you may want to start with a two way split. You can work on your upper body during one session and target your lower body the next. Eventually you may find that you need to split the training up even further, and this may mean a 3, 4, or even 5 way split. What works for you may not work for someone else, and only you can decide whether your current routine choices are giving you the results you are expecting and hoping for.

Source

http://www.livestrong.com/article/338365-split-routine-vs-full-body/