Full Body Training and Its Benefits
Full body training can be referred to as "Functional Training". It is a training method that exercises the entire body and all of its muscle groups during a workout, not like the "Split Training" method that targets specific muscle groups of the body during a training session. Functional training (full body) provides a better workout for the heart (cardiorespiratory) by creating more blood circulation throughout the body, but it has significant benefits for being able to add more volume (weights, sets, and repetitions) every week in resistance training over the split training method. The main reason is that working out 3x/week, with 4 rest days of the functional training method is equivalent to working out 6x/week with 1 rest day of the split training method. This is so because your body requires at least 48 hours of recovery for a muscle that has been trained, and rest is crucial to allow muscle growth and prevent overtraining (injury, decrease in physical performance).
In a 7-day week, the maximum number of times you can train the same muscle group is 4 with 3 rest days. This depends on the routine and number of training sessions throughout the week. If there are only 4 training sessions with the same muscle groups, then 3 rest days are available, but if there are more than 4 training sessions for different muscle groups, then there will be fewer rest days. The drawbacks can be that the body is not getting enough rest to recover before the next training session, and there may be a negative impact on an individual's lifestyle due to the time spent and focus on workout sessions. This can lead to a decrease in consistency with successful workouts, as an individual may feel a lack of energy and motivation to accomplish their workouts. This would be a drawback with the sustainability aspect of this workout routine.
For a regular split training routine please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/resistance-training-workout-routines
For a regular functional training routine please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/resistance-training-workout-routines
In order to get the same amount of volume (weights, sets, and repetitions) of resistance training, you would need to train at least 6x/week and have 1 rest day compared to functional training, which is 3x/week with 4 rest days. Functional training sessions are also better for the heart and cardiorespiratory system and will have the effect of burning more calories in every workout. They also provide more volume in resistance training that will allow more muscle growth and physical adaptations to occur, compared to a split training workout session. This is important because more muscle mass burns more calories in daily living activities and workouts. There are also 4 times as many rest days during the week to allow your body to recover from the breakdown of muscle fibres from training sessions and allow an individual to regain their energy for the next workout. This provides an individual the opportunity to pursue other personal interests along with cooking and meal planning to acquire a healthy, well-balanced, and sustainable lifestyle. This can be a motivating factor to help an individual continue their workout routine.
Summary
When the principles of resistance training are applied with the functional training methodology, there will be more physical adaptations created. This will lead to progress and results. Functional Training can help an individual achieve faster and better results in the gym and workout sessions and can provide a well-balanced and sustainable lifestyle.
Sources
- International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). ISSA Curriculum Materials
To learn more about the principles of resistance training please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/principles-of-resistance-training
To learn more about different training methods please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/different-methods-of-training