The 2 best full-body routines

Full-body routines: What are they?

Full-body training has become one of the most effective routines for gaining muscle mass, both for beginners and for people who have been training for some time. 

The full-body routines are those in which the entire body is trained in a single sessionnormally, large muscle groups are trained, such as the muscles of the legs, back, or chest. For this reason, it is important to know how it should be structured, although you will be able to learn more about that later. 

In fact, this does not mean that you have to do dozens of exercises in each session. One of the keys to the success of a full-body routine is the proper selection of exercises, allowing for as complete a stimulus as possible.

One example is squats (or their variations), which work muscles such as the quadriceps, glutes, and adductors.

Some benefits of full-body routines include:

•  You will burn more calories per session.
• It is an efficient workout; training 3 days a week is enough to achieve very good results. 
• Ideal for people with little time or who have just started
• It promotes muscle and strength gains. 

In reality, everyone can benefit from full-body routines; however, certain types of people will be able to get more out of them, namely: 

• Athletes who are looking for strength training to complement their sport
• People who have one hour to train and cannot train every day. 
• Beginners whose goal is to gain as much strength and muscle mass as possible. 

Now we are going to see how to structure a full-body routine so that it is truly effective and you can get the most out of your workouts.

How to structure full-body routines

For a full-body routine to really work, it is not enough to “do things for the sake of doing them”; rather, must follow a logical and clear structure, especially when it comes to planning. 

A weekly frequency of 3–4 days per week is recommended, especially if you are a beginner, as this will provide you with: 

• The right and necessary stimulus to gain muscle mass. 
• Adequate recovery for the next training session.
• Organization and structure so that you have time to do other activities throughout the week. 

Ideally, leave 24 to 48 hours between training sessions to prevent muscle overlap and arrive fully recovered, although this will largely depend on the loads you move. 

When it comes to exercise selection, we should pay special attention to it, as it is the backbone of a training routine. Some exercises that should not be missing are: 

• Squats 
• Hip hinges (deadlifts or Roman chair extensions)
• Bench press (and variations with different inclines)
• Pull-ups or lat pulldowns 
• Barbell or dumbbell rows

A full-body training session usually last between 50 and 65 minutess, which is why rest periods should be adjusted to the nature and type of exercise. Some recommendations are: 

• Compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, etc.): rest for 3–4 minutes 
• Isolation exercises (quadriceps extensions, biceps curls, etc.): rest for 2–3 minutes

However, if you do have more time, the recommendation is that you rest the time necessary until you feel ready to tackle the next set in the best possible way. 

Tips for making the most of your full-body routines

Doing a full-body routine is one of the best ways to train, especially if you don’t have much time to go to the gym and want real results. 

However, it’s not just about completing the exercises, but about getting the most out of them. That’s why I’m going to give you some advice here that you should start applying to maximize your results:

Increase the level gradually. 

One key aspect of training is progressive overload, or, in other words, if you always train with the same weight and the same number of repetitions, your body will eventually adapt and stop improving. You need to keep increasing the weight or adding repetitions in each training session. They don’t both have to happen at once, but as long as you keep making small progress week after week, you’ll become stronger—you have no other choice.

Follow a diet suited to your goal. 

Training without proper nutrition accounts for 50% of the results. 

If your goal is gain muscle mass, you need to eat a little more than you expend and make sure you get around 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

On the other hand, if what you’re looking for is lower your body fat percentagea calorie deficit is necessary: you’ll have to eat less than you expend, but without neglecting the quality of your food. Ultimately, think of food as your fuel; just as you wouldn’t put water in your car’s engine, don’t give your body junk food. 

Don’t forget to rest and sleep well.

This is one area where many people go wrong: getting too little sleep not only leaves you without energy for the rest of the day, it also hinders muscle recovery. 

Try sleep between 7 and 9 hours whenever you can. And one detail: resting doesn't only mean sleeping; it also means respecting recovery days between sessions if you see that you haven't fully recovered. 

To improve your rest, you can take supplements such as melatonin, magnesium, or ashwagandha.

Record your workouts 

One of the tricks that works best is record your workouts. It can be in a notebook, on your phone, or in an app. Record the weights, repetitions, rest periods, sensations, or anything you should keep in mind for the next session.

When you train again, you'll know exactly where you were and how you can improve. It may seem silly, but it will help you progress much faster, and you won't have to think about what you did last time. 

The 2 best full-body routines

Now that you know everything you need to get the most out of your full-body training routine, let's look at what the the 2 best full-body routines so you can get started and make the most of them. 

Full-body routines with gym machines. 

Training days: 2-3 days/week

Goal: Build muscle and strength in basic movement patterns with maximum external stability. 

Ideal for: Beginners 

Exercises: 

• Machine chest press 2 x 4-6 
• Seated machine row 2 x 6-8
• Hack squat 2 x 8-10 
• Seated leg curl 3 x 10-12 
• Machine preacher biceps curl 3 x 10-15

With this training session, you'll be able to begin familiarizing yourself with the basic movement patterns (pushes and pulls), as well as adding specific stimulus to other muscle groups. 

Full-body routines with dumbbells at home. 

Training days: 3 days/week

Goal: Improving strength 

Ideal for: People who don't want to / can't go to the gym

Exercises:

• Dumbbell goblet squat 2 x 8-10 
• Dumbbell floor press 2 x 10-12
• Single-arm dumbbell row 2 x 10-12 
• Dumbbell lateral raises 3 x 12-15 
• Overhead dumbbell triceps extension 2 x 15-20 

When training at home, you won't need every piece of equipment under the sun—just a set of adjustable dumbbells, so you won't have to depend on a gym

Conclusions

Full-body routines are one of the most effective ways to train, both to build strength and improve your overall health and physique. 

With just 3 days a week you can make progress and see very good results as long as combines a good full-body workout with proper nutrition and rest.

The best thing about a full-body routine at the gym or at home is its versatility: it suits beginners and those who already have some experience. The key is knowing which exercises to choose, training intensely, and giving your body the rest it needs.