Should We Train Full Body Workouts Every Day (5dys)

To understand why anyone would ever think doing full-body workouts every day is a good idea, we need to recognize where the theory of frequency training fits into our overall plan to build muscle.

To do this, we have to look at the different stages of progressive overload as it goes beyond continually lifting heavier and heavier weights. There comes a point when we can no longer lift any heavier.

Then, our only option is to increase training volume; this is often done by adding another set. To keep our workouts from becoming too long, because of these additional sets, we add another training day

If we’ve been training whole body workouts 3 times a week, we might go to 4 days and switch to an upper lower body split.

This allows for more weekly training volume, but it reduces the training frequency of each muscle from 3 times to 2 times a week.

With volume being a major driver of hypertrophy, does the reduced training frequency matter?

To answer this, we must examine how long muscle protein synthesis is elevated in experienced lifters. Muscle protein synthesis is a metabolic process where amino acids from protein are produced to repair and build muscle tissue damaged from exercise.

For newer lifters or people just getting back to the gym, muscle protein synthesis remains elevated for longer, typically about 48 hours, but it can last up to 72. And these newer ones will progress without needing a lot of training volume.

With more experienced lifters, muscle protein synthesis can return to baseline in under 24 hours, which makes the thought of re-stimulating it through another training session appealing.

There’s a study that supports this hypothesis. It compared training each body part once a week on its own day to training every muscle group daily for 5 days every week for 8 weeks.

Menno Henselmans made a chart graphing the results of this study, and you can see right away the full-body group’s one rep max for the squat improved substantially over the split group while the bench press and row improved at approximately the same amount.

Regarding muscle growth, we see daily full-body workouts produced superior progress in the biceps, triceps and quad development.

Now what I’d like to see is a study using a five-day upper, lower, push, pull, legs, split where every body part is trained twice a week and compare that to 5 days of full-body workouts.

A meta-analysis was done on Training Frequency back in 2016. It found that “the current body of evidence indicates the frequencies of training twice a week promote superior hypertrophic outcomes to once a week.” Still, there’s a lack of research to determine if training a muscle group more than twice a week would bring about even better growth.

The study I referred to earlier had them training 5 days straight without a rest day in between. How were they able to recover? The main reason is the volume was lower on each muscle group per workout when it’s split up over 5 days, reducing the amount of time it takes to recover.

It makes sense to do like the study and perform a different chest exercise each day to vary the stimulus. If you wanted to add some mid-week recovery, you could take Wednesday off and make Saturday a training day.

Even if your nutrition and sleep are on point, there’ll be cumulative fatigue, so if you’re training full body workouts 5 or 6 days a week, you’d want to deload for a week every 6 to 8 weeks.

[loulopez]

As a young bodybuilder here in northern Calif. I met the great Jack Delinger who I asked about spilt routines which were new back then. He explained that full body workouts three times per week was all he ever did. I'll never forget that day.

[drewmorg.]

As a "hard gainer" naturally slimmer body type, I feel that any lifting routine which stimulates natural appetite usually leads to most size and strength gains. Getting in more volume and more training frequency is what does it for me. Even doing HIT daily, or every other day, or even 1 muscle group per week stimulates almost no appetite and thus I do not gain much size or visual differences in physique. Working out with a full body approach, 2-3 sets per group significantly stimulates appetite for me and I gain weight much more quickly.

[MauriceCooper-tpxv]

Now, this is where I would be confused on HOW to train in the past. Your video will help put that confusion aside.💪

[davidjones]

Excellent As Thumbnail
Excellent upload sir🤘

[Jason-vxrt]

Hey Lawrence! Great video as always. I am 52 years old and have been doing F45 training for the past year. I would appreciate your thoughts on a 7 day a week workout schedule where they alternate between resistance and cardio training days. I've had great results with increased fitness level and definition, but would like to see more muscle growth. Thanks!

[GreyWolfFitness]

I defo think it’s about the volume for most muscle groups wether you do all in one session or spread over several sessions it’s up to the trainee and there age and recovery ability with myself spreading volume over 3-4 sessions averaging about 12-15 sets a week per muscle

[dwaynecunningham]

Always makes my day when I see you posted a video. Have been making great progress using incremental weights.

[raoulduke]

I tried this full body 5 days a week and my cranky shoulders complained. Moved to upper/lower split 5 days a week this past week and they’re already feeling better.
Got to listen to the body I suppose.

[donutfitness]

Let me challenge a few items...

Although muscle protein synthesis returns to baseline, that does not mean the repair and remodel is complete IF muscle damage occurred this can take several days longer than that.

You don't quantify "growth" and neither do the studies. I'd argue it's almost all sarcoplasmic. Look how relatively small the full body daily guys are. If most of them dropped carbs and stopped training they'd look like they never lifted.

This surely drives strength...but that is all driven from getting good at a movement and from myocytic androgen receptor.

The repeated bout effect is really going to keep damage from occurring when you train this frequently...so the question is...what are we getting from it.

Just a few thoughts...

[skeletorrobo]

Great video. By the way, do you train neck muscles? If so, how do you do it?

[itom]

Hi sir I have been training for approx. 2 years but not setting much difference in my body. So I recently started full body workouts 3-4 days a week. So my question is will this split give me the best results or i should move to a new split? If yes please suggest a new split. A reply from you would be appreciated😊.

[michaelcraig]

How would a person set up this type of workout? You did not mention that, you just skipped through it real fast, with no routine to go by. So what routines would a person follow?

[henriklorenzen]

I wonder and I wonder that many people think that they develop more muscles with full bodu training..??? When I was 20 years old, I trained all muscles three times a week, with a two-split training program. But then, over the weeks, the muscles stopped growing, and you became weaker, and the immune system fell, so I mostly got strep throat, or brochitis..? I later found out that I overtrained.. I have discovered in you, as I will now be 56 in a week, that my body grows best by having 3-5 days of rest around the muscles that are being trained. Man must understand that when you exercise, you never build muscles, but you break down the muscles, make them smaller, and make them weaker.. The brain then reacts by trying to build the muscles, and by using one's diet as building blocks. When you exercise, the muscles expand, but that's because of the blood flow, but they don't grow, they get smaller and weaker. And therefore you only notice a little soreness in the first 24 hours, but much more soreness after 48 hours, when they grow the most. If you jump in and train them there again, you break them down from growing. Even on the third day, they grow down more on the fifth day, but decrease slightly compared to the second day. That is why it is important to train them only after the fourth day or later, so that you make the most of the training and the growth, which is a process over several days. You also cannot increase the growth of a newly planted tree by pouring more water on it. Nature's process has a time..! And it doesn't make a big difference whether you are 20 years old or 60 years old...!

[carlofrancisco]

I've tried this with only two sets per exercise for three days on, a day off and then two days on and off again. Whooped my ass not even trying to progress..42 y/o lifter here..

[VikrantKumar-tmut]

Sir I do 30 minute running and 30 minutes workout is this good please reply

[AMAMBT]

the new fashion now in training ( I'm not convinced with ) propagates \ advocates that it is not important by any means any schedule or even the form, just go and train whatever you may prefer as your body will direct you towards what it needs and eventually it is all about genetics. my question is, is there any logic or data to support the ' new wave ' claims ?

[sGAMER]

Why is it that every weightlifting channel has to have this serious persona? Smile a little, it wouldn't kill you.

[mr.g.]

I haven't added muscle in 30 years while trying every plan known to man.

[ep]

50 here, do 45 minutes full body home workouts 6 days a week, half mile swim once a week, 6 mile walk once a week.

I'm 6'1" tall, 111 kg weight - my shoulders are massive - 23" across.