Q: Whole body training – is it a good idea for people trying to build size? Or is it just a never-do kind of thing for someone experienced and beyond “beginner”?

A: Well, you can do full body workouts, provided you keep them fast, heavy and with little rest in between. It’s a good way to train for a contest closer to the day. But remember, the more body parts you train in one session (ie- a full body workout) you’ll have to cut down the number of overall sets and exercises you do per body part. That is where things can hurt progress, because you don’t get the diversity in a single body part workout – you can’t do the squats, leg press, hack squats, leg extensions, etc.. in a single workout. However, you may want to consider a HIT type of protocol if you’re going to be training a lot of body parts in one session.

The best way to use it, if it’s not for pre-contest training, is to throw it into the mix a week here or there. I think it’s great in the middle of a split that is going well, to throw this in for a quick three-day workout week, where you train the body 3 times, fully.

Here’s a sample of what you’d do, keeping in mind that sets and exercise choices are much lower when doing the whole body at once. This should take approximatelly 45 to 50 minutes if you move at an appropriate pace:

• Bench press = 2 x 10
• Dumbbell pullovers = 2 x 10
• Squats = 2 x 10
• Leg Extensions = 2 x 10
• Stiff-legged Deadlifts = 2 x 10
• Biceps dumbbell curls = 2 x 10
• Triceps extensions (rope) = 2 x 10
• Weighted dips = 2 x 10
• Seated Calf raise = 2 x 20
• Pull ups = 2 x 15
• Ab crunches = 2 x 40
• Seated Rows = 2 x 10
• Military press = 2 x 10

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