This is a question I am often asked. "Is a full-body split or a bodybuilder split more effective? A split is how you group different muscles into a training routine. There are many different types of splits, but the bodybuilder split is the most popular one.
What is a Bodybuilder Split?
The bodybuilder split as a 5-day training schedule which separates muscles into:
Legs and abs
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Arms
Many beginners copy professional bodybuilders and do a bodybuilding split when they start lifting weights. In fact, I was one of these people. When I first started lifting weights, I began with a bodybuilding split because a friend recommended it to me, and I continued to do it for 6 months. I put on muscle and was happy with the results, but I now know that there was a much more effective way to put on muscle.
Full Body Workout More Effective
In order for muscle to grow, in needs to have a load applied to it. However, as a beginner, without much strength, you are unable to apply much load to the muscles. Also, the hormonal response that begineers gain from lifting weights is extremely weak, and just within two days of working out, their hormones return to baseline. Furthermore, frequency is the key factor in building up strength. Thus, when only training each body part once a month, it takes much longer for beginners to build strength. On the other hand, because beginners cannot put much load on the muscles, they recover from training very quickly.
For beginners, doing a fully-body split three days a week is most effective. With one or two days between training sessions, your body will be able to properly recover so that just as the hormonal response from the previous training has returned to normal, you're back in the gym. This will achieve much more effective growth. Furthermore, increasing the frequency that you train each muscle to three times a week will let you build up your strength much quicker, allowing you to keep placing more load on your muscles.
Tokyo Titan Provides Effective Personal Training, Fully Customized for Each Person
I am Tokyo Titan, an International Sports Science Association certified bodybuilding specialist fitness trainer and nutritionist. By utilizing advanced bodybuilding techniques, together, we will create your dream body. I provide fitness and dieting coaching at my private gym located in Ota-ku, Tokyo, just 4 minutes walk from Omori-machi Station on the Keikyu Line, and also online. The online sessions allow effective training, even with the busiest of schedules.
I am a native English speaker and am bilingual in Japanese, and can provide lessons in either English or Japanese. Lessons can also be designed to help English learners build up their English skills while training as a more efficient way to learn English. Please inquire for more details.