Fusion Full Body Workout Program

There are several ways to exercise. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Strongman, Crossfit, and Calisthenics are just some examples. In terms of lifting weights at a standard commercial gym (Gold’s Gym, Retro Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, etc.), a popular exercise split (workout routine) is a bodybuilding style split. In a bodybuilding split, you train 5-6 days a week, working a single body part per day.  So you would have a Back day, a Chest day, an Arms day, a Shoulder day, and not as commonly, a Leg day. This method works well for very experienced lifters, or for those that are competing in bodybuilding. More experienced lifters need a lot more volume per muscle group than beginners, to break down muscle fibers to promote muscle growth. But is this training style the right fit for everybody? It isn’t. Especially for beginner to intermediate lifters, that much volume is not only not required, but it also can be detrimental to muscle gain as those workouts are harder to recover from. What works well for beginner to intermediate lifters? Full Body Workouts. Full body workouts are excellent for a variety of people, at various stages of fitness. 

If you’re a beginner, a 3-day full body split is a great way to start your fitness journey.  You’ll be hitting a major compound lift in each workout, along with at least one exercise for every muscle group. This allows you to hit every body part 3 times per week, getting enough volume for muscle growth. This also prevents you from getting too sore, as you aren’t crushing any one body part in a single workout. You can perform each exercise at full intensity, then move on to the next muscle group with full intensity as well. Resting a day in between training sessions will ensure you’re fully recovered for the next session. A Monday, Wednesday, Friday split works great for this style of training. 

Another person this would be an excellent program for is someone who is extremely busy, and can’t dedicate an hour to an hour and half at the gym, 5-6 days a week.  Parents, Business Owners, people who lose time every day commuting to work, students with a full course load, and anyone else busy with the general day to day responsibilities of life will benefit greatly from a workout program like this. One thing to keep in mind, this program is designed for general fitness.  You can gain muscle, or lose fat with this program, depending on your goals and nutrition.  However, if you have specific competition bodybuilding or strength sport goals, this may not be the best program for you. 

Any of the movements can be modified to meet individual needs.  For example, if deadlifting causes back pain, a trap bar deadlift might be better. If barbell pressing causes pain, use dumbbells. Send us a message with any questions and we’ll be happy to give you some alternative options. 

Warm up first. Start with 5 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical, and move fast enough to get your heart rate up. Then do some dynamic stretches (leg swings, arm swings, hip circles, lunges, pushups, etc.)  Start light. On compound movements (Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Overhead Press), warm up with that movement, and add weight until you reach your working weight for the day. Every week, add 10lb to lower body exercises, 5lb to upper body exercises (Only if you were able to complete all reps last time. If not, repeat the same weights). This is called Progressive Overload. More on that in a future post. Anything with 5 reps or fewer per set should be heavy sets. Take short rests, 30-45 seconds between sets (longer for heavier movements). Rest 1-2 minutes between exercises. Get in, get to work, get out. 

Day 1 - 

Barbell back squat - 5x5

Dumbbell overhead press - 3x10

Pull-ups (or assisted pull-ups) - 3x8-10

Alternating dumbbell lunges - 4x10 each leg

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 4x8

Hammer curls - 3x10

Dumbbell skull crushers - 3x10

Day 2 - 

Barbell bench press - 5x5 

Barbell Bent over row - 4x8

Goblet squat - 4x10

Alternating Dumbbell Overhead Press - 4x8 each arm

One arm dumbbell row- 3x10

Dumbbell reverse lunge - 3x8 per leg

Cable face pull - 3x10

Day 3 - 

Deadlift - 7x3

Barbell Overhead Press - 5x5

Lat pulldown - 4x8

RDL (Romanian deadlift) - 3x10

EZ Bar (or straight bar) bicep curl - 3x10

Close grip Barbell bench press - 4x8

Marat Shikhris, Owner/Ceo