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If you are looking to maximize your lean muscle and strength gains as efficiently as possible without making things more complicated than they need to be, using simple full body routines are a great way to train for most people.

With these suggested routines, you can cycle through them to prevent injuries and train anywhere from two to four days a week, altering volume and frequency to suit your needs and recovery abilities.

Hitting each muscle group several times a week is optimal for gains in lean body mass, while rotating exercises will lessen the likelihood of overuse injuries to the joints.

The exercise selections cover upper and lower pushing and pulling, as well as a squat and a hinge movement – the four main prerequisites for creating a balanced full body routine.

One can combine squatting and hinging movements quite effectively with movements like the Trap Bar Deadlift or Snatch-Grip Deadlift, as those two are examples of exercises that work your entire lower body and posterior chain.

This sort of training is particularly beneficial for those with fast metabolisms who have a hard time gaining muscle, as those individuals don’t fare any better with longer or more complicated routines.

The number of sets and reps listed are actual work sets only, and do not include warm-up sets. It is advisable, as always, to include several light, progressive warmup sets as well as a short systemic warmup before beginning the routine.

As far as rest between sets goes, I would take anywhere from 1-3 minutes between sets, perhaps opting to closer to 2-3 minutes if you are lifting heavy. Time between workouts will depend on your recovery.

8 Simple Full Body Workouts

Workout 1

Trap Bar Deadlift 3×8 reps

Close Grip Bench 3×8-12 reps

Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat 3×10-12  reps

Dumbbell Pullovers 3×10-12 reps

Workout 2

Incline Press 3×6-8 reps

Front Squat 3×8-10 reps

Stiff-legged Deadlift 3×8-10 reps

Chin-ups or Pull-ups 3x fail reps

Workout 3

Snatch-Grip Deadlift 3×8-10 reps

Overhead Press 3×8 reps

One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3×10-12 reps

Push-ups 3x fail reps

Workout 4

Squat 3×10-12 reps

Weighted Dips 3x fail reps

Kettlebell Swings 3×15 reps

Dumbbell Pullovers 3×10-12 reps

Workout 5

Semi-Sumo Deadlift 3×6-8 reps

Dumbbell Floor Press 3×8-10 reps

One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3×8-10 reps

Dumbbell Jump Squats 3x fail reps

Workout 6

Low Handle Trap Bar Deadlift 3×10-12 reps

Incline Press 3×8-10 reps

Dumbbell Rows 3×10-12 reps

Leg Press 3×15 reps

Workout 7

Leg Press 3×15 reps

Close Grip Bench Press 3×8-10

Barbell Rows 3×10-12 reps

Kettlebell Swings 3×15 reps

Workout 8

Machine Hack Squats 3×12-15 reps

Barbell Incline Press 3×10-12 reps

Machine Rows 3×10-12 reps

Dumbbell Single Stiff-Leg Deadlift 3×10-12 reps

The Exercises

Below are some videos detailing the finer points of some of these exercises that some of you may or not be familiar. These are some of the very best movements one should include in any routine planning and programming.

Trap Bar Deadlift

Dumbbell Jump Squats

Dumbbell Single Stiff-Leg Deadlift

Semi-Sumo Deadlift

Kettlebell Swing

Snatch Grip Deadlift

Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat