Overview
Coach Joe Linhardt advocates for total body training over body part splits, presenting evidence and practical reasons why this approach benefits strength, size, athleticism, scheduling, and overall well-being for most people regardless of their fitness goals.
Benefits of Total Body Training
- Every sport and most daily activities require total body movement, making full-body workouts more functional.
- Total body training aligns with natural human movement patterns and kinetic chains.
- Splitting training volume into more frequent, smaller sessions keeps muscles fresher and optimizes performance.
- More frequent stimulation (frequency) of muscle groups is more beneficial for strength gains than just increasing training volume.
- Total body routines reduce the chance of excessive muscle soreness and fatigue, improving recovery and daily functionality.
- Flexibility in scheduling: missing a session doesn't derail progress or require complex rescheduling.
- Time efficiency: total body training allows for effective workouts without needing to spend long hours in the gym.
- Greater exercise variety, allowing inclusion of complex lifts (e.g., snatch, clean, deadlift) that cross multiple muscle groups.
- Total body programs can be tailored for specific goals—strength, hypertrophy, or athleticism—by adjusting focus and auxiliary exercises.
Limitations of Body Part Split ("Bro Split") Training
- Body splits like chest/triceps, back/biceps, or single muscle days limit flexibility and can lead to skipping muscle groups.
- High training volume in a single session results in diminishing returns and excessive fatigue.
- Body split routines originated with steroid use, which changes recovery dynamics; natural lifters benefit more from frequency.
- Reliance on being "sore" as a workout metric is misleading and not essential for growth or strength.
Structuring Effective Total Body Workouts
- Three main training variables: intensity (proximity to max effort), volume (total work), and frequency (how often muscles are trained).
- Optimal method for most: 2–3 sets per exercise, hitting each muscle group several times per week.
- Each session can have a focus (e.g., push, pull, legs) with additional accessory work for that area.
- Use supersets, compound sets, and circuits for conditioning, time efficiency, and to blend movement patterns.
- Circuit training with heavy lifts is possible and beneficial, not just for light, high-rep conditioning.
- Avoid going to total failure, especially on compound movements, to maintain quality and recovery.
Misconceptions Addressed
- You can get equally big and strong with total body workouts as with split routines.
- Feeling fully "trashed" after a workout is not necessary for progress.
- High frequency with moderate volume per session yields better results for most natural athletes.
Recommendations / Advice
- Consider switching to, or incorporating, total body training for improved results, especially if scheduling or recovery is a concern.
- Prioritize quality over quantity in sets and reps; three sets of ten remains effective for most people.
- Leverage the flexibility of total body workouts to add power and athletic exercises typically neglected in split routines.
Questions / Follow-Ups
- Consider evaluating your current split or routine to see if it supports your goals, schedule, and recovery needs.
- Try total body sessions for a training block and track performance, soreness, and enjoyment as a comparison.