I have been doing full body workouts for over 15 years and I love them. I think guys think that you have to train the whole body as hard in one session as you would if you split up the body into parts. This is not the case.
What happens is that even though you are doing a full body program, certain parts of the body get nailed a lot harder than others. You do compound stuff for certain areas and assistance or isolation for others. Then on the next workout, you simply rotate the areas of focus. I call my plan a “Reverse Push-Pull” and will give some details
The reverse push-pull routine is not so much a routine as it is a template of a routine, which can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual. The basic objective of this template is to combine compound movements with assistance/isolation movements in a full body workout.
The templates are as follows:
Day “A” 1st part of workout: Compound Pushing Movements, Presses, Dips, and Squats
2nd part of workout: Assistance/Isolation Movements for Back, Biceps and Hamstrings
calves, abs, & stretching
Day “B” 1st part of workout: Compound Pulling Movements, Rows, Cleans, Deadlifts, Chins
(*Note: For the past few months I have started the B session with overhead squats-it seems to be a great warm-up)
2nd part of workout: Assistance/Isolation Movements for Chest, Shoulders, Triceps & Quads
calves, abs, & stretching
On the compound movements, do straight sets to near positive failure or until targeted reps are achieved. Keep written records of every set and rep and strive to increase weight and reps whenever possible. Select any exercises you like as long as they are compound movements. On the “A” day, I prefer incline presses, narrow grip bench presses, overhead presses, full squats & front squats. If I want some variety, I can substitute JM presses for the narrow grip presses or I can do the narrow grip presses from the bottom position in the power rack.
On the “B” day, I prefer bent over rows, high pulls, deadlifts, power shrugs, hyperextensions and hammer curls.
You can put these movements in any order you desire or can rotate them on a regular basis. I have found that if I do my presses first, I still have plenty of energy to do my squats, but if I squat first, then my overall energy and strength is greatly diminished and my presses suffer as a result.
On the assistance/isolation movements you select a couple of exercises and perform them in more of a “bodybuilding fashion” which can include supersets, drop sets, pre-exhaust, etc. You can also use compound movements combined with isolation movements such as performing strict lateral raises followed immediately by overhead presses to failure or leg extensions followed by non-lock front squats. An aspiring powerlifter can use the assistance/isolation time to strengthen their sticking points, perform power rack exercises, grip work and targeted tricep and lat work.
The workouts are performed in a sequential fashion, meaning you perform the “A” session, rest as needed, then perform “B”, rest as needed and repeat. I have always believed in having flexibility in your rest and recovery times. Just because 72 hours have passed, does not necessarily mean you have fully recovered from your last workout. You have to factor in the quality of your food intake, your rest, stress levels
In addition I do two conditioning workouts per week, which are normally done the day after a lifting session. On these days I run, jump rope, sled dragging, keg lifting, anything that missed on the previous day, ie some grip work or some Olympic technique work.
I have had great results with this plan.
Keith Wassung