Beginners- Whole body or split it up?

[Dr Squat]

Soarer has got me thinking about a basic routine for beginners. When I first started I did a whole body workout for 3 days per week. I tend to advocate splitting this over 3 days per week now. And I know others who prefer to split it into upper and lower body and repeat twice per week.

The key for me is to develop some muscle and also learn the basic movements. I usually keep the deadlift and squat reps down to 5 and prefer reps of 8-12 for other movements. I believe this is an ideal way to begin. I have had rugby players (some not even that athletic) have some success with the 3 day a week split. Most can't bench 60 kg for reps. When they can bench their bodyweight for 10 reps they are ready for something more advanced.

Interested in other thoughts. I do know that routines like Sheiko and Smolov and even 5x5 should be treated with some respect by beginners.

[mike27]

im a fan of the 3 day full body for beginghers.

mon-wed-fri

compounds only, maybe 1-2 isolations

then move to an upper,lower,upper mon-wed-fri

i wish i did more stretching when i started too and kept some cardio in there too.

[Mr_Krabs]

Pretty hard to beat http://stronglifts.com 5x5 starting with an empty bar for beginners

[ThePman]

Soarer has got me thinking about a basic routine for beginners. When I first started I did a whole body workout for 3 days per week. I tend to advocate splitting this over 3 days per week now. And I know others who prefer to split it into upper and lower body and repeat twice per week.

The key for me is to develop some muscle and also learn the basic movements. I usually keep the deadlift and squat reps down to 5 and prefer reps of 8-12 for other movements. I believe this is an ideal way to begin. I have had rugby players (some not even that athletic) have some success with the 3 day a week split. Most can't bench 60 kg for reps. When they can bench their bodyweight for 10 reps they are ready for something more advanced.

Interested in other thoughts. I do know that routines like Sheiko and Smolov and even 5x5 should be treated with some respect by beginners.

To be honest I don't think there is really a best way when dealing with beginners. A newbie will respond to just about anything you throw at them provided the essentials -- focus on the big lifts at reasonable rep ranges -- are there.

I tend to prefer the full-body or the split upper-lower approach, but that's personal preference. I don't think anything's wrong with the muscle-group split per se, it's just that I think technique and some other adaptations are improved with a higher frequency. I'm not convinced that a beginner would be able to generate enough 'oomph' to need a whole week off after say chest or arms, either.

[Dr Squat]

Soarer has got me thinking about a basic routine for beginners. When I first started I did a whole body workout for 3 days per week. I tend to advocate splitting this over 3 days per week now. And I know others who prefer to split it into upper and lower body and repeat twice per week.

The key for me is to develop some muscle and also learn the basic movements. I usually keep the deadlift and squat reps down to 5 and prefer reps of 8-12 for other movements. I believe this is an ideal way to begin. I have had rugby players (some not even that athletic) have some success with the 3 day a week split. Most can't bench 60 kg for reps. When they can bench their bodyweight for 10 reps they are ready for something more advanced.

Interested in other thoughts. I do know that routines like Sheiko and Smolov and even 5x5 should be treated with some respect by beginners.

To be honest I don't think there is really a best way when dealing with beginners. A newbie will respond to just about anything you throw at them provided the essentials -- focus on the big lifts at reasonable rep ranges -- are there.

I tend to prefer the full-body or the split upper-lower approach, but that's personal preference. I don't think anything's wrong with the muscle-group split per se, it's just that I think technique and some other adaptations are improved with a higher frequency. I'm not convinced that a beginner would be able to generate enough 'oomph' to need a whole week off after say chest or arms, either.

I like what you say. It doesn't really matter what beginners do, as long as they are consistent. And I also agree that it is regular practice of the compound movements which leads to tangible improvements in technique. A week between movements is a long time.

[BarBrother]

I think it is just like any other approach with a person as it has to be personalised.

I have trained a beginner who had so little muscular strength/endurance that doing sets of 2kg DB Press would render any other pressing exercise useless for that workout so a full body workout was all he was initially capable of.

But then u get the the other end where people can handle the increased volume quickly, but for m ei would just tend to progress them a lot faster.

But yeah any program has to keep your basic compound movements in it. Plus some assistance work to eathier work on there imbalances or "target" area they want to

Even sometimes at the reluctance of the trainee

[HumanPerformance]

Soarer has got me thinking about a basic routine for beginners. When I first started I did a whole body workout for 3 days per week. I tend to advocate splitting this over 3 days per week now. And I know others who prefer to split it into upper and lower body and repeat twice per week.

The key for me is to develop some muscle and also learn the basic movements. I usually keep the deadlift and squat reps down to 5 and prefer reps of 8-12 for other movements. I believe this is an ideal way to begin. I have had rugby players (some not even that athletic) have some success with the 3 day a week split. Most can't bench 60 kg for reps. When they can bench their bodyweight for 10 reps they are ready for something more advanced.

Interested in other thoughts. I do know that routines like Sheiko and Smolov and even 5x5 should be treated with some respect by beginners.

To be honest I don't think there is really a best way when dealing with beginners. A newbie will respond to just about anything you throw at them provided the essentials -- focus on the big lifts at reasonable rep ranges -- are there.

I tend to prefer the full-body or the split upper-lower approach, but that's personal preference. I don't think anything's wrong with the muscle-group split per se, it's just that I think technique and some other adaptations are improved with a higher frequency. I'm not convinced that a beginner would be able to generate enough 'oomph' to need a whole week off after say chest or arms, either.

Yes good post here from Pman, have to agree.