Podcasts Health Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews Menno Henselmans on the Benefits of Full-Body Workouts

Menno Henselmans on the Benefits of Full-Body Workouts

Published: July 31, 2020, 10 a.m.

It\u2019s time for another contentious topic, my friends.

\n

No, not volume, frequency, or intensity. Today, we\u2019re talking about workout splits. Specifically, full-body training.

\n

Full-body and higher-frequency training has become more popular lately. And if you\u2019ve followed my work over the years, you know I haven\u2019t been a big proponent of full-body workouts. In fact, in previous editions of Bigger Leaner Stronger, the workouts had typical \u201cbro-split\u201d names (even though the workouts themselves were more like a Push Pull Legs split with added accessory days).

\n

So, it\u2019s not too surprising that I frequently get asked for my thoughts on full-body training versus body part splits and the \u201cbest workout split\u201d in general.

\n

Well, full-body workouts can definitely work well in certain situations\u2014like when you\u2019re a beginner or when you can only train one or two times per week. But for this episode, I decided to bring in a big proponent of and expert on full-body training, Menno Henselmans.

\n

Menno has been a repeat guest on my podcast, but in case you\u2019re not familiar with him, he's a bodybuilding coach, writer, and published scientist who\u2019s also on the Scientific Advisory Board of my sports nutrition company, Legion Athletics.

\n

In this episode, we chat about \u2026

\n
    \n
  • Why you should use a full-body split if you training infrequently
    \n
    • \n
  • The primary benefits of full-body training (optimizing volume and work capacity)
    \n
    • \n
  • How to properly program "supersets" without hurting performance (and actually improve it)
    \n
    • \n
  • How to program an effective full-body routine
    \n
    • \n
  • Saving time in the gym, inter-set rest time, and exercise order considerations
    \n
    • \n
  • Periodization and why you shouldn't change exercises too frequently
    \n
    • \n
  • Situations when full-body routine wouldn\u2019t be the best choice
    \n
    • \n
  • And more \u2026
    • \n
\n

So, if you want to learn all about full-body training and whether you should give it a shot, listen to this episode.

\n

8:03 - What qualifies as a full body workout versus something else?

\n

17:32 - Does full body workouts give you more high quality volume?

\n

19:02 - What is a superset? How would you implement supersets without impairing your performance on the exercises?

\n

28:05 - How do you like to program your full body workouts?

\n

31:04 - Is that your exercise or is there another component to it as well?

\n

32:08 - How do you like to order your exercises?

\n

35:45 - How do you like to periodize this type of training?

\n

40:30 - Do you do your heavier workouts earlier in the week after a rest period?

\n

41:39 - As far as volume, what are you shooting for?

\n

---

\n

Mentioned on The Show:

\n

Menno Henselman\u2019s Website: https://mennohenselmans.com/

\n

\u2028Menno Henselman\u2019s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menno.henselmans/

\n

Books by Mike Matthews: http://legionathletics.com/products/books

\n

Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/beyond-bigger-leaner-stronger/

\n


\n

---

\n

Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!

\n

Click here: www.legionathletics.com/signup/