Quick Guide to Full Body Workouts

1. Workout format

With full body workouts, the goal is simple: Get in, give it all you’ve got, then get out. These workouts aren’t designed to take hours — 45 minutes is often plenty. So why do people do super-lengthy workouts? Because they can get hyper-targeted with their exercises. Round out a specific head of the shoulder, make a tiny back muscle pop out, that sort of thing; but if your goal is simply a lean, toned, strong body, then compound exercises are the way to go. Pick strength exercises that push multiple muscles to fatigue all at once — then you can cut your workouts down to a fraction of the time and still see incredible results!

2. Progressive overload

Over time, aim to bump up the weight you lift in each exercise. Not every workout — that’s way too fast — but if you’ve been at the same weight for a few weeks and haven’t tried going up slightly, see how you handle a little more. If it’s too much, bring it back down. Over time, the more you lift, the more strength you’ll build, and the more definition you’ll see (as long as you have your nutrition dialed in as well, of course). Adding weight will also help you feel more confident and full of energy; handling progressively more weight will help you prove to yourself that you can do things that once felt impossible!

3. Workout timing

When in doubt, shoot for 3 full-body workouts per week. This ensures you always have a least a day’s recovery in between sessions while continuing to build strength and muscle definition. If you’re hitting every major muscle group and pushing each to its limit, this cadence is more than enough. You don’t have to keep to an exact time of day, but your energy levels (and likely your results) will be more consistent if you have a routine start time. If you’re a morning workout person, make sure you get a small protein and carb-focused meal first so you’re not lifting while fasted!

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