U/L vs. Full Body

Introduction: When it comes to building muscle, choosing the right workout split can make all the difference. Two of the most popular training methods are the Upper/Lower Split and the Full Body Split each with its own advantages and drawbacks.

But which approach is better for building muscle? The answer depends on factors like experience level, recovery ability, and training goals. In this blog, we’ll break down the benefits, drawbacks, and best use cases of each split to help you decide which one will get you the best gains. Let’s dive in!

Work Out Splits: So what are work out splits? Work Out Splits is a structured program for you to follow when you hit the gym. Splits help you structure your daily exercise based on your schedule, this helps you have a better recovery, improve your performance, and prevent injuries or muscle fatigue. There's a lot of information when it comes to types of split from Bro, Upper-Lower, Full-Body, and PPL. Our main focus in this blog is the Full-Body and Upper-Lower Split we will integrate their advantages and disadvantages.

FULL-BODY Split: This requires all of the muscles to be trained in one session. Which is ideal for beginners this offers better recovery where you can rest every other day. Offers more strength (progressive overload) meaning you can train harder in succeeding days. Personally I used this split for about 2 months now and based on my experience it gives me more strength and better recovery between workouts. 

ADVANTAGES: 

1. No Muscles Left Behind.

Full Body exercise which focuses on compound exercises such as bench press, squats, and deadlifts that requires a lot of muscle to perform. This offers a balanced muscle production and better recovery.

2. Time Efficient.

You can perform this split every other day or twice a week (which I do) and still see progress. This split is very ideal not just for beginners but also to busy people who try to fit workouts in their schedule.

3. Better Recovery.

Since you have more time to rest your muscle this split offers more recovery for you to perform more efficient in your next workout sessions. This is ideal since more rest equals more time for muscles to recover and repair its damages. 

Below is the most common exercise you can do for a Full Body Split.

FULL-BODY SPLIT (2X A WEEK) (The Split I Use)

- Back Squat (3 Sets) (8-12 reps)

- Incline Dumbbell Press (3 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Lat Pulldown or Pull ups (3 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (2 sets) (8-12reps)

- Shoulder Press (2 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Preacher Curls (1 set) (Failure)

- Tricep Push Down (1 set) (Failure)

UPPER-LOWER Split: The split that is divided into two training sessions per day. This split offers better isolation on each muscle part, which provides better blood flow on muscle and more volume training each muscle part. This is mainly divided into 4 days of training. Now this may be not ideal for beginners it can be done with proper guidance of a trainer or a thorough research. 

ADVANTAGE: 

1. Better Isolation.

Unlike full body splits, this gives you room to include more accessory and isolation work like bicep curls, triceps extensions, or calf raises without dragging out your sessions.

2. Increased Training Volume.

By dedicating separate sessions to upper and lower body, you can do more sets and exercises per muscle group without overly fatiguing yourself.

3. Offers Great Balance Between Frequency and Progression.

Hitting muscle group twice a week is ideal for hypertrophy (muscle growth). This split allows muscle to recover for a short time without overly fatiguing them.

Program You can use in U/L Split.

Upper (Day 1)

- Incline Chest Press (2 sets) (10-12 reps)

- Lat Pulldown (2 sets) (10-12 reps)

- Pec Dec Fly (2 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Barbell Rows (2 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Dumbbell Curls (2 sets) (8-10 reps)

- Lateral Raise (2 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Tricep Push down (2 sets) (8-12 reps)

Lower (Day 2)

- Back Squats (3 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Leg Extension (3 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Hamstring Curl (3 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Calf Raise (3 sets) (8-12 reps)

- Cable Crunch (2 sets) (12 reps)

- Knee Raise (2 sets (12 reps)

CONCLUSION: 

Both Full-Body and Upper-Lower splits are effective it just depends on your goals and schedule.

Full-Body is great for beginners or anyone short on time. It’s simple, efficient, and promotes overall strength and recovery.

Upper-Lower suits intermediate lifters looking for more muscle isolation and volume. It requires more commitment but offers great results for hypertrophy.

Pick the split that fits your lifestyle, stay consistent, and the gains will follow.

 Reference: https://centr.com/blog/show/7790/which-is-better-body-part-split-vs-full-body-workout