How to Combine Full-Body Workouts with a Split Routine to Maximize Your Gains

According to most bodybuilders and fitness trainers, beginners should do full-body workouts while more experienced lifters should follow a split routine.

Such an approach makes a certain amount of sense because split routines allow you to do more exercises per body part and accumulate greater training volume. These are critical ingredients for building muscle, especially once you’re past the newbie gains phase (1).

However, that doesn’t mean that full-body workouts are only suitable for beginners and that more experienced exercisers should eliminate them from their training routines. In fact, there are times when full-body workouts are actually better than split routines, e.g., when you can only hit the gym 2-3 times a week.

Related: Full-Body Vs. Split Workouts: How to Choose

Also, there is no real reason that you have to choose between these two training methods.

I’m a veteran personal trainer and it’s been my job for over 30 years to help people reach their health and fitness goals. Consequently, I’m always on the lookout for the most effective and efficient exercises, workout routines, and training methods.

In some cases, that’s a split routine, and in others, I use full-body workouts. However, on occasion, I like to get the best of both worlds and combine these methods into a single hybrid program.

In this article, I explain why and how to combine full-body workouts with a split routine to maximize your strength and muscle-building gains.

Reasons to Combine Full-Body Workouts with a Split Routine

Before revealing how to combine full-body and split workouts, let’s take a moment to explore why this might be the best way to organize your training week. This discussion begins with a brief overview of the pros and cons of each style of training…

Split Routines: Pros vs. Cons

A split routine involves training different body parts or muscle groups on different days. Some, like the functional split, organize your workouts by movement pattern. Regardless, most split routines involve at least four workouts per week, and many require five or six weekly gym visits.

Contrary to popular opinion, there is no single best split routine, and there are almost infinite ways to organize your training week. The main factor to consider when choosing your next split is whether you’ll be able to execute it consistently. After all, if you miss more workouts than you complete, even a great split won’t do much for you.

Related: Is a Split Workout or a Full Body Workout Better for Building Muscle?

All this volume and frequency can help maximize hypertrophy and strength gains. Plus, it also allows you to hit your muscles from a wide variety of angles by using a range of exercises.

On the downside, split routines require a big time commitment, and all those gym sessions can be hard to fit into busy schedules. Missing even one workout will unbalance your entire training week. And while there are plenty of off-the-peg split routines you can follow, it takes skill and experience to put a good program together.

Full-Body Workouts: Pros vs. Cons

As the name implies, full-body workouts involve training all your major muscle groups every time you hit the gym. This means you can achieve great results from just 2-3 workouts per week. As such, full-body workouts are very time-efficient and leave plenty of time each week for things like cardio, sports practice, rest, and recovery.

Additionally, you can afford to miss the occasional workout without unbalancing your program or derailing your progress.

That said, cramming all your training into fewer sessions means that you won’t be able to do as many sets or exercises per muscle group, which may somewhat impair your progress. You may even have to neglect some muscle groups entirely because you don’t have the time or energy to include them in your workouts.

And speaking of energy, full-body workouts can be exhausting, and you may find that you’re forced to use lighter loads or are unable to do as many reps as you’d like. This is especially true toward the end of your workout and if you are doing a lot of heavy compound lifts, e.g., squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, and bench presses.

The good news is that you don’t have to choose between full-body and split training – you can do both!

Reasons to Combine Full-Body Workouts with a Split Routine

Very few people blend full-body workouts with their split routine, so you may be wondering if such an approach is worth your time and energy. Based on my personal and professional experience, there are several reasons why combining these two different workout methods can be a good option for some exercisers.

Fewer Gym Visits

It’s generally accepted that muscles grow best when you train them twice per week. With a split routine, this means you’ll need to hit the gym at least four and potentially six times per week. 

For example: 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Push	Pull	Legs	Push	Pull	Legs	Rest

Or: 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Upper Body	Lower Body	Rest	Upper Body	Lower Body	Rest	Rest

You can use a full-body workout to replace a couple of your split workouts to reduce the number of times you need to hit the gym. This can be a welcome time saver, especially for anyone who finds it hard to maintain a more frequent gym schedule.

Added Volume

Some split routines, e.g., the so-called “bro split,” train each muscle group just once per week, e.g.:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Chest and Back	Rest	Legs and Core	Rest	Shoulder and Arms	Rest	Rest

This may not be optimal for muscle growth, especially for natural lifters. Adding a single full-body workout to your bro split will significantly increase your volume, potentially accelerating your gains.

Great for Powerlifters

Unlike bodybuilders, powerlifters usually build their workouts around the disciplines of their sport instead of muscle groups. Typically, this means they have a squat day, a bench press day, and a deadlift day, i.e.:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Squat plus Assistance Exercises	Rest	Bench Press plus Assistance Exercises	Rest	Deadlift plus   Assistance Exercises	Rest	Rest

Related: Build Serious Strength with These Powerlifting Programs

While such an approach is popular and effective, it can also leave some muscles undertrained. Adding a full-body workout of supplementary exercises can help plug any developmental gaps, enhancing muscle development and balance.

Excellent for Conditioning and Fat Loss

While most split routines are perfect for building muscle and strength, they’re less effective for improving fitness or fat burning. Split routines typically involve putting all your energy into just 1-2 muscle groups, and unless that includes your legs, your heart rate and metabolism aren’t going to increase all that much.

In contrast, full-body workouts tend to be more cardiovascularly and metabolically demanding, so they will probably do more for your fitness and fat-burning. Adding a full-body workout to your weekly split training schedule will do wonders for your conditioning and body composition.

Added Variety

I know from personal experience that when I follow a full-body routine I miss doing split workouts. Then, when I switch to a split program, I miss doing full-body training! Combining these two methods into one schedule means you can enjoy the best of both worlds with no more FOMO (fear of missing out)!  

So, as you can see, there are several compelling reasons for combining full-body workouts with a split routine. But what’s the best way to do it? Continue to the next section and you’ll find out!

Sample Workouts Combining Full-Body Workouts with Split Routines

Here are five different programs that combine full-body workouts with split routines. Simply slot your favorite exercises into each schedule to create your own full-body/split hybrid training plan.

Option 1: Push/Pull/Legs/Pull

The best way to do the push-pull-legs program is to repeat each workout twice to give six training sessions a week. However, as effective as this routine is, it requires a huge commitment of time and energy.

Replacing one push, pull, and leg workout with a full body program saves you two workouts per week, making this classic bodybuilding routine more practical but no less effective.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Push	Pull	Legs	Rest	Full Body	Rest	Rest

Option 2: Upper Body /Lower Body/Full Body

The upper body/lower body split is very popular and effective. However, invariably, it requires four workouts per week to train each muscle group with enough frequency to grow. Four workouts a week may be too many for some people, especially those with busy schedules or who need more recovery time.

Replacing one upper and one lower body workout with a full-body routine means you can maintain training volume and frequency while reducing gym visits to just three a week.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Upper Body	Rest	Lower Body	Rest	Full Body	Rest	Rest

Option 3: Bro Split Plus Full-Body Workout

Most research suggests that muscles need to be trained twice a week for optimal gains (2). Despite this, the bro split is still popular, even though it usually involves a single workout per body part per week. Adding a full-body routine to your bro split ensures that each muscle group gets the two workouts it needs for optimal progress.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Chest and Back	Legs and Core	Shoulder and Arms	Rest	Full Body	Rest	Rest

Option 4: Powerlifting Split Plus Full-Body Workout

Dedicating one training day a week to each of the powerlifts – squat, bench press, and deadlift – can make you immensely strong. However, you’ll probably find that some muscles end up somewhat undertrained, and your musculature can become unbalanced.

Adding a single full-body workout to cover any gaps will improve your muscular balance, enhance your powerlifting performance, and potentially prevent injuries.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Squat plus Assistance Exercises	Bench Press plus Assistance Exercises	Rest	Deadlift plus   Assistance Exercises	Rest	Full Body	Rest

Option 5: Conventional 4-Way Split plus Full-Body Conditioning Circuit

It’s one thing to be strong and muscular, but if you lack fitness and conditioning, you won’t be as in shape as you look. Adding a full-body conditioning circuit to your routine won’t detract from your muscle and strength gains. However, it will ensure that you have some “go” to accompany all that “show.”  

Related: Circuit Training with Weights – Benefits and Workout Guide 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Chest	Back	Legs	Shoulders and Arms	Rest	Full Body Circuit	Rest

Closing Thoughts

Personal trainers and fitness coaches are often very closed-minded. They find a method they like and dismiss all the others, thinking that they have discovered the only way to achieve all their fitness goals.

Some people go so far as to badmouth the approaches and techniques they don’t like, labeling them as ineffective, pointless, or even dangerous.

However, in my experience, there is always more than one way to skin the proverbial cat. Every training method works for someone, and it’s a matter of matching the right method with the desired outcome.

That’s why, when it comes to split vs. full-body training, I don’t discriminate. Both have their uses and sometimes the best option is to use them simultaneously.

Not convinced? No problem! Try adding a full-body workout to your current split routine to see if this method works for you.

After all, that’s the only way to truly discover if this form of hybrid training is effective.

References:

1. Baz-Valle E, Balsalobre-Fernández C, Alix-Fages C, Santos-Concejero J. A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy. J Hum Kinet. 2022 Feb 10;81:199-210. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2022-0017. PMID: 35291645; PMCID: PMC8884877.
2. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2016 Nov;46(11):1689-1697. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8. PMID: 27102172.

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