Full body workouts vs. muscle groups

Yeah, I do my total body 4-5 times a week. I just don't have the time to focus on muscle groups. I get busy with family and work, and will be subject to a few missed days.

I've had great success lifting just 2 days a week. Perhaps it's the increased recovery time, or just a product of keeping things simple.

I did super squats earlier this year which incorporates a full body routine. No real fatigue issues.

I used the 5x5 program, which was total body 3 days a week, and saw great results. I forget the specifics now, but you did squats every workout. I think it was Bench and Bent Rows one day, and Deadlift and Shoulder press the other day. I threw in some power cleans and specific muscle groups at the end most days. The days I did Bench/Rows, I might add in some curls or pulldowns to hit biceps a little more. The days I did Deadlift/Shoulder Press, I would add in flies or something else. I would also hit 2 sets of 10 on some leg extension/leg curl machines, and throw in calf raises because my gym has a weighted calf raise machine.

What's your goals?

I just started SL 5x5 again after doing single muscle groups for the last 3 months. It's gonna be weird from 5 days a week back to 3. Any suggestions for off days? Cardio and ab work maybe? Or just rest?

When I was younger I worked out at least 5x a week, hour at a time, and could really breakdown my workouts by muscle group.

Now I'm married with a kid and a career, and at most I'm in the gym 4x a week, but most of those workouts are during my lunch break and last about 40 min. As such, I'm usually doing full body stuff without much structure. I'm content just getting a workout, and don't have specific goals like when i was younger.

So you are ok just floundering away with no direction or goals?

I use to do full body 4 or 5 times a week, the issue I had would be that it would be about 2 hours to hit everything to a sufficient amount or what I though was sufficent

I began splitting a couple years ago, my workouts are still about an hour and a half but because they are more focused I can get more intense with more time focused on isolated muscle areas

I just felt like if i were to continue doing a full body and also give each muscle group the focus they would need, my workouts would simply be too long with little recovery time

I do a mixture of both. Mine looks something like this.

M-Chest/Back/Abs
T-Morning EMOM Circuit
-Afternoon Full body
W-Shoulders/Abs
T-Morning EMOM Circuit
-Afternoon Full Body
F-Legs/Abs

Is it perfect? Hell if I know, but it keeps me lean and functionally great.