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The Best Full Body Workout For Growth

26 Comments / Workouts / By Jeremy Ethier

If you want to learn want an effective full body workout routine

optimized for muscle growth, then you need to read this article.
Full body workouts are one of the best workout splits for muscle growth and strength regardless of
your training experience. They not only enable you to optimize your training frequency and recovery
throughout the week but are also time ef cient – and in this case requiring only 3 workouts per week.

However, in order to maximize the bene ts of a full body workout routine, you need to adequately
target all of your major muscle groups within each workout:

And you need to do so in a balanced manner such that your muscles grow and strengthen
proportionately overtime. Leading to not only a more aesthetic physique but also minimizing your risk
of injury.

In this article, I’ll show you exactly how to do so based on current scienti c literature and our
anatomical understanding of the human body.

The Full Body Workout Plan (Overview)

First off, to clarify, this full body workout routine consists of 3 workout days per week and will alternate
between two different full body workouts like so:

Monday – Workout A

Tuesday – Rest

Wednesday – Workout B

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Workout A

Saturday/Sunday – Rest

Monday – Workout B

Tuesday – Rest

Wednesday – Workout A

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Workout B

Both workout A and workout B will be covered in this article.

Each workout will consist of mainly compound movements with a mix of various accessory exercises to
minimize any potential muscle imbalances.

So with that being said, let’s take a look at what the optimal full body workout might look like.

The Best Full Body Workout

(WORKOUT A)
Exercise 1: Barbell Bench Press

The rst exercise is the barbell bench press and is going to be your main chest exercise for mass. It’s
going to be responsible for contributing to most of your chest’s overall size and thickness overtime.

More speci cally, due to the at angle of the bench, it’s going to emphasize the sternal portion, or
middle part, of your chest while also developing your shoulders and triceps muscle.

So as you perform this exercise you’ll want to focus on feeling the below highlighted muscles working, with
most of the tension being felt in the chest:

Now the bench press was chosen for various reasons.

First off, it’s great at activating the chest.

Multiple studies like this 2000 EMG paper by Behren’s & Buskies have found bench press to elicit the
highest chest activation when compared to other common chest movements.

…and this seems to translate to better chest growth as well.

For instance, two recent papers that tracked bench press strength and chest growth overtime have
found a strong positive correlation between them

Suggesting that in most cases, a strong bench does indeed equate to a big chest.

And regarding form, you’ll want to come all the way down to your chest to accomplish a full range of
motion.

This is because multiple papers have found that for compound movements like the bench press…

A full range of motion is more effective for muscle growth, even if heavier weights are used with a
partial range of motion.

So unless you have previous shoulder injuries preventing you from doing so or you’re goal is to improve
a speci c sticking point…

Then aiming for a full range of motion with this exercise would be your best bet for growth.

Exercise 2: Barbell Back Squat

Next, we’re going to move onto a lower body exercise before proceeding onto the next upper body
movement. This just helps to optimize our recovery and performance with each exercise throughout
your total body workout.

The barbell back squat is the exercise of choice here since it’s been repeatedly shown in multiple papers
to elicit very high quadriceps activation. However, it will also heavily involve the glutes and various
other lower body muscles.

You should mainly feel the tension in the muscles highlighted below as you perform the exercise:
And again with this compound movement you want to utilize a full range of motion to maximize
growth.

In fact, illustrating the importance of this…

A 2014 paper by McMahon and colleagues found that there was a two-fold increase in muscle size after
only 8 weeks for subjects using full ROM squats compared to partial range of motion squats:
And although what constitutes full range of motion will vary based on your anthropometry, I’d stick
with what the research recommends as optimal. Simply aim to come down to at least slightly below
parallel or deeper if your mobility enables you to do so safely.

Exercise 3: Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are going to be the next upper body exercise and your main back exercise for this workout.

The main muscle worked will be the lats. But as shown below, various shoulder and scapular stabilizers
and other muscles will be involved as well:
As you perform this movement, you should feel the above highlighted muscles working, with most of
the tension being felt in the lats.

And once you’re able to successfully complete around 10-12 bodyweight pull-ups straight, you’ll want
to then progress it. You can do so by slowly loading it with weight using a weight belt or holding a
dumbbell between your feet.

But on the other hand, if you’re currently unable to do pull-ups, then you have a few options. Band
assisted pull-ups, machine pull-ups, and/or sets of slow negative pull-ups are decent alternatives to
start with and progress until you’re able to successfully complete bodyweight pull-ups.

Exercise 4: Lying Dumbbell Hamstring Curls

Next, going back to the lower body muscles, we’re going to be using lying leg curls.

I’d suggest trying out this variation with a dumbbell held between your feet as it helps ensure that
you’re controlling the weight throughout each rep.

As shown below, this exercise will mainly target the hamstrings:

Again, as you perform each rep, you’ll want to focus on feeling the hamstrings working while avoiding
any lower back involvement by keeping your abs engaged.

Now the main reason why this exercise is included is to further strengthen the hamstrings.

This is crucial because as shown in this 2009 EMG paper, the back squat doesn’t suf ciently activate the
hamstrings. In fact, as shown below, the hamstrings only reach about 27% activation during the squat:
…which is much lower than other common hamstring movements.

So since the hamstrings need to be balanced out with the quadriceps for injury prevention, this exercise
is vital to include.

More speci cally though, research has indicated that it’s the eccentric strengthening of the hamstrings
that’s important for both enhancing athletic performance and preventing injury.

Meaning that when performing this movement, you want to really control the weight and use a slow
eccentric of a few seconds on the way down of each rep (check out this article on slow reps vs fast
reps).

Just be aware that this exercise will cause quite a bit of post-workout soreness if you’re not used to it,
so take it easy in terms of load and progress from there.

Exercise 5: Standing Overhead Press

The last major compound movement of this workout will be the standing barbell overhead press. This
shoulder exercise is essential when it comes to upper body development and strength. Although the full
body is involved, the main muscles at play here will be the anterior deltoids, triceps, and the serratus
anterior:
As for the reasoning for this exercise, it has been shown in studies like this one by Behren & Buskies to
be the best exercise for the anterior deltoid:

In addition, when compared to other similar shoulder pressing exercises, it enables you to lift the most
weight. And from a practical standpoint is also the easiest shoulder exercise to overload with more weight
as you progress, which is why I’d recommend incorporating it into your routine.

However, research does also show that the seated dumbbell press elicits similar activation, so feel free
to use that as an alternative if it’s a more comfortable movement for you.

ADDITIONAL ACCESSORY EXERCISES

Next up in this total body workout routine, we’re going to move onto a couple more accessory exercises
to help minimize any potential muscle imbalances as you progress.

Exercise 6: Face Pulls

The rst accessory movement is going to be the facepull. This movement is essential for shoulder
health, posture, and balancing out the pulling repetitions with all the pressing in this full body workout.
The main muscles worked are the rear delts, mid and lower traps (More Trap Exercises), and the various
rotator cuff muscles as shown here:

Focus on feeling the above highlighted muscles working as you perform this exercise.

These can be done kneeling or standing, but regardless you want to keep the elbows high and drive
them back as you pull the rope towards your face.

At the end position, your shoulders should be externally rotated such that you’re in a biceps exing pose
in order to best emphasize the rotator cuffs and rear delts. You also want to ensure you aren’t
compensating by arching your lower back as you perform the movement:
I’d de nitely suggest using relatively lighter weights for these and really focus on activating the right
muscles.

Exercise 7: Drag Curls

The last exercise of this full body workout routine is going to be a biceps exercise; the drag curl.

Due to the shoulder extension component of this exercise, it will help preferentially target the long
head of the biceps, or the outer head, which otherwise doesn’t get as much attention with our previous
exercise selection:
To perform it, simply use a weighted bar or barbell and lift the bar as close as possible in front of your
body by driving the elbows behind the body. Lower the weight in the same fashion.

I’d suggest using a much lighter weight than you would in a standard biceps curl and perfecting the
movement before progressing.

WORKOUT A SUMMARY
So to sum everything up for you, here’s what your full body workout A could look like:

Barbell Bench Press: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps

Barbell Back Squat: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps

Pull-Ups: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps

Lying Hamstring Dumbbell Curls: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

Standing Overhead Press: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps

Face Pulls: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

 Drag Curls: 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps

Calves and/or abs exercises can de nitely be added as part of the accessory movements as well.

Just keep in mind that if you’re a beginner lifter, sticking to just the main compound movements and the
low end of the range of sets per exercise would likely be best to start. And then you can gradually add more
volume overtime.

Also keep in mind that you can play around with the exercise order of the workout. Several studies have
shown a trend where lifters get better gains for exercises that are done early in a session.

So by knowing what each exercise in this workout targets, you can re-arrange the exercises based on
what you want to prioritize. For example, if you wanted to focus on pull-up strength and back growth,
you could simply perform the pull-ups rst rather than the bench press.

Now, let’s dive into Workout B!

The Best Full Body Workout

(WORKOUT B)
Exercise 1: Barbell Deadlift

The rst and most dif cult exercise of this workout will be the barbell deadlift. This exercise is going to
target the whole posterior chain. Primarily the hamstrings, glutes, and the various muscles that make up
the back:
Although the conventional deadlift is shown here, feel free to experiment with other deadlift variations
to nd what feels best for you. Regardless of what you choose though, it’s vital that you perform some
sort of deadlift within this workout.

Why?

Because as shown in this 2015 study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research:

Activation of the lower hamstrings is maximized with knee-dominant exercises like the leg curls we
did in workout A:
Whereas activation of the upper hamstrings is maximized with hip dominant exercises like the
deadlift:

Simply meaning that you’ll want to incorporate both types of movements as we’ve done in our routine.
This will help fully develop your hamstrings in a balanced manner and minimize your risk of injury.
 Exercise 2: Incline Dumbbell Press

The incline dumbbell press is going to be your main chest movement for this workout. Given that we
performed the at bench in workout A, we want to now include a chest movement that emphasizes the
clavicular head of the pecs (“upper chest”). This will simply prevent it from lagging behind overtime.

As you perform each rep, you want to really focus on feeling this region of the chest working.

As for why this exercise was chosen:

1. Research, such as this EMG analysis by Bret Contreras, indicate that this exercise activates the
upper chest very well compared to other chest exercises.
2. It also both allows a greater range of motion than can be achieved with most other chest
exercises.
3. It better prevents muscle imbalances on one side from developing when compared to barbell
exercises. T is important for us since we stuck with the barbell bench press in workout A.

And as for the optimal bench angle, research tends to show the best upper chest activation with an
angle of roughly 30 to 56 degrees. However, this will vary based on your anthropometry so experiment
with every angle above at to see what best activates your upper chest while minimizing your front delt
involvement.

Exercise 3: Chest Supported Row (OR Inverted row)

Next, we’ll move onto the main back movement of this workout which will be a chest supported row.
Most of the upper back musculature will be worked. But more emphasis is placed on the mid-back
muscles like the traps and rhomboids as shown below:

It’s essential that we include a rowing movement to target these mid-back muscles since they aren’t as
effectively targeted in vertical pulling movements like the pull-ups in workout A.

Why exactly do I recommend performing your rows either chest-supported on a bench or machine OR
inverted from a bar?

Well, simply to help minimize the lower back involvement which is already adequately worked in the
deadlifts performed earlier.

Thus, any form of chest support when pulling will accomplish this.
But the inverted row is also a great alternative as well. Advocating its effectiveness, this 2009 paper by
Fenwick and colleagues have found that:

The inverted row elicits signi cantly less spinal loading on the lower back when compared to
other common pulling exercises while still providing suf cient activation of the upper back
muscles.

In the event that you do choose this alternative however, make sure you’re using an overhand grip. As
for why this matters, this 2014 paper analyzed the inverted row and found that a pronated grip results
in signi cantly greater rear delt and mid trap activation when compared to supinated grip.

Thus indicating that to maximize this exercise’s effectiveness, you’ll want to use an overhand grip that’s
slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Exercise 4: Bulgarian Split Squat

Next, we’ll move onto a personal favourite of mine; the Bulgarian split squat. The main muscles worked
will be the quadriceps and glutes, and will also involve the hamstrings quite a bit as well.
But, as I’ve noted in past videos, you can play around with your step length to vary the activation of
certain muscles.

This exercise is something I’d highly recommend not only because it’s a unilateral movement which
helps minimize any potential muscle imbalances…

…but also because it compliments your squat strength from workout A quite well.

For instance, one 2016 study on Rugby Players found that:

The Bulgarian split squat was just as effective at increasing back squat strength as the back squat
itself – while placing less strain on the lower back.

Thus, proving its effectiveness for both size and strength.

And as you perform the movement you want to focus on pushing up with the front leg and avoid
compensating by pushing up with the back leg.
If you struggle with your balance however then you can start having your back foot on a lower platform
and gradually increase the height until you can safely balance on a bench.

Exercise 5: Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Next, we’ll move onto dumbbell lateral raises. This exercise is going to target the lateral deltoid, or mid
delt, which has yet to receive much involvement given our previous exercise selection.

And lateral raises will likely your best bet for your growing this muscle. This is because they’ve been
consistently shown, such as in this 2013 EMG analysis by Botton and colleagues, to elicit the highest
lateral deltoid activity when compared to other common shoulder exercises.

Dumbbells are chosen here simply because they’re convenient and accessible to most people.

However, periodically switching it up with a chest-support, kettlebells and/or cables is something I’d
highly recommend. This enables you to incorporate different resistance curves and helps you nd a
variation that you feel best activates your lateral deltoid while minimizing trap involvement.

ADDITIONAL ACCESSORY EXERCISES

Next, we’re going to move onto a couple additional accessory movements to help minimize any
potential muscle imbalances as you progress.

Exercise 6: Incline Dumbbell Kickbacks

 Since we had an accessory movement for the biceps in the full body workout A, we’ll use a triceps
accessory movement here. This exercise, incline dumbbell kickbacks, will emphasize the long head of
the triceps which hasn’t received much attention given our previous exercise selection.

As mentioned in my past articles, this exercise enables the long head to be maximally shortened. As a
result of this, it’s been shown in EMG analyses to elicit very high activation of the long head compared
to to other movements.

I’d suggest setting up the incline to roughly 30 degrees and ensuring that your elbows stay locked at
your side and that your arms remain parallel with your body as you perform each rep.

Exercise 7: High to Low Cable Flies

 The last exercise of this workout will be high to low cable crossovers. This movement will put more
emphasis on the sternal head of the pecs, or lower chest, since the line of pull of the cables runs inline
with the way the lower chest bres run.

It’s important to include this exercise since none of our previous exercise selection prioritizes the
development of this region of the chest.

A couple key points with this exercise are to:

Keep the elbow position locked throughout each rep

Cross your hands over at the bottom position to allow greater horizontal adduction in order to
maximally activate the chest bres

WORKOUT B SUMMARY
So to sum everything up for you, here’s what your full body workout A could look like:

Barbell Deadlift: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps

Incline Dumbbell Press: 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps

Bulgarian Split Squat: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps

 Chest Supported Row OR Inverted Row: 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps

Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

Incline Dumbbell Kickbacks: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

High to Low Chest Cable Flies: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

Your Full Body Workout PDFs

For your convenience, I’ve compiled all of this information into two easy to follow, completely free PDFs
for you to download and reference while you’re at the gym:

It shows you the full workout, rest between sets, what muscles each exercise targets, step-by-step
tutorials with visuals, and more.

You can download both PDFs completely free via the two links below:

DOWNLOAD THE FREE WORKOUT A PDF HERE

 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE WORKOUT B PDF HERE

 
…But keep in mind that workouts are just one piece of the puzzle. You’re simply not going to see the
results you want if your nutrition isn’t optimized based on your goal. Luckily, my #BuiltWithScience
programs are designed show to you exactly what and how much you should be eating based on your
starting point and goal (a long with the research to back everything up of course)!

Within my programs you’ll also have access to weekly workouts, video tutorials, meal plans, a private
Facebook group, and so much more.

If you truly want to see the best results in most ef cient way possible, then take my starting point quiz
below to determine which program is best for you:

TAKE THE QUIZ HERE

 

Anyways, that’s it for this article – hope you enjoyed it and found it useful! Don’t forget to give me a
follow and connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube as well to stay updated with my
content. Cheers!

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26 thoughts on “The Best Full Body Workout For Growth”

ZSOLT BÜTE
JANUARY 27, 2019 AT 7:16 PM

Hey Jeremy ! Congratulation to this really compact and well explained Workout Collection Part 1 .
I can´t wait till the next part . My son starts with BB he is 13 ,8 old and this is/ will be the perfect
lesson now for him. I´m very happy to nd your chanell. Keep the good work ! Best regards from
Germany Keep Growing!

Reply
 DILJAN
JANUARY 28, 2019 AT 7:32 AM

no pdf is available for free

Reply

VET2BEFIT
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 11:47 PM

It was for me.

Reply

SUNIL RATTAN
JANUARY 28, 2019 AT 2:46 PM

hmmm… can’t seem to nd the Free PDF for the full body work out. Can you point me in the right
direction or send it to me please?

Reply

FAHAD
JANUARY 28, 2019 AT 3:51 PM

So I think there is something wrong with the PDF link, it takes me back to the homepage.

Reply

Pingback: The Best Science-Based Full Body Workout for Growth (WORKOUT “A”) – Workout
Plan App Pinterest.com Pinterest Pins

ALEX
JANUARY 29, 2019 AT 12:43 PM

When part 2/2 comming? Ive done rst workout and tomorow need to do B workout.

Reply

SCOTT
JANUARY 29, 2019 AT 5:00 PM
Where is Workout B?

Reply

PURGATOR
JANUARY 31, 2019 AT 12:47 PM

Now this is a detailed guide. Precisely what I was looking for after glute/hamstring problems made
it impossible for me to train splits. And it’s free, or am I missing something here? Big thumbs up and
thank you very much for this.

Reply

BRYCE
FEBRUARY 1, 2019 AT 2:09 AM

Where’s part B!! Done part A twice now! Just

subbing DLs for Squats on B until you put
Out an article. Loving it tho!

Reply

JEREMY ETHIER
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 12:04 AM

Will be up in a couple weeks! Stay tuned!

Reply

RON DRUMMOND
FEBRUARY 1, 2019 AT 10:40 PM

Great article and workout! Is the progression scheme to add weight once you have completed all
prescribed sets at the top of the rep range?

Also, when will workout B be out? I’m excited to try the whole routine.

Reply
 JEREMY ETHIER
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 12:04 AM

Yes that’s correct. Workout B will be done in a couple weeks.

Reply

KADIR
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 11:20 PM

Please do it quickly sir

Reply

JOSEPH
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 8:19 AM

Jeremy,
Thanks for what you do. I love the workouts and appreciate all the scienti c research you do to
make them. I have a question regarding the full body workout. Why is there no tricep accessory
movement in the workout?
Thanks!

Reply

JOSEPH
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 8:33 AM

Jeremy,

Love what you’re doing.

Why isn’t there a triceps accessory movement in the full body workout?

Reply

MATT
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 5:01 PM

When will workout B be posted?

Reply
 JOSEPH
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 AT 10:46 PM

Jeremy,

Thanks for all you do. It’s awesome to see the science behind the exercises you do and choose. I
have a question regarding the full body workout. Why is there no triceps accessory movement?

Thanks!

Reply

RÚBEN SILVA
FEBRUARY 6, 2019 AT 5:31 AM

Nice work! Thanks to you i nally made up my mind about the split im choosing! And ill use your
model too. I dont have a gym but i have a little room in my place where I use some equipment
(dumbells, stability ball, resistance band and a pull up bar) my question is, regarding dumbell total
weight, how much do you think i should have? Knowing i have to progressively overload… Consider
this a duck the system approach!! x) im from portugal so to reach me you must be doing something
right lol hopefully you can answer my question.
Keep up the good work and hurry up with the workout b!!! Thank you very much a really
appreciate your vídeos

Reply

HAMED
FEBRUARY 10, 2019 AT 7:45 PM

When Workout B will be availble?

Reply

NIC
FEBRUARY 15, 2019 AT 2:43 PM

Jeremy – Love this workout as well as your other content. Quick question – lying dumbbell
hamstring curls are nearly impossible for me to perform with my existing workout equipment
(adjustable dumbbells). Is there a substitute hamstring exercise you’d recommend? Thanks!
 Reply

JEREMY ETHIER
FEBRUARY 16, 2019 AT 12:30 AM

If you have access to a swiss ball, then swiss ball leg curls are a good alternative.

Reply

DANIEL
MARCH 1, 2019 AT 7:44 PM

Free? I had to pay $69.00 to access it and you guys get it for free?

Dan.

Reply

JEREMY ETHIER
MARCH 2, 2019 AT 12:20 AM

The PDF’s for these workouts are free.

Reply

DARREN
MARCH 2, 2019 AT 12:09 AM

Thanks really great article! How do the hamstring dumbbell curl exercises progress? Given the
need to hold the weight between your legs and de nitely don’t want to drop it I can’t imagine doing
it with a much bigger dumbbell than I already am. Also I’ve seen people do it on a bench. Is one way
better than the other?

Reply

JEREMY ETHIER
MARCH 2, 2019 AT 12:20 AM

If you have someone to help you set it up, doing it on a bench can help with the range of motion.
In terms of progression, slowing down the tempo, using heavier weight, and doing more reps are
all good options.
 Reply

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