Total Body Split Training
When Two Methods Are Better Than One
by Chad Waterbury

My two most popular training articles have been the Anti-Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy Program (ABBH) and
Total Body Training
(TBT).
Both programs have helped thousands of lifters build more muscle and
strength while staying lean. Without a doubt, they both work. But whydo
they work so well?

Why, oh why, do they work? I must know.
The two most effective training structures are total body and upper/lower
splits. An upper/lower split is pretty straightforward. In one session,
you focus on upper body lifts, and the next session consists of lower
body lifts. Monday might include rows, presses, curls, and external rotations.
Wednesday could have deadlifts, pistols, calf raises, and ab work.
A total body session, in my world, consists of at least each
of the following lifts in every session: compound upper body push, compound
upper body pull, and a squat or deadlift. The dip/chin-up/deadlift is
a good example of the minimum required for a total body session. Of course,
you can throw in whatever other exercises you desire, as long as the
big three are involved.

No, not this "big three."
Since both structures can produce outstanding results, it only makes
sense to take the benefits of both ABBH and TBT, and devise an even more
effective plan.


They're The Same, Only Different
There are some similarities between the two methods, but there are also
a few distinctions. The biggest distinction is that ABBH is an upper/lower
body split while TBT is, of course, total body training.
Obviously, I like both methods. But you're not relegated to performing
just one or the other. If you can train twice each day, you can reap
all the benefits of splits and total body training.
An upper/lower split allows you to perform more volume per bodypart
in each training session. For some athletes and bodybuilders, this is
ideal. Bodybuilders need plenty of volume, with a high intensity in each
session, for maximal muscle growth.
Problem is, this can be difficult when you're following a total body
structure in each session. By the time you make it to squats or deadlifts,
you're pretty beat.

... unless you're lifting light weights, but that's another story.
Athletes benefit from upper/lower splits because they typically perform
a lot of neurally-demanding exercises throughout the season, with plenty
of games and practices. Splits give the nervous system a break.
I also like splits when a lifter needs to include additional mobility
and joint rehabilitation exercises. If they included all those supplemental
exercises in a total body session the workout would be too long.
A total body training session, on the other hand, allows you to recruit
a greater amount of muscle mass. It's also excellent for building your
overall work capacity, while boosting your anaerobic energy system.
Since many lifters need to increase their work capacity and lose some
bodyfat, I typically lean towards total body sessions when you're limited
by training time. A heavy circuit of the dip/chin-up/deadlift with short
rest periods is much more demanding than any "chest and shoulder" workout.

As part of a circuit, this is harder than benching.


Tune Into The Right Frequency

It's probably no surprise that I'm a staunch advocate of more frequent
training sessions. That's because some of the best bodies in the world
have been developed by training more frequently. Importantly, I'm not
exactly talking about spending more time training. But I'm talking
about spreading that same training time over more frequent sessions.
This is especially true with professional and Olympic athletes who train
multiple times each day. Most people aren't Olympic athletes, but it's
still wise to use those same effective principles to build a better body,
and apply those principles in a more realistic, real-world manner. That's
what the total body split will do.
My biggest beef with splits is that the weekly frequency of training
movements or bodyparts is too low for optimal results. As a rule of thumb,
if you're not an athlete, you should train each movement or bodypart
three times each week.
If you're an in-season athlete, hitting each movement twice a week works
well, especially late in the season when injuries run rampant. By following
a total body split, you'll derive all of the split benefits while training
with an optimal frequency.
When training for size and strength, your goals should be to:

1) Recruit as much total muscle mass as possible in each session.

2) Train each movement or bodypart two or more times per week.

3) Release as many androgens as possible.

4) Manage nervous system fatigue.
Total body workouts are best for points 1-3, while a split is ideal
for point 4. If you're not an athlete, and if you can only train three
times per week, total body sessions are still the way to go. But... if
you can train more frequently, an effective split can be the springboard
that propels you to the next level.


Building a Total Body Split
First off, can you train twice each day for two or three days per week?
If you can, read on. If you can't, this information isn't for you.
If we break up a total body plan into an upper body and lower body split
each day, you get a plan that's less demanding on the nervous system
and more effective for recovery. It's less demanding because you're not
forced to do intense squats or deadlifts after serious upper body training
that fatigued your nervous system with high volume or intensity.
It's more effective for recovery because it's easier for the body to
recover from two 30-minute sessions, instead of one 60-minute session.
Plus, two sessions per day gives you two opportunities to flood your
muscles with a post-workout
drink,
when nutrient uptake is most sensitive. So twice-daily sessions can result
in twice the anabolic response.

For more info on double servings of Surge,
read here.
So let's take a bare bones total body session, divide it into an upper/lower
split, and build from there. Here's our starting point:

Basic Workout
A.M. Session

A1) Dip

A2) Chin-up
P.M. Session (At least six hours later)

A) Deadlift
When training twice per day, each session should last around 30 minutes.
Since I usually keep the rest periods short, and because I typically
advocate cycling between two or more exercises, the sessions are very
time-efficient.
You'll still get plenty of rest before you repeat an exercise, so you'll
be able to keep pushing heavy weights and you'll have the opportunity
to include many different exercises. If you adhere to the guidelines
in The Set/Rep Bible,
you'll be in great shape.
A set/rep volume of around 25, with 85% of your one rep max (1RM),
is a favorite of mine. If you don't want to calculate your 1RM, just
start with a load you could lift for six reps before reaching failure.
Use this same load for all sets. Keep the rest periods around 30-60 seconds
between pairings or giant sets.
Now, let's say you want to add in some upper arm, delt, and shoulder
rehab work to the aforementioned upper body workout. An example of an
effective circuit would be hammer curls, triceps extensions, side raises,
and external rotations. I favor circuits for all the reasons I mentioned
above. They're time efficient, while also allowing for sufficient recovery
before you repeat an exercise.
Old-school bodybuilders and strength athletes would often sit around
for three to five minutes before repeating an exercise. This is an ineffective
way to train since it doesn't build your work capacity and it won't do
jack shit to burn off fat. Spend that three to five minutes training
other movements.

Don't just sit there. Train!
With the lower body workout, you might want to include some additional
quad, glute, and calf training. An example of a circuit would include
single-leg squats, mule kicks, and incline leg press calf raises.
Here's how the additional components will look:

Detailed Workout
A.M. Session

Load: 6RM, stop each set when your speed slows down noticeably

Target Reps: 24 per lift

A1) Dip

rest 30 seconds

A2) Chin-up

Rest 30 seconds. Repeat until you reach 24 total reps

B1) Hammer curl

Rest 30 seconds

B2) Triceps extension

rest 30 seconds

B3) Side raise

rest 30 seconds

B4) External rotation

Rest 30 seconds. Repeat until you reach 24 total reps
P.M. Session (At least six hours later)

Load: 6RM, stop each set when your speed slows down noticeably

Target Reps: 24 per lift

A1) Deadlift

Rest 45 seconds

A2) Single-leg squat

Rest 45 seconds

A3) Mule kick

Rest 45 seconds

A4) Leg press calf raise

Rest 45 seconds. Repeat until you reach 24 total reps
At this point you've got a kick-ass upper/lower split, but you're still
training your entire body each day. Each session lasts 30 minutes or
less, so you'll manage fatigue and minimize overtraining.


Making a Total Body Split Work For You
Scads of lifters still follow a traditional body part split. It usually
looks like this:

Monday: Chest and back

Wednesday: Legs, abs, and calves

Friday: Shoulders and arms
I've written ad nauseam about the limitations of typical bodypart splits,
so I won't re-hash those points here. But I also respect that many lifters
need more volume and intensity than a total body workout might allow.
Here's a way to make a bodypart split more effective for enhancing muscle
and strength, while also boosting your fitness levels.

Monday A.M. Chest and back

Monday P.M. Legs, abs, and calves

Wednesday A.M. Shoulders and arms

Wednesday P.M. Legs, abs, and calves

Friday A.M. Chest and back

Friday P.M. Legs, abs, and calves

Monday A.M. Shoulders and arms

Monday P.M. Legs, abs, and calves

... and so on.
A key point with the above plan is that you should use different movements
on Monday and Friday. I'll use the P.M. sessions as an example. On Monday
you'll perform a front squat, reverse crunch, and leg press calf raise.
Wednesday it's deadlift, ab wheel, and seated calf raise. Friday could
be single-leg squat, side plank, and single-leg calf raise.
Take special note of Wednesday. Since it lacks an upper body pulling
exercise (because it's shoulders and arms), I recommend complimenting
your morning session with the deadlift in the evening.
The reason? A deadlift is about as close to a true upper body pulling
exercise as you'll find. This balances out your total body training for
the day.

Deadlift... often.


Closing Thoughts
Obviously, there are countless variations you can make on this theme.
Maybe you can train twice a day Monday and Friday, but only once on Wednesday.
If that's the case, perform a total body session on Wednesday. Adhere
to the guidelines in The Set/Rep Bible for your weak areas, and perform
half that volume for your strong points.
For example, if you're a bodybuilder that has naturally big thighs,
simply perform 2-3 sets of 5, instead of 5-6x5. This allows you to keep
the sessions as short as possible while staying true to the total body
training philosophy.


About the Author

Chad Waterbury will be conducting a seminar in London, England on June
14. To reserve a spot, e-mail Lee
Hadden.

Pick up Chad Waterbury's e-book The 10/10 Transformation here.
His book Muscle
Revolution can be purchased here.

Chad Waterbury is one of the world's leading experts on developing muscle for the goal
of enhancing performance. His novel training methods are used by athletes,
bodybuilders, figure models, and fitness enthusiasts of all ages and
from all walks of life. He has an M.S. in Physiology from the University
of Arizona, and he specializes in the neurophysiology of human movement
and performance. He currently trains, consults and lectures around the
country.

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