The Most Effective FULL BODY Workout For Muscle Growth
Summary
TLDRIn the first episode of the 'Full-Body Science Applied' series, the focus is on a high-frequency workout split targeting every muscle group daily. The episode features a leg-focused workout, starting with squats, followed by an incline dumbbell press, lying leg curls, lat pulldowns, EZ bar bicep curls, and hanging leg raises. The host emphasizes proper technique, exercise sequencing, and rest periods to optimize muscle growth and recovery. The video also offers tips for squat depth and advanced intensity techniques. The full 10-week program is available for purchase, with additional workouts to be shared on the channel.
Takeaways
- 🏋️♂️ The video introduces a high-frequency full-body workout series with a focus on different body parts each day.
- 🔄 The workout plan includes a five-day split, targeting every muscle group daily with a specific emphasis on one muscle group per session.
- 🏃♂️ The first workout is leg-focused, prioritizing quads, hamstrings, and glutes, starting with a warm-up routine and dynamic stretching.
- 💪 Squats are performed with 80% of 1-rep max for 4 sets of 4 reps, emphasizing proper technique and avoiding complete failure to prevent interference with next-day training.
- 🧘♂️ The script discusses squat depth, citing studies that show no significant difference in muscle activation between parallel and full squats when using relative loading.
- 👣 A cue for better squat performance is suggested: 'screwing your feet into the floor' for a more stable base and to prevent knee caving.
- 📈 The workout uses a weekly undulating progression, alternating between heavy and light weeks to balance strength gains and hypertrophy.
- 🤸♂️ After squats, an upper body exercise (incline dumbbell press) is performed to allow the lower body to recover, based on research showing longer rest periods promote greater hypertrophy.
- 🦵 The lying leg curl is included to specifically target the hamstrings, which are not fully activated by squats alone.
- 🤲 The lat pulldown is chosen to stimulate the back muscles without causing excessive fatigue, considering the high demand of the squat and dumbbell press already performed.
- 💪 An advanced intensity technique, the drop set, is used for the EZ bar bicep curl, suitable for smaller muscles like biceps that recover faster.
- 🧍♂️ Hanging leg raises are included to directly target the abs, which are not significantly activated by squats, emphasizing the importance of direct ab exercises for development.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the 'Full-Body Science Applied' series?
-The main focus is on performing five full-body workouts as part of a high-frequency split, hitting every body part every training day.
How are the workouts in the series structured?
-Each of the five workouts will prioritize a specific body part, with one muscle receiving slightly more emphasis each day.
What is the focus of the first workout in the series?
-The first workout focuses on the legs, particularly the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
What is the recommended warm-up routine before starting the workout?
-The warm-up routine includes 5 to 10 minutes on the elliptical or Stairmaster, 3 to 4 minutes of dynamic stretching, and foam rolling any tight areas.
Why is it important not to go to complete failure on heavy compound lifts in a high-frequency split?
-Going to complete failure can interfere with training the next day due to the high recovery demands of heavy compound lifts.
What is the suggested approach for squat depth during the workout?
-The suggestion is to squat at least to parallel, as studies show no significant difference in muscle activation between parallel and full squats when using relative loading.
What cue can help improve squat technique and stability?
-A useful cue is to think about screwing your feet into the floor to create a more stable base and prevent the knees from caving in.
What is the purpose of alternating between heavy and light weeks for squats?
-Alternating between heavy and light weeks helps balance gaining strength with getting enough effective reps for hypertrophy.
Why is the incline dumbbell press included in the leg-focused workout?
-The incline dumbbell press is included to allow the lower body to recover while still training the upper body, based on findings that longer rest periods promote greater hypertrophy.
What is the benefit of using free weights over machines for the incline dumbbell press?
-Free weights are preferred because they activate the lateral delts more than machines, providing a more comprehensive upper body workout.
Outlines
🏋️♂️ Introduction to the Full-Body Science Applied Series
Welcome to the first episode of the Full-Body Science Applied series. The host is excited to resume video creation and outlines the series plan: five full-body workouts with a high-frequency split, targeting every body part each training day. Each workout focuses on a specific body part, starting with a leg-focused session. The video begins with a quick warm-up routine involving the elliptical, dynamic stretching, and foam rolling. The main workout starts with four sets of squats at 80% of the one-rep max, emphasizing the importance of not going to failure to avoid compromising the next day's training.
📏 Importance of Squat Depth and Technique
The video discusses squat depth and its impact on muscle activation, referencing studies on glute activation and squat variations. The host advises that parallel squats are sufficient for hypertrophy, though deeper squats can be beneficial if mobility allows. Emphasis is placed on using perfect technique, including cues like screwing feet into the floor for stability. The workout follows an undulating progression with alternating heavy and light weeks to balance strength and hypertrophy gains. Proper setup and breathing techniques are highlighted to enhance performance and safety during squats.
💪 Upper Body and Rest Strategies
The workout continues with incline dumbbell presses, incorporating an upper body movement to allow the lower body to recover. This strategy is based on findings that longer rest periods between exercises promote greater hypertrophy. The incline press targets the pecs, delts, and triceps efficiently, with free weights preferred over machines for greater lateral delt activation. The video provides detailed guidance on form, including positioning, grip, and motion to maximize muscle engagement and stability during the exercise.
🦵 Hamstrings and Effective Leg Exercises
Next, the workout focuses on hamstring exercises, starting with lying leg curls. The host explains the biomechanical reasons why squats don't fully engage the hamstrings and emphasizes the need for knee flexion movements to target all hamstring heads. The importance of exercise sequencing to avoid excessive soreness and interference with subsequent workouts is highlighted. The segment concludes with tips on choosing less damaging exercises to maintain performance in a high-frequency training split.
🏋️♂️ Balancing Back Training
The video addresses back training with three sets of lat pulldowns. The host discusses the balance between muscle stimulation and overall fatigue, noting that while pull-ups are effective, they may be too demanding in a high-frequency split. The approach involves alternating vertical and horizontal pulling movements throughout the week to manage volume and recovery. The importance of avoiding excessive fatigue while still achieving effective muscle stimulation is emphasized, particularly when integrating demanding exercises like squats and dumbbell presses.
💪 Advanced Intensity Techniques for Biceps
The workout incorporates advanced intensity techniques with a drop set on the EZ bar bicep curl. The host explains the rationale for using intensity techniques sparingly in a high-frequency split due to their higher recovery demands. However, bicep exercises are an exception due to their smaller muscle size. Detailed guidance is provided on form, emphasizing swinging the bar in an arc and focusing on supination for optimal bicep engagement. The segment highlights the strategic use of intensity techniques to stimulate more muscle fibers without compromising overall recovery.
💪 Abdominal Training and Workout Conclusion
The workout concludes with three sets of hanging leg raises, underscoring the importance of direct abdominal training. The host dispels the myth that squats adequately engage the abs, recommending specific exercises for maximum ab development. The video wraps up by suggesting supersets for those pressed for time and provides information on the host's new high-frequency full-body program. The program is designed for intermediate to advanced lifters, with links provided for further details and a discount offer extended for a limited time.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Full-body workout
💡High-frequency split
💡Squat
💡Parallel squat
💡Incline dumbbell press
💡Lying leg curl
💡Lat pulldown
💡EZ bar bicep curl
💡Warm-up routine
💡Undulating progression
Highlights
Introduction of a new high-frequency split training program focusing on full-body workouts.
Explanation of the importance of a warm-up routine including elliptical or Stairmaster use, dynamic stretching, and foam rolling.
Emphasis on proper technique and avoiding failure on heavy compound lifts to prevent interference with next-day training.
Discussion on squat depth variations and their impact on muscle activation, referencing scientific studies.
The cue of 'screwing feet into the floor' for improved squat stability and technique.
Weekly undulating progression for squats to balance strength gain and hypertrophy.
Incorporation of upper body exercises like incline dumbbell press between leg exercises for recovery and hypertrophy promotion.
EMG data insights on muscle activation differences between incline press variations.
The selection of free weight dumbbell press over machine press for greater lateral delt activity.
Importance of targeting hamstrings with knee flexion exercises like lying leg curl for comprehensive leg development.
Consideration of exercise selection to minimize muscle soreness for subsequent workouts.
Inclusion of lat pulldowns to stimulate the back muscles without causing excessive fatigue.
Introduction of advanced intensity technique with EZ bar bicep curl drop sets for muscle fiber stimulation.
Hanging leg raises as a crucial exercise for ab development, emphasizing direct muscle activation.
Option to perform exercises as supersets for time-efficient workouts.
Promotion of a 10-week high-frequency full-body program designed for intermediate to advanced lifters.
Recommendation for beginners to start with a fundamentals program before attempting the high-frequency split.
Transcripts
[Music]
okay welcome everyone to the first
episode of the full-body science applied
series it's great to be doing these
videos again so in the series I want to
go through five full-body workouts as
part of my new high frequency split that
I talked about in my last video where
we're pretty much hitting every body
part every training day so if that
sounds totally crazy to you make sure
you check out my last video for some
context on that first so the way I've
set this up is that each of the five
workouts will have a specific body part
focus so we'll be prioritizing one
muscle each day with slightly more
emphasis and we'll be starting today
with the first leg focused workout so
our main focus today is going to be the
quads hamstrings and glutes now as
always a kick off every workout with a
quick warm-up routine so I'll do about 5
to 10 minutes on the elliptical or
Stairmaster and three to four minutes of
dynamic stretching and then I'll foam
roll out any tight areas and I already
did a full science of 5 video on my
warm-up routine and I'll link that down
below so at first we're doing 4 sets of
4 reps on the squat using 80% of our 1
rep max now it's really important that
these sets not feel super difficult so
by the time you get to the fourth set
you should still have about 2 or 3 reps
left in the tank and that's because
going to complete failure on heavy
compound lifts is especially bad when
running a high-frequency split because
if you push it too close to failure it
can really mess up your training the
next day
so remember squats activate a ton of
muscle mass including the spinal
erectors of the back meaning they have a
pretty high potential to interfere with
other exercises you might have planned
the next day so instead of going for max
effort you really want to hone in on
using perfect technique at the assigned
intensity now I want to quickly look at
squat depth here because that's
something a lot of people struggle with
a few years back I used to think that
you should always squat as deep as
possible because 1 2002 study found
higher glute activation on the full
squat than the parallel squat and the
partial squat however the study was
limited by using the same weight for all
three variations and when it was
replicated by Contreras and colleagues
using relative loading they found no
difference between parallel squats and
full squats not only for the glutes but
for any of the muscles tested so this
implies that as long as you're going to
at least parallel you're in the clear if
your goal is hypertrophy now that
doesn't mean you can just get on
the Baron do knee bends as previous work
from Bloomquist and colleagues found
that very shallow quarter squats paled
in comparison to parallel squats for leg
gains so for people like myself who can
get all the way down with just a little
bit of butt wink I'd say to go for it
but for those with more limited hip or
ankle mobility apart from doing specific
mobility drills to open those joints up
I'd say settling for a parallel squat is
probably your best bet now one cue I've
been using on the squat lately that you
can try is to think about screwing your
feet into the floor so after you've set
the bar on either a high or low bar
position walked it back two or three
steps set your stance to a width that
feels comfortable to you and taking a
breath deep into your gut not up into
your chest you might get even tighter by
screwing your feet into the floor
causing your foot to make firm contact
with the outer wall of your shoe
creating a more stable base of support
and this cue can help prevent the knees
from caving in as well and for the squat
we're running a weekly undulating
progression where the load alternates
between heavy weeks and light weeks so
in week one we're doing a heavy four by
four then and b2 dropping back to a
lighter three by six then it's back to
fours and week three but with heavier
weight a lighter three by six again in
the fourth week and the idea here is to
strike a balance between gaining
strength while still getting in enough a
so called
effective reps for hypertrophy okay so
after squats were moving on to three
sets of eight on the incline dumbbell
press so rather than moving on to our
next leg movement right away
we're hitting an upper body movement
first to allow the lower body to recover
a bit this approach is based on findings
from a 2017 systematic review which
found that longer rest periods tend to
promote greater hypertrophy because they
allow for higher overall volume load so
in my eyes the more rest you can get
between exercises for the same muscle
groups the better so we'll hit some pecs
delts and triceps while the legs rest of
it and we're choosing an exercise here
that targets all of the pushing muscles
quite well as we're able to stimulate
three muscles with a single exercise
incurring less recovery demand per unit
of time now when it comes to muscle
stimulation we know from some EMG data
that not only is there more upper chest
activity with the incline press there's
also a more deltoid activity with
increasing bench inclination as well
especially when using a wider grip this
means that we can get a very nice mix of
pecs and delts with this single move
and we're opting for a free weight
dumbbell press over a machine press here
mostly because the lateral delts will be
much more active with the free weight
variation according to data from chicken
colleagues even though there wasn't much
difference between free weights and the
smith machine for the anterior delts and
the pecs clearly the lateral delts were
far more active when using free weights
this is most likely because the lateral
delts perform a stabilizing role to help
keep the dumbbells from tipping backward
or forward also because we're not
isolating the triceps on day one I'm
bringing the dumbbells a bit more down
into the front with my elbows more tough
than usual and this is gonna target the
upper pecs a bit more as well since it's
emphasizing shoulder flexion so to get
the most out of this you want to think
about bringing the dumbbells down and
forward and then pressing them up and
back toward your face okay up next we're
hitting three sets of ten on the lying
leg curl now we know from basic bio
mechanics that the squats we just hit
didn't do a good job of hitting the
hamstrings because they were lengthening
at the knee while shortening at the hip
also even though an exercise like the
Romanian deadlift which is coming up on
day two does hit the hamstrings through
hip extension one of the heads of the
hamstrings the biceps femoris short head
only crosses the knee joint meaning it's
biomechanically impossible for it to
contribute to hip extension this means
that if you want to hit all four heads
of the hamstrings you simply need to do
some kind of knee flexion based movement
like a leg curl now remember we're
hitting our deals on day two so we want
to choose an exercise that isn't gonna
have your hamstrings feeling too sore
for those the next day so we want to
pick it less damaging exercise here like
the lying leg curl or something like the
glute ham raise which is gonna load the
hamstrings in a more highly stretched
position so as you can probably tell how
you sequence your exercises throughout
the week it becomes a much more
important on high frequency full-body
split so you avoid that interference
with what you have planned the next day
all right up next we've got three sets
of ten reps on the lat pulldown again
here the key is stimulating the desired
muscle group without generating too much
overall fatigue so you could argue that
well pull-ups might be a better choice
as an overall back builder but when
programming a heavy exercise like the
squat and a pretty heavy dumbbell press
as well on the same day it'd be tough to
then also hit heavy weighted pull-ups I
mean that would be fine if you were only
hitting your
body two or three days a week since
you've had plenty of time between those
workouts to recover when hitting a high
frequency full body split I try to only
have one or two highly demanding
movements per day to avoid those
recovery issues granted will still be
hitting heavy pull ups on our back
focused full body workout because I do
think they're worth including on a day
that's actually more focused on
prioritizing the back we're also not
hitting any horizontal pull or row on
this day including both a vertical pole
and a horizontal pull five days a week
which is add up to way too much weekly
volume for the back so I tend to
alternate a vertical pole like a
pulldown with a horizontal pole like a
row or a face pole from day to day
throughout the week okay up next we're
gonna hit our first advanced intensity
technique with three sets of a twelve
twelve drop set on the EZ bar bicep curl
I definitely don't like to use a lot of
intensity techniques on a high frequency
split just because they do impose a
higher recovery demand than just
straight overloading sets however
because the biceps are such a relatively
small muscle they simply won't generate
as much fatigue on a drop set as
something like the quads or the lats
would so because this technique isn't
likely to impair performance over the
next few training days I think it makes
sense to push it here so we can
stimulate more muscle fibers per working
set so this is the only exercise we'll
be taking to failure on day one and what
I've been focusing on here is swinging
the bar out in an arc rather than
curling it back toward my chest and I
also q4 supination by thinking about
driving my pinky up into the barbell as
I curl and we're gonna round out this
workout with three sets of hanging leg
raises I think any complete ab routine
should include at least one exercise
that brings the legs up toward the chest
like a leg raise and one that brings the
upper body down toward the legs like a
crunch and remember that research tells
us that contrary to popular opinion the
squat actually doesn't activate the
rectus abdominus or external obliques
much at all so if you want to maximize
development of the ABS it's important to
hit them directly and that's gonna
finish out the workout now for the
record if you guys are oppressed on time
you can run each pair of exercises we
just covered as supersets I'm so for
example for the first two exercises you
can hit one set of squats rest a minute
or two hit a set of incline dumbbell
press rest another minute or two then go
back to squats and so on but since I'm
not really limited on time myself I
prefer to just hit each exercise one at
a time and if you're interested in
putting
this together into a complete 10-week
training program you can check out my
new high-frequency full-body program
over on Jeff never calm and I decided
I'm going to extend the launch for this
sale for one more week so you can still
get it for twenty five percent off but
until next weekend and then it'll go up
to $39.99 from there
and I'd say it'll probably be another
four or five weeks before I get all the
workouts up here on the channel and also
I should say this program is designed
for intermediate to advanced level
lifters so if you only have a year or
two of training experience I definitely
recommend running my fundamentals
program first instead which also uses a
full-body split but it only has you in
the gym three days per week instead of
five so I'll put a link to the new
full-body program over here next my head
if you guys would like to check it out
don't forget to subscribe so that you
don't miss the rest of the series leave
me a thumbs up if you enjoyed the video
and I'll see you guys all here in the
next one
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