The Best Full-Body Workouts With Gym Equipment’s

What Are the Full-Body Workouts?

Full-body workouts are exactly what they sound like – workouts that target all major muscle groups in your body in a single session. Instead of focusing on just your arms or legs on a given day, you’re giving your entire body a good workout each time you hit the gym.

Why Should You Care About Full-Body Workouts?

Full-body workouts come with a bunch of awesome benefits:

• They’re super efficient: Got a busy schedule? Full-body workouts are perfect for you. You can get a complete workout in just 3-4 sessions per week.
• They keep your muscles happy: By working each muscle group more frequently, you’re stimulating muscle growth more often. It’s like giving your muscles a little nudge every couple of days.
• They’re great for your heart: All that full-body movement gets your heart pumping, improving your overall cardiovascular health.
• They make you more athletic: Full-body workouts often involve compound movement exercises that mimic real-life activities, making you more functional and athletic overall.

Understanding Movement Patterns in Full-Body Workouts

Now, let’s talk about the building blocks of a great full-body workout: movement patterns.

Why Focus on Movement Patterns?

Think of movement patterns as the alphabet of exercise. Just like you need different letters to form words, you need different movement patterns to create a well-rounded workout. Focusing on patterns ensures you’re not missing any important movements your body needs.

The Key Movement Patterns

Here are the seven movement patterns you should include in your full-body workouts:

• Squat Pattern: Think of sitting down and standing up from a chair.
• Lunge Pattern: Imagine taking a big step forward or backward.
• Hinge Pattern: Picture bending over to pick something up off the ground.
• Push Pattern: Like pushing a heavy door open.
• Pull Pattern: Similar to pulling a rope towards you.
• Carry Pattern: Just like carrying heavy grocery bags.
• Corrective Pattern: These are movements that help fix imbalances or weaknesses.

By including exercises that cover all these patterns, you’re ensuring a balanced, effective full-body workout.

Essential Best Exercises for a Full-Body Workout

Let’s dive into some key exercises for each movement pattern. We’ll cover barbell, dumbbell, cable, and bodyweight exercises to give you plenty of options.

Barbell Exercises

1. Barbell Back Squat (Squat Pattern)

Barbell Back Squat – How To (Video Credit: Bobby Maximus YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, barbell across your upper back.
• Bend your knees and hips to lower your body as if sitting back in a chair.
• Keep your chest up and core tight.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push through your heels to stand back up.

Pro tips:

• Keep your weight in your heels
• Don’t let your knees cave inward

Sets and reps:

• Beginners: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Advanced: 4-5 sets of 5-8 reps

Benefits:

• Builds lower body strength and muscle
• Improves core stability
• Boosts overall athletic performance

2. Reverse Barbell Lunge (Lunge Pattern)

Reverse Barbell Lunge (Video Credit: Reload Physical Therapy and Fitness YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell across your upper back.
• Take a large step backward with one foot.
• Lower your body until both knees are bent at 90-degree angles.
• Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.

Pro tips:

• Keep your front knee in line with your ankle
• Don’t let your back knee touch the ground

Sets and reps:

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg

Benefits:

• Improves balance and stability
• Target quads, hamstrings, and glutes
• Easier on the knees than forward lunges

3. Barbell Deadlift (Hinge Pattern)

How to Do a Barbell Deadlift | Proper Form & Technique | NASM (Video Credit: National Academy of Sports Medicine YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell over your mid-foot.
• Bend at your hips and knees to lower your hands to the bar.
• Grip the bar just outside your legs.
• Lift your chest and flatten your back.
• Push through your heels to stand up, pulling the bar up along your legs.

Pro tips:

• Keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement
• Don’t round your back

Sets and reps:

• Beginners: 3 sets of 5-8 reps
• Advanced: 4-5 sets of 3-5 reps

Benefits:

• Builds overall strength, especially in the posterior chain
• Improves posture
• Boosts athletic performance

4. Barbell Bench Press (Push Pattern)

Barbell Bench Press – Chest Exercise (Video Credit: MyTraining App YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Lie on a bench with your eyes under the barbell.
• Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Unrack the bar and lower it to your mid-chest.
• Push the bar back up to the starting position.

Pro tips:

• Keep your wrists straight
• Don’t bounce the bar off your chest

Sets and reps:

• 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps

Benefits:

• Builds upper body strength, especially in the chest, shoulders, and triceps
• Improves pushing power

5. Barbell Row (Pull Pattern)

Bent Over Barbell Row with Ashley Horner (Video Credit: Ashley Horner YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
• Bend at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
• Grip the barbell with hands just wider than shoulder-width.
• Pull the bar to your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Lower the bar back down with control.

Pro tips:

• Keep your core tight to protect your lower lats
• Don’t use momentum to swing the weight up

Sets and reps:

• 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps

Benefits:

• Builds back strength and muscle
• Improves posture
• Balances out pushing exercises

Dumbbell Exercises

1. Dumbbell Clean Up and Over

Dumbbell Clean and Press (FULL TUTORIAL) – Best Full-Body Dumbbell Exercises (Video Credit:
Mike | J2FIT Strength & Conditioning YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell on the floor between your feet.
• Squat down and grab the dumbbell with one hand.
• Explosively stand up, pulling the dumbbell up to your shoulder.
• Press the dumbbell overhead, then lower it to your other shoulder.
• Squat down to place the dumbbell back on the floor.

Pro tips:

• Use your legs, not your back, to lift the dumbbell
• Keep your core tight throughout the movement

Sets and reps:

• 3 sets of 8-10 reps per side

Benefits:

• Full-body exercise that builds power and coordination
• Great for cardiovascular fitness

2. Dumbbell Lunge

Dumbbell Alternating Forward Lunge (Video Credit: Third Space London YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Take a big step forward with one foot.
• Lower your body until both knees are bent at 90-degree angles.
• Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.

Pro tips:

• Keep your front knee in line with your ankle
• Don’t let your back knee touch the ground

Sets and reps:

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg

Benefits:

• Improves lower body strength and balance
• Great for targeting each leg individually

Cable Exercises

1. Face Pull (Corrective Pattern)

Cable High Face Pulls (Video Credit: Nikkiey Stott YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Set a cable machine to chest height with a rope attachment.
• Grip the rope with palms facing each other.
• Step back until your arms are fully extended.
• Pull the rope towards your face, spreading your hands apart as you do.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

Pro tips:

• Keep your elbows high as you pull
• Don’t lean back; stay upright throughout the movement

Sets and reps:

• 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Benefits:

• Improves posture
• Strengthens rear deltoids and upper back
• Balances out pushing exercises

Bodyweight Exercises

1. Push-ups

The RIGHT Way To Do Push-Ups (PERFECT FORM) (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

How to do it:

• Start in a high plank position, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
• Push back up to the starting position.

Pro tips:

• Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels
• Don’t let your hips sag or stick up

Sets and reps:

• Beginners: 3 sets of as many as you can do with good form
• Advanced: 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps

Benefits:

• Builds upper body strength without equipment
• Improves core stability with best exercise

Full-Body Workout Programs

Now that we’ve covered some key exercises, let’s put them together into a beginner-friendly full-body workout program.

Beginner Full-Body Workout

Perform this workout 3 times per week, with at least one day of rest between sessions.

• Push-ups: 3 sets of as many as you can do with good form
• One-Arm Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps per arm
• Chest Supported Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Lat Pulldown or Banded Pulldown: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Cable Pull Through: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Drop Squat: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Bodyweight Split Squat: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg
• Bodyweight Reverse Lunge: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg
• Rollup: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Suitcase Carry: 3 sets of 30-second walks per side

Remember to start with light weights and focus on proper form. As you get stronger, gradually increase the weight and/or reps.

Full-Body Workouts at Home

Don’t have access to a gym? No problem! You can still get a great full-body workout at home with minimal or no equipment.

Equipment-Free Home Workout

Perform this circuit 3-4 times, resting 1-2 minutes between circuits:

• Ratchet Squats: 15 reps
• Shoulder Tap Pike Pushups: 10 reps
• Power Ups: 12 reps
• Pounding Trunk Lifts: 15 reps
• Bridge Reach Overs: 10 reps per side
• Triceps Toe Taps: 12 reps per side
• Angels and Devils: 10 reps
• Push-up Toe Taps: 10 reps
• Squat Burpees: 10 reps
• Standing Ab Twists: 20 reps

Programming Full-Body Workouts

How Often Should You Do Full-Body Workouts?

For most people, 3 full-body workouts per week is the sweet spot. This gives you enough frequency to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains, while also allowing for adequate recovery time.

Exercise Selection and Order

Start with compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups (like squats or best bench presses for chest) when you’re fresh. Then move on to isolation exercises (like bicep curls) towards the end of your workout.

Sets, Reps, and Intensity

Benefit of Full-Body Workouts

Here’s why full-body workouts are great:

Engage More Muscles, Strengthen Expeditiously

One primary advantage of comprehensive workouts lies in their efficacy.

Exercises such as squats exercise, push-ups, and deadlifts activate multiple muscle groups at the same time, leading to faster strength development than exercises targeting single muscles. A study by Alexandre Lopes Evangelista published in Einstein (Sao Paulo) indicates that resistance training (RT) is widely acknowledged as the most efficient approach to increasing muscle strength and encouraging muscle growth in humans.

Enhance Balance and Coordination

Full-body workouts bolster balance and coordination, mirroring real-life movements and compelling the body to function cohesively. This is crucial, especially as we age, to mitigate the risk of falls and injuries.

Augment Calorie Expenditure

Activating multiple muscle groups in a workout increases calorie burn, aiding in weight management and promoting overall health.

Time Efficiency

For those constrained by time, full-body workouts offer a comprehensive fitness regimen in a shorter duration compared to routines that segregate muscle groups.

Nutrition to Support Full-Body Training

Remember, great workouts are supported by great nutrition. Here are some key points:

• Eat enough protein (about 1.6-2.2 grams per kg of body weight daily)
• Don’t skimp on carbs – they fuel your workouts
• Include healthy fats for hormone production
• Stay hydrated before, during, and after your workouts

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Overtraining: Listen to your body and take rest days when needed.
• Neglecting certain movement patterns: Make sure your workout includes all seven patterns we discussed.
• Poor form: Start with lighter weights and focus on technique before increasing load.
• Insufficient recovery: Ensure you’re getting enough sleep and proper nutrition.

Tailoring Full-Body Workouts to Specific Goals

• For muscle building: Focus on higher volume (more sets and reps)
• For strength gains: Lift heavier weights for fewer reps
• For fat loss: Incorporate more metabolic exercises like burpees or mountain climbers
• For athletic performance: Include explosive movements like jump squats or medicine ball slams

Incorporating Variety and Progression

Keep your workouts challenging by:

• Changing exercises every 4-6 weeks
• Gradually increasing weights or reps
• Altering tempo or rest periods

Measuring Progress and Adjusting Your Program

Track your workouts in a journal or app. Every 4-6 weeks, reassess your progress and adjust your program as needed. This might mean increasing weights, changing exercises, or altering your workout frequency.