Most people think that it would suit their lifestyle to go to the gym 5 or 6 times per week, the way the popular fitness and bodybuilding programs in magazines prescribe, thinking it would give them the best results as fast as possible and build their ideal physique. But then life gets in the way and the majority start missing workout sessions and after some time simply stop going to the gym altogether.

A wise fitness coach once said that your workout routine should fit your lifestyle and not the other way around. If your current lifestyle does not allow you to go to the gym several times per week, then this twice-a-week resistance training and HIIT program will help you with your muscle building and fat loss goals.

 What constitutes a full-body training program?

A full-body training program consists of exercises targeting all the muscle groups in one workouts session, with the majority of exercises being compound exercises. Bodybuilding legends such as Reg Park, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s idol and Leroy Colbert have been the main advocates of full-body training programs over half-a-decade ago. It is quite unfortunate that this type of training has become increasingly neglected over the decades even though it’s one of the most effective types of training.

The benefits of using a full-body training program:

1. Less time spent in the gym

Since a full-body training program will require you to go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week at most, it will leave you with a lot of free time to do other things. It will give you the time to fulfill other life obligations. Almost everyone can train in the gym twice at any time during the week without greatly disturbing his/her daily routine.

2. Increased rate of muscle recovery

For some people, it can be very difficult to properly recover from workout sessions, even when they’re training very different muscle groups. Training this frequently will not allow them to use increasingly heavier weights and continue making progress over time. A full-body training program gives you lots of rest days and maximizes the recovery of every muscle group.

3. Reduced CNS (Central Nervous System) fatigued

Each time you do a heavy training session where the majority of exercises are compound exercises, involving multiple muscle groups, you not only fatigue your muscle but also you CNS. Considering that you’ will be training every other day or after every two days using this program, CNS fatigue will be decreased significantly.

4. Intensity remains the same

We’ve all had bad days in the gym where we weren’t feeling our best but gathered the will to still push through the workout. Everyone experiences days when the body is too fatigued and lacks the proper intensity. Since full-body training routines are time-flexible they allow for improved recovery, which leaves the intensity uncompromised. You are much more likely to feel more energized and able to lift weights with maximal intensity.  It’s worth noting that increasing the training intensity over time is essential for making muscle strength and hypertrophy progress.

5. Burns more calories compared to standard training splits

Taking into consideration that you’ll be engaging your entire body in a single training session, you eventually end up burning more calories compared to using other training splits. The more compound exercises you perform, the greater the number of calories burned by your body.

The benefits of doing HIIT cardio:

1. It burns a lot more calories in a shorter amount of time

There was a study done which concluded that doing HIIT cardio burns up to 25 to 30% more calories compared to other cardio activities such as sprinting, cycling or weight training.

2. It keeps the metabolic rate elevated for several hours post-workout

After finishing a HIIT cardio session the body will still be burning calories because of the boost the metabolism gets. This happens because of a process called “Excess Post Oxygen Consumption” which occurs after you’ve gone through an intense physical activity.

3. It supports muscle building

Compared to other types of cardio, HIIT is anabolic and can actually help you gain some muscle. However, the muscle mass gain is primarily in the muscles which are being used the most like the core and leg muscles.

4. You don’t need any equipment

There are lots of ways in which you can do HIIT cardio. But you don’t need any fancy equipment in order to do it. It can be done in any outdoor environment.

The training plan:

Day 1: Workout A

Day 2: Rest

Day 3: HIIT cardio

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Workout B

Day 6: Rest

Day 7: HIIT cardio

    Workout A:

• Romanian deadlift – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg press – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Close-grip bench press – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Seated cable rows – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Arnold press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Lat pull-downs – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Dumbbell curls – 4 sets of 12 reps

    Workout B:

• Squats 4 sets of 12 reps
• Incline bench press 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg curls – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Wide-grip Lat pull-downs – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Seated pec deck – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Single-hand cable rows – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Rope face-pulls – 3 sets of 15 reps

HIIT cardio:

• 20 jumping jacks
• 10 burpees
• 30 step-ups
• 15 push-ups
• 15 jump lunges (each leg)

Repeat this circuit at least 7 times with as little rest between rounds as possible. After finishing all 7 rounds do a bodyweight plank to failure.

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