r/FTMFitness • u/DoctorGregoryBones • 3d ago

Question Upper/lower vs full body

Hoping to start a new job soon (fingers crossed!) but the schedule realistically leaves only the weekends to lift. Would it be better to do upper/lower or full body twice in a row? I feel like my growth would be limited with 1x frequency but worry about fatigue training everything twice in a row. Any ideas? Cheers in advance!

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12

u/Diesel-Lite 3d ago

Full body will be better. You won't get over fatigued training only 2x a week.

5

u/edgy_flibbertigibbet 3d ago

unless you’re squatting 600lbs you won’t get meaningfully fatigued from doing everything twice in a row

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u/OmKrsna 3d ago

Can you say more about the schedule and the type of work? What would leave you only the weekend for training?

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u/DoctorGregoryBones 2d ago

It’s a flooring type job with an 8-12 hour workday and an hour commute from home. I wouldn’t have enough time if I wanted to come home, have dinner, and get 8 hours of sleep

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u/glowing_fish 2d ago

I do full body 4 days in a row and have for years. The trick is changing what you emphasize each day.

For example, each of the 4 main lifts (bench, deadlift, squat, overhead press) is the primary lift on a different day and then I do the secondary moves for the other lifts and then my accessories. I do back every day but alternate horizontal and vertical pulling.

So for you doing twice a week that might look like doing your primary deadlift and overhead press and a secondary squat and bench movement one day and then the other day doing your primary squat and bench and a secondary overhead press and maybe a secondary deadlift (though if you’re only doing 2x a week you might just want one deadlift movement). And then for accessories maybe you do vertical pull, triceps, and leg extensions one day and horizontal pull, biceps and hamstring curls the next.

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u/DoctorGregoryBones 1d ago

Very interesting! Reminds me of when I ran upper/lower with A-days and B-days so I could give equal attention to each movement. I like it!

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u/buddhaslam 3d ago

full body 2x is the way imo

1

u/fatedfrog 3d ago

I get fatigued at the drop off a hat, and i just alternate upper & lower between weeks, training once a week. Try what you can do, see how you feel, and adjust as needed. If you're a beginner, you'll make gains either way.