[Matt Evans]

I for some reason I am really insulin sensitive (never touched insulin) but a couple hours after meals I get all the signs of going hypo – Lucozade tablets are what I see prescribed all the time, its effectively just a glucose tablet. Dextrose in squash for me is probably the quickest fix – just have some made up in the car to sip post workout for emergencies.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Hi dude,

I’ve been pushing my BW up hard for the last 6 months or so and have ran into appetite problems identical to yours every 8-10 weeks or so. It is also the time my body and mind feels battered to bits. Take a deload of food (doing some fasting), training and minimise stress. You may drop a couple lbs but it comes back and you overtake where you previously were. I do this routinely.

Additional help – I am currently trying MK677 for increased appetite at 10mg taken AM. All I can say is that inhale all of my meals without even trying 🙂 I know a lot of others disagree with this approach but after countless deloads and pulling back in order to push up, sometimes a different approach is needed.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Matt Evans wrote:

hey dude

my response below is just straight copied and pasted because I have been answering a lot of FBW questions as I do have 6 years solid experience with them!

“Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery!

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15

Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9

2nd Back Compound 1×15 drop set 1×10+

Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15

Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!”

FYI aged 15 I weighed 160lbs and by the time I was 17 I was over 240lbs completely unassisted and I got very very strong very quick!
____________________________

21yo, 6ft 2, 123kg and gaining

Never thought about a full body workout but after reading this I’m seriously considering it. Regarding the zero fluff aspect of this layout, would it be ok to add a set or 2 of a bicep & tricep iso exercise on each rotation ? Or maybe say you have 4 rotations, a tricep iso at the end of 2 of the 4 rotations & a bicep iso at the end of the other 2? Also, what about abs? Could they be included? Not necessarily into every rotation but maybe 2 of them?

I feel that full body splits are hidden gems that 99% of lifters overlook for some benign reason. The friends I have put on FBW splits and train with have all added amazing amounts of strength in a very short period of time.

As for isolation exercises, of course! Just be mindful that if you have intentions of pressing or pulling again in 2 days that this may hinder your recovery, but many friends I have put onto FBW still like to throw isolations in for a good pump. Just not my cuppa tea! As for abs, I believe abs recover very quick so 3x a week shouldn’t be an issue, but after heavy pulls or squats…that would be the last thing I would want to do haha.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Hi dude

I have 3 screws in my last three L vertebrae along with a full knee replacement and 4 ligament replacements (ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL) and some more plates in places, so I can relate to you

Coming back from my injruries I could not deadlift without pain, but I could seated ham curl or laying ham curl pain free. I just did plenty of hard ham curl sets before wide n high leg press sets and my hamstrings definitely continued growing despite my actual pulling power being neglected. Just do what you can do! Any pain from an exercise just drop immediately. Good luck.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

hi everyone

I know this is quite topical at the moment and I have been looking into it a lot recently and as my family grows and also working shifts I just find that 3× a week is a good balance and I have the ability to recover at this frequency. I am thinking of putting together 4 full body rotations and going from there. my question is simple, does anyone who runs this kind of split feel the need for direct bicep and tricep isolation work or do you feel they get worked enough with all the pull and push movements in a full body split. I am thinking of using mainly compind movements to get the most bang for my buck

Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery! I have always noticed the biggest growth from any muscle (arms are probably easier to notice/track) whenever I had good training blocks where I had really boosted my pushing and pulling strength.

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9
2nd Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15
Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

hey dude

my response below is just straight copied and pasted because I have been answering a lot of FBW questions as I do have 6 years solid experience with them!

“Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery!

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9
2nd Back Compound 1×15 drop set 1×10+
Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15
Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!”

FYI aged 15 I weighed 160lbs and by the time I was 17 I was over 240lbs completely unassisted and I got very very strong very quick!

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

do you have any training logs. one of my full body rotations that I have just finished this morning consisted of * leg press*seated calf raise*lying leg curl*incline chest press*lat pulldown*Viking press*single arm bicep machine. I was in and out within the hour and felt good. what are your thoughts on this

That’s actually quite a nice session that.

Providing volume is low and intensity is high, all numbers logged and ready to be smashed next rotation. I’d say crack on. My sessions can last between 45-90 minutes depending on how hard the sets are, long the warmups are and getting head space right for big sets.

As I said, I am very minimalist with training.

Chest compound x 2 sets
Back compound x 2/3 sets
Delt/tri compound x 2 sets
Optional accessory x 1/2/3 sets depending on feel
Leg compound x 2 sets
Leg ISO (optional) x 1/2 sets
Calves x 3 sets

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Hi mate,

I have just straight copied and pasted this reply as there seems to be lots of threads on FBW’s right now.

“Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

Your volume is that typical of someone who thinks that FBW’s will not be enough to stimulate growth. If you went to complete the session you listed to maximal intensity, you’d be tapping out at the 5th or so exercise. Almost certainly NOT performing them 3 times week and recovering. Decrease the amount you’re doing because you are increasing how often you are doing them.

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery!

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9
2nd Back Compound 1×15 drop set 1×10+
Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15
Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!”

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Matt Evans wrote:

Matt Evans wrote:

Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

Your volume is that typical of someone who thinks that FBW’s will not be enough to stimulate growth. If you went to complete the session you listed to maximal intensity, you’d be tapping out at the 5th or so exercise. Almost certainly NOT performing them 3 times week and recovering. Decrease the amount you’re doing because you are increasing how often you are doing them.

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery!

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15

Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15

Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9

2nd Back Compound 1×15 drop set 1×10+

Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15

Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!

_________________________________________

21yo, 6ft 2, 123kg and gaining 

Do you always hit same rep range every session or do you cycle different loads like heavy, moderate and light?

Pretty typical of me to stick to what I wrote down. I believe I am covering a good variety of rep ranges with the loading set and back off. Some back off sets end up as 20 reppers on occasion.

_________________________________________

21yo, 6ft 2, 123kg and gaining

hi Matt just been reading your approach to training and love the no fluff . what do you do to hit your hamstrings[/quote]

I rotate in RDL’s and any hamstring curl variation 🙂 Just don’t over complicate training. Get strong at the basics and the muscle will come!

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Matt Evans wrote:

Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

Your volume is that typical of someone who thinks that FBW’s will not be enough to stimulate growth. If you went to complete the session you listed to maximal intensity, you’d be tapping out at the 5th or so exercise. Almost certainly NOT performing them 3 times week and recovering. Decrease the amount you’re doing because you are increasing how often you are doing them.

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery!

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15

Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15

Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9

2nd Back Compound 1×15 drop set 1×10+

Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15

Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!

_________________________________________

21yo, 6ft 2, 123kg and gaining

Do you always hit same rep range every session or do you cycle different loads like heavy, moderate and light?

Pretty typical of me to stick to what I wrote down. I believe I am covering a good variety of rep ranges with the loading set and back off. Some back off sets end up as 20 reppers on occasion.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Hi Mate,

I have only been training for 6 years, so not as much as you but I do have more than average experience with FBW’s.

I have done FBW’s since I began training 6 years ago and still do them to this day. People seem to think look at me like I am an alien when I tell them I train FBW, but FBW’s are entirely responsible for the muscle and strength I carry with me today. I have, of course, dabbled with bro splits, PPL and upper/lower a long my training career and yet I am always reverting back to simplicity with FBW’s.

My answer for your question will always be go FBW. No matter how advanced. I think there is something everybody can benefit from with doing FBW’s or at least performing them for a good training block. I train incredibly simplistically for someone who has been training 6 years, with almost always zero fluff work. I know a big fear of people considering FBW’s is that they are not doing enough to grow their arms, side delts or chest if they are not doing curls and pushdowns or endless raises and chest flies. I do no direct arm work nor have I ever consistently done so, yet my arms are 20 inches cold…because I spent so much time getting strong at the basics.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!

Ultimately, I believe whatever training setup you choose, must be the most enjoyable for you. Having fun training is the best thing you can take away from any split.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Hi mate,

I’ve done FBW’s since 15 years old and will never change my views on them. They are the GOAT!

Your volume is that typical of someone who thinks that FBW’s will not be enough to stimulate growth. If you went to complete the session you listed to maximal intensity, you’d be tapping out at the 5th or so exercise. Almost certainly NOT performing them 3 times week and recovering. Decrease the amount you’re doing because you are increasing how often you are doing them.

I still to this day follow a ‘zero fluff routine’. Despite not training arms directly consistently over the past 6 years, my arms are still over 20 inches cold which I know arms lagging is a big concern to people considering FBW’s. But how are they that big if I don’t do curls or pushdowns? I got strong at the basics and mastered recovery!

My typical sessions look something like this, performed 2/3/4 times a week, depending on how I am feeling and my current goals.

Chest Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Back Compound 1×5-9 1×10-15
Second Press Compound (dip, OHP, machine etc) 1×5-9
2nd Back Compound 1×15 drop set 1×10+
Lower Compound (leg press, squat, hack, lunges, RDL’s etc) 1×5-9 2×10-15
Calves 3×15

With the above template it should be easy to customise your own routine. Make sure you have a few rotations to get through to avoid stalling and I would advise having sessions you come in and start on lower body, but whatever is preference. I will always hammer home the simplicity and beauty of FBW’s, 4 days out of the gym every week to recover and 3 opportunities to grow.

Training a muscle 1xp/w = 52 sessions a year
Training a muscle 2xp/w = 104 sessions a year
Training FBW 3xp/w = 156 sessions a year with 209 days recovery!

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Whatever you find more enjoyable. Why not try both? 12 weeks of FT and 12 weeks for JP’s. If you’re making progress, its effective. I will never stop doing FBW’s, have done them since I was 15 and I still make big improvements in strength every week as if I just started doing them. FBWTID.

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Hi mate,

I will preach full body workouts 3 times a week until the day I die.

I have done FBW since I was 15 and have gotten some decently successful results for my age, especially in the strength department. I have tried PPL and bro splits along the way but my golden egg for training will always be FBW. My sessions are calculated and put together in a way to suit my current goal (eg, get big squat numbers, bench or anything) so right now I’m really bench press and deaflift focused shooting for a 220kg bench and a 300+ deadlift for reps. I bench 1st and 3rd session (M/W/F) of the week, I still train my back and legs in these sessions and even the odd isolation if I want too (I typically favour not to waste energy on exercises like curls and raises…just my opinion). My 2nd session of the week is swayed towards increasing my deadlift strength, so I’ll deadlift, hamstring iso and then onto some direct back work. I do not press in the 2nd session as (for me) it takes too much away from my recovery for the 3rd session) I love having 4 days off training every week allowing me to do as I please (although usually spent in the fetal position recovering).

This is something I have never tried, I think because I never started out doing full body that i maybe missed the opportunity to use it. Would you mind typing out a typical session, how you set it up and also reps/sets?

Not a problem.
Workout 1+3 Setup like this adjust to how you want –
Bench 5×5 (I do usually do the loading set principal but recently gone back to 5×5)
Weighted Chins 5×5
Weighted Dips 1×5-9 1×10-15
SL Leg Press 4×20
Calves x 4
(You could add ISO’s. I just choose not too)

Workout 2 for me atm

Deadlift 1×5-9 1×10+
Ham Curl 3×10-12
Chest supported row 3×8-12
Cable row 3×8-12
Reverse pec deck 6×4 muscle round or rest pause whatever you like
Again you could add curls or what not but for me this works well.

Train hard. Eat well. Sleep deep!

Might be something i can try out[/quote]

@mattevansxo

[Matt Evans]

Loving this so far, Dan! Followed you for a few years on insta and find myself every lunchtime at work logging on and having a catchup of all my interested logs…yours being one!

Can very much relate to you with the stress factor (currently working full time, studying, paying bills on low wage until I qualify and wanting to progress 110% in training), really throws everything out for me, variable wise. Sometimes feels almost uncontrollable but as yous said there is an end date so just focus on that and crack on!

Hope the stress minimises soon for you mate and you keep posting as much as you can!

@mattevansxo