Full body vs body part split: why we use full body training at Principal Athletic

If you’ve spent any time strength training, you’ve probably come across a common question: full body sessions vs split training or upper/lower vs. push/pull/legs?

Split training can be a great way to train for many, but at Principal Athletic, our Principal Hypertrophy Training (PHT) programme is built around full body training.

Why? The answer comes down to one thing: helping our members make consistent progress, regardless of how many sessions they train each week.

Why full body works for our members

Our members don’t all train the same way.

Some solely come for PHT and complete 4 sessions every week.

Some mix and match PHT with Athletic & fitness clssses.

Some can train 4 times one week and only 2x the next because of work, family or life getting in the way.

Our programming has to work for all of them.

With full body training, if you can make 3 sessions that week, you’re still training all the major movement patterns and building strength consistently. Even if you only manage 2 sessions, you aren’t missing an entire area of training because you couldn’t make a specific day. Check out our previous blog on making progress in 3 days or less.

For most people, consistency over months is far more important than completing the “perfect” training week.

That’s one of the biggest reasons we chose a full body approach.

Built to work alongside our other programmes

Many of our members don’t just do PHT.

A typical training week might include PHT alongside Athletic and Fitness sessions.

Because Athletic already includes strength development, movement skills and conditioning, a traditional body part split would make it much harder to manage fatigue and maintain performance across the week.

Instead, our programmes are designed to work together.

PHT builds the strength foundation.

Athletic develops strength, skills and conditioning.

Fitness improves your engine and work capacity.

Together, they create a complete training system rather than separate classes competing for recovery.

Built around your schedule

Although PHT is coached as a group class, members don’t have to attend on the same day every week to keep progressing.

For example, if you normally train on Mondays but can only make Tuesday one week, you don’t lose your place in the programme.

You simply continue with your next planned session while still receiving coaching and being part of the class.

That means your progress isn’t dictated by your diary.

It fits around it.

Some sessions naturally work through the workout together as a group, particularly quieter classes. Either way, you’ll always have a coach there on hand to help with technique and help you get the most from your training.

Is full body better than split training?

Not necessarily.

Both approaches can be highly effective when they’re programmed well.

The question isn’t which one is universally better.

It’s which one is better for the people doing it.

For the members at Principal Athletic - people balancing work, family and busy lives, while combining strength training with strength and conditioning - full body training gives the flexibility, consistency and progression needed to keep improving over the long term.

Strength Training at Principal Athletic

If you’re looking for a strength training gym in Colwick or Nottingham, our Principal Hypertrophy Training programme offers something different.

You’ll follow a structured strength programme written in-house by our head coach, train in a supportive group environment and benefit from progressive programming that’s designed to fit around real life - not the other way around.

Fancy joining us? Take a look at our schedule and book in for a session - your first class is free.