If your weekly workout plan still looks like “chest on Monday, legs on Wednesday, back on Friday,” it might be time to shake things up—especially if your goal is to lose fat. While split-body routines have been the go-to for muscle gain for years, new research suggests a full-body approach could be more effective when it comes to shedding body fat.
The Study That’s Challenging Tradition
A recent study out of Brazil, published in the European Journal of Sport Science, compared split and full-body resistance training programs—and the results might just make you rethink your whole schedule.
Researchers wanted to find out which approach—training all your muscles in one session or breaking them up by day—would be more effective for reducing fat mass. They also tracked levels of muscle soreness (DOMS) to see how each routine affected daily movement, which plays a big role in how many calories we burn outside the gym.
Here’s What They Did:
- They recruited 23 experienced lifters.
- Half followed a full-body routine, training all major muscle groups each workout.
- The other half followed a traditional split-body plan, focusing on one or two muscle groups per day.
- Both groups trained 5 days per week for 8 weeks, with matched training volume (75 sets/week at 70–80% of 1RM).
- Fat mass was measured before and after using DXA scans.
- Diet was kept consistent and standardized with post-workout whey shakes. Muscle soreness was also recorded at weeks 1, 4, and 8.
The Results? Full-Body Workouts Came Out on Top
The full-body group lost significantly more fat across the board—in total body fat, arms, legs, and even hips and thighs. There was also a noticeable trend toward greater abdominal fat loss compared to the split routine group.
But here’s what’s even more interesting: those in the full-body group also reported far less soreness. In fact, their lower body DOMS was up to 7.5 times lower. That means they were likely more comfortable—and more mobile—throughout the day.
Why Does This Matter?
Because when you're sore and stiff after leg day, chances are you’re not going to be very active outside the gym. Less movement = fewer calories burned throughout the day. This spontaneous activity, known as NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), actually makes up a big portion of your daily calorie burn.
So if your training makes you too sore to move, it might be working against your fat loss goals.
But, Wait—There’s a Catch
Before you abandon your beloved split routine, it’s worth noting a few limitations of the study:
- The sample size was small—just 23 participants—so it’s not definitive for everyone.
- They didn’t directly track daily calorie burn, so we can’t say for sure how DOMS affected movement.
- Technically, the full-body group had more warm-up sets, which might’ve bumped up their training volume slightly.
- Diet tracking relied on self-reports, which are notoriously inaccurate.
And of course, the cornerstone of fat loss is a calorie deficit. Whether that comes from diet, movement, or ideally both, the key is consistency and adherence. If split training works for you and you’re making progress, then keep going. The best routine is always the one you can stick with long-term.
The Real Takeaway
The standout insight from this study is about soreness. If your training leaves you wiped out and too stiff to move, your fat loss might stall. A full-body training plan can distribute the workload more evenly, reduce soreness, and help you stay active throughout the week—not just during your workouts.
So, if you're looking to lean out while preserving strength, it might be time to give full-body training another look. You’ll train smarter, stay more mobile, and keep your metabolism humming—one balanced workout at a time.