Full body workouts are one of the most efficient training approaches available. Rather than dedicating entire sessions to individual muscle groups, you hit everything in one session — building strength, burning more calories and improving overall fitness faster.
Whether you're new to training, short on time or simply want to maximise every session, a well-designed full body workout is hard to beat.
Why Full Body Workouts Work
Training each muscle group multiple times per week produces better strength and hypertrophy results than most split programmes for most people. Full body sessions also burn more total calories because you're engaging more muscle mass in every workout. And practically speaking, if you can only make it to the gym 2–3 times per week — which is realistic in a busy Dubai schedule — full body training ensures nothing gets neglected.
The GCCO Full Body Gym Workout
This session is designed for the gym and takes approximately 60 minutes. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.
1. Barbell Back Squat — 4 sets x 6 reps
The king of lower body exercises. Set up in a squat rack, bar across your upper back, feet shoulder-width apart. Drive through your heels and keep your chest tall. This is your primary lower body strength movement.
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets x 10 reps
Hinge at the hips with a soft bend in the knees, pushing them back as the dumbbells travel down your legs. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings and drive your hips forward to return to standing. Essential for posterior chain development.
3. Flat Dumbbell Press — 4 sets x 8 reps
Lie flat on a bench, dumbbells at chest height, press to full extension. Control the descent. Your primary upper body push movement.
4. Cable Row or Seated Row — 4 sets x 10 reps
Drive your elbows back, squeeze your shoulder blades at the top of the movement. Balances the pressing work and builds a strong back — crucial for posture and long-term training health.
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 sets x 12 reps
Control the weight on the way up and down. Shoulder isolation that builds the width and definition most people are training for.
6. Walking Lunges — 3 sets x 12 each leg
Carrying dumbbells or bodyweight, step forward into a deep lunge alternating legs. Great for quad, glute and hip flexor development with a cardiovascular element.
7. Plank — 3 sets x 60 seconds
Core work at the end of every session. Shoulders over wrists, hips level, breathe steadily. The foundation of injury-free training.
Progression: How to Get Stronger Every Week
The principle is simple — progressive overload. Add weight, add reps or reduce rest time week on week. Track your sessions, even just in your phone's notes app. You can't manage what you don't measure.
What to Wear for a Full Body Session
A full body workout demands a full body kit. You need shorts or leggings that allow deep squats and lunges, a tee or top that doesn't restrict your pressing and rowing movements, and footwear with a flat sole for stability under load.
For women, the GCCO Core Leggings are fully squat-proof and paired with a Core Sports Bra make the ideal full body session combination. For men, Repetition Shorts with a Flow Tee or Stringer covers every movement pattern in comfort and style.
Shop the full GCCO range at gymclothingco.com. Free delivery across UAE on orders over 200 AED.