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Declan Connolly, PhD Responds:
Declan Connolly, PhD, associate professor and director of the University of Vermont Human Performance Laboratory, responds: Most people will benefit more from whole-body workouts rather than focusing on one section—both in terms of maximizing workout time and for overall health benefits. Strength training typically has a localized effect, building only those muscles that are contracting.
The key is to work as many muscles as possible. The old guideline of upper-body work one day followed by lower-body work the next is often advocated to give body parts a rest. But the thinking has changed slightly, based on the way most people tend to exercise. In the real world, people do general workouts every other day, giving the muscles ample time to recover before the next workout. A hint to help engage your whole body: Do as many exercises as you can in a standing position. This will call your core muscles (abs and back) into play, and will even recruit the lower-body muscles while the upper body is working out.
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Declan Connolly
PhD
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