Home
Articles
Train with Jim
Full-Body Shortcut to Size Program Overview

Full-Body Shortcut to Size Program Overview

This 4-week Full-Split program adds a new degree of fat-burning – via full-body training – to the classic Shortcut to Size template.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated August 30, 2024

Full-Body Shortcut to Size Program Snapshot

Length: 4 weeks
Workouts per Week: 5
Training Split: Full-body split (all major muscle groups trained in each workout); more specifically, this program follows my Full-Split concept, where two "focus" muscle groups per workout are performed with higher volume.
Equipment: Commercial gym or well-equipped home gym.
Featured Techniques: Like the original Shortcut to Size, this program follows a classic (linear) periodization scheme where the weight increases and rep counts decrease each week. You'll be doing predominantly straight sets throughout the four weeks, with added intensity on the last set of all exercises via rest-pauses (Weeks 1 and 2) and drop sets (Weeks 3 and 4).
Rep Ranges: Week 1 – 12-15 reps per set for all exercises; Week 2 – 9-11 reps; Week 3 – 6-8 reps; Week 4 – 3-5 reps.
Rest Periods: 2-3 minutes between sets to maximize strength and size; 1 minute between sets to maximize fat loss. Supersets can also be utilized to make the workouts go quicker and further enhance fat loss.
Cardio: Optional; cardioacceleration between sets, or HIIT cardio at the end of the workout.
Meal Plan: Muscle-Building Rules or Shortcut to Size Diet to maximize mass-gaining; Dieting 101 or Intermittent Fasting to maximize fat loss.
Summary: This is the Full-Split version of my classic Shortcut to Size program. All muscle groups are trained in every workout to maximize fat-burning; however, two muscle groups in each workout are trained with anywhere from 2-5 exercises to mimic a traditional bodybuilding-style training split and promote muscle growth (all non-focus muscle groups get only one exercise per). The hallmark of this program is the classic linear periodization scheme, where you'll go heavier each week to build lean size and strength. Bottom line: Full-Body Shortcut to Size offers all the muscle-building benefits of the original plus additional fat loss due to the full-body (Full-Split) concept.
Note: If you’re a beginner or just getting back to the gym after an extended time away (months or years), this program will likely be too intense/advanced for you. If you’re a beginner, consider my Beginner to Advanced Program before taking on Full-Body Shortcut to Size.

Literally millions of people have completed my Shortcut To Size program and gained significant amounts of lean muscle mass while getting stronger and even leaner.

Now, I’m taking the S2S template and turning it into a 5-days-a-week program to promote even greater fat-burning, while taking nothing away in terms of building muscle size and strength.

It’s still Shortcut to Size – just with the added element of full-body training to help take your get-lean efforts to the next level.

S2S Split Differences

While my original body part-split version of Shortcut to Size trains each muscle group once a week via four workouts, my full-body version, as the name implies, hits each major muscle group five times weekly – every body part trained in every workout, five times a week.

That said, within the full-body scheme, certain muscle groups will receive greater focus over others in each workout. To be more specific, each training session will include a “focus” on two body parts, where you’ll do 2-5 exercises for each of the two muscle groups (four or five exercises for large body parts, 2-3 for smaller ones); all other muscle groups in the workout will get only one exercise per. This follows my Stoppani Full-Split (SFS) system of program design.

Here’s how the muscle group focuses will go day-to-day in all four weeks of the program: