Excellent post OT! Which split (if any) do think gave you the best results? You're right about full body's. That's a brutal routine but effective routine.
I can't really say with any accuracy. I will tell you what I mean. The best I ever was on Mentzer's split with Frank Calta's rotation for recuperation. Was it the best routine or was being in my early 20's the reason? If I could make a generalization it would be the below.
Monday: Chest and arms
Wednesday: legs
Friday: Back and delts.
Some cardio on days off. I used around 6 to 8 sets a body part that doesn't include a warm up if needed. Typical chest day back in the day was below.
Bench 2 x 6 then 1 x 1
Incline 2 x 6
flies 2 x 10
dips 2 x 10
Even though I love to train with weights I would never call myself a bodybuilder. In my mind that's guys that using syringes and pills. I just train as a life style. Always been slight framed but I looked okay back in the day. I put up a picture of myself taken last August 2022 at 64 with zero steroids and zero hormone replacement in the training section. Luckily no one laughed at me, lol.
Getting back to what is really athletic training I would have to say a full body routine done twice to three times a week. The other days can be used for specific sports training like running, jui jitsu or whatever. If lifting is your sports training make sure to include some athletic stuff like power cleans.
With whole body training I like to do six work out cycles. Let's say the primary leg exercise is the squat. If a trainer knows he can do say 2 x 8 reps with 300 as their limit he can back that weight up six times for the cycle. So Monday the first day of the cycle will be 250lbs. It will feel somewhat easy. On Wednesday the weight will be 260lbs. On Friday it will be 270lbs. At no time will you exceed the 8 rep range even if you can. Next week it will be 2 x 8 with 280lbs on Monday. Wednesday it will be 290lbs. Friday will be the predicted limit or exceeding the limit with 300lbs. Rep out that last set of 2 x 8 to exhaustion if you can exceed 8 reps do it. This is just basic training and I remember when some internet site talked of this like it was something new that came down the pike. Nope, it's progressive overload that has been around forever. After that six workout cycle is completed take a couple of days off and start a new one with new exercises or do it again but slightly heavier if you can. The lack of variation of exercises can be solved by changing the exercises every two week cycles. No one can get continually stronger though. If that was the case we would all start our concentration curls with 20lbs and after 15 years of training we would be curling the 150's.
My whole body routine is pretty basic but I change the exercises so I won't go more insane than I already am. Here's what it looked like. The sets written are the work sets. I used a warm up set if necessary.
Power cleans 3 x 3 then 1 x 1 (Each set I went up in weight)
Squats 2 x 8 then 1 x 1
Standing leg curl 2 x 12
Dumbbell bench 2 x 8
Flies 2 x 10
Chins 2 x max at the end of the cycle
Seated cable rows 2 x 12
Military press 2 x 8
Dumbbell delt laterals 2 x 12
Dips for triceps 2 x 10
barbell curls 2 x 10
standing calf 2 x 10
Incline situps 1 x
Incline leg raises 1 x
Neck work.
After this workout I'm devastated, lol.
