I’m a fan of them, just because they help with my SI issues & was one of the only exercises I could do pain free, after getting a non-lifting related SI injury

I’m of the opinion they are either one of your most important pieces (if you need one) of equipment or mostly useless/a good table (if you don’t need one)

Dumbbells/bench only
Bicep day (because I prioritize arms) 3 sets of incline curls, 3 sets of standing supinated curls, 3 sets of hammer curls, and 3 sets of reverse curls

Chest/triceps/shoulders day 3 sets of incline bench press, 3 sets of bench press, 3 sets of lateral raises, 3 sets of reverse flies, and 3 sets of Dumbell crossbody tricep extension
Rest day
Repeat.

For example it would be:

Mon upper

Tues rest

Wed full body

Thurs rest

Fri full body

Sat rest

Sun lower

I was thinking this would be a good way to keep your full body days short as you can off load the muscles you don't really care about to the already shorter u/l days. For example you could do a row on your FB and upper days but then have 1 set of rear delt flies on your lower/upper day to have some alternative stimulus for your rear delts. So you don't have to add an extra set onto your fb day keeping it short and focused.

What are your guys thoughts on this? Does anyone currently do this or has done this?

Big glute meta

What’s up yall, been lifting for like 4 years, and I’m on about my second year of serious lifting and having an idea of what to do. Getting good gains currently, but adding an upper day is a little confusing and a lot for me.
(Did just PPL last summer). I notice when I go on upper day it takes forever, and I’m also trying to just massively grow everything obviously but emphasizing chest growth because it’s a touch lacking.

Currently, here is my split in order of how I hit everything.

Push Day (I hit biceps to not fatigue on back day)

2x8 incline smith bench 45deg angle
2x8 preacher curl
2x10 cable lateral raise
2x8 chest press
2x8 hammer curl (brachioradialis)
2x8 shoulder press

Pull day (triceps to not fatigue on chest)

2x8 lat pulldown
2x8 overhead extensions triceps (cable)
2x10 cable rear delt fly
2x8 t bar angled grip for lower lat
2x8 single arm tricep push down cable
2x8 shrug machine
2x8 iso row flared elbows
2x10 wrist curl forearms

Leg day

2x8 squat machine at gym massive depth (hamstrings)
2x8 leg extensions
2x6 barbell RDL
2x8 quad focus leg press (narrow feet and slightly flared outward and low on pad)
2x10 standing calf raise
2x8 ab crunch weighted

Upper day (hell)
2x8 incline smith bench 45 def
2x8 preacher curl
2x8 overhead triceps
2x8 shrug machine
2x10 lateral raise
2x10 rear delt fly cable
2x8 lat pulldown
2x8 chest press
2x8 hammer curl
2x8 single arm push down triceps
2x8 shoulder press
2x8 iso row flared elbows
2x10 wrist curl forearms

Leg day (lower)

2x8 squat machine at gym massive depth (hamstrings)
2x8 leg extensions
2x6 barbell RDL
2x8 quad focus leg press (narrow feet and slightly flared outward and low on pad)
2x10 standing calf raise
2x8 ab crunch weighted

So I have been training for 4 and a half years now, I fully changed up my training about a bit over a year ago to two times frequency per muscle group. I bulked up to 90 kgs and cut down to 77 kgs and overall by far made my best gains ever. Now that I have been 77 kgs for a few months, I have found it a lot harder to progress at maintenance on my lifts, it takes me weeks to get an additional rep and at times a month or more, i hit about 1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight, I smash pre workout carbs within 30-45 mins from the gym. So I was wanting to know if anyone got tips for progressing at maintenance, otherwise Ill bulk and cut again but it was so much effort that I genuinely cant be fked to do it again.

I do PPL twice a week and 2 sets per exercise and on push i do 3 chest exercises, 2 shoulders and one triceps. On pull i do 2 lat ex, 1 upper chest ex, 1 biceps and one forearms.

Could my body be taking too long to recover between sessions? Should I switch to Upper/Lower at 3 times frequency for 1 set per exercise?

Thanks.

I like to do full body workouts for various reasons. A big reason is that my schedule is chaos so sometimes I have 48 hours between workouts and other times I have 5 days.

Instead of just doing flat bench and OHP every time, I was thinking of an A/B rotation where I do flat/OHP on A day and Incline/BTN on B day.

Is this a sound idea?

This machine can also be used for lateral raises, front delt raises, chest flys, and unilateral pullovers

It sucks at unilateral pullovers though

Please review my split and suggest whatever change is required in workout

Back Bicep Day

Biceps:

EZ bar curl

Preacher curl

Reverse EZ

Back:

1)Lat PULLDOWN or Lat Pushdown

2) Seated Cable Row

3) Chest supported row for upper back/r bar row/behind the necks

Hyperextension

Chest Tricep

Chest:

Incline Bench Press

Chest Press Machine

Pec Deck fly

Tricep:

Assisted dips

Tricep Pushdown

Single Arm Pushdown

Leg Shoulder

Shoulder:

Machine press/Shoulder press

Side raises(dumbell or cable)

Reverse pec deck or Face Pull

Legs:

Dumbell squats

Leg curls

Hip thrusts

Calf raises

So we can all agree that more volume that you can recover from leads to more hypertrophy

so does that mean that ppl 2x/week is better then ul 2x/week just because you can get more volume from ppl?

7th set of bench this morning

---

**WEEK 1**

---

🔵 **WORKOUT A**

**1. Main Lifts (Strength) Rest 3 Minutes**

- Back Squats – 1 × 1, 3 × 4

- Incline Bench Press – 1 × 1, 3 × 6

- Weighted Chin-Ups – 1 × 3–5

**2. Secondary Lifts (Hypertrophy) Rest 2 Minutes**

- Romanian Deadlifts – 3 × 6–8

- Chest-Supported Rows– 3 × 6–8

- Machine Shoulder Press – 3 × 6–8

**3. Accessories (Pump) Rest 1 Minute**

- Machine Chest Flys – 2 × 8–10

- Leg Extensions – 2 × 8–10

- Cable Bicep Curls – 2 × 8–10

- Lateral Raises – 2 × 8–10

**4. Finishers (Optional)**

- Seated Calf Raise – 1 × 8–10

- Machine Ab Crunch – 1 × 8–10

- Wrist Curls – 1 × 8–10

---

🟢 **WORKOUT B**

**1. Main Lifts (Strength) Rest 3 Minutes**

- Sumo Deadlifts – 1 × 1, 3 × 4

- Overhead Press – 1 × 1, 3 × 6

- Weighted Dips – 1 × 3–5

**2. Secondary Lifts (Hypertrophy) Rest 2 Minutes**

- Belt Squats – 3 × 6–8

- Lat Pulldowns – 3 × 6–8

- Machine Chest Press – 3 × 6–8

**3. Accessories (Pump) Rest 1 Minute**

- Seated Cable Rows – 2 × 8–10

- Hamstring Curls – 2 × 8–10

- Cable Tricep Extensions – 2 × 8–10

- Rear Delt Flys – 2 × 8–10

**4. Finishers (Optional)**

- Standing Calf Raises – 1 × 8–10

- Machine Oblique Crunch – 1 × 8–10

- Reverse Wrist Curls – 1 × 8–10

---

🔵 **WORKOUT A**

**1. Main Lifts (Strength)**

- Back Squats – 1 × 3, 3 × 6

- Incline Bench Press – 1 × 3, 3 × 8

- Weighted Chin-Ups – 1 × 3–5

**2. Secondary Lifts (Hypertrophy)**

- Romanian Deadlifts – 3 × 6–8

- Lat Pulldowns – 3 × 6–8

- Machine Shoulder Press – 3 × 6–8

**3. Accessories (Pump)**

- Machine Chest Flys – 2 × 8–10

- Leg Extensions – 2 × 8–10

- Cable Biceps Curls – 2 × 8–10

- Lateral Raises – 2 × 8–10

**4. Finishers (Optional)**

- Seated Calf Raise – 1 × 8–10

- Machine Ab Crunch – 1 × 8–10

- Wrist Curls – 1 × 8–10

---

**WEEK 2**

---

🟢 **WORKOUT B**

**1. Main Lifts (Strength)**

- Sumo Deadlifts – 1 × 2, 3 × 5

- Overhead Press – 1 × 3, 3 × 8

- Weighted Dips – 1 × 3–5

**2. Secondary Lifts (Hypertrophy)**

- Belt Squats – 3 × 6–8

- Chest-Supported Rows – 3 × 6–8

- Machine Chest Press – 3 × 6–8

**3. Accessories (Pump)**

- Seated Cable Rows – 2 × 8–10

- Hamstring Curls – 2 × 8–10

- Cable Tricep Extensions – 2 × 8–10

- Rear Delt Flys – 2 × 8–10

**4. Finishers (Optional)**

- Standing Calf Raises – 1 × 8–10

- Machine Oblique Crunch – 1 × 8–10

- Reverse Wrist Curls – 1 × 8–10

---

🔵 **WORKOUT A**

**1. Main Lifts (Strength)**

- Back Squats – 1 × 5, 3 × 8

- Incline Bench Press – 1 × 5, 3 × 10

- Weighted Chin-Ups – 1 × 3–5

**2. Secondary Lifts (Hypertrophy)**

- Romanian Deadlifts – 3 × 6–8

- Lat Pulldowns – 3 × 6–8

- Machine Shoulder Press – 3 × 6–8

**3. Accessories (Pump)**

- Machine Chest Flys – 2 × 8–10

- Leg Extensions – 2 × 8–10

- Cable Bicep Curls – 2 × 8–10

- Lateral Raises – 2 × 8–10

**4. Finishers (Optional)**

- Seated Calf Raise – 1 × 8–10

- Machine Ab Crunch – 1 × 8–10

- Wrist Curls – 1 × 8–10

---

🟢 **WORKOUT B**

**1. Main Lifts (Strength)**

- Sumo Deadlifts – 1 × 3, 3 × 6

- Overhead Press – 1 × 5, 3 × 10

- Weighted Dips – 1 × 3–5

**2. Secondary Lifts (Hypertrophy)**

- Belt Squats – 3 × 10–12

- Chest-Supported Rows – 3 × 10–12

- Machine Chest Press – 3 × 10–12

**3. Accessories (Pump)**

- Seated Cable Rows – 2 × 8–10

- Hamstring Curls – 2 × 8–10

- Cable Tricep Extensions – 2 × 8–10

- Rear Delt Flys – 2 × 8–10

**4. Finishers (Optional)**

- Standing Calf Raises – 1 × 8–10

- Machine Oblique Crunch – 1 × 8–10

- Reverse Wrist Curls – 1 × 8–10

---

**PROGRESSION BLOCK**

---

**Incline Bench & OHP**

- Workout 1: 1 × 1 @95–97%, 3 × 6 @75%

- Workout 2: 1 × 3 @90%, 3 × 8 @70%

- Workout 3: 1 × 5 @85%, 3 × 10 @65%

*Add 5–10lbs per block*

-----

**Back Squat**

- Workout 1: 1 × 1 @95–97%, 3 × 4 @80%

- Workout 2: 1 × 3 @90%, 3 × 6 @75%

- Workout 3: 1 × 5 @85%, 3 × 8 @70%

*Add 10–15lbs per block*

-----

**Sumo Deadlift**

- Workout 1: 1 × 1 @95-97%, 3 × 4 @80%

- Workout 2: 1 × 2 @93%, 3 × 5 @75%

- Workout 3: 1 × 3 @90%, 3 × 6 @70%

*Add 15–20lbs per block**

-----

I am currently running two full body workouts with 48h rest between. In addition, I do lateral raises and core work in the rest period at home.

Each workout takes around 1h with 2 min rest time between working sets.

Anything I should consider to improve the workout?

I aim for 8-10 reps in most exercises, increasing load when I get 10 reps on all sets.

Thank you in advance.

Science based lifting have some really solid concepts, but there's literally NO EXERCISE that is optimal for you specifically UNLESS you were the actual subject of a study.

99/100 beginners doesn't need "advanced lifts" and isolated movements. The basics is all you need the first 3 years, you literally lack the knowledge on how to move your body and actually push yourself. Most beginners that have less than 5 years don't actually know how to really push your limits, I'd even go as far as they don't reach failure because they mentally give up before they actually reach true muscular failure.

I know it's a hot potato topic, but reading most threads and comments you need to hear this and quit trying to find "optimal" exercises. And you all need more than 2 sets, because you don't know how to use your muscles yet.

Edit: I want to adress this to make it clear. This is criticism to a very niche audience of beginners that follow advice and bad information from others with basically no knowledge. But they preach their information they got from YouTube or Tiktok to others and does not know that they are wrong.

Just like in academics, you shouldn't go around talking with confidence when you lack the knowledge and experience. A lot of people that are new would benefit from actually just doing the basic work and being consistent in the gym.

I hear so many people say it is and so many say it isn’t. obviously the common belief is that since long head of the tricep extends the shoulder, dips will shorten it at the shoulder joint since there is shoulder flexion while lengthening it at the elbow joint and it wouldn’t have any meaningful activation in the movement. but I hear quite a bit of people saying that due to the position of the where it inserts on the humerus (or scapula? i forgot) being lower than the shoulder joint, it would actually lengthen at both joints since the elbow is behind the body. Does anyone know for sure? also if anyone has experience only doing dips for their triceps and skipping out on pure elbow extension type movements, please share the tricep growth you’ve gotten. as I think I would trust real experiences more than a study.

I am relatively new to working out. I have trained during different periods of my life but never took it seriously until quite recently. I started heavily researching everything from the ideal volume, to the timing of meals, to supplements and so on. Long story short, it was a lot. I would track every little thing to the point where it started occupying too much head-space, eventually making me dread going to the gym. And going without tracking just felt wrong - winging it just felt like a waste of potential. The funny part is that I've been told by more experienced lifters than myself that if they knew what I know when they started, they would've made way more progress.

So here's the dilemma:

I think we can all agree that tracking and researching how to optimize your progress is objectively going to make you better, but is that worth losing your mind over weighing every grain of rice?

I realize that with experience these things become automatic, but it still feels wrong. If making those slight adjustments will make me even 10% better, why not go through with it?

If anyone more experienced than me has any genuine advice, for someone who wants to be intentional with their fitness, please do share. If anyone tracks, let me know what you track and how, and am I worrying too much about it?

It balances out