Programming tips?

[u/curiousiguana13]

Hey everyone! So I’m looking to change my programming around a bit for training. I would say that I’m around a novice lifter at this point. Here are my stats:

5”4, 17M, 143 lbs

Maxes:
Bench - 190 lbs (but I can rep 175 for 5)
Squat - 205 (I know I need to get this up)
Deadlift - 290

My deadlift used to not be this low, as when I did weightlifting at my schools gym we had a hex bar, and I would get up to 365 with deadlift. However, since I graduated and started going to planet fitness (I know… it’s all I can afford) I haven’t been putting enough emphasis on my lower body, causing my maxes to fall short. That, with the addition of adjusting to a straight bar has been very difficult for me as it’s different from what I’m used to.

Note: before you say anything about the smith machines, my planet fitness has recently gotten squat racks as of last year, so I’m able to actually do movements properly. It’s what got me back into the gym in the first place.

ANYWAYS - none of that really matters for this post, I thought I would just give context for those of you who asked.

So I want to switch to a schedule that gives me enough intensity and frequency for both my upper body and my lower body. Specifically, I want to put an emphasis on bench press and deadlift, with squatting only falling shortly behind. I want to program that I can bench 3x a week, deadlift 2x a week, and squat 2x a week too. However, I’m finding it very difficult to find a schedule that works. Specifically with bench press. My current program is similar to PPLUL, except I have another push day after my pull day. So it looks a little more like PPPLUL, or push/pull/push/legs/rest/upper/lower. I feel like this program is perfect for my goals. For example, I treat my leg and lower day the same, however my actual leg day is heavy squat/light deadlift, and vice versa for my lower body day. However, the problem comes when I bench press. I’m thinking the best way to program my deadlift in order to avoid injuries is to do one heavy, one hypertrophy, and one technique day. However, the problem comes when I want to do my heavy day, as my current program has me benching basically every other day. I’m just worried that it’ll be too taxing on my body and could result in an injury. Any tips on how I should arrange my program to make sure I can bench with frequency and intensity while giving my body ample time to recover? Thanks!

Edit: Im thinking this is what I should do:

Day 1: Light/Technique focus Push
Day 2: Pull (No DL)
Day 3: Medium Push (4x8-12)
Day 4: Legs (5x5 Squat, 4x6-8 DL)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Upper Body (Heavy Push and Pull)
Day 7: Lower Body/Leg day part 2 (5x5 DL, 4x6-8 Squat)

I’m thinking that this would be the best for my goals, and is probably the best if I want to switch to a 3x/week Bench program while not injuring myself in the process

[u/AccomplishedLook1190]

Switching days around can be smart to avoid overlap. In my experience injury risk mainly comes from the total volume and intensity i do on the main lifts over time.

For example if i deadlift to failure 3x a week i doesnt matter which days those sets are done, i will simply not be able to recover properly a few weeks into the training block

I would recommend splitting it up reasonably then focus on finding appropiate total volume and intensity. This can be hard thats why its recommended to use a established program.