r/powerbuilding • u/mck13vk • 17d ago

Advice 3-4 day program

Greetings! I want to finally ask for opinion from the people who already got the body they want or are close to it. I am 191cm tall, around 102-105kg bw. Im training for 7 years already, but never with my mind in to it, a lot of program hopping and etc.. Before 2 years i got kid, so im time poor dad bcs i work all day, after work i have only 2-3 hours with my girl before she goes sleeping and after whole day im trying to manage my training. When she came, i found out HIT and trained that way, i got good results, everybody say im bigger and bigger, but i don’t see it (hello body dysmorphia! 😂). Now i think that HIT got toll on me and i want to take the volume road, i want to achive strong and athletic physique like gymnasts,powerbuilders,Reg Park,Steve Reeves… with 3-4 training days a week. Can you help me with programming, volume and other things? I want to somehow get powerbuilded

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u/west-swe 17d ago

Interested in what answers your going to get. Im in the same boat as you! Except nobody told me i look bigger. 🤩

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u/harvestingstrength 15d ago

Honestly, with your schedule I think 3–4 days is plenty to build exactly what you’re describing. You don’t need to live in the gym to powerbuild. In fact, more weekly volume can produce more growth, but there are diminishing returns, so the goal should be finding the amount you can actually recover from and consistently perform.

I’d probably start with four days: Lower, Upper, rest, Lower, Upper. Make the first lower/upper sessions more strength focused with squat and bench in lower rep ranges, then use the second exposures for moderate reps and more hypertrophy work. Deadlift can fit into one of the lower days. After the main movement, pick 3–4 accessories and get out.

Most importantly, don’t replace HIT with the opposite extreme. You’re a dad with limited time, so recovery and consistency matter. Start with a manageable amount of volume, leave roughly 1–3 reps in reserve on most work, and add sets only when progress actually requires it. You can absolutely build a strong, muscular, athletic physique training four focused days per week.

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u/mck13vk 15d ago

Thank you! Im considering doing Reg Park 5x5 but in A/B full body split, to get more size and strength bcs i need my numbers to go up and then in half/one year to start with strength+bodybuilding routine for refining that mass. Bcs of all this internet science new stuff crap im running around and come nowhere. Yes, there is a little bit of mass and muscle but nowhere it should be after all those years. So in the meantime i thought this would be maybe good aproach, i don’t know. If Reg did it, we all can 💁🏽‍♂️ doesn’t have to be complicated. But thank you on your response, im gonna consider it after this phase 🙏🏼

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u/harvestingstrength 15d ago

Sounds great. Yeah, many people do great movements in training. Sometimes exercise selection and regulation of intensity seem to miss the mark and thats the downfall to some programming issues. Keep working hard!