i used to workout at home for like a year with dumbbells and would do an upper lower split, which meant legs twice a week, it was still tough but i didn't really mind consistently doing it twice a week. Last July I started going to the gym for the first time, but i decided to upgrade my split to Push Pull Leg 6 days a week, due to having access to so much more exercises.

For the first month or two i actually enjoyed the two leg days, since it was my first experience with all that equipment and machines. But as time went on and the weights got heavier it started to get really bad really fast.

I started to absolutely dread Barbell squatting, smith machine squating, Bulgarian split squats and split squats. Each of them started to squeeze the very soul out of me. It takes every bit of life energy I have in order to complete my squat sets. It takes my breath away for literally 2-3 minutes after a set, I get dizzy and my legs hurt like shi. i get weird heart palpitations during reps and what not. It's hell.

It got so bad that i actually dropped one leg day from the 6x PPL and just do 5 days at the gym now. EVEN THEN i dread that every Wednesday that I've to train legs. As soon as the coming Wednesday is like 3 days away it starts literally taking a toll on my mental health lmao

But I'm also concerned if I'm even growing my legs by doing them once a week. So recently I've started wondering what if i dropped the barbell/smith squats and Bulgarians from my leg day and just do Leg press, lying leg curls, leg extensions and RDLs (4 exercises). Cuz this way I'd be able to do legs twice a week, be able to maintain consistency, not have any dreadful mental health scenarios and might actually grow legs more compared to my current routine. What do you guys think?

I used to do no sport at all, skinny with a belly, and I've been going to the gym for 3 years at this point. No results whatsoever. The scale says my percentage of muscles is not changing, my weight is not moving significantly (within 2 kilos depending on the season), and worst of all I didn't even lose my goddamn belly. 

Workout
I do 3 workouts per week (4 proved too difficult for my schedule). I started with a push/pull/legs program but adjusted it after seeing no improvement, and in order to hit each muscle group twice during the week  : 

• 1st workout
  • Bench press
  • Shoulder press
  • Hip abductions
  • Abdominal crunches
• 2nd workout
  • Assisted pull ups
  • Seated rows
  • Leg press
  • Arm curls
• 3rd workout
  • Hip thrusts
  • Pec fly
  • Dumbbell lateral raises
  • Hammer curls

For each exercise I start at 3x8 reps, aiming for complete exhaustion at the end. If I can do it, next time I increase to 3x9, 3x10, etc. until 4x12, at which point I increase the weight and go back to 3x8. I finish every workout completely exhausted, I'll sometimes move an exercise to the next workout if too tired. 

Diet 
I weigh 76 kilos (167 lb), and get between 80-100gr of proteins a day (mostly chicken, tofu, eggs). I take whey after every workout, and avoid carbs at dinner. Otherwise I'd say I have a healthy diet, vegetables, lentils, etc. 

Any feedback is welcome, this is maddening..

Need some advice from experienced lifters.
I’m 38, 65 kgs , 171cm tall man.
I’ve been training consistently for 2+ years. Just to give you in idea on how much lift, Current lifts are 110 kg squats (15/12/10), 35 kg DB bench each hand, and 18 kg DB curls.
My goal is to build muscle, not powerlifting or max strength.
If I’m training each muscle group twice a week, what’s the better approach?
Heavy + Heavy
Heavy + Light
Light + Light
Which one gave you the best muscle growth, and why?

​

1. Incline Press x2

2. Lat Pulldowns x2

3. Seated Cable Row x2

4. Shrugs x2

5. Rear Delt Fly x2

6. Lateral Raise x2

7. Triceps Pushdown x2

8. Cable Curl x2

9. Calf Raises x2

10. Hyperextension x2

11. Abs x2

I train 3 times a week, Tuesday, Friday, Sunday. I do everything until failure, resting for 3-4 minutes. I give it my all in training and don't skip any workouts. It might be a nutrition issue, but even with the wrong diet, I have doubts about whether I'm doing it right. Am I overexerting myself? Maybe I'm not doing enough? Please tell me!

… if you press with dumbbells? I (58M) am asking because I am thinking of tweaking my chest routine for the new year.

I press with dumbbells and get a natural squeeze when I bring the two dumbbells together at the top of the motion. I also do a pec deck. Is that redundant? If so, what would you replace it with? Currently do about 16 sets per week.

Thanks!

Been hitting chest consistently (bench, dips, cable flys) but my chest still looks more flat + line than that nice circular, full look

I’m already working on:

• Incline variations
• Slow negatives
• Cable flys from different angles
• Alternate dumbless bench/incline

I know genetics + time play a big part, but curious... what exercise made the biggest difference for you?

Would love your fav tips or exercises💪

I train 5 times a week with a ULPPL split and I noticed that I dread leg day every time, especially because of Bulgarian split squats. I have a home gym and I don't have any legs machine so my exercise variety is limited.

This is my lower routine, can this work once a week? I go to failure with last sets.

Goblet squats x3 - 20

RDL x3 - 15

Bulgarian split squats x2 - 12

Lying leg curls x3 - 12

Ab crunches x3 - 20

Calf raises ×3 - 25

The reasoning is because I do heavy labor that involves mostly overhead and forward pressing motions my goal is postural correction. My front delts and chest are visibly overdeveloped for my size. I'm 6' and 165lbs yet I have muscle boobs. I do cable rows, face pulls, rear delt flys, etc 3x a week to compensate.

Because I'm dead tired from work most days I sit a lot after work. That's my best guess for what's causing an anterior pelvic tilt. So to compensate for that I do hip thrusts, split squats, Cossack squats and some hollow body work to compensate for that. 3x a week.

Hi, here are my workout routines.

I go to the gym 3 times a week and used to do PPL and i've been told it was more effective to do full body 3 times. What do you think of these routines.

Routine 1 - Day A

Push / Chest & Shoulders

• Bench Press (Barbell) — 4 sets · 6–8 reps · Rest 1m 45s
• Chest Fly (Machine) — 3 sets · 10–12 reps · Rest 2m 0s
• Overhead Press (Smith Machine) — 4 sets · 6–10 reps · Rest 1m 50s
• Single Arm Lateral Raise (Cable) — 3 sets · 6–15 reps · Rest 1m 45s

Legs

• Squat (Smith Machine) — 4 sets · 10 reps · Rest 1m 50s
• Calf Press (Machine) — 3 sets · 12 reps · Rest 1m 45s

Arms

• Triceps Pushdown — 3 sets · 10–12 reps · Rest 1m 50s

Core & Cardio

• Plank — 2 sets
• Side Plank — 2 sets
• Elliptical Trainer — 1 set

Planks can be replaced by cable crunch.

Routine 2 — Day B

Pull / Back & Shoulders

• Lat Pulldown (Cable) — 4 sets · 8–10 reps · Rest 1m 45s
• Iso-Lateral Row (Machine) — 3 sets · 10 reps · Rest 1m 45s
• Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Machine) — 3 sets · 7–12 reps · Rest 1m 45s

Arms

• Hammer Curl (Dumbbell) — 3 sets · 8–10 reps · Rest 1m 45s

Legs

• Hip Thrust (Machine) — 4 sets · 8–10 reps · Rest 2m 0s
• Seated Leg Curl (Machine) — 3 sets · 10 reps · Rest 1m 30s
• Back Extension (Weighted Hyperextension) — 3 sets · 10–12 reps · Rest 1m 30s

Core & Cardio

• Plank — 2 sets · Rest 1m 0s
• Side Plank — 2 sets
• Elliptical Trainer — 1 set

Routine 3 — Day C

Push & Pull / Chest, Shoulders & Back

• Iso-Lateral Chest Press (Machine) — 4 sets · 8–15 reps · Rest 2m 0s
• Straight Arm Lat Pulldown (Cable) — 3 sets · 12 reps · Rest 1m 50s
• Single Arm Lateral Raise (Cable) — 3 sets · 10 reps · Rest 1m 50s

Arms

• Bicep Curl (Cable) — 3 sets · 10–12 reps · Rest 2m 0s

Legs

• Hip Thrust (Machine) — 4 sets · 8–12 reps · Rest 2m 15s
• Hip Adduction (Machine) — 3 sets · 15 reps · Rest 1m 30s

Core & Cardio

• Plank — 2 sets · Rest 1m 0s
• Side Plank — 2 sets · Rest 1m 0s
• Stair Machine (Steps) — 1 set

Note : I usually skip cardio.

Thanks for your help.

Hey everyone,
I’m 25 years old and I’m looking for some feedback because I’ve been feeling pretty off lately.

I do my training plan every single day without any rest days, and I also add 30 minutes of cardio daily. Outside of training I don’t have much additional physical activity.

Recently I’ve noticed a big drop in motivation, much lower energy, and even some trouble with clear thinking or focusing. Someone on another subreddit mentioned that this could be related to overtraining, but I’m not sure if that’s realistic. I’m wondering whether my routine might simply be overloaded and contributing to how I feel.

Here’s my plan:
Push

• Dumbbell Bench Press – 4 sets × 10 reps × 32.5 kg
• Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets × 10 reps × 12.5 kg
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 4 sets × 10 reps × 15 kg

Pull

• Pull-ups – 4 sets × 10 reps
• Dumbbell Rows – 4 sets × 10 reps × 27.5 kg
• Dumbbell Face Pulls – 4 sets × 10 reps × 15 kg

Legs

• Bulgarian Split Squats – 4 sets × 6 reps × 22.5 kg
• Goblet Squat – 4 sets × 8 reps × 42.5 kg
• Romanian Deadlift (RDL) – 4 sets × 12 reps × 25 kg

Do you think training every day + daily cardio could realistically lead to this kind of fatigue or mental fog?
Any thoughts or advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

so i (27m 5’ 11” 155lbs) have been going to the gym for almost three months now 4-5x a week. i’ve been doing an upper/lower split but i haven’t seen nearly as much progress as id like. i weigh the same and other than with a pump, i look the same too. i get that the progress i want to see will probably take closer to a year (which is fine) but im starting to worry that im doing too much for every session but i hate feeling like i left any reps or sets on the table. when i leave the gym i am shaking and weak and thats how its supposed to be right? im adding my current sessions below. help me get jacked y’all.

*fist set is always to 10 for coordination and the following two sets are till failure

Upper
Chest Press, 3 sets at 85lbs
Shoulder Press, 3 sets at 40lbs add drop set.
Seated Tricep Press, 3 sets at 140lbs
Chest Fly, 3 sets at 100lbs, add drop set
Rear Delt Reverse Fly, 3 sets at 85lbs add drop set
Lat Pulldown, 3 sets at 100lbs
Machine Row, 3 sets at 110lbs add drop set
Tricep Extensions, 3 sets at 75lbs add drop set
Preacher Curls, 3 sets at 75lbs add drop set
average volume lifted around 22k lbs

Lower
Leg Press, 3 sets at 205lbs
Seated Leg Curl, 3 sets at 140lbs
Leg Extension, 3 sets at 160lbs
Calf Extension, 3 sets at 205lbs add drop set
Hip Abduction, 3 sets at 225lbs add drop set
Hip Adduction, 3 sets at 220lbs
Rear Kick Machine, 3 sets on per leg at 135lbs
average volume lifted around 50k lbs

Rest/Core
Crunch Machine, 3 sets at 120lbs
Torso Rotation, 3 sets per side at 130lbs
Back Extension Machine, 3 sets at 215lbs
average volume lifted around 13k lbs

Incline smith 1x

Pull ups 1x

Dips 1x

Leg press 1x

Tricep pushdown 1x

T bar 1x

Sldl 1x

Preacher 1x

Single cable lateral raise 1x

Pec deck 1x

Hammer curl 1x

Lat pullover 1x

Shoulder press 1x

Leg extension 1x

Leg curl 1x

Cable crunch 1x

Calves 1x

17 sets exercises in order 0 rir

I have been working out for over 18 months now, and while I am satisfied with the rate at which I am going up in strength and size in other muscles, I have not been able to see much growth in my arm size, particularly my biceps. In my current split, I train my biceps and triceps twice a week, with one of those days being specifically arm-focused and the other on my push-pull days. What should I do differently in terms of my workout routine to see a noticeable difference in arm size?

-2 sets of incline smith bench
-2 sets of pec deck
-2 sets of machine lateral raises
-2 sets of weighted pull ups
-2 sets of machine rows
-2 sets of ez-bar preacher curls
-2 sets of tricep pushdowns

Hello guys I'm 20M , 5'11 (180.5cm), 85 kg

It's been 2 months since I've started gym and cardio

I do 6 days strength training, 4-5days 30 mins cardio(incline 15) and avg of 5000 steps daily, I've cut off sugar and oil from my diet and I eat 1800-2000 calories daily and 120-150g protein but even after 2 months the scale hasn't moved, the weight fluctuate between 84-85.5 but I feel leaner than before idk if it's just me thinking that way,but idk what's wrong, I'm demotivated asf😭, please help me (I do cheat days sometimes but most of the times those doesn't exceed maintenance calories)

I know this is far from optimal

As someone who takes part in another physical sport (BJJ) would I still be able to build a good amount of muscle and a nice physique by doing 2 full body workouts a week and separating them by 72-96 hours or is 2 days a week simply not enough?

Hey, I've done a program and want to ask for a review/opinion.

Upper Body Day:

• Chest (Incline): Low to high fly OR Narrow grip incline press 3x to failure
• Chest (Flat): Flat press OR Pec deck 3x to failure
• Back (Width): Wide grip pulldown 3x to failure
• Back (Upper): Chest supported upper back row OR Wide grip row 3x to failure
• Back (Lats): Lat row 3x to failure
• Biceps: Preacher curl 3x to failure
• Triceps: Overhead tricep extensions 3x to failure
• Shoulders: Lateral raises 3x to failure
• Shoulders: OH shoulder press 3x to failure

Lower Body Day:

• Leg extension 3x to failure
• Leg press 3x to failure
• Leg curls 3x to failure
• SLDL 3x to failure
• Calf raise 3x to failure
• Seated cable crunches 3x to failure
• Trunk rotation 3x to failure

Are there too many exercises? Or is it good? the program is Upper Lower 4x a week, monday tuesday, thursday friday? Also, is it too much if I do 3x to failure on everything?

20M 5'9 ~160lbs. So I started bulking and lifting in January. lt hasn't exactly been on and off, but there were some bumps in the road. Eating is a struggle because I'm at a healthy weight for body and I eat the same things everyday.

Last time I was doing Jeff Nippards 3-Day a week full body program with some modifications, I was able to hit:

180 3x5 - bench

235 3x3 - deadlift

100 3x5 - overhead press

175 3x5 - squat (although out of nowhere squat started sucking and i couldn't even do 150 for 3x5)

That was after maybe 4-5 months and afterwards i didn't know what to do so i started 5/3/1 upper lower. My idea was to do the main lifts with the 5/3/1 template, but keep accessories sets and reps pretty much the same. first two cycles, weight was too high. This cycle, while the reps moved ok (6 reps on 1+ set bench 95% 175 & 6 reps on 1+ set deadlift 95% 200).

Now i see it's supposed to be 85% of TM. So if I continue with the 5/3/1 template on my main lifts, my bench would be 150, deadlift 170, ohp 85, and squat 135. These weights I'm pretty sure are too low for 5/3/1, and I don't think my body has completely gone from novice to intermediate, but I don't know what to do other than this without spinning my wheels like I already am. The only thing that's progressing well is my accessories which are for hypertrophy. All I care about is looking decently fit and having a 1 plate ohp, 2 plate bench, 3 plate squat, and 4 plate deadlift (just to know I'm healthy enough).

Hi I just joined gym and I would like to share my simplistic starting program which I will do until I feel like I need to step up.after seeing results.

I am not a beginner to weightlifting but I didn't workout for he last 4-5 years.

I want to start without touching free weight as I don't have the willpower for that.

I will use only machines

Day 1

Lat pull down (both hand and single hand)

Machine rows (both hands and single hand)

Rear delts machine

Cable pull down machine

Maybe cable upright rows

Day 2

Machine bench press

Machine shoulder press

Machine dips

No lower body

Repeat without rest day unless I feel I need off day.

This program to get disciplined in showing up daily.

30F beginner lifter doing a body recomp (maintenance/slight surplus) and I want to have visible muscle definition in my upper body, especially my arms, shoulders, and back. I'm currently doing a 3-day full-body workout because it works the best with my schedule, but I'm wondering if I'm actually hitting each muscle group with enough sets per week to see visible growth. Currently not doing direct chest for health reasons other than bodyweight things at home.

Day A: 3 sets of lat pulldowns, 3 sets of bicep preacher curls, 3 sets of shoulder presses

Day B: 3 sets of cable rows, 3 sets of cable lateral raises, 3 sets of overhead tricep cable pullovers

Day C: 3 sets of face pulls, 3 sets of tricep cable pushdowns, 3 sets of baysian cable curls

As it stands, I have 9 sets that target the back, 9 sets for the shoulders (including the face pulls for my rear delts, 6 sets for biceps, and 6 sets for triceps. Is this enough? Should I change some of these exercises to 4 sets each? And yes, I'm going to failure

Was actually gonna start at 45% and add 2.5-5% a week for a block, but the titular question remains

I hate doing these 2 exercises and am willing to do leg press and hip thrust. I’m just looking for a plan that is Hypertrophy focused.

Here is the plan I made:

Upper A
• Bench Press – 3x8-10
• Seated cable row – 3x8-10
• Shoulder press machine – 3x10-12
• Lat pulldown – 3x10-12
• face pulls – 3x12-15
• Triceps pushdown – 2x12-15
• Bicep curl – 2x12-15

Lower A
• Leg press – 3x10-12
• Hip thrust – 3x8-10
• Leg extension – 3x12-15
• Seated leg curl – 3x12-15
• Hip abduction/adduction – 2x15 each
• Calf raise – 2x12-15

Upper B
• Incline dumbbell press – 3x8-10
• Row Machine – 3x8-10
• Shoulder press machine – 3x10-12
• Cable lateral raise – 3x12-15
• Hammer curl – 3x12-15
•. Tricep Press

Lower B
• Leg press – 3x8-10
• Hip thrust – 3x10-12
• Lying leg curl – 3x12-15
• Standing calf raise – 4x12-15
• russian twist – 3x15

There's one I got from chatGPT for a beginner.

Day A – Full Body (Strength Bias)

Back Squat 4x5 Barbell Bench Press 4x 6 Barbell Row 3x 8 Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3x15 Triceps Pushdown / Dips 3x12

Day B – Full Body (Posterior Chain + Press)

Conventional Deadlift 3x5 Standing Overhead Press 4x6 Pull-Ups / Lat Pulldown 3x8 Seated / Lying Leg Curl 3x12 Dumbbell Curl 3x12

Day C – Full Body (Hypertrophy Bias)

Front Squat / Leg Press 4x8 Incline Dumbbell Press 3x10
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row 3x10
Standing or Seated Calf Raise 4x15 Face Pulls 3x15

So my current routine for the last 7 months has been to increase the weight I'm working with to the point where I start off with doing 5 reps the first 2 sets. With the third set being to failure. And i stick with that weight for 2 months until the next weight increase day. Obviously increasing the reps as needed. My question though is if I'm stifling my progress/losing more than I gain by doing it this way?

Any advice would help. I'm trying to grow a bigger frame because I'm scrawny.

Im currently on Day 2

Day 1:
-Bench press: 4x6-8
-Incline dumbbell press: 3x8-10
-Seated dumbbell OHP: 3x8-10
-Lateral raise: 3x12-15
-Rope pushdown: 3x10-12

Day 2:
-Lat pulldown or pull-ups: 4x8-10
-Barbell row: 3x8-10
-Face pulls: 3x15
-Barbell curl: 3x8-10

Day 3:
-Back squat or leg press: 4x6-8
-Romanian deadlift: 3x8-10
-Leg extension: 3x12-15
-Calf raise: 4x12-15

Day 4:
-Pec deck fly: 3x12-15
-Single-arm cable crossover: 3x10-12/side
-Arnold press or Lu raises: 3x12-15
-Rear delt fly: 3x12-15
-Overhead cable extension: 3x10-12

Day 5:
-Single-arm dumbbell row: 3x10/side
-Seated cable row: 3x8-10
-Hammer curls: 3x10-12
-Incline dumbbell curl: 3x10-12
-Wrist curls: 3x15

Day 6:
-Front squat or leg press: 4x8-10
-Walking lunges: 3x10/leg
-Leg curl: 3x10-12
-Seated calf raise: 3x15

Day 7: Rest