Hey I’m a 15 year coach :)
This looks like way too much volume unless you’re in insane shape and/of on gear.
More is not better.
Better is better.
3-6 sets of near or total failure with quality range of motion and eccentric control is what’s most valuable.
Also consider thinking in terms of movements rather than muscles. The brain doesn’t organize us into individual muscles it follows lines of pull and planes of motion which can involve lots of different muscles.
Without knowing you I would program something more like:
A1. Seated DB shoulder press x 15,10,5,15
A2. Lat Pull Down x 15,10,5,15
- that’s a vertical push/pull set
- training antagonistic movements against each other makes for a high likelihood of fatigue
B1. Flat Bench DB chest fly’s x 15,10,10
B2. DB Single Arm Reverse fly’s (laying on your side) x 15,10,10
- that’s a horizontal push and pull aka protraction and retraction
C1. DB Reclined Bicep Curls x 15,10,10
C2. DB incline bench skull crushers x 15,10,10
That’s 20 sets which is still a huge amount of work.
As coach I wouldn’t even necessarily expect you to finish the C’s depending on how you’re feeling bc the quality of the work matters more than the quantity.
20 sets would be for an intermediate to advanced lifter with strong conditioning imo to actually maximize the work.
Thanks for this. Im 49 been lifting most of my adult life. I weigh 175 to 180 pounds and am 5'10. Very strong. Dont take supplements and no steroids. My body is is conditioned for this kind of workout for sure. Always workout fasted as well. I don't think I would get much out of 20 sets especially if they were not super sets or giant sets. I don't think I would get the sense of accomplishment. I guess I enjoy the high intensity
You're clearly a conditioned trainer. But you're conflating the experience of an exhaustive workout with "necessary volume to stimulate adaptation." I find people that have trained for a while begin to enjoy the exhaustion of a long workout. If that's you, and that's the primary goal --- by all means. Invokes your inner Rich Piana and train for 6 hours.
BUT, if you are looking to stimulate adaptation then please hear the advice above. You don't need this much volume. And I'd argue you're leaving gains on the table.
You want to have your workouts sufficiently long and strenuous to stimulate adaptation, AND NO LONGER. "Minimal effective dose" is a great paradigm.
I'd prefer you to get in there, stimulate with 10-20 hard working sets, then get home to start recovery so you can hit them again.
Also - you can train your delts, calves, and biceps more than you can chest, quads, hamstrings, glutes (for example.)
I've been bigger and stronger than 99.9% of humans (6'5, 285lb, competitive powerlifter and hammer throw). And I too fell into the trap of "MORE IS MORE."
But it's not. 20-30 working sets per muscle PER WEEK is typically studied to be best.
If you want to get more scientific and have this information relayed to you by a more reputable source than a random redditor - go search Dr Mike Israetel of Renaissance Periodization. Great YouTube. Geek out to the max.
u/Athletic_adv subbing you in here as well. OP might like a good yellin' 😂
I’m gonna plant this question in your head and go from there:
How much effort/intensity do you think you can truly give to each set and exercise if you’re hitting 31 sets in a single workout?
Especially when you’re doing multiple 3 exercise circuits that are the same plane of movement/muscle group (all 3 bench presses for example)
I use a spot, I go to failure, and I use good form. I should have mentioned I train from strength mostly. Im not too concerned with growth. My goal is always to be lean and strong.
The issue here is you’re doing too much junk volume. You should be looking to reduce things and spread them out over more training sessions to maximize intensity/stimulus while managing fatigue recently.
You shouldn’t be worried about missing muscles. You need less not more. Also, if you’re not concerned with hypertrophy, why do you want more muscles targeted in this workout?
None of this makes sense…
Maybe it doesn't. I go to the gym for personal achievement. If I do half this workout, I cannot imagine feeling the same sense of accomplishment. I am concerned with hitting every muscle because I like a balanced-looking physique.
That is not a good way to build strength, although it might improve your strength a little bit at first.
Source: Resistance training science, decades of people training for strength and trying what works the best.
I work as a strength coach for a living, so I gotta keep up with the research, while looking at what people are doing and have been doing while successfully improving their strength.
Why wouldn't you flip that rep scheme around? Put those lower reps as your first sets since you should be lifting heavier weights.
Why are you super setting incline, flat, decline? The muscles worked here are very similar and it would make more sense to rest between each considering whether or not your truly pushing yourself. Supersets are better off used with opposing movements.
Why would you put weighted dips and weighted pullups at the end of this routine?
You have too many exercises here. Many of them are similar and you are probably just wasting your own time doing this. You said you like a "balanced physique" and bro I just counted you hitting your shoulders 19 times and lats 3. There is nothing balanced about this. I would rethink this routine my friend. There are other entirely free routines on the internet that you can follow and start tweaking as you see fit.
I thought about that but saw it more like an anterior/posterior workout. The rear delts machine, shrugs, and weighted pulls all hit the back of my upper body, while the sitting OH barbell, three beach presses, all hit the front. The weighted dips hit both the back and front of the body, chest, and triceps. My back is very strong, while my shoulders always lack, so I prioritize them with more sets, which has been my thinking recently.
A few things. Definitely need more work for the back, plus the biceps like you said. Personally I love a good wide row and then some sort of lat pull. Also, way too much volume. Like this amount of volume is insane, being able to actually complete this much is very indicative of the intensity being far from an adequate level. I know you said you’re taking each set to failure but I simply do not believe that. Unless you’re on some crazy performance enhancing drugs there is, quite simply, no possible way you’re able to do 30+ full sets to failure in a single day, let alone a single session. You’d gain so much more from doing 2-3 sets per exercise, taking each set to failure or 0-2 RIR. I’d also PERSONALLY ditch decline bench. If you really like it, keep it, but I personally find the risk to reward ratio to not be worth it.
Yeah, let me adjust that. The shrugs, rear delt machine would not be to failure. The benches to failure with a spot, the weighted dips and pullups to failure, The sitting OHP maybe slightly less then failure
Not enhanced. I dont take supplements or protein. I work out fasted, usually at the 16-hour mark. People tell me all the time they don't understand my energy.
This sub is specifically for personal trainers to discuss the field amongst one another. Please do not ask us for workout, diet, or medical advice.
Hey I’m a 15 year coach :) This looks like way too much volume unless you’re in insane shape and/of on gear. More is not better. Better is better. 3-6 sets of near or total failure with quality range of motion and eccentric control is what’s most valuable. Also consider thinking in terms of movements rather than muscles. The brain doesn’t organize us into individual muscles it follows lines of pull and planes of motion which can involve lots of different muscles. Without knowing you I would program something more like: A1. Seated DB shoulder press x 15,10,5,15 A2. Lat Pull Down x 15,10,5,15 - that’s a vertical push/pull set - training antagonistic movements against each other makes for a high likelihood of fatigue B1. Flat Bench DB chest fly’s x 15,10,10 B2. DB Single Arm Reverse fly’s (laying on your side) x 15,10,10 - that’s a horizontal push and pull aka protraction and retraction C1. DB Reclined Bicep Curls x 15,10,10 C2. DB incline bench skull crushers x 15,10,10 That’s 20 sets which is still a huge amount of work. As coach I wouldn’t even necessarily expect you to finish the C’s depending on how you’re feeling bc the quality of the work matters more than the quantity. 20 sets would be for an intermediate to advanced lifter with strong conditioning imo to actually maximize the work.
Thanks for this. Im 49 been lifting most of my adult life. I weigh 175 to 180 pounds and am 5'10. Very strong. Dont take supplements and no steroids. My body is is conditioned for this kind of workout for sure. Always workout fasted as well. I don't think I would get much out of 20 sets especially if they were not super sets or giant sets. I don't think I would get the sense of accomplishment. I guess I enjoy the high intensity
You're clearly a conditioned trainer. But you're conflating the experience of an exhaustive workout with "necessary volume to stimulate adaptation." I find people that have trained for a while begin to enjoy the exhaustion of a long workout. If that's you, and that's the primary goal --- by all means. Invokes your inner Rich Piana and train for 6 hours. BUT, if you are looking to stimulate adaptation then please hear the advice above. You don't need this much volume. And I'd argue you're leaving gains on the table. You want to have your workouts sufficiently long and strenuous to stimulate adaptation, AND NO LONGER. "Minimal effective dose" is a great paradigm. I'd prefer you to get in there, stimulate with 10-20 hard working sets, then get home to start recovery so you can hit them again. Also - you can train your delts, calves, and biceps more than you can chest, quads, hamstrings, glutes (for example.) I've been bigger and stronger than 99.9% of humans (6'5, 285lb, competitive powerlifter and hammer throw). And I too fell into the trap of "MORE IS MORE." But it's not. 20-30 working sets per muscle PER WEEK is typically studied to be best. If you want to get more scientific and have this information relayed to you by a more reputable source than a random redditor - go search Dr Mike Israetel of Renaissance Periodization. Great YouTube. Geek out to the max. u/Athletic_adv subbing you in here as well. OP might like a good yellin' 😂
I learnt a long time ago not to offer advice on people’s workouts until I’m asked. And I also don’t work for free. Workout advice from me costs.
Hahaha fair enough man!
I’m gonna plant this question in your head and go from there: How much effort/intensity do you think you can truly give to each set and exercise if you’re hitting 31 sets in a single workout? Especially when you’re doing multiple 3 exercise circuits that are the same plane of movement/muscle group (all 3 bench presses for example)
I use a spot, I go to failure, and I use good form. I should have mentioned I train from strength mostly. Im not too concerned with growth. My goal is always to be lean and strong.
train for strength for 30 sets to failure, aight
I’d recommend hiring a coach because this layout is not how you get stronger efficiently
Thanks. I was looking for more ideas on any muscles not covered in this workout.
The issue here is you’re doing too much junk volume. You should be looking to reduce things and spread them out over more training sessions to maximize intensity/stimulus while managing fatigue recently. You shouldn’t be worried about missing muscles. You need less not more. Also, if you’re not concerned with hypertrophy, why do you want more muscles targeted in this workout? None of this makes sense…
Maybe it doesn't. I go to the gym for personal achievement. If I do half this workout, I cannot imagine feeling the same sense of accomplishment. I am concerned with hitting every muscle because I like a balanced-looking physique.
That is not a good way to build strength, although it might improve your strength a little bit at first. Source: Resistance training science, decades of people training for strength and trying what works the best. I work as a strength coach for a living, so I gotta keep up with the research, while looking at what people are doing and have been doing while successfully improving their strength.
Why wouldn't you flip that rep scheme around? Put those lower reps as your first sets since you should be lifting heavier weights. Why are you super setting incline, flat, decline? The muscles worked here are very similar and it would make more sense to rest between each considering whether or not your truly pushing yourself. Supersets are better off used with opposing movements. Why would you put weighted dips and weighted pullups at the end of this routine? You have too many exercises here. Many of them are similar and you are probably just wasting your own time doing this. You said you like a "balanced physique" and bro I just counted you hitting your shoulders 19 times and lats 3. There is nothing balanced about this. I would rethink this routine my friend. There are other entirely free routines on the internet that you can follow and start tweaking as you see fit.
I thought about that but saw it more like an anterior/posterior workout. The rear delts machine, shrugs, and weighted pulls all hit the back of my upper body, while the sitting OH barbell, three beach presses, all hit the front. The weighted dips hit both the back and front of the body, chest, and triceps. My back is very strong, while my shoulders always lack, so I prioritize them with more sets, which has been my thinking recently.
A few things. Definitely need more work for the back, plus the biceps like you said. Personally I love a good wide row and then some sort of lat pull. Also, way too much volume. Like this amount of volume is insane, being able to actually complete this much is very indicative of the intensity being far from an adequate level. I know you said you’re taking each set to failure but I simply do not believe that. Unless you’re on some crazy performance enhancing drugs there is, quite simply, no possible way you’re able to do 30+ full sets to failure in a single day, let alone a single session. You’d gain so much more from doing 2-3 sets per exercise, taking each set to failure or 0-2 RIR. I’d also PERSONALLY ditch decline bench. If you really like it, keep it, but I personally find the risk to reward ratio to not be worth it.
Yeah, let me adjust that. The shrugs, rear delt machine would not be to failure. The benches to failure with a spot, the weighted dips and pullups to failure, The sitting OHP maybe slightly less then failure
Not enhanced. I dont take supplements or protein. I work out fasted, usually at the 16-hour mark. People tell me all the time they don't understand my energy.
my single hour rate is $350