Hi all. Short history about me: after a severe stomach surgery about two and a half years ago I weighted 130lbs at 6ft tall. Currently I’m 24 y/o and have been lifting for the last year (also a year prior to my surgery but that wasn’t all that serious). I gained 28lbs over the course of that year and now I’ve cut down to 150lbs at about 10% bf, which I’m really pleased with considering how difficult this journey was because of the surgery. I had a hard time eating and recovery was (and still is to some extent) a big issue.
I learned a lot about nutrition and training. Until now I’ve done full body workouts 3 times a week (mostly fierce 5 from bb .com forum, which is a basic 3x5 program) and I still play soccer. My 1RM is now up to: BP 165, DL 265, Squat 225. At the start I could barely bench the bar for 10 reps. Diet is pretty much in check, did my first ‘bulk’ and small ‘cut’ and I’m not looking to compete anytime soon. I know how to gain weight and lose it, which is enough for me. I know the basic exercises and how to perform the ‘correctly’. Not saying I got my form down 100% on everything, but I know how to lift safely.
I came across a workout split/routine that seems to fit my needs (an idea from Mike Thurston on youtube). It’s a push-pull-fullbody split.
Push: alternating BP and OHP for strength (3 sets, 4-6 reps) followed by db shoulder press or flat/incline db press for a few higher rep sets (3-5 sets, 8-12 reps). And some flyes/lateral raises/triceps extensions (2-3 sets each, 10-15 reps) to finish off the workout + abs.
Pull: alternating DL and BB row (3 sets, 4-6 reps) followed by a seated cable row and lat pulldown (3-5 sets each, 8-12). And after that some biceps/rear delts + abs.
Fullbody: Squats, weighted chin-ups and weighted dips (3 sets, 4-6 reps). CGBP + Biceps curl (8-12) + abs.
This way I get a little more volume for hypertrophy, added in some isolation and still 2x a week frequency for every muscle group. Legs seem to be growing fine, if not better than my upper body, so no extra volume there. I also feel leg training impacts my soccer performance, recovery wise and due to the added leg mass I got slower.
I’d be happy to receive some feedback on this!