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Beginners
#1

Hi guys,

I’ve devised this plan which I intend to give a shot in the new year for around 6 months.

Currently I’ve been operating with a standard PPL split, but circumstances meant I could only train Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. This has changed however.

I have also suffered a break in the 5th metacarpal of my left hand, meaning I’ve had to take a few weeks out of training.

My query here is this:

Due to the extra time available to me, I was thinking of attempting a variation of the typical PPL workout, with a PHAT adaptation which will be this.

Tuesday - Power pull day

Wide grip pull ups: 5x4-6 reps

Barbell row: 5x4-6 reps

Bench supported single arm dumbbell row: 5x4-6 reps

Barbell Shrug: 3x6-8 reps

Seated facepull: 3x4-6 reps

Barbell/EZ-bar curls: 3x4-6 reps

Incline Dumbell Hammer curls: 3x4-6 reps

Deadlifts: 3x3 reps, 3x1 rep

Wednesday - Power Push Day

Incline smith bench press (if no spotter available, otherwise incline barbell bench press): 5x4-6 reps

Flat smith bench press (same as above): 5x4-6 reps

Cable crossover : 5x 4-6 reps

Smith Machine shoulder press (see above) 5x4-6 reps

Single arm lateral raise: 5x4-6 reps

Close grip bench press: 3x4-6 reps

Dips: 3x4-6 reps

Skull crushers: 3x4-6 reps

Thursday - Legs

Squats: 5x5 reps

Leg press: 5x4-6 reps

Leg extension: 3x4-6 reps

Stiff leg deadlift: 5x5 reps

Hamstring curls: 3x4-6 reps

Calf raise: 3x10-12 reps

Farmers walk (I know not just a leg exercise, but I’m a fan of it): 5x20-30 steps with heavy dumbbells

Saturday - Hypertrophy Pull day

Wide grip lat pulldowns: 5x10-12 reps

Single arm leverage lat pulldowns: 3x10-12 reps

Dumbbell rows: 5x10-12 reps

Seated cable row: 3x10-12 reps

Dumbbell shrugs: 5x10-12 reps. 2second hold at top of contraction

Rear delt fly: 3x10-12 reps

EZ-curl: 3x10-12 reps

Concentration curl: 3x10-12 reps

Cross body curl: 3x10-12 reps

Deadlift: 3x5 reps

Sunday - Hypertrophy push day

Incline dumbbell bench press: 3x8-12 reps

Flat dumbbell bench press: 3x8-12 reps

Decline dumbbell bench press: 3x8-12 reps

Incline dumbbell fly: 3x10-12 reps

Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 3x10-12 reps

Seated lateral raise-both arms: 3x10-12 reps

Close grip bench press: 3x10-12 reps

Overhead cable tricep extension: 3x10-12 reps

Cable pushdowns: 3x10-12 reps

Notes

I’ve chosen to only opt for legs once per week due to my priority here being strength, and they are easily my most developed body part.

I have also chosen to target most muscles twice a week, in order to give two periods of stimulation, one being based around strength (with long rest periods so as to attack each set with maximum intensity), and one being around hypertrophy (with 30-90 seconds rest between sets) to really activate the muscle fibers needed to induce maximum hypertrophy.

Abdominal work is also thrown in on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with decline bench crunches and oblique crunches.

Anything you guys feel is lacking? Or improvements to this routine? I obviously understand people will point to only one leg day per week, but like I’ve emphasised, my legs are actually my strongest and most developed muscle group.

Much appreciated.

Chris

#2

[quote]MancunianChris wrote:
I’ve chosen to only opt for legs once per week due to my priority here being strength, and they are easily my most developed body part.[/quote]
If you say so. But there seem to be a curious number of guys on the site who, what a coincidence, all say the don’t give legs much attention because they’re already their best bodypart. Your call though.

I also don’t know what so many people try to mix PHAT and a general push/pull/legs split, but here’s how I’d roll with what you laid out…

Tuesday - Power pull day
A) Deadlift 6x1-3
B) Wide grip pull ups 5x4-6
C) Barbell row 4x4-6
D) Barbell Shrug 3x6-8
E) Barbell/EZ-bar curl 3x4-6
F) Standing alternating hammer curl 3x6-8

Wednesday - Power Push Day
A) Flat bench press (if no spotter, use dumbbells and 6-8 reps): 5x4-6
B) Decline bench press (as above) 4x4-6
C) Barbell shoulder press 5x4-6
D) Single arm lateral raise 3x6-8
E) Skullcrusher 3x6-8
F) Farmers walk 5x20-30 steps

Thursday - Hypertrophy Pull day
A) Seated face pull 4x10-15 (3-5 count pause on each peak contraction)
B) Single arm leverage lat pulldowns 4x10-12
C) Dumbbell rows 3x10-12
E) Rear delt fly: 3x12-15
E1) Dumbbell shrugs: 3x10-12 reps. 2second hold at top of contraction
E2) Cable curl 3x10-12
F) Concentration curl 2x10-12

Saturday - Hypertrophy push day
A) Low incline dumbbell bench press 4x8-12
B1) Flat dumbbell bench press 3x8-12
B1) Incline dumbbell fly 3x10-12
C1) Seated plate raise 3x8-12
C2) Seated lateral raise 3x8-12
C3) Seated clean and press 3x8-12
D) Cable pushdowns 3x10-12

Sunday - Legs
A) Squats 5x5
B) Stiff leg deadlift: 5x5
C) Leg press 4x8-10
D1) Leg extension: 3x10-12
D2) Hamstring curls 3x10-12
D3) Calf raise 3x10-12

#3

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
If you say so. But there seem to be a curious number of guys on the site who, what a coincidence, all say the don’t give legs much attention because they’re already their best bodypart. Your call though.
[/quote]

You must not know CC, legs aren’t really that important to train since we walk every day and we use them so much, they get worked by “accident”. We don’t want the legs to get ‘bulky’ and throw off the physique.