Feedback on P/P/L Routine?

Hello everyone,

After running PHAT for 4 months i want to start something new. My current stats are:

5x105kg bench press
5x130kg deadlifts
10x30kg dumbell shoulder press
5x95 squat (due knee problems i couldn’t train legs for a while, Just started training them again)
5x82.5kg barbell row

So i have created a PPL thad i want to do twice a week. PPLPPL REST then again.
I need some feedback on my routine. Any advice is appreciated.

Pull: A
Pull ups 3x8-12 2 min
Deadlifts 5x5 3 min
T-Bar Rows 3x6-8 1.5min
1-Arm dumbell row 3x10-12 1.5min
Rear delt Dumbell row 3x15-20 1 min
Preacher curls 3x8-12 1.5min
incline dumbell curl 3x15-20 1 min

Push: A
Flat Bench Press 3x6-8 2 min
Dumbell low incline 3x8-12 1.5 min
cable fly’s 3x8-15 1 min
standing shoulder press 3x8-10 2 min
Standing lateral Raises 3x15-20 1 min
EZ-bar Skullcrushers 3x8-10 1.5min
Ticeps rope pushdown 3x12-15 1 min

Legs: A
Squat 3x6-8 2 min
Dumbell reverse lunges 3x10-12 1.5 min
Leg extensions 3x12-15 1 min
Good mornings 3x10-12 1.5min
Lying leg curl 3x12-15 1 min
Seated calf Raise 3x8-12 2 min
Standing calf raise 3x15-20 1.5 min

Pull B:
Deadlifts 5x5 3min
Pendlay rows 3x6-8 2min
Wide grip seated rows 3x10-12 1.5min
Rear cable crossover 3x15-20 1 min
Shrugs 3x12-15 1.5min
Bicep barbell curl 3x8-12 1.5min
Hammer curls 3x15-20 1 min

Push B:
Flat Dumbell press 3x6-8 2 min
Incline fly’s 3x8-12 1.5 min
Chest dips 3x8-10 1 min
dumbell shoulder press 3x8-10 2 min
Upright Rows 3x15-20 1 min
Single arm cable pushdowns 3x10-12 1.5min
cable overhead tricep ext 3x12-15 1 min

Legs: B
Front Squat 3x6-8 2 min
leg press 3x8-12 1.5 min
Leg extensions 3x12-15 1 min
Romanian deadlift 3x8-12 1.5min
Lying leg curl 3x12-15 1 min
Seated calf Raise 3x8-12 2 min
Standing calf raise 3x15-20 1.5 min

My main goal is mass and with some strenght. With the PHAT routine i gained strenght the most.

Thanks everyone!

bump

This is determined mostly by eating.

Your split looks fine. It’s more volume than I’d do but you’ll recover fine. The only thing that stuck out to me was deadlifts at 5x5 twice a week. Is one day going to be light and one day heavy? Both days medium?

Personally, I really like doing 3x5 one day, 5x5 the next, add weight, repeat. After three weeks, I drop to 3x3 and 5x3. I’ll do that for three weeks and then go back to 3x5 and 5x5 starting with a bit more weight than last time.

Hi JM,

Thank you for the reply. i build up to my max with deadlifting.

set 1 5x60
set 2 5x80
set 3 5x100
set 4 5x120
set 5 5x130

the week after i use the same warm up and my work set will be 132.5kg.

I really want to get stronger with deadlifting. thads why i thought this would be best.

If that is your true 5RM then building up to it often is a bad idea. You can’t train with max weights. That’s testing, not training. I’ll show you how training with submax weights worked for me last year (and why I’ve switched back to this approach).

Week 1: 255 x 8 x 3 sets (workout 1), then x 5 sets (workout 2)
Week 2: 275 x 8 x 3 sets, then x 5 sets
Week 3: 295 x 8 x 3 sets, then x 5 sets
Week 4: 315 x 5 x 3 sets, then 5 sets
Week 5: 335 x 5 x 3 sets, then 5 sets
Week 6: 355 x 5 x 3 sets, then 5 sets
Week 7: 385 x 3 x 3 sets, then 5 sets
Week 8: 395 x 3 x 3 sets, then 5 sets
Week 9: 405 x 3 x 3 sets, then 5 sets
Week 10: 365 x 5, 385 x 4, 405 x 3, 425 x 2, 445 x 1 (repeat for second workout)
Week 11: 375 x 5, 395 x 4, 415 x 3, 435 x 2, 455 x 1 (repeat for second workout)
Week 12: 345 x 5, 375 x 4, 405 x 3, 435 x 2, 465 x 1, 500 x 1 (new PR)
Week 13: (not part of the program, but maxed again on deadlift bar) 545 x 1

The above list contains my exact numbers for deadlift following my hip surgery. I had a torn labrum repaired December '17 and was released to train like normal in Mid March. After a couple weeks of training without direction, I tried this progression. I started light so I didn’t overdo it. I wanted to pull 450 lbs in week 12. My previous PR on the deadlift bar was 495 lbs (deadlift bar is easier than stiff bars). I didn’t grind a rep until week 12. I never missed a rep. The training was difficult but I never felt like I was going to miss a lift. I used this progression to set a 50 lb PR after hip surgery.

Again, my max was 495 lbs. I didn’t train anywhere near that weight until the final three weeks, and even then I was 40 pounds away until that final week.

Strength is built by accumulating volume in the 80-87% range. If you’re truly using your 5RM then you shouldn’t be able to do it again for four sets. You’re either underestimating your 5RM or using too much weight on your sets.

Another thing worth noting. I performed all of these deadlift workouts after following the same progression on squats. Every session started with squats followed by deadlifts. I hit a 5 lb PR (500 lbs) on a power bar (stiff bar) after hitting a new PR on squats. I’d say the progression worked.

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Also, make sure you hit the correct “Reply” button so it tags the person to whom you’re responding. I didn’t get a notification; I just happened to see that the thread had a new post.

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Solid progress man. How were the size gains? I’ve been thinking about giving this program a try since I have training ADD lol and can’t seem to stick to something for long lol.

I gained a little weight but I had a head start. I started eating more after my surgery and gained weight even before I started the program. My new version of it has more upper body and one less lower body lift. I gained 10-12 lbs during the 12 weeks I ran the program (230 to 240ish). I definitely felt good on that program and with all the food. I’m currently much lighter and feel hungry most of the time.

I ran it again in the fall and worked up to a 225 lb rear foot elevated split squat (aka Bulgarian split squat). It works well for strength.

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Thad is some nice progress! i will try this out too. I start with 60kg and add every week 10kg.
Do you have the last set of 5 your “Workset” or you you have 5 work sets?

i guess your muscle memory has helped a lot too

So correct me if i’m wrong:

Week 1 - 3 60/70/80 Pull A 3x8 Pull B 8x5
Week 4 - 6 90/100/105 Pull A 5x3 Pull B 5x5
Week 7 - 9 110/115/120 Pull A 3x3 Pull B 3x5
week 10 110x5 115x4 120x3 125x2 130x1
week 11 120x5 125x4 130x3 135x2 140x1
week 12 100x5 115x4 130x3 145x2 160x1

Something like this? Would be awesome if i would lift 160kg’s

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Something like that. I did 20 lb jumps from week to week because I started so light. It could be 10 lbs, too. For week 10, you use the weight from week 9 for your set of three. Using your weights, you’d do this:

Week 9: 120 x 3 x 5 sets in workout two
Week 10, Workout 1: 100 x 5, 110 x 4 ,120 x 3, 130 x 2, 140 x 1

After week 10, just go back to adding 5-10 kgs per week so you could start at 105 x 5.

I found that making bigger jumps in the final three weeks worked best for me. It’s a peaking or “realization” phase. I normally would just to 10 lb jumps, but it proved difficult to do 440+ for a triple so I ended up doing bigger jumps. I recommend picking your (realistic) goal weight for week 12 and putting that on paper. Determine your weights by working backwards from there.

I like the 15kg jumps you have in the final three weeks but I’d aim to hit 150 in week 11 and 140 in week 10. If you kept your 15kg increments then your week 10 would be 80x5, 95x4, 110x3, 125x2, 140x1.

That would put your week 9 weight at 110kgs, too. See how much lighter that option is? It’ll be personal preference, but that’s how I’d do it. I was learning as I went and I found that I needed to start lighter on those final weeks if I wanted to hit those top weights.

And I forgot to mention that the progression for the final three weeks (10-12) is less rest. You do the first workout in the week and then decrease rest for the second one since the weights are the same.

Oke i got it, Thanks for your solid advice. your explanation is very helpful. i will add these numbers in my routine and give it a shot.

After 12 weeks i will give an update if i successfully completed the 12 weeks.

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Oke, i put everything on paper.

I think this is it. Did you do deadlifts after squats?. Did you hold the same rep range as with the deadlifts? my legs need some serious attention too. Hate thad my legs lacking alot.

It’s too bad thad we don’t have a deadlift bar… We only have stiff bars.

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You don’t need a deadlift bar. I go to a YMCA and we’re spoiled. Someone donated a deadlift bar just so they could use it when they train. I’m not sure if they even know they bought two American Barbell Power Elite bars (my favorite). I actually prefer the power bar unless I’m maxing out and want to boost my ego.

The program is actually an upper/lower split and you train four times per week. It’s very basic, but it worked for me. Lower body day was squats, deadlift, RDL (switched to power clean at week 7), and a lunge variation. I followed the same rep scheme listed above for all for 4 exercises.

Lower body day was finished with loaded carries.

Upper body used the same reps for bench, row, OHP, and pull ups. The fifth exercise was whatever you wanted to do for 8-12 reps.

You can read through the article on CT’s ThibArmy site. Google “ThibArmy Simple Guaranteed Strength and Size” and it should pop up.

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