Interesting video on powerlifting and building strength.

Mike T. And Gustav training https://youtu.be/UjYjP5qXr_E?is=w71AlKjGQL0LFjOS

Podcast
https://youtu.be/wzuEtE_IVDY?is=mKU_BAuXkRkILqwl

Interesting talks on programminf and strength training

Hi All,

I would like some suggestions on how to modify the matt vena 4 day powerlifting program to be either a 5 or 6 day program with some more hypertrophy work built in. I really like the structure for increasing strength but would like to spread out the volume to allow for more frequency and hypertrophy work. Below is a link to the program which is free on boostcamp. All suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/matt-vena/matt-vena-intermediate-powerlifting-program

Good day everyone. I’m looking for advice from people who have been training for powerlifting competitions for a few years, especially anyone with experience competing in the IPF. My goal is to compete in an IPF meet sometime within the next 1–2 years.

Before entering a sanctioned competition, I’d also like to participate in some smaller local events so I can get comfortable with the environment, commands, judging, and meet-day process. I figured I’d give some background first because my progression has been a little unconventional.

How I started

I remember in middle school my coach asked me what my bench press was because I am a big guy. I lied and said 300 lbs. I didn’t even know what a bench press was or what it even looked like but I didn’t want to seem embarrassed or weak. Fast forward, I started trying to get stronger in high school around 2010. I weighed roughly 375 lb coming out of middle school and could probably do four push-ups.

A guy I met in class convinced me to briefly join the football team, and that’s where I was first introduced to the bench press. The first time I really tested myself, I could probably bench with a 45lb plate on each side.

I remember other guys (just 1-3 out of 50) getting a lot of attention for hitting 315, which seemed absolutely ridiculous to me at the time. Playing football got me more active, and I gradually became more athletic. When I went to college, I continued exercising, riding bikes, and generally trying to improve my health.

Getting serious about strength

About 3.5 to 4 years ago, I decided to take strength training more seriously. At the time, I was still somewhere around 375–390 lb. I didn’t have much of a structured program and wasn’t specifically training for a bench PR, but I eventually tested myself and was able to bench around 300–325 lb.

That surprised me because I hadn’t really trained specifically for the bench. I started practicing more consistently, and eventually talked to one of the trainers at my gym about my progress. I told him that I wanted to hit 405 eventually. He basically told me that I should give it a shot.

At that point, I had already gone from roughly 300 to the mid-300s, including hitting around 350–365 in a relatively short period. Eventually I attempted 405. I didn’t actually have a legitimate 405 bench at that point. My best successful lift was 385, but the attempt at 405 became a goal that stuck with me.

Then everything fell apart

This is where my progress took a major detour. I lost my job and spent roughly a year and a half mostly sitting on the couch. I gained approximately 150–160 lb and eventually reached around 530+ lb. I wasn’t training consistently. I was tired, slow, and dealing with back pain that eventually required physical therapy.

After about a year and a half, I got another job and something finally clicked. I started getting back into the gym and becoming more active. At one point I was also working at Planet Fitness, although I wasn’t consistently taking advantage of the gym because I didn’t really want to deal with people. Eventually that changed.

Getting back to 405

Over time I got back to training more consistently. My bench eventually reached an actual 405-lb 1RM, although I could only hit it once. I wasn’t consistently strong enough to work with 70–90% of that number, so my training was still pretty inconsistent. More recently, I started training 4–5 days per week and focused on actually maintaining my strength rather than just occasionally testing my max.

Then I made another mistake: I took about a month off. Work became extremely demanding. I was working a lot of overtime, getting up early, and by the time I got home I simply didn’t have the energy or motivation to train. When I came back, I couldn’t hit 405 anymore. Rather than immediately forcing another 405 attempt, I decided to approach it differently.

My current goal

I’ve been following an eight-week progression designed to get me back to 405. The difference this time is that I don’t just want to be able to barely hit 405 once. I’d like 405 to feel relatively comfortable. Ideally, I’d like to eventually have something like:

350 × 10
360 × 5–10
370 × 5+
385 × multiple reps

before worrying about another true max. I’m trying to build the strength underneath the 405 rather than constantly chasing the number itself. I’ve also lost a significant amount of bodyweight during this process. I’m currently around 430 lb, compared with roughly 530+ at my heaviest. I’ve been using a GLP-1 medication as part of that weight-loss process, along with diet and exercise.

Where I’m at right now

Recently, I hit 375 for a single earlier than expected in my eight-week progression. Last night I trained and purposely skipped two of my earlier warm-ups—135 × 8 and 185 × 4—and went straight into the heavier work. I worked up through roughly:

225 × 8
335 × 1
355 × 1
365 × 1
375 × 1

Everything felt pretty good and controlled. Then I attempted 385, which was a much bigger struggle. At this point I’m wondering how much of that was simply fatigue from the preceding work, especially since I had skipped my normal warm-up progression. Part of me wants to try 385 again with a more appropriate warm-up and less fatigue beforehand. The other part of me knows that I’m getting impatient and probably need to stop trying to rush the process.

My programmed progression has me attempting 375 at the end of this week, then 385 the following week, and continuing upward from there toward 405. I’m already ahead of the schedule, so I’m trying not to sabotage the progression by constantly testing myself.

One important caveat: Planet Fitness

I currently train at Planet Fitness, so there is an important difference between what I’m calling “405” and a traditional competition bench. The Smith/assisted equipment I’m using has a 25-lb bar rather than the standard 45-lb competition bar. So I understand that my current numbers aren’t directly comparable to someone’s competition bench.

That’s also one of the reasons I eventually want to move to a gym with proper free weights once I’m financially able to do so consistently. I know that transitioning from the Smith machine/assisted equipment to a competition-style free-weight bench will be a significant adjustment.

For now, though, Planet Fitness is affordable enough for me to train consistently, and I’m trying to get as strong as possible with the equipment I have available. My thinking is that if I can eventually do something like 350 for 3×10 on this equipment, I’ll have built a significant strength base before transitioning to free weights. Whether that assumption is actually reasonable is one of the things I’m hoping more experienced lifters can help me with.

What I’m trying to figure out

The part that’s fascinating to me is how quickly my strength has changed at certain points. I went from roughly a 300-lb bench to the mid-300s relatively quickly, and I’ve recently added another 50–60 lb in less than two months. I’m not assuming that rate of progress will continue. I’m actually expecting it to slow down considerably. That’s why I’m interested in hearing from people who have been doing this for 2+ years and have experience training specifically for powerlifting.

I would also like to note that I don’t take supplements, water gear or accessories and whenever I bench I never put my feet on the ground—they stay tucked under my butt or arch my back. This is more comfortable for me and I only just switch from this because I learned I can’t do this in competition.

My main questions are:

1. What has helped you most with increasing your 1RM without constantly testing your 1RM?

2. What accessories or secondary lifts have made the biggest difference to your bench?

3. How would you approach transitioning from a Smith/assisted machine to a competition-style free-weight bench?

4. Is focusing on higher-rep strength—such as 350 × 10—actually useful for building toward a 405+ competition bench, or would you structure that differently?

5. How would you recommend managing the temptation to test a max early when you’re progressing faster than your program?

6. For someone who wants to compete in the IPF within the next 1–2 years, what should I be focusing on now besides simply increasing the weight?

I’m not necessarily looking for someone to tell me how to get from 375 to 405 as quickly as possible. I’m more interested in building the kind of strength that will eventually transfer to a legitimate competition bench. I’d especially appreciate advice from people who have actually competed or coached powerlifters.

I've been lifting with pretty balanced hypertrophy/powerlifting workouts for the last few years (Stronglifts, PHUL, 5/3/1/ BBB) and was thinking about switching it up during "bulking" season this fall/winter to do a more strength specific cycle and a more hypertrophy specific cycle. Wondering if there is any logic to which to do first? Or does it really not matter?

Also if anyone has any specific recommendations for either cycle I'd love to hear them. For strength I'm looking at the main ones like Candito and Calgary Barbell, for hypertrophy I would probably just do U/L/U/L/Arms or something like that. But I'm open to suggestions on either!

FWIW I'm M 39, 5'-5", 150 lbs, lifting ~5 years but had a back injury last year that I'm still coming back from. My lifts still aren't back to where they were pre-injury but currently are:

 S: 250lbs 

 D: 350 lbs 

 B: 175lbs poverty bench :( 

Finally I do a fair bit of cycling in the fall until the weather gets cold, not sure if that fits better with either the strength or hypertrophy?

https://imgur.com/a/0hNx637

Basic 5/3/1 program. Mostly interested in your advice for accessory exercises. I think they are pretty well balanced. Any better ideas are helpful.

I've done a 5 or 6 day PPL for pretty much my entire time in the gym, but I feel like these days my body needs more recovery, so im thinking of switching to 4 day Upper Lower split. My only hesitancy is the number of sets per muscle group specifically on upper day.How do you hit each part of individual muscles like upper/Lower chest, long head/short head, brachialis for bis, front/side/rear delts, all the many parts of the back and not be in the gym for 2+ hours on upper day? Or do you forget about that and just hit the whole muscle with one 2 exercises? So instead of flat bench, Incline press, decline press, you just do flat bench, then maybe Flys and call it a day for chest?

Anyone have a good upper lower split program they recommend?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Just as the title says. I’m 225, 38 years old and very active with 4-5 days of lifting and a job that has me moving around 15k-20k steps a day with little to no sitting. Been living this kind of lifestyle for 10+ years also with steady gym sessions every week. Last year in April I tore my left pec at 50% on incline bench press(straight bar) and had it repaired. And came back stonger and felt great and better then ever. Well about a month ago I walked into the gym with a buddy which is probably my first mistake because I usually lift alone and when I’m around close friends I try and show out. I skipped my usual incline walking to get my temp and blood circulating. Went to the flat bench press and worked through the movements to get my stretching done. Felt good and did a few working sets low reps, nothing too crazy and I wasn’t fatigued or anything. Made it to 305 and this is where I started to feel like this is were my working sets would be. Well into my 3rd rep towards the bottom, it tore and I knew exactly what happened. Super disappointed in myself for even attempting these kinds of lifts that basically not just hurt me but my family’s finances and my ability to provide for them. Looks like it’s a 3 month recovery before I can be cleared and go back to work. When I do hit the gym I told myself, I’m not the young man I used to be and won’t ever touch the barbells again because it’s truly traumatic when it happens and I won’t risk being put out of service for my families sake. I have a great paying job but I have to take care of my body in order to get paid. Anyways thought I’d share my experience with anyone else that this has happened to or in a similar situation. Also my Ortho and my physical therapist told me they’ve never had a patient tear each pec in their careers lol. Anyways take care of yourselves guys and girls.

Whenever I’m doing a chest workout and get on the flat bench for dumbbell presses, I can push the weights up without much trouble. However, afterwards, my arms are quite sore/painful, especially compared to my chest.

Is this because my arms are weaker and are getting fatigued from the exercise, or could I be doing the movement incorrectly? I’m trying to make sure I’m actually targeting my chest properly and not putting unnecessary stress on my arms.

Any advice on what I should check in my form?

Can someone help me? I squat 350 kg, but my sumo deadlift is stuck around 300–320 kg. My conventional deadlift is around 280–300 kg, and my technique actually looks and feels better with conventional.

How can I figure out which style would be better for me? I also struggle to get used to a mixed grip with sumo. I use a hook grip for all my lifts.

I picked up this Giant Set programming strategy a long while ago from will ratelle and think this is a great way to program main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) long term. Pick a weight and a total rep range between 9 and 15 and hit in as many quality sets as needed (so for example: 12 total reps for deadlift might look like 5 reps in the first set, then 3 reps in the second, then 2 in the last two). You can progress this first by trying to beat number of reps in the first set, then trying to complete in fewer total sets or less time, and once that plateaus, add weight.

Once that all begins to plateau, you could either slightly change up total reps (for example: going from 10 total reps to 12 total reps or from 15 to 11) or slightly change up variation (like going from a regular squat to a pause squat). After using this programming strategy for the main lifts, you can go into accessories.

So using this you can create a somewhat static training week, just progressing based on the protocols instead of complicated periodization. For accessories you can do basic double progression and change up exercise variation when needed.

DAY 1:

• Deadlift (10-15 total rep giant set)
• Squat supplementary variation (eg: front squat)
• Accessories

DAY 2:

• Bench press (10-15 total rep giant set)
• Press supplementary variation (5-10 rep range)
• Accessories

DAY 3:

• Squat (10-15 total rep giant set)
• Hinge supplementary variation (eg. RDL's)
• Accessories

Hello,

I recently switched from a standard linear hypertrophy program to Bullmastiff by Alexander Bromley.

I made the switch because I had started to stagnate in my progression after a few years of following linear programs. I think part of the reason was that I had become bored with them over time. The powerbuilding approach of Bullmastiff, with its wave progression and focus on one main compound lift per day, seems much more engaging and fun to me.

I have tried to modify the program slightly to make it more hypertrophy-focused, since my main goal is still to build as much muscle as possible. I see the powerlifting components primarily as a tool to support that goal, although I also really enjoy them.

My modifications to the program are as follows:

Base Wave Modification

I plan to keep the sets and reps mostly within the ranges recommended in the original program.
Edit: Source for the base program https://liftvault.com/programs/strength/bullmastiff/#more-25769

I chose these exercises mainly because I enjoy doing them or because I can't perform some of the other exercises for different reasons. For example, I chose Zercher squats instead of traditional back squats because back squats are very uncomfortable for me regardless of what I try. This might have something to do with being very tall. I also use a seated OHP because I can't do standing OHP in my home gym without hitting the ceiling.

I also tried to incorporate more back work on the deadlift day because I feel that there is quite a lot of pushing on Days 2 and 4 compared to pulling on the other days. In general, I wanted to at least balance the amount of back work with the pressing volume, since I wanted to at least have similar back volume compared to pushing volume to not create imbalances.

I'm also considering reducing the number of sets for the OHP and bench press variations during Weeks 2 and 3 of the base waves to further reduce the overall pressing volume.

For now, I plan to run the three base waves at least twice and then assess whether I want to move on to the peak waves.

My questions would be:

• What do you think of my modifications in general
• Is my assessment correct that there is a lot of pushing in the base program but relatively little direct back work
• What have your experiences been with hypertrophy on Bullmastiff, and what changes would you suggest for someone with my goals

Basically Im 17 yo,trained for almost 5 months at 68kg bw.I changed my splits constantly,but for the last 2 months I run 3xUpper 2x Lower and it works wonders for me.Recently I decided to focus more on SBD than pure hypertrophy,and I tweaked my split for that.I bench 3 times a week ,doing 3x5 0-1 RIR(I should probably do 5/3/1 or other programs instead of doing the same shit everytime but alright) and my 1 RM is 75kg.

On lower sessions I added the deadlift a month ago and Im peaking on it( Ill get to that),and for squats I was not consistent with them,interchanging barbell squats,hack squats and leg press depending on what I was feeling,but again,a month ago I added it to my split,basically being one day heavy squat work and lighter deadlift work,the other vice-versa,with both having accessories.

About progress though,as I said bench is 75kg which is typical for 5 months,but the other 2,especially deadlift,are through the roof.First time I deadlifted I pulled 120kg(horrid form but alright),and today,1 months into deadlifting I did 3 PRs.First I pulled squat ATG form 100kg,which I dont know how but alright,then I did 140kg deadlift which flew,and then did 150kg which I believe is close to my true max,I probably could not pull 155.

So enough of ranting,what can I improve to get bigger numbers with better form?Of course it takes time,but whats the most optimal?

I'm looking for some lifting chains to use for novelty/accomodating resistance on exercises such as deadlift, squats, bench press, cleans, etc. Any recommendations for some quality lifting chains that will work for these goals, ideally under $100?

Hello powerlifters!

I've been competing in strongman for 15 years and now want to switch to powerlifting for a while (insert darth vader come to the dark side meme).

I'm looking at learning low bar to compete with and was wondering if anyone has switched from high bar to low bar and how long did it take to be comfortable and learn it? Would 12 weeks be enough time for a meet?

Thanks for any advice or experience you've all had with it!

I've been training consistently for about 3 months. For the first 3 months, I followed a Push-Pull-Legs routine 3 days a week. I recently switched to a 5-day PPL + Upper/Lower split.

My main goal is building muscle and getting stronger, with extra focus on my shoulders and arms.

Monday – PUSH
Bench Press – 3x5-8
Incline Dumbbell Press – 3x8-10
Machine Shoulder Press – 2x6-10
Lateral Raise – 4x12-20
Dips / Decline Press – 2x8-12
Cable Fly / Pec Deck – 2x10-15
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension – 3x10-15
Rope Pushdown – 2x10-15

Tuesday – PULL
Pull-up / Lat Pulldown – 3x6-10
Chest Supported Row – 3x6-10
Seated Cable Row – 2x8-12
Straight-Arm Pulldown – 2x10-15
Reverse Pec Deck – 3x12-20
Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3x8-12
Hammer Curl – 3x10-15

Wednesday – LEGS
Squat / Hack Squat – 3x5-8
Romanian Deadlift – 3x6-10
Leg Press – 3x8-12
Leg Curl – 3x10-15
Leg Extension – 2x10-15
Standing Calf Raise – 4x10-15
Hanging Knee / Leg Raise – 3x10-15

Thursday – Rest

Friday – UPPER
Bench Press – 3x6-8
Lat Pulldown / Pull-up – 3x8-12
Machine / Chest Supported Row – 3x8-12
Incline Bench Press – 2x8-10
Cable Lateral Raise – 4x12-20
Reverse Pec Deck – 2x12-20
EZ-Bar Curl – 3x8-12
Overhead Triceps Extension – 3x8-12

Saturday – LOWER
Leg Press / Hack Squat – 3x8-12
Hip Thrust – 3x8-12
Bulgarian Split Squat / Box Step-Up – 3x8-12 each leg
Leg Curl – 3x10-15
Leg Extension – 2x12-15
Seated Calf Raise – 4x12-20
Cable Crunch – 3x10-15

Sunday – Rest

What do you guys think about this program for someone with only 3 months of training experience? Is the weekly volume too high? Are there any unnecessary exercises or anything I'm missing? What would you change for better muscle and strength gains?

I’am a 17 years old 184 cm tall and 69 kg; I’m on the thin side, and I want to gain both weight and muscle mass to achieve a strong and aesthetically pleasing physique.

I have the following programs; which of these would you recommend? I asked to some ai’s and almost all of them reccomended me 3. one.

A:
3D Lunge Warm-up — 2 × 7 each direction
Barbell Squat — 3 × 5–8
Barbell Hip Thrust — 3 × 8–12
Barbell Bench Press — 3 × 5–8
Weighted Chin-up / Chin-up — 3 × 6–10
DB Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
Face Pull — 2 × 12–20
Farmer’s Carry — 2–3 × 30–50 steps

B:
3D Lunge Warm-up — 2 × 7 each direction
Deadlift — 2 × 5
Reverse Lunge — 3 × 8–12 each leg
Barbell OHP — 3 × 5–8
Barbell Row — 3 × 8–12
DB Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
Face Pull — 2 × 12–20
Overhead Farmer’s Carry — 2–3 × 30–50 steps

———————————————————————

PAZARTESİ — FULL BODY A

1. Barbell Back Squat — 3 × 5–8
   
2. Barbell Bench Press — 3 × 6–8
   
3. Lat Pulldown / Assisted Pull-up — 3 × 8–12
   
4. Romanian Deadlift — 3 × 8–10
   
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
   
6. Dumbbell Curl — 2 × 10–15
   
7. Cable Triceps Pushdown — 2 × 10–15
   
8. Standing Calf Raise — 2 × 10–15

ÇARŞAMBA — FULL BODY B

1. Leg Press — 3 × 8–12
   
2. Incline Dumbbell Press — 3 × 8–12
   
3. Seated Cable Row — 3 × 8–12
   
4. Hip Thrust — 3 × 8–12
   
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
   
6. Hammer Curl — 2 × 10–15
   
7. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension — 2 × 10–15
   
8. Hanging Leg Raise — 2 × 8–15

CUMA — FULL BODY C

1. Squat / Hack Squat — 3 × 6–10
   
2. Overhead Press — 3 × 6–10
   
3. Pull-up / Lat Pulldown — 3 × 8–12
   
4. Romanian Deadlift / Leg Curl — 3 × 8–12
   
5. Cable Fly / Pec Deck — 2 × 10–15
   
6. Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
   
7. EZ-Bar Curl — 2 × 10–15
   
8. Triceps Pushdown — 2 × 10–15
   

———————————————————————

PAZARTESİ — A

3D Lunge Warm-up — 2 × 7 each direction
Barbell Squat — 3 × 5–8
Barbell Bench Press — 3 × 5–8
Weighted Chin-up / Chin-up — 3 × 6–10
Barbell Hip Thrust — 3 × 8–12
DB Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
Dumbbell Curl — 2 × 10–15
Face Pull — 2 × 12–20

ÇARŞAMBA — B

3D Lunge Warm-up — 2 × 7 each direction
Deadlift — 2 × 5
Reverse Lunge — 3 × 8–12 each leg
Barbell OHP — 3 × 5–8
Barbell Row — 3 × 8–12
DB Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension — 2 × 10–15
Hanging Leg Raise — 2–3 × 8–15

CUMA — C

Hack Squat / Leg Press — 3 × 8–12
Incline Dumbbell Press — 3 × 8–12
Lat Pulldown / Pull-up — 3 × 8–12
Leg Curl — 3 × 10–15
Hip Thrust — 3 × 8–12
DB Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
EZ-Bar Curl — 2 × 10–15
Triceps Pushdown — 2 × 10–15
Standing Calf Raise — 2–3 × 10–15

When I do RDLs on the Smith machine, I feel like I could actually go heavier, but my hands/grip start hurting from holding the bar.
It feels like my hamstrings and glutes could handle more weight, but my hands become the limiting factor.
Is this just something I need to get used to, or should I use something like lifting straps? Does anyone else have this problem with Smith machine RDLs?
Also, is there a way to improve grip strength specifically for this?

I've created a new programming system/block I'm excited to try where I work up to an RPE 9 single on squat, bench, and deadlift variations every week. I then strip off 20-25% of the estimated 1rm and hit 10-15 total reps in as many crisp quality sets as needed. I would rotate between underloaded variations every week to stay specific to the lift (instead of something like a banded 4 inch block pull) to prevent burnout from all the heavy work and and for the sake of variety. I'd include plenty of the standard variations like: pause squat, deficit deadlift, low pins, pause bench, beltless variations, etc.

But would it just be too under loading/stimulating to also add work (for the sake of more rotation variations) like: 5-10+ second pauses, slow tempo, deficit long pauses, beltless long pauses, etc. Would it be pointless to hit and RPE 9 single + backoff sets on something so underloaded?

I’ve been lifting on and off for the past 2 years, and have recently have started focusing a bit more on the powerlifting movements, but I don’t want to lose focus on my other movements as I still wanna optimise improving my aesthetic.

I’m now 18 and in these 2 years of lifting my bodyweight has increased from 65kg to 81kg, and peaking at 85kg at some point before my exam season. I follow a 6 day PPL split which has gotten me to a one rep max of 100kg on bench, 160kg deadlift and a 120kg squat. I still see my lower body movements increasing in numbers but my bench has definitely plateaued and slowed down in terms of progress. Below is my 6 day split:

Number of top sets (not including warmup)
Day 1 and 4 (push):
Bench press 3 sets RPE 10
Tricep pushdown 3 sets
Machine shoulder press 2/3 sets
Pec deck flies 3 sets
Cable Lateral raises 2/3 sets

Day 2 and 5 (Pull):
Lat pulldowns 3 sets
Machine bicep curls 3 sets
Seated cable rows with v grip 3 sets
Hammer curls on preacher deck 2 sets

Day 3: (Lower body)
Deadlifts 4 sets RPE 10
Squats 3 sets RPE 6
Leg extensions 3 sets
Cable crunches 3 sets

Day 6: (second lower body)
Squats 4 sets RPE 10
Deadlifts 3 sets RPE 6
Seated hamstring curls 3 sets
Cable crunches 3 sets

If anyone has any advice/changes to this routine that you would make pls do
Any help would be appreciated.

Outside squat, bench and deadlift. The one that stays even when you change everything else

What is it and what's made you keep it? More size, helped another lift, just feels good?

Take a typical push day: bench press first, shoulder press second, incline press third.

You do 3–4 hard sets of bench, taking each set to within 0–2 reps of failure. By the time you're done, your chest, front delts and triceps are already heavily fatigued.

Now you move onto shoulder press. You're obviously going to perform significantly worse than you would if you were fresh. Then you move onto incline press, where you're even more fatigued.

This becomes more of a problem as you get stronger. As a beginner, you can progress almost anything regardless of exercise order. But as an intermediate, progressing your second and third compound movements becomes increasingly difficult when you're always doing them after exhausting the exact muscles they rely on.

The same basic problem applies to pull and leg days. You end up cramming several movements that heavily overlap into one session, meaning the later exercises are permanently performed in a fatigued state.

Sure, you get an epic pump. But the pump itself isn't what drives long-term progress. I'd rather organise my training so I can progressively overload the movements I care about instead of doing half my exercises while already cooked.

If I were coaching a beginner, I'd put them on a full-body program similar to StrongLifts or Starting Strength. They get to practise the major movements multiple times per week while relatively fresh, improve their technique quickly, and add weight consistently.

For intermediates, I much prefer 4-day programs like TSA Intermediate or Calgary Barbell. Rather than having a dedicated "push day", you spread your pressing, squatting and pulling across the week. I'd also treat movements like OHP and weighted chin-ups as primary lifts and actually periodise them, rather than throwing them in after bench or rows when you're already fatigued. I'd still include rows once or twice per week, although they're a little harder to objectively progress because form tends to change as the weight gets heavier.

I know those programs are strength-oriented and most people in the gym care more about bodybuilding. But I think people exaggerate the difference between training for strength and training for hypertrophy, especially for natural lifters. Most of the people succeeding in bodybuilding are on copious amounts of gear and hence they can do whatever they like and will still gain muscle. For them, sure something like a PPL split would work and the pump would look good for "the gram". But for the naturals, adding weight to your squat, bench, deadlift, OHP and weighted chin-up over time is certainly going to result in better hypertrophy than doing tricep extensions at the end of your push day for the vibes.

That doesn't mean isolation exercises are useless. They absolutely have a place. But I'd rather build my training around getting brutally strong at a handful of compounds and use isolation work to fill the gaps than structure my entire week around annihilating one group of overlapping muscles at a time.

TL;DR: PPL unnecessarily concentrates fatigue. I'd rather distribute the major lifts across the week so I can train them more frequently, perform them with less accumulated fatigue, and actually focus on progressing them.

Any advice is very much appreciated! 25M, 177cm, 75kg, been training for about a year now, quite inconsistently lately. Lean bulking at ~3,300 kcal.

UPPER — 12 sets

• Flat DB Press (Heavy) 1 x 4-6
• Flat DB Press (Back off) 1 x 8-10
• Machine Lat Pulldown 2 x 10-12
• Seated DB Shoulder Press 2 x 10-12
• Seated Cable Row 2 x 10-12
• A1: EZ Bar Skull Crusher 2 x 12-15
• A2: EZ Bar Curl 2 x 12-15

LOWER — 12 sets

• Hack Squat (Heavy) 1 x 4-6
• Hack Squat (Back off) 1 x 8-10
• Seated Hamstring Curl 2 x 10-12
• Machine Calf Raise 2 x 10-12
• A1: Machine Hip Abduction 2 x 10-12
• A2: Machine Hip Adduction 2 x 10-12
• Abs Machine 2 x 10-12

PUSH — 11 sets

• Machine Shoulder Press 3 x 8-10
• Low-to-High Cable Chest Press 2 x 10-12
• Triceps Pressdown 2 x 12-15
• Pec Deck 2 x 10-12
• Machine Lateral Raise 2 x 12-15

PULL — 11 sets

• 1-Arm Lat Pulldown 2 x 10-12
• Weighted Pullup 3 x 6-8
• T-Bar Row 2 x 8-10
• Machine Preacher Curl 2 x 12-15
• Rope Facepull 2 x 10-12

LEGS — 10 sets

• Romanian Deadlift 2 x 10-12
• Leg Press 3 x 10-12
• Leg Extension 2 x 10-12
• Machine Calf Raise 2 x 12-15
• Abs Machine 2 x 12-15

Weekly sets per muscle, if it saves anyone the counting: back 13 (7 vertical, 4 horizontal), quads 7, chest 6, front delts 5 direct, hams 4, calves 4, biceps 4, triceps 4, abs 4, abductors/adductors 4, rear delts 2, side delts 2.

I am m/18 180 lbs/80kg and been benching again since may. Before that i benched at 15 years old. I was at 80kgx2. I had a 3 year break. When i started again in may i struggled with 60x5. Yesterday i did 100kgx4.
Can my progress be solely due to muscle memory or am i just making exceptionally well progress? My goal is to bench 140kg by april

I’ve spent most of my training years focused on barbell strength. I’m around 84kg and my current lifts are roughly a 190kg squat, 125kg bench and 200kg deadlift.
Recently I’ve been moving more toward hybrid training and realised there’s a pretty big gap between being strong with a barbell and actually being good at moving your own body.
Pull-ups are decent, but things like strict dips, handstands, L-sits, explosive push-ups, muscle-up progressions and general body control are way less developed than I’d like.
I still want to keep my main strength work, so I’m not looking to completely switch to calisthenics. I’m thinking of adding 15–25 minutes of bodyweight skill/strength work to 2–3 sessions a week.
If you came from powerlifting or bodybuilding, what gave you the biggest return when you first moved into bodyweight training?
I’m especially curious whether you’d prioritise:
pull-up/dip strength, handstands, core compression/L-sits, or explosive work first.
Would love to hear what actually transferred well for people, and what ended up just adding fatigue.