Routine Critique – Beginner PPL Focused on Strength & Hypertrophy
**repost to follow the guidelines**
Goals and Constraints
I'm a 20-year-old woman whose primary goals are to build muscle, get stronger, and improve my overall fitness while staying relatively lean. Long-term, I'd love to get into calisthenics, but right now I don't have the strength to do basic bodyweight movements like push-ups or chin-ups, so I'm focusing on building a solid strength foundation first.
I know the wiki recommends following established beginner programs, but I've really enjoyed training six days per week on a Push/Pull/Legs split. It's been the first routine I've genuinely looked forward to, and the consistency has helped me stick with lifting. Rather than switching to a completely different program, I'd like feedback on whether my current PPL routine is well-balanced and how I can improve it.
Background
I’ve been consistently lifting for about 2 months (on and off for a few years before that). I’ve never followed a structured lifting program because I was never able to do the “minimum” that they had. I’ve built this routine myself based on exercises I enjoy and what I've learned from others.
What's worked:
- Consistency has been much better than before.
- I'm enjoying training and looking forward to going to the gym.
- I'm seeing gradual strength increases on some lifts.
What's not worked:
- Some exercises feel awkward (especially lateral raises).
- No progress on some lifts (bench press, preacher curls, reverse flys).
- Feel like I am not building any upper body strength (still can’t do pushups).
- I'm unsure whether my exercise selection and overall volume are appropriate.
Diet and Recovery
I'm eating enough to support muscle growth with an emphasis on getting sufficient protein. I used to feel pretty sore after workouts but nowadays it is only a slight awareness of the muscles worked the day before. I get 8 hours of sleep most nights. I don't have a physically demanding job or other major recovery limitations.
Program Details
The goal is to train each muscle group twice per week while emphasizing the main compound lifts and using accessory work for additional hypertrophy.
Progressive Overload
For exercises with a rep range (typically 5-8 or 5-12), I use double progression. I aim to increase reps until I reach the top of the prescribed range for all sets with good technique, then increase the weight by the smallest possible increase and repeat the process. If I can't complete the minimum reps after increasing the weight, I stay at that weight until I can.
Fatigue Management
I generally leave 1-3 reps in reserve on most sets and avoid training to absolute failure except occasionally on isolation exercises. I take one rest day each week.
Current Routine
Push Day
- Bench Press – 3×5-8 @ 55 lb
- Cable Triceps Extension – 3×5-8 @ 22.5 lb
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press – 3×5-8 @ 20 lb
- Skull Crushers – 3×5-12 @ 20 lb
- (Second Push Day: Machine Triceps Dip instead)
- Iso-Lateral Chest Press – 3×5-8 @ 17.5 lb
- (Second Push Day: Chest Fly instead)
- Lateral Raises – 3×5-12
Pull Day
- Barbell Bent-Over Row – 3×5-8 @ 75 lb
- Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3×5-8 @ 15 lb
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row – 3×5-8 @ 35 lb
- (Second Pull Day: One-Arm Seated Cable Row)
- Lat Pulldown – 3×5-8 @ 75 lb
- Dumbbell Preacher Curl – 3×5-12 @ 10 lb
- Reverse Fly – 3×5-8 @ 50 lb
Leg Day
- Barbell Squat – 3×5 @ 95 lb
- Leg Extension – 3×5-8 @ 120 lb
- Seated Leg Curl – 3×5-8 @ 95 lb
- Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise @ 135 lb
- Bulgarian Split Squat – 3×5-8 @ 17.5 lb
I've also experimented with barbell Romanian deadlifts, cable glute kickbacks, goblet squats, and back extensions, but I'm unsure which to add since leg day already feels pretty fatiguing.
Questions
- Is my overall exercise selection and volume appropriate?
- Are there any exercises that are redundant or missing?
- Which of the extra leg exercises (RDLs, glute kickbacks, goblet squats, back extensions) would you prioritize?
- I'd like to add assisted push-ups and assisted chin-ups to build strength. Where would you fit them into this routine?
- My lateral raises mostly hit my traps instead of my side delts. Any cues or alternatives that helped you?
- Any general tips for building upper body strength as a woman?
- Any other suggestions for improving this routine while keeping the same 6-day PPL structure?
Thanks in advance! I've been really enjoying lifting and would appreciate any feedback.