r/workouts

29F! I've strength trained off-and-on for the past 2 years — more off than on — but I'm dedicating myself to 3x/week now that I'm finished with my deficit (for the time being) and going into recomp mode.

I only have access to my condo gym which only has dumbbells and a cable machine. Currently 130lbs (5'3"), formerly 185lbs. I plan to alternate these days for the next 3 months and switch up the exercises after that for variety.

Day A

Glutes: Bulgarian Split Squats - 15lbs, 8 reps

Legs: SLDLs - 20lbs, 12 reps

Chest: Incline Bench Press - 15lbs, 10 reps

Back: DB Lat Pullover - 15lbs, 10 reps

Arms: Overhead Cable Tricep Extension - Row 3 (not sure what weight it is), 7 reps

Abs: Russian Twists, 30 reps

Day B

Glutes: Single Leg Hip Thrust OR Glute DB Squats - 30 lbs, 12 reps

Legs: Sumo Squats - 30lbs, 12 reps

Back: DB Lat Pullover - 15lbs, 10 reps

2nd Back: Cable Face Pull - Row 3, 10 reps

Arms: Strict Curls OR Zottman Curls - 10lbs, 10 reps

Abs: Crunches

Can someone help me build the best 4-day Push/Pull/Rest/Upper/Lower split using these exercises? My goal is to build muscle and strength. Assisted dips and assisted pull-ups are only for learning the movements, so they don’t need to count toward the main training volume. Feel free to change the order, sets, reps, or replace an exercise if there’s a significantly better option.

Chest:

-Incline Dumbbell Press
-Pec Deck
-High-to-Low Cable Fly
-Assisted Dips (skill work only, not counted as main volume)

Back:

-Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
-Wide-Grip Cable Row
-Seated Cable Row (V-Bar / Neutral Grip, elbows close to the body)
-Assisted Pull-Ups (skill work only, not counted as main volume)

Shoulders:

-Machine Shoulder Press
-Cable / DB Lateral Raises
-Reverse Pec Deck Fly

Biceps:

-Bayesian Cable Curl
-Machine Preacher Curl
-Hammer Curl

Triceps:

-Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
-Cable Triceps Pushdown

Forearms:

-Cable Wrist Curl
-Cable Reverse Wrist Curl

Legs:

-Leg Press (or Smith Machine Squat)
-Romanian Deadlift
-Leg Extension
-Seated Leg Curl
-Standing Calf Raise

Abs:

-Hanging Leg Raise
-Cable Crunch / decline weighted crunch
-Weighted Russian Twist

Day 1: Chest and Back
Incline Chest Press (Machine): 2 x 6-10
Chest Supported T Bar Row: 2 x 6-10
Chest Fly (Machine): 2 x 8-12
Lat Pulldown (Machine): 2 x 8-12
Shrug (Smith Machine): 2 x 8-12
Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Machine): 2 x 8-12

Day 2: Legs
Leg Press (Machine): 2 x 6-10
Romanian Deadlift (Trap Bar): 2 x 6-10
Leg Extension (Machine): 2 x 8-12
Seated Leg Curl (Machine): 2 x 8-12
Standing Calf Raise (Machine): 2 x 8-12
Crunch (Machine): 2 x 8-12

Day 3: Shoulders and Arms
Shoulder Press (Machine Plates): 2 x 6-10
Seated Dip Machine: 2 x 6-10
Lateral Raise (Machine): 2 x 8-12
Overhead Triceps Extension (Cable): 2 x 8-12
Hammer Curl (Cable): 2 x 8-12
Preacher Curl (Machine): 2 x 8-12

25M - 6ft tall - 94.8 kg

I'm trying to cut down to 80 kg while maintaining or gaining muscle mass as much as possible. I've lost 1.9 kg in 3 weeks which is 0.6 kg per week. I've heard I can be more aggressive while also keeping my muscles since I'm far from my ideal weight but I'm afraid that's not true. If that's true I would be very happy to go harder. Please advise me.

I'm 195lbs at 5'2, had bariatric surgery and lost around 80lbs. Still fat but feeling so much better!

Is it a realistic goal to aim for a much more defined/sculpted body at this point?

Finally signed up rhe gym just need to get over nerves of using some machines while it's busy!

Any and all advice/harsh truths welcome!

Right now I don't have a set plan just cardio on high incline, eating better, lots of protein, and switching weights one days so legs, arms, core.

Not gonna lie this stuff is kind of overwhelming sometimes.

TDLR: Down below my idea of a new training schedule. Is this a good schedule? Please explain why it is or isn't and am I hitting every muscle enough for strength and growth?

Hey there new to this sub. I would love to know people's opinion about this.  I used to be quite fit around 7 years ago. Think kickboxing with a little lifting with music in a group class.

Side question I improved IMMENSELY on my legs but I am NOT sore at all. Week 0 I could squat 30 kgs for 10 reps. Week 8 I can squat 100 for 2 reps. I thought soreness was a sign of hypertrophy so I've been told.

Now I am back into the game but never tried a "gym split". So I thought:

Lower, upper, lower, upper

But the upper days were taking so incredibly long that I started to take a look at Push Pull Legs (with legs to start because that's my fav day. Yes I'm a female, how cliché. 

Here is how I thought I'd do it, since I wanna hit PPL (and a focus on core) twice a week without going 6 days a week. I rather go 4 longer sessions. 

This is what I thought out:

GYM ROUTINE

Monday - Legs + Push

Tuesday - Pull + Core

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - Legs + push

Friday  - Pull + Core

Saturday - rest

Sunday - rest

Legs:

1. Hip thrust

2. Squats

3. RDLs

4. Hip abduction

5. Hip adduction

6. Bulgarian Split Squats

Push:

1. Bench Press

2. Incline Dumbbell press

3. Shoulder press

4. Lateral raises dumbbel

5. Overhead tricep extension

6. Tricep pushdown

Pull:

1. Seated cable row (narrow grip)

2. Lat pulldowns

3. T bar row

4. Delt fly

5. EZ bar bicep curl

6. Hammer curl

Core:

1. Ab wheel

2. Plank

3. Side plank

4. Ab crunch cable

5. Cable ab rotation

6. Hanging leg raise

Any advice? I like this routine because it fits my home equipment and I like doing it and am able to stick to it.

Any obvious modifications to make?

Thanks

PUSH

[ ] seated OHP 2x10

[ ] inclin3 bench 2x10

[ ] Dips 2x10

[ ] DB Flies 2x10

[ ] overhead Tri extensions 2x10

PULL

[ ] Assisted Pull ups 2x10

[ ] bent over row 2x10

[ ] dumbell one arm rows 2x10

[ ] dumbbell pull overs 2x10

[ ] preacher curl 2x10

[ ] Barbell curl 2x10

LEGS SHOULDERS

[ ] squat 2x10

[ ] dumbell pistol squats 2x10

[ ] Barbell Shrug 2x10

[ ] lateral raise 2x10

[ ] Reverse dumbell flies 2x10

So for the past 8 months I have been hitting the gym. From doing chest press of 15 lbs each hand to 45lbs each hand today I am proud of where I am right now.
And slowly I am hitting cardio goals of sub 10 min mile runs.
Recently went to a body pump class. I was a bit confident. Then all came crashing down. Felt like cardio with weights. No breaks. Just sweat pain and no real muscle activation. Deadlifts then shoulder push and bicep and lateral raises. All with 5 sec of break. And I was embarrassed I could not keep up with others.
I don’t get it whey I failed so badly? I could do easy 35 lb slow bicep curls but barbell with 20 lbs at max was annoying and painful in that pace.
What is the point of failure here?

I'm seeing gains on just about all muscle groups except my biceps. My father was a pretty muscular dude and still had smallish biceps as well so I'm fairly certain it is a genetic issue. Are there any specific things I can do to maybe get over the plateau and build biceps more than I currently am? My normal routine is PPL and on pull days I will do 2-3 different bicep exercises with 3 sets of 8-12 reps each set. Exercises are typically varying kinds of curls, like preachers curls, incline DB curls, etc.

I have had skinny legs and flabby upper body. An apple shape since I was 15. I've been working out using YouTube videos a couple days a week ,doing pushups , calisthenics and aerobics etc and my physique isn't changing. I've been more incremental instead of pushing until I think I might pass out like when I was in my early 20s however I had much better results while eating like a pig and binge drinking. I try to eat clean and use primarily strength training.

Beacuse i don’t even know what my „shape” is ?? Like i’ve never saw someone with a naturally rounded butt or whatever so i genuinely thought ppl were js making up some bullshit but apparently if you’re a square wchich i might be u got to avoid medius train minimus and all that shit and im so confused cause i do want to round them out like the the ILLUSION (cause everytime i say that some mf comes and says u cant make ur hips wider w workouts like damn im fully aware of that) of the hips being rounded for sure i care more abt that than the size. And holy shit im a total begginer like i never even went to the gym before is it actually that complicated beacuse ARENT ALL GLUTES SQUARE SHAPED?? Fym every girl trains medius and they apparently round out their glutes but ppl keep telling girls w the same exact glute shape as those first girls had before that they cannot train medius cause „ooh hip dips will be more prominent” or some bullshit beacuse yeah my main goal is rounding them out i dont even have typical „hip dips” at the moment even though my hips r not round theyre pretty much straight but what, can’t i do medius exercises cause it’ll make my hip dips more prominent? Looks like a simple thing but i’m so confused? Especially cause i am currently VERY underweight so im not sure if i do store some fat in my hips. Probably not since my mom points out how narrow they are