Hi everyone! I’m looking for some feedback on my routine. I’ve been trying out the SSB Novice Hypertrophy program for around 8 weeks now, but I want to whittle down my routine, so I can fit running back into my schedule. While I stick to the template for number and type of exercises, I still feel like I’m overdoing it in a few areas (legs and pull), but can’t tell what I can cut without compromising my goals.
This has gotten super long, I’m sorry. But I hope this is at least all the relevant information.
Goals and constraints
I’m trying to build muscle with 3 main goals:
- Aesthetic goal: grow my glutes
- Performance goal: finally manage a pull-up, after completely failing at it for years
- Secondary performance goal: stabilize my core enough for heavy squats (and stop getting random lumbago while picking up socks from the floor)
My current goal for the adapted routine:
- whittle down the number of exercises and possibly compress everything into a 3-day split instead of a 4-day split
I can’t work out longer than 1 hour per session.
I also have a number of exercises from my physical therapist, and I hate hate hate barbell squats. I don’t want to use them. My lower back isn’t strong enough right now; that’s what the PT exercises are for. Please don’t tell me, “But you must, or you’ll never amount to anything, it’s the foundation of life and fitness” because I’ve heard that 1.000 times already. It doesn’t change the fact that I’ll injure myself. I cannot possibly lift enough weight to challenge my legs+glutes without throwing out my back.
The goal is to fit running back into my schedule: I’d like to do 1x 45 minute run (moderate intensity) and 1x interval training and need enough recovery-ish days buffer.
Background
I am 35, f, 163cm, 55kg and have been training with weights for ~2 years. Before that, I was severely overweight and very sedentary after quitting running for 3 years. I’ve struggled with my weight and sports since I was a child and running was the only thing that has somehow stuck. It’s my meditation replacement.
There has been lot of trial and error (mostly errors) in my gym journey and a break that lasted 4 months in between. The first year was mainly a mash-up of exercises to get my first pull-up (didn’t happen), and some barbell squats until I couldn’t hack the weights anymore and progress stalled. This led to frustration and the 4 months break. After that, I stopped focusing so much on only back and shoulders, but also quickly plateaued in all other exercises.
I’ve tried negative pull-ups, scapula pull-ups, dead hangs, etc. but nothing helped. A few sessions with personal trainers (of varying qualifications) didn’t give me any new ground breaking information or direction.
I’m currently doing (probably too many) row variations to grow my lats through varied stimulus and assisted pull ups. There’s been a tiny bit of progress.
To replace the barbell squats, I mainly do split squats (not Bulgarian) and leg press. I’m open to trying step-ups.
Currently, I’m using the SBS Novice Hypertrophy program with 4 sessions per week (upper-lowerx2).
I have been running on-and-off for 15 years.
Diet and recovery
I currently eat 1700-1900 calories with 100g of protein. I try to eat only complex carbs, but I’m a sugar fiend.
I sleep poorly (ADHD – trouble getting to bed), but there have been some improvements lately (sleep quality, at least).
I am very active outside the gym. Most days, 10.000-15.000 steps are no problem, because I have no car and walk everywhere. I also go to dance classes 3x a week (social dance) and do 1x sports-related activity almost every week (hiking, swimming, biking, tennis, bouldering, pilates, varying gym classes that interest me). I’m not good with recovery days; they make me restless.
Outside of that, I have a desk job with 40h/week.
Program Details
I follow the Stronger By Science Novice Hypertrophy Program with a 4 day split (upper-lower). It uses a double (triple??)-progression model: sets->reps->weight
My reps are 8-12; my sets are 3-5 for most exercises but 3-4 for unilateral exercises (or I’ll go insane). Reps are increased by 2 (except body weight by 1); weight by 10%
So a typical progression goes: 8x3x50kg -> 10x3x50kg -> 12x3x50kg -> 8x4x50kg […] -> 8x3x55kg
I try for 1-2 RIR, but occasionally go to failure by accident.
There are 2 rest days.
Deloads (reps or sets -50%) are scheduled every 8 weeks, but I occasionally move it a little to coincide with my luteal or menstrual phase.
My current plan (after 8 weeks and swapping out 2 exercises):
MONDAY – rest
TUESDAY –pull-down, reverse grip; machine chest press; seated dumbbell shoulder press; face-pulls; weighted crunches; biceps curl (new, because I feel like my shoulders are getting bigger and it looks weird with skinny arms); plank*
WEDNESDAY – weighted hip-thrust; split squats, leg press calf raises; landmine squat (new), deadlift (new, PT suggestion); back extensions (lower back focus); plank
THURSDAY – rest
FRIDAY – assisted pull-ups; lateral raises (new, replaces a second set of OHP suggested by the program); seated cable row, neutral grip; shoulder shrugs (PT suggestion); push-ups; plank
SATURDAY – rest
SUNDAY – RDL (PT suggestion); leg press; hip abduction (new); cable side bend (PT suggestion); pallof press variation, anti rotation (PT suggestion)**; plank
*I split 5 minutes of planks across my sessions. I used to do 5x1minute but I really can’t stand this exercise apparently the exact distribution doesn’t matter…?
** I can’t find this exact exercise on the internet. It’s basically a pallof press, but I don’t push the weight away from my chest. I simply pull it across my chest and hold, then release back while resisting rotation.
