Trying to buff out training regimen

[ChickenLegs]

From when I was 16-19 I tracked every single workout in an excel document, rarely changing movements and putting all of my energy into progressive overload. Last year I switched gyms and had new machines to work with, because of this I had to adapt for things I was missing or remove things to allow for the new better machines. Because of this, I haven’t been as consistent with how I am training and I have been struggling with progressive overload because I change up the movements I’m doing every so often.

This is my current split:

Push:
Chest:
Hammer strength flat bench - (12, 10, 8, 12)
DB Incline bench - (8, 8, 6)
Cable flies - (5 x 10-15)
Triceps:
Close grip extensions - (4x8-12)
Overhead single arm cable extension - (3-4x12)
Single arm tricep extension - (3-4x12)
Front / lateral delts (This is my most inconsistent for movement selection)
Lateral raises: 5x12
Overhead press: 4x12

Pull:
Back:
Landmine rows - (12, 10, 8, 10)
Cable lat pullovers - (4x10)
D handle high cable row - (4x12)
Kneeling single arm lat pulldown - (4x10)
Biceps / forearms:
Hammer curls - (4x12)
DB Wrist curls - (3x16)
Preacher curls - (3x8-10)
Reverse EZ bar curls - (4x12)
Rear / lateral delts:
Lateral raises - (4x12)
Cable RDF - 4x12

Leg day: This is definitely in need of help
Lowbar squat - (5, 5, 5, 3)
Pendulum squat - (2x12-16)
Calf raises - (4x15)
DB RDL’s - (3x8)
Hamstring curls - (4x12)
Adductor/ Abductor machine - (3x12 inner, 3x12 outer)
Quad extensions - (4x12)

Out of all of that, I think my main problems are:
1. My leg days leave me constantly out of breath making it hard to complete them (maybe a cardio issue)
2. I feel like since I’m doing my shoulders at the end of workouts they’re very underworked. I used to DB press the 80’s for sets of 10 and now I usually struggle to get the 50’s after a whole cheat workout
3. I feel like I should incorporate more drop sets but I am unsure where to incorporate them
4. I feel like my leg day movement selection is sub-par and could be better (I don’t have a hack squat) so I am always changing it, therefore making it hard to make progress
5. Cable flies often hurt my rotator cuffs so I have to cut them short, unsure why this happens. All movements I do every day I focus on a slow eccentric to avoid injury and get the most out of each rep.

Any feedback is appreciated

 

[CJ]

Out of all of that, I think my main problems are:
1. My leg days leave me constantly out of breath making it hard to complete them (maybe a cardio issue)

Probably a cardio issue, but leg training is hard.

2. I feel like since I’m doing my shoulders at the end of workouts they’re very underworked. I used to DB press the 80’s for sets of 10 and now I usually struggle to get the 50’s after a whole cheat workout

You could try putting shoulders first for awhile, or maybe riststing separate A + B push days, where one is chest first, the other is shoulders first.

3. I feel like I should incorporate more drop sets but I am unsure where to incorporate them

If you try intensity techniques, try them on the very last set of the very last exercise for a body part. Don't add too many in at once, I'd start with only 1 and see how it goes.

4. I feel like my leg day movement selection is sub-par and could be better (I don’t have a hack squat) so I am always changing it, therefore making it hard to make progress

Those are solid movements. I'm jealous that you have a pendulum squat!!!

5. Cable flies often hurt my rotator cuffs so I have to cut them short, unsure why this happens. All movements I do every day I focus on a slow eccentric to avoid injury and get the most out of each rep.

Don't do anything that causes pain. Try leaning away a bit from the cable stack, and/or setting the pulley at a higher/lower location as it changes the force curve slightly. Or try DBs or a machine.

Any feedback is appreciated

 

[Test_subject]

You’re going to get some hard tendinitis doing that much curling.

I’d drop half of your curls (you do not need wrist curls, I guarantee you) and substitute the high cable pulls for chins. That maintains the bicep work and gives you another vertical pull component for your back movements.

 

[Trendkill]

You should regularly be changing exercises so this is good that you need to adapt at your new gym. Your body will eventually not get enough stimulus from the same routine over and over again even with progressive overload. Have a rotation of exercises you can work through for each bodypart. Use one until you are no longer making progress then drop it for awhile and switch to something else. When that one stops move to another one. By the time you cycled through you can go back to your original exercise again and make new progress.

 

[BiologicalChemist]

looks solid

 

[ChickenLegs]

Probably a cardio issue, but leg training is hard.

You could try putting shoulders first for awhile, or maybe riststing separate A + B push days, where one is chest first, the other is shoulders first.

If you try intensity techniques, try them on the very last set of the very last exercise for a body part. Don't add too many in at once, I'd start with only 1 and see how it goes.

Those are solid movements. I'm jealous that you have a pendulum squat!!!

Don't do anything that causes pain. Try leaning away a bit from the cable stack, and/or setting the pulley at a higher/lower location as it changes the force curve slightly. Or try DBs or a machine.

Thank you so much, that’s incredibly helpful. The cable suggestion is interesting I’ll try that on my next chest day. Honestly everything you mentioned I’ll put in, liking the idea of drop sets at the end of each muscle and putting shoulders first.

 

[ChickenLegs]

You’re going to get some hard tendinitis doing that much curling.

I’d drop half of your curls (you do not need wrist curls, I guarantee you) and substitute the high cable pulls for chins. That maintains the bicep work and gives you another vertical pull component for your back movements.

Understandable, I just added in the wrist curls as my forearms are slacking and I don’t do many movements that require grip so they’re rarely trained. I appreciate your feedback I didn’t realize I was going that far over on curls

You should regularly be changing exercises so this is good that you need to adapt at your new gym. Your body will eventually not get enough stimulus from the same routine over and over again even with progressive overload. Have a rotation of exercises you can work through for each bodypart. Use one until you are no longer making progress then drop it for awhile and switch to something else. When that one stops move to another one. By the time you cycled through you can go back to your original exercise again and make new progress.

Absolutely, I need a more solid system for knowing I’ve stopped progressing. Will work on that. Thank you

 

[RiR0]

That’s a lot volume which in turn is gonna be a lot of junk volume.

Also yes if you’re too out of shape to complete your sessions then you’re too out of shape.
Sounds like you’re probably not recovering properly. More isn’t better.
Could also be a nutrition issue.
When is the last time you took 7-10 days off completely?
You could get better results do much less.

Also stop doing stuff that hurts. You don’t have to have flies.
You don’t need so much isolation work yet.

 

[RiR0]

You should regularly be changing exercises so this is good that you need to adapt at your new gym. Your body will eventually not get enough stimulus from the same routine over and over again even with progressive overload. Have a rotation of exercises you can work through for each bodypart. Use one until you are no longer making progress then drop it for awhile and switch to something else. When that one stops move to another one. By the time you cycled through you can go back to your original exercise again and make new progress.

That’s exactly what I do. There’s some movements I’ve been able to beat in the ground for months and others I’d get 3-4 weeks out of.

 

[Trendkill]

That’s exactly what I do. There’s some movements I’ve been able to beat in the ground for months and others I’d get 3-4 weeks out of.

I'm the same way. I find the heavier I go on a movement the more frequently I need to rotate it. For the lighter stuff I can go for months but I usually change it up sooner just for fun.