Help - think in overcomplicating my workouts

[mjdle]

Just as it says really. I've been lifting for about 6 months, initially with a PT but had to drop that when I went to single income hh. Since then I've been watching instagram reels and gradually adding stuff to my workout and it's now way too long.

Could anyone take a look and see where I'm duplicating and what I could drop?

My focus is legs and glutes as they have always been my problem areas. I lost quite a lot of weight last year and bum disappeared plus my cellulite has gotten so bad since entering peri.

Any help or suggestion very much appreciated 🙂

Wow that's way too much. I'm a powerlifter and gave dine other types of lifting. I do 4 or 5 exercises a session. You need good quality reps. Doing as much as you're doing you surely can't be doing good quality reps by the end. You'd be knackered if you're doing them properly.
I'd do 4 or 5 exercises. How many reps and sets are you doing in your program? You should be lifting heavy enough to only be able to do around 8 reps in a set for 3 sets an exercise.

I do 2-3 sets 8-12 reps and have been progressively overloading but thinking could probably do better with less exercises more sets and heavier weights

I know it's gotten crazy and yep I'm exhausted by the end, got myself into a bit of a muddle and don't know what to drop 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Definitely! There's far too much there.

For glute/hamstring day I'd do:
Hip thrust
RDL
Glute biased step ups
Sumo squat
Hamstring curl

All 3 sets of 8. The last couple of reps for each set should be really hard, hard enough that you couldn't do another rep.

Psychologically would it help if you split every day into A and B and for 3 months do A then 3 months of B so you don't feel like you're dropping anything??

Thanks! Will give that a go! 🙂

That's a really interesting idea! I'll take a look and see how that could work

Always change the routine every so often. I work in blocks of 12 weeks before changing the exercises.

I get you want to focus on lower body - that's up to you - but it means all your upper body is squashed together into two days with loads of exercises including some isolation ones - I don't think you have time for that approach.

If you only want two upper body days, I would do both push and pull on the same day and stick to mostly to compound bodyweight (calisthenics) exercises: push ups (including pike when you get strong enough), dips (P bar and bench), pull ups/chin ups (using bands if necessary), inverted rows with different grips. Those moves work lots of muscles together but will leave your legs fresh for the leg-focussed days.

I'd do something like half an hour pull-ups/chin ups plus rows, and half an hour push ups plus dips, twice a week, keep it simple and consistent.

Thanks, that's something g I also struggle with, how you do a split without too many exercises or spending hours and hours in the gym that hits each muscle group enough times.

I've adjusted the number of exercises massively from the feedback but it still feels like a lot 😩🙂

Forgive me for being blunt, but if you are trying to do all of those listed in one session that is completely insane and just a waste of time, as is trying to repeat them without proper recovery time.

You've listed some brilliant compound barbell lifts - if your form on them is good then you can base your workouts around them. If you are barbell squatting & deadlifting properly, every other lower body exercise you've listed is pretty much just a minor accessory to those two and should be programmed as such.

You would greatly benefit from a proper programme, of which there are plenty around - you are miles off at the moment so I'd try and seek some expert advice, even as a one off, rather than trying to do it yourself.

Could you afford an app that has programmes in? From what I'm reading you found too much on Instagram so it got confusing (completely understandable) so now you're asking here but the same thing may well happen as there's so many different answers and ways to approach training. Getting an app would mean you have something tangible to focus on rather than ever shifting programme as you take on more and more ideas.

I'm a powerlifter and luckily I have a coach so just do what I'm told as he has the expertise and knows what is most important for me right now. I see loads of other powerlifters' training on Instagram doing different things so if I didn't have that programme I too might be trying to do a million things. There's so much noise out there, so an app that has done that thinking for you might help.

Yes, you could use the Before the Barbell or Stronger by the Day by Susie Squats, often recommended on here.

The issue is though that they (and other good ones) will be balanced over the whole body (generally considered the best and safest way to train) and you don't want that.

You can't do a real muscle group split with only two upper body days - either do one push (chest tri shoulders done with as compound moves as you can) one pull (back and biceps ditto) or as I suggested both push and pull on both days (so you hit them twice a week - you should progress then without too much DOMS!).

I'd also do core (not just abs) as short finisher to most workouts and vary what I did - there are lots of good programmes for that online too.

So, I bit the bullet and asked my old PT for some advice (he works at the gym I'm at as an employee too so wasn't taking the piss - I just hadn't before as felt bad I'd stopped paying for 1-1) he was super lovely about it and basically reworked my whole plan, kept it to leg focus - he knows that's my problem area - but now I only have 5 exercises max per session. It was pretty much online with what you've all suggested so thanks for the advice 🙂