Workout
There is no right or wrong. This is what is working for me right now, I might change it later.
Here is my regimen. I optimise for a few things (I don’t know a lot but these seem important to me):
- There is no goal for my workouts. I don’t think of them having an end goal. I want to keep working out all my life. It is an infinite game to me. There are some intermediate goals I have (a handstand pushup seems pretty cool and a +75% pistol squat too but those are more like checkpoints).
- Gotta keep doing progressive overload which comes in the form of more weight, more reps, or better tempo (slow eccentric and hold at the deepest stretch).
- Optimise for load under tension.
- I do myoreps (only for smaller moments) and lengthened partials. Nothing that will tax out the CNS.
- I want to get as much as I can out of the shortest duration of the workout.
- Stimulus to fatigue ratio has to be optimised. I want to workout, but I don’t want it to interfere with the rest of my life.
- I don’t wanna get huge. I wanna stay lean. I want to play a lot of sports so I want to keep my mobility up. I do wanna get a little bigger in my upper body tho, shirts and polos fit better that way.
- I want to focus on technique, mobility and injury prevention. So, if I can use lesser weight and a slower tempo to really give myself a similar stimulus I will do that.
- Warmups are nothing special. Just get my body warm and then do a few light sets of the muscle group I am going to target and that is mostly enough.
- Nutrition is the key. Having enough protein, taking creatine for recovery and also, getting enough carbs and fats to have the energy for the workouts.
- The training frequency of different muscles is different. My forearms and side delts recover quick so I train them more often. Forearms for the aesthetics and also frisbee and calisthenics, and delts are mostly for aesthetics, so I focus more on the volume for those for hypertrophy.
- I might get into supersets later. But for now this program is working for me. The thing is, a lot of the movements I do are compound movements so I don’t wanna overtax my systems.
- I don’t like a crowded gym. So, I go when there are very few people.
- I don’t cool down a lot after my workouts because I believe that actually reduces the muscle growth.
- If I have the time I also do some zone 2 training after my workouts.
- Tracking: I use the Hevy app to log workouts. Not with super high precision (some exercises aren’t on it), but it keeps me honest with progressive overload.
- Progression model: I use an 8→10 rep progression. I stay at a weight until I can hit 10 clean reps; then I increase the load and work back up from ~8. For assisted moves, I do the reverse (reduce assistance once I reach 10, then build up from 8). I try to progress every session in either reps or load.
- Elbow note: I tweaked my left elbow doing lateral raises wrong earlier. They feel awkward, so I’m dropping the weight and taking higher reps with stricter form.
Push Day
- Incline Dumbbell Press (3x8–10) — Full ROM; biasing upper chest and anterior delts.
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (3x8–10) — Slight bench angle, not fully upright; hits shoulders and a bit of upper chest together.
- Weighted Dips (3x8–10) — Transitioned from assisted to full bodyweight; now adding weight gradually.
- Decline Deficit Push-Ups (3x8) — Feet elevated on plyo boxes, hands on parallel bars for deeper stretch.
- Single-Dumbbell Behind-the-Back Tricep Extension (3x8–10) — Deep stretch focus; slow controlled reps.
- Side delt work and forearm work to finish.
Running for 20 mins (optional — if time permits).
Wall Handstand Hold (3x max time) — This helps me progress toward a handstand pushup.
Removed for now.
Pull Day
- Negative Pull-Ups (3x5) — Overhand grip only; slow eccentrics.
- Machine-Assisted Pull-Ups (3x8) — Overhand grip only; reduce assistance as you hit 10.
- Inverted / Australian Rows (3x8) — Feet flat to start; progress by elevating feet over time.
- Lying Bench Dumbbell Curl (3x10) — Lie supine on a flat bench; let arms drift slightly behind torso for a deep stretch, full ROM.
- Hammer Curls (3x10) — Upright bench; controlled tempo.
- Calf Raises — Slotted between sets during rest (optional).
- Optional: a bit of side delt work.
Chin-Up Isometric Hold (3x max time) — Different grip each time.
Removed.
No dedicated forearm/delt block here because the grip demand is already high.
Also, I know there is good reason to use straps here because my grip does fail before my back does, but I feel that since I want to develop a solid grip strength as well so I will take the tradeoffs for now.
Update: I do use lifting straps now on heavier pulling sets to better target the back when grip is the limiter. I still train grip/forearms elsewhere.
Legs + Core Day
- Deficit Weighted Pistol Squats (3x5 each leg) — Working on right/left imbalance over time.
- Side lateral raises (I like hitting these fresh; also buys legs a little recovery between sets).
- Weighted Shrimp Squats (3x6 each leg)
- Forearm training (volume focus; also a breather before the jump work).
- Jump Squats (3x15) alternated with Weighted max-effort verticals (4x3).
- V-Ups — Increasing reps over time.
- Hollow Body Hold — Increasing time over time.
- Side Plank + Reach Through (2x each side) — Slow and controlled.
Recently, I’ve been playing Frisbee on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. So right now, I’ve shifted to a push–pull–push–pull split on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
I’m not doing a dedicated leg day at the moment because Frisbee itself gives me plenty of lower-body work — sprinting, cutting, and jumping feel more than enough to develop strength and power there. Plus, I want to put more emphasis on my upper body for a while.
I’ve also stopped doing abs for now. I strained my hip flexor a little while ago, and any movement that involves leg raises or hip flexion aggravates it. So I’m avoiding direct ab work until that’s completely healed.