Finding Lifting Exercises That Are Right For Me

In my Beginner Lifting Journey article, I talked about what I had been doing and what I was planning on doing in terms of my lifting routine. I haven’t been afraid to experiment and try new things/change up my routine, but I have landed on something that works for me right now.

Timing

I lift before work (~8:00am).

• I work a 9-5 job that is hybrid (2-3 days in person/week).
  • Working out in the middle of the day is not ideal because my meeting schedule could differ, which would mean that I wouldn’t have a consistent time to workout.
    • However I want a consistent workout routine, which means that my only possible options are either before or after work.
  • I don’t want to workout after work because I’ll definitely be too tired.
    • I also like to use pre-workout to combat some exercise-induced fatigue so I don’t want to have that much caffeine so late in the day.

I only lift on weekdays.

• I want my weekends to be free, especially because it lessens the burden of a weekend trip and trying to find a gym to get a workout in.
• I do two different full-body sessions twice a week (R-A-B-R-A-B-R).
  • With the more popular PPL split I wasn’t able to have sufficient rest (for me) and also hit legs twice in one week.
  • Session A is basically just Pull and B is basically Push.
    • While Push-Pull order is more popular, I didn’t want to start out my week with my heavy presses and a lengthier session.
    • Order really doesn’t matter all that much, it is just convention.

Exercise Selection

I try to target muscle/muscle groups by one heavy compound and one isolation.

• I don’t want my exercises to be too redundant/fatigue the muscle too much that would require longer recovery.
• Session A
  • Back (Rear Delt Fly, Lat Pulldown, Low Row)
  • Biceps/Brachioradialis (Preacher and Hammer Curls)
  • Forearms (Curl)
  • Hamstrings (Curl)
• Session B
  • Chest (Bench Press and Fly)
  • Shoulders (Overhead Press)
  • Triceps (Extension and Push Down)
  • Quads (Press and Extension)
  • Calfs (Raises)

I try to sequence my movements so that I am not hitting the same muscles two times in a row.

• I like to give my muscles time to rest so that I can lift heavier.

I mostly avoid unilateral exercises.

• Unilateral exercises are best for hypertrophy and muscle imbalances but they do take longer, especially if you are resting in between sides.
  • I also tend to feel more fatigued after unilateral sets although I am not sure if that is supported by science.

I don’t do exercises that don’t feel good to me or are too form-dependent.

• Dumbbell/Cable Lateral Raises hurt my elbows
• Dips hurt my sternum
• I avoid Deadlifts/RDLs and Squats because I am scared of hurting myself and they aren’t strictly necessary for hypertrophy

Equipment Selection

I prefer machines for better isolation.

I prefer pin-loaded machines for easier loading.

• Loading plates is really annoying but sometimes the only option especially at higher weights.

If there isn’t a machine, I try to use cables when possible because there is constant tension.

• i.e. better resistance profile usually

I use the rope attachment for triceps exercises because I find that it is easier on my wrists.

I try to avoid exercises that would need D-ring wrist cuffs because it tends to dig into my skin and hurt.

Reps and Sets

I only do two sets per exercise.

• 2 heavy sets will still be good for growth even if not the most optimal
  • It is on the lower end of the recommendation of sets per muscle group per week, so in some ways, I am sacrificing volume for consistency.
  • 3 sets would probably be optimal, anything else makes me think that you could go heavier and that you are artificially limiting yourself.
• I used to do two sets for awhile, but then got anxious seeing so many people recommend 3 sets per exercise so I caved and switched for a bit.
  • 3 sets of each exercise takes too long and tires me out and also means I can’t do cardio in same session because by the time I’m done with lifting, it’s time to go to work.
    • I could wake up earlier, but that would mean I would have to sleep earlier, which I don’t necessarily want to do.

I lift within the 5-10 rep range.

• My main target is 5-8, but sometimes the weight jump doesn’t happen at 8 and can only really happen at 10.
• This range leaves enough effective reps while allowing me to lift heavy, especially in combination with only two sets.

Cardio

I do cardio after my lifting if I have time.

• A little cardio is better than nothing, especially since I have a desk job where I am not moving around.
• I just wouldn’t do cardio in another session it was too much work to get ready again its the friction it would also be extra laundry to do and i don’t have in unit laundry so that would be an additional complexity
• Cardio killing your gains is an overgeneralization
  • Cardio before lifting would necessarily fatigue me which would be suboptimal.
  • I am running for ~30 mins so my optimal post-workout protein intake window isn’t compromised either

My cardio of choice is incline treadmill.

• I can get my heart rate up if I want, but I also don’t want to cycle because I don’t want to exert my legs too much.