Am I under training if my main goal is hypertrophy

[davonte20]

With it getting colder outside and work hours being long i've changed my workout plan to suit my lifestyle so I can workout 2 days at home and one day at the park (I run 2-3 days (40-90 mins) per week on non training days). I've also transitioned from only bodyweight (bw) training to bw + some accessory exercises with dumbbells (db) mainly to target my weak spots biceps and shoulders.

Adding my last weeks workout with numbers [ sets x reps x weight (lbs) ]

Warmup (same for all 3 days)

• dynamic stretches + band face pulls
• 2x frog stand (15-20 seconds)
• 2x L sit (3-5 seconds)
• 2x advanced tuck front lever (5-8 seconds)

Workout A (home)

• chin-ups 3x7x25
• ring push ups 3x8x25
• db curls 2x15x25
• db lateral raise 2x15x22.5
• shrimp squat progression 3x8

Workout B (home)

• chin-ups 3x8x25
• parallette bar push ups 3x10x25
• db hammer 2x15x30
• db lateral raise 2x15x25
• shrimp squat progression 3x8

Workout C (park)

• pull ups 3xF (10-13 reps)
• dips 3xF (10-15 reps)
• pistol squat progression 4x8
• bw rows 3xF (12-15 reps)
• diamond push ups 3xF (15-20 reps)

Total Volume (sets)

• Back - 12
• Chest - 12
• Biceps - 4 direct + 6 indirect chin-ups
• Triceps - 3 diamond + 9 indirect push ex.
• Shoulder - 4 lateral + 12 indirect push ex.
• Legs - 10

Progressive Overload plan

• chin-ups - progress from 3x6xN to 3x8xN, increase weight (2.5lbs) and go back to 3x6xN+2.5lbs
• push-ups (ring or bar) - same as chin ups but reps vary from 8 to 10.
• pull ups - making it harder by working on chest to bar, currently at 3x6
• dips - switched from parallel to straight bar dips to make it challenging, currently at 3x8
• bw rows / diamond push ups - maybe i'll add weight but as of now just working to failure
• accessory lifts - first i'll add another set and only increase weight after reaching 3x15

All my workouts take me more or less an hour to finish. So based on all the info do ya'll think I am under training, does my progressive overload plan and choice of exercises make sense?

TIA

 

[hope360]

@davonte20 I’m a hobbyist bodybuilder, hypertrophy is my primary training goal. It’s really difficult to tell you what your doing right and wrong without making this an essay on your post, il try very hard to be brief.

There’s so many more aspects to hypertrophy than volume, like mostly those other aspects honestly. Proper contraction, eccentric speed, fiber stretch, blood pump, enough work load and a diet to support it. If your totally up on all these, more volume IS the next tool to use, but building decent mind muscle connection, focusing on deep stretch and mindful contraction will support hypertrophy with less effort and more effect than increasing volume.

There’s too many variables in mind to continue laying out hypertrophy training like this, many fundamentals are not taken into account. See more on hypertrophy training, or I can answer more questions if you have them.

Edit: fixed eccentric

 

[goodward]

@hope360 The eccentric speed is much more important than the concentric speed. Everything else you said is definitely spot on though

 

[hope360]

@goodward Yes, eccentric, muscle lengthening is what I meant. Il forever mix up the two, thank you for catching that.

 

[bytheway]

@davonte20 I'd add a vertical push like pike push ups or hspus and a horizontal pull like ring rows or front lever rows to your home workouts. Also you should add a hinge movement for your lower body. Other than that, if you're progressing then keep doing what you're doing.

 

[davonte20]

@bytheway Thanks for the feedback. I have been contemplating switching parallette bar push ups with pike push ups so maybe i'll do that much sooner than planned. Hinge movement is a good suggestion too.

 

[ale_xan]

@davonte20 Good workout ! if your main goal is hypertrophy don't forget to increase your protein intake and load on creatine

 

[jah138]

@davonte20 Hard to tell. I'd look for a few things:
- an increase in volume during the last few training years
- an increase in performance
- an increase in weight per week (average)
- close proximity to failure
- slow eccentric, hold stretch, powerful concentric
- a decrease in RIR over the sets

Performance and weight are probably the best indicators of muscles growth, given energy balance is in a small surplus.

As the workout is it can very much be challenging enough.

 

[hollowcreed]

@davonte20 Great workout.

 

[mikerr]

@davonte20 I think you've got a great plan with excellent variety! Kudos.

So based on all the info do ya'll think I am under training

Lmao hard no. Full body three times a week with running on top really is more than most (but not all!) can handle optimally for hypertrophy. If you happen to notice that failure comes later after skipping a workout, i.e. with extra rest, that's a sign you might actually be overtraining. If that's the case but you still just like working out a lot, maybe consider a split programme.

One other thing that stands out to me is alternating weighted chin ups with pull ups. If you want to work on biceps and shoulders, I would drop the weighted chin ups and start every workout with pull ups.

Even though you would no longer be weighing down those biceps, I think the full range of motion could still grow your biceps more. It's not strength you're after in the end. Hypertrophy really likes effort performed at full extension or even a slight stretch. Chin ups don't get close to full extension usually.

Otherwise it's still an excellent advanced programme. I hope you get the results you're after.

 

[davonte20]

@mikerr hey, thanks for the tips. I was training pull ups every workout when I was hitting the park 3 / week. But at home my door pull up bar is not suitable for pull ups hence I switched to weighted chin-ups.

 

[mikerr]

@davonte20 Oh right, that makes sense. Have a good weekend!

 

[soviabef]

@davonte20 I’m gonna keep it as short as I can on what the most recent data points to for hypertrophy. Whatever you’re doing, make sure you’re either at or almost at failure. It’s fine to to have 1-2 reps left in the tank as you finish your set, but if when you’re done if you say I could have done 5 more then you didn’t do enough and you basically did 0 work to help your gains. 2-3 minutes of rest between each set. It feels like an eternity but that’s been found the optimal time needed to clear metabolic waste from your muscles so you can maximize your next set. 2-5 seconds on the eccentric. PROTEIN! 1g per lb lean body weight , 30-40g per meal at least. Make sure you’re getting enough calories in general and not burning them all from your workouts. Can’t build something from nothing.

 

[john0733]

@davonte20 I'd probably consider a bit more movement variety. If the volume is fine for you instead of say 3 sets of pushups and pullups, 2 sets of pushups and pullups, 1-2 sets of dips and rows. Better to get in movements in multiple angles rather than just invest in one movement

Could also cut down some sets for the isolation to make room for more compounds. Don't know if you're pairing sets but if you're not you could try it. For example instead of pushups/rest 3 mins, pushups/90srest/pullups/90srest/pushups.. and so on. You get 3 mins of rest between movements but you're essentially cutting your workout in half, for the most part

 

[iamdayton]

@davonte20 Consider getting a pull up bar with a neutral grip option.

Also consider adding your leg exercises 2-4 sets to before your runs, keeping the blood flow alternating in the upper or lower body depending on the day.

Do dips more than once per week.

 

[jermyn]

@davonte20 What's the goal of your training sessions?