What is nSuns?
Excel sheet can be found here.
nSuns is a 4-6 day program with linear (weekly) progression, focused on the main 3 lifts (squat, deadlift, bench). Each week you do a "1+ set" at your heaviest weight, and based on how many reps you get on that set, it spits out your weights for the following week. It's very high in volume (lots of sets!).
My Stats and Progress
I did two rounds of nSuns. The first round I ran the 4 day program, with an additional 5th day for glute hypertrophy that I just designed myself. The second round I did the 5 day program, and switched out some of the T2 upper body lifts for more upper hypertrophy work, and I also added in a 6th day for glute hypertrophy.
Round 1: January 15th - March 24th (9 weeks - deload on week 8)
Height 5' 8" | Age 23 | Weight Change 136.6 lb ---> 140.6
Squat 130 x 7 reps ---> 165 x 5
Bench 75 x 9 ---> 100 x 2
Deadlift 140 x 11 ---> 195 x 5
OHP ? ---> 65 x 7
Overview Round 1: I really loved this round. It took me 60-70min to do each workout since my weights were lighter and I recovered more quickly. The T2 lifts really helped with my form, and I learned a lot in this time. I was also bulking (I went into maintenance for quite awhile after that) which definitely helped with recovery and energy.
Second Round: June 27th - August 21st (8 weeks on - currently taking a deload then changing programs)
Weight Change 144.2 lb ---> 138.2
(Lowered Starting Weights Since I Hadn't Lifted Heavy in a Few Months)
Squat 150 x 8 ---> 185 x 3
Bench 100 x 4 ---> 120 x 2
Deadlift 170 x 8 ---> 220 x 4
OHP 70 x 3 ---> 80 x 3
Overview Round 2: 6 of the 8 weeks were ran on a cut, so that sucked. Each workout took closer to 90min since I needed longer rests between sets. I enjoyed it, but by the end it felt brutal and my lifts were stalling. If I were to continue, I would just need to deload like the program recommends.
Overall Thoughts
Pros: I love this program because it forced me to lift heavy, and also didn't require me to think about my programming at all, while still leaving room for me to add in the accessories and T2's I wanted. Just the right amount of flexibility. This program really helped me push my limits and fall in love with heavy lifting. It's also nice that there's 4 - 6 day variants, so depending on how many days a week you can train, most people can make it work. My gym also has plenty of power racks, so I never felt bad hogging a rack for a full hour+.
I love this program and will definitely consider returning to it in the future!
Cons: These are long workouts. Even if I timed all my rests, and didn't waste a spare second, by the time I finished my few accessories I was at 90min on my second round. As more of a beginner, it was easier to cut it closer to an hour my first time around, so I don't think the time constraints should be as big of a concern if you're newer to lifting.
This program also just beat me up over time. You definitely have to deload every 6-10 weeks and get enough sleep.
What I'm Going to Do Now
Take a rest week! Ha! Just in the last few weeks I really discovered a love for running and yoga, so that's one reason I'm switching off nSuns, I just don't have the time to be in the gym for 90min 6 days a week, plus run and do yoga. I also just can't recover from that much work.
I'm going to run Jeff Nippard's Glute Hypertrophy program after this. It's 5 days a week, and looks shorter so I think I'll have enough time to do it plus run and do the occasional bit of yoga. (Edit: Review for the Glute Hypertrophy guide and Women's Specialization guide that I ran after this can now be found here!)
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions!