Review my Program?

[sharkbait13]

Feel free to skip the background if it is too much

Background​

• 40 y/o male
• 6'2", 225 lbs (highest weight I've ever been) and 25% body fat (according to the InBody machine)
• I've been athletic in the past mostly endurance/cardio stuff
• I've weight lifted in the past, but have only taken it seriously since November
• We eat very healthy and cook almost all our own meals. I'm using a protein powder to supplement alongside vitamin D3
• At the gym 4 days a week
• Goal: strength & core stability

Injuries

L5/S1 herniation

• I will not do high bar squats at all, for now
  • preferring goblet squats and machines
• I will not do traditional deadlifts, for now
  • preferring barbell RDLs (but have none in my program right now, only single leg KB RDLs)

FABER Test

I self administered a faber test and my left hip has poor external rotation compared to the right. My right side QL (I believe) is overcompensating as a result. Because of this I am trying to focus on fixing my side to side issues before doing barbell squats and deadlifts.

Additionally I did one of those tests where you lay on your belly and raise each arm in front of you. My right arm can not raise as much as my left.

Progress

My bench went (reps) from 95lbs in late November to 165lbs. I'd like to get to 2 plates and then maintain until my strength inevitably declines.

Program​

Day 1​

Chest, Shoulders & Lats

• Chest stabilization warmup (prevent one side from sagging)
• Bench Press (70% RPE, 2 sets 8 reps, then AMAP)
• Incline Press
• Row cable pulls

Core Stability / Abs

• Single Side Slow Arm Carries
• Reverse Hyperextension

Legs - Quads, Hamstrings & Glutes

• Side Airplane to open up hip
• Leg Press
  
  very very slow and controlled
  • warm up: 1 plate, 1 set, 12 reps
  • working: 2 plates, 2 sets, 12 reps
  • feeling good: 3 plates, 2 sets, 8 reps
• Belt Squat
  
  I've not actually done this yet
• Leg curl machine

Day 2​

Chest, Shoulders & Lats

• Chest stabilization warmup
• Bench Press (75% RPE, 2 sets 6 reps, then AMAP)
• T Bar Row
  
  having trouble getting good engagement
• Pec Dec
  
  amazing engagement on both, love it

Core Stability / Abs

• Single Side Slow Arm Carries
• Reverse Hyperextension
• try: Gymnast Ab Tuck (from Athlean-X)
  
  Basically like leg raises, but much simpler

Legs - Quads, Hamstrings & Glutes

• Side Airplane to open up hip
• Single leg RDLs w/a KB
  
  unbelievably difficult, I use the smallest KBs I can find
• KB Swings (hams and glutes)
• DB Bulgarian Split Squats (Quads + Core)
  
  haven't started doing these yet

Day 3​

Chest, Shoulders & Lats

• Chest stabilization warmup
• Bench Press (80% RPE, 2 sets 4 reps, then AMAP)
• Machine Press?
  
  I've only done machine press one time and I felt amazing tricep engagement. Am considering working it on on this day since the volume is so low... might be "junk volume" though?
• Skull crushers?
  
  Might be too extra? I love the exercise

Core Stability / Abs

• Single Side Slow Arm Carries
• Reverse Hyperextension
• maybe? Side Planks
  
  haven't worked this in yet, am thinking about it

Legs - Quads, Hamstrings & Glutes

• Side Airplane to open up hip
• Single leg RDLs w/KB
• Hack Squat?
  
  haven't done this yet, am thinking about it
• Leg curl machine

D4 (Bonus / Swim Day)

My kids come to the gym with me on Fridays for swim class. While they are in class, I go upstairs for a quick session ~45-50 minutes

• Leg Press
• Reverse Grip Ez Bar Curls (Forearms)
  
  I liked having big forearms when I used to rock climb, and I think this will improve my grip strength
• Ez Bar Curls (Biceps)
  
  Since I'm already holding the darn ezbar
• Pull Ups?
  
  Haven't started doing them yet...but maybe? or dips?
• Lateral raise?
  
  Haven't started doing them again yet, but maybe if I have time?

----

Okay, so basically I don't have a bro split or PPL going on. I feel like these are all full body work outs. I know my workouts are overly centered on upper body when my injuries are lower body, so I'm trying to address that, but I think I need to do it slowly by addressing the stability issues first - hence the carries and the single leg RDLs.

All this said, very much looking for feedback.

 

[jimhempel]

@sharkbait13 Is your refusal to do squats and deadlifts out of fear or do they cause pain?

I herniated my L4-L5 and my L5-S1 (falling off a roof). I reset to low weight and built up slowly but after 2.5 years, both of those lifts are stronger than prior to injuries. I also think they were pretty instrumental in my recovery and strengthening of the injury sites.

Other things:

-RPE is what defines how many reps you do. AKA, if you do RPE 8, you would do as many reps as it takes until you feel like you only have two left in the tank that set. You don't set a RPE then set a rep amount. If you want to define a set number of reps. Then do the intensity (the weight) as a % of your 1RM (or 3 RM).

-You have only like 1 exercise for shoulders, incline bench (and its a partial shoulder).

-Reverse Hypers are a great posterior chain exercise (which would help your herniation) but I'm not sure if they are a great "core" exercise.

-For someone starting out, lots of isolation movements.

Overall:

This one, while it might work, is pretty disjointed. I'd say find a reputable starter program and follow it, but might have to get over the squat and deadlift thing.

This is just my opinion though!

 

[lanman87]

@jimhempel Just seconding that I had a bad back in my early thirties and was super freaked out by the idea of squats and deadlifts.

Started with the bar and never had any issues, my back is never an issue these days.

 

[sharkbait13]

@lanman87 I can deadlift properly and squat well, very low, full ROM. I just don't enjoy it because I'm nervous about injury.

Last time I deadlifted (few weeks back) very low weight (60 a side, so 165 lb total)

I'm happy to do low weight like that, but am exploring squat alternatives like belt squat and hack squat

As for deadlift, I think the majority of the issue is going to be the initial pick up. I've got decent form on that, but I'm concerned that as I go up in weight, picking up from the floor is going to be an issue for me, so I'm going to do RDLs which get picked up from the safety bars on a power rack instead