Well it's taken me two weeks, but I've finally had enough time to devote a decent amount of effort to my new program. I've gone almost completely off of what Darkhorse suggested with regards to workouts and timing, as I trust that he knows a heck of a lot more than I do. I'm really struggling with some of the other fine tuning, which is covered in the questions at the bottom. I've put what Darkhorse suggested in bold, and my setup below. So here's frankenstein:

Day 1 you'd do your squats heavy (relatively speaking), then follow that up with MANAGABLE exercise selections. SLDL's, DB presses, dips, a shoulder isolation, and biceps
Day 1: Squat focus
Squats: 3x8 (heavy)
SLDL: 3x8 (not easy, but not max effort)
DB press: 3x8 (not easy, but not max effort)
Dips: 3x8-12
Lateral shoulder press: 3x8 (heavy)
Bicep curls: 2x8-12


Day 2 you'd do heavy bench press, then ease back a bit by lowering the intensity and picking MANAGABLE exercise selections. Hack squats, DB shoulder press, rows, and skullcrushers
Day 2: Bench focus
Bench press: 3x8 (heavy)
Hack squats: 3x8 (not easy, but not max effort)
DB shoulder press: 3x8 (not easy, but not max effort)
Rows: 3x8 (heavy)
Skullcrushers: 2x8-12


Day 3 you'd do heavy deadlifts, then ease back a bit by lowering the intensity and picking MANAGABLE exercise selections. Leg press, chest press, pullups, hammer curls
Day 3: Deadlift focus
Deadlift: 1x3, 5min off, 1x8-12 (heavy)
Leg press: 3x8 (not easy, but not max effort)
DB chest press: 3x8 (not easy, but not max effort)
Pullups: do them every day anyway, probably toss some weighted pulls in on this day
Hammer curls: 2x8-12
Tricep extensions: 2x8-12



I tried to make sure that I was evenly spacing out the max effort sets with regards to timing and what muscle group is being worked. This plan is probably completely jacked, but that’s why I’m putting it up here first. The questions are as follows:

1) The biggest thing I’m having trouble with is determining what I should do for sets and reps. I’ve been told by multiple people to avoid going in with a specific setXrep goal in mind. However, this leaves me with no idea how to determine what I should shoot for, or what I should be doing. I can go by feel to figure out what’s max effort IOT get all of a specified number of reps in, or what’s just a decent ‘volume’ workout, but as far as programming for improvement goes… I need input. Perhaps in a cutting phase a workout should be geared more towards volume? How do I ensure strength gains and ensure that I’m not taking it too easy/too hard?
2) Aside from from DLs and rows, should I be deloading between reps with any of these exercises? (SLDLs and hack squats?)
3) Bi/Tri exercises: I've been on the 2x8-12 program ever since I started lifting a long time ago, in the smaller muscles such as these is it worthwhile to move to a 3x_ program, or switch it around with the 2x's?

Let the roast begin.

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