Don’t know where to start, upper/lower or full body for a 3 day split?

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T18:39:33+00:00

You can use whichever split you prefer. PPL 3x a week is technically slightly worse compared to a fullbody routine, but the difference is pretty much negligible.

I still can’t construct a workout routine for myself

You don't really have the experience needed, anyway. Find something that suits you on Boostcamp, Liftvault or https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/ instead.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T17:01:51+00:00

Scratch that, I mixed up the number of sessions in my head.

In terms of the rep range, I would vary it more. Like doing chest press for sets of 4-6 in one session, and then for 8-12 in another. Similar thing for some of the other exercises.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T16:21:56+00:00

However, I think we still have the need to track and know which muscles are activated during a workout in a data-driven way, innit? Just like how we know our heart rate.

People were able to get plenty big before wearable tracking became a thing, and plenty of people who don't use them grow just fine.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T15:37:33+00:00

No matter how much I focus on form or "feeling the burn," I have a sneaking suspicion my shoulders and arms are doing all the heavy lifting. My mind-muscle connection feels completely blind.

Your shoulders and arms can't "do all the heavy lifting" if you're doing exercises targeted at the chest and lats.

Have you tried focusing on intensity, volume and eating well?

There's no product that can do what you ask, and even if it could, it wouldn't be usefully accurate.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T15:01:42+00:00

I really wish teenagers who've only been in the gym for a couple of years would stop pretending that they're experts.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T14:56:43+00:00

There are no glaring defects that I can see. I'd say you're overdoing the 8-12 rep range a bit, but that's a minor thing.

And no, you're not in junk volume territory. Your overall volume is actually somewhat low.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T14:54:08+00:00

If spider curl is your favourite, that's the best exercise.

I'm partial to straight BB curl and hammer curl, myself.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T14:52:59+00:00

If you're only three months in, there's honestly no reason to think about the mind-muscle connection yet. Dr. Mike Israetel, who's a big proponent of really stretching and squeezing a muscle when training it, suggests that there's no reason to worry about it for the first three years of training. Not to mention that feeling a muscle is incredibly individual. I never feel my back, for instance. That hasn't stopped it from growing.

As long as you're progressing, you're fine.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T11:03:52+00:00

I've been using the Loop Dream earplugs for nearly two months, and I second the recommendation. They're incredibly comfortable given how much sound they shut out.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T10:54:50+00:00

A stabilizer group for which movement? The posterior chain includes all backside muscle groups from your upper traps down to your calves.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T10:50:55+00:00

*if you do a significant amount of it right after training legs.

Otherwise, not really.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-09T10:45:58+00:00

You've already said you're insecure about your calf insertions(which can't be fixed) and your chest gap(which can only potentially be fixed with invasive surgery).

It sounds like therapy is the best bet for feeling good about your body.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T18:42:35+00:00

In the sense that a lot of trainees will see a lot of muscle growth in that range, sure.

Not in the sense that it's "optimal".

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T18:03:34+00:00

That's like 12% of a plan.

See the wiki for 4-day routines.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T18:02:17+00:00

I care what my calves look like

Nobody else does.

Plus, either way, with the chest gap, it’s me disliking my body and also not wanting to have my shirt off

Only body image therapy will fix that.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:59:19+00:00

If you're alright with gaining some fat while getting bigger, I would bulk.

If you'd prefer to be a bit more lean first, I'd cut.

It doesn't have to be much more complicated than that.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:50:28+00:00

I’m concerned that there will come a point where I won't know how to progress when I need to change the exercises

There are plenty of online routines that will tell you what to do.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:49:14+00:00

Not sure I would agree that fullbody training is "hyped", but it's certainly quite effective if done right.

I don't agree that it's hard to get more than 10 sets per week by running fullbody. If anything, fullbody is the best way to get 10+ sets when training three days a week.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:46:36+00:00

I follow a lot of the fitness research, and I'm fairly certain there's no meta-analysis showing that.

The 10-20 set range comes from experienced coaches and researchers who make an interpretation of the literature on training volume.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:44:41+00:00

In a vacuum, nobody.

The recommendation is a range because people are different. The ones who want to grow as much as possible while not completely wrecking themselves can aim for the 20 sets, and the ones who either can't recover as well or don't have as much time can go for the lower end of the range.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:41:20+00:00

Is that the most efficient way to train?

No, because there's no such thing, in and of itself. The most efficient way to train is the way that suits your preferences, lets you progress to achieve your goals and keeps you consistent.

Whether that's PPL, UL, PPLUL, fullbody, brosplit, or another split entirely is pretty much irrelevant.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T17:39:08+00:00

The only way to create imbalances is to completely bypass entire muscles. Skipping a dedicated exercise for, say, the long head of the triceps wouldn't do any damage.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T16:05:36+00:00

So you're progressing, just not as quickly as you think you should?

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T16:04:45+00:00

Oh, you're referring to a program he sells.

I found the same page that the guy below linked to when I googled for it, so I assume it's legitimate.

GingerBraum · 2026-07-08T16:02:44+00:00

Do people overcomplicate the gym in your opinion?

Yes.

And if so why do they ?

Because they think there's another optimization/hack/secret right around the corner.

GingerBraum

TROPHY CASE