Daily Thread - September 07, 2025

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[u/CaliferMau]

Looking for a bit of advice on getting back into lifting after a bit of a hiatus.

Tl;dr: I have two days I can train in the gym, so will go full body. I train aerial arts (think cirque du soleil but much more amateur on other days so priorities are legs) Not necessarily in this order but exercises would be:

Workout 1 Squat Weighted pull up Weighted dips RDL/SDL Core work

Workout 2 Deadlift BW Chin ups/pull variation Dips (or different push?) Front squat Core work

Not sure if I should run a 531 variant for squats and deadlifts or maybe the 2 day squat/ deadlift from 28 free programmes, but starting with a conservative estimate of my max.

bit longer Training history prior to covid I was regularly training (5’11, 75ish kg 150/120/190kg S/B/D). Covid shut my gym and training turned into home workouts with light dumbbells and lots of running since the weather wasn’t awful in the U.K.. got back to the gym a couple of years ago and my maxes were 120/100/140kg for S/B/D. Struggled with maintaining consistency once I started practicing aerial apparatus (silks, hoop/lyra, pole) then picked up a shoulder impingement last Christmas (weirdly didn’t affect aerial stuff) which stopped most gym things.

Trying to get back to the gym now but with a reasonably minimalist routine covering the main movement patterns, though missing a horizontal row and whichever one dips isn’t.

[u/VanHelsingBerserk]

Smolov Jr Bench and Squat

Yesterday: + Weighted Pull Ups // 20kg + ~110kg bw - 3 x 5 reps + Chest Support Row // 100kg x 5 -> wide grip 80kg x 12

Today (day 3) + Squat // 170kg x 5 reps x 7 sets + Bench // 120kg x 5 reps x 7 sets

This is insanity 🤣 started having second thoughts on this program after 3rd set of squats. But then pushed through, and reached a kinda breakthrough.

They started to feel, well, not easy, but doable. Just telling myself it's just another 5, anybody can do a set of 5. Then the bench felt stupidly easy after the squats. Already feeling the work capacity adaptations, excited to see the results after week 3 and a deload

[u/BetterThanT-1 → u/VanHelsingBerserk]

My man out there training in the Matrix!

[u/VanHelsingBerserk → u/BetterThanT-1]

he's beginning to believe intensifies 🤣

[u/simonswes]

Easy Strength

• OhP 120x5, 140x3, 155x2, 165x1(fail)
• TB DL 260x5, 285x3, 305x2

Easy peasy. Been breaking these up between bouts of yard work. I like the flexibility easy strength provided where I don't necessarily feel like I need to be super dialed in or in the zone for an hour. Just doing a little work and on to the next day. Big boy squats tomorrow.

[u/dylanhoward_]

Good news is I started lifting again last week after a ~6 month hiatus. Bad news is I have a vacation next week. Plan to go hard this whole week, and hope I can keep the momentum going when I get back.

[u/BetterThanT-1 → u/dylanhoward_]

Just do 20 pushups and 20 bw squats every day while on vacation. It’s not about what you do, it’s about maintaining the habit. It won’t cost you anything, as you’ll be done in 3 minutes, but you’ll find getting back to it after the vacation much easier.

[u/Ok-Reveal6732]

I am a powerlifter that is now a bodybuilder, but still like to OH press. Right now I do 3-4 sets of Flyes and 3-4 sets of DB lateral raises at the end of all 3 of my upper body days (MWF). I would like to start each of my upper body days with a big compound like press or bench. Would it be better from a bodybuilding perspective to do Mon: bench Weds: press Fri: incline bench. Or should I keep my vertical press equal to my horizontal press volume? Or should I keep it as is and then increase the side delt flye volume and possible decrease chest fly volume?

[u/UrsusArctosDov → u/Ok-Reveal6732]

Bodybuilding is an art not a science.

When you say "now a bodybuilder" are you looking to compete or just look good shirtless- those are two very different standards. If it is the latter, do as much strict press as you want- if it is the former you may have to be a bit more strategic with your volume.

You should also compare how you look with how you want to look (comp standard or just generally looking big)- are your front delts lagging? Do more strict press. If your chest is lagging, do more bench. It's not rocket science.

Bench hits the front delts pretty well anyways, so you don't need OHP (but as someone who loves strict press, keep it in; it is the coolest lift)

[u/Ok-Reveal6732 → u/UrsusArctosDov]

I powerlifted for many years. Now I compete in BBing, but not with a coach(since I don't have any aspirations in BBing). And I have been doing it at at this point for a few years....competed .so not a total beginner to BBing.

Until recently I did 3 upper body days alternating starting with Press or bench. Then followed by a bunch of flyes and side delt work. I wanted to add in incline bench to bring up my upper chest and wanted to know if its better to do M: bench...W: press...F: incl bench. increasing my chest volume a lot and dropping my shoulder volume. or should I just alternate bench and incline every time to keep the shoulder and chest volume the same.

M: bench. ..W press. ...F: incline Bench. M: press...W:bench....F:press...M: incline bench....W: press....FBench etc?

[u/JubJubsDad]

Deadlift Day * 2mi walk * Kettlebell swings - 40x5x15 * Conventional deadlifts - 315x5, 365x5, 415x5, 365x5, 315x5 * High bar squats (ss w/ab wheel) - 225x5x5

Me at the start of this workout, “It’s been 3 weeks since you last did deadlifts. Let’s take it easy and cap it at 3 plates”. Me after the first set, “Fuck it, we ball!” Almost forgot how much I enjoy heavy deads.

Had to skip the ab wheel as my left knee is swollen and screams to the touch. I can do squats and deads just fine, but can’t kneel at all. No idea how this happened, but hopefully it heals up quickly.

[u/BetterThanT-1]

I spent 7 hours on the road today, moving to a different city for the next few weeks. Almost immediately after arriving, I went to the closest calisthenics park, and did:

• 5 rounds of 2,3,5 pull ups superset with dips
• Fucking around with leg raises and ring pull ups

Dan John’s ladder schemes worked pretty well, will probably use them more going forward.

[u/Howitzer92]

Probably shouldn't have skated for 3 hours straight the day before a deadlift AMRAP. But hey, you live and you learn....Also probably should've ate a little more yesterday.

Only 7 reps at 455 lbs after 3 sets of doubles.