my latest training split, please critique

[circusgirl]

HI, I've modified the powerlifting split for beginners rom the efsystems website to accomodate a few factors:
1) avoidance of overtraining, as my job, life outside gym etc means that 4 heavy workouts a week are not possible for me with sufficient recovery
2) 3 days split, as I also have karate 3 days a week
3) trying to diet, so strength gains less likely (although I am getting some, due to the newbie factor).

Mondays -
max effort squat. I am doing full squats because I want to get the form on this exercise nailed down before I do any other types of squatting exercise or speed work with box squats. imho I'm still leaning forward too much sometimes and my knees fall inward a bit. I do a large pyramid with this exercise - the purpose of many many reps with low weight is working on the form.

bar only (20kg) - 1 set of 8
Sets of 8 from 30kg up to 50kg putting 5kg on the bar each time, if I can't manage 8 in a set, manage as many as I can with correct form. By 55 I am down to 2 reps per set. I recently have been then going up in 2.5kg increments, 1 rep per set, as far as possible, maxing out, from 57.5kg. Managed 65 last time (just 5lbs under my bodyweight argh).

Also lower back (4X8 hypers with 20kg weight held in hands out front to increase force needed to lift),

abs (5x10 roman chair situps with pause at max tension point), side bends 4x8 as heavy as possible.

Day 2 - bench day. I am currently concentrating on speed for bench day, so 2x10, 3 different grips, speed bench, 45s rest between sets, at 60% of 1 rep max.

I do chest as well -
4x8 fly, 4x8 incline bench with light weight for upper chest.

lats - 4x8 one arm row, 4x8 bent over barbell row.

I alternate the exercises so I do 1 lot of chest, 1 lot of lats etc

rear dealts - bent over lat raise.

day3 - the rest
4x8 shrugs, 4x8 lat raise, 3x8 military press, 3x8 shoulder press.

bis - 4 sets of 6 bicep curls with alternte dumbells

tris - 6x10 lying barbell extensions, 4x8 kickbacks.

I do HIIT after each day, including leg day.

I am getting stronger and losing weight slowly with this and keeping cals to 2k or less. Not discliplined enough to keep carbs low enough for ckd, but I will get there.

Please critique if you see a problem with any of this, as I am open to anything that will improve my lifts (other than cutting out the karate of course!).

 

[spatts]

First, it's not a powerlifting split at all, based on volume and weight. Second, box squats are DESIGNED to teach you proper form. Not something to graduate to after you've taught yourself how to do it differently. Why HIIT on leg day? If you're truly concerned about overtraining? Hitting front delts after chest day may not allow for full recovery of the pecs. Can also lead to over compensation in the shoulder...and shoulder issues down the road. Seems this split would cause overtraining more than the 4 day, due to lack of recovery/healing time between days. Are you doing any AR?

If the split WORKS FOR YOU, that's great. If you are shooting for strength without overtraining in a PL split, this probably isn't your best bet.

 

[circusgirl]

thanks for the input spatts - so you'd suggest I do front delts on chest day? And box squats instead of squats, ok.

Should I reduce the reps for a lot of the other exercises? I'm quite the newbie, so the thing is, I will proably continue to gain strength for the moment on any split, no matter how badly I design it - but I am interested in getting a good split down.

I am doing too many squats I know, because of the form issue. Maybe I should do, say, 3 sets of 10 with the bar only, using the box, for form, and then do the usual ME sets of 3 then 1 reps up to 1 rep max, also with the box? (as "box" there are large 2.5/5kg plastic weight sets around the gym the olympic lifters sometimes use to practice with low weight on the bar and need it at a constant height, no-one uses them much, so I can easily stack a few up as a box).

How should I modify the lower back, abs and lat/rear delts exercises? I can easily move the front delts exercises to chest day.

I put in bis and tris on day 3 as I read here that it's a good idea to do the major muscle groups first in the week then the minors.

Training days are Mon, Tue and Thurs.

I realise I post many asinine questions on here, and I'm sorry if I am starting to piss you off....

 

[spatts]

Well it sounds like you're trying to do Westside in 3 days, and I'm honestly not sure how to pull that off.

 

[circusgirl]

I could do one of the days just before my karate class.... (a non-leg day) - that would be 4.