Help reviewing my routine 🙏🏼
Hi everyone! I’ve been going to the gym twice a week consistently for a few months now. I’d say I’m pretty active overall, but I don’t really want to bulk up my arms or thighs a lot, I just want to look more toned and actually be stronger.
My biggest goals right now are to get strong enough to do unassisted pull-ups (right now I can only manage negatives and some assisted ones) and to lift my legs all the way up for moves like toes-to-bar — at the moment I max out at 90°, so that’s really holding me back. I also do aerial silks once or twice a week, and I practice yoga twice a week too (Ashtanga, about 50 mins).
The routine I’m trying right now looks like this:
Day A: Pull-up negatives – 3×2 (my maximum) Inverted rows – 3×7 Deadlift – 3×8 Step-ups with dumbbells – 3×8–10 Hip thrust with barbell – 3×8–10 Hanging knee raises – 3×10 Straight leg raises (lying or hanging) – 3×10 Triceps push-ups (on knees) – 3×6 Dead hangs – 2×30s Roman chair back extensions – 3×10
Day B: Overhead press (dumbbells or barbell) – 3×8 Push-ups – 3×10 Triceps press machine – 3×8 Sumo squat – 3×10 Leg press – 3×8 Bulgarian split squat – 3×8 Bench abs (candlestick raises) – 3×8 Russian twists – 3×10 Standing marches with weight – 3×10 Planks (front and side) – 3×30s
My main questions: does this look balanced for what I want? Is it too much or maybe too little? Should I switch or swap anything to focus more on functional strength for pull-ups and leg raises, without adding too much size to my arms or thighs? I really want to get stronger but not “bigger”. Also, any tips to keep it efficient so I’m not stuck at the gym for 1h30 every time would be amazing.
Any honest feedback would help so much — I feel like I’m trying to figure this out on my own and there’s so much mixed advice online. Thanks a ton if you read this far!
Posted Jul 4, 2025, 1:16 AM UTC