Thoughts on this updated workout routine?

I am 36M and have been working out for a little bit but have been wanting to change my routine. I have been following a routine for a few years that honestly doesn't seem as effective. I workout 4 days a week and my days consist of 10-12 exercises at 3 sets each. I believe I have been overexerting myself and not reaping the rewards of it. To the point that I skip ab and cardio workouts because of how exhausted I am. I decided that I want to decrease the number of exercises per day and change things up.

I decided to try out ChatGPT and shared my current regimen, goals, meals, and had it craft a workout plan for me. This is my first time using ChatGPT for something like this so I want to see if it actually did craft a decent plan and if following it would hit everything I need. It did build it to focus more on compounding exercises and to hit muscle groups twice a week.

It also included 2 rounds of 3 core exercises and 15 minutes of moderate cardio after each of my 4 workouts. Here is the lifting routine:

Monday (Upper A - Push)
- Incline Barbell Bench - 4 x 6-8
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Seated) - 3 x 8-10
- Flat Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 x 8-12
- Cable Lateral Raises - 3 x 12-15
- Overhead Cable Triceps Extension - 3 x 10-12

Tuesday (Lower A - Glutes/Hamstrings)
- RDLs (Barbell or Dumbbell) - 4 x 8-10
- Walking Lunges (Dumbbells) - 3 x 10 per leg
- Hip Thrust (Barbell or Machine) - 3 x 10-12
- Lying or Seated Leg Curl - 3 x 12-15
- Standing Calf Raises - 3 x 15-20

Wednesday (Upper B - Pull)
- Barbell Bent Over Rows - 4 x 6-8
- Pull Ups or Lat Pulldowns - 3 x 8-10
- Chest Supported Row or T-Bar Row - 3 x 10-12
- Dumbbell or EZ Bar Curls - 3 x 10-12
- Reverse Pec Deck or Rear Delt Cable Fly - 3 x 12-15

Thursday (Lower B - Quads/Strength)
- Back Squats - 4 x 5-7
- Leg Press - 3 x 10-12
- Goblet or Hack Squats - 3 x 10-12
- Leg Extensions - 3 x 12-15
- Seated Calf Raises - 3 x 15-20

I am not good at building my own routine as I end up wanting to do more and more. How does this plan look overall and is there anything I should change or switch out?

Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Posted Aug 5, 2025, 10:15 PM UTC

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