Can someone review my routine and progress? Also am I still a beginner?
I've been working out on and off for 10-15 years, but every year (gone 3 years in a row at the most) I start fresh. Something or the other always happens. Hopefully this year I break the cycle.
I've been working out since the start of the year, January was trial and error since I had lost practice and was doing terrible in gym, I'd count February as the start when I got my form good.
I do PPLPPL then rest for the week. Some weeks I miss the second PPL cycle entirely due to fatigue or life commitments, other weeks I merge the second Push and Pull into an upper day due to the same reasons. I've rarely missed entire weeks, but it has happened maybe 3-4 times with one vacation causing me to miss multiple.
(all the equipment are the standard leading American gym equipment brands, a mix of matrix and hammer strength etc)
Day 1 Pull:
- I'll do supported pull ups, so bodyweight minus 5-10kg (10-20lbs) 3 sets x 6-8 reps. I can do unsupported bodyweight if I'm energetic that day but I've started avoiding because risk of injury and excess fatigue affects the next day.
- Cable curls, 36kg (80lbs~) 3x8-10. I've gone up to 43kg but felt to fatiguing and unsustainable, and couldn't be consistent at the higher weight. Note the machine is probably at some ratio like 1:2 so half, because I can't lift the equivalent bar or dumbbell.
- Lat pulldowns, 43kg (90lbs?) 3x8
- Rope curls (like a hammer curl, but with the rope attached to cable), same everything as cable curls, same reasoning
- Cable row (sometimes chest supported row when my lower back hurts/injured) 36kg (80lb) 3x8-12, can go higher but same experience as other excercises
Day 2 Push:
- Incline Chest Press machine seated, with 30kg (66lbs) plates on each side - 2-3 sets x 6-9 reps. Can use higher weights but recovery doesn't support it and feels borderline injurious with form getting worse, same reason to limit as Pull day excercises.
- Shoulder press, seated at a slight incline with 15-17.5kg (40lbs?) dumbells each hand 3x8-12. I've gone as high as 22.5kg (50+lb) but causes fatigue and affects other exercises the same day and weakness the next day.
- Pectoral Fly/pec deck, I go 5-6 weight holes down 3x10-12, they're unmarked
- lateral raises with the lateral raise machine 40-50kg (100lbs) selected, occasionally replaced with 5-10kg (11-22 lbs) cable raises. Machine is probably at a 1:2 or 1:4 ratio. 3x10-12
Leg day I'll discuss in a future post but I have naturally thick legs so not too concerned, still refining my leg day to optimize for strength and joint health.
Repeat exactly the same for Day 4 Pull and Day 5 Push, might slightly vary the weights around so for example if I did heavier chest on the first day I'll do heavier shoulders on the second day or vice versa within the ranges I mentioned. Or if I'm too tired or feeling my recovery was incomplete or combining into upper day, I'll reduce sets or eliminate an exercise.
I'm about 178cm or 5'11 and weigh 76+ kilos (160lbs?). In the mirror or pictures I'd say I look like a regular skinny fat guy who has never worked out a day in his life.
Posted Jun 6, 2026, 9:25 PM UTC