This week, I embarked on a brand-new workout program that’s a significant departure from my usual routine. Instead of following one of the RP Superhero programs I’ve relied on in the past, I’m trying a full-body plan with a 5-day split. The big change? I’m stepping away from my usual approach of avoiding repeated exercises in a single week.
Normally, I aim to work all my muscle groups using different exercises throughout the week, thinking that variety might “trick” my body and encourage muscle growth and stimulation. For example, I might hit my quads with high-bar squats on Tuesday and then switch to belt squats on Thursday to target the same muscles in a new way. Whether or not there’s solid science behind this strategy, it’s been my go-to method for years.
This new program, however, includes several exercises that are repeated multiple times during the week. It’s a shift in mindset and approach for me, and I’m curious to see how it impacts my progress as the weeks go on and the intensity ramps up.
Below is a breakdown of the lifts I tackled this week. I’d love to hear your thoughts—drop a comment and let me know what you think about this approach!
Monday
I finished the workout with a 20 minute elliptical.
| Excercise/Sets | Weight | Reps |
| Front Squat (Cross Grip) – Set 1 | 185 lbs | 10 |
| Front Squat (Cross Grip) – Set 2 | 185 lbs | 10 |
| Barbell Good Morning (High Bar) – Set 1 | 115 lbs | 14 |
| Belt Squat – Set 1 | 280 lbs | 15 |
| Belt Squat – Set 2 | 280 lbs | 15 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust – Set 1 | 280 lbs | 10 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust – Set 2 | 280 lbs | 10 |
| Stair Calves (Single Leg) – Set 1 | 223 lbs | 10 |
| Stair Calves (Single Leg) – Set 2 | 223 lbs | 10 |
Tuesday
I finished the workout with a 20 minute elliptical.
| Excercise/Sets | Weight | Reps |
| Dumbbell Press (Incline) – Set 1 | 65 lbs | 15 |
| Dumbbell Press (Incline) – Set 2 | 65 lbs | 15 |
| Dumbbell Skullcrusher – Set 1 | 25 lbs | 11 |
| Dumbbell Skullcrusher – Set 2 | 25 lbs | 11 |
| Machine Flye – Set 1 | 135 lbs | 11 |
| Machine Flye – Set 2 | 135 lbs | 11 |
| Cable Shrug – Set 1 | 65 lbs | 13 |
| Cable Shrug – Set 2 | 65 lbs | 13 |
| Cable Shrug – Set 3 | 65 lbs | 13 |
| Cable Triceps Pushdown (Bar) – Set 1 | 65 lbs | 13 |
| Cable Triceps Pushdown (Bar) – Set 2 | 65 lbs | 13 |
Wednesday
I had to do some slight variations to my workout due to the fact that I was limited to the Gaylord National Harbor gym. I substituted smith machine for Barbell row. I also used some row attachment (not a t-bar) in lieu of the ez-bar attachement for cable curls as they did not have one. It honestly hurt my wrists a bit, but figured it was OK for a one-day substitution. I also skipped the elliptical because I knew I’d be on my feet all day at our SKO.
| Excercise/Sets | Weight | Reps |
| Barbell Row to Chest – Set 1 | 135 lbs | 10 |
| Barbell Row to Chest – Set 2 | 135 lbs | 10 |
| Assisted Pullup (Normal Grip) – Set 1 | 40 lbs | 6 |
| Assisted Pullup (Normal Grip) – Set 2 | 40 lbs | 6 |
| Cable Curl (EZ Bar) – Set 1 | 50 lbs | 11 |
| Cable Curl (EZ Bar) – Set 2 | 50 lbs | 11 |
| Cable Curl (EZ Bar) – Set 3 | 50 lbs | 11 |
| Dumbbell Curl (Alternating) – Set 1 | 35 lbs | 8 |
| Dumbbell Curl (Alternating) – Set 2 | 35 lbs | 8 |
| Dumbbell Curl (Alternating) – Set 3 | 35 lbs | 8 |
| Cable Upright Row – Set 1 | 50 lbs | 8 |
| Cable Upright Row – Set 2 | 50 lbs | 8 |
| Cable Upright Row – Set 3 | 50 lbs | 8 |
Thursday
Because our SKO was Wednesday night, I had a late evening with partners and colleagues, so I chose to skip Thursday and push my workouts to Friday and Saturday. It was a strategic placement of a rest day.
Friday
I finished the workout with a 20 minute elliptical.
| Excercise/Sets | Weight | Reps |
| Barbell Squat (Sumo Stance) – Set 1 | 205 lbs | 13 |
| Barbell Squat (Sumo Stance) – Set 2 | 205 lbs | 13 |
| Barbell Good Morning (High Bar) – Set 1 | 115 lbs | 14 |
| Belt Squat – Set 1 | 280 lbs | 15 |
| Belt Squat – Set 2 | 280 lbs | 15 |
| Smith Machine Squat (Feet Forward) – Set 1 | 235 lbs | 10 |
| Smith Machine Squat (Feet Forward) – Set 2 | 235 lbs | 10 |
| Leg Press Calves – Set 1 | 225 lbs | 15 |
| Leg Press Calves – Set 2 | 225 lbs | 15 |
Saturday
I superset some of these to speed up my time at the gym. For instance, I worked my dips in bettween my shoulder press. I honestly think that’s what led to me only being able to do 5 on my last set. My arms were pretty spent by that point. I also supset the skull crushers and dumbbell curls. Finally, skipped the elliptical on this day because I needed to get my kid to piano lessons.
| Excercise/Sets | Weight | Reps |
| Machine Shoulder Press – Set 1 | 180 lbs | 10 |
| Machine Shoulder Press – Set 2 | 180 lbs | 10 |
| Machine Shoulder Press – Set 3 | 180 lbs | 5 |
| Dips – Set 1 | 223 lbs | 10 |
| Dips – Set 2 | 223 lbs | 10 |
| Hammer Machine Chest Press (Incline) – Set 1 | 180 lbs | 11 |
| Hammer Machine Chest Press (Incline) – Set 2 | 180 lbs | 11 |
| Freemotion Curl (Facing Away) – Set 1 | 25 lbs | 10 |
| Freemotion Curl (Facing Away) – Set 2 | 25 lbs | 10 |
| Freemotion Curl (Facing Away) – Set 3 | 25 lbs | 10 |
| Dumbbell Skullcrusher – Set 1 | 25 lbs | 11 |
| Dumbbell Skullcrusher – Set 2 | 25 lbs | 11 |
| Lying Biceps Dumbbell Curl – Set 1 | 25 lbs | 10 |
| Lying Biceps Dumbbell Curl – Set 2 | 25 lbs | 10 |
| Lying Biceps Dumbbell Curl – Set 3 | 25 lbs | 10 |
| Pulldown (Underhand Grip) – Set 1 | 122.5 lbs | 12 |
| Pulldown (Underhand Grip) – Set 2 | 122.5 lbs | 12 |
Leave a Comment