1/18

Full Upper/Accessory

Pre: Carbs + protein 1–2h out (oats + yogurt, banana + eggs) · 500ml water · coffee ok

Post: 30g protein within 45 min (Greek yogurt, salmon, eggs) · carbs · sodium+potassium (high sweat)

Pre: Eat 1.5–2h before · add a collagen scoop (10–15g) + vitamin C for joints & tendons · banana + Greek yogurt, oats + eggs, or rice cakes + peanut butter · 500mL water with a pinch of salt · last coffee by 4 PM

Post: 30–40g protein + 40–60g carbs within 30–60 min · Greek yogurt + banana + honey, cottage cheese + berries, or whey shake + fruit · 8oz tart cherry juice helps with soreness · drink until pee is pale · electrolytes if you sweat a lot

2/18

Warm-up

Band pull-aparts: 1 × 15-20. Hold band at chest height, pull apart while squeezing shoulder blades together.
Band "no money": 1 × 12-15. Elbows at sides at 90°, light band between hands, rotate hands outward.
Cossack squats: 8-10/side. Wide stance, shift weight side to side. Stop before hip pinch.
Gentle active hangs: 3-4 × 10-20 sec. Feet on ground, pull shoulders down. Stop if AC pain.

3/18

Light incline dumbbell press

3 × 10-12

Form: Same as Push Day. 60–70% weight. Cut lockout 2–3" short (AC). Neutral grip if clicking. Focus on mind-muscle connection.
Weight: 60–70% of Push Day — e.g. 12–20 lb per hand if Push Day is 20–30 lb. Quality and recovery over load.

4/18

Incline dumbbell fly

2-3 × 10-12

Form: Bench at 30°. Palms facing each other, elbows slightly bent (~120–135°). Wide arc to chest stretch, return using same arc. 1 sec squeeze at top. Stop before AC discomfort.
Weight: 10–15 lb per hand — lighter than Push Day. This is a second weekly exposure for chest isolation; control and stretch over load.

5/18

Cable row

3 × 10-12

Form: Pull toward lower chest/belly. Scapular retraction initiates the pull. Full extension at front (let blades spread). Don't lean excessively. Alternate grips weekly (close-grip / wide-grip).
Weight: 30–50 lb (stack) — lighter than Pull Day. Accessory volume; keep 10–12 reps strict.
Note: Always row on this day (not pulldown). Pulldown stimulus is well-covered on Pull Day (4 sets). Horizontal pulling is the primary driver of mid-back thickness and directly counteracts forward posture.

6/18

Straight-arm cable pushdown

3 × 12-15

Form: High pulley. Arms nearly straight throughout — movement comes from shoulder, not elbow. Arc from ~ear height down to hips. Lean slightly forward. 1 sec lat squeeze at bottom.
Weight: 20–40 lb (stack). Light enough to keep arms straight and feel the lat — not a strength exercise. Increase only when 15 reps are controlled with a clear lat squeeze.

7/18

Cable face pulls

3 × 15-20

Form: Same as Pull Day. Second exposure per week for shoulder health.

Think "double bicep pose" at the finish. Light weight, hold contraction.
Weight: Same as Pull Day — 15–30 lb; rehab quality over load.

8/18

DB lateral raises

3 × 12-15

Form: Same as Push Day. Delts are slow responders and benefit from higher frequency.

Avoid shrugging your traps at the top of the movement; keep shoulders depressed.
Weight: Same as Push Day — 5–10 lb per hand; form over load.

9/18

Stir the pot on ball

3 × 30 seconds

Form: Forearms on ball in plank. Small circles (dinner plate size), alternate clockwise and counterclockwise each set. Core tight, hips don't sag. Breathe normally.

10/18

Ab Wheel Rollouts (from knees)

3 × 8-12

Form: Kneel on pad. Roll forward in hollow body position, exhale out. Stop when lower back starts to arch — that's your range limit. Squeeze glutes. Pull back by contracting abs.

11/18

Cable Pallof press

3 × 12-15/side

Form: Same as Push Day. Stand perpendicular to cable, feet shoulder-width. Glutes squeezed, ribs down before pressing. Press straight out, hold 2 sec, return with control. Hips and shoulders square throughout — resist any rotation.
Weight: 10–25 lb (stack) — same as Push Day. Quality of hold and zero rotation matter more than load.

12/18

Farmers carry

3 × 40-60 sec

Form: Shoulders packed (down and back) before moving. Short, deliberate steps. Weights don't swing. Imagine string pulling top of head up. Asymmetrical option: heavier in right hand.
Weight: 35–50 lb per hand for 40–60 sec. Asymmetrical option: heavier in right hand (e.g. 40 lb right, 25–30 lb left) for trap focus—stay within pain-free limits.
Variation — Asymmetrical Carry: Hold a heavier weight in your right hand (within safe limits) and lighter/none in left. This forces the right trap to stabilize against the imbalance, creating targeted unilateral overload. Switch sides for balanced development.
Note: Moved from Pull Day. Carries need fresh grip to be effective — after 10+ sets of pulling, grip was the limiter, not core/traps. Wrist rollers placed after for the same reason.

13/18

Optional: Wrist rollers

2-3 × 10-12 rolls (do if time allows after Zottman curls)

Form: Roll weight up (flexion), control descent (extension). One roll = full wind up + controlled wind down. Rest roller on rack at chest height if arms fatigue.
Weight: 5–10 lb total load on the roller. Controlled descent is the stimulus; add load only when 12 full rolls (up + down) are easy.

14/18

Zottman curls

2-3 × 10-12

Form: Curl up supinated. At top, rotate to pronated (palms down). Lower slowly (3 sec) with overhand grip. Rotate back to supinated at bottom. Pause deliberately at the top before rotating. Elbows pinned to sides throughout.
Weight: 10–20 lb per hand — lighter than hammer curls because the pronated lowering phase is the limiter. Progress when 12 reps are controlled with a full 3-sec pronated eccentric.

15/18

Goblet squats

3 × 10-12 (3-4 sec eccentric)

Form: Feet shoulder-width, toes 30–45° out. Weight at chest, elbows inside knees. 3–4 sec descent. Knees out over pinky toes. Stop at any hip pinch (typically just at or above parallel).
FAI safety: Wide stance + toes out = external rotation throughout — avoids the combined deep flexion + adduction + internal rotation that aggravates FAI. Stop if you feel anterior hip pinching.
Weight: 20–40 lb KB or DB. Add load only when 12 reps with 3-4 sec eccentric stay clean and hip-pinch-free.

16/18

Reverse lunges

2-3 × 10-12/side

Achilles active (right, 2026-04-04): Swap to static split squat — set up in split stance, rear foot stationary (no step-back). Drop rear knee straight down; front shin nearly vertical; no push-off from back foot. Eliminates the back-foot drive that loads the Achilles on each rep. Return to reverse lunges when Achilles pain consistently <3/10. See program-critiques.md.

Form: Step back until both knees ~90°. Front shin stays nearly vertical. Torso upright. 2–3 sec controlled descent. Front knee tracks over second toe. Stop at any anterior hip pinch.
FAI safety: Reverse lunges are more hip-friendly than forward lunges — the backward step reduces anterior hip stress because the front hip stays in a less flexed position. Stop if any anterior hip pinch on either side.
Weight: Bodyweight to start, progress to 10–20 lb per hand when 12/side are controlled and hip-pinch-free.

17/18

Seated calf raises

3 × 15-20

Achilles active (right, 2026-04-04): Swap to isometric calf hold — seated, 3 × 45 sec. No dynamic raises until pain consistently <3/10. See program-critiques.md.

Form: Weight on knees, balls of feet on platform edge. Full range: heels below platform at bottom. 2 sec pause at bottom stretch, 1 sec squeeze at top. No bouncing.
Weight: 25–45 lb (machine plate or single DB on knees). Full ROM and 2-sec stretch matter more than load; add weight when 20 reps are easy.

18/18

Optional: Stationary bike — Zone 2 cooldown: 10 min

Same protocol as Push/Pull Day: conversational pace (~60–65% max HR), seat high (hip >90° at top of stroke), cadence over resistance, light hands on bars.