My Workout Plan: PPL Delt-led (Block 1)

my new training block, rebuilt from 12 weeks of logged parts-split data — what stayed, what changed, and the volume math behind it

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Day 1: Push A · Delt-led

#ExerciseSets x RepsRemark
W1Band Pull-apart (rear delts)2 x 15-20warm-up trio 1/3 — cuff prep, not working sets
W2Cable Face Pull2 x 12-15warm-up trio 2/3 — light and strict, pause at the face
W3Cable External Rotation2 x 12-15warm-up trio 3/3 — shoulder check: any pinch = flag it before pressing
1Dumbbell Shoulder Press (front/side delts)4 x 6-10key progression lift of the block, seated
2Smith Incline Press (upper chest)3 x 6-10restart weight, RPE ≤7 wk1–2
3Cable Single Lateral Raise (side delts)4 x 12-20constant tension, no swing — delt gap is target #1
4Cable Overhead Tricep Extension3 x 8-12long-head stretch slot
5Cable Rope Tricep Pushdown2 x 10-15squeeze the lockout
6Hanging Leg Raise (abs)3 x 10-15abs logged like a lift

Day 2: Pull A · Width

#ExerciseSets x RepsRemark
1Cable Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown (lats)3 x 6-10width slot — chest tall, no torso heave
2Chest-Supported Row (mid-back)3 x 8-12chest stays on the pad, strict
3Machine Reverse Fly (rear delts)3 x 12-15rear-delt shelf — baseline showed none, pause every squeeze
4Dumbbell Seated Incline Curl (biceps)3 x 8-12stretch-position curl, shoulders pinned
5Machine Curl (biceps)2 x 10-15back-off volume, double progression

Day 3: Legs A · Quad

#ExerciseSets x RepsRemark
1Smith Heel-Elevated Squat (quads)3 x 5-8key lower lift — restart load, RPE ≤7 wk1–2, film once
2Leg Extension (quads)3 x 12-18quad detail, pause at the top
3Seated Leg Curl (hamstrings)2 x 8-12first of two weekly ham hits
4Standing Calf Raise (calves)3 x 8-12full stretch, pause, no bouncing
5Machine Hip Adduction2 x 10-15accessory — quality reps, don’t chase load

Day 4: Rest + Posing

no lifting. posing practice lives here — that’s a skill with a deadline too.

Day 5: Push B · Chest-led

#ExerciseSets x RepsRemark
W1Band Pull-apart (rear delts)2 x 15-20warm-up trio 1/3
W2Cable Face Pull2 x 12-15warm-up trio 2/3
W3Cable External Rotation2 x 12-15warm-up trio 3/3 — shoulder check
1Machine Flat Press (chest)3 x 8-12chest-led day: press first — restart weight, RPE ≤7 wk1–2
2Machine Shoulder Press (delts)3 x 8-12second delt press of the week — machine is tendon-friendlier
3Pec Deck (mid chest)2 x 12-15stretch + squeeze, constant tension
4Cable Single Lateral Raise (side delts)7 x 12-15FST-7 — ~30s rest, constant tension, weekly weak-point finisher
5JM Press (triceps)3 x 10-15tricep mass slot, elbows tucked
6Cable Crunch (abs)3 x 10-15abs logged like a lift

Day 6: Pull B · Thickness

#ExerciseSets x RepsRemark
1Cable Lat Pulldown (lats)3 x 8-12close/neutral grip — width slot belongs to Pull A
2Cable Wide-Grip Seated Row (mid-back)3 x 8-12thickness slot — drive elbows back
3Cable Archery Row3 x 12-20unilateral — even reps both sides
4Dumbbell Shrug (traps)3 x 10-15baseline read: minimal traps — pause at the top
5Hammer Curl (brachialis)3 x 8-12forearm / arm-width slot
6Cable Bayesian Curl (biceps long head)2 x 10-15long-head stretch curl, strict

Day 7: Legs B · Posterior

#ExerciseSets x RepsRemark
1Romanian Deadlift (hams/glutes)3 x 6-10hinge, not squat — restart load, RPE ≤7 wk1–2, film once
2Lying Leg Curl (hamstrings)3 x 8-12second ham hit, slow negatives
3Hip Thrust (glutes)3 x 8-12full lockout, pause at the top
4Bulgarian Split Squat3 x 8-12unilateral — quality over load
5Seated Calf Raise (soleus)3 x 10-15pause the bottom stretch
6Machine Hip Abduction (glute med)2 x 10-15side-glute fullness, controlled

Weekly Volume Overview

direct working sets per week (warm-up trio and indirect work counted separately):

MuscleDirect setsNotes
Side delts114 lateral + 7 FST-7, plus 7 pressing sets indirect — the bill for the delt gap
Rear delts3plus 12 light warm-up-trio sets across both push days
Chest83 of them upper-chest
Back (lats + mid)15width on Pull A, thickness on Pull B
Traps3plus rows indirect
Biceps10plus 6 pulldown sets indirect
Triceps8plus 7 pressing sets indirect
Quads9squat, extension, split squat
Hamstrings8hit twice a week, never same-day heavy
Glutes3direct (hip thrust) — RDL + split squat indirect
Calves6gastroc + soleus split across leg days
Abs6logged like lifts
Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 5Day 6Day 7TotalQuadChest&BackArms APosteriorBack&ChestArms BWeeklyUpper chest3Mid chest2-33Lower chest22Lats33Mid back2-33Upper back22Quads63Hamstrings25-6Glutes9Calves32-3Side delts42Rear delts32Biceps65Triceps6535-6465-6497-895-66511110 sets9 setsvolume (sets/week)

in april i published my parts split plan, and last week i closed it out with a 12-week retrospective. this post is the third piece: the rebuild.

block 1 — official name PPL Delt-led (Block 1) — starts 2026-07-13 and runs ~10 weeks to late september. it’s the first block of a longer runway: the goal at the end of it is a stage, not a mirror selfie. and this time the container did change — the parts split is out, a 6-day push/pull/legs ×2 is in. everything the retro found is built into how it runs:

  • delts are debt #1. every push day opens delt-first, laterals live twice a week (one of them an FST-7), and side delts get 11 direct sets — the single biggest line item in the plan.
  • the shoulder gets managed, not tested. every press day starts with a rear-delt/cuff warm-up trio, pressing order is tendon-neutral, and weeks 1–2 are capped at RPE ≤7. any pinch gets flagged before the working sets, not explained after.
  • working weights are written into the plan. every exercise carries its last known working weight, so week 1 starts from data instead of guessing.
  • day 4 is still not just rest. posing practice lives there, because that’s a skill with a deadline too.
  • stricter judging. every session logged in the same system the last 12 weeks live in; “beat last week” is checked against same-gym entries only; photos get re-shot mid-august; and week 10 (~mid-september) is the checkpoint — photos vs the july 12 baseline, delt-proxy review, and the verdict that decides whether block 2 gets written arm-biased.

the parts split taught me that a plan is a container, not a promise. this container is new — and the deadline is harder.

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