New routine. | Lifting 101 | Forum

I've completed four, nine-day cycles of a split routine that has an upper and lower body split (detailed in another post).  There are a few exercises in this routine where I may still have a little progress left to go, but the overall routine is pretty stale.

I'm thinking about three workouts per week, for just about three weeks and then a one-week break, because I will soon need a break. 

I'm thinking about dividing the exercises I'll perform into three categories:

1.  High-energy, full body

2.  Other Big 7 exercises

3.  Corrective/weak area exercises

I've not yet picked out all the exercises or even how many, but I'd like to try starting each workout with one or two, high-energy, full body exercises.  Then, move on to one, two, or three other Big 7 exercises.  And then, finish up with two or three (lower intensity) corrective/weak area exercises.  Each workout will have completely different exercises but may have some movements that use some of the same muscle groups as the preceding and/or following workouts.

Example:

 Monday- 1. Back Squats (high-energy)  2. Bench press (Big Seven)  3. Overhead Press (Big Seven)  4. Dips (Big Seven)  4. Calf Raises (weak area)  5. Cable, leg-adductor strengthener (Corrective).  6. one-arm, dumbell, rotator-cup curl *This day focuses on upper-body, push movements*

Wednesday- 1. Cleans (high-energy)  2. F. Squats (high-energy)  3. Chins/Pullups (Big Seven)  4. Rows of some type (Big Seven)  5. S-Leg Deadlift (weak area)  6. Reverse hyper extensions (weak area)  7. one-arm, dumbell, rotator-cup curl  *This day focuses on upper-body, pull movements*

Friday - 1. Deadlift (high-energy)  2. Dumbell, lying pullover (my Big Eight)  3. Flyes (weak area)  4. lateral raises (weak area)  5. Incline, reverse flyes (corrective)  6. Cable, leg-adductor strengthener.  * This day focuses on upper-body, swing movements *

My concerns  -  I overtrain pretty easily on a three workout week routine.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to recover enough from deadlift to attack squats or if I've got too many upper body days in a week.  I may attempt this without any cardio for the three week duration, or I may decide to stretch it out to eight days, however, I don't want to do these full-body movements less than once-per-week.

What do y'all think?

I kind of agree with the recovery assessment, based on my own history.  My concern is, however, if I do these high-energy lifts less than once-per-seven days, I'll not have enough regularity to make progress.

I'll keep working on my plan and maybe look at doing two of these per workout, or maybe nix one of these high-energy lifts.