re: Looking for thoughts on my current lifting routine

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I think trying to limit total lifts and incorporate lifts that hit multiple muscle groups is a great idea.

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Split training, or supersets/circuit training, are great at this. I've been doing a 3-day split program. None of it is super heavy, outside of legs and chest/back. It is a somewhat traditional Push/Pull/Legs rotation. Pretty much the whole workout is done in 30 minutes, with a little warm up time, then 45 seconds of work on each movement and 15 seconds to transition to the next exercise, and about a minute of rest time between each circuit. It is more about time under tension than rep based, so you may back off on what weight you can do so you can keep moving the entire 45 seconds of work. Like I could knock out 10-12 reps of chest press using 55 lb dumbbells, but I use 45s and go slow on the push and the drop to keep constant tension on the muscle. Same thing with curls, I could use 30 lbs, but I'll back off to 20 or 25 lbs and move slowly.

Push day has 4 circuits. All of this is dumbbell based, and each circuit you do two rounds.
First circuit:
Wide grip overhead press
Frontal raise
Triceps Kickbacks.

Second circuit:
Neutral grip chest press
Chest fly
Pushup.

Third circuit:
Push Press (slight squat to overhead press)
Lateral Raise
Overhead extension (triceps).

Fourth circuit:
Wide grip chest press
Skull crusher
Dumbbell pushups.

Legs/core is the second day. It has 3 circuits, starting with legs, moving to core, and finishing with a combo of both.
4 rounds of:
Romanian Deadlift
Squats

Core work is 2 rounds of:
Scissor kicks
bicycle crunches
normal crunches
plank reach

It ends with 2 rounds of:
Goblet squats
Reverse lunges
High plank holds
Forearm side planks. On the side planks you hold one side in the first circuit and the other in the second.

Pull day is the last day.
Two rounds of:
Renegade rows
scissor kicks
reverse fly

Two rounds of:
Biceps curls
Bent over rows
Hammer curls

Two rounds of bicycle crunches
bent over rows, alternating each arm

Last two rounds are:
Cross body curls
Mountain climbers
Wide grip bent over rows



I like how it hits muscle groups from multiple angles/movements on the same day. You've got several different push movements hitting chest and triceps, and several different row movements to hit back and biceps, and different squats/lunges/deadlifts on leg day. Two of the days incorporate core strength movements. The only couple of things this program is missing that I like to do is a pullup type movement, and work for traps and rear delts. You just have to find what you want to do and stick to it. This is just one example. I tend to find a program and run it for a month or so, and find something else to do the next month. I'll do this split for a month, then I might want to find a different type split and do that for a month.