Balancing Growth as the Routine Evolves#1478

Following up on my previous routine questions:

I’ve been following the Hybrid Routine as written and have gotten to the point that it is longer now because I’m implementing the suggestions in the notes (e.g., keep horizontal pulling/rows after arriving at vertical pulling), and I’ve been working in vertical pushing following Lars’ recommendations from my last question. Due to recovery needs and time constraints (with a little one) while trying to maintain volume, here is what my current workout schedule looks like:

Day 1:
(3) Pull-ups, (2) squats
(2) Close Pushups, (2) rows

Day 2 and 4:
Bridges, leg raises, twists

Day 3:
(3) Pikes, (2) hamstring slides or Single leg deadlifts
(2) rows, (2) Close pushups

Day 5:
(2) Squats, (2) pull-ups
(2) slides or SLDL, (2) pikes

I tried to make it full body 3x a week with a shifting emphasis on pulling, pushing, and legs per day. Days 1, 3, and 5 are alternating sets. For example, day 1 would start with pull ups > 90s rest > squats > 90s rest. This would be doing 3 sets of pull-ups and 2 sets of squats. Then after the third set of pull-ups, I’d be resting at least 180s before starting the second pair in the same format (2 sets of close pushups and 2 sets of rows).

My questions are:
Looking at this routine, I feel like I could really take out the slides and single leg deadlifts (bodyweight) and make bridging my hamstring work on days 3 and 5, but I’m unsure of how effective that would be for keeping that muscle group in balance with quads (via squat progressions). Does the bridge progression continue to challenge the hamstrings in a way that facilitates growth comparable to the way the squat progression facilitates quad growth?
Kind of counter to question 1, I felt iffy about moving hanging leg raises to days 2 and 4 since I was trying to keep the hybrid routine as intact as possible. I was just concerned that if I kept them paired with pushups, that would mean that day 3 would have them before rows (which would affect rows since they feel like a long lat stretch in addition to the strength requirements for core) and day 5 would have them after pull-ups (which would mean my hanging would tire before my core did). In my routine above, do leg raises make sense where they are, or should they be moved? Do you see any general changes I might try to get a more balanced routine?

If you made it this far, thank you SO much for how helpful you’ve been and continue to be!

Accidentally made another account instead of posting this in the account I already had, sorry! Got my email addresses mixed up. This post was written by me (Turtle)

Heya! Chrys here, one of the trainers at Hybrid. I had to really think on this. Heres what I came up with. Your routine is well-structured and thoughtful, especially in terms of balancing push, pull, and leg work throughout the week. Regarding your first question, replacing single-leg deadlifts or hamstring slides with bridges could work effectively if you focus on progressing through the bridge variations (e.g., straight bridges to full bridges). Bridges challenge the hamstrings and posterior chain significantly, particularly in the advanced progressions. However, they may not target the hamstrings with the same unilateral emphasis as single-leg deadlifts or slides. If your goal is to keep hamstring and quadriceps development balanced, consider incorporating advanced bridge progressions (like single-leg bridges or elevated bridges) or maintaining one set of hamstring-specific exercises, such as single-leg deadlifts, to ensure balanced growth.

As for the placement of hanging leg raises, your reasoning is solid for moving them to days 2 and 4. Keeping them separate from rows and pull-ups avoids unnecessary fatigue from prolonged hanging, which could detract from the quality of your upper-body pulling exercises. In their current position, they are less likely to interfere with other compound movements, allowing you to target your core more effectively without sacrificing performance elsewhere. This placement makes sense and aligns well with your overall routine.

For general adjustments, consider occasionally incorporating some unilateral leg work (e.g., pistol squat progressions or Bulgarian split squats) to ensure balanced development between your legs and to add variety to your routine. Additionally, you might want to evaluate your rest times periodically. While your alternating sets and rest intervals are well-planned, adjusting rest times for heavier or more advanced movements could help optimize recovery and performance as you progress.

Everything else seems solid! Great integration so far!

I really appreciate this detailed answer, Chrys! I will take that to heart about rest times. I’ve noticed I need to give myself a bit more rest when pairing heavy (for me) compounds like squats and pull-ups, so I’m glad for that confirmation and will put it into practice.

For the bridging/hamstring answer: Since I’m only at the first step of incline bridges now and am at stagger squats on quads, would a good implementation of what you mean be to just add one set of unilateral hamstring work after (2 sets of) bridges, or would I need to add a set of bilateral squat work (like narrows or horse stance) as well to balance it out?

Thanks again for the great answer and kind words!

Edit: clarity

Of course! Glad to help! In answer to your followip question, id go for the unilateral option as balance is always a welcome addition to the equation!