My training program for my second cycle. Help me improve it!

[Necessary Evil]

I would like to hear your thoughts regarding the training program I decided to go, along with my second cycle, which will happen at around 3 months from now [gotta recomp/cut first]. I decided to go with a more 'scientific approach' than the usual bro split program and train each bodypart 2x per week instead of 1x per week. As a general plan, I will use the following template as the main program and then stick some specialization cycles for bodyparts that I want further to improve, in my case Neck & Traps and Forearms, if I manage to squeeze in another bodypart for specialization that would be shoulders. The program is basically a bastard version of Lyle's GBR. It's a L/U 4x per week, here it is:

Lower 1 Sets/Reps/Rest
High Bar Squat 3-4X6-8/3′
Romanian Deadlift 3-4X6-8/3′
Barbell Hip Thrust 2-3X12-15/2'
Dumbbell Lunges 2-3X10-12/2′
Hamstring Leg Curl 2-3X10-12/2′
Calf Raise 3-4X6-8/3′
Seated Calf Raise 2-3X10-12/2′


Weighted Crunches 3-4x10-12/1-1.5’
Weighted Hyperextensions 3-4x10-12/1-1.5’


Upper 1
Incline Bench Press 3-4X6-8/3′
Barbell Row 3-4X6-8/3′
Barbell Overhead Press 2-3X10-12/2′
Weighted Chin-Ups 2-3X10-12/2′
Barbell Upright Row 2-3X10-12/2’
Close Grip Bench Press 1-2X8-10/1.5'
Dumbbell Hammer Curl 1-2X12-15/1.5′


Lower 2
High Bar Squat 3-4X6-8/3′
Romanian Deadlift 3-4X6-8/3′
Cable Glute Kick Back 2-3X10-12/2′
Leg Extension 2-3X10-12/2′
Hamstring Leg curl 2-3X10-12/2′
Calf Raise 3-4X6-8/3′
Seated Calf Raise 2-3X10-12/2′


Weighted Crunches 3-4x10-12/1-1.5’
Weighted Hyperextensions 3-4x10-12/1-1.5’


Upper 2
Barbell Overhead Press 2-3X10-12/2'
Weighted Pull-Ups 2-3X10-12/2'
Flat Barbell Bench 3-4X6-8/3'
Barbell Row 3-4X6-8/3'
Face Pulls 2-3X10/2'
Weighted Dips 1-2X12-15/1.5′
Incline Dumbbell Curl 1-2X12-15/1.5'

So my questions are:

Do you think that I would have more gains if I increased frequency and/or Volume? Would you change any exercises? Do you think that I would be better off with the classic BB bro split?

 

[weighted chinup]

I am not familiar with Lyle's program posted here, but I am going to take a guess and say based on the fact that the intensities you are hitting every week are the same, he probably advised a deload at some point after several weeks.

If that is the case, make sure you are deloading after several weeks of the training cycle.

Should be good aside from that.

Increased frequency is absurdly beneficial for drug free lifters but I think it can be used as a crutch in advanced or AAS using lifters. I know Lyle is a huge fan of 2x a week and I remember reading his disappointment in the fact that Brad Schoenfeld's hypertrophy study which showed low frequency was just as effective for hypertrophy as high didn't include 2x frequency as he felt it might have proven to be more beneficial. Interesting stuff.

I am not a huge fan of evidence based training for enhanced "advanced" lifters whose goals are purely hypertrophy or bodybuilding. I think the workloads required in those programs are often too strenuous for the "reward" when dealing with someone using AAS in supra-phyioslogical amounts. Sometimes there's no shame in letting the drugs do (some of) the work.

That being said, I would take evidence based programs over a bro-split any day, but I think a good bodybuilding program will often use evidence based methods but not to the excess seen in the natural bodybuilding world, and there is a lot more subtlety involved.

My opinion on evidence based training vs non for advanced level lifters using AAS for bodybuilding purposes has become more nuanced over the years. But for what its worth I always used a science based approach in the past while using AAS and I'm not convinced its inherently more useful for an enhanced lifter, but its certainly more demanding physically.

I always advise everyone to give a properly designed program a try at least one point in their training career though, regardless of goal. I would have no problem recommending a lifter run something like this.

 

[Necessary Evil]

I am not familiar with Lyle's program posted here, but I am going to take a guess and say based on the fact that the intensities you are hitting every week are the same, he probably advised a deload at some point after several weeks.

If that is the case, make sure you are deloading after several weeks of the training cycle.

Should be good aside from that.

@weighted chinup To be honest I used his program as a base plan to pan out my own custom program. Regarding intensity I could go for one moderate and one heavy day [U/L] with some slight changes on number of sets and reps. What are your thoughts on it?

For this program I have made a spreadsheet and a deload is programed every 6 weeks to keep the gains going.

Also as I said in OP this is just the base plan with the addition of 8 week programs to increase size on select muscle groups based on the books of Jeff Nippard [if you are aware].

Now if you were to run a program suited for enhanced athletes seeking pure hypertrophy what would you recommend? Do you have any pointers?