Resistance training analysis: Bulgarian Split Squat and Decline Diamond Pushup

I find a bit of dread doing the Bulgarian split squat recently, partly because lifting the 25 lb on each side with cables and holding over the arms is a cumbersome and had been difficult I’m learning to adjust to the task. Further, the squats can have a great deal of variability based on certain parameters, such as the distance between the front and back leg plus the height of the rear leg, and the position of everything in relation to the pulleys of the cables.

However, I managed to eek out 3 x 6. I’m proud I did complete these because of the difficulty level. I powered through as far as I could without losing form. I’m close to the optimal parameters for my current strength-weight, position, sets and reps. 6 is a pretty good sweet spot for me. When I hit 9 it’s time to up the weight. Increasing by 10 pounds can be a bit of a stretch. The only increments on each weight are 5 lb, so I may have to have uneven weight on either side. However, I don’t believe it’s a huge deal. Let’s say I increase by 5 lb a week for the next year. That will put me at 300 lb for the Bulgarian split squat, which is an insanely high amount. It will probably have to be less, like every 2 or even 3 weeks. Based on that information, my increases of 10 lb should be aborted and stick to 5 lb: be conservative to avoid injury.

Decline Diamond Pushup

I can feel it mostly in my triceps. The standard diamond pushup is said to work the triceps hard. I have the L-Sit to work the triceps and that gives me an intense exercise, but it’s static. The L-sit doesn’t work the chest. The L-sit is a superb exercise, but it does stress the wrists, and I have this pushup variation to work many of the same muscles. Part of the glutes will not be worked, and the shoulders won’t get stressed from that same angle. I want to work on the L-sit eventually but I’m considering dropping it to focus on fewer exercises so I can maintain a good combination with adequate sets, reps and less chance of unplanned rest days or even burnout.

The handstand pushup or it’s predecessor in the handstand progression, the plank pushup or L pushup, maximally exercise the shoulders. That way, I have good exercise hitting the body-parts where I want the most visible muscle increase: shoulders, upper chest, triceps.

I have been neglecting the isolated core exercises. I can’t let the hard work necessary deter me in this case. I still get good core activation with the handstand as well as the Nordic curl and the Bulgarian split squat.

So, with four intense exercises (BS-Squat, Decline Diamond Pushup, Nordic curls, handstands) I tax all the muscles I deem as important and more. Further, they are all compound movements.

Muscles in order of priority

• Quadriceps / front thigh and glutes – Bulgarian split squats
• Latissimus Dorsi – handstands (might need to later add pull-ups, cable pull downs and rows).
• Triceps-Decline Diamond Pushups, possibly Handstands too)
• Shoulders-handstand pushups
• Traps (with handstand pushups and handstands).
• Upper chest-Decline Diamond Pushups
• Hamstring / rear thigh – Nordic Curls

Ranking includes consideration for size and aesthetics. Size is important for optimal metabolic profile and other dramatic health benefits including decrease in loss of brain mass volume with aging. Size contributes to aesthetics, also. The shoulders, triceps, upper chest, lats and traps are quite visible in street clothes, but also large legs are quite visible.

The core has its own category. When I start looking defined overall, I will most certainly try to keep body fat down while doing a simple core routine for about 10 minutes daily. It will become the #1 priority.

Lats are a lot more visible than hamstrings, but the hamstrings have better health benefit to me than lats: I can grow more muscle with then, which contributes to good metabolism, and they will balance out strong quads plus contribute to injury prevention during sprinting, something I like to do. It’s a hard decision because as a former soccer player I view legs as very important.

The lats, however, are big muscles. On average the biceps femoris and the lats are basically equal in size. There is the possibility I can still do 1 set of hamstring work and then do something intense for the lats. When I get bored, I’ll switch it up. For now, keeping the same.