Hi everyone,
I’m starting the Knee Rehab template next week and I’d like to build an upper body training plan that I can combine with the weekly knee rehab days.
My ideal setup would probably be 2x full upper body per week, but I’m open to other frequencies if there is a better way to combine it with the rehab schedule.
My main goal is hypertrophy. I’ve been training consistently for around 3–4 years and have made good progress, especially over the last 1.5 years, but I’m definitely not where I want to be yet and would like to continue building muscle. Aesthetically, my goal is also to build more of a classic hourglass physique, mainly adding more muscle to my shoulders/back and glutes while keeping a balanced, athletic look.
A bit of background:
- Around two years ago I had recurring shoulder issues from CrossFit. They are basically gone now when I train upper body twice per week, but whenever I increase the frequency, I notice the shoulder starting to complain again.
- I’ve mostly trained with self-made programs in the past. I enjoy training, but I would also say I have a tendency to do too much which is one of the reasons I’m looking for a structured recommendation instead of just creating another plan myself.
Which BBM program would you recommend for my situation and goal?
Thanks in advance! I’d appreciate any recommendations 
Hey Maddy,
My recommendation would be to do the upper body work included in the template to start, just to make sure none of the upper body stuff interferes with the knee rehab work, i.e. avoiding exercises like the push press temporarily for example. Around week 4 or so, I’d recommend doing the upper body work from the 3 day Hypertrophy I program based on your experience and goals. Depending on your preference for a training split, the Push-Pull-Legs Hypertrophy template would also work. As an added benefit, either would likely be a good program to follow after you’re done with the knee rehab program.
The value of a template is that it regulate your workload. Run the Push and Pull days as written and resist adding sets, especially on shoulders. Your progress over the last 18 months came from consistency, and the fastest way to interrupt it is piling on more than your shoulder and knee can absorb right now. Let the structure hold you back a little. That’s what it’s for.
Further reading
-Jordan
Thank you again for taking the time to give such detailed advice. I really appreciate it.
I had a look at both programs, and I think I’ll start with the Push-Pull plan around week 4, as you suggested. To be honest, it will probably be a bit of an adjustment for me because it’s significantly less volume than I’m used to. In the past, I’ve always done a lot of machine work and quite a few accessory exercises, so this approach feels very different.
That said, I understand that the way these programs are structured is intentional and based on managing workload appropriately. So I’m going to follow your recommendation exactly as you’ve outlined it and resist the temptation to add extra sets or exercises.
Thanks again for all your help. It’s been really reassuring and has given me much more confidence going into the rehab process.
You’re welcome. Always happy to help.
A quick note about the feeling that it’s “less volume” almost never means it’s less training load. As you know, volume is just the set and exercise count. Training load is the whole picture: what the exercises are, how close to failure you take them, how long you rest, and so on. A pile of machine and accessory work done a few reps shy of failure can look like a lot on paper while delivering a fairly modest stimulus. I’d bet the gap between your old training and this is smaller than it looks, and where it’s different, most of that difference is probably noise
The other thing is that your shoulder was getting cranky on the higher-volume approach. If that setup were well within what you could recover from, it probably wouldn’t have been flaring up. So even setting the muscle-growth question aside, I’d guess that trimming it back was the right call for the shoulder.
And if it turns out to be too little for you, that’s an easy problem to solve. These programs progress, so we add load over time instead of front-loading it all now. You’ll make steadier progress starting where the program puts you and letting it climb than by piling on sets your shoulder and knee can’t absorb yet.
Just my 0.02
Further reading