Training Schedule During Orthopedic Residency

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi guys,

I’m starting ortho residency next week and need advice on how best to set up a realistic training schedule that will be easy to comply with for the next 5 years. Obviously, I’m not striving for being “optimal” given the burden associated with residency, but would still like to be as on top of my training as much as possible.

I’ll have 1 day off per week, but the other 6 days will be 12+ hour shifts. I’m finishing Powerbuilding I this week and will be moving onto Hypertrophy I next week. My plan is to train Mon-Sat for ~30 mins per day then do a full session on the day I have off (either Sat or Sun), which should be enough to get the requisite volume in. I will most likely forego cardio.

An example would be:
Mon: Day 1 Bench + leg ext
Tue: Day 1 Squat + GPP biceps + triceps
Wed: Day 1 RDL + GPP upper back
Thu: Day 2 Bench + Day 2 DB flyes
Fri: Day 2 Squat + Day 2 Flat Dumbbell bench
Sat: GPP upper back
Sun: Day 3 + GPP biceps + triceps

My training background is I played sports during my teens and early 20s with intermittent weightlifting, then would train in the gym sporadically during med school but have been training consistently for the last 6 months with no missed sessions (4 weeks of starting strength → Bridge 3.0 → Powerbuilding I).

Thanks for all that you guys have done for the gen pop and the medical community! I’ve learnt an enormous amount for you guys (esp w/r/t pain) and hope to have a similar influence on my patients.

2

OrthoBro (sorry, I had to),

Thanks for the kind words and congrats on both matching and now starting your residency. That’s exciting!

I have no problem with the split you setup for the Gen 1 Hypertrophy 1 template. For the Gen 2 Hypertrophy I template, I’d consider the following schedule:

Day 1: Squat + hip thrust (i.e. exercises 1 and 3 from Day 1)
Day 2: Incline bench + lat pull down (i.e. exercise 2 from day 1 and 3 from day 2)
Day 3: Arms and abs (i.e. exercise 5 drom day 1, 4 and 5 from day 2, and 5 from day 3)
Day 4: Cardio
Day 5: RDL + split squat (i.e. exercises 1 and 3 from Day 3)
Day 6: touch and go bench + chest supported row (i.e. exercise 1 from day 2 and exercise 2 from day 3)
Day 7: Cardio

You may also prefer the time crunch program, which includes a number of programs with different frequencies, goals, and so on that may fit your new schedule.

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