push, pull, legs volume question

so i am currently doing a push pull legs routine, which i enjoy.
up until now i have been restricting my workouts to just 3 exercises, all compound. but i am wondering if i need to up the volume slightly and add isolation movements in after my big lifts?
 
or will just the compounds be enough to grow? as i havent seen much improvement

What's your full routine ?

cant  consider a routine knowing only the number of exercises.  need to also know what they are, the intensity and the sets/reps.
 

it is as follows
 
push
 
benchpress/dumbbell press
seated shoulder press/arnold press
weighted wide grip dips
 
pull
 
wide grip/hammer grip pull ups
SLDL deadlift
t bar row/one arm row
 
legs
 
squat/leg press
deadlift
calfraise
 
all exercises are usually in the standard 3x8 5x5 6x4 range.
 
just want to know wether i should throw in some iso exercises as well. for example, on my push day last week i added in dumbell flyes, incline dumbbell curls and tricep pulldowns. i did these with a 3x8 set/rep range
 

if your goal is hypertrophy,  then IMO your routine is far from optimal for that goal.  If its just a bit of strength and general training as part of a healthy lifestyle/fitness routine then its perfectly fine.
 
i hate the 'standard' rep ranges, why are they standard?  according to who??  5x5 and 6x4, is much more suited to strength training, but even then its not optimal, though strength training isnt my area, so if thats your goal, others would know better. 
 
are you training to failure or choosing a weight that you can hit your rep 'targets with'.  do you drop weight off each set to maintain reps, or just fail on the last set?   much more info is required to answer the question of wether you need to add in more exercises!
 

i dont tend to have a fixed 'plan' as such with regards to sets/reps.
 
but i go as heavy as is physically possible and often have to do drop sets to maintain reps. i have no real fixed reps/set ranges for exercises right now.
but i usually go for less reps with heavy compounds and more reps with isolation, but again, i dont stick with anything and mix it up.
i never intend to go more than 8 reps for any exercise, i only reps more if ive inadvertantly not picked up a heavy enough weight.
 
i dont aim for either goal to be honest, any size or strength gain is ok in my book.
whenever i have stuck to the 'plan' as such word for word, i usually just get the rats with it.  i dont see any noticable gains and i find it takes over my life a bit and stresses me out when im doing everything it says and eating well and not getting anywhere.

A fixed plan is a good idea.  You know what you're going to achieve when you hit the gym and it's easier to monitor progress...

Jazz


A fixed plan is a good idea.  You know what you're going to achieve when you hit the gym and it's easier to monitor progress...

 
i agree, but.... whenever i have done this i have monitored well, very little progress. and like i say, i end up getting the rats with it
 
i mean, how wrong can i be going to see very little to no progress in any goal? i can only lift what i can lift. i do very little to no cardio to stand a better chance at gaining weight. i have no problem in eating ALOT of food! i have a big appetite as it is and have no problem consuming 3500+ cals a day. i eat lots of carbs, i love my porridge, muesli, pasta and rice. eat tons of veg of all varietys.
 
im stumped??

Without knowing your full program and diet it's difficult to know.  What are your stats ?  You're quite a slim from your pic.  What weights are you lifting in your main exercises.
 
You may be changing your exercises to0 frequently or not enough.  Same with rep ranges.  You could be training too hard.  You might improve by not training to failure.
 
Frankie's Routines are worth trying ? or Stronglifts ?

throw your diet up bud, lets have a look at what your eating
 
 

Jazz


Without knowing your full program and diet it's difficult to know.  What are your stats ?  You're quite a slim from your pic.  What weights are you lifting in your main exercises.

You may be changing your exercises to0 frequently or not enough.  Same with rep ranges.  You could be training too hard.  You might improve by not training to failure.

Frankie's Routines are worth trying ? or Stronglifts ?

 
i did follow frankies PPL routine to the t. and got frustrated with it
i am pretty lean, usually hover around 10-14% bf  6ft 2" and currently weigh 85kgs.
 
currently lifting
bench press 1 rm is 105kgs, and working weight is around 80-90kgs. dumbbell press working weight is prolly about 36kgs.
 
SLDL i work at around 100-110kgs
 
deadlift 1rm is 160kgs i think and work with 130ish
 
squats i can manage 120kgs to good depth, but may go up to 140kgs and cheat a little
 

dazc


throw your diet up bud, lets have a look at what your eating

 
a typical clean day would be
 
50gish of muesli or porridge and a shake depending on when i last trained
 
i might have an apple or banana before i go train
 
currently using sci mx mass system post workout (100g carbs, 44g protein) but usually sci mx lean grow (50g carbs, 44g protein)
and if i have neither of those i use a straight whey and have a banana or something like that.
 
then whe i get home im usually hungry already and will have couple slices of toast. peanut butter on soy and linseed bread
 
then if i manage not to pick at anything ill have my dinner a few hours after that.
chicken/veg/potatos (broccoli, sprouts, carrotts, cabbage etc etc)
chicken/tomato based pasta
chilli and rice
spag bol
steak/veggies and wedges or rice
 
you get the jist of it......lol
 
i work nights so ill often take whats left over from dinner with me to work to have, failing that i end up just making the best of a bad situation and buy whatever i can protein dense from the garage, or go into sainsburys and buy eggs or chicken
 
i often snack on fuit, or nuts inbetween all this untill i get home, then its a straight whey shake and sometimes more peanut butter on toast too before bed

I kind of get the gist of your diet and whilst there's nothing bad in there there's not too much food either.
 
You need to try and get some regular proteins and complex carbs in. Normally I'd say get the complex carbs early in the day and drop them completely after lunch, feasting on proteins and veg for the rest of the day  ---  but your days are upside down, so go for your complex carbs early in your waking hours and protein later.
 
You should be aiming at around 3000cals a day if you are serious about a bulk.
 
As for your actual training, your basic programme is ok. Just vary the rep ranges a bit. If you're doing 5x5 for a month it's fine, but change that to 8's or even 12's after that for a month or two. Shocking the system like this will help you grow.