The Zaddy Split: A Mid-Divorce PPL Routine

📦 Dispatch

Mid-divorce. New apartment.
No squat rack.
No problem.

After walking away from a marriage, a house, and a dog, I found myself facing a new reality.

My old routine was barbell-focused — heavy squats, deadlifts, bench press — the usual strength formula.
But after my daughter was born, those gym sessions faded into the background. Priorities shifted. Time grew scarce.

Now I stood in front of a nice apartment gym — but still stripped down.
Just machines, cables, dumbbells — and one mission: rebuild on my terms.

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Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

• Machine Chest Press – 4x8–12

• Machine Shoulder Press – 3x8–12

• Cable Lateral Raises (Single Arm) – 3x12–15

• Incline Machine Press or Cable Incline Flys – 3x8–12

• Cable Triceps Pushdowns (Rope or Straight Bar) – 3x12–15

• Overhead Cable Triceps Extension (Rope) – 3x12–15

• Optional Finisher: Dumbbell Front Raises or Dips – 2x12

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Pull Day (Back, Biceps, Rear Delts)

• Lat Pulldown (Wide or Close Grip) – 4x8–12

• Seated Cable Row (Wide or Neutral Grip) – 3x8–12

• Barbell Row or Dumbbell Row – 3x8–12

• Face Pulls (Cable with Rope) – 3x12–15

• Cable Biceps Curls (Single Arm or EZ Bar) – 3x12–15

• Cable Hammer Curls (Rope or Cross-Body) – 3x12–15

• Optional Finisher: Rear Delt Fly (Reverse Pec Deck or Cable) – 2x12

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Leg Day (Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves)

• Trap Bar Deadlifts – 4x6–10

• Smith Machine Squats – 3–4x8–12

• Romanian Deadlifts (Dumbbell or Trap Bar) – 3x8–12

• Leg Press (Feet High) – 3x10–12

• Optional: Swiss Ball Curl or Nordic Hamstring Curl – 2–3x10–12

• Seated or Standing Calf Raises – 3x15–20

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Training Principles

• Reps: 8–12 for compounds, 12–15 for isolation

• Sets: 3–4 per exercise

• Rest: 60–90 seconds for isolation, 90–120 seconds for compound lifts

• Progressive Overload: Add weight or reps if form stays sharp

• Frequency: 3–5 days per week, rotating through the split

The system is simple:
Rest whenever you need to.
Pick up the next workout when you’re ready.

Minimum: 3 sessions per week, no exceptions.
Maximum: 5 sessions if energy and schedule allow.

Example flow:
Push → Pull → Legs → (Rest) → Push → Pull → (Rest)...

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Progress Update

I’m running this system for three full months before reporting results.

The goal isn’t perfection.
The goal is momentum.

Update coming soon.
Until then, it’s me, the cables, and the clock.

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