BLAB Log: Week 9.Day 3

Simple-6

Chins - BWX8, BWX5

Lat Pull-downs Drop-set - (90X8, 70X6, 60X6)X2

Seated DB Arnold Press - 35X8X3
super-set with
Incline DB "cleans" - 35sX5, 20sX10X2

BB Curls - Bar, 45, 55, 65, 75X6

Core Circuit - 10lb. plateX1, XFail

Incline BB Push-ups - Ladder down from 15 to 1, +6 reps

Chin-ups still showing slow but steady progression.  I had thrown in a few between sets on bench day, but avoided them on squat day to make sure I was rested for today.  Might keep doing that.

Pulldown drop-sets were fine.  However, I watched a Thibodeau training video where he was talking about making sure you're using lats more than arms, and I'm not sure I'm dialed in like that.  I will try to keep it in my in the future.  I'm trying to get stronger in pull-ups not pull-downs, so I want to make sure I'm taking full advantage of the exercise.

DB Cleans weren't there for me with the 35's.  Had a similar experience the last two weeks with the Defranco "shoulder shockers".  These aren't explosive cleans, but rather a shrug into a 180 degree bent-arm raise.  The difficulty is on the rotation, but I don't know what this means exactly.  Will this weakness be addressed when I start heavy OHP's again?  Do I keep testing these against that, and what if there's no improvement, then what do I do?  Argh.

I know you're not usually supposed to work up to top sets on shit like curls, but I really wanted to go for a rep PR on these, and so I did a work-up instead of all sets at the same weight.  And, yeah, I used the chrome bar.  So what?

Oh, core, why do you hate me?  Lately the extra reps I'm getting on chins have been straining my abs a bit, preventing me from doing the full core routines.  It's a vicious circle because the core work would be strengthening my abs for the chin-ups.  Whatever.  I've already settled that I will restart the core circuit progression from this program on the next one.

I was supposed to start the BB push-ups last week, but life commitments prevented me from getting to the gym.  I had done a ladder-down of netural-grip push-ups out at the beach instead.  I know I'm too weak in the push-up to finish a ladder starting with the prescribed 18 reps.  Instead, I kept track of how many total reps I did last week, 66, and was determined to almost double that this week.  Mission fucking accomplished.  The ladder down from 15 got me to 120 total reps, and then I took a breath and did another set to failure.  So 126 is my new target to beat.  I think my next ladder should start with 17.  That would get me 153 reps.  Not as big of a jump as this last one, but I can always add in another failure set to find my new limit.