5/3/1 Log: Cycle 1. Week 3. Bench

Defranco's Simple-6

Bench -
BarX10
95X8
130X5
145X3
160X6
super-set with
Chin-ups - BWX7X5

Chin-ups - BWX7X3 (54 total Chins on the day)
super-set with
Dips - BWX10, 10, 5

Dips - BWX7, 7, 6, 5 (50 total Dips on the day)
super-set with
Face-Pulls - 30X15, 15, 15, 20

6 Rep PR on the Bench.  Really, really focused on my form for all sets/reps.  Trying to keep the decent controlled, keeping everything tight, elbow tuck and flare, driving through the legs.  The final rep was a grinder, and I maybe shouldn't have gone for it....but I got it.


Chins were okay.  My abs aren't nearly as tight, and didn't bother this movement at all.  Some of these 7th reps are ugly and not as close to the bar as previous sets.

I think my Dip form is all over the place.  Some might think this is a fool-proof movement, but it is not so for me.  I always have to focus on keeping my elbows tucked, or I'll strain my shoulders.  I think body angle may be an issue as well.  I'm going to have to tinker with this some more, but I think when I look straight ahead, my torso is vertical and taking my pecs out of the movement and making it almost pure triceps.  When I look down I think I can get my shoulders in front of my wrists and get a more advantageous angle for my pecs and shoulders and, hopefully, more reps, but I'm not sure.  Have to remember to start out this way next session.

Face-pulls.  Uh...Oh yeah, I took a looser grip on the ropes and tried to make sure the muscles were relatively loose below the shoulders.  Trying to take my biceps out of the movement and focus on "feeling" my shoulders do the work.

No conditioning today because of heavy Deadlift volume yesterday, otherwise I would have hit tires with a hammer.