UB: Reps Week 1. Bench

Sunday:

Timed Mile - 10:38

Monday:

Defranco Shoulder Mobility

Bench -
BarX15X2
65X10
105X6
135X3
160X1
135X12, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3 (30 total reps)

Chin-ups - Gym BW 210X7, 3

Presses - 95X5, 85X5, 65X5, BarX7, BarX10

Decided to do a light one-mile run between lifting days.  Just went for something easy; I even walked a bit after the initial quarter mile.  Had to keep my focus to keep my pace down though.  When I run by myself, my instinct is too just take off.

So the numbers Paul Carter lays out in this plan call for the work-sets to be 63% of your 1RM*1.05.  For my bench, that comes out to about 130lbs.  This is one of the rare examples where I have consciously made an ego-driven change to my programming.   It just seems dumb to put a 25, 10, 5, and 2.5 lb. plate on each side for this instead of just throwing full plates on there on working on that weight for this cycle.  Also, 135 projects as my 15 rep max, same as what I'm doing on Squats.

The results were interesting.  It was easier than the Squats (have I mentioned I'm a poor squatter?), but not as easy after the first set as the rows.  Could be because I upped the weight slightly over the recommended %?  I also cut those later sets shorter than I may have needed to because, ya know, the weight is hovering over my chest with no partner to catch it.  Anyway, with the 30 second rests (it's 60 for Squats) this was a bit of a romp.  Pretty fun.

I told myself beforehand that I wasn't going to Chin because my mid-back was acting up on back day.  Then I finished my Bench sets, and all I wanted to do was Chin.  Then my BW was up, but I went to Chin anyway, then I sucked at them, and decided to call it a 50% set and move on.

I went and decided to do do 5X5 on OHP instead.  Started of with 2 25's, and 5 reps turned out to be close to failure after all that benching, so I decided to pyramid down.  Once I got to the empty bar, I had a bit more pop, so I went to near failure on set 4, and to the very edge of failure on set 5.

I contemplated doing some abs, but decided I was done for the day.  Seriously, though.  I need to get back on the ab train.