LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 7. Bench

BW - 200

Bench -
BarX10
105X5
115X4
135X3
155X2, 1
165X1
175X1
145X12 (Rep PR)

Incline - 105X8

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Nice, solid session, with a Rep PR on the back-offs.  175 was a tad slow, but no doubts about 185 for the top single the next two weeks.

Even with walking to the gym, when I got home my wife said "That was fast."  Indeed.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 7. Squat/Dead

BW - 200

Squat -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
145X5
165X4
195X3
215X2
225X1
235X1
245X1

Pause Squats -
185X5

Deadlift -
135X5
145X5
185X4
225X3
255X2
285X1
305X1
315X1
255X3

Best session of the program, especially for the heavier portion. 

Top sets on squats all felt strong and smooth.  Really long pause on the 185X5 and still came up strong and easy.

Deadlifts were about the same.  My hips came up a little to fast on the 315 so the lockout slowed as I had to finish with just my back, but it was still all good.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 6. Back

BW - Dunno; office gym

Chins - BWX15, 7, 6, 5

Machine Rows - 2 sets of 10+

Cable Shrugs - 2 sets of 20+

DB Curls - worked up and backed off to 30'sX16

Chins still feeling strong for the 2nd week in a row.  That's pretty nice.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 6. Bench

BW - 198

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
105X4
125X3
145X2
155X1
165X1
175X1
155X8

Incline - 95X10, 10, 10

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Rope Pushdowns - 2 sets of 20+

Bench all felt pretty smooth.  155X8 is one rep off of my best with that weight.

I've been leaving Inclines pretty much at the same weight per Paul Carter.  Usually I've been pretty gassed by the time I got to these and was glad I wasn't trying to increase the weight.  Today they felt light as could be, and I ended up doing them a bit more body-builder style without locking them out at the top.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 6. Squat/Dead

BW - 198

Squat -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
135X5
155X4
175X3
195X2
235X1
245X1, 1

Pause Squats -
195X3

Deadlift -
135X5
165X5
205X4
235X3
265X2
295X1
305X1
315X1
265X3

Leg Curls - 2 sets of 20+

Squats were a little slow, but Deads were very smooth.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 5. Back

BW - Unreliable gym scale; guessing around 200

Chins - BWX14, 7, 6, 5

Machine Rows - 2 sets of 10+

Cable Shrugs - 2 sets of 20+

DB Curls -
20'sX10
30'sX5
40'sX2
30'sX15

Hump-week on the Strong-15 is in the books.  Chins were uncommonly strong this session, but that just seems to happen sometimes.  Everything else was fine.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 5. Bench

BW - 200

Bench - (all reps paused)
BarX10
95X5
105X5
125X3
145X2
155X1, 1
165X1
145X11

Incline -
95X10, 10, 10

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Rope Pushdowns - 2 sets of 20+

Had a birthday blow-out for the wife on the night before, so I was pretty gassed on this day.  One symptom of that, was that the unrack on most of the bench sets felt awkward and unstable.  Nevertheless, the weight went up fine and 145X11 is a Rep PR, and a nice, tiny uptick in E1RM over the other weeks on the program.

Being tired and dehydrated, I dropped the weight back a bit on incline.  This was the right choice.

Flyes and Pushdowns.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 5. Squat/Dead

BW - 202

Squat -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
125X5
145X4
175X3
195X2
205X1
225X1
235X1

Pause Squats -
175X3, 3

Deadlift -
135X5
165X5
195X4
235X3
265X2
285X1
295X1, 1
245X3, 3

Leg Curls - 2 sets of 25

Everything felt smooth.  Top singles on Deadlift still aren't feeling as snappy as I expect with these weights, but I'm gonna ride it out.  Deadlift has never been my problem, and I'm not gonna start thinking it is as this point.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 4. Back

BW - ?200? (office gym said 195, and now I know it's a liar)

Chins - BWX10, 5, 5, 5 (paused at the bottom)

Machine Rows - 2 sets of 10+

Cable Shrugs - 2 stacks X25, 25

DB Curls -
20'sX10
30'sX5
40'sX2
30'sX15

This was all fine.

I found a bar in the corner of the office gym that you can use to connect the two stacks on the cable contraption, so I was able to use twice as much weight as last week, lol. 

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 4. Bench

BW - 200

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
105X4
125X3
145X2
145X1
155X1
165X1
135X13

Incline -
105X10, 10
95X10

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Rope Pushdowns - 2 sets of 20+

I got 135X16 last time at a big commercial gym.  I'm always suspect of the weights at that gym and suspected the X16 was maybe an illusion.  Then I come in to my regular gym and only get X13.  So was I right about the commercial gym, or did I psych myself out with a self-fulfilling prophesy?

Everything else was fine.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 4. Squat/Dead

BW - 200

Squats -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
135X5
155X4
185X3
195X2
205X1
225X1
235X1

Pause Squats -
175X3, 3, 3

Deadlift -
135X5
175X4
205X3
245X2
285X1
295X1
305X1
245X3, 3

Leg Curls - 2 sets of 20+

Squats all felt smooth.

Deadlifts did as well, but after all the squatting these weights are still feeling heavier than they would have on their own day.  I'm leaving it on the table to back the goal off in the next few weeks.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 3. Back

BW - ?200? (scale at office gym said something like 195 which seems like B.S.)

Chins - BWX9, 4, 6, 6, 5

Machine Rows - 4 sets of 10+

Cable Shrugs - StackX25, 30, 30, 35

DB Curls -
20'sX10
30'sX5
40'sX2
30'sX15

Decided to try out the "fitness center" at the office for the first time.  About to start rehearsing 5 days a week so won't be able to get to my gym for all 3 weekly sessions.  Figure this Back/Biceps day is the best suited to a limited, only-machines type gym.

First chins were using the handles on the assisted chin machine.  They're "straight handles" but still separate, and kind of far apart.  Made the movement really awkward.  For the last two sets, I noticed a regular straight bar behind the cable station.  I'll try to use that exclusively if the cables aren't occupied.

Rows were fine.

Shrugs are the worst for this gym because the biggest DB's are 50's.  The stack on the cable station seemed heavier than that, so I used it.

Tried to approximate the over warm-up progression that's been working so well on barbell curls with the dumbbells.  Seemed alright.  My biceps were pumped up afterwards.