Phase 1. Week 1. Deadlift

BW - 205

Deadlift -
135X5
185X4
225X3
275X2
315X1
275X4
super-set with
BW Hypers - X lots

Before I even touched a weight today, I bent over to grab a weight and pulled something in my back/hips.  I did a lot of hypers to keep it warm and get fluid in there, and tried to do my workout.  Everything was just super slow with the strain, though, even the 135 and 185 sets probably had 3 second concentrics.  The 315 was probably the slowest 315 I've ever pulled.  Hit one back-off set and some more hypers and shut it down to go recover.  Happy Thanksgiving to me.

Phase 1. Week 1. Bench

BW - 207

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1

175X7, 3

Cambered Bar Bench - 135X5, 5, 5

Incline - 155X3, 3, 3

175X7 is a Rep PR.

Took it real easy trying the cambered bar bench for the first time.  Because of the camber, I have to take a slightly wider grip than I do with normal bench.  Wanted to make sure to keep my elbows tight-ish and not internally rotate much, and also to make sure my shoulders were happy all the way through the movement.  In the end, the increased stretch on the shoulder feels pretty similar to the stretch in good, full dips.  I think the elbow tracking will be key in keeping it that way.

I didn't realize it until I checked just now, but 155X3 is actually a Rep PR on incline.  Hahahha.

Phase 1. Week 1. Squat

BW - 204

Squat -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
115X5
135X4
155X3
185X2

225X8, 5

High Bar - 185X3, 3, 5

Fronts - 155X5, 3, 3

Everything felt nice and fast.

I was very tentative and highly cautious switching to High Bar and Fronts.  Unlike going from, say, flat bench to incline, I've found it to be a little dicey for me to go from low-bar back squats directly to work-sets of front squats in the past.  So this was a feeling out session in that regard.

225X8 was my goal for the squat, and ties a Rep PR (I didn't know that at the time or I would have gone for at least one more).  Move up to the next tier next session.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 6. Arms

BW - 206

BB Curls - 50ishX10, 10, 10, 10, 12
super-set with
BB French Press - 50ishX10, 10, 10, 10, 11

Ab Wheel - X10, 10

Couldn't find a free fucking pad anywhere in the gym, and doing the ab wheel on my bare knees was brutal. 

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 6. Bench

BW - 206

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1

165X10, 5

Chins (Close, V-Grip) -
BWX5
+15X5
+20X3, 3
+25X2
+30X1

+25X6, 4
BWX7, 3

DB Bench - 65sX15, 6, 6, 5

Solid session.  I benched without a spotter, so cut the back-off set of bench at 10.  Feel confident I would have gotten at least 1 more with a spot, so I don't think this is really a step back from last week.  Also, I had trouble with my set-up.  The bench I was using had less 'grip' to it, and I had hard time getting set so that I could use leg-drive without sliding backwards on the bench.

Chins and DB Bench were all fine.  Similar to last week, with maybe a bit more volume thrown in.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 6. Shoulders

BW - 203

DB Laterals - 15sX15, 15, 15, 15, 15
super-set with
Face-Pulls - X15, 15, 15, 15, 15

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 6. High Bar

BW - 207

High Bar Squat -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5
125X4
145X3
185X2
215X1

185X15

RDL -
135X12
155X10, 10, 8

Lunges - BWX20, 20, 100 (last set R/P)

Solid all around session.  Still skipping calf raises because of right food soreness.

185X15 is my cycle goal for High Bars.  This was by far the most comfortable I've felt with this movement.  Finally finding a good spot on my traps for the bar, and also moved my grip in and am using a thumbs-around.  Felt good and tight throughout the movements.  I think I've set a nice baseline for incorporating this movement into programming going forward.

On the other hand, RDLs are feeling uncomfortable without straps.  I actually did my last couple of sets mixed grip.  I'm working hard to keep my knees tight and stretch the hamstrings way out.  It was kind of exhausting, and I need to replace my lost straps.

Decided to just rest/pause my way up to 100 on the last set of lunges.  Why not.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 5. Arms

BW - 204 (work gym)

DB Hammer Curls - 30s, 25s, 20s, 15sX20 each

Rope Extensions - X20, 20, 20, 12, 13 (straight weight)

Ab Wheel - X15, 15, 10

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 5. Incline

BW - 206

Incline -
BarX20
75X5
95X4
115X3
145X2
155X1

145X16, 8

DB Press - 40sX15, 8, 6

Machine Pullovers - X15, 11, 10 (straight-weight)

BB Rows - 135X12, 9, 8, 6, 6

145X16 is an all-around PR on Inclines and beats my cycle goal of 145X15.  Good stuff.

Met my cycle goal of 40sX15 on DB OHP.  Cut it short after 3 sets because my shoulders were screaming.

Very, very strict on the pullovers and rows.  Sharp concentric, squeeze at the top, controlled eccentric.  My upper lats were burning at the end of the pullovers, and everything back there was on fire after the rows.

Good session.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 5. Shoulders

BW - 204

DB Laterals - 15sX20, 20, 20, 15, 13
super-set with
Face-Pulls - X20, 20, 20, 20, 22

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 5. Squats

BW - 204

Squats -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
115X5
145X4
175X3
225X2
255X1

215X12, 5

Single-Leg Curls - X15, 20, 18, 15

Single-Leg Press - 1ppsX23, 20, 20, 20

Three days off of hectic working, drinking, and staying up late lead to a sub-par Squat session.  Big surprise.  Moving along.

I'm gonna lay off the calf work for the rest of the cycle, because I've got a lingering pain in my right foot.  I'm a little nervous it's plantar fasciitis.

Pushed the single-leg work as hard as I could.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 5. Arms

BW - 204

BB Curls - 40ishX20, 20, 20, 20, 15
super-set with
BB French Press - 40ishX20, 20, 20, 10, 14

Ab Wheel - X15, 15, 12, 10

Just tired today.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 5. Bench

BW - 205

Bench -
BarX15
85X5
105X4
125X3
155X2
175X1

165X12, 3

Chins (close, v-grip) -
BWX5
+25X2, 2
+45X1

+25X6, 3
BWX7, 5, 5

DB Bench - 65sX15, 6, 6

Good session.

165X12 is a Rep PR and my goal for the cycle.  I got a 13th rep, but the spotter had his fingers on the bar, and I have no idea how much he may have helped.

I tried to switch some stuff up with the chins by running up faster and to a heavier single.  I was hoping that would leave more in the tank for the back-offs AND make them feel even lighter.  Didn't work out this time, and so I added a couple more BW sets to make up for the lost volume.

65sX15 is my cycle goal for the DB Bench.

2 goals hit to start Week 5.  Good stuff.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 4. Shoulders

BW - 204

DB Laterals - 25sX10, 10, 10, 10, 12
super-set with
Face-Pulls - X10, 10, 10, 10, 15

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 4. Squat

BW - 204

Standing Calves - 3 sets of 15

Squat -
BarX10 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
115X5
145X4
175X3
225X2
255X1

215X15, 6

Standing Leg Curls - 3 sets of 12-15

Single-Leg Press - 1ppsX20, 20, 20

Good session, but exhausting.

215X15 is a Rep PR and is in the ball-park of projected 1RM increase.  Also my first time getting 6 reps on the back-off set with this weight.  Took a video to check in on my adjusted low-bar form:

I'm going to have to watch this several more times before I have a take-away though.  I think most of the reps look good, but I need to get into it in more detail.

I was tuckered out after this and cut the assistance down to 3 sets each.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 4. Arms

BW - 204

BB Curls - 50ishX10, 10, 10, 10, 10
super-set with
EZ Bar French Press - 60ishX10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Ab Wheel - 5 sets of 15

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 4. Bench

BW - 200

Bench -
BarX10
85X5
105X4
125X3
155X2
175X1

165X11, 4

Chins (close, v-grip) -
BWX5
+15X5
+20X3, 3
+25X2
+30X1

+25X8, 5
BWX8

DB Bench - 60sX20, 11, 9, 6

Good session.  It was early in the morning so I kept having to check myself from zoning out, and renew my focus.  Otherwise really nice.

165X11 is a Rep PR on bench, and 1 rep off my target for the cycle.

Chins had a general increase in volume across the three back-off sets.  No PR, but more reps per set than last time.  That's nice, because these had been trailing off a bit over the last few sessions.

Similarly with the DB Bench, I managed to up the overall volume across the 4 sets over what I'd done the last couple of sessions.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 4. Shoulders

BW - 201

DB Laterals - 20sX15, 15, 15, 15, 15
super-set with
Face-Pulls - 5 sets of 15

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 4. High Bar Squat

BW - 201

Seated Calves - 3 sets of 15

HB Squat -
BarX10 (Paused)
95X5
125X4
145X3
185X2
215X1

185X12

RDL -
135X12
155X12
185X10

Lunges - BWX20, 20, 20

Had to cut the last 2 movements short because of fielding phone calls related to family issues.

185X12 is an all-around PR on high-bars.

LRB 365: Big-15. Phase 2. Week 3. Arms

BW - 203

BB Curls - 40ishX15, 15, 15, 15, 15
super-set with
EZ Bar French Press - 40ishX15, 15, 15, 15, 15

Ab Wheel - 5 sets of 14