Bench

BW  - 214

Bench -
BarX20
95X5
115X3
135X3
155X2
175X1
185X1
155X17, 5

Face-Pulls - X12, 12, 12, 10, 10 (straight-weight)
super-set with
DB Overhead Extensions - 50X12, 12, 12, 12, 12

155X17 is an all-around PR.  Two reps better than my previous best with this weight set early last year; right around the time I injured my shoulder.  My target for this weight is 20 reps, and I'll stick with it until I get there.

Got all sets of 12 on the DB extensions, so I'll up that weight next week.

Overheads

BW - 213

Press -
BarX15
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X1
105X14, 5

DB Bench -
50sX15
55sX14

DB Curls - 30sX12, 12, 10, 10, 8
super-set with
Bench Dips - BWX20, 20, 20, 20, 20

105X14 is a good sized, all-around PR.  My previous best standing with this weight was 105X10.  Last month I did this seated, but I find seated pressing to be slightly easier because the first rep starts at the top instead of the bottom, and I'll often hit a weight/reps PR seated before I hit it standing.  On to 115 for reps next week.

This all also seems to show that the standing front press isn't particularly magical for me.  Before this session, I'd done this lift exactly six times since December '13, and hadn't used more than 85 lbs. any of those times.  But with lots of Inclines and a fair amount of PBN, I can come in and set a big PR on the Press, and even have my Bench be in good shape after a year away because of the shoulder injury.

Anyway, my shoulders were on fire after the Press PR.  I went to do a 3rd set of DB Bench, and my shoulders said, 'Nope.'  No pain, just no oomph.

Had enough oomph for Bench Dips, though, and 5X20 gave me zero pain.  I'll talk to my P.T. this week about what's next.  Hoping I get cleared to start doing full dips again, but maybe he'll want to wait and see how the shoulder handles some heavier weight on flat bench or something first.

Legs and Back

BW - 215

Deadlift (Rehab; slow up and down) - 135X5X5

Leg Extesnions - X20

Hack Squats -
50X5
100X5
150X5
170X5
190X5
200X3
220X3
150X10

Chins - BWX5, 5, 5, 5

T-Bars -
45X5
70X5
95X8
80X5, 70X5, 45X10 (strip set)

P.T. cleared me to start pulling from the floor again.  Super slow all the way through, and taking video to make sure my back stays flat.  Progress.  Also, done double-overhand, these were surprisingly taxing on grip.

Knees continue to be weird, so I warmed up with a set of extensions.

In the hopes that squatting may be around the corner, I move my stance out on hacks, lowered the reps, and increased the weight.  Had been doing close stance, toes forward.  These were around shoulder length with the toes out a bit.

Went to the unsupported t-bar contraption and tried to focus on a bit of arch throughout.  No pain.

Inclines

BW - 214

Incline Bench -
BarX20
95X5
115X4, 3
135X2
155X1
140X8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Lever Shrugs (held at top) -
290X5
380X10, 10, 10
super-set with
Rear Delt Machine - X10, 10, 8, 8

Volume day for bench.  Kept rests at 30-45 seconds between work sets.  Last reps were kind of challenging on the last set.

Shrugs and rear delts were really hard today for some reason.

Bench

BW - 214

Bench -
BarX20
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
175X1
185X1
155X14, 6

Face-Pulls - X12, 12, 12, 10, 10
super-set with
DB Overhead Extensions - 50X12, 12, 12, 10, 10

155X14 is one off matching my best with this weight.  Goal is 20.  All sets/reps done with grip about a thumb off the smooth.

Shoulders and [bench] DIPS!!!

BW - 212

Bench Dips - BWX12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Side Lateral Giant Set - X2
10sX25
15sX15
20sX10
rest
20sX10
15sX15
10sX25

P.T. cleared me on this very day to start doing un-weighted bench dips.  BWX12 is nothing effort wise, but I wanted to take it easy because it used to be these would cause me pain.  Happy to say that the next day, I am still pain free!  So excited to be able to start adding dipping movements back into my programming.  One of my favorite lifts, and one I've really  missed doing.

This is the last week of the shoulder focus programming so this is the last time I will have to do this brutal giant-set of laterals (for a while anyway).

Bench

BW - 213

Bench -
BarX30
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
175X1
185X1
135X22, 9

Preacher Curls -
40ishX8
50ishX8, 8, 8, 8

Seated French Press - 70ishX12, 12, 12, 10, 10

135X22 is a Rep PR.  This is right at my target reps for this weight as I get back into the flat bench.  I'm going to go ahead and move up to 145 next week.  Shoulder is still feeling pretty good.  Some mild crunchiness today, and I think I'm going to talk to my P.T. about how to amp up some of the rehab movements I'm doing.

Overheads

BW - 214

Seated PBN -
BarX21
65X5
75X5
85X12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12
super-set with
Machine Reverse Flyes - X12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Slow Rack Pulls at the knee - 135X5, 5, 5, 5

Upped the weight on both PBN and Flyes this week, and still got 12 reps on all sets.  Two weeks ago, I fell 3 sets short of that with 75.  Progress.

I'm really surprised, but these really light and slow rack pulls leave my hamstrings really sore the next days.  I know, I know, DOMS does not equal Hypertrophy, yada-yada.  Just surprising.

Legs and Back, and low-back rehab

BW - 213

Slow Rack-Pulls at the knee - 135X5 for a few sets

GHR - BWX5, 5, 5 (using a stick to maintain spinal alignment)

Hack Squats -
100X8
knees felt weird and tight, so I jumped over and did
Leg Extensions - lightweightX35
jumped back over to Hacks and the knees felt fine and so I continued with
100X5
120X10
140X10
150X8
170X8
190X8

Chin-Ups -
BWX5
+25X3, 3
+45X1
BWX10

Chest-Supported Rows -
45X8
70X5
95X5

Started off with the rehab rack pulls.  Need to talk to my P.T. about these.  There's no pain, so that's good, but I'm also supposed to be re-drilling form to make sure I don't round my lower back.  I'll get one or two more session in before I meet with him again, and we'll see what's up.  Wondering if I need to be filming these or something.

GHRs using a broomstick to maintain a neutral spine were much harder today for some reason.  Could barely get 5 reps on the 3rd set.

Knees felt NOT GOOD on first set of Hacks, but after a bunch of light leg extensions, they were totally fine, and I set my 6th consecutive PR on them.

Felt like going for intensity instead of volume on chins, and so threw some weight on.  Nothing special about the results in-session.

Shoulders, and low-back rehab

BW - 214

Slow Rack-Pulls at the knee - 135X5 for a few sets

Side Lateral Giant Set - X2
10sX25
15sX15
20sX10
rest
20sX10
15sX15
10sX25

P.T. has me doing really slow and light  rack-pulls to start redrilling a neutral spine.  The idea is to gradually lower the rack height, until I'm pulling from the floor again.

Giant set of laterals is still brutal.

BENCH!!!

BW - 211

CG Bench -
BarX20
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
175X1
185X1
195X1
135X20, 8

Preacher Curls -
40ishX12
50ishX10, 8, 10, 8

French Press -
50ishX15
60ishX12, 12, 12, 12

2nd day back on bench, and I hit a PR!  135X20 is a Rep PR.  My previous best was 135X17 on 8/5/13.  195X1 is also my heaviest bench since I did a bunch of doubles with 205 on 4/22/14.  I just decided to work up to the heaviest single I could without getting into grinding territory.  No pain on the day or afterwards.

Those dates are a bit rough for me to look at.  I put off getting professional help on my shoulder for so long, and after working with  my P.T. for just over a month, I hit a high-rep PR, and my top-end strength feels like it's at least 80% what it was before the injury.  Why the fuck did I put this off for so long?

I'll stay at 135 for my work-sets until I can beat 22 reps.  Back to my old 25/45/Volume programming which forces me to keep reps high for a long time.

Overheads, and Bench test

BW - 212

Standing PBN -
BarX15
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X2
95X15, 6

CG Bench -
BarX25
95X5
115X4
135X15, 7, 7
super-set with
Face-Pulls - X15, 15, 12, 12, 12, 12

Physical Therapist cleared me to start testing my shoulder on flat bench.  For safety's sake, I'm going to move forward with Close-Grip only, and may stop making the distinction in the log.

Still, the day was originally programmed for PBN, so I went ahead and started with that.  About the same as last week, but a couple fewer reps on the back-off set.  No big deal.

Bench was fine with no pain.  First time doing BB Flat Bench in a full year, and strength is good here.  My previous best was 135X17, so being only 2 reps off of that with all the fatigue from PBN shows that a lot of the work I've been doing, Inclines, overheads, etc., has maintained a good base.  Won't be surprised if my bench is actually stronger than before once I get technique locked back in.

Speaking of which, I forgot what a fucking chore setting up for flat bench is, hahahaah!  Because of all the Incline work, I seem to have naturally drifted from a feet under set-up to a feet wide-and-away set-up.  Feels pretty good, and I seem to be able to keep more tension in my legs throughout AND my butt doesn't seem to want to shoot off the bench nearly as much.  All in all, a promising start.

Legs and Back, and Shoulder Testing.

BW - 215

Leg Curls -
Warm-up - X10, 10, 10, 10
Work Sets - X10, 10, 10-10-10-15 (drop-set at end)

Hack Squat -
100X10
120X10
140X10
160X10
180X10

GHR (to parallel, and using a broomstick to maintain alignment) - BWX5, 5, 5, 4

DB Bench -
45sX10
55sX8
65sX12, 10, 10
super-set with
Chin-Ups - BWX5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Chest-Supported Rows -
45X5
90X10

Trying to make sure I get good hamstring work in while I can't Squat or DL.  Cut out leg extensions today in favor of more leg curl volume.  Also tried adding this GHR approach.  My P.T. has me doing bodyweight goodmornings like this: holding a broomstick against my tailbone, upper back and skull to maintain alignment.  That's not challenging and is for drilling the pattern.  Thought I'd try it with some BW GHR's to parallel to try and get some good, hip dominant hamstring work in.  They were hard as hell, but no back-pain.

Wanted to get a 2nd flat, DB bench work in before my next P.T. session so that I'd have some more feedback to provide.  Last time I worked up to 65sX5; basically just until it felt like real weight.  I checked my logs and saw that my best with the 65s was 15 reps, so I thought I'd push a little harder this time and see what was up.  Got within 3 reps of that, but I also MATCHED the total volume of my best session with the 65s.  That's not surprising because with my Incline having gone up, there's no reason that the strength shouldn't generally be there.

Kind of burying the lead because the main point is that my shoulder felt fairly okay throughout, and the next day.  I expect the P.T. to recommend moving on to light BB bench now.