Small Session. Arms

Hammer Curls - 20'sX8, 8 (warm-up sets)

super-set with

DB Overhead Extensions - 40X10, 9

Chins - BWX5, 5, 5

super-set with

Dips - BWX8, 8, 8

DB Curls - 30sX8, 6,

drop sets - 30sX6, 25sX2, 20sX3 (no super-setting on the drop sets)

super-set with

Lying DB Extensions - 30sX8, 6

drop sets - 30sX7, 25sX4, 20sX4 (no super-setting on the drop sets)

Went a little further than harder than normal since I won't have another barbell session until after the holiday weekend.

No shoulder pain with either Chins or Dips!

Full-Body. Week 6. Press

BW - 227

Squats - up to 225X5, 5

Press -
BarX5
70X3
95X2
120X1
135X6, 4, 4

Deadlift - up to 265X3, 3, 3

135X6 is a Rep PR on overheads.  RPE 9.5, hahaha.  The two sets of 4 to get my volume goal felt good, though.

I got to aggressive on my first set of speed deads and aggravated my low back.  I calmed down and slowed down a bit on the next two sets with no additional problems, but my back is really achy today.  I'm about to go to visit family over the holiday weekend, and I've got a history of fucking up my back deadlifting before or during those trips.  I'll be fine by the time we leave, but I feel it's prudent not to do the heavy deadlift session programmed for the day before we take-off.  I'll hit two small sessions and call it good.

The weather is becoming steadily nice and even warm here, so I'll probably be looking to get outside for some conditioning soon.  Not 100% on how I'm going to change my programming.  Part of me wants to try and modify the current programming to accommodate the conditioning workout on the principle of not making huge changes and because I love full body strength training.  The other part of me wants to switch to a program designed specifically for mixing strength training with assertive conditioning.  I'll probably go with the latter, because it's something I just know less about.

Small Session. Shoulders

BW - 230

Delt-Raise Giant Set with: 25s
Rear-Delts - 8, 8, 8
Sides - 6, 6, 6
Fronts - 6, 6, 6

Small Session. Arms

DB Hammer Curls - 30sX8, 8, 7
super-set with
Rope Extensions - X10, 10, 10 (straight-weight)

Machine Curls - X8, 8, 8 (straight-weight)
super-set with
Dips - BWX10, 8, 8

DB Curls - 30sX6, 6, 6
super-set with
Lying DB Extensions - 30sX6, 6, 6

Tried to make sure I was going all the way down on Dips, but also went a bit slower to make sure my elbows didn't flare out.  Had to shave a couple reps off the last two sets to maintain.

Full-Body. Week 5. Squats

BW - 229

Squats -
BarX5
165X5
215X4
255X3
305X1
345X1
305X7, 4, 3

Incline - up to 175X2, 2, 2, 2

BB Rows - up to 175X5, 5, 5

305X7 is a Rep PR.  I didn't realize that I'd gone up to 345 until afterwards.  I don't know where my head was at.  I knew I was adding 30 lbs. on top of the 25 and 45 lb plates all the way up, but somehow I maybe thought I was doing a top single at 325?  Anyway.  Heaviest single since the meet in March.  Seemed a little slow, but I didn't know how much it was while I was lifting it.

Reduced the reps per set on Inclines now that their getting heavier.  I tried adding an extra set to keep volume in the same ballpark as previous.  The 8th rep was really ugly and out-of-groove, so that was probably unnecessary.  Will just stick to 3 sets going forward.

Rows are getting pretty heavy for strict form.  When it's time to move up to 185, if I feel like I can't get clean sets of 3, I may drop the weight down on these and do higher rep sets.

Full-Body. Week 5. RDL

BW - 229

Squats - up to 225X5, 5, 5

Bench - up to 175X3, 3, 3

RDL - up to 165X20

Relatively light day all around with no PR opportunities planned.

One thing, I will be keeping an eye on these sort of "extra volume" bench sessions where I use my work-set weight from Bench day for sets of 3-5.  The PR range for those weights is moving into single-digit territory.  While the above sets felt good, at some point I expect I should back these down to doubles, and then probably singles.  And I've been doing the same weightXreps for Inclines.  I may want to back those down first and/or eventually drop the weight back down on those and do 1-2 higher rep sets.

Small Session. Arms

Chin-ups - BW*X5, 5, 5

Machine Curls -
3 sets of 8 (straight-weight)
drop sets X2, 2, 4 (one plate/set)

Hammer Curls -
30sX8, 8, 6
drop set 25sX3, 15sX5

Did chins on back to back days with no pain even though I upped the reps on day 2.  *Don't trust the scale at the office gym, so don't know what BW was on this day.

Last workout of the week, so I through in some more drop sets.  Just biceps anyway.

Full-Body. Week 4. Bench

BW - 228

Squat -
BarX5
135X5
205X4
245X3
295X3, 3, 3

Bench -
BarX5
115X4
145X3
175X2
195X1
175X12, 6

Chins - BWX3, 3, 3

Deadlift -
135X3
225X3
265X3, 3, 3

I had an unplanned day of rest before this day, and while I wasn't motivated to get in the gym, things felt great once I got going.

295 felt easier this day than the previous 3X3 day on squats.

175X12 is a Rep PR on bench.  This was probably an RPE 9.  I didn't use a spotter, so light enough to get out of the rack on my own and still get a PR, but I wouldn't have gone for another rep without someone there.

3X3 on chins pain free!  My P.T. does good work.

Deadlifts moved really fast.  Ultimately, I don't know how I want to program this day, because I want chins back in the weekly rotation if I can do them, but I'm finding a lot of value in the technique reinforcement of the "speed" deads.  Maybe put chins on Small Session days like I did with Dips?  That's a thought...

Small Session. Legs

Seated Leg Curls -
4 X8 (straight weight)
10 forced reps (same weight)
4X4 drop sets

super-set with

Leg Extensions - 4X20 (straight weight)

Full-Body. Week 4. Front Squats

BW - 226

Front Squats -
BarX5
95X5
115X4
135X3
165X2
190X1
165X10, 7

Incline - up to 165X3, 3, 3

BB Rows - up to 165X5, 5, 5

165X10 is a Rep PR on Fronts.  Low hanging fruit.  Reps are relatively slow to focus on technique over explosiveness and max weight/reps.

Inclines and rows were fine.

Small Session. Legs

Leg Curls -
warm-up X15
work-sets - X8, 8, 8, 8 (straight-weight), then drop sets, 1 plate-per-set X2, 2, 4, 5
super-set with
Leg Extensions - X20, 20, 20, 20 (straight-weight), then drop sets, 1 plate-per-set X4, 6, 8

Couldn't get in for a barbell session today at the regular gym, so did some legs at the office gym.

Small Session. Shoulders

Delt-Raise Giant Set with: 25s
Rear-Delts - 8, 8, 8
Sides - 5, 5, 5
Fronts - 5, 5, 5

Full-Body. Week 3. Deadlift

BW - 230

Squat -
BarX5
135X5
205X4
245X3
295X3, 3, 3

Bench -
BarX5
95X3
135X2
165X3, 3, 3

Deadlift -
135X3
225X3
285X2
325X4, 4

Switched back to regular grip bench for this day.  Since I'm able to do dips on small-session days at the office gym, I thought it would be better to get more practice on the regular grip than work to get the form down on a variation (which was proving trickier than I expected).

Deadlifts were heavy, but moved pretty well.  Technique didn't feel very dialed in, though.

Small Session. Arms

DB Hammer Curls - 30sX10, 10, 6
super-set with
Rope Extensions - X10, 10, 10 (straight-weight)

Machine Curls - X8, 8, 8 (straight-weight)
super-set with
Dips - BWX10, 10, 10

DB Supinated Curls - 30sX8, 6, 6
super-set with
DB Lying Extensions - 30sX8, 6, 6

Quick session at the office gym.  Dips felt good.  No shoulder pain at all.

Full-Body. Week 3. Press

BW - 227

Squat -
BarX5
135X5
185X3
225X5, 5, 5

Press -
BarX5
85X3
115X2
135X1
125X8, 6, 3

Chin-ups - BWX1, 2, 4, 4

Deadlift -
135X3
225X3
265X3, 3, 3

125X8 is a Rep PR on Press.  Second set felt strong enough that I think I'll go up on weight next time.

OMG I did some chin-ups mostly pain-free!  One trip to the P.T., and a week of doing the rehab/prehab he prescribed and I'm at lest 50% of the way back.  I was grinning like an idiot after the 2nd set.

Throws a little bit of a wrench into the programming though, because I'd gotten pretty into the idea of the additional deadlift workouts for keeping technique dialed-in.  Don't want the Bench/Press days to become forever long, so I'll have to toy with it.

Full-Body. Week 3. Back Squats

BW - 225

Squat -
BarX5
135X5
185X4
225X3
275X2
315X1
295X8, 7

Incline - up to 165X3, 3, 3

BB Rows - up to 165X5, 5, 5

295X8 is a Rep PR.  I think I will do one more week at this weight.  Would like to get 10+ before moving up again.  2nd set felt as strong as the first, but I didn't need more than 15 reps at this point.  That 2nd set being strong is a phenomenon I experience a lot on the Starting Strength programs, and something I need to keep lodged in the back of my mind as I keep toying with higher-rep sets and total volume.

Bumped up weight on Incline and Rows to match my last workset on flat bench.