Greyskull LP. Session 11

BW - 228

Press - 140X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups -
BW+22.5X4, 4
BWX10, 7

Squats - 350X5, 5, 6

140X6 is a Rep PR on the Press.  These felt okay.  Noticing a tendency for my hips to shoot out a little too one side or the other at the transition/sticking point.  Can't really see it in the video.  May try a different angle to see if it's visible.

Chins felt pretty good.  7 reps on the 2nd back-off set may be a PR of sorts for this programming.

Squats felt much better today.  I worked on controlling the eccentric a lot more today.  Sacrificed some pop out of the bottom for a bit better of a bar path.  Still not nearly as good as it was before Thanksgiving, but better.  And as a result, I was able to go over 5 reps on the AMRAP set.  Needed 7 for a Rep PR, but was happy to not be struggling as much.

Greyskull LP. Session 10

BW - 228

Bench - 195X5, 5, 10

Chin-Ups -
BW+22.5X3, 3
BWX10, 6

Deadlift - 325X8

Dips - BW+30X10, 10, 10

195X10 on Bench is a Rep PR.  Checking video of the first work set, I noticed my right leg was caving in on the leg drive.  Sorted that out on the final two work sets.  The new video angle is paying dividends so far.  This was probably RPE 8.5.

Chin-ups were okay.  BW sets felt much better than the weighted sets.

325X8 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  RPE 8, but only needed 7 reps for a PR.

258 (BW+30)X10 is a Rep PR on Dips.  These are feeling pretty good.  Still wish my shoulder felt stable enough to go below parallel on these.  3rd set shown.

Greyskull LP. Session 9

BW - 229

Press - 137.5X5, 5, 7

Chin-Ups -
BW+20X5, 5
BWX9, 6

Squats - 345X5, 5, 5

1357.5X7 is a Rep PR on the Press.  Only needed 6 for a PR, but felt like I could strain and get the extra and I did.  Probably felt the need to do something like that because squats have been going so shitty, and I wasn't looking forward to having to do them today.

Chin-ups went pretty well.  Realized, I could start loading the warm-ups a little bit.  Did +10X2 as my last warm-up, and we'll see if that has any effect on the work sets going forward.  These weighted sets felt okay, and the BW sets felt pretty good.

Squats went a little better than previously.  I videoed every single set from the empty bar up.  Trying to make corrections all the time to keep back on my heels and get the bar path completely vertical again.  Mixed results.  The first set was hard and imperfect, but not as bad as they have been.  The 2nd set, while still imperfect form-wise, was probably the best heavy workset since before Thanksgiving.  Felt good going into the 3rd set, but shat the bed on rep #2, and barely recovered enough to get all 5.  But I feel like if the second rep had been better, I may have had enough in the tank for at least a 6th rep.  Video of 2nd and 3rd sets below.

Greyskull LP. Session 8

BW - 228

Bench - 192.5X5, 5, 10

Chin-Ups -
BW+20X4, 4
BWX10, 5

Deadlift - 315X8

Dips - BW+30X9, 9, 9

192.5X10 is a Rep PR on Bench.  Felt pretty good.  Getting better centered on the bench thanks to the new camera angle.  RPE 9.

Weighted chins felt okay.  10 reps on the back-off set at this bodyweight matches a Rep PR.

315X8 is a Rep PR on Dealift.  These felt pretty good.  Only needed 7 for a PR, but was feeling 8 going into it.  RPE 8 or 8.5 max.  Still feeling limited more by fatigue than strength.

258 (BW+30)X9 is a Rep PR on Dips.  According to my records, it's actually my "heaviest" (counting BW) dips weight ever.  Kind of surprised me.  I'd like to be able to go a little deeper on these, but I have to be careful because my shoulders get cranky.  I go till I get a stretch but no further.

Greyskull LP. Session 7

BW - 229 (big lunch, I guess)

Press - 135X5, 5, 8

Chin-ups -
BW+20X3, 3
BWX8, 5

Squats -
345X5, 5
275X10

135X8 is a Rep PR on Press. Felt pretty good going into the set, but this was definitely RPE 10.

Reset the chins back to 20 and will work up again in 2.5 lb. increments.  See if I can bust through 30.

Squats are a shit show right now.  Getting really off my heels.  Where the problem used to be the bar sliding forward in the hole, now it's moving forward through-out the descent.  Really baffling that a couple of week lay-off could fuck it up this bad even with the reset.  After the 2nd set of 5 (shown), I just said fuck this and did an AMRAP set at 275 just to try and get some quality volume in.  Even those reps are technically poor despite having the strength to rep them out.  Starting to formulate a programming shift for squats and/or considering a consultation.

Greyskull LP. Session 6

BW - 225

Bench - 190X5, 5, 10

Chin-Ups -
BW+30X2
BW+25X3
BWX7, 5

Dips - BW+30X8, 8, 8

Deadlift - 305X8

190X10 is a Rep PR in Bench.  Everything felt pretty good.  Pushed this to the just about the limit, and should probably start getting a spotter for these AMRAP sets, as I almost hit the J-Hook when I went to rack it.  Tried a different video angle.  This might be the best one so far.  At least it was informative in that it showed I'm not centered on the pad, and that appears to be causing an uneven lock-out because the shoulder hangs over. 

Chin-ups did not go well.  Tried backing off the weight for the 2nd set, but it didn't help.  Time for some kind of reset.  Thinking I will drop back down to 20, and start micro-loading.  If I hit a wall there, I will possibly start over with body-weight and  a different grip, or dead-hangs.

Dips went fine.

305X8 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  Primary limiting factor here is still fatigue.  At the end of the session, and having to breath hunched over, I just run out of gas.  Fatigue aside, I believe this is about RPE 8 for pure strength.

Greyskull LP. Session 5

BW - 225

Press - 132.5X5, 5, 9

Chin-Ups -
BW+30X4, 4
BWX8, 6

Squat - 340X5, 5, 6

132.5X9 is a Rep PR on Press.  RPE 10.  The 8th rep felt like RPE 9.5.

Got the 2nd set of 4 with +30 on chins.  Glad for that.  Tried it with a DB instead of plates this time.  It was okay.

Squats felt way off today.  I lost balance on one of my last warm-up sets, and took a step back at lock-out.  On one of my work sets, I racked it, and it bounced out of the rack and back onto my shoulders as I stepped out.  I needed 9 for a Rep PR, and I was happy to just get over 5.  Doing squats last is definitely more challenging than even doing them 2nd.  I'm so fatigued at this point, that even the minor degree of forward lean coming out of the hole on the 6th rep here made it the final rep.

Greyskull LP. Session 4

BW - 226

Bench - 187.5X5, 5, 10

Chin-Ups -
BW+30X4, 3
BWX7, 5
super-set with
Dips -
BW+30X7, 7, 7

Deadlift - 295X9

187.5X10 is a Rep PR on Bench.  Think I only needed 9 for a PR, but going into it, was pretty sure 10 would be there.  This was probably RPE 8.5.

256 (BW+30)X4 is a Rep PR on Chin-ups.  However, these weren't feeling great.  Because I was using the same weight on Dips, I used this kind of shitty/rickety chin/dip rack.  First set was tough, and failed to get 4 on the 2nd set. I'll repeat this next time. 

256 (BW+30)X7 is a Rep PR on Dips.  These were fine.  Wasn't getting quite deep enough on the first set, but the 2nd and 3rd felt better.  Hate this rack for these because my face hits the upright.  Final set shown.

295X9 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  These felt really good, and half-way through I thought I was going to bang out 10.  Upper back started to feel really fatigued after 6, though, and I didn't want to force 10 when 9 was a PR.

All in all, everything felt better than the previous session.  As expected, that first session back from vacation sucked, and these subsequent sessions should be better.

Greyskull LP. Session 3

BW - 225

Press - 130X5, 5, 7

Chin-Ups -
BW+30X3, 3
BWX8, 6

Squats - 335X5, 5, 6

First day back lifting after a week-and-a-half layoff for Thanksgiving travelling.  Everything felt slightly off as a result, and there were no PRs to be had on the barbell lifts.

Pressing felt okay, but needed 9 for a rep pr.

One nice thing is that 255 (BW+30)X3 is a Rep PR on chins!  Gym was full, so I had to use one of the wobblier chin stations in a part of the gym that was too crowded for video.  I feel confident that the reps were consistent with what I've been doing, and the back-off sets felt pretty good too.  This is one of those days on the back-offs where it feels like I can do as many chins as I can hold my initial breath for, but after I have to take a 2nd breath the strength seems to go.

I was completely wiped when it got to squats.  Also incorporating rehab movements from my P.T. between all sets was really annoying.  I was ready to be done after I finished my last warm-up.  Still by the time I got to the AMRAP set, I was determined to get more than 5, and did.  Needed 9 for a PR.

Hopefully, this first session back will set the stage for barbell PR sets over the next few sessions.

Greyskull LP. Session 2

BW - 225

Bench - 185X5, 5, 10

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 5, 5
super-set with
Dips - BWX10, 10

Deadlift - 275X10

Kind of a low-intensity, medium RPE day.  I'd been sick for a few days, and then really busy, and that kept me out of the gym for about a week and a half.  And I'm about to be out of town for a week for Thanksgiving.  So I didn't want to think of this as a "regular" programming day, and decided to push some lighter weight on the barbell lifts, and just get some volume in on the bodyweight movements. 

All that being said, 185X10 is a Rep PR on Bench.  Probably RPE 8.  One more rep without a spotter for sure.

No weight added for Chins and Dips.  Just getting some volume in, especially on Dips following a higher rep set of Bench.

I was really close to pulling 405, and I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do on DL.  With being sick and away from the gym, I didn't feel confident coming in and pulling a heavy double.  And about to be gone for a week, I was worried about how that would effect my training.  Ultimately, I decided to be conservative.  Reset the DL along with everything else, but also plan to advance with 10 lb. jumps for a while.  The goal is to try and get DL to pull even with squats on intensity, and then drop to 5 lb. jumps.

275X10 matches a Deadlift PR, hilariously, from October, 2012.  I didn't know that when I went into this.  The Greyskull reset was going to have me starting at 295XAMRAP where 9 would be a PR, so I just decided to do 275X10 today.  When I went to look this up later, it turns out I haven't gone over 7 reps on DL since May of 2014, and hadn't gone over 8 since 2012. 

What was surprising about the movement itself, was how fatigued my actual legs started getting.  I squatted 285X10 as recently as June of this year, so that was unexpected.  Still, everything felt solid, and looks okay.  I'll be gone for a week, and then I'll come back and really start the GSLP in earnest after the holiday.

Greyskull LP. Session 1

BW - 226.3

Press - 127.5X5, 5, 9

Chin-Ups -
BW+25X5, 5
BWX10, 5

Squats - 330X5, 5, 9

127.5X9 is a Rep PR in press.  Felt pretty solid.

No PR on Chins, but I did complete the 2nd set of 5 with +25 that I missed last week.  On to +30!  No video of this.

I've switched over to the full GSLP for this reset to see how that works out, and I was pretty tired and not feeling like squatting.  Also, I'd gone to the PT before the gym to see about this adductor issue, so it was later than usual.  PT thinks I'm got limited internal rotation mobility in my right hip, and he gave me some stuff to do.  I was doing it before and between every single squat set.  I did get fired up for my final set here after spotting a guy with 465X4, so I was ready for the final set.  330X9 is a Rep PR.  The video is off center and terrible.

Be interesting to see how it goes squatting last.

Novice LP. Session 69 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 225.9

Bench -
245X2
217.5X5, 5

Squat - 325X5, 5, 9

Chin-Ups-
BW+25X5, 4
BWX9, 5

245X2 is an all-around PR on Bench.  I was supposed to do 242.5, but I'm ready for a reset, and so said 'fuck it.'  Jumped to more of a milestone.  RPE 9.5.  Back-off sets felt strong.  2nd back-off shown.  Will now reset Bench to the GSLP.

325X9 is a Rep PR on Squats.  Gave my legs a week off after hitting 405X2 in the hopes that rest and a GSLP reset would allow the adductor strain to fade away, but it came roaring back on these sets.  Next thing will probably be to meet with a P.T., and probably plan a longer lay-off of squats around our annual Thanksgiving trip.  Still this was maybe RPE 8.5.  Definitely could have gotten one more.

351(BW+25)X5 is a Rep PR.  Failed the 5th rep on set 2 (shown in video).  I will run this back next session and see if I can hit both sets.  First BW set felt surprisingly strong, and thought I was gonna run to 10, but the bottom dropped out as it usually does on this movement for me.

Novice LP. Session 68 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Press -
125X5, 5, 11

Deadlift -
390X3
350X3

Chin-Ups -
BW+25X4, 4
BWX8, 6

Dips -
BW+30X6, 6, 6

125X11 is a Rep PR on Press.  RPE 10.  Took careful planning of shorter and longer breathing rests, and still, around Rep 8, I thought I might be in trouble.  Happy to have gotten it!

390X3 is an all-around PR on Deadlift.  Feeling slow and heavy, but still do-able with commitment. I only doubled 390 on Squat, so it's nice to see my DL outperforming the squat for once outside of a meet.  Didn't quite lock out the 3rd rep to competition standards, but I don't care.  Trying to decide if I just want to hit doubles the rest of the way, or keep pushing triples.  Oh, and btw, back in early August 350X3 was a Rep PR set.  Now it's a back-off set.

251 (BW+25)X4 is a Rep PR on chins.  Feeling heavy from the first rep now.  2nd weighted set and first BW set shown.

256 (BW+30)X6 is a Rep PR on Dips.  These were about as easy as I wanted them to be for a reset that still delivers an adaptation dose.  I'm eliminating the BW back-off sets starting with this session, and working on weighted sets only.  I'll run +30 up to the 10-12 rep range for 3 sets across, and then up the weight again.

Novice LP. Session 67 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Bench -
240X2
215X5, 5

Chin-Ups -
BW+25X3, 3
BWX10, 6

240X2 is an all-around PR on Bench.  2nd rep was slow.  You can see my spotter thought he was going to have to take it, but I didn't really ever think he would have.  However, we are definitely at RPE 10 here where technical mistakes will likely result in a miss.  Back-off sets were quite strong.  2nd back-off set shown in the video.

253 (BW+25)X3 and 228 (BW)X10 are both Rep PRs on chins.  I think that 10 rep PR can largely be chalked up to not doing a lower body movement beforehand on this day.  After hitting 405X2 on Squats, I decided to take a session off from lower body work before I reset.  I want to try and give this adductor some room to heal up.  I'll take the 10 Rep PR, though.

Novice LP. Session 66 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Press -
155X2
140X3
125X10

Squat -
405X2
360X3
325X6

Chin-Ups -
BW+20X5, 5
BWX8, 5

155X2 is an all-around PR on the press.  RPE 10.  I thought the first rep was RPE 9.5 actually, hahaha.  Oh!  125X10 is a Rep PR, as well!

405X2 is an all-around PR on Squats.  RPE 9+.  I was only supposed to do 400 today, but the gym was full of quality spotters, and I thought I'd take advantage  instead of rolling the dice with whoever was in the gym on Friday.  I was pretty happy about this as you can see in the video.  I was pretty mentally worn down by the time I got to the AMRAP set and only went to about an RPE 8.5 on that.  I will probably do a reset on Squats now.  I don't want to spend too much time on triples and doubles.

247 (BW+5)X5 is a Rep PR on Chins.  Felt hard, but got both sets.  2nd set shown.

Novice LP. Session 65 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227.2

Bench -
237.5X2
215X5, 5

Deadlift -
385X3
345X3

Chin-Ups-
BW+20X4, 4
BWX8, 5

Dips -
BW+25X12, 12
BWX15

237.5X2 is an all around PR on bench.  Mis-grooved the first rep, and failed on the 3rd.  A PR is a PR, though.  2nd back-off set in the video.  These are still moving okay.

385X3 is an all-around PR on Deadlift.  Finally pulling weight heavier than my meet PR.  These were definitely heavy.

247 (BW+20)X4 is rep PR on Chins.  Video is the 2nd weighted set .  BW back-off sets are starting to feel a little easier.

253 (BW+25)X12 is a Rep PR on Dips.  Finally remembered to take some video.  Upper arms are coming more or less parallel with the floor, and that's all I'm really looking for to make sure I'm getting the extra triceps work without aggravating old shoulder problems.

Novice LP. Session 64 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press -
152.5X2
137.5X3
125X9

Squat -
395X2
355X3
320X7

Chin-Ups -
BW+20X3, 3
BWX7, 5

152.5X2 is an all around PR, and 125X9 is a Rep PR on Press.  Everything here moved about as expected.

395X2 is an all around PR on Squat.  These moved pretty well.  RPE 9, and saw no need to risk a third.  Still nervous about the right adductor, but 405 is so close!  Was prepared to only go for 5 on the 3rd set, but everything felt good, and I took a couple of extra reps.  Didn't need to push it, though, and so left some in the tank.

248(BW+20)X3 is a Rep PR on Chins.  Gym was crowded today, and I was working in with someone squatting, and so didn't mess with filming them.

Novice LP. Session 63 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Bench -
235X3
207.5X5
212.5X4

Squat -
390X2
350X3
315X5

Chin-Ups -
BW+15X5, 5
BWX6, 5

235X3 is an all-around PR on bench.  I mis-loaded one side of the bar on my first back-off set.  Gonna go right ahead and blame that for missing the 5th rep on on the second back-off set, haha.  Top set felt pretty good.  Probably RPE 9.5.  I'll go ahead and go up again next week and see what happens with the various sets.  Final back-off set shown in the 2nd clip.

390X2 is an all-around PR on Squats.  Worked really hard on warming-up my adductors today to see if I could lessen the discomfort I've been dealing with.  I'd say it felt about 50% better.  Lots of dynamic stretches and empty-bar warm-ups.  Still, my mental game just felt a little off heading into the work sets, and nothing felt locked-in.  The 2nd rep of the top set felt pretty fucking hard, so I didn't go for a third.  First back-off set still felt off, so I also cut that short at 3.  Final back-off set was fast.  Bar path and technique generally look really good in the video despite everything.

242(BW+15)X5 is a Rep PR on chins.  These felt pretty good, and the BW back-off sets felt very strong.  Video is of 2nd weighted set.

Novice LP. Session 62 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press -
150X2
135X7
120X5

Deadlift -
380X3
340X3

Chin-Ups -
BW+15X4, 4
BWX6, 4

Dips -
BW+25X11, 11
BWX20

150X2 is an all-around PR on Press.  Tried for 3 but failed.  I'll give it one more shot next week and either reset or proceed with doubles.  135X7 ties a Rep PR (forgot to take video).  Original programming was to do a back-off set of 5, and then a 2nd, AMRAP set with the same weight.  I've been doing that on Squat and Press, but it hasn't quite sat right with me.  I think I'm going to work on these ladder-down sets instead.  90%XAMRAP, and then 80%X5.  When 90% is < 6 reps, I will switch the AMRAP to the 80% set.

380X3 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  All reps felt heavy but do-able.  With focus and intent, this was not more than RPE 9.  I realized later that the back-off set of 340X3 is awesome because I switched from one set of 5, to a set of 3 and a back-off set of 3 back when I was on 325.  Having my back-off sets be almost 20 lbs. over 325 is pretty cool.

253 (BW+25)X11 and 228 (BW)X20 are both Rep PRs on Dips.  That 20 rep set was brutal.  Might need to start taking video of these to keep me honest.

243 (BW+15)X4 is a Rep PR on Chins.  Video is of the 1st set and the AMRAP set.  These are okay.

Novice LP. Session 61 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Bench -
232.5X3
210X5, 5

Squat -
385X3
345X5

Chin-Ups-
BW+15X3, 3
BWX7, 5

232.5X3 is an all around PR on bench at the heaviest weight I've ever benched.  RPE 9.5.  Back off sets felt pretty good.  2nd back-off set in video.

385 is an all around PR on squat as the heaviest weight I've ever lifted on any of the main lifts.  Felt pretty good, although the right adductor is still KILLING me on the warm-up sets.  May start doing the grizzled, old "ton of reps with the empty bar" warm-up protocol that so many vets go on about.  Needed 8 reps for a Rep PR with 345, and that was clearly NOT there.  That was surprising and frustrating.

243 (BW+15)X3 is a Rep PR on chins.  2nd set in the video.  Felt pretty good.  RPE 9, I think.  First BW set felt good, but the bottom always seems to suddenly drop out. 

Novice LP. Session 60 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press -
147.5X3
132.5X5, 8

Squat -
380X3
340X8

Chin-ups -
BW+10X5, 5
BWX6, 4

147.5X3 and 132.5X8 are both rep PRs on Press.  Both were fairly difficult.

I'd been traveling all week and also had a lot of social activities, so I wasn't even sure if I was going to Squat on this day.  Once I decided to Squat, I though I might just do a few reps at a medium weight.  I then decided to maybe work up to a single around the original programmed weight.  I then hit two PRs.  380X3 and 340X8, haha.  But I am taking this opportunity to downshift to triples on the top set, and possibly eliminate the 1st back-off set of 5 reps.  I like having that extra volume in there, so we'll see how I feel on a "fresher" day.

238 (BW+10)X5 is a Rep PR on Chins.  Forgot to video the weighted set again, but did get the back-off set.  Not fully extending the arms, but elbow above the shoulders and up around the ears is okay for me right now.

Novice LP. Session 59 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Bench -
230X4
207.5X5, 5

Deadlift -
375X3
335X3

Dips -
BW+25X10, 10
BWX19

Chin-Ups -
BW+10X4, 4
BWX6, 4

230X4 is a Rep PR on Bench.  Supposed to go for 5, but it was clear that 4 was RPE 10.  Totally fine with this, and will shift to top sets of 3 going forward.

375X3 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  Felt pretty heavy, but looks okay.

253 (BW+25)X10 and 228X19 are both Rep PRs on Dips.  These are feeling fine.

238 (BW+10)X4 is a Rep PR on Chin-ups.  Felt okay.  Forgot to video.

Novice LP. Session 58 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press -
145X3
130X5, 7

Squat -
375X5
335X5, 8

Chin-Ups -
BW+10X3, 3
BWX7, 5

145X3 is a Rep PR.  Kind of surprised that I failed on 4 after getting 2X5 with 142.5 last week.

Was hoping for an 8 rep PR with 130, but only got to 7.

375X5 and 330X8 are both Rep PRs on Squat.  Both felt really, really good, strength-wise.  Still worried that the right adductor is so achy on off days and really lights up on my early warm-up sets.

338(BW+10)X3 is actually a Rep PR on chins.  Not gonna get too excited yet.  I'll need to start filming these.  In the past, when I added weight to chins, it led to cutting the reps ever higher.

Novice LP. Session 57 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Bench -
227.5X5
205X5, 5

Squat -
370X5
330X5, 8

Chin-Ups - BWX25 total reps (lost track of individual sets)

Phone died so no video of this session.

My sleep and general recovery were a mess heading into this session, so I was kind of dreading it.  Things went pretty well, though.

227.5X5 is a Rep PR on Bench.  5th rep was absolutely RPE 10.  Really wasn't sure if it was going to lock-out.  Hopefully my recovery can be in better shape next week when I take a run at 230.

370X5 is a Rep PR on Squats.  Squats just felt really good today.  I felt like the bar was staying "over my heels" on every rep, and I had a lot of pop coming out of the hole.

This was my first time experimenting with AMRAP on the 2nd back-off set.  I decided to move back into back-off sets after the last squat workout where I ended up cutting the 2nd set across at 4 reps.  But I didn't want to abandon the AMRAP set, so I'm doing a sort of mash-up of Advanced Novice/Greyskull LP here.  I'm well aware that there's risk of bastardizing tested programs, and that mash-ups often result in worse results than choosing one method or another.  However, the AMRAP sets seemed to be yielding results.  I will keep a close eye on this as I move forward.  I'm not sure if the 1st set of 5 is necessary, or if it would be better to do a single, AMRAP back off-set.  My suspicion is that this will yield more ultimate volume, even if it possibly costs me a rep or two on the AMRAP.

Anyway, despite feeling like crap all day, this was a good session.

Novice LP. Session 56 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 229

Press -
142.5X5, 5, 3
130X7

Deadlift -
370X3
330X3

Chin-Ups - BWX8, 5, 4, 4
super-set with
Dips -
BW+25X9, 9
BWX18

142.5X5 is a Rep PR on Press.  Failed pretty hard on the 4th rep of the 3rd set.

Backed off 10% and hit a strong set of 7.  Thought that was also a PR, but turns out I needed one more.

Went back and forth on how to proceed, but I'm going to move on to the next stage with a top set of 5, a 90% set of 5, and a 90% AMRAP.  Still not sure if the 90% should be X5,XAMRAP, or just XAMRAP, but we'll see how it goes.

370X3 is a Rep PR on the Deadlift.  Adjust camera angle to try and get more info.  Want to capture the bottom of the foot, and the bar path against the leg in addition to back angle.

229(BW)X8 is maybe a Rep PR on chins.  Felt only okay.

254(BW+25)X9 and 229(BW)X18 are both Rep PRs on Dips.  These are feeling good and don't seem to be giving me additional shoulder issues so far.

Novice LP. Session 55 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 229

Bench -
225X5
202.5X5, 5

Squat - 365X5, 4

225X5 is a Rep PR on Bench.  Nice milestone.  Reps were all pretty smooth, and got in some leg drive without my butt coming up.

365X5 is a Rep PR on Squats.  Weight was shifting off my heels a bit again today, and so the bar was drifting forward at the bottom of the movement. I believe that was taking a bit of a toll on me.  The 4th rep on the 2nd set felt like such a grinder, I didn't go for a 5th.  Also, my low back is still a little dicey.  I was going to go for a 3rd set, but realized I was supposed to be somewhere in 30 minutes, so I cut if off there.

I will revisit 365 on my next squat session.  If I run into trouble on it again, I will start progressing the first set and drop back to 90% on the 2nd and 3rd, with AMRAP on the 3rd.

Novice LP. Session 54 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 230

Press - 140X5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3
super-set with
Dips -
BW+25X8, 8
BWX17

Negative Chins (0/0/4) - BWX4, 4

CG Pulldowns - X8, 8, 8

I tweaked my back in the shower in the morning, and decided not to squat this day.

140X3X5 is an LP PR.  Needed 6 for a Rep PR, and that clearly wasn't happening.  Wasn't even sure 5 would be there for me after the first two sets.

Since I wasn't going to squat, I decided to obliterate lats and throw in some dips as well.

230X7 on Chin-Ups is actually a BW Rep PR.

BW(230)X17 is a Rep PR, and BW (230)+25X8 ties a Rep PR on Dips.  Last reps on 2nd weight set, and BW AMRAP set were all tough.

Getting a nice, full stretch on the negative chins.

To really pile on, I did some close-grip pulldowns to the sternum at a bodybuilder pace.  Straight weight for the first two sets, and then took off ~10% for the last set.  The combination of all this work had my rear delts in particular, and my upper lats and triceps in general, sore all weekend.

Novice LP. Session 53 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 229

Bench -
222.5X5
200X5, 5

Squat - 360X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 5, 4, 5, 3, 2 (26 total reps)

222.5X5 is a Rep PR on Bench.  Missed the 5th rep last week, but managed to squeeze it out this week.  Butt came up a bit.

360X6 is a Rep PR on Squat and 3X5 is an LP PR.  Right adductor was bugging me early on in warm-ups, but was ready to go as the weight got heavier.  Recorded my last warm-up, and bar path looked good.  Continued to look good through the work sets, and was able to get a really clean, extra rep on the AMRAP set.  Felt good about this one, and excited to go for 365 next!

Knocked out some more chins to finish it up.  Started off strong, but the bottom fell out.  Was using one of the less optimal chin-up stations at the gym.

Novice LP. Session 52 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press - 137.5X5, 5, 5

Deadlift -
365X3
325X3

Dips -
BW+25X7, 7
BWX16

Chin-Ups - BWX5, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3 (26 total)

No PR on Press today.  It was a tough session, but I also only took one day off since missing on the 5th rep of a Bench PR.  Also, my midsection felt "soft" during this set.  Felt my hips shifting side to side during a couple of reps.

365X3 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  Felt solid, but heavy-ish.  Again, my midsection didn't feel tight enough.

BW/228X16 is a Rep PR on Dips as well.  These all felt really good even though I haven't done them i a couple of weeks.

Chin-ups are feeling shit, but they're also at the tail end of a lot of other work.  Just threw a lot of volume at them and called it a day.

Novice LP. Session 51 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 229

Bench -
222.5X4
200X5, 5

Squat - 355X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups - BWX5, 5, 5

Negative Chins (0/0/4) - BWX3, 3

222.5X4 is a Rep PR on bench.  5th rep just wasn't there.  Will give it a shot again next week, and either succeed and continue, or fail and move on with a top triple.  Forgot to film my top set, but filmed my back-offs.  Here's the 2nd back-off set.  Contemplating my elbow flare.  I thought I was keeping them in longer than this.

335X6 is a Rep PR, and 335X5X3 an LP PR, on Squats.  Squats were feeling very good today in practice, but under review, the bar seems to be drifting forward again at the bottom.  More work to do.

Chins weren't anything to write home about today.

Novice LP. Session 50 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Press - 135X5, 5, 7

Squat - 350X5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups - BWX6, 4, 3

Negative Chins (0/0/3) - X3, 3

Cinched the belt super-tight and went for it on Press.  After struggling to get 6 reps on the last set last week, I got 7 today for a nice rep PR (thought not an LP PR).  6th rep was super shaky, but I regrouped and nailed it for #7.  I'm going to try and start filming my pressing movements to see what I can learn.

Was optimistic going into set 3 of squats, but I didn't get much bounce out of the hole on the first rep, and it took a lot of umph out of me.  I think I actually had the belt a notch too tight here, and that might have contributed somehow.  Still I've never gotten more than 3 reps with this weight, so 3X5 feels like a pretty nice volume/rep PR.

Trying to re-re-commit to stricter chins.  This session was done not only with strict, full elbow extension, but also bringing my chest to the bar instead of just clearing my chin.  Last rep on each set was when I could only clear my chin (still counting it!).  Threw in some eccentrics for extra volume.

Novice LP. Session 49 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 226

Bench -
220X5
197.5X5, 5

Deadlift -
360X3
320X3

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 5, 4

220X5 is a Rep PR on Bench.  I should probably start filming these at some point.  RPE ~9.

360X3 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  1st rep got in front of me a little bit, and my grip was starting to give a little on the last rep.  I don't remember ever having a grip issue on DL.  Considering how much chin-up volume I'm doing, I would have thought grip was covered.  But now that we're getting well past BW+100, chin-ups at BW + DL once every 2 weeks may not be enough stimulus to the grip.  Something to start thinking about.

Back-off set felt very strong.  Not quite speed work, but fast.

No dips today.  Was ready to get out of the gym, so just hit some chins.

Novice LP. Session 48 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 226

Press - 132.5X5, 5, 6

Squat - 345X5, 5, 7

Chin-Ups - BWX8, 5, 5

Fell 1 rep short of a Rep PR on Press.  Bar stopped directly above my head.  Still got over 5 reps, so I carry forward.

345X7, however, is a good sized Rep PR on Squat.  Bar path was only slightly off on the first set, and I cleaned it up on the second.  I only needed 6 reps for a PR on the 3rd set, but watching the bar speed on my video of the first two sets, I felt like 7 was do-able if I executed and went for it.  Looked pretty good.

Knocked out some chins and went home.

Novice LP. Session 47 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 229

Bench -
217.5X5
195X5, 5

Squat - 340X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups - BWX10*, 4, 5

217.5X5 is a Rep PR for Bench.  Moved pretty well, but is still probably RPE 9.5.

340X6 is a Rep PR for Squat and a 3X5 PR as well..  Technique around the bottom of the lift is still failing.  Back to shifting forwards.  Although sometimes here I'm shifting forwards even though my feet are staying pretty flat.  Probably just the intensity getting high enough now to cause these breakdowns.  Need to keep the torso upright, and shoulders tight and back without the bar drifting backwards now.

Got 10 reps on chins, but felt like I was maybe cutting them high.  Refocused on full extension for the next two sets while trying to maintain the more explosive pace I've been developing.

Novice LP. Session 46 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Press - 130X5, 5, 7

Deadlift -
355X3
315X3

Chin-Ups - BWX9, 5, 5, 5
super-set with
Dips -
BW+25X6, 6
BWX15

130X7 is a Rep PR on Press.  I discovered that I can cinch the belt MUCH tighter for this movement than for Squat and Pull since I don't have to hinge over.  It really seemed to help.

355X3 is a Rep PR in the Deadlift.  Felt pretty good.  Back-off set felt strong as well.  I would still like to find a way to get my upper back position stronger through the movement.

Dips are feeling pretty good.  I was nervous about these because my right shoulder was feeling pretty fried after the PR pressing, but it ended up being okay.

Novice LP. Session 45 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Bench -
215X5
192.5X5, 5

Squats - 335X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups - BWX6, 6, 5

Bench was pretty solid after the shit-show with the gym's new bench last week.

335X6 is a Rep PR in Squat, but I couldn't get in the groove all day on this lift.  Actually got into trouble on the 2nd set when the bar drifted BACKWARDS coming out of the hole.  That's a brand new problem, and almost certainly over correction on my part.  Final set looked okay, but it just felt heavy as hell.

I was in a hurry to meet friends for dinner, so I banged out 3 sloppy sets of chins with minimal rest.

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX2, 4, 6, 2, 4

super set with

Dips - BWX4, 8, 12, 4, 8

and

Intervals - 4, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:8:45 total, 00:02:11/interval

Novice LP. Session 44 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press - 127.5X5, 5, 7

Squat - 330X5, 5, 8

Chin-Ups - BWX9, 5, 5

127.5X7 is a Rep PR in Press.  RPE 9.75.  First two sets were difficult, but I took my time with the 3rd set and hit all 7.

330X8 is a Rep PR in Squat.  Technique looked pretty good on the first two sets, and I felt confident going into the 3rd.  Still took my time, and by the last rep I was still sucking air from the pressure on my back, but I could have gotten at least one more with a gun to my head.

BWX9 is a strict chin-up PR!  I ended up shooting the shit for a while with a guy at the gym after squats, and ended up having a fairly long rest.  I wasn't looking for a PR here, but once I started it felt strong enough to go for it.  Getting 5 on both sets 2 and 3 is pretty good too.  Besides the extra rest before I started the first set, I have no idea where this came from.

Novice LP. Session 43 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 226

Bench -
215X4
192.5X5, 5

Deadlift -
350X3
315X3

Chin-Ups - BWX5, 3, 5, 3, 4
super-set with
Dips -
BW+25X5, 5
BWX13

The pins on the adjustable bench had worked their way out and kept hitting the plate during the reps on my workset.  The spotter tried to fix it, and ended up lowering one of the supports entirely.  I thought I would still get rep 5, but I didn't.  I'll just go get it next week.

350X3 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.  First one in a long time.  Set felt pretty good.  Back-off sets are still feeling harder than the top set since I started using a belt.

Felt ready to start adding weight to Dips.  Upping the intensity on pressing, I thought I better try to balance it out with a few chins.  Started off with +25 for two very do-able sets of 5.  Wanted to start very easy to make sure I get acclimated to the differences the weighted dip belt causes in the movement.  For the 2nd set, I ended up pinching the plate between my knees to try and get more control.  Full body movement, hahhaa!

Novice LP. Session 42 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Press - 125X5, 5, 8

Squat - 325X5, 5, 8

Chins - BWX7, 4, 4

8th rep on Press was a grinder.  I was hoping another 9 rep PR was going to be there, but it wasn't.

325X8, however, is a Rep PR.  Still having trouble staying upright with a straight bar path, but videoing the first two sets is helping me correct that going into the AMRAP set.  Strength feels like it's there for more, but my wind isn't there for more.  Feel like I can't get full breaths between the last couple of reps.

Chin-up strength was a little better than last session.

Novice LP. Session 41 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 228

Bench -
212.5X5
192.5X5, 5

Squat - 320X5, 5, 8

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 3, 3

Negative Chins (0/0/3) - BWX4, 4

Bench went really well.  Warm-ups felt a little off-kilter, but the top set was fairly easy.

320X8 is a Rep PR in squats.  Was getting hard to breath by the end.  Focused on a more upright torso, and it felt good, and the bar path looks good:

Not a lot of gas left for chins, though.  Plus a little bit heavier.  So I threw in a couple sets of negatives to get good volume in there.

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX2, 4, 6, 4

super set with

Dips - BWX4, 8, 12, 8

and

Intervals - 3, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:12:57 total, 00:02:35/interval

Novice LP. Session 40 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 226

Press - 122.5X5, 5, 9

SLDL - 190X5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups - BWX5, 5, 4, 4
super-set with
Dips - BWX12, 12, 12

122.5X9 is a Rep PR in Press.  Had to "get up" for it a bit, and also pre-plan how I was going to break the reps up into sections i.e. 3 reps, extra breaths, 2 reps, breaths, 2 reps breaths, 1, breath, 1.

Decided to do SLDL for the first "DL" day back from my vacation.  I will start throwing this in occasionally as necessary if my low back is feeling to fatigued for regular DL.

Used the belt on Press, but wasn't sure if I needed it for SLDL.  My back felt a little wonky on the first set, so I belted up for the next two.  The weight isn't heavy, but trying to keep to form perfect is dicey as I haven't done these in a while.

Had just been doing dips on this day, but through in some more chins to try and help balance out the shoulder work.

Novice LP. Session 39 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 227

Bench -
210X5
190X5, 5

Squat - 315X5, 5, 6

Chin-ups - BWX8, 4, 4

Took about a week off for an annual camping trip.  Always a little roughed up coming back from that trip, so I took a small reset here.

Knocked 5 lbs. off the bench, and everything moved well.

Knocked 15 lbs. off the squat, and everything was moving okay, but I was having trouble staying off my toes.  That bit me in the ass on my AMRAP set, where I got too far forward on the 6th rep while going for 8:

+1 rep on my first set of chins as well.  Felt good.

Novice LP. Session 38 (Greyskull Squats and Press)

BW - 224

Press - 120X5, 5, 9

Squat - 330X5, 5, 7

Chin-Ups - BWX5, 5, 5

Good day.  Belt helped a lot with both barbell lifts.

Reset Press to the Greyskull protocol and 120X9 is a Rep PR in Press. If I hadn't known it would take 9 for a PR, I wouldn't have gotten there.  Last rep is maybe the slowest rep I've ever put overhead.

Low-back is feeling much better.  330X7 is a Rep PR in the squat.  6 would have been a PR, but I felt like I could get 7 going into this set, and planned my 'breaks' accordingly.  3 reps non-stop, 2 reps, 1, 1.  Still getting forward a bit coming out of the hole on some reps, but by keeping a more upright torso, I'm fixing that a bit, and some of these reps look damn near perfect despite the relative intensity.

Because I did a ladder up on chins the day before as part of a conditioning circuit, today I just tried sets of 5 across.  Still mulling over how I want to progress these going forward.

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX1, 2, 3, 4, 5

super set with

Dips - BWX2, 4, 6, 8, 10

and

Intervals - 5, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:12:57 total, 00:02:35/interval

Chins and Dips both felt good.

While the average time on the intervals was slower this week, by and large, this was a better day.  I was able to keep a much more consistent pace than previously.  The past couple of sessions, I'd jumped out of the gate, and finished the first run or two far under pace.  Then I'd be out of gas for the last two.  This was better.

Novice LP. Session 37 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 229

Bench -
215X5
192.5X5, 5

Deadlift -
345X3
310X3

Dips - BWX11, 11, 11

215X5 is a Rep PR.  Some form breakdown really started to show though here, although it was also totally do-able.  My spotter kept saying "drive your legs," and it made me realize how loose my legs were getting after the initial lift.  Something to focus on.

First week deadlifting with a belt.  Made a huge difference.  These lifts were all much easier that last time.  Almost zero back discomfort.  Video of the top-set below.

At 11 reps, dips are starting to get much more challenging by the end of the 3rd set across.  I'll take it up to 3X12.  At that point, if the final reps are grinding, I will reset and start adding weight.  If they're still very do-able, I may try to run up to 3X15.

Novice LP. Session 36 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 225

Press -
140X2
120X5, 5

Squat - 325X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups - BWX6, 4, 4

Press failed again to get 3 reps with 140.  Everything felt good, it was just too heavy.  Hit back-offs to get in volume on this day.  I will take a full GSLP reset, and work back up with 2X5, 1XAMRAP.

Squats felt heavy on this day.  A lot of variables at play being in the middle of a rambunctious holiday weekend.  Still managed to get an extra rep on the last set.  Despite the belt, the bar path looked much worse today than last time.  Saw it on the warm-ups, and still wasn't able to correct it very much.  Back didn't give me too much trouble, though.

Gonna try out 3XAMRAP, 2/wk. on Chins for a few weeks and see if I can get them moving again with more full range, fully loaded volume.

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX7, 5, 4

super set with

Dips - BWX10, 10, 10

and

Intervals - 4, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:09:05 total, 00:02:16/interval

Much easier to get both conditioning and a light/recovery/assistance day in if I can do them all at once.  I hate running on a treadmill, but luckily there's a little bodyweight station down at the beach near where I live.  I mapped out a 1/4 mile route around the paths that brings me back there, and I can knock this all out pretty quick.

Chin-ups felt much stronger going first like this (duh).

Dips were fine.  I capped the reps at 10.

Intervals feeling a little better as I acclimate.  Still hard to pull back on the throttle out of the gate and hit target pace.  

Novice LP. Session 35 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 226

Bench -
212.5X5
192.5X5, 5

Squat - 320X5, 5, 7

Band Assisted Chins - X7, 5, 5, 5

212.5X5 is a Rep PR on the bench.  Heavy, but moving well.

Day 2 of using a belt for squats.  While the long lingering back pain is still there, the belt is allowing me to lift through it.  320X7 is a Rep PR.

Failed again to get prescribed reps on sets 2-4 of assisted chins.  Will have to tweak the approach slightly.

Conditioning

Tempo Run - 3/4 mile @ 00:09:00

Slow and steady.  Just getting back into it.

Novice LP. Session 34 (Greyskull Squats)

Squat - 315X5, 5, 7

Press - 140X2, 1

SLDL - 185X5, 5, 5

Went and got a tune up yesterday with my old coaches at Kratos.  I wanted them to review my programming to date, talk about next steps, take a look at my squat form, and help get me acclimated to using a belt.

I've decided to start using a belt to see if it will help this lingering back pain.  I've used one a couple of times in the past, and it no doubt helps lift heavier weight in the squat.  But will it help with the pain?  I've found conventional DL to be really fucking uncomfortable in them, but I'll just have to work that out.

315X7 is a Rep PR in the Squat.  The low-back discomfort was there even with the belt, but no where near as painful or all-around limiting as it has been.

Crapped out on Press though.  I suspect some of this is reversing the order I've been lifting in.  I'll try it again next go-round with pressing first and see if I get it.  If not, I will give it a shot on the GSLP and see if I can break some walls down that way.

These guys would like to see me move to an HLM program sooner than later.  Part of that would be SLDLs.  I'm not ready to switch over whole sale just yet.  Current plan, per lift, is as follows:
 - Squats: Continue to run the GSLP.  If it stalls, reset ONCE and run up again, or switch to HLM.  Depending on how I'm feeling with the belt.
 - Bench: Continue to run the Advanced Novice LP.  That includes pushing into triples like I did with Squats.  If it stalls, try resetting to GSLP and go from there.  Eventually moving into HLM.
 - DL: Adding the belt.  I got all my reps this last time with the current programming of top-triple/back-off-triple, so I'm going to progress that with the addition of the belt.  We'll just have to see how the belt changes things.  If it's better, I continue on this path.  If it stalls, I will go ahead and reset to HLM, which is just the same old 1X5 per week.
 - Press: Try 140 again, but as the first movement of the day.  If I get it, continue.  If I fail, I will try resetting to the GSLP and see how that goes.  Eventually moving into HLM.

Now the question is whether I should try to incorporate the prescribed SLDLs sooner rather than later, and what would that look like.  One way may be to pull chins back to 1-2X/week, and alternate DL and SLDL every other week.

Conditioning

Intervals - 1/4 mileX3 @ ~2:00 per

super-set with

Chin-Ups - BWX1, 2, 3, 4
and
Dips - BWX2, 4, 6, 8

Looking to get back on the conditioning train.  These 3 intervals kicked my ass some.  Part of that was no pace control.  I ran the first interval in 1:40 when I just wanted 2:30.

There's a bodyweight training station at the local park, so I threw some work in between intervals.

Novice LP. Session 33 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 227

Bench -
210X5
190X5, 5

Deadlift -
340X3
305X3

Dips - BWX8, 8, 8

Bench went well.  210X5 ties my lifetime PR.  After the slight pec strain last week, I decided to switch to a top set with back-offs.

Deadlift felt a little rougher.  Back was kind of bothering me on all the warm-ups.  Top set felt about as expected, but the back-off set was surprisingly hard compared to last session.  I don't really see any form issues here so I'm not sure what.

Stretched out my shoulders really well before dips, and tried to keep them more locked in and focus on loading the triceps.  Felt good at the time, shoulders aren't giving me too much trouble the next day.

Novice LP. Session 32 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 226

Press - 137.5X3, 3, 3

Squats - 305X5, 5, 6

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 4

Negative Chins (0/0/3) - BWX4X4

Press went pretty well.  Some of the reps REALLY slowed down over my head, though.

Squats were really hard.  Low back was giving me a lot of trouble.  I almost shut it down after the 2nd set.  Got over 5 reps on the "greyskull" set, but still:

Also, stalled out here on chins.  Really wanted a 5th rep on the 2nd set to beat the last session, but could only get about half way up.

Novice LP. Session 31 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 227

Bench - 207.5X5, 5, 5

Squats - 295X5, 5, 9

Band-Assisted Chins - BW+RedLightBandX7, 6, 6, 6

207.5 for 3X5 on Bench is an LP PR.  Strained my left pec a bit squeezing out the final rep.  May be time to switch over to top-set plus back-offs.  I'll Press next session, and plan on doing back-offs on Bench the following session.

295X9 is a Rep PR for Squats!  Conditioning felt a little bit better.  I could have gone for 10 here, but I knew 9 was a PR and my low back had been bothering me on warm-ups, so I didn't push.  Probably not the end of the world, but as my conditioning improves I should try to push on days when my body feels okay.  Here's the final set:

Got the 6th rep on the last set of chins that I missed last time.  Found the band I'd been using, but these actually felt harder across the board.  I think the pec strain was just fucking with me.  I'll go for sets of 7 across next time.

Novice LP. Session 30 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 224

Press - 135X3, 3, 3

Deadlift -
335X3
300X3

Dips - BWX5, 8, 10

(I know I didn't Squat today.  Title is just so I can scan back through phases easily.)

135 moved better on Press than 132.5.

Deadlifts also felt pretty good.  Forgot to take video.  Back-off sets also felt good.  I focused in hard on every rep on big air, contracting against it, and pulling my chest up before and during the lift.  My low back had been bothering me all day, but didn't give me any trouble on these lifts, and felt pretty good afterwards.

Still a ways off from 3 rep PRs in either lift.

Because I'm not squatting or chinning on Deadlift days, the day felt a little short.  I've always enjoyed doing dips, and want to be good at them.  I tried throwing in a few exploratory sets here to see how they felt.  Started at 5 reps, and laddered up.  Thought I might go for 12 on the 3rd set, but 10 felt about RPE 8, so felt like a good first day out.

Before doing these going forward, I need to be sure to do some of the shoulder warm-ups my PT gave me to help me un-fuck my shoulder back in the day.  No pain, but there's an uncomfortable stretch at the bottom in the old problem area.

For now, I'll keep throwing them in on DL days.  I'll be very conservative, try not to go above RPE 8, and progress 3 sets of BW until all three sets are in the mid-to-high teens. If everything is going well at that point, I'll start mixing in weighted days.

"Going well" will need to be looked at across all upper body exercises.  If Bench or Press stall out, and I move to any higher volume programming, I may need to make an adjustment.  I'm just very mindful that I'm adding in more "fluff" and more pressing volume here.

Novice LP. Session 29 (Greyskull Squats)

BW - 228

Press - 132.5X3, 3, 3

Squats - 285X5, 5, 10

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 4

Negative Chins (0/0/3) - BWX4X4

Starting to mix in the Greyskull LP starting on this day.  One of the two pillars of that set-up is Pressing movements come first.

These triples on press were all heavy, but only the last rep of the SECOND set was in doubt.  All the others were there.

This is my first time going over 5 reps on Squat since August '16, and my first time hitting double-digits since April '16.  Really fucking hard, hahahaha, but looked okay.  Conditioning was clearly the limiting factor:

Added a rep to the first set of chins.  Progress!

Novice LP. Session 28

BW - 224

Bench - 205X5, 5, 5

Band-Assisted Chins - OrangeLightBandX7, 6, 6, 5

Took a week off from Squats after hitting 365X3.  Was stoked for that PR, but my low back was feeling hammered all the time, and unracking/reracking the weight was getting painful on every work set.  I'm going to reset starting this week with the Greyskull LP on Squats (2X5, 1XAMAP).

But the regular LP is still working on Bench.  205 for 3 sets of 5 is another LP PR.  The last rep on the last set was really, really tough.  My spotter complimented me on pushing through for it.  I chalk it up to keeping focused, and executing each part of the lift correctly.  A technical error would have definitely caused a miss.

Couldn't find my usual band for chins, so I used an orange one.  Orange isn't on any of the band charts I've found on line, so I don't know how it might compare to my usual, red band.  It looked a little bit wider.

Whatever the case, everything went as programmed, except I missed the last rep on the last set.  So I'll repeat this one next time.

Novice LP. Session 27

BW - 227

Bench - 202.5X3X5

Chin-Ups - BWX6, 4

Negative Chins (0/0/3) - BWX4X4

202.5 is a Novice LP, or 3X5, PR on bench.  First reps were strong, last reps were slow.  I'm optimistic about 205.

Chin-ups feeling stronger than ever.

Novice LP. Session 26

BW - 228

Squat -
365X3
327.5X3, 3

Deadlift -
330X3
295X3

365X3 is an all around PR.   Heaviest weight I've ever had on my back.  Felt pretty good, although depth is not as clean as I would have liked:

As has largely been the case since I switched to triples and back-off sets, the top tripe feels much better than the following sets of 5.  Low back irritation and mental fatigue from the top set really gum up the following sets.  On this day, I ended up only doing triples on the back-offs.  Here's the shit-show that was the first back-off set:

At this point, it hurts to get out of bed in the morning.  So having hit this big milestone weight, I'm going to deload and reset to a weekly progression on squats.

I was in an unavoidable time crunch, so I skipped a bench session that would have been going for an LP PR, and just went to deadlift.

Deadlift felt pretty good all things considered, but I forgot to film it.

Novice LP. Session 25

BW - 227

Squat -
360X3
325X5, 5

Press - 130X3X3

Band-Assisted Chins - RedLightBandX6, 6, 6, 6

360X3 is a Rep PR.

As has been the case since I moved into a top triple and back-off sets of 5, while the tripe feels objectively very heavy, the 1st set of 5 on the back-offs tends to feel the hardest.

No low back trouble on the top set.  On the back-offs, the rep itself doesn't hurt, but unracking the weight and standing with it has a lot of discomfort.  Really bothering me by the 2nd set.

Moved on to 3X3 on Press after stalling last session.  These were heavy, but very do-able.  We'll see how far these go.  When this stalls, the plan is to try again the next session, and then try resetting to 3X5 and mirco-loading the next run up.

Went up to 6 reps on all band-assisted chins.  Felt pretty good, but still challenging on the last reps on the last sets.

Novice LP. Session 24

BW - 228

Squat -
355X3
320X5, 5

Press - 127.5X5, 4, 3

Chin-ups - BWX6, 3

Negative Chins (0/0/3) - BWX4X4

Top set of Squats felt the slowest yet, but do-able.  This ties my previous 3 rep PR.  If everything comes together, I feel that a PR can be there on Monday.  After running through video of the last session, focus here was on keeping heels flat.  Had the safeties a notch too high, and hit them on the first rep.

1st back-off set felt really hard out of the gate, but much easier by the end.

Failed again on Press.  Some of it is just having my gas and low back reduced by the squat sets.  The current advice for stalling on Press in the advanced novice program is too continue with 3X3.  I'll give that a shot.

Got another rep on Chins.  Slow but steady progress.