Block 17. Cycle 5. Session C.

sRPE @7

BW - 216

Deadlift -

430X1 @8

275X13, 13 @~6

Dips -

BW+62.5X7 @8.5

BW+52.5X7 @8

Rope Pushdowns - straight-weightX12, 10 @7.5/10

Incline Bench - 105X12, 12 @6/7

EZ Cable Curls - straight-weightX12, 10 @7/10

On Deadlift, 430X1 is a Rep PR, and 275 for 2X13 is a Volume PR.  Overshot RPE target again on the top single.  Need to force myself to be conservative next week, or I might not be in a great place to go for something really big in the final week.

278.5 (BW+62.5)X7 is a Rep PR on Dips.  Overshot RPE again here.  Not sure what was going on with me this session that I wanted to try and force PRs.  It's only week 5.  Chill out.  Backed off for the 2nd set, but was still over target.

I did make myself keep Inclines at the same weight to see if I could come in on RPE target, and they were much better than last week.

Block 17. Cycle 5. Session B.

sRPE @8

BW - 218

Bench -

245X1 @9

200X3, 3, 3, 3, 3 @6/~7

Chin-Ups -

BWX8 @8

Density - 2 reps every 0:30; 3:00; 12 total reps @8

DB Rows - 90X10, 8 @8/10

Squat -

335X3 @7

215X14 @6

DB Curls - 40sX10, 9 @8/10

Bad head cold (hopefully) started hitting it's high-water mark around this session.  Wanted to bail about half way through but slogged on.

Bench was challenging but still more-or-less on RPE target.

Everything was strong during upper-back slot.

Gas was basically gone when I got to squats.  These have been plateauing in this maintenance slot anyway.

Block 17. Cycle 5. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 219

Curls - 60X13, 13, 13 @8/9

Press - 

135X2 @7.5

95X12 @7

Upright Rows - 75X15, 11 @8/10

Toes-to-Bar - BWX6, 4 @9/8

Deficit DL (plate) - 335X5, 5 @~6

60 for 3X13 is a Volume PR on curls.

Press fell off a cliff this week for some reason.  Hopefully it bounces back a bit next week.

Was hoping for 2X6 on TTB, but it wasn't there this day.

Deficit pulls continue to keep pace with regular DL.  I don't really track PRs on these, but these are all PRs.

Block 17. Cycle 4. Session C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 217

Deadlift - 

425X1 @7.5

265X13, 13 @6

Dips - BW+52.5X7, 7 @7/8

Rope Extensions - X12 @10

Incline Bench - 105X12, 12 @6/8.5

EZ Cable Curls - X15, 15 @~9

425X1 is a Rep PR on Deadlift, and 265 for 2X13 is a Volume PR.  I reached a little more than I needed to do get a nice round number on the DL PR.  417.5 would have been a PR, too, lol.

269 (BW+52.5) for 2X7 is a Volume PR on Dips.

Triceps work really knocks the ceiling down for Inclines.  Weight is way heavier "in the triceps" than it is in the chest or shoulders at this point in the workout, and fatigue comes on fast.  Fun stuff. 

Block 17. Cycle 4. Session B.

sRPE @7

BW - 218

Bench - 

240X1 @9

195X3, 3, 3, 3, 3 @~6

Chin-Ups - BWX7 @8

Density; 2 reps every 0:30; 3:00 / 12 total reps @8

DB 1-Arm Rows - 90X10 @8.5

Squat -

350X3 @7.5

215X14 @6

DB Curls - 37.5sX10, 11 @8/10

No PRs on this day, but most things went well.

Bench moving nicely at these lower reps.  E1RM on the top single is averaging almost a 2.5% increase week-over-week.

Chin-Ups feeling strong the last couple of weeks.  It occurred to me that I might be trying to "force" progress by looking to add reps to the density sets every week.  I decided to sit back and say "keep those the same unless progress on the top set stalls."  Top set has been going up, and this was possibly the easiest "12-in-3:00" of the block so far.  That @8 on the last reps was the ceiling.  Possibly @7.5.

I'd intended for the DB Rows to be an @10 set on this day, but they came in under with the weight I picked, and I didn't want to do another set before Squats.

Still taking a full 5 minute break between the upper back slot and Squats, but it didn't really help that much this day.  E1RM stalled out, and everything felt pretty hard.  Even though the back-off set was @6, I was still gasping for air afterwards.  Very likely Squats move back into a primary training slot the next two training blocks.  I need to keep in mind that they're not THAT far off from where I'd like them to be relative to my other lifts currently.  But the way DL is going I have a feeling that gap is going to widen quite a bit by the end of this block.

Block 17. Cycle 4. Session A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 219

Curls - 57.5X13, 13, 13 @~8

Press - 

137.5X2 @7

95X12 @6

Upright Rows - 75X15 @8

Toes-to-Bar - BWX5, 5 @~8

Deficit Deadlift (plate) - 325X5, 5 @6/6.5

57.5 for 3X13 is a Volume PR.

Press was right on target.  This week, I should have been taking the upright rows to failure.  Mis-noted it in my program.

2X5 is a Volume PR on TTB.  These are feeling good.  Coming under a bit more control as well.

Added a set of Deficit Pulls.  Middle of the block and time to start pushing up volume and/or intensity on accessories. 

The current approach is this (helps me to write this out and look at it occasionally):

Session lay out:

Slot 1: Main lift; relatively heavy and high volume

Slot 2: Secondary lift and related accessory; hypertrophy focus with slightly lower RPE and higher reps on the secondary lift, high RPE/Reps on the accessory

Slot 3: Tertiary lift; maintenance focus with 1-2 rep ranges; relatively low RPE and volume; (on Session C this is currently an accessory slot for the Session B main lift).

Slot 4: Accessory related to the main lift from the prior session; 1-2 sets moderate to high RPE/Reps (on Session C this is currently an additional accessory slot for the Session A main lift).

Weekly Progression:

Week 1: 1-2 sets per movement / 1-2 sets less than block target; RPE 1 lower than block target

Week 2: Increase RPE to target on all movements

Week 3: Add 1 set to slot 1; take slot 2 accessory movement to failure

Week 4: Bring main lift to full volume (if not already); Add 1 set to main lift accessories

Week 5: Add 1 set to slot 2

Week 6: Add 1 set to slot 3; all movements at full volume if not already

Week 7: Reach for some low hanging PRs (Rep or Volume).  Adjust volume as prudent to keep sRPE near target.

Block 17. Cycle 3. Session C.

 sRPE @7

BW - 217

Deadlift - 

415X1 @7

255X13, 13 @~5.5

Dips - BW+50X7 @7

Rope Pushdowns - X14 @10

Incline Bench - 115X12 @8

EZ Cable Curls - X14 @10

Pretty solid session.

255 for 2X13 is a Volume PR.  Everything just felt light on DL today.  415 is my previous 1 rep PR.  I've pulled it two other times, and I rated it @8.5 both times.  It still seems counter-intuitive that high-rep touch-and-go pulls should drive actual 1 rep progress so much, but it continues to prove out for me.

I do keep overshooting on Incline Bench, I think because of triceps fatigue from the Dips and Pushdowns.  I'm going to reduce my target RPE to @6 when I add a set next week to see if I can get a smoother Incline session in. 

Block 17. Cycle 3. Session B.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 219

Bench - 

135X1 @9

190X3, 3, 3, 3 @~6

Chin-Ups - BWX6 @8

Denisty Block - 2 reps every 0:30; 3:00; 12 total reps @9

DB Rows - 82.5X10 @8

Squat -

345X3 @7

210X14 @5.5

DB Curls - 37.5sX10 @8

Solid session.  Everything right about on target. 

Block 17. Cycle 3. Session A.

sRPE @6

BW - 222

Curls - 55X13, 13, 13 @~8

Press - 

135X2 @7

95X12 @~6

Upright Rows - 75X15 @8

Toes-to-Bar - BWX4, 4 @~8

Deficit DL (plate) - 320X5 @6

55 for 3X13 is a Volume PR on Curls

222 (BW)X4 is a Rep PR  on TTB.

sRPE is a bit lower than I would like on this day.  We'll see what it's like in a couple of weeks when I've added more volume in.  It was an experiment to move Squats off of this day because I didn't want to do high rep squats and then do deficit pulls, but I think I may have thrown the balance of the week off a bit with a big sRPE spike mid-week (bench, chins, squats) book-ended by lower fatigue days.  My workset tonnage, something I don't usually pay that much attention to, is about 30K higher last Wednesday than it was on this Monday.

Block 17. Cycle 2. Session C.

sRPE @7

BW - 222

Deadlift - 

405X1 @7

245X13 @6

Dips - BW+50@8

Rope Pushdowns - X12@10

Incline Bench - 115X7 @7.5

EZ Cable Curls - X11@8

Had a buddy join today who is joining my gym and just starting to workout.  He marked through everything with me more or less and we had a good time.

Adductor is bugging me from last squat session but didn't interfere with DL too much.

Dips jumped up, but Incline dropped off.  Probably related somehow.  [shrug emoji]

Block 17. Cycle 2. Session B.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 220

Bench - 

230X1 @9

185X3, 3, 3 @6

Chins - 

BWX5 @8

Density - 2 reps every 0:30; 3:00 / 12 reps @8

DB Rows - 80X10 @8

Squat -

340X3 @7

205X14 @6

DB Curls - 35sX10 @~7

I took about a 3 minute break between bench and even starting Chins, and another 5 minute break between rows and starting Squats, and that made a HUGE difference in the energy I had available for Squatting and keeping the sRPE down in general. 

Block 17. Cycle 2. Session A.

sRPE @6

BW - 219

Curls - 50X13, 13 @~7.5

Press - 

135X2 @7.5

90X12 @6

Upright Rows - 70X15 @7

Toes-to-Bar (ceiling actually) - BWX3, 3 @~8

Deficit DL (plate) - 315X5 @6

Curls seemed to bounce back a bit this week.

Press felt a little off working up, but the top set felt solid even though it's the same e1RM as last week.

TTB at the "other" chin-up stations where I can actually push my feet flat against the ceiling at the top of the rep.  That's cool, but the trade off is the bar is a bit fatter and is smooth, so grip is a bit more work.

Don't really track a lot of accessory PRs, but 315X5 is certainly a DL PR pulling off a plate.

Block 17. Cycle 1. Session C.

sRPE @5.5

BW - 218

Deadlift -

380X1 @6

225X13 @5

Dips - BW+25X7 @6

Rope Pushdowns - X12 @6

Incline Bench - 125X12 @7

EZ Cable Curls - X12 @6