Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 6. Session B.

sRPE @7

BW - 218

Press - 132.5X4, 4, 4 @~8/9

Chin-Ups -

BWX8 @8

NG Density, 1 rep every 0:15; 2:30 / 10 total reps @7

Machine-Pullovers - X15, 14 @7/10

Toes-to-Bar - BWX6, 6 @8.5/10

DB Curls (myo-reps) - 37.5sX15, 5, 5, 5, 5 @~10

Looks like that 135 for 4X4 Volume PR on Press is receding into the distance.  Next week is the last week of the training block.  Maybe I'll just do 4 sets with 135 and see what I get.  Only did 3 sets here as I'm still taking the slight volume reduction from last week's TRAC recommendation coupled with sRPE creep.

Also cut density chin time in half.  I started to cut it out altogether, but then it occurred to me that cutting in half might be more like "cutting one set" than taking the whole thing out.

2X6 on TTB is a Volume PR.

When I did the 37.5s on DB Curls 2 weeks ago, I couldn't get 5 reps on all the myo-rep sets.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 6. Session A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 216

Curls - 82.5X6, 6, 6 ,7 @7/10

Bench - 215X1 @~6

Machine Flyes - X10, 14 @7/10

Deadlift - 

405X1 @6

295X10 @5.5

SSB Pause Squat - 210X9, 9 @~8

82.5 is an all-time weight PR on Barbell Curls, and so every rep and set here is a PR as well.  

I skipped the back-off set on Bench trying to keep volume down outside of this blocks main lifts.  Kind of wish I hadn't because I didn't realize I was projecting a 13 Rep PR this week.  Oh, well, maybe I'll do that next week instead of the top set.  Although does that generate more pressing fatigue ahead of the last Press session of the block?  Hmmmm....

Deadlift was feeling really strong.  10 lbs. over last week's weight at the same RPE.  Back-off sets were a little harder though.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 5. Session C.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 217

Squats -292.5X8, 8, 8 @7.5/8.5

Dips - BW+60X4 @8

EZ OH Extensions - 60X14 @10

Low Pin Press - 127.5X3, 3, 3 @8

Gaspari Bar Curls - 62.5X12 @10

Was starting to feel run down, sRPE was creeping up, and RTS TRAC app was suggesting dropping a set from each movement so that's what I did.  Subjectively, I feel noticeably better.  I'm going to do a hybrid next week where I drop a couple of main movement sets and a couple of 2nd slot back off sets.  I suspect I could have gotten the same benefits while keeping things like the 2nd set of OH Extensions and Curls for example.

292.5 is a 2X8 PR on Squats, and I got 3 sets. 

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 5. Session B.

sRPE @7

BW - 218

Press -

130X4, 4, 4 @8/9

122.5X4 @~8

Chin-Ups - 

BWX7 @8

NG Density; 1 rep every 0:15; 5:00 / 20 total reps @8

Machine Pullovers - X15, 12 @8/10

Toes-to-Bar - BWX6, 5 @8/10

DB Curls (myo-reps) - 40sX12, 4, 4, 4, 4 @~10

Everything was a little blah today.  The TRAC system in the RTS app says I should reduce volume by 1 set on each movement in my next session.  I usually don't take that advice, especially if sRPE is more-or-less on target, but it might be a good idea.  Especially since next session is Squats, it's on Christmas Eve, and I have to go in the morning because the gym is closing early.  Yeah...

First and third sets of Press with 130 felt really good.  Form felt really locked in, but RPE still crept up on that 3rd set, so I dropped back for the fourth.  Still an outside chance I could hit a 4X4 PR at the end of the block.

Everything around my shoulders was feeling run down after Press so I focused on stopping chins @8.  That ended up being a couple reps less than last week, but that's fine.  My tentative rule was that if I drop in reps on the main set, that I add reps on the density work, and so I added 0:30/2 reps there, and that was fine.  Also added a set to the pullovers, but that was planned for this week.

At this BW, 1X6 is technically an e1RM PR on TTB.  Still can't get 2X6 which is the PR I wanted.

Upped weight on DB Curl myo-reps, but had to scale the reps back.  Will probably drop back in weight next week.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 5. Session A.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 217

Curls - 80X6, 6, 6, 10 @7/10

Bench -

212.5X1 @6

165X13 @8

Machine Flyes - X10, 10 @~8/10

Deadlift -

395X1 @6

290X10 @5

SSB Pause Squat - 205X9, 9 @~8

80X10 is a Rep PR on Curls.

SSB Pause Squats getting harder and finally hitting squarely on my RPE target.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 4. Session C.

sRPE @8

BW - 215

Squat - 290X8, 8, 8, 8 @8/9

Dips - 

BW+60X4 @7

BWX14 @9

EZ OH Extensions - 65X11 @10

Low Pin Press - 125X3, 3, 3, 3 @8/9.5

Gaspari Bar Curls - 60X12, 11 @8/10

290 for 2X8 is a Volume PR on Squats, and I got it for a tough 4 sets.  Rest time between each set was longer than the set before, and rest before the last set was >5 minutes.  This all seems very hard, but I'm kind of tapping back into a variation of the old Starting Strength mentality: "You got all your sets and reps last week, so you might as well and try and add more next week."  The caveat being that I'm keeping a very close eye on that sRPE creeping up along with other subjective markers.  Plus, obviously, it I start substantially overshooting RPE in the first 3 sets (meaning close to +1 or higher), I'll pull the weight back for subsequent sets.  

3 weeks to go in this training block, and it will pay to be conservative from here on out.  I hit a 2X8 PR today, but it's almost certain I won't hit a new 8 rep PR by the end of the block, as my previous is 340.  So there's no real goal left besides just kind of "staying in the pocket," i.e. trying to maintain target RPE and not let sRPE, stimulus-to-fatigue ratio, etc. creep out of a sustainable range. 

Everything else was more-or-less flat from last week.  Pin Presses felt a little better at the start, but then felt worse at the end.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 4. Session B.

sRPE @7

BW - 216

Press - 127.5X4, 4, 4, 4 @~8/9

Chin-Ups - 

BWX9 @~9

NG Density: 1 rep every 0:15; 4:30 (18 total reps) @8

Machine Pullovers - X15 @10

Toes-to-Bar - BWX6, 5 @8/9.5

DB Curls (myo-reps) - 37.5sX15, 5, 5, 4, 3 @10/10

Stretching rests out now on Press to try and keep in target RPE range.  I think I pushed it to 3:30 between 3rd and 4th sets.  PRs still pretty far away on this movement, although there's a chance I hit a 4X4 PR by the end of this block.  However, this is the first of 3 blocks with Press as my upper-body pressing focus, so I still have a few months to see if I can coax some PRs.

Chin-ups were...fine.  First set is a little meh for the second week in a row, but the density work felt stronger.  

Really enjoying hitting the machine pullovers with a BB style.  Pause at the top, strong concentric, squeeze against legs at the bottom, slow-and-controlled eccentric.  When I finished the last rep, it was like coming out of a tunnel.  Any my lats were on fire.  

TTB crapped out a little bit.  That's slot 3 for ya.

DB curls continue to project as stronger than my BB curls, lol.  I think that's just down to strictness.  I'm fairly strict on straight-bar curls because I start to get wrist and elbow issues if I'm not.  With DBs, I can "just curl." 

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 4. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 216

Curls - 80X6, 6, 6, 9 @~8/10

Bench - 

210X1 @6

165X13 @8.5

Machine Flyes - X10 @10

Deadlift -

390X1 @6

285X10 @5

SSB Deep Pause Squats - 195X9, 9 @~7

80 lbs. on Curls would have been a 3 sets of 1 PR, and I got 3X6 and 1X9.  Love those low-hanging Volume PRs.

165X13 ties a Bench PR.  Bench felt much smoother, stronger, and under control this week for some reason.  I think  I was just more focused on controlling the weight on the way down plus keeping leg drive tight throughout instead of trying to "pop it up" at the bottom.

Perhaps coincidentally, Flyes have been uncomfortable to perform the last couple of weeks with shoulder discomfort, but gave me NO trouble today despite being more weight.

DL also felt stronger on the top set.

Added weight to the paused, A2G SSB Squats and the RPE was actually lower than last week.  Acclimation is amazing.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 3. Session C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 217

Squats - 285X8, 8, 8 @~8

Dips -

BW+55X4 @7

BWX12 @9

EZ OH Extensions - 60X12 @10

Low Pin Press - 125X3, 3, 3, 3 @~8

Gaspari Bar Curls - 57.5X12, 11 @8/10

285 for 3X8 is a Volume PR on Squats.  Taking things very slow and deliberate building up squat volumes at this effort level.  Very deliberate technique, and plenty of rest times between sets with rests getting longer set-to-set.  Definitely getting a low back pump about half way through, and dealing with some low back discomfort the next day, but it's not "out."  Adding a final, fourth set next week, and will continue to be very conservative until I'm confident the volume at this effort is being tolerated.

Tried 3X8 @6 for Squats over the summer and did not get great results in that block.  Next block will likely be lower volume/effort but higher absolute intensity, and the block after that will be more similar to this plus a top-single.  So in this exploratory block, I wanted to, as always, reach for some low hanging volume PRs (which I'm already getting here), but also start to remind myself of what it's like to do multiple, higher-rep sets @8.  

Backed off weight on Dips top set and everything felt a little bit better.  BW reps felt "athletic."

Pin Pressing continues to be really hard, but also really fun.  Also seem to feel recovered relatively quickly for such high effort work.

3rd set of Squats:

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 3. Session B.

sRPE @ 7

BW - 216

Press - 125X4, 4, 4 @8/9

Chin-Ups - BWX8 @8.5

NG Density Chins, 1 rep very 0:15, 4:30 (18 total reps) @9.5

Machine Pullovers - X14 @10

Toes-to-Bar - BWX5, 5 @8/9

DB Curls (myo-reps) - 35sX15, 5, 5, 5, 3 @10/10

Kind of a blah session.  Mostly because Press felt like a step back from last week, and Chins felt a bit flat.  Hopefully, that's just indicative of a down session in general and not a trend.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 3. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 216

Curls - 77.5X6, 6, 9 @7/10

Bench -

210X1 @6.5

157.5X13 @8

Machine Flyes - X10 @10

Deadlift - 

395X1 @7

280X10 @5

SSB Pause Squats - 190X9, 9 @7.5

Interesting how quickly Bench and Deadlift top-end strength is plateauing with this low volume "maintenance" approach following two dedicated blocks.  This is only the third block trying this set up where slot 2 is medium stress maintenance + hypertrophy, and slot 3 is low stress maintenance.   

Results over the last two blocks were mixed, with the first block showing generally very good results for the lifts that weren't the block focus, and the second block having poorer results.  But on average, I showed improvement on the non-focus lifts within each of the 2 blocks, and even the poorer, 2nd block averaged an increase on those lifts.  

Inter-block is a little bit of a different issue as I had generally poor results coming out of the pivot into Block 17, so although there was good improvement within the block, some of the non-focus lifts ended up with a lower Peak e1RM than in the previous block (Dips and Squats).  Anyway, just something I'm keeping an eye on.

SSB Pause Squats still feeling really good.  

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 2. Session C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 220

Squats - 282.5X8, 8 @8

Dips - 

BW+80X4 @8.25

BWX11 @9

EZ OH Extensions - 70X7 @10

Low Pin Press - 122.5X3, 3, 3, 3 @~8

Gaspari Bar Rotating Curls - 55X12, 14 @8/10

Tougher than usual session all the way around.

Over a year since I've gone this hard on Squats, I think.  Immediately pre- and post- the first lockdown I was doing sets of 6 @~8.  Anyway, these were fairly tough.  I was very focused on depth, and so took my time, breathing and resetting between most reps, etc.  I've mostly kept rest times in the 2-3 minute zone.  I expect rest times on these to be consistently over 3:00.

Dips were supposed to be @7 with this weight [shrugs].

Trying to decide where @10 is on OH extensions so that I don't get stuck with the bar behind my head is interesting.

Pin Pressing is such a weird experience.  On one hand, these feel really hard, but on the other hand, don't seem so fatiguing?

Rotating Gaspari Bar Curls feel...interesting...on my wrists.  Not painful, but an unusual feeling of tension.

Block 18 (Exploratory). Cycle 2. Session B.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 218

Press - 125X4, 4 @~8

Chin-Ups - BWX7 @~8

NG Density Chins - 1 rep every 0:15; 4:30 / 18 total reps @8

Machine Pullovers - X15 @10

Toes-to-Bar - BWX4, 4 @8

DB Curls (myo-reps) - 32.5sX15, 5, 5, 5, 5 @~9