Tuesday, January 30, 2024

3 Day SBD. Cycle 1. Session A.

sRPE @7
BW - 224

Squats - 
up to 295X1 @6
275 (80%)X3, 3 @6

Plate Deficit DL - 300(74% of DL)X2, 2, 2 @~5.5

Copenhagen Planks - BWX10, 10, 10 (each side) @7/8

DB Curls - 25sX10, 10, 10 @7/8
super-set with
High Incline Leg/Hip Raises - BWX5, 5, 3 @8/10

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 10 minutes

Using a mix of RPE targets and %'s this block on the strength movements.  Assistance movements generally approaching failure.  Autoregulating volume across the board to try and walk out of the gym feeling fresh-to-fine.

I called an audible and added in the Leg/Hip raises.  I feel like since I've not been doing the Toes-to-Bar, I'm feeling more hip extensor discomfort following Squat workouts.  However, this super-set also increased sRPE for the day.  

Still tempted to take this approach on lower focus day of cutting Biceps volume and super-setting in hip extensor work.  Just have to play it by ear.

Friday, January 26, 2024

3 Day SBD. Cycle 0. Session 0.

sRPE @6.5
BW - 224

Squat - 265, 285, 305X1 @4/7

Bench - 175, 195, 205X1 @4/7.5

Deadlift - 325, 345, 365X1 @5/7.5

Pull-Downs - X10, 10, 8 @9/10

Testing out this SBD Concept for a new SBD-focused block of training.  

Basically working up to what would be last warm-ups, and then hitting some pulldowns.  A pretty fast and easy session, but I've said my goal if I did a strength-focused block again is FIRST not to walk out of the gym feeling ground down.  So this is like a very low fatigue skill day?  That means most of the stimulus will have to come on the other days.

Basically, just a fun and easy session.  TBD if it can be a productive part of a training cycle.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 5. Session B.

sRPE @6.5
BW - 221

Bench - 
225X1 @9.5
185X3, 3 @6.5/7

Cable Laterals - X9, 9 @10

GHR - BWX12, 10, 8 @7.5/10

45-degree Hypers - BWX12, 12 @9/10

Chest cold that started last Thursday is still kicking my ass.  Just got in and did whatever I felt like, and left before I started feeling worn down.

Friday, January 19, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 5. Session A.

sRPE @9
BW - 221

Squats - 270X3, 3, 3 @~6

031 Tempo Work:

-    Leg Extensions - X12, 11 @10

-    DB 1-Arm Rows - 90X11, 11, 11, 11, 10 @8/10

-    EZ OH Extensions - 40X11, 11, 11, 9 @7/10

Under the weather and dragging ass.  Got a good workout on what I could get through, but hit the wall hard and cut out conditioning and the last set of triceps.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 4. Session F.

sRPE @8
BW - 222

BB Rows - 145X8, 8, 8 @7/8

031 Tempo Work:

-    BB Curls - 60X9, 8 @10

-    CG Bench - 110X10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @8/9

-    GHR - BWX12, 12, 12, 12, 12 @6.5/9.5

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 10 minutes

Had a few days off for the spouse's birthday.  Once again, this style of training seems better able to "withstand/absorb" schedule disruptions compared to the strength-oriented training I'd been doing.  

Probably time to at least start thinking about how I could train for strength performance in a way that would also allow for an inconsistent schedule.  I've got some inklings, but nothing I'm putting on paper yet.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 4. Session E.

sRPE @8
BW - 221

Press - 100X3, 3, 3 @4.5/5.5

031 Tempo Work:

-    DB Bench - 60sX10, 7 @10

-    Leg Press - 3ppsX9, 9, 9, 9, 9 @7/10

-    Lat Pushdowns - X10, 10, 10, 10, 9 @8/10

Good session.  

Pausing the DB Bench with the side of the DBs touching the the side of my trunk.  Streeeeeetch.

Leg Press was bugging my left hip a little.  Will probably go away.

On Lat Pushdowns, I'd been having an issue where my triceps were getting tired just from holding the extension.  I tried relaxing my elbows slightly, and that seemed to keep them a bit less engaged.

Running late and had to skip conditioning.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 4. Session D.

sRPE @7.5
BW - 224

Deadlift - 335X3, 3, 3 @5/6

031 Tempo Work:

-    Lying Leg Curls - X9, 9 @10

-    Pull-Downs - X10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @7/9

-    Machine Flyes - X10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @7.5/9

Rower - HIIT; 10 minutes

Good session for pull-downs.  Felt a lot of burn during the session, lats were already sore a few hours later, and are still quite achy the next day.

Saturday, January 6, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 4. Session C.

sRPE @8
BW - 224

Chins - BWX2, 2, 2 @~7

031 Tempo Work:

-    EZ Face Pulls - X11, 11 @10

-    Incline Bench* - 95X10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @6.5/10

-    Roman Chair Squats - BWX10, 10, 10, 8, 6 @9/10

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 10 minutes

*Finally found the technique on Incline that's giving me the sensation I'm looking for, that is, a stretch feeling across the upper chest and front delts: 1) Wider grip; hands at the rings.  2) Arms flared to 90 degrees throughout; "guillotine" style.  3)  Driving my elbows towards the floor right before the concentric; getting a vertical forearm under the bar to push through.

Roman Chair 2 cycles ago (before the lower volume, intensity technique cycle) I did 5 sets of 8.  Turns out strength hasn't gone up enough to hit 5 sets of 10, lol.  These were hard, but like most BW-only movements, don't seem to be systemically fatiguing.  I also played around with trying to "kick" my feet into the brace out of the bottom to try and shift as much of the tension to my quads as possible.  That kind of felt like it was working.

Friday, January 5, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 4. Session B.

sRPE @9
BW - 222

Bench - 175X3, 3, 3 @~5.5

031 Tempo Work:

-    DB Seated Press - 
    -    50sX7 @10
    -    45sX8 @10

-    RDL w/Straps - 160X10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @7/8.5

-    DB Curls - 
    -    20sX10 @6
    -    25sX10, 10, 10, 10 @7.5/10

Rower - HIIT; 10 minutes

Was purt'near out of gas by the fourth set of RDL.  Really had to drag myself through the rest of the workout.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

3 Day FB Hypertrophy. Cycle 4. Session A.

sRPE @8
BW - 224

Squat - 270X3, 3, 3 @5/6

031 Tempo Work:

-    Leg Extensions - X12, 10 @10

-    DB Rows - 90X10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @7/9.5

-    EZ OH Extensions - 
    -    45X10 @10
    -    35X10, 10, 10, 10 @7/8

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 10 minutes

Starting the new wave.  Volume back up, and proximity to failure back down.  Except on the first tempo movement.  Those movements are "coupled" to the initial, strength movement of the day, and because they're only 2 sets, I've decided to take those to failure for this block.  We'll see how that goes on the various DB pressing movements.  

Really milking the tempo on the OH Extensions and so had to back the weight further down.