Chins, Deficit DL, Triceps

sRPE @7

BW - 227

Chin-Ups -

-    Avg. Band Under Knee- X6, 5, 5, 4, 3 @9/10

-    Long-ROM Partials - BWX6, 5, 4, 4 @8~10

Deficit DL - up to 345X4(PR) @8

Cable OH Extensions - X12, 10, 9 @10

When I started this "instinctual training block," I was doing Chins for sets of 2 @~8 at a BW of ~220.  

I switched to Avg. Band-Under-Foot Chins for 3 weeks and worked from 5@7 to 8@9 at a BW of ~222.

Now 3 weeks of Avg. Band-Under-Knee Chins fairly flat around 6@9 while BW has climbed to ~225.

Next week, I'll go back to regular chins for a few weeks.  Best guess is I may have added a rep on average at my current BW. 

Nice to get a PR on Deficit DLs.  This movement is usually around 95% of my DL from the floor.  Based on that, I would suspect my DL is stronger now than it was at the end of my last block when I was doing 380-385 singles @~8.  Geez, that block was trash.

Upper Back, Hips, Triceps

sRPE @7

BW - 227

Upper Back Attack (all done with Thoracic Extension/Flexion) -

-    Cable Rear Delt Rows - X18, 14, 14 @10

    -    Rest-Pause Long ROM Partial - X7 @10

-    Cable Rows - X17, 13, 12 @10

    -    Rest-Pause Long ROM Partial - X7 @10

-    Cable Scapular Retractions - X13, 12, 12 @10

    -    Rest-Pause Long ROM Partial - X7@10

Big Hipper Super-Sets -

-    GHR Bent-Knee Sit-Ups - BWX11, 11, 10 @8.510

-    GHR - BWX13, 10, 10 @9/10

-    Copenhagen Planks - BWX12, 11, 10 @8.5/10

BW JM Press - BWX10, 9, 9 @~10

I'd encourage anyone to try incorporating Thoracic motion and Long ROM Partials with their upper-back hypertrophy training.  The thoracic extension/flexion feels like a more complete movement, and the partials give a very compelling burn.

Got to try the full "Big Hipper" super-set idea out.  Chose to also try out a bent-knee GHR sit-up variation instead of my usual Hanging Leg Raise.  Thinking is that the bent knee will stretch out the Rectus Femoris and hit it a bit harder as a result.

I think you could go really nuts with super-setting Hip Flexion, Extension, and Adduction.  The most ridiculous version I can think of is Hanging Toes-to-Bar, RDLs, Sumo Belt Squat.  Recovery better be on point for that.  On the other end of the spectrum, you could do Seated Knee Raises, 45 Degree Hypers, and the Adduction machine.  

Upper Push, Good Mornings, Curls

sRPE @7

BW - 225

Reverse Grip Bench - 

195X3 @9.5

205X1(PR) @7.5

225X1(PR) @10

DB Bench - 40sX16, 15 @~10

Machine Flyes - X13 @10

Good Mornings -

225X5(PR) @6

265X5(PR) @9

Gaspari Bar Hammer Curls - 40X11, 10, 9 @10

I'd only done RG bench once before so anything over 198 was gonna be a PR.  Took a while to start getting the set-up comfortable.  Hit the uprights on the set at 195.

I've done GM a few times but always for sets of 8-12.  I think the heaviest I'd gone on GMs on any bar previously was 185.

Chins, High Pin Squat, Triceps

sRPE @7

BW - 225

Chin-Ups -

-    Avg. Band Under Knee- X5, 4, 4, 3, 3 @~8.5/10

-    Long-ROM Partials - BWX6, 5, 4, 4 @8.5/10

High Bar High Pin Squat (beltless) - 

245X3 @8

275X1 @8

295X1 @9

315X1 @9.5

Pushdowns - X21, 16, 12 @~10

Felt a little woozy coming into the gym today, but I felt better by the end of the chins.

I initially thought the pins were set around parallel, but video later showed they were high.  No big.  Video did show me that I wasn't keeping my elbows down, and was forgetting to lead with my chest up out of the "hole."  Good reminder for one I rotate regular squats back in soon.

Upper Back, Hips

sRPE @7

BW - 227

Upper-Back Attack - 

-    CS Rows - 100X16, 12, 10 @9.5/10

-    CS Scap Retractions - 100X12, 12, 11 @9.5/10

-    CS Rear Delt Rows - 45X15, 13, 10, @9.5/10

-    Cable Rear Delt Flyes - X9, 9, 7 @10

"Little Hipper" -

-    HLR - BWX7, 6, 6 @8.5/9

super-set with

-    Cophenhagen Planks - BWX15, 12, 12 @8/9

Only plan going in today was Chest-Supported Rows.  Decided to just park myself at the CS Row and do a bunch of upper back stuff.  The CS rear delt rows were a little funky so I hit some rear delt flyes to make sure they got good and worked.

If I was going to do this again, I might start out with the Flyes then go CS Rear Delts -> CS Rows - > CS Retractions.  Or maybe it would depend on whether I was prioritizing Rear Delts vs. General Upper Back.

I've had an idea of super-setting HLR, GHR, and Cophenhagens, and in my mind I was calling it "The Big Hipper."  I did GHR in the previous session, so I did a "little" version.  

Here the next day, my upper back is very fatigued, and my hips are very sore.

Upper Push, GHR, Curls

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

Feet-Up Bench - 

195X1 @7.5

215X1 @9

225X1 (PR) @9.5

235X1(PR) @10

Standing Lever Press - 40sX10, 10, 10 @8/10

GHR - BWX14, 13, 10 @8/9.5

Lying DB Curls - 20sX9, 10 @~9

Incline DB Curls - 20sX10 @8

Had it in my head that I had to beat 225 on Feet-Up Bench for PR, but looking back at my logs today I only had to beat 220.

Standing Lever Press was a dumb seeming idea that ended up working pretty well.  Basically a clean and press on a Hammer Incline Bench.  Actually felt really great on my front delts.

Lying/Flat Bench/Supine DB Curls are a pretty intense stretch.  I don't think I would do these again as my first elbow flexion movement.  Probably safer to save them for after the biceps are warmer.

Chins, WG DL, Triceps

sRPE @7

BW - 222

Chin-Ups -

-    Avg. Band Under Knee- X6, 5, 3, 3, 3 @~9

-    Long-ROM Partials - BWX6, 5, 4, 3 @~9

WG DL w/straps -

315X3 @6

365X1 @8.5

385X0 @11

335X4 (PR) @8.5

DB Tate Press - 30sX20, 18, 12 @7/9

Starting a wave of assisted chins with the band under my knee.  Interesting that the numbers look basically the same as the partials.

Went for a PR single on Wide Grip DL.  It got a little away from me off the floor.  I thought about retaking it, but opted for a PR set of 4 instead.

Rows, Hack Squats, Upper/Lower Accessory

sRPE @6

BW - 226

CS Rows - 100X12, 11, 11 @8/9.5

Cable Upright Rows -

-    Straight-Sets X11, 10 @9.5/10

-    w/ Rest-Pause X10/6 @10

Hack Squats - 90X10, 10, 8 @8/9.5

Hypers -

-    Straight-Sets X12, 12 @7.5/8

-    w/ Rest-Pause Long ROM Partials - X14/15 @9.5

super-set with

Cable Pushdowns -

-    Straight-Sets X10, 9 @10

-    w/ Rest-Pause Long ROM Partials - X8/6 @10

First good chance I've had in a while to get a 3rd day in.  Only real plan I had going in was CS Rows.

Upper Push, Leg Press, Curls

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

CG Bench - 

-    175, 195, 205X3 (PR) @7/9

-    225X1 (PR) @9

Dips - BWX10, 10, 8 @9/10

Leg Press - 3ppsX11, 11, 11 @~9.5

Cable Curls - X11, 10, 10 @~10

Nice little session.  Fun to grab some PRs in a lift I train with some regularity.

Chins, SSB, Triceps

sRPE @7

BW - 223

Chin-Ups - 

-    Avg. Band Under Foot - X8, 7, 5, 3, 3 @~9

-    Long-ROM Partials - BWX7, 5, 3, 3 @~9

Safety Bar Squat - 

-    245X3 @7.5

-    300X1 @9.5

Cable OH Extensions - X13, 10, (drop weight), 12 @10

Three weeks of Chins w/ Band Under Foot showed some progress.  Believe next week I'll move to Band Under Knee for a few weeks and then go back to full ROM un-assisted and see if these weeks can kickstart any progress on the main lift.

I thought there might be a multi-Rep PR available for SSB, but it didn't seem like was going to be there.  I've never really done singles on this lift, so I just went up and grabbed "PR" there instead.  Got a little lightheaded walking this back into the rack.

Upper Push, HLR, Curls

sRPE @7.5

BW - 222

Log Clean & Press -

125X1, 1, 1 @~8

145X1 @~9

DB Bench - 60sX10, 9, 7 @9/10

Machine Flyes - X7 @10

Hanging Leg Raise w/straps - BWX10, 8, 7 @8/9.5

Machine Preacher Curls - X10, 8 @10

super-set with

Cable Rear Delt Flyes - X10, 7 @8/10

First time using a Log for anything.  I warmed-up with the lightest weight log (~50#), and then moved to the next lightest (~125#) for working sets.  Interestingly, the lighter log has a larger diameter, and I found it made the rolling transition from lap to chest easier than with the smaller diameter.  I think I possibly could have handled more weight with the larger diameter log.

During my recent hypertophy focused training, I felt like I was getting more "training artifacts" (burn, pump, DOMS, etc.) from really deep DB Flat and Incline Benching than I did from really deep machine flyes.  Today, I tried using the Flyes as a finisher after the DB Bench.  Hard to say how much impact it had, but I definitely have some pec DOMS today.

I thought I would do Hack Squats but the machine was ocupado.  Decided to pivot to HLRs since I haven't done ab and hip flexion work in a while.  

Finished with some more stuff I've never really done.  Using the behemoth preacher curl machine, and bent-over cross-body rear delt flyes.  Preacher curls were ok, but the rear delt flyes felt really good.  Might bookmark those for later.  

Chins, Rack Pull, Triceps

sRPE @6.5

BW - 222

Chin-Ups - 

-    Avg. Band Under Foot - X7, 5, 4, 4, 4 @~9

-    Long-ROM Partials - BWX5, 5, 4, 4 @~9.5

Rack Pull (high-shin) w/Straps - up to 365X3 @9

Machine OH JM Press - X14, 13, 13 @~9.5

Had a few too many days off, but Chins felt pretty good.

Surprised to find I've never done plain ol' Rack Pulls before.  I've done some with tempo as part of P.T., and I did Sumo Rack Pulls with the ME Krew one day.  But I guess I've neve done plain, Conventional Rack Pulls before.  So...PR.

Looking around the gym for something to do for Triceps, and I "invented" doing JM Press on an OH Press machine.  Felt like they hit my triceps quite hard.