Chins, Hamstrings, Pecs, Triceps

sRPE @8

BW - 221

Chin-Up Partials w/Straps - BWX7, 7, 6, 4 @10

Seated Leg Curls - X15, 14, 17, 13 @~10

Cable Flyes - X11, 10, 10, 9 @9.5/10

super-set with

Cross-Body 1-Arm Triceps Pushdowns - X15, 14, 13, 12 @9/10

Biceps were still pretty sore from training the day before, and that made Chin Partials a little uncomfortable.

The X-Body Pushdowns were probably a bit baroque, but I wanted to see what it would feel like.  Weirdly tired out my mid-trap and rear delts?  Probably some kind of isometric action back there.

Dips, Hack Squats, Curls, Shoulders

sRPE @8

BW - 224

Lever Dips - 180X15, 11, 11, 9 @9.5/10

Hack Squats - 100X13, 10, 9, 8 @9.5/10

DB Incline Curls - 

-    20sX12 @10

-    15sX13, 12, 10 @9.5/10

super-set with

DB Incline Laterals - 15sX12, 9, 8, 7 @9.5/10

Start of the Lever Dips wave.  Will probably add a half plate next week and see what happens.  Once I settled on Bench Dips and Lever Dips as my movements for the first two waves, I was on the fence about what order they should go in.  On one hand, Bench Dips are a bit more "body in space," like the main lift, but the pressing angle of the lever dips is more similar and it's a bit easier to load.  We'll see what happens.

All reps of Hack Squat continue to be metal on metal at the bottom.  Feeling good.

Combo of Lever Dips and Incline Laterals got me some nice, anterior delt DOMS the following day.  

Press, Deadlift, Back, Triceps

sRPE @8

BW - 223

Swiss Bar Press - 

-    up to 150X1 @10

-    100X6, 6, 6 @6/7

RDL w/Straps -

-    up to 275X6 @9.5

-    225X8, 7, 6 @9/10

DB Pullovers - 50X9, 10, 9, 8 @7/10

super-set with

DB Incline Extensions - 30X16, 12, 10, 10 @9/10

It will be interesting to see how the Swiss Bar translates to my straight bar pressing in the coming weeks.  The setup and and initial press is more difficult with this bar so theoretically I could be stronger on a straight bar. This is "only" 15 lbs. off my best Press, but that's still a gulf for the Press.

Thinking I may alternate RDL with ATG Squats each week through the rest of this block.  Work that stretch.

I just heard, on the walk to the gym, Eric Helms talking about how agonist and peripheral super-sets don't perform particularly well in studies, and hear I went and did a peripheral super-set of lat pullovers and incline extensions.  Meh.  Actually looking forward to the DOMS.

Rows, Legs, Pecs, Triceps

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

BB Rows - 

-    up to 225X6 (PR) @10

-    185X5, 5, 5 @6.5

Copenhagen Planks - BWX21, 14, 12, 12 @9/10

1-Arm Cable Flye - X12 @8

super-set with

1-Arm Cable Pushdown X15 @8

I haven't really pushed lower-rep BB Rows in almost 10 years. Glad I've gotten stronger since then, lol.

This is probably the hardest I've ever pushed Copenhagen Planks.  Somewhat because I've developed more proficiency with the movement, and partially because I put them earlier in the session and not super-setted.

The cable stack I started to work on for my Pec and Triceps work was all jacked up.  I started to look around for something else, and then just decided I was over it.

Dips, Good Mornings, Curls, Shoulders

sRPE @8

BW - 225

Bench Dips - BW+35# Chain X16, 11, 10, 9 @~10

Buffalo Bar Straight-Leg Seated Good Mornings -

-    135X11, 12, 11, 10 @8/9.5

1-Arm Behind-the-Back Cable Curls - X12, 9, 9, 8 @10

super-set with

1-Arm Behind-the-Back Laterals - X10, 9, 8, 8 @10

Really nice 3 week wave on Bench Dips.  All reps here are nice and deep with a slight pause at the bottom.  Moving on to Machine Dips in the next wave where I will target increasing weight in the 8-12 rep range before moving on to full dips in the last wave.

Wanted to do something hamstring-y for DL assistance, but didn't really know what.  I've done my go-to RDLs and GHRs in the last couple of weeks so I wanted something different.  Seated Leg Curls seemed to "small" for the 2nd movement of the day, but Deficit DLs seemed a bit too intense.  In the end, I came up with one of the more "conjugate" things I've ever tried.  I think this is my first time really using the Buffalo Bar, this is my first time doing Seated GMs, and I also put my feet up on a calf-stretch board so that they wouldn't slip out from under me when I was pushing into the floor.  Waiting to see what feels most sore from these today or tomorrow!

Speaking of soreness, long-ROM cable curls and laterals never disappoint.

Press, Squat, Back, Triceps

sRPE @8

BW - 224

Swiss Bar Press - 

-    up to 145X1 @10

-    100X6, 6, 6 @6.5/8

ATG Squat - 225X5, 5, 5, 5 @7/9.5

Lat Pushdowns - X14, 11, 9, 8 @10

1-Arm DB OH Extensions - X11, 10, 9, 7 @10

Not a big difference in top end strength on Swiss Bar this week, BUT on the back-offs I did start to remember some old pressing tricks for squeezing the quads and glutes.  We'll see if I can translate that into a bigger single next week.

Messed around seeing how deep of a barbell squat I could get.  I thought it would be high bar, but my body naturally wanted to lean forward, so it ended up being low bar with the heels pulled closer together and the toes pointed further out.  These were fun.

Rows, Legs, Pecs, Triceps

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

BB Hanging Rows - 

-    up to 205X5@8.5

-    185X5, 5, 5 @7.5/8

GHR - BWX12, 10, 9, 9 @10

DB Flyes - 15sX11, 10, 10, 9 @10

super-set with

DB LTE - 15sX18, 15, 12, 10 @10

Moving the rows into a top-set w/ back-offs format to try and facilitate a 5 Rep PR next week. 

Messed around with the set-up in GHR to try and increase difficulty without making it more uncomfortable.

Might not have really done DB Skulls/LTE before.  Took a couple of sets to get the execution such that I had an intense strain in the lengthened position. 

Dips, Quads, Curls, Shoulders

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

Bench Dips - BW+25# ChainX16, 12, 10, 10 @10

Roman Chair Squats - BWX10, 10, 10, 10 @9.5/10

DB Preacher Curls - 20sX14, 12, 10, 10 @10

super-set with

Seated DB Laterals - 20sX9, 9, 9, 7 @10

Adding weight to the Bench Dips to get the reps more in the range I expect to eventually be training full Dips in.  Much triceps burn.

Thought about doing something higher stress for legs, but it was pretty darn sweaty in the gym, and I wanted to make sure I had energy to drive through the full workout.

I think this may be the first time I've done DB Preacher Curls?

Press, Deadlift, Back, Triceps

sRPE @8

BW - 225

Swiss Bar Press - 

-    up to 140X1 @9.5

-    100X6, 6, 6 @6/7.5

Deadlift - up to 405X1 @8.5

RDL w/ Straps - 225X9, 9, 6 @9/10

Pull-Downs - X9, 9, 8, 8 @10

super-set with

Cable OH Extensions - X13, 12, 10, 10 @10

I'd been thinking about doing Log Press for my first wave of this Press block, but I didn't want to have to clean every set, and I didn't want to take it from the strongman room to the room with racks, blocks, etc.  Then I remembered we have a couple of full-length Swiss bars!  This was a fun movement.  Requires more lean back, and the touch at the bottom of the reps has to be a bit more controlled to keep from slamming into your collarbone.  Weight-wise, this is about right where I want my first Press movement of this block to me at.  

I didn't DL at the end of the last block, so I just worked up to something here and then hit RDLs.

Rows, Legs, Pecs, Triceps

 sRPE @8

BW - 225

Hanging BB Rows - 195X5, 5, 5, 5 @8/9

Leg Press - 3ppsX13, 11, 8, 9 @9.5/10

Pec Deck Flyes - X10, 10, 10, 10 ~10

super-set with

Cable Pushdowns - X20, 13, 11, 10 @10

First time doing BB rows in 6 months.  Feels like I got the weight about right to start.  Would like to see if I can push the first set for a 5 rep PR over 3 weeks.

I felt like my work capacity was going up at the end of the last block, so I'm gong to try upping supplement and accessory work to 4 sets each on average instead of 3. I also shortened rest periods last block to ~2 minutes, so it doesn't really take that much extra time.

Dips, Hips, Curls, Shoulders

sRPE @7

BW - 225

Bench Dips - BWX18, 15, 16, 13 @8.5/10

Machine Knee Raise - X13, 12, 10 @10

Incline DB Curls - 40X12, 30X13, 13 @10

super-set with

Incline DB 45-degree Raise - 40X9, 30X10, 8 @10

Training and Recovery were both disrupted around the 4th of July holiday.  I was able to get into the gym on Sunday, but didn't feel up to Deadlifting.  Decided to go ahead and start my new block of training instead.  Will be focused on Vertical Pressing (Dips, and Overheads), and Upper Back Pulling.

Bench, Legs

sRPE @7

BW - 221

Bench - 

-    up to 250X1 @10

-    205X1, 1, 1 @6/7

Belt Squat - 105X11, 9, 8 @~9

Smith Machine Incline Bench - 65X10, 12, 12 @8/10

Leg Extensions - X12, 11, 9 @10

Top set on Bench was a real grind.  That puts my rolling "gym week total" at 1060.  Probably still have some headroom to push that up on Deadlift and Squat in the coming week, but everything would likely have to be perfect to add to the Bench.  Or maybe get a hand-off.  Maybe.

My new, Mike Israetel inspired technique on Belt Squats continues to feel great.  No longer a high fatigue, low-specificity Squat supplement, but rather a smooth, hard-burning compound quad accessory.

I don't think I've ever actually done any kind of Pressing, Squatting, etc. in a Smith Machine before.  Always just used it for Inverted Rows and BW JM Press.  Everyone always talks about Smith Machine like it's "weenie," etc., so I expected to be able to use more weight than I could for barbell Incline.  NOPE.  Glad I decided to warm-up a little instead of just jumping to a couple of 25s+.

Still had some gas left, and threw on some more quad assistance.

Squat, Pullups, Triceps

sRPE @8

BW - 222

Squat - 

-    up to 385X1 @9

-    315X1, 1, 1 @6/7

Pull-Ups - BWX5, 4, 4 @10

Pull-Downs /w rest-pause partials - X13/7, 8/4 @10

1-Arm DB Incline Extensions - 15X14, 13, 11 @~10

+30 lbs. on Squat over last week.  Got good sleep over the weekend, and temperature and humidity in the gym weren't too bad.  Bounce out of the hole felt on point in warm-ups, and that's when I was pretty sure I would have a good day.

That's a 1055 gym total from last week's Bench session to today.  That's 20#s over what I think was my past, best week of SBD.  Also, a 301.7 DOTS?  I've never really tracked that.  My best DOTS in competition was 268.4.

1-arm DB Incline extensions felt most comfortable of all the variations so far.  Not sure if that's just getting acclimated or not.  I'll try it with the EZ bar again next week and see if they feel easier than previous or not.