Pivot. Week 2. Day B.

sRPE @7

BW - 228

Bench - 

-    215X1 @7.5

-    185X3, 3, 3 @~7

Hack Squats - 100X9, 8, 8, 7 @~8

Cable Rows - X11, 10, 10 @8

GHR Sit-Ups - BWX8, 7, 7 @8

super-set with

BB Curls - 70X8, 7, 7 @8

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

Solid session.  Low back didn't like me using flexion on the cable rows, but was fine with a rigid spine. 

Pivot. Week 2. Day A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 227

Squat - 

-    up to 305X1 @6.5

-    275X3, 3, 3 @6/7

CS Rows - 115X9, 8, 7, 7 @~8

GHR (Westside/To-Parallel) - BWX8, 8, 7 @8/9

super-set with

Machine Laterals - X10, 9, 8 @8/9

Incline Rear Delt Laterals - 15sX9, 10, 9 @8/9

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

Low back felt fine the last day or so after tweaking it during Monday's DLs.  However, I felt some discomfort in my last Squat set.  I started warming up for BB Rows, and it didn't like that at all so I switched to Chest Supported and that was fine.

I started warming up on GHRs with my normal, "jack-knife" technique, but low back felt a little off still.  I switched to a Westside-style only coming down to parallel.  I'm not sure I've ever done those before, but they were much easier than expected; about 2/3 of what I can do jack-knife.  I didn't feel it in my glutes nearly as much, but the hamstrings were clearly the limiter.  A viable alternative for me to leg curls!

Pivot. Week 1. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 227

Deadlift - 

-    up to 345X1 @6.5

-    315X3, 3 @7/7.5*

DB Bench - 65sX8, 7, 6 @8

Cable Rows - X12, 10 @7.5/8

BB Curls - 70X6, 6 @~8

super-set with

GHR Sit-Ups - BWX8, 7 @8

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

*tweaked my back on the first back-off set, and the 2nd back-off set was done with a slow tempo.

I was able to complete the workout without any issue, and the rest of the workout was fine. 

Pivot. Week 1. Day B.

sRPE @6

BW - 227

Bench - 

-    up to 205X1 @6

-    195X3 @7.5, 185X3 @6.5

Hack Squats - 100X8, 8, 8 @~8

Cable Rows - X11, 10 @8

super-set with

GHR Sit-Ups - BWX8, 7 @~8

Machine Standing Calf Raise - X12, 10 @~10

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

Out-of-town visitors came in the night before, and performance was a bit muted on this day.  

However, this volume (very similar to what I was doing in the last block) at these RPEs felt fairly easy.  The last few months, I've been pushing higher RPEs on average while being really conservative with volume.  I've been thinking to flip that script a bit and see if pushing volume again while holding back on intensity might alleviate some of the nagging aches and pains that have started to develop.

Pivot. Week 1. Day A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 228

Squats -

-    up to 305X1 @6.5

-    275X3, 3 @7

BB Rows - 190X5, 3, 3 @8/6.5

GHR - BWX13, 9 @8

super-set with

Machine Laterals - X11, 8 @8.5

Incline DB Rear Laterals - 15sX13, 10 @8/9.5

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X14, 11 @~10

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

Back from traveling.  I've got about 3 more weeks of travel/visitors to get through and then maybe I can get a consistent training schedule going for a few months.

Looking to balance this pivot time fairly equally between Push, Pull, Squat, and Hinge with some iso's at the end of sessions for more peripheral muscle groups.  

Also upping HIIT time.

Pivot

sRPE @6

BW - 224

RDL (Beltless w/Straps) - 225X7, 7 @8

CS Rows - 125X7, 6 @~10

Cable Flyes - X9, 11, 10 @7.5/10

super-set with

Cable Rear Delt Flyes - X7, 7, 7 @10

Hypers - BW+25X14, 10 @8.5

super-set with

Machine Press - X12, 10 @~10

Machine Preacher Curls - X9, 7 @~10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X15, 12 @10

June schedule disruptions are just too much to try and chase consistency in the gym.  Going to go on a Pivot until July and (probably) start a short BB Row focused block. 

Made this session up as I went trying to fill gaps from the last session, and had fun.

Son of a Bench Week 12. Day "C".

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

Bench - up to 225X1 @8

Lever Incline - 100X9, 8, 7 @~9

Reverse SSB Box Squats - 210X3, 3 @7.5/9

FFE BSS - BWX10, 9 @8.5/9.5

Chins - BWX1, 1 @~8*

super-set with

Seated Leg Curls - X11, 10 @8.5/9.5

Pushdowns - X17, 14 @~9

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X13, 10 @~10

Coming back from a long camping weekend.  Kind of went in and did whatever I felt like doing, but ended up with mostly a "Day C" vibe.

Bench actually felt pretty good.  Maybe a slight peak from the time off.

Got a wild hair to do "Eliminators" (Reverse SSB Box Squats).  Kind of cheated them, though, because I forgot you need to keep the pad high on your neck and a loose grip on the handles to really get the upper back stress you want from these. 

Also threw in some Front Foot Elevated Bulgarian Split Squats (Both Feet Elevated Split Squats?  not sure which is clearest).  I'm thinking these are a likely component of a future Squat specialization block, so wanted to start re-familiarizing myself with them.

My left elbow is generally slightly aggravated all the time now, and starting to having some lingering discomfort in the right.  I've been in some kind of pressing specialization going back to December, and I'm thinking having all this travel interfering with training in June may be an opportunity to just kind of mess around in the gym the rest of the month, and then pivot to something else when I get a clear runway. 

Son of a Bench Week 12. Day B.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

Bench - 185X1, 1 @~6

Deadlift - 

-    up to 385X1 @8.5

-    315X5 @6

Machine Flyes - X10, 7, 7 @10

super-set with

Rope Bayesian Curls - X9, 8 @10

Floor DB Rolling Triceps - 45sX8, 6, 5 @10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X12, 10 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

80% Bench singles moved really nicely, and so I thought DL might pop too, but performance was only slightly better than the prior DL session.

My left elbow wasn't feeling great on Rolling Tri's, and is still pretty unhappy the next day.  Hoping it will fade and not impact tomorrow's session.

Son of a Bench Week 12. Day A.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

Bench - 

-    up to 225X1 @9

-    185X5 @7

Lever Dips - 205X10, 8, 8 @~10

Circuit:

-    Leg Extensions - X12, 11 @8

-    Adductor Machine - X12, 10 @8

-    Lat Pushdowns - X8, 8 @~9

-    Cable Curls - X10, 8 @8/9

1-Arm DB OH Extensions - 25X10, 9, 7 @~10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X17, 13 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

We threw a dinner party the night before, so I was coming in pretty rough to train in the AM.  However, we're leaving town this weekend for a camping trip, so I had to train if I want to get 3 sessions in this week.  Top-end performance was quite muted.

When it came time for the Hack Squats / Pull-Downs super set, I just could not.  Did an iso circuit instead.