Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 3. Day A.

sRPE @8.5
BW - 223

BB Rows - 
-    up to 200X3 @7
-    add straps - 170X8, 8, 8, 8 @7/9.5

Pulldowns w/Straps - X8, 8, 8 @~8

GHR - BWX10, 10, 8 @8
super-set with
Bench Dips - BWX14, 10, 9 @8

BB Curls - 65X8, 7, 6, @~8
super-set with
1-Arm Cable Wrist Extensions - X10, 8, 8 @8/9

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 8 rounds

If adding straps, adding wrist extension work, and subbing bike for rower doesn't yield any real relief by EOW, I'll have to make more drastic changes to programming.  Issues are effecting me outside the gym too much. 

Saturday, July 26, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 2. Day C.

sRPE 27.5
BW - 223

BB Rows w/Straps - 165X5, 5, 5 @5/6.5

1-Arm DB Rows w/ Strap - 90X10, 8, 8, 7 @8.5/8

Beltless Press - 
-    up to 135X1 @8
-    115X3, 3 @~7
super-set with
Adductor Machine - X12, 9, 9 @8

1-Arm Cable Wrist Extension - X12, 12, 12 @~8
super-set with
1-Arm Cable Wrist Curls - X13, 8 @7/8.5

Decided to see if trading the Rower for the Stationary Bike on conditioning, and adding direct wrist extension work could do for my elbow issues what reducing walking and adding calf work did for my foot pain earlier this year.  (had to skip conditioning this day to get to an appointment)

The next day the elbow feels pretty good.

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 2. Day B.

sRPE @6.5
BW - 229

BB Rows - 165X3, 3, 3 @~5

Deadlift - 
-    up to 335X1 @5.5
-    315X3, 3 @5

Cable Rear Delt Flyes - X6, 6, 5 X8/9
super-set with
Cable Flyes - X9, 8, 9 @~8

Machine Standing Calf Raises - X10, 8, 8, 7 @~8

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 7 rounds

Solid session. 

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 2. Day A.

sRPE @7.5
BW - 224

BB Rows - 
-    195X3 @7
-    165X8, (add straps) 8, 8 @~8

Pulldowns - X8, 8, 9 @8/9

Hack Squats - 100X8, 7, 7 @~8
super-set with
Lever Incline Press - 70X8, 7, 7 @8

BB Curls - 65X8, 7, 6, 6 @~8

Rower - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 rounds

Was able to increase volume again on this session.  However, elbow pain is fading over the weekends, and then peaking following training sessions.  I tried adding straps part way through back-off rows to see if that would help, and it maybe did a little.

I think I need to switch to stationary bike for my HIIT for a while and see if laying off the rower makes a difference.  Just got up to 20 minutes on the rower, but may have to back off that initially when switching movements.  

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 1. Day C.

sRPE @7
BW - 226

BB Rows - 160X5, 5 @~6

1-Arm DB Rows w/Straps - 90X9, 8, 8, 7 @7/8

Bench - 
-    up to 205X1 @7
-    185X3, 3 @~7
super-set with
Seated Leg Curls - X9, 7, 7 @8

Bayesian Curls - X7, 8, 10, 8 @7/8

Rower - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 rounds

Solid session.  Tried using a higher pulley position on the Bayesian Curls (as everyone seems to recommend), but it made it feel more awkward and I didn't feel as much tension on my biceps in the stretch position, so I'll probably just go back to a low pulley with an off-set stance.

Friday, July 18, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 1. Day B.

sRPE @6.5
BW - 228

BB Rows - 160X3, 3 @easy

Squats - 
-    up to 295X1 @~5
-    275X3, 3 @~6

Cable Rear Laterals - X6, 4, 5 @8/9
super-set with
Cable Flies - X9, 9, 8 @8

Machine Standing Calves - X7, 7, 7, 7 @8/9

Rower - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 rounds

Solid session.  Elbow discomfort seems to be retreating.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Reap What You Row Week 1. Day A.

sRPE @ 6.5
BW - 226

Beltless BB Rows - 
-    up to 185X3 @6
-    160X8 @8.5

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

Hypers - 25# behind head X7, 7 @8
super-set with
Bench Dips - BWX14, 10 @8

BB Curls - 65X8, 6, 6, 6 @8/9

Rower - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 rounds

Decided to go ahead and start my Row specialization block with the new week.  I've started recent specialization blocks with much lower volume, but I used this last pivot block to really drive up sub-maximal work capacity.  So I'm coming into this block having everything but BB Rows already at max anticipated volume, and this is still less volume than I was doing the last few weeks.

I would have probably gone for more sets on Rows as well, but I've some nagging issue on the outside of my right elbow that I'm working around.

Also upped HIIT to 10 rounds.

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Pivot. Week 4. Day A.

sRPE @8
BW - 224

Squats -
-    up to 325X1 @7
-    290X3, 3, 3, 3, 3 @~7

BB Rows - 
-    195X5 @8
-    195X3, 3, 3 @~7

GHR - BWX11, 8, 7, 8 @8.5/9
supe-set with
Machine Laterals - X8, 8, 8, 7 @8

Incline DB Rear Delt Laterals - 15sX10, 10, 8, 8, 8 @7.5/9

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

Humidity was bad in the gym, but I was more mentally prepared for it.  Made myself stay focused during rest breaks on Squats and Rows, and took my time with all the hypertrophy work instead of pushing pace.

I also head my wrist sweat bands today, so that may have made a difference.  And head bands showed up in the mail so everybody better look out.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Pivot. Week 3. Day C.

sRPE @8.5
BW - 224

Deadlift - 
-    up to 360X1 @7.5
-    315X3, 3, 3, 3 @6/7

DB Bench - 65sX9, 7, 6, 6 @8

Cable Rows - X12, 9, 8 @8

BB Curls - 70X7, 6, 6, 6 @8
super-set with
GHR Sit-Ups - BWX8, 7, 6, 5 @~8

Rower - HIIT, 7 rounds

Basement of the building was full of water again, and the humidity in the gym was pretty rough.  DLs felt weak out of the gate, and it's hard to tell if that was environmental or other.  Everything else was fairly flat compared to recent sessions, but overall session RPE was definitely elevated by the atmosphere.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Pivot. Week 3. Day B.

sRPE @7.5
BW - 228

Bench - 
-    up to 205X1 @7
-    185X3, 3, 3, 3 @6.5/7

Leg Press - 2ppsX12, 10, 9, 9 @7.5/8.5

Cable Rows - X12, 10, 9 @~8
super-set with
GHR Sit-Ups - BWX8, 6, 6 @8/9

Machine Standing Calf Raise - X9, 7, 6, 6 @~9

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

Back from my last, expected out-of-town trip for a few months.  I'll keep at this "Pivot"/General program through next week, and then plan to jump into a short-ish, Row specialization block.

I haven't done Leg Press in a long time, and performance was WAY off my best, but also standing calf raises were also way down.  Maybe all the swimming I did over the weekend (humble brag)?

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Pivot. Week 3. Day A.

sRPE @7
BW - 230*

Squats -
-    up to 315X1 @6.5
-    290X3, 3, 3, 3 @7/7.5

BB Rows - 195X5 @8, 3, 3, 3 @6/7

GHR - BWX10, 8, 8, 7 @7.5/8.5
super-set with
Machine Laterals - X10, 9, 8, 8 @8/8.5

Incline Rear Delt Laterals - 15sX10, 8, 8, 7 @8/8.5

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

*used the digital scale instead of the analogue, and that added a couple of pounds?  I threw a 25 on the digital scale and it was ~accurate.

Upped the volume again across the board.  Felt good in the  moment, but later that evening, when I went to get off the couch, things were a bit creaky.  

TBD if I add more volume for the following, final training week of this block or not.  I'm up from ~14 sets per session, to 21 in this session.

Squat and Row both popped up a bit in strength over previous sessions, so....

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Pivot. Week 2. Day C.

sRPE @6.5
BW - 227

Deadlift - 
-    up to 355X1 @6.5
-    325X3, 3, 3@~6.5

DB Bench - 65sX9, 7, 7, 6 @~8

Cable Rows - X11, 9, 8 @~8

GHR Sit-Ups - BWX7, 7, 7 @~8
super-set with
Machine Standing Calves - X13, 9, 7 @~9

Rower - HIIT; 7 rounds

I was a bit tentative on DL because of last week's lower back issues, but no problems today.

Backing off of intensity has allowed me to push volume in this "pivot" block to 17 worksets in a session over 2 weeks still with headroom to add more.  The last few blocks before this I've been capping out around 14 worksets before fatigue demanded a change.

I'm glad I gave a shot to pushing intensity instead of volume, but I think I may be a volume boi.  

I've got one more out of town trip this weekend, and then I should finally have a runway for more consistent training for a while.  However, I might let this program run a couple of extra weeks just to see what happens before I go back into another specialization block.