Reap What You Row Week 4. Day A.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

BB Rows -

-    up to 225X3 @9

-    161X8  @6.5

-    185X6, 6 @8/8.5

Pulldowns - X9, 8, 7 @8

Hack Squats - 100X8, 8, 6 @8

super-set with

Lever Incline - 70X8, 8, 7 @8

BB Curls - 65X9, 7, 6, 7 @8/9

I thought I was really strong on Rows today, until I realized the bumpers I was using were 15 kgs and not 45 lbs.  

Still that's around a 10 lb. increase in E1RM over the last few weeks even while working around elbow and wrist issues. Not a bad place to be in the last week of this block.

I'll pivot next week to a more balanced S/B/D/R block (like the previous one) to assess where I'm at, and then plan my next move.

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.  

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 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.

Son of a Bench Week 10. Day A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

Bench -

-    up to 225X1 @8.5

-    185X5 @7

Lever Dips - 205X12, 7 @10

Hack Squats - 100X9, 8 @~8

super-set with

Pull-Downs - X10, 7 @8

1-Arm DB OH Extensions - 25X12, 8, 7 @10

super-set with 

Machine SL Calf Press - 195X13, 12 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Facilitated both a Birthday Party and a Memorial at the end of the week.  That prevented me from getting a 3rd session in, and left me coming into this session carrying additional stress.

Pretty good session all things considered!

Son of a Bench Week 8. Day A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 224

Bench -

-    up to 225X1 @8

-    185X5 @7.5

Lever Dips - 205X8, 7 @~8

Hack Squats - 100X8, 7 @8

super-set with

Pull-Downs - X9, 8 @~8

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

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X10, 9 @~10

Rower - HIIT, 5 rounds

Back from a week long trip.  Basically starting the program over.  This session looks almost exactly like the 'A' sessions from the first two weeks.  It will be interesting to see if lifts progress faster, slower, or about the same.

Happy to report that I had not foot/plantar fasciitis issues at all spending 6 days walking around NYC and an upstate farm.  We'll see if any of that discomfort reemerges (i.e. was it due to training?) or if the calf work and switching ~half my conditioning to the rower helped clear that up.

Son of a Bench Week 6. Day A.

sRPE @8

BW - 221

Bench - 

-    up to 240X1 @8

-    205X5, 5 @8/9

Lever Dips - 205X12, 8, 8 @10

Hack Squats - 110X8, 6 @8

super-set with

Pull-Downs - X10, 9 @10

1-arm DB OH Extensions - 25X13, 7, 7 @10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Presses - X14, 11 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Whew.  A one set increase in Bench volume, and taking most of my accessories to failure instead of to RPE 8 made this the most short-term fatiguing session of the block so far.

I have houseguests this week which mean I'll probably only get one more session in until next week.  I probably need to be prepared to make some judgement calls on next weeks volume and intensity.

Son of a Bench Week 4. Day A.

sRPE @ 6.5

BW - 222

Bench - 

-    up to 240X1 @8

-    205X5 @7.5

Lever Dips - 205X11, 9 @10

Hack Squats - 110X9, 7 @8

super-set with

Pull-Downs - X10, 7 @8

DB OH Extensions - 70X8, 5 @10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X13, 10 @8

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Still adding weight to the top single week-over-week.  Also, this is the easiest the back-off set of 5 @ 80% has felt so far this block.  Still a couple of weeks before I start adding more back-offs on this day.

Also added a rep per set to the AMRAPS on Lever Dips.

The DB OH Extensions are feeling pretty tough right now.  I'm going to back off 10# and go for higher reps starting next week.  See if I can get some momentum going in the 8-12 range and then circle back to 6-10s.  I was supposed to add a 3rd set on this day.  I didn't notice that in the program, but these were so difficult, it's probably for the best.

Son of a Bench Week 2. Day A.

sRPE @5.5

BW - 225

Bench - 

-    up to 230X1 @8

-    195X5 @8.5

Lever Dips - 205X8, 7 @8

Hack Squats - 110X8, 7 @8

super-set with

Pull-Downs - X9, 7 @8

DB French Press - 70X7, 6 @8

super-set with

Machine Calf Press - X11, 10 @~8

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Solid.  Upped weight a bit on Bench over last week, added some reps to the other things at comparable RPE.

I'll start a targeted increase in Volume later this week, and similar with RPE starting next week. 

Pressin' Out Week 9. MAX

sRPE @6

BW - 225

Press - 

-    up to 1675.5X1(PR) @10

-    170X0, 0, 0

Bench - up to 245X1 @9.5

JM Press - 85X5, 5, 5 @~8

Hack Squats - 150X5, 5 @8

Incline Rear Delt Flyes - 12sX12, 11, 10 @~10

Chipped my best Press for a new PR.  It felt really good, so I made several runs at 170 with no luck.

Was still feeling good, and thinking about pivoting to Bench focus for a while, so I went ahead and worked up on it.  That's my first straight bar bench since 7/3/24 when I hit 250.  Not a bad place to start if that's what I decide to do.  

Pressin' Out Week 8. Day A.

sRPE @8

BW - 225

Press - 

-    up to 165X1 @10

-    135X3, 3, 3 @7/9

Cambered Bench - 155X5, 5, 5 @7/9

Hack Squats - 100X10, 10 @~9

Pull-Downs - X12, 9 @~10

1-Arm DB OH Extension - 25X14, 12, 8, 7 @~10

Was feeling fatigued walking into the gym, so I took a lot of time with  my Press warm-ups.  Things started feeling pretty good as I hit 135, and I ended up tying my PR.

Despite going heavy on Press, Cambered Bench felt about the same as last week.

Because Squats were so hard last week, I decided to do something a bit more stressful than Roman Chair Squats for my Squat assistance today.

Beat the log book on pulldowns.

All the EZ bars were weirdly occupied, so I did single arm OH extensions.

Much longer session today because more warm-ups were needed on the first 3 movements, and doing unilateral work on the last one. 

Chin-Up War Week 10. Day A.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

Chins - BWX8, 5, 4, 4 @9/10

CS Rows - 135X15, 10, 8 @~10

Hack Squats - 125X10, 8 @~9

EZ OH Extensions - 60X11, 8 @~10

BB Curls - 85X8, 8, 8, 8(PR) @7.5/9

Chin strength came back a bit over last week, but still feeling plateau-y.  However, recovery is still feeling ok so I'm not sure if I should keep grooving here for a while, or think about shifting focus.  Hitting 10 reps does not feel imminent.  Maybe I back off the initial sets and see if I can hit 4 sets of 5?  Sets of 6 across at ~this BW would set some Volume PRs...

Chin-Ups remain one of my worst lifts.  However, all around upper body pressing strength is definitely in the chat.

85 for 4 sets of 8 is a Volume PR on curls.  I've backed off the RPE on the initial sets the last couple of weeks so I can grab these low-ish hanging Volume PRs.  

Chin-Up War Week 2. Day A.

sRPE @7

BW - 224

Chins - BWX5, 4, 4 @9.5/10

1-Arm DB Rows w/Strap - 90X13, 11 @9.5

Hack Squats - 125X9, 7 @~9

BB OH Extensions - 50X10, 8 @~9.5

BB Curls - 75X13(PR), 7 @10

Just realized that 75X12 on Curls last week was also a Rep PR.

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.  

Closed-Grip Bench, Hack Squats, Upper Back

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

Close-Grip Bench - 

-    up to 225X1 @9

-    185X3, 3, 3 @~7

Machine Flies w/ rest-pause partials - X10/10 @10

Hack Squats - 1ppsX12, 11, 10 @~8

Upper Back Attack - 

-    CS Rear Delt Rows w/ rest-pause partials - 45X18/11, 14/11 @10

-    CS Rows w/ rest-pause partials - 100X11/7, 10/6 @10

-    CS Scapular Retractions - 100X11, 10, 10 @10

225 ties my previous CG Bench PR.  Not a bad place to start the wave.

Hack Squats felt fresher than usual today for some reason.

I realized I was doing "Upper Back Attack" and "Big Hippers" on Fridays when I wasn't also Deadlifting on that day.  Now that I'm pulling at the end of the week, I thought it might save me some intra-session fatigue to move the upper back work to Bench day, and put Biceps on DL day instead.  We'll see how it goes.

Cambered Bench, Hack Squats, Curls

sRPE @7

BW - 222

Cambered Bench - 

-    up to 205X1 @8.5

-    155X6, 6, 6 @6.5/8

Hack Squats - 25psX10, 10, 10 @~7

DB Curls - 25sX12, 10 @9.5

DB Incline Curls - 20sX10, 8 @10

Singles on Cambered Bench felt good, but difficulty ramped up precipitously on the back-off sets.  

Adductors and Glutes were still pretty sore from SSB on Monday, so I just threw a little weight on the Hack Squat and tried to get some blood in there.  Each set felt better than the last, but I didn't feel the need to push weight.

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.

Maintenance. Week 2. Session C.

sRPE @6

BW - 213

Deadlift - 385X1, 1 @6.5

Press - 125X1, 1 @7

Hack Squat - 125X10, 10 @~8

Maintenance. Week 1. Session C.

sRPE @6

BW - 211

Deadlift - 385X1 @7

Press - 125X1 @7

Hack Squat - 125X11 @8.5

BBM Peaking Block. Cycle 4. Session C.

sRPE @6

BW - 212

Deadlift - 

405X1 @7.5

435X1 @9

365X2 @6

Incline - 

up to 205X1 @8

155X2, 2 @~4.5

Hack Squat - 150X10 @9.5

Cable Rows - X17 @10

Fought through the polar vortex to get to the gym.  Only did a bit of a half session because motivation was low.  Pushed Inclines and Hack Squats up a bit for fun.