Block 2 (Accumulation). Cycle 1. Day 2.

BW - 211

Squat - 205X10 @5

High-Bar Squat - 205X3, 3, 3 @~6.5

Bench -
160X8 @ 7
152.5X8 @7
140X8 @6.5

Deadlift - 225X8, 8 @6/7

I've tried to go back through my old logs and look for places where the comp lifts seemed to make a lot of progress, and note down how I was training them at that time.  I'm going to try sprinkling them in here and there, a block at a time.  This Squat session is the result of one of those.  There was a point where I was doing LRB training, and the squat training was a low bar set of 10 followed by three triples of high bar at the same weight.

Because I haven't squatted much the last few weeks, I had pretty good DOMS going into this session, and it made stuff a bit more difficult.  The weights I landed on seem ok.  Hopefully, I'll get more acclimated over the next cycle or two and can dial this in a bit tighter.  All in all, felt fine.

Bench was all over the place.  It's been a bit like this recently where the expected weight ends up being way over on RPE, and nailing down the right intensity is a bit of a ride.  We'll see how this progresses.  Possibly BW drop has something to do with it?

Was really nervous about DL after 2.5 week back injury, but these felt good.  I did fatigue quickly and got to @7 on set 2, when I'd planned 3 sets, but we'll see how that goes next time.  I made some changes to my set-up and inter-rep patterns.  Used to, I would take my breath before I dropped my knees, and then I'd lock my knees to take a breath between reps.  I think that got me in trouble with these low intensity DLs last time, and caused the bar to be moving around a bit much, and that may have contributed to the back tweak.  This whole session and cycle have really been about recommitting to focus.  Taking time to do things right even when the intensity is relatively low.

And also not freaking out about how much lighter all these weights are than what I used to use.

Inclines

BW - 214

Incline Bench -
BarX20
95X5
115X4, 3
135X2
155X1
140X8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Lever Shrugs (held at top) -
290X5
380X10, 10, 10
super-set with
Rear Delt Machine - X10, 10, 8, 8

Volume day for bench.  Kept rests at 30-45 seconds between work sets.  Last reps were kind of challenging on the last set.

Shrugs and rear delts were really hard today for some reason.

Shoulders and [bench] DIPS!!!

BW - 212

Bench Dips - BWX12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Side Lateral Giant Set - X2
10sX25
15sX15
20sX10
rest
20sX10
15sX15
10sX25

P.T. cleared me on this very day to start doing un-weighted bench dips.  BWX12 is nothing effort wise, but I wanted to take it easy because it used to be these would cause me pain.  Happy to say that the next day, I am still pain free!  So excited to be able to start adding dipping movements back into my programming.  One of my favorite lifts, and one I've really  missed doing.

This is the last week of the shoulder focus programming so this is the last time I will have to do this brutal giant-set of laterals (for a while anyway).

Bench

BW - 213

Bench -
BarX30
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
175X1
185X1
135X22, 9

Preacher Curls -
40ishX8
50ishX8, 8, 8, 8

Seated French Press - 70ishX12, 12, 12, 10, 10

135X22 is a Rep PR.  This is right at my target reps for this weight as I get back into the flat bench.  I'm going to go ahead and move up to 145 next week.  Shoulder is still feeling pretty good.  Some mild crunchiness today, and I think I'm going to talk to my P.T. about how to amp up some of the rehab movements I'm doing.

Overheads

BW - 214

Seated PBN -
BarX21
65X5
75X5
85X12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12
super-set with
Machine Reverse Flyes - X12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Slow Rack Pulls at the knee - 135X5, 5, 5, 5

Upped the weight on both PBN and Flyes this week, and still got 12 reps on all sets.  Two weeks ago, I fell 3 sets short of that with 75.  Progress.

I'm really surprised, but these really light and slow rack pulls leave my hamstrings really sore the next days.  I know, I know, DOMS does not equal Hypertrophy, yada-yada.  Just surprising.

Shoulders, and low-back rehab

BW - 214

Slow Rack-Pulls at the knee - 135X5 for a few sets

Side Lateral Giant Set - X2
10sX25
15sX15
20sX10
rest
20sX10
15sX15
10sX25

P.T. has me doing really slow and light  rack-pulls to start redrilling a neutral spine.  The idea is to gradually lower the rack height, until I'm pulling from the floor again.

Giant set of laterals is still brutal.

Overheads, and Bench test

BW - 212

Standing PBN -
BarX15
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X2
95X15, 6

CG Bench -
BarX25
95X5
115X4
135X15, 7, 7
super-set with
Face-Pulls - X15, 15, 12, 12, 12, 12

Physical Therapist cleared me to start testing my shoulder on flat bench.  For safety's sake, I'm going to move forward with Close-Grip only, and may stop making the distinction in the log.

Still, the day was originally programmed for PBN, so I went ahead and started with that.  About the same as last week, but a couple fewer reps on the back-off set.  No big deal.

Bench was fine with no pain.  First time doing BB Flat Bench in a full year, and strength is good here.  My previous best was 135X17, so being only 2 reps off of that with all the fatigue from PBN shows that a lot of the work I've been doing, Inclines, overheads, etc., has maintained a good base.  Won't be surprised if my bench is actually stronger than before once I get technique locked back in.

Speaking of which, I forgot what a fucking chore setting up for flat bench is, hahahaah!  Because of all the Incline work, I seem to have naturally drifted from a feet under set-up to a feet wide-and-away set-up.  Feels pretty good, and I seem to be able to keep more tension in my legs throughout AND my butt doesn't seem to want to shoot off the bench nearly as much.  All in all, a promising start.

Shoulders and Shoulder Test

BW - 212

DB Bench -
45sX15
50sX12
55sX9
60sX6
65sX5

Side Lateral Giant Set - X2
10sX25
15sX15
20sX10
rest
20sX10
15sX15
10sX25

Physical Therapist asked me to start testing my shoulder in the planes of motion that have given me trouble.  Starting with DB Bench because it's given me the least trouble, and if that's cool after a couple sessions, I'll move over to BB Bench.  Ultimate goal here is being able to do weighted dips again.  Flat bench vs. Incline isn't a real priority unless I decide to do a meet.

Anyway, worked up to something heavy-ish.  Shoulder felt a little bad during the last couple sets, but the lingering pain is barely there right now compared to what I've had in the past.  I'll try to get one more session in before the next meeting with the P.T. and see what he thinks.  A year and a half ago, I was doing 65sX15....

Side Lateral giant-set was awful after the DB bench, hahahaha.

Inclines

BW - 212

Inclines -
BarX25
95X5, 5
135X3
155X2
185X1
135X21

BB Preacher Curls -
40X10
60X8, 8, 5
40X12

super-set with

French Press - 50X15, 15, 15, 15, 15

Well shit.  My target here is to beat 135X22.  Really thought that was going to happen today.  Oh well.  Slow and steady.

Overheads

BW - 210

Standing PBN -
BarX15
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X2
95X15, 8

Face-Pulls - X15, 15, 15, 12, 12, 12

Good session.  Only one day removed from doing some PBN and rear delt volume, I was able to come in and lift right at previous PR levels.  95X15 is only one rep off matching previous bests for both regular Press and PBN.

Overheads

BW - 213

Seated PBN -
BarX20
65X12
75X12, 11, 12, 12, 10, 10

super-set with

Reverse Pec Deck -
Warm-up - X20, 12
Work-Sets - X12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 10 (straight-weight)

Rear delts were screaming by half way through this, and obviously I wasn't able to handle much weight on the sets of 12 on PBN, but it was a pretty good session anyway.

Shoulders

BW - 211

Side Lateral Giant Set - X2
10sX25
15sX15
20sX10
20sX10
15sX15
10sX25

Hard to stay very strict on round 2.  Didn't let much body-english get in, but I know was letting my traps get more involved.

Inclines

BW - 208

Inclines -
BarX30
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1
135X18, 10

Preacher Curls - 40ishX12, 12, 12, 8, 9
super-set with
Seated French Press -
40ishX20
50ishX15, 15, 12, 12

Didn't meet my goal of 135X23 on the first set, so I'll stick at this weight next week.  135X20 is my best.  Hit my volume goal on the follow-up set.  No shoulder issues during or to this point the next day.

Overheads

BW - 210

Standing PBN -
BarX12
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X1
95X12, 7

Face-Pulls - X20, 15, 12, 12, 13, 12

First time doing "standing" anything since my back injury.  All the seated OHP benches were taken, and I felt good enough, and the weight is light enough, that I decided to give it a tray.  No low-back problems, but my abs were fried after the 95X12 set.

Legs and Back

BW - 210

Leg Extensions - 4X20 (to a top-set)

Leg Curls - 4X20 (to a top-set)

Hack Squat -
90X10
110X10
130X10
150X10

Chins -
BWX3, 3 (warm-up)
BWX12, 5, 5, 5

Chest-Supported Rows -
70X11
95X7

Upped weight or reps here and there.  Solid Session.

Arms

BW - 209

Rope Pushdowns - X20, 20 (warm-up)

Seated French Press - 40ishX20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

BB Curls -
50X10
55X10
60X10
62.5X10
65X10
67.5X10

Solid session.  Got max reps on all sets.

Overheads

BW - 208

CG Seated Press -
BarX12
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X2
135X1
115X8

DB Preacher Curls - 25sX20, 20, 20, 20

Hammer Curls - 45sX6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

115X8 is a Rep PR for all overhead work.

Upped the reps on preacher curls and the weight on hammer curls.

Inclines

BW - 212

CG Incline -
BarX20
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
175X1
155X11

Incline DB Curls - 25sX20, 20, 20, 20

PJR Pullovers - 60X20

Okay session.  Shoulder was bothering me a little bit the next day, but I'm alreayd rehabbing with my P.T. so nothing else to really do about it.

Added reps to the curls, and weight to the pullovers.

Arms

BW - 212

Rope Pushdowns - X40, 40

Seated French Press - 40ishX20, 20, 20, 20, 18, 18

BB Curls -
40X10
45X10
50X10
52.5X10
55X10
60X10

Bird-Dogs and Side Planks - 2 rounds

Saw a new physical therapist yesterday, and have some new protocols for dealing with my low back AND my shoulder issues.  Until he clears me for barbell squat and deadlift variations, I will continue doing upperbody bodypart specialization programs such as this one, and cobbling together body-building style work for legs and back that are low-impact on my low back.

Overheads

BW - 216

Seated CG Press -
BarX15
65X5
85X4
95X3
115X2
125X1
105X14

DB One-Arm Preacher Curls - 25X20, 20, 20, 18

DB Hammer Curls - 40sX6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

105X14 is an all-around PR across all overhead pressing!