RTS Block 7. Week 2. Day 2.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 226

High Bar Squat - 285X7(PR), 7, 7 @~7.5

050 Bench - 

-    170X2 @6

-    180X2 @7

-    187.5X2 @8.5

BSS - BW+39lb.ChainsX10 @7.5

CS Rows - 

-    130X12, 9 @~10

-    115X10 @10

-    100X10 @10

Pulldowns - X11, 9, 10, 9 @10

Weather is tough in the gym, but managed to push weight on just about everything including a 10lb. Rep PR on High Bar.

RTS Block 7. Week 1. Day 2.

sRPE @8

BW - 225

High Bar Squats - 275X7(PR), 7, 7 @7/8

5sec. Pause Bench -

-    170X2 @6.5

-    175X2 @7

-    182.5X2 @8

Bulgarian Split Squats - BW+35lb. Chain X10 @7

CS Rows - 

-    125X12, 10, 8 @~10

-    100X9 @9.5

Pulldowns - ladder downX8, 10, 12, 10 @10

Stationary Bike - S.I.T.; 0:20/1:40; 6 rounds

Unplanned back-to-backs always spike the sRPE a bit, but this went well despite the slog.

RTS Block 6. Week 4. Day 2.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 227

Spoto Bench - 

-    180X3 @5.5

-    190X3 @7

-    202.5X3 @7.5

BFE BSS - BW+57lb ChainsX9 @8

Low Bar PBN -

-    65X6 @8

-    55X8, 8 @6.5/8

Pulldowns - X17, 12, 8 @10

CS Rows - 120X13, 9, 9 @~10

Face Pulls - X13, 10, 8 @10

Spotos were feeling great, but I stayed conservative rather than go for a PR.  Don't want to sap my chance to make a bigger jump on Comp Bench on Friday.

Moved the grip out on LB PBN until I was able to return each rep to a low bar position.  Thinking about trying to gradually move grip in vs. trying to gradually move reps lower with normal Squat grip.

RTS Block 6. Week 3. Day 2.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 227

Spoto Bench - 

-    180X3 @6.5

-    190X3 @7

-    200X3 @8

Bulgarian Split Squats - +35lb. ChainX11 @7

Low Bar PBN -

-    85X1 @7

-    95X1 @9

-    100X1 @10

Pulldowns - X14, 11, 11 @10

CS Rows - 120X12, 10, 9 @10

Face Pulls - X12, 11, 9 @10

Technique feeling very dialed-in on Spotos, and may attempt a 3 rep PR next week if warm-ups feeling good.

Moved BSS to this day because I had a lot of quad discomfort on last Friday's Pause Squats after having 3 days off from any Squat movement. 

Tried going as heavy as possible on the low bar PBN to see if that helped the bar return to the low bar position after the Press, but it didn't.  Currently, I can start the movement in low bar position, but can't return any lower than the top of the traps.  The point of this movement is to increase my shoulder mobility slightly to see if it lessens elbow pain with heavier weights on Squats.  Probably we'll just roll with in the way it is and see if it improves over time, or possibly abandon in favor of something else.  TBD.

RTS Block 6. Week 1. Day 3.

sRPE @7

BW - 226

Pause Squats - 

-    325X3 @7

-    340X3 @8

-    350X3(PR) @9

Bulgarian Split Squats - +25lb. ChainX11 @7

Bench - 182.5X5, 3, 4, 4, 3 @~7

Deadlift - 350X3 @7.5

TnG DL - 315X6, 5, 3 @~7.5

Smith Machine JM Press - 

-    65X9 @9

-    45X11, 10 @9/10

Expected this session to be a bit of a bear, but it was really fun!  I didn't even realize that was a Pause Squat PR until the next day.

TnG DL is so much less fatiguing mentally.  I hope this block goes well, and we can keep that strategy for back-off sets.

RTS Pivot Block 4. Week 1. Day 1.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 229

High Bar Squat - 

-    230X10(PR) @6

-    245X10(PR) @7.5

530 HBS - 245X5, 5, 5 @8/9

20 minute circuit - 

-    BSS - BWX16, 14, 10, 10 @8.5/10

-    Pendlay Row - 135X11, 10, 8 @10

-    Press - 90X7, 7, 7 @9/10

Stationary Bike - SIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 minutes

Add knee sleeves and get a 40 lb. HBS 10 rep PR.

I will say my knees actually didn't feel great after the tempo squats, and were pretty creaky on the BSS.

Training: Squat/Legs Day and Bench/Upper Day

Squat/Legs

sRPE @6

BW - 228

Squats - 

-    265X3 @6

-    275X3 @6.5

-    285X3 @7

-    295X3 @8.5

Marrs Bar GM - 175X10, 8 @9.5

FFE BSS - BWX13, 10 @~10

Single-Leg Seated Machine Curls - X10, 9 @10

Machine SL Calf Press - X14, 12 @~10

Bench/Upper

sRPE @6

BW - 226

Bench - 

-    175X3 @6.5

-    185X3 @7

-    190X3 @8

Hammer Rows - 70X14, 10 @~10

Hammer Incline - 70X12, 9 @10

Cable Rear Delt Flyes - X10, 8 @10

Machine Preacher Curls - X10, 8 @10

Forearm didn't much like those preacher curls.

Training: Legs

sRPE @6

BW - 225

Squats - 

-    255X3 @6

-    265X3 @6.5

-    275X3 @7.5

-    285X3 @8

Marrs Bar GM - 175X9, 8 @~9.5

FFE BSS - BWX11, 10 @8.5/10

Seated Single-Leg Curls - X10, 8 @10

Machine SL Calf Press- X14, 13 @10

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:25/1:35; 14 minutes

Training: Legs

sRPE @6

BW - 227

Squats - 

-    265X3 @7

-    270X3 @7.5

-    280X3 @8

Marrs Bar GM - 175X9, 8 @~9

FFE BSS - BWX11, 10 @8/9

Seated Single-Leg Curls - X8, 8 @10

SL Machine Calf Press - X11, 11 @10

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:25/1:35; 14 minutes

Just back from a week vacation.  Need to see about getting my forearm rehabbed.

S/B/D/R+ Week 3. Day B.

sRPE @8

BW - 223

Bench - 

-    up to 225X1 @9

-    185X3, 3, 3, 3, 3 @7/7.5

FFE BSS - BWX11, 10, 8, 6 @8/9

NG Cable Rows - X10, 10, 8 @~8

super-set with

Bent Knee GHR Sit-Ups - BWX8, 8, 6 @~8

Machine Standing Calf Raises - X8, 7, 7, 6 @8/9

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 14 minutes

Felt good coming in today, but Bench was flaaaaaat.  Everything else seemed fine.

S/B/D/R+ Week 2. Day B.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 220

Bench - 

-    up to 225X1 @8

-    195X3, 3, 3, 3 @7.5/8.5

FFE BSS - BWX11, 10, 9, 8 @8

Cable Rows - X11, 10, 9 @8

super-set with

GHR Sit-Ups - BWX9, 8, 6 @8

Machine Standing Calves - X8, 7, 8, 7 @~8

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 14 minutes

Solid session.  I've been taking a bit more time on my warm-up singles this week trying to feel out where my top set should be.  On both Squat and Bench, I re-took my last warm-up single and both times found the 2nd set easier allowing me to go for something higher on the top set.  Patience, I guess.

S/B/D/R Week 1. Day B.

sRPE @7

BW - 223

Bench - 

-    up to 215X1 @7.5

-    190X3, 3, 3 @7.5/8.5

FFE BSS - BWX12, 10, 10 @8/9.5

Cable Rows - X11, 9, 9 @8

super-set with

GHR Sit-Ups - BWX11, 8, 7 @8

Machine Standing Calves - X7, 7, 7, 7 27.5/10

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 14 minutes

I've been low-key a coward about putting Front Foot Elevated Bulgarian Split Squats into my program regularly, and yes:  they suck.  Time to get good at them!

Fun session.

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. 

Dips, Legs, Shoulders, Triceps

 sRPE @9

 BW - 223

Dips - BW+25X7, 6, 5, 4 @9/10

BFE Split Squats - BWX14, 9, 12 @8.5/9

Cable Laterals - X12, 10, 9, 9 @~10

1-Arm DB OH Extensions - 20X13, 10, 9, 8 @10

One of the most humid days in the gym I've experienced.

One more rep on the last set of Dips would have been a Volume PR.  Oh, well.

Both Feet Elevate Split Squats had me gasping in the heat.  Lost count and forgot to do the 4th set.

There was a new kid in the gym asking for LOTS of help and advice.  Tried to help him out as best I could without overwhelming him with info, or getting too distracted from my own workout.  Hope he keeps at it.

Cambered Bench, Quads, Curls

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

Cambered Bench - 

-    up to 230X0 @11

-    155X6, 6, 6 @7/8.5

Both-Feet Elevated Split Squats - BWX12, 11 @~9

Open Hip Leg Extensions - X10 @9.5

Rope Curls - X12, 10, 10 @9/10

Tried to chip my previous Cambered Bench PR, but it wasn't there.  Failed pretty shortly off the chest.

Elevated my front foot for Bulgarian Split Squats.  Took some setting up, but once I got it I could really feel it in my quads.

Also messed around with moving the pad way back on Leg Extensions so I could open my hips more and lengthen the RF.  Also put a pad in front of my shins to try and close the knee angle a bit more.

BBM PB I Block 1. Cycle 5. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 205

Squat -

320X5 @7.75

305X5, 5, 5 @7/7.5

Press - 105X8, 8, 8 @8.5/9.5

GHR - BWX16, 16 @7/8

BG Split Squats - up to BW+70X12 @8

Last squat session of the block went well.  Everything much better than last week now that I'm back in the groove of training post-vacation.

BBM PB I Block 1. Cycle 4. Session A.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 204

Squat - 

305X5 @7

290X5, 5, 5 @6/7

Press -

100X8, 8 @~7/~9

95X8 @7.5

GHR - BWX13, 13 @6.5/8

BG Split-Squats - BWX20, 20, 20 @8/9

Started getting back spasms on my last Squat warm-up.  Worked back up to a little less than the target.  All the physical and psychological strain of working through it really drove up the Session RPE.  Dragged myself through the rest of the workout.

BBM PB I Block 1. Cycle 3. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 203

Squats - 

315X5 @8

300X5, 5, 5 @~7

Press - 100X8, 8, 8 @~8

GHR - BWX11, 11 @~8

BG Split-Squat - BWX17, 17, 17 @~7

Back from vacation.  Workout was fatiguing, but strength held together more-or-less from last week.

BBM PB I Block 1. Cycle 2. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 201

Squat - 

305X5 @8

290X5, 5 @7/8

Press - 100X8, 8, 8 @8/~9

GHR - BWX10, 10 @8

Chin-Ups - BW+5X3, 3, 3, 3 @7.5/8

Toes-to-Bar - BWX5, 5, 5 @7/9

BG Split-Squats (on wedge) - BWX16, 16, 16 @~7

Schedule once again cramped by vacation plans, etc., so I tacked Chins and TTB from the GPP days I'm skipping onto this session.

100 for 3X8 on Press ties a Volume PR.

There's an adjustable wedge at the gym that must be meant for close-stance BW squats or something.  I tried it out today on the lowest setting for the rear-foot-elevated split squats to see if I could keep my foot closer to my hips and get more ROM at the knee.  Seemed to work fine.

BBM Powerbuilding I Block 1. Cycle 1. Session A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 202

Squats - up to 305X5 @~8

Press - up to 100X7 @8

GHR - up to BWX9 @7.5

Bulgarian Split Squats - BWX16, 16, 16 @~7

5 days post Vasectomy, and I'm happy that I had no real issues training because of it.

They way BBM sets up these blocks is the first week is a "pivot" where you work up to a top set with no back-offs on big compound movements, and then add back-offs in the following weeks.