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 10. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

Bench - 185X3, 3 @~7

DB Bench - 75sX9(PR), 6 @9/10

Chin-Ups - BWX2, 2 @7/8

super-set with

Copenhagen Planks - BWX15, 11 @8/9

Pushdowns - X17, 12, 11 @10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X14, 12 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Haven't been able to get a 3rd session in a training week very often the last month or so, and this one felt good.

When I do get one in, I've usually gotten a DB Bench PR like I did today, and that's always encouraging about the direction my general pressing strength is trending.

Son of a Bench Week 8. Day C.

sRPE @5.5

BW - 223

Bench - 185X3, 3 @7/8

DB Bench - 35sX12, 8 @9

Chins - X2, 2 @8

super-set with

Copenhagen Planks - BWX15, 10 @8/7

Pushdowns - X10, 11 @~10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X12, 11 @~10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Very nice little session.  Subjective measures of difficulty (sRPE) have steadily declined all week while ~objective training stress (setsXrepsXRPE) has remained about the same.  So I'll go ahead and start selectively bumping volume and intensity next week. 

Son of a Bench Week 2. Day C.

sRPE @6

BW - 222

Bench - 195X3, 3 @7

DB Bench - 70sX9(PR), 7 @~8

Chins - BWX3, 3, 3 @8/10

super-set with

Copenhagen Planks - BWX12, 10 @7.5

Pushdowns - X8, 8 @~9

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Presses - 180X13, 11 @~9

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Was confident DB Bench PRs would start falling this week.  Plenty of room to keep pushing those.

Pressin' Out Week 8. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

Press - 125X3, 3, 3 @7

High Incline DB Bench - 50sX13, 9, 9, 8 @~10

Chins - BWX3, 3, 3 @7.5/9

super-set with

Copenhagen Planks - BWX14, 14 @~9

Pushdowns - X14, 9, 8 @10

Solid session.

Need to be better about doing Copenhagen Planks.  They just hit different than the adductor machine.

Pressin' Out Week 4. Day C.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

Press - 125X3, 3, 3 @7.5

DB Seated Press - 45sX12, 10, 8 @~10

Chins - BWX3, 3, 3 @8/9

Adductor Machine - 150X11, 10 @~10

Rope Pushdowns - X12, 11, 9 @10

Solid.  sRPE trending down throughout this week.  I'll add a tad more volume over the next couple of weeks as long as that trend continues.

Pressin' Out Week 2. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 225

Press - 115X3, 3, 3 @~6.5

DB Seated Press - 45sX10, 9 @~10

Chins - 

-    BW+25X1 @9.5*

-    BWX3 @8

Adductor Machine - X14, 13 @~10

PJR Pullovers - 45X13, 12, 11 @9.5

*Weighted Chins are definitely aggravating my left forearm.  I hate to have to sideline that lift for a while after spending so much time spent trying to improve it, but I may have to do that to give the tendinopathy time to calm down.

Still the first time I've been able to squeeze in a 3rd session in a couple of weeks, so I'm happy about that.

Dippin' into Dips Week 2. Day C.

sRPE @7

BW - 226

Dips - BWX5, 5, 5 @~6/8

Lever Machine Dips - 180X12, 12, 8 @10

Chins - 

-    up to BW+25X1 @9.5

-    BWX3, 3 @~8

Adductor Machine - X13, 11 @~9

Rope Pushdowns - X15, 12, 12 @10

Solid session, and then helped as a spotter for an EOY Max Out event at the gym.

Reload Day

sRPE @6.5

BW - 227

ATG Pause Squat - 225X3 @6

MG Cambered Bench - 155X3 @7

SLDL - 275X3 @6.5

Chin-Ups - BW+25X3 @10

Hanging Flexed Knee-to-Chest - BWX3 @6.5

DB OH Extensions - 55X10 @10

DB Curls - 40sX9 @10

Holiday week got away from me and so I didn't train for over a week.  Swept into the gym yesterday and just hit a little bit of everything so that I can start my new training block on Monday not completely de-trained. 

Chin-Up War Week 11. Day B.

sRPE @7

BW - 224

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3 @~8

Machine Pullovers - X11, 8, 7 @~10

ATG Pause Squats -

-    up to 325X1(PR) @9

-    225X5, 5 @~7

Rope Pushdowns - X13, 12 @10

Rope Bayesian Curls - X10, 9, 8 @10

I wasn't going to go for a ATG Squat PR, but a buddy was at the gym so I had to.

Chin-Up War Week 11. Day A.

sRPE @7

BW - 220

Chins -

-    up to BW+45X1 @9.5

-    BWX5, 5, 5, 5 @7.5/9.5

CS Rows - 160X8, 7, 5 @9.5/10

GHR - BWX15, 11 @9.5/10

DB OH JM Press - 30sX11, 8 @~10

BB Curls - 95X10(PR) @10

Been a rough week, but managed to drag myself to the gym and grab a Rep PR on Curls.

Chin-Up War Week 10. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

Chin-Ups - 

-    up to BW+45X 1@10

-    BW+25X3, 3 (PR) @8.5/9.5

1-Arm Pull-Downs - X12, 10, 9, 7 @9.5/10

Dips - 

-    up to BW+90X1(PR) @9

-    BW+60X5, 5(PR) @~10

Machine Adduction - X12, 11 @10

Lying DB Curls - 20sX9, 9, 7 @~10

Nice little group of Rep and Volume PRs on Chins and Dips.

Chin-Up War Week 10. Day B.

sRPE @7

BW - 226

Chins -

-    up to BW+45X1(PR) @10

-    BWX3, 3 @~8

Pullovers - X16, 13, 11 @10

SLDL - 

-    up to 315X1 @8

-    275X5, 5 @7/8

Pushdowns - X20, 16 @7/10

Rope Bayesian Hammer Curls - X13, 12, 10 @~10

Haven't done weighted chins in a long time so I decided to see what was what.  Will probably start working them in more regularly.

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 9. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 225

Chins - BWX3, 3, 3 @7.5/8.5

1-Arm Pulldowns - X10, 9, 8 @~10

CG Cambered Bench - 

-    up to 225X1(PR) @10

-    155X5 5 @6/7.5

Leg Curls - X14, 12 @~10

Lying DB Curls - 15sX14, 12, 10 @~10

Lots of little PRs sprinkled in the last couple of weeks.  Nice.

Chin-Up War Week 9. Day B.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

Chins - BWX3, 3, 3 @7.5/8.5

Machine Pullovers - X16, 12, 10 @10

ATG Pause Squats -

-    up to 315X1 @9

-    255X5, 5 @6.5/7

Rope Extensions - X16, 12 @10

Rope Bayesian Curls - X13, 12, 11 @10

Solid session.  Nice to have ATG Squats rebound a bit after a few down weeks.

Chin-Up War Week 9. Day A.

sRPE @8

BW - 224

Chins - BWX6, 5, 4, 4 @9.5/9

CS Rows - 135X14, 10, 8 @9.5/10

GHR - BWX14, 11 @9.5

1-Arm DB OH Extensions - 25X13, 11 @9.5/10

BB Curls - 85X10, 10(PR), 10(PR) @7.5/10

Recovery has been off, and I think that impacted Chin-Up strength out of the gate.

85 for 2 and 3 sets of 10 are Volume PRs.

Chin-Up War Week 8. Day C.

sRPE @7

BW - 225

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3 @~7.5

1-Arm Pull-Downs - X10, 9, 8 @9.5

Dips - 

-    up to BW+85X1(PR) @9.5

-    BW+55X5, 5(PR) @9.5/10

Adductor Machine - X19, 16 @~10

Lying DB Curls - 15sX12, 10 @~10

Everything felt pretty good today.

1 Rep and 2X5 PRs on Dips was a bit unexpected.

Chin-Up War Week 8. Day B.

sRPE @7

BW - 221

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3 @~7

Machine Pullovers - X13, 10 @~10

SLDL -

-    up to 355X1(PR) @10

-    275X5, 5 @8/9

BW JM Press - BWX13, 12 @9/10

Rope Curls - X13, 10 @10

Solid session.

I'm doing the Rope Curls with the really long rope attachment and my back to the rack, and my arms stretched out behind me.  They feel pretty good.

Chin-Up War Week 8. Day A.

sRPE @7

BW - 223

Chin-Ups - BWX9, 5, 4, 4 @10

CS Rows - 135X13, 9 @~10

Roman Chair Squats - BWX15, 12 @~9

BB OH Extension - 45X12, 10 @9

BB Curls - 85X13(PR), 8(PR) @10

Chins felt a little flat week-over-week.

Rep and Volume PRs on Curls.