Deadlift, Dips, Upper Back

sRPE @7

BW - 222

Deadlift - up to 405X1 @8.5

Dips - up to BW+50X6 @10

Upper-Back Attack Giant Set -

-    CS Rear Delt Rows - 45X19@9.5

-        Long ROM Partials - 45X11@10

-    CS Rows - 100X10 @9.5

-        Long ROM Partials - 100X6@10

-    CS Scap Retractions - 100X9@9.5

-        Long ROM Partials - 100X8 @9.5

Final session of testing week.

First comp DL since late February.  First 4 plate pull since mid-September. (geez those last couple of blocks were trash for my DL)

Heaviest Dips since early August.  Would have needed 3 more reps for a PR at this combined BW+Weight.  I didn't really expect a PR here as Dips usually need more frequent training for me to progress them.  

Just hit the Upper Back attack as one long set.  Back was immediately sore.

Possible Take-aways:

1)    I split time evenly this block between DL and Squat variations and supplements.  Assistance work was a arguably more Squat-specific: Leg Press, Hack Squat, Hip Flexion, Adductor work.  But also some Hip Extension and LOTS of Upper Back Work.  That's a big pile of little rocks, but maybe there's something there.

2)  Dips need attention to maintain and progress.

3)  This week's 955 total on the PLs was 35 lbs. better than the heavy SBD specific block I ran previously, and 120 lbs. heavier than any actual weight lifted in the low RPE block before that.  e1RMs were also better.  I would characterize this block as a bit more high-fatigue/low-specificity with a BIG DASH of "doing whatever I felt like."  Now to figure out how to operationalize the former while leaving room for the latter.

BBM General S+C Block 1. Cycle 1. Session B.

sRPE @7

BW - 205

Paused Swiss Bar Bench - up to 160X5 @7.5

Leg Press - up to 270X8 @~6.5

Tempo Lever Shrugs (myo-reps) - 200X17 w/straps, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 @~7

Copenhagen Planks - BWX11, 11 @~7

Got my COVID booster and flu shot the day before this session, and I was WIPED OUT.  I expect a lot of these numbers to jump next week if I'm feeling more normal.

Was originally going to do Paused Close Grip Bench on this day, but made a last minute decision to switch to the Swiss Bar.  Trying to commit to exploring unfettered low-specificity this block.

Similarly, I was going to do Chest-Supported Rows, but decided to do machine shrugs instead.  I've been dealing with nagging trap achiness the last couple of blocks, and want to see if a little burst of direct trap training can make a positive difference. 

Copenhagen Planks were weirdly strong out of the gate.

Block 5. Cycle 1. Session C.

BW - 217

Deadlift -
360X2 @8.75
300X6, 6, 6 @7.5

Pause Squat -
235X5, 5 @7.5
240X5 @7.75

Axle Bench - 185X5, 5, 5 @8

Was a little all over the place hitting RPE targets on the lower body lifts today, but still a fairly solid session.  I'm writing this a few days after the fact and having been sick all weekend, so my impressions of the lower body lifts are also fairly fuzzy.

I guess the top double on DL could have gone up like 5 lbs. to hit the @9 target, but knowing I was going to be squatting right after, I didn't want to push it.  Likewise the back-off sets could have gone up 5-7 lbs to try and hit @8, but I'm always conservative on DL day.

By the end of the Pause Squat sets, I did try to push the weight up a little bit closer to the RPE target.

First time doing Axle Bench.  Decided to add it in after talking to a guy at the gym that was using it quite a bit.  He suggested a 10% offset and that ended up being right on the money.  Potentially a very useful supplement in that regard, as it seem highly specific to the comp bench with the set-up being entirely identical (grip-width, ROM, etc.), but the thicker grip seeming to necessitate a drop in absolute intensity.  Looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

All video is of top sets and final work sets.

Block 3 (Transmutation). Cycle 7. Session B.

BW - 213

2 ct. Pause Squats -
237.5X5 @6
250X5 @7.5
245X5, 5 @7/8

Bench -
177.5X7 @6
205X3 @7
217.5X3 @7.5
187.5X7, 7, 7 @ 7/8

Deadlift -
260X7 @6.5
305X3 @7
320X3 @8.5
272.5X7 @7

Expected this to be the final session of this block, hoped it wouldn't be, but it was.  Recent trends continued.

Squat strength continued to regress slightly.  Went in looking for an increase that wasn't there.  Even after backing off in weight, RPE ramped quickly.

Bench continued to drive upwards on the top set, and it's possible I could have eked out some more intensity over another cycle, but RPE ramped quickly on the back-off sets so I'm comfortable with moving on.

Deadlift strength continued to stagnate on the top set.  Back-off set felt very solid.

One possible take-away from the disparity in the lifts is that while all my supplemental lifts were fairly specific to the main lift, the bench supplement (close-grips) had the most similar absolute intensity.  Here are how the three supplemental lift average e1RMs compare to the comp lifts during this block:
2 ct. Pause Squat - 81.5%
CG Bench Press - 95.1%
Plate Deficit DL - 92.3%

DL supplement % wasn't that different, so why not more progress on that?  Possibly because less overall volume.  Because I've had a couple of low back tweaks set me back in recent blocks, I've been very conservative about ramping overall DL volume block-to-block.  In comparison of work slots and work reps between comp lift and supplemental lift this block:
Squat - 7 slots - 39 reps
Bench - 7 slots - 42 reps
Deadlift - 4 slots - 24 reps

Overall, Bench e1RM also showed the biggest increase.  Here are the peak e1RM comparisons to the prior block:
Squat - 383.4 -> 382.4
Bench - 239 -> 255.9
Deadlift - 365 -> 365

So the only lift that really showed tangible progress happens to be the one with the most volume and where the supplement had the least overall variation from the main lift. 

I will be looking to bring DL volume gradually more in line with the other two lifts.  Next block will be another volume, or "accumulation," block.  This is an exploratory block, and so there will be a bias towards accessory over supplemental lifts, and "DL" volume will be made up largely of upper back work (rows and chins). 

In the following "transmutation" block, I will look to hold squat and bench volume relatively constant and translate all the DL accessory volume into DL and DL supplement volume that looks more like squat volume.  In addition, that block will be slightly less exploratory and look to test the suppositions above about volume and specificity. 

All video is of top sets and final work sets.