Inter-Holiday Session

sRPE @5.5

BW - 227

Press (beltless) - up to 145X1(PR) @9.5

CS Rows - 135X10, 10 @8/9

Hanging Flexed Knee-to-Chest w/straps - BWX12(PR), 9, 7 @8.5/10

Pivot-y kind of session before I start a Press-focused block next week.  

I haven't done a ton of beltless Pressing, but I'm pretty sure that is a PR.  

Lockout on this an all of the singles working up to it felt different than they did recently when I was going after the Press.  I'd been hitting a pretty hard sticking point about 2/3 of the way up, and I'd tried attacking it with Pin Presses and Push Presses, with little success.  These sets hit that sticking point and slowed a little, but still smoothly pushed through to lockout.

If that feel holds through the beginning of the block, I'd be tempted to chalk it up to all of the triceps work I did on my Dips mini-block. 

I'm also pretty sure 12 reps at this BW is a Rep PR on Hanging Flexed-Knee-to-Chest, but I haven't done that variation too often.  Had to use straps on these because left forearm discomfort continues (and may become a confounder in my Pressing; fingers crossed).

Press, DL, Back, Triceps

sRPE @8.5

BW - 222

Press Paused at Forehead -

-    up to 150X1 (PR) @10

-    115X3, 3, 3 @7/8

SLDL Touch-n-Go - 225X5, 5, 5, 5 @6.5/8

Band Chins - Band Under FootX7, 6, 5, 4 @9.5/10

super-set with

Standing BB OH Extensions - 45X12, 10, 9, 9 @~10

Press out on the Pause Press top single was sloooow.  Almost looks like I've got a second sticking point right before lockout.  Upped the weight on the back-offs, and that felt good because it forced me to a be a bit more disciplined with technique than last week.

I've been enjoying ATG Squats recently as my main Squat movement, so I thought I'd start messing around with SLDL.  These were done with a belt and mixed grip.  A good starting point for a movement I've rarely ever trained.

12 years since I did OH Extensions with a straight bar, lol.  It is challenging to keep good upper arm position with a regular barbell.

Old Man Texas Method. Week 4. Intensity Day

BW - 227

Squat - 380X5

Bench - 227.5X5

Deadlift - 390X3

380X5 is a Squat PR.  Moved pretty well.  Depth is borderline, but feels tight at the bottom.

227.5X5 ties a PR on Bench.  Probably about RPE 9.5 (i.e. couldn't have gotten another rep, but possibly could have had a touch more weight).  A good tip that came up on the Barbell Logic podcast with Matt Reynolds was that right when the bench hits a hard sticking point, allow it to drift back over your face a bit more, and that movement actually allows the elbows to extend without having to push the weight up.  The effect is that you move an inch or so closer to lockout, and through the sticking point.  I felt that very much on this last rep.

390X3 on Deadlift ties a PR.  Last rep was also about RPE 9.5  Had to reset after the 2nd rep because the bar shifted on the platform.

Phase 1. Week 3. Squat

BW - 209

Squat -
BarX8 (paused)
95X5 (paused)
115X5
135X4
155X3
185X2
225X2
235X7, 3

High Bar - 185X5, 5, 5

Fronts - 155X5, 5, 5

Good session, especially for a Sunday morning.

235X7 hits my goal of beating 235X6 square on the head, and is also a Rep PR.  The last two reps were some of the slowest I've done, HOWEVER I've been avoiding weights where I slow down at the mid-point for a long time now, and I think it's time I get used to pushing through those.

Upped the volume slightly on the accessory squats.  As 3X5 gets easier at these weights, I'll look to add sets rather than increase weights.