Block 14. Cycle 5. Session C.

 BW - 222

sRPE @ 7

Press -

135X1, 1 @8

122.5X3 @8

115X3 @7

105X8 @7.5

Squat - 

305X6 @7

250X10 @6

Decline Cambered Swiss Bar - 105X10, 10, 10 @6/7.5

Rope Low Cable Rows - 90X10 @7.5

Press is just flaaaaaaat this training block.  I partly suspect it's because of all the pressing in the prior training session, yet you'd think I'd adapt to that and start progressing again at some point.  Oh well.

Squat making small improvements despite the low volume.  Adductor DOMS still present but not debilitating as previous.

I've been getting really sick of doing BB Rows here at the end of the last session of each week.  It might be part overall accumulated stress from the week, and partly just not wanting to go through the whole thing of setting up a barbell, swapping out the weights working up to the work sets, etc.  I'd been thinking about doing cable rows with a long rope attachment, so I did those today instead and it was SO MUCH MORE FUN TO END THE WEEK.  Doing these with straight legs so that I can lean forward a little bit at the start to extend the lats more, and then pulling my elbows behind mid-line at the top of the contraction.

Block 14. Cycle 5. Session B.

BW - 220

sRPE @ 7

Dips - 

BW+65X4, 4, 4, 4 @8/8.5

BW+25X11 @ 8

Bench -

197.5X3 @7.5

145X10, 10 @~6

Toes-to-Bar - BWX3, 3, 2 @~9/8

Band Chins (under knee) - BWX5, 4, 4 @8/7

285(BW+65)X4 is a Rep PR, and I got it for 4 sub-maximal sets.  Dips have definitely been the star of this training block.

I think it's finally getting through my head not to try and push Bench hard after hard sets of Dips.  Backed off my targets to @7 on the top triple, and @6 on the back-off sets.  Felt physically better during and after the workout, and was able to call sRPE @7 for two sessions in a row.

Block 14. Cycle 4. Session C. and Cycle 5 Session A

4C:

BW - 222

sRPE @8

Press -

135X1, 1 @8/8.75

120X3, 3 @~7.5

110X9 @8.5

Squat -

300X6 @7

245X10 @6

Decline Cambered Swiss Bar - 100X10, 10, 10 @~6

BB Rows - 150X10, 10 @7.5/8.5

5A:

BW - 220

sRPE @7

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3, 2, 2, @8-9

Curls - 60X11, 11, 11 @7.75/8.5

Deadlift -

275X4

225X10

Upright Rows - 55X10, 10 @~7

Low back pain crept on over the weekend, so I only did token Deadlift sets/reps.

Block 14. Cycle 4. Session B.

BW - 220

sRPE @ 8

Dips - 

BW+60X4, 4, 4 @8/8.75

BW+45X4 @7.5

BW+25X9 @ 8

Bench - 

202.5X3 @8

160X10 @7.5

157.5X10 @8.5

Toes-to-Bar - BWX2, 3 @9.5/8.5

Band Chins (under knee) - BWX5, 5, 4 @~7

280 (BW+60)X4 is a Rep PR on Dips, and I got 3 sets.  260 (BW+45) is also a 4X4 PR.  Dips are going so well that I decided to start adding weight to the back-off sets.  I got 15 reps last week, and at my current BW, I'd have to get well North of 20 reps to get a Rep PR anyway.  I think my best BW set is 228X22.  Hard to say if Dips are going so well because of programming, or if I just haven't given them this much focus, (putting them first in the session, earlier in the week, giving them their own accessory movements, etc.) and it's just allowing existing strength to display.  Whatever the case, I'll take it.  Unlikely I'll feel the need to focus on them again next block.

Bench is still rough following Dips.  But performance was basically flat over last week.  Maybe slightly better on the top set.  Keeping Volume down and RPE up on 2nd and 3rd movements to try and manage fatigue.

TTB was a little all over the place.  First set was done on the chin up bar of a power rack that wasn't well secured to the ground.  Not very fun.  Second set was at my usual station.

Band chins started off a bit stronger, but nose-dived a bit on the last set.  For these pure accessory movements, I'm dropping the RPE to keep Volume up.  Opposite of secondary priority movements like Bench.

sRPE was still a touch higher than I'd like.

Block 14. Cycle 4. Session A.

BW - 223

sRPE @8

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3, 3 @8/8.5

BB Curls -

60X11, 11, 11 @~8

55X11 @ 8

Deadlift -

365X4 @7.5

330X7, 7 @~7

Upright Rows - 60X10, 10 @~7

sRPE is still a touch higher than I would like, but I managed to bring it down into the more tolerable zone.  My strategy for that coming into this week is to keep the volume and RPE at targets for the first/main movements in each session.  Keep RPE up, but cut one set on the secondary movements, and keep volume up, but cut RPE on the accessory movements.

On chins, sets of 3 across is a bit of progress.  We'll see if I can extend that to 5 sets next week while staying below RPE 9.

Performance was comparable on curls to last week.

DL was up a bit across the board.  In fact, 330X7 is a Rep PR!  Always nice to get a Rep PR for sub-maximal sets across.

Switching Upright Rows to a bit more of a body-building feel, which I likely should have been doing all along.  Instead of driving the weight up, I'm focusing on keeping my scapulae down until my elbows clear parallel and then finishing with a trap contraction.  Basically, "keeping it in my delts" until the end of the concentric.

Block 14. Cycle 3. Session C.

BW - 221

sRPE - @8

Press -

135X1,1 @8/8.5

120X3 @7

110X7 @8

Squat -

295X6 @7

250X10 @6.5

240X10, 10 @6, 6

Decline Cambered Swiss Bar - 95X10, 10, 10 @5

BB Rows - 145X10, 10 @7/8

Pulled back on weight a lot on this day to try and keep the sRPE down.  Feeling gassed after the first movement is not conducive to the plan even if RPE is coming in on target.  Something is off somewhere, and I need to keep the total stress down so that I can get through training session feeling more-or-less "normal."

Block 14. Cycle 3. Session B.

BW - 221

sRPE @ 8

Dips - 

BW+52.5X4, 4, 4, @~8

BWX15 @ 8

Bench - 

200X3 @8

157.5X10, 10 @7/8.25

150X10 @9

Toes-to-Bar - BWX2, 3, 3 @8/9

Band Chins (under knee) - BWX5, 5, 5 @8/8.5

273 (BW+52.5) would be a PR for 2 sets of any reps (i.e. 2X1 PR), and I got 3X4.  That's two weeks in a row hitting volume PRs on Dips.  If everything keeps progressing, I should expect to hit lifetime some lifetime PRs for Dips this block.  These are actually probably all PRs for weight added, but I've always tracked with BW included.  A bright spot in what is an otherwise rocky training block to-date.

Dips progress definitely not showing positive carryover to Bench so far.  Negative, in fact, doing them back-to-back.  My e1RM on top sets has declined every week so far.  However, the back-off sets are maybe showing a little bit of progress.