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

sRPE @7

BW - 206

Bench - 

202.5X5 @7.75

190X5, 5, 5, 5 @7/8.25

SSB Squats -

210X10 @7

200X10 @7.5

1-Arm DB Rows (myo-reps) -

85X13, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3 @9

80X12, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3 @9

DB Rear Delts - 15sX14, 13, 11 @9/10

Bench felt very good today on the technique side.  Initial set-up was good for facilitating leg drive through-out (I'm pushing hard into my heels on the set up and kind of "keeping tension in my heels" from there); Eccentric was well under control, but not too slow; Concentric had an excellent bar path as I was really finding that "slidey" spot part way up where the bar travels back for a moment instead of up.  I first heard Matt Reynolds talk about that back when I used to listen to the Barbell Logic podcast.  His theory was that it allowed the elbows to open a bit more without having to work as hard against gravity.  I don't know about all that, but it also lines up with that classic bar path graphic from Thomas McLaughlin  that shows the difference between novice and elite benchers:

Two things I still need to work on: 

Un-racking to over my shoulders.  Unrack felt good until the weight got heavier, and I realized that "over my shoulders" was further back than where I was starting on my warm-ups.  The result was that my shoulder blades weren't all the way down when I reached the correct starting position, and I had to spend some effort getting them into better position.

Foot placement.  This is a weird issue because the actual issue is my foot sliding out from under me a little under load.  This is probably more of a foot-wear/gym-floor situation, but there's only so much I'm willing and/or able to do about that.  So the other option may be to try and pull my feet back a bit.

Safety Bar Squats were a bit better this week.  I had to do some extra warm-ups because of lingering DOMS from squatting after vacation.  They didn't feel great because of the DOMS, but I was able to lift more weight and at a lower RPE than my target.  This top set is supposed to be @9, and I keep undershooting it, but I also don't want to push it if everything doesn't feel great.

Two sets of myo-reps on 1-arm DB rows really, really sucks.

Maintenance / Rehab Block. Week 2. Day 3.

BW - 225

Bench (feet-up) - 210X5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups - BWX7, 5, 5, 5, 3 (25 total)

Pull-Downs - X10, 9, 6 (straight-weight; same weight as previous)

BB Curls - 50X10, 9

Went to the P.T. to get the run-down of my MRI results.  ALL CLEAR!!!  No sign of damage to any of the structures in or around the hip, and no sign of tendinopathy.  Diagnosis is just a really over-taxed adductor.  The pain had already faded quite a bit over the last week of not squatting and deadlifting.  Enough for the P.T. to really get in and manipulate the joint.  Prescription is some minor daily mobility work to keep it loose.  Advised not resuming squatting and pulling again until "you've forgotten it was injured," start with the empty bar and add weight as long as it's pain free.  He expects I should be back to work-sets in just a couple of weeks once I resume.  I've got two out-of-town trips and houseguests over the next couple of weeks, so I will just wait until that's all out of the way.

In the meantime, 210X3X5 was a lot more challenging than 205.  Probably some fatigue, but I also had to focus quite a bit more on balance.  I'll continue with this movement until I start squatting again.  Hopefully, I'll even get some slight benefit to my bar path motor pattern as a result of the balance component.  Or not.

Chin-ups felt pretty solid.  Didn't get as many reps on the first set as last time, but got more on the later sets.  But now we're to the point in the plan where I've hit 25 reps and 5 sets.  The plan now is: get 25 reps in 5 or fewer sets.  That is to say, try to show improvement without additional sets.  If I plateau  or regress, reduce the weight on pull-downs slightly, and add a set to those.  If there is no improvement, add another.  Then do the same to curls, then pull-downs again, then curls again.  This days programming isn't in a vacuum either, as there is the 2nd day with pull-ups, supinated pull-downs, and hammer curls.  If this days program gets to 5X~10 pull-downs and 3X~10 Curls without progress, then I will start adding volume to the pull-downs and curls on that day as well.  So the "final phase" program would look like:
Day 1:
Chin-Ups - 5XAMRAP
Pull-Downs (pronated) - 5X8-12
BB Curls - 3X8-12

Day 2:
Pull-Ups - 5XAMRAP
Pull-downs (supinated) - 5X8-12
Hammer Curls - 3X8-12

If I get that far and progress is stalling or regressing, then I will have to come up with something else. To be clear, progress = more reps on the first set and /or more average reps per set on chins.  That's a minor distinction because if one is happening with any consistency then the other must follow.