RTS Block 7. Week 2. Day 2.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 226

High Bar Squat - 285X7(PR), 7, 7 @~7.5

050 Bench - 

-    170X2 @6

-    180X2 @7

-    187.5X2 @8.5

BSS - BW+39lb.ChainsX10 @7.5

CS Rows - 

-    130X12, 9 @~10

-    115X10 @10

-    100X10 @10

Pulldowns - X11, 9, 10, 9 @10

Weather is tough in the gym, but managed to push weight on just about everything including a 10lb. Rep PR on High Bar.

RTS Block 7. Week 1. Day 2.

sRPE @8

BW - 225

High Bar Squats - 275X7(PR), 7, 7 @7/8

5sec. Pause Bench -

-    170X2 @6.5

-    175X2 @7

-    182.5X2 @8

Bulgarian Split Squats - BW+35lb. Chain X10 @7

CS Rows - 

-    125X12, 10, 8 @~10

-    100X9 @9.5

Pulldowns - ladder downX8, 10, 12, 10 @10

Stationary Bike - S.I.T.; 0:20/1:40; 6 rounds

Unplanned back-to-backs always spike the sRPE a bit, but this went well despite the slog.

RTS Block 5. Taper. Day 1.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

High Bar Squat - 

-    285X6 @6

-    295X6 @6.5

-    310X6(PR) @7.5

Larsen Bench -

-    185X5 @8

-    192.5X5 @9

-    175X5 @7

High Pause DL - 

-    350X4 @7

-    340X5 @7.5

-    315X5, 5 @6.5

Incline Bench - 

-    140X10, 8, 15 @7.5/10

GHR - BWX15, 12 @~10

Everything felt good-to-strong except Larsens which were heavy for some reason.

RTS Block 5. Week 3. Day 3.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 227

High Bar Squat - 

-    275X6 @6

-    290X6 @7

-    300X6(PR) @7.5

Bench - 

-    235X1 @9.5

-    200X4 @8.5

-    185X4, 4, 4 @~7

High Paused Deadlift -

-    350X4 @8

-    330X5(PR) @7

-    315X5, 5 @6.5

DB Bench - 

-    60sX14, 12, 8 @10

-    50sX11 @10

Face Pulls - X17, 14, 12 @10

 Another PR on HBS, but Bench was slightly off compared to last week.  It's tentatively starting to look like a trend for comp lifts to be a bit flat in Week 3, but we'll just have to see how things go with next week's mock meet.

Really focused in on the DLs Paused below the Knee.  Used the same top weight as the last two weeks, and it felt much more in control.  First back-off set of 5 is a Rep PR.

RTS Block 5. Week 2. Day 3.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 227

High Bar Squat -

-    275X6 @6

-    285X6 @7

-    295X6(PR) @8

Bench - 

-    232.5X1 @9

-    205X4 @8.5

-    185X4, 4, 4 @~7

DL Paused below knee w/Straps* -

-    350X4 @8.5

-    325X5 @7

-    315X5, 5 @~7

Hammer Incline - 60X16, 14, 12, 12 @10

Face Pulls - X16, 15, 12 @10

2+ Rep PR on HBS.  

Bench technique felt the best it's felt since I started to tighten up to comp standards.

Pinched the palm of my index finger between two plates loading DL, and raised a blood blister under one of my calluses.  Had to strap up from there on.

For DB Bench, the knurling on the handles definitely felt like it was going to take the top of the blister off, so I switched to Hammer Incline.

RTS Block 5. Week 1. Day 3.

sRPE @9

BW - 228

High Bar Squat - 

-    255X6 @4.5

-    275X6(PR) @6.5

-    290X6(PR) @7.5

Bench - 

-    230X1 @9.5

-    195X4 @8

-    180X4, 4, 4 @7

Deadlift Paused below knee -

-    350X4(PR) @8.5

-    325X5 @7.5

-    310X5, 5 @~7

DB Bench - 

-    65sX14, 9 @10

-    55sX8 @10

-    45sX12 @10

Face Pulls - X18, 15, 14 @10

Really tough session, but I got PRs on High Bar Squats and Paused Deads, and matched a 14 Rep DB Bench PR.  Pretty good for week 1, and hopefully I'll acclimate.  It's basically the same volume of SBD for Day 3 as last block so I should.

RTS Pivot Block 4. Week 1. Day 1.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 229

High Bar Squat - 

-    230X10(PR) @6

-    245X10(PR) @7.5

530 HBS - 245X5, 5, 5 @8/9

20 minute circuit - 

-    BSS - BWX16, 14, 10, 10 @8.5/10

-    Pendlay Row - 135X11, 10, 8 @10

-    Press - 90X7, 7, 7 @9/10

Stationary Bike - SIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 minutes

Add knee sleeves and get a 40 lb. HBS 10 rep PR.

I will say my knees actually didn't feel great after the tempo squats, and were pretty creaky on the BSS.

RTS Pivot Block 1. Week 1. Day 1.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 225

High Bar Squts -

-    175X10 @6.5

-    185X10 @7.5

530 Tempo High Bar Squats -

-    165X5, 5 @~8

-    175X5 @8

Feet-Up Bench - 145X10, 10 @8/8

530 Tempo Feet-Up Bench - 115X5, 5, 5 @8/9

Press- 

-    85X8 @9

-    65X10, 10 @8.5/10

First session training under Reactive Training Systems.  Doing a Pivot block to start, and then regular training commences next week.

Haven't done High Bar Squat, or any barbell Squat over ~5 reps, in quite a while.  RPE is probably more reflective of acclimation limits rather than strength.

Coach said he likes Feet-Up Bench for Pec hypertrophy, and for sure these lit up my chest.

But my arms were also absolute jelly by the time I got to Press. It reminded me of doing drop-sets on a cable stack where no matter how light the weight feels in your hands, you just can't move it very well.

Chins, High Pin Squat, Triceps

sRPE @7

BW - 225

Chin-Ups -

-    Avg. Band Under Knee- X5, 4, 4, 3, 3 @~8.5/10

-    Long-ROM Partials - BWX6, 5, 4, 4 @8.5/10

High Bar High Pin Squat (beltless) - 

245X3 @8

275X1 @8

295X1 @9

315X1 @9.5

Pushdowns - X21, 16, 12 @~10

Felt a little woozy coming into the gym today, but I felt better by the end of the chins.

I initially thought the pins were set around parallel, but video later showed they were high.  No big.  Video did show me that I wasn't keeping my elbows down, and was forgetting to lead with my chest up out of the "hole."  Good reminder for one I rotate regular squats back in soon.

BBM Gen.S+C Block 2. Cycle 5. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 213

High Bar Squat - 

300X1 @6.5

290X3 @8

275X3, 3, 3 @~6.5

Press - 107.5X6, 6, 6, 6 @~7.5

Push Press - 105X3; emom; 10 minutes

Band-Assisted Nordic Curls - BWX8, 7, 6 @8.5/10

Rower -  HIIT; 16 minutes

Press was wobbly at slightly higher weight than previous weeks.  This lift is just flat even though I've devoted a few extra resources to it in recent blocks.

BBM Gen.S+C Block 2. Cycle 4. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 208

High Bar Squat - 

300X1 @7

290X3 @8

270X3, 3, 3 @~6.5

Press - 105X6, 6, 6, 6 @6.5

Push Press - 100X3; emom; 10 minutes

Band-Assisted Nordic Curls - BWX6, 6, 6 @6.5/8.5

Rower - HIIT; 16 minutes

Hit last week's top single on High Bar and it felt like a warm-up, so I went up.  Nice little data point in my new approach of hitting the same weights until they feel "easier than they're supposed to."

Press was also slightly easier across the board.

My wrists were feeling a little banged up after HBS (I use a narrow, thumbs-around grip on that variant) and Press.  So I controlled the eccentric a bit more on the Push Presses.  It actually felt better in general to do them that way, so I'll switch over to that.  Who knows, maybe I'll trigger a smidge more hypertrophy with the slower eccentric.

BBM Gen.S+C Block 2. Cycle 3. Session A.

sRPE @7

BW - 207

High Bar Squat - 

285X1 @7

280X3 @7.75

260X3, 3, 3 @~6

Press - 105X6, 6, 6 @7

Push Press - 95X3; EMOM; 10 minutes

Band-Assisted Nordic Curls - BWX6, 6, 6 @7/9

Felt some lingering fatigue and soreness heading into this session.

I was surprised by quad fatigue.  I guess from the Squat EMOMs on Friday?

Bench training with that crew on Saturday predictably impacted my pressing today.  I cut the main press short by one set, as pec discomfort between sets kept building.  Wanted to hedge and give that a chance to recover before Wednesday's WG Bench session.

BBM Gen.S+C Block 2. Cycle 2. Session A.

sRPE @6

BW - 206

High Bar Squats -

285X1 @7

275X3 @7.5

255X3, 3, 3 @~6

Press - 105X6, 6, 6, 6 @~7

Push Press - 95X3 EMOM 10 minutes

Band-Assisted Nordic Curls - X6, 6 @~9.5

Rower - HIIT; 14 minutes

BBM Gen.S+C Block 2. Cycle 1. Session A.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 209

High Bar Squat - 

275X1 @6.5

drop-down and work up to 265X3 @7

Press - up to 110X6 @7.5

Push-Press - up to 135X5 @~8

Band-Assisted Nordic Curls - BWX8, 6, 5 @9/7.5

Airdyne - HIIT; 14 minutes