S/B/D/R+ Week 3. Day C.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 227

Deadlift w/Straps -

-    up to 355X1 @8

-    315X3, 3, 3, 3, 3 @7/7.5

DB Bench - 60sX9, 7, 7, 6 @~8

Pull-Downs w/Straps - X10, 9, 8 @8/9

Cable Curls - X10, 9, 8, 8, 8 @~8

super-set with

Machine Knee Raise - X7, 7, 7, 7 @~8

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 14 minutes

Tough session.  Not sure if it was general end of the week fatigue, the added volume from this week catching up with me, or just normal ups-and-downs of training.  Looking forward to a couple of days off.

S/B/D/R+ Week 2. Day C.

sRPE @ 8

BW - 225

Deadlift - 

-    up to 355X1 @8

-    315X3, 3, 3, 3 @~7

DB Bench - 60sX9, 7, 7, 7 @8

Pull-Downs - X10, 9, 8 @8

Cable Curls - X11, 11, 10, 10 @~8

super-set with

GHR Sit-Ups BWX9, 7, 6, 6 @~8

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 14 minutes

Had to work out Saturday morning instead of Friday afternoon, and I felt the difference.  DL top set was awful, but the back-offs were ok.

Tried Cable Curls instead of BB Curls as I'm still waiting for this elbow issue to resolve.  It feels fine most of the time now, but after workouts and in the AM it can be really tight, and still makes me second guess how I'm going to pick things up, etc. in the everyday b/c sometimes it hurts when I do.

Son of a Bench Week 12. Day A.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

Bench - 

-    up to 225X1 @9

-    185X5 @7

Lever Dips - 205X10, 8, 8 @~10

Circuit:

-    Leg Extensions - X12, 11 @8

-    Adductor Machine - X12, 10 @8

-    Lat Pushdowns - X8, 8 @~9

-    Cable Curls - X10, 8 @8/9

1-Arm DB OH Extensions - 25X10, 9, 7 @~10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X17, 13 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

We threw a dinner party the night before, so I was coming in pretty rough to train in the AM.  However, we're leaving town this weekend for a camping trip, so I had to train if I want to get 3 sessions in this week.  Top-end performance was quite muted.

When it came time for the Hack Squats / Pull-Downs super set, I just could not.  Did an iso circuit instead. 

Chin-Up War Week 5. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 225

Chins - BWX2, 2, 2 @7/8

Pull-Downs - X14, 11, 10, 10 @10

CG Cambered Bench - 

-    up to 205X1 @9

-    155X5, 5 @7.5/8.5

Leg Curls - X12, 9 @10

Bayesian Curls - X11, 10, 8 @10

Gonna pivot next week with reduced volume on upper back and biceps work, RPE caps ~8 across the board, and swapping out upper back and biceps accessories.  I want to let some of the general fatigue (achiness, sleep and mood disruption, etc.) dissipate a bit if I can.  

Will start upping volume and RPE again after that.  It's very possible that I can't run another 5 weeks after that, but we'll see.  Just want to shore up these chin-up gains and at least see if I can make some more before switching focus.

This block has already been a general success with some Rep and Volume PRs on Chins and Curls.

Chin-Up War Week 4. Day C.

sRPE @8

BW - 226

Chins - BWX2, 2, 2 @6.5/7

Pull-Downs - X17, 12, 10, 9 @10

Copenhagen Planks - BWX21, 14 @10

Dips - 

-    up to BW+70X2 @10

-    BW+45X5, 5 @9/9.5

Bayesian Curls - X14, 9 @~10

Ok session.  Starting to get some nagging shoulder discomfort outside the gym.  I'll see how this week goes, and then maybe do a slight deload and/or pivot to some different movements.

Chin-Up War Week 3. Day C.

sRPE @7

BW - 222

Chins - BWX2, 2, 2 @7/8

Pull-Downs - X14, 12, 8 @10

CG Cambered Bench -

-    up to 205X1 @10

-    155X5, 5 @7.5/8.5

Leg Curls - X11, 10 @10

Bayesian Curls - X13, 10 @~10

Performance was slightly muted here at the end of the week.  Some lingering anterior delt DOMS from the prior session may have played a part on Bench as I had difficulty maintaining  bar path.

Having the weekend off may help!

Chin-Up War Week 2. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 222

Chins - BWX2, 2, 2 @~7.5

Pull-Downs - X11, 7 @10

Copenhagen Planks - BWX18, 14 @9/10

Dips - 

-    up to BW+65X1 @8.5

-    BW+45X5, 5 @9/10

Bayesian Curls - X13, 10@9.5/10

Solid session before I head to Monroe Cheese Days for the weekend.

Chins, Hamstrings, Pecs, Biceps

sRPE @7

BW - 224

Chin-Ups w/Straps - BWX4, 3, 2, 2 @10/8

Leg Curls - X13, 13, 10, 9 @10

Cable Flyes - X13, 12, 12, 10 @10

super-set with

Cable Curls - X11, 9, 8, 7 @10

Fighting a cold so that may have impacted Chin-Up performance.   Also have a cut on my finger, so I had to use straps to make sure the band-aid didn't come flying off and land on someone else's face.

Dips, Good Mornings, Curls, Shoulders

sRPE @8

BW - 225

Bench Dips - BW+35# Chain X16, 11, 10, 9 @~10

Buffalo Bar Straight-Leg Seated Good Mornings -

-    135X11, 12, 11, 10 @8/9.5

1-Arm Behind-the-Back Cable Curls - X12, 9, 9, 8 @10

super-set with

1-Arm Behind-the-Back Laterals - X10, 9, 8, 8 @10

Really nice 3 week wave on Bench Dips.  All reps here are nice and deep with a slight pause at the bottom.  Moving on to Machine Dips in the next wave where I will target increasing weight in the 8-12 rep range before moving on to full dips in the last wave.

Wanted to do something hamstring-y for DL assistance, but didn't really know what.  I've done my go-to RDLs and GHRs in the last couple of weeks so I wanted something different.  Seated Leg Curls seemed to "small" for the 2nd movement of the day, but Deficit DLs seemed a bit too intense.  In the end, I came up with one of the more "conjugate" things I've ever tried.  I think this is my first time really using the Buffalo Bar, this is my first time doing Seated GMs, and I also put my feet up on a calf-stretch board so that they wouldn't slip out from under me when I was pushing into the floor.  Waiting to see what feels most sore from these today or tomorrow!

Speaking of soreness, long-ROM cable curls and laterals never disappoint.

Upper Push, Leg Press, Curls

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

CG Bench - 

-    175, 195, 205X3 (PR) @7/9

-    225X1 (PR) @9

Dips - BWX10, 10, 8 @9/10

Leg Press - 3ppsX11, 11, 11 @~9.5

Cable Curls - X11, 10, 10 @~10

Nice little session.  Fun to grab some PRs in a lift I train with some regularity.

Mid-Rep Volume PRs. Pivot Session F.

sRPE @6.5

BW - 220

Chin-Ups - 

BWX4 @10

Medium Band under knee X6 @9

Light Band under foot X5 @9

Standing, Single-Arm, Cross-Body Pull-Downs - X14, 12, 11 @~8.5

Single-Arm Cable Curls (back to rack) - X12, 12, 12 @8/9

Last pivot session before travel.  Mostly messing around with some stuff for next block (band-assisted chins), and some stuff I've been thinking about and wanted to try out for some future block.

BBM LFT Block 2. Cycle 3. GPP Session B.

sRPE @5.5

BW - 202

Toes-to-Bar - BWX5, 5, 5, 5 @7.5/9

EZ Cable Curls - X13, 10, 12 @9/10

Rower - HIIT; 20 sec./140 sec.; 9 rounds (16 minutes)

4X5 is actually a 3X5 Volume PR on TTB.

BBM LFT Block 2. Cycle 2. GPP Session B.

sRPE @6

BW - 203

Toes-to-Bar - BWX4, 4, 4, 4 @7/8

Cable EZ Curls - X16, 12, 10 @7/10

C2 Rower - HIIT; 20 sec./100 sec.; 9 rounds (16 minutes)

Arms

BW - 208

Overhead DB Extensions -
30X20
40X20, 20, 17, 15

Cable Curls - X20, 10, 10, 10, 9 (to a top-set)

Office gym.  Getting a workout in when I can.

Reps and Volume. Week 4. Accessories

BW - 197 (suspicious office gym scale)

Chins - BWX13, 6, 6, 5 (30 total reps)

Pulldowns - X20, 15, 12 (straight weight)

Straight-Arm Pulldowns - X20, 15, 12 (straight weight)

Reverse Grip Preacher Machine - X15, 12 (straight weight)
super-set with
DB Press - 35sX18, 10

DB Curls - 25sX15, 12
super-set with
Rope Extensions - X25, 20 (ascending weight)

Cable Curls - X21 (burn-out set)

Real good BB session at the office gym.  First set of chins felt really strong.

I may have had an interesting breakthrough on pulldowns.  The machine at this gym is one of the fake iso-laterals where the one cable attached to the weight splits into two and goes to some rope-ish handles.  While trying to find the right groove with this awkward thing, I started allowing my elbows to travel more forward throughout the movement as opposed to out to the sides.  Kind of like a combo pull-down/pull-over.  This really seemed to start making my lats burn.  Something I'll definitely keep in mind and see if I can replicate it with more traditional pulldown machines.