RTS Block 8. Week 1. Day 3.

sRPE 28

BW - 227

Block Squats - 

-    245X6 @5.5

-    270X4 @6.5

-    290X2 @7

Bench -

-    182.5X5 @8

-    215X1 @9

-    180X4, 4, 4 @6.5/7.5

Low Pause DL - 350X2 @8

Deadlift - 315X5, 5, 5 @5.5/7.5

Machine OH JM Press - X12, 10, 9 @~9

super-set with

Leg Extensions - X15, 13 @5/6

This week looks a little rough on paper.  sRPE higher than I'd like for Week 1.  e1RMs on mains the lowest they've been since earlier this year.

The perspective I'm trying to take is that I've had LOTS of disruptions to regular training.  Muscle mass is unlikely to have atrophied much if at all, so I'm going to assume it's a loss of general fitness.

I'm not going to let myself try to force myself "back" to the highs of ~April, but rather just try to cruise a bit and see if fitness returns naturally with the more consistent schedule I should have over the next few weeks.

Also hoping the lingering knee pain recedes with the steps we're taking around that.

RTS Block 6. Week 4. Day 1.

sRPE @8

BW - 227

Squats - 

-    350X4 @7

-    362.5X4 @8

-    375X4 @9

Larsen Bench - 

-    135X10 @6.5

-    145X10 @7.5

-    155X10(PR) @9.5

-    147.5X10 @9

Deadlift Paused Below Knee - 330X5 @8

RDL w/Straps - 300X5, 3 @~9

Hammer Incline - 

-    70X10 @7.5

-    80X10 @9

-    90X7 @10

-    80X8 @10

Tough session as I pushed weight a little bit on everything here in the final week.  Everything came in more or less on target except for the RDLs where coach called for a 25+ lb. jump that wasn't quite there for 6 reps @ RPE 8.

RTS Block 6. Week 3. Day 1.

sRPE @7

BW - 228

Squats -

-    345X4 @7

-    362.5X4 @8.25

-    372.5X4 @9

Larsen Bench - 

-    135X10 @6.5

-    145X10 @8

-    152.5X10, 10 @8.5/9.5

DL Paused below Knee - 325X5 @7.5

RDL w/Straps - 275X6, 5 @8/7

Hammer Incline -

-    75X10 @7.5

-    80X10 @8.5

-    85X10, 10 @~10

Was originally targeting 375 for today, but backed off slightly after the first two ramping sets.

Repeated last week's weights on Larsens and Paused DLs, but at lower RPEs.

Pushed weight a lot on RDLs and a little on Hammer Incline.

RTS Block 6. Week 2. Day 1.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 227

Squats - 

-    337.5X4 @6.5

-    352.5@4 @7

-    367.5X4 @8.5

Larsen Bench - 

-    140X10 @7

-    145X10 @8.5

-    152.5X10(PR) @10

-    142.5X10 @8.5

DL Paused Below Knee - 325X5 @8

RDL w/Straps - 265X6, 5  @7.5

Lever Incline - 

-    70X10 @6.5

-    80X10 @8.5

-    85X10  @9.5

-    85X8 @10

Humidity was rampant in the gym today, but still managed to push weight on everything while still keeping target RPE and general fatigue in check.

RTS Block 6. Week 1. Day 1.

sRPE @7

BW - 225

Squats - 

-    332.5X4 @6.5

-    245X4 @7.5

-    360X4 @9

Larsen Bench - 

-    135X10 @5.5

-    145X10(PR) @7.5

-    150X10(PR), 10 @9/10

DL Paused Below Knee - 315X5 @7.5

RDLs w/Straps - 255X6, 5 @~8

Hammer Incline -

-    60X10 @6.5

-    70X10 @8

-    80X10, 9 @10

Fun session to kick off the new block.  Nice mix of different things.

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 Block 4. Week 4. Day 3.

sRPE @8.5

BW - 228

SBS - 285X7(PR), 6, 7 @~7

Bench -

-    207.5X3 @8

-    235X1 @9

-    185X5, 5, 5 @6/7

Deadlift Paused below knee -

-    360X3 @8

-    340X4(PR) @8

-    315X4, 4 @6

DB Bench - 70sX12(PR), 8, 9 @~10

Tough session to end the block, but 3 Rep PRs on supplemental lifts.

Went 395X3, 235X1, and 405X3 on SBD this week.  On weight alone, that's a 1035 total.  That's 65 lbs. over my meet PR, and only 80 lbs. away from my lifetime PRs.  Those lifetime PRs include questionable depth on squats, and TnG on Bench with butt coming off the bench.  It will feel good to pass those strict.

Next block is a "Tier 1" peaking block that will end in a mock meet.  I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to beat my lifetime heaviest Squat of 410 if things go at least moderately well.  Beating 255 on Bench and 450 on DL seem fairly unlikely in just one more block.

I'm still looking for a meet in the fall to try and sweep my lifetime PRs in an actual meet, but we'll see.

Also need to work on strategies to mitigate heavy squats beating up my arms.  That'll be agenda item #1 for my live call with my coach next week.

RTS Block 4. Week 3. Day 3.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 226

SBS - 

-    275X7(PR), 7 @~6

-    280X7(PR) @6.5

Bench - 

-    210X3 @8

-    232.5X1 @9

-    180X4, 5, 5 @6/6.5

DL Paused Below Knee - 

-    335X3 @8

-    335X4 @7

-    310X4, 4 @~6

DB Bench -

-    70sX11, 8 @10/9

-    65sX9 @9.5

Chipped last week's weight on Bench, couple of Rep PRs on SBS, and matched an 11 Rep PR on DB Bench.

Weights came up and/or RPE went down across the board, and sRPE was a bit lower for this session than in past weeks.  All around a pretty good day.

RTS Block 4. Week 2. Day 3.

sRPE @8

BW - 227

SBS - 270X7, 7, 7 @~7

Bench - 

-    up to 205X3 @8

-    230X1 @9

-    180X5, 5, 5 @7/8

DL Paused below knee - 

-    up to 350X3 @7.5

-    335X4(PR) @7.5

-    310X4, 4 @6

DB Bench - 65sX13, 11, 8 @9.5/10

Session was forever long b/c taking longer rests to facilitate performance set-over-set, and also waiting for a DL platform to be free.

RTS Block 4. Week 1. Day 3.

sRPE @8

BW - 227

SBS - 270X7(PR), 6, 5 @~7

Bench - 

-    195X3 @8

-    230X1 @9

-    180X5, 5, 5 @~7.5

DL Paused below knee -

-    335X3 @8

-    315X4 @7.5

-    290X4, 4 @6/7

DB Bench - 65sX12, 8, 8 @~10

Solid but tiring session. Was happy to have two days off to recover.

Andrew likes to program sessions in SBD order, so DLs and DL variations tend to come later in a session. That has historically been tough for me.  There was a lot of that when I was doing Barbell Medicine templates, and it always seemed brutal.

I'm trying a new tactic:  Regardless what the comp lift of the day is, I'm driving not to the heaviest set of the main lift, but to the last set of DL.  So all through this session, between work sets of SBS and comp bench, I'd remind myself "you've got a heavy DL triple, and 3 sets of 4 after that.  That last set of 4 is the goal today."  It seemed to help in this instance.

RTS Block 2. Week 5. Day 3.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 223

SSB - 260X5, 5, 5 @7.5

Bench - 190X5, 4, 3, 2 @8/7

Incline Bench - 140X9, 9, 7 @~10

Deadlift Paused Off Floor - 

-    315X5, @7

-    345X3 @7.5

-    370X1 @7

CS Rows w/Straps - 

-    125X12, 8 @10

-    100X13 @10

Solid session to end the training block. 

We suspected the second block would be a bit of a step back after the steep and rapid progress of the first block.  In fact, Squat was the only lift that regressed.  Bench took a big step back at the beginning of the block but made up all that ground here by the end.  Deadlift started strong, made improvements, and then dropped off at the end.

For Squats, I'm pushing personal lifting dogma to the back, and starting in with stiff knee sleeves next block.

For Bench, I think I had a bit of a technical breakthrough the last two weeks around general tightness and specifically around tightness at the pause.  Excited to see if that carries forward.

For DL, we'll see.  There was a lot of technical work in the back half of this block around building tension before the pull, standing tall at lockout (instead of leaning back with soft knees), and having the bar path on the descent mirror the ascent.  That may have contributed to the drop-off at the end of the block as all the technique work got to be...a lot.  Hopefully it will become more ingrained and lead to good near-term results.

All in all, I'm excited to have another block of data for me and coach to look at.  I figure we'll need at least one, and probably 2-3 more before we can really start to build out "greatest hits" blocks for both development and peaking.

RTS Block 2. Week 4. Day 3.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

SBS - 255X5, 5, 5 @7/7.5

Bench - 185X5, 5, 4, 3 @8/8.5

Incline Bench Paused - 135X6, 6, 6 @~7.5

Deadlift Paused Off Floor - 

-    315X5 @7.5

-    340X3 @7

-    370X1 @8

CS Rows w/Straps - 

-    125X10 @10

-    115X10 @10

-    100X11 @10

Bounced back and had a normal session after Wednesdays drop off.  

RTS Block 2. Week 3. Day 3.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 224

SSB Squats - 

-    260X5, 5 @7.5/8.5

-    240X5 @7

Bench - 190X5, 3, 2, 2 @9.5/8.5

Incline Bench - 

-    170X6, 6 @9/9.5

-    160X6 @8.5

Pause Deadlift (paused just off floor) -

-    315X5 @7

-    340X3 @7.5

-    365X1 @7

CS Rows w/Straps - 115X15, 10, 8 @~10

I pushed weight up aggressively on the first 3 lifts as a sort of RPE audit.  However, I definitely perceived the RPE to be higher so e1RM ends up being about the same as last week.  Still useful info.

I kept Pause DL weight the same to focus on a stricter pause.  Coach was looking for a full stop, and I was more slowing way down but still moving.

RTS Block 2. Week 2. Day 3.

sRPE @7

BW - 227

SSB Squats - 

-    245X5, 5 @~6

-    255X5 @7

Bench - 180X5, 4, 3, 3 @8/8.5

Incline Bench - 160X6, 6, 6 @8/9.5

Paused DL (just off floor) -

-    315X5 @6.5

-    340X3 @7

-    365X1 @7

CS Rows w/Straps - 115X13, 10, 9 @9

Low back discomfort has totally dissipated, and I didn't even really think about it in today's session.

Everything was much stronger this week except for comp Bench.  Added 5 lbs. there, but RPE also increased for the same reps, so fairly flat.

RTS Block 2. Week 1. Day 3.

sRPE @7

BW - 228

SSB - 

-    225X5 @6

-    235X5, 5 @7

Bench - 175X5, 4, 3, 3 @7.5/8

Incline Bench - 145X6, 6, 6 @7.5/8

Deadlift Paused Off Floor - 

-    305X5 @7

-    320X3 @7

-    345X1 @6.5

CS Rows w/Straps - 115X9, 9, 8 @~10

Low back pain is no longer in the house, but is still staring at me from the neighbors yard.  Making me a bit tentative as I go about things.  Bench continues to be the movement most impacted.  I was very enthused by the low pause DLs.

RTS Block 1. Week 5. Day 3 - Week 6. Day 3.

 5.3

BW - 225

SBS -

-    225X6 @5.5

-    235X6 @6.5

-    250X6 @7.5

CG Bench - 

-    225X2(PR) @9

-    195X6(PR), 3, 3 @9.5/8

Larsen Bench - 175X6, 6, 6 @8/10

Deadlift - 

-    up to 375X4 @9.5

-    340X3, 3 @7.5

CS Row w/Straps - 115X15, 9, 10 @10

6.1

Pause Squat - 

-    300X3 @8.5

-    315X3 @9.5

Long Pause Bench - 

-    190X2 @8

-    200X3 @7

-    210X2 @9

Pause DL - 

-    315X3 @5

-    345X3 @7

-    365X3 @9

CS Rows w/Straps - 

-    135X4 @9

-    90X6, 6 @~7

NG Pulldowns - X10, 9, 9 @~9

6.2

Squats -

-    up to 335X4 @9

-    305X4, 4 @7/8.5

Bench - 

-    up to 200X3 @8.5

-    225X1 @9

-    175X5, 5, 5 @7.5/8

Incline Bench - 135X9, 7, 7 @9/8.5

RDL (mixed grip) -

-    275X4 @9.5

-    225X10 @9

DB Incline Rows - 50sX12, 8, 9 @10

6.3

sRPE @8

BW - 229

SBS - 

-    225X6 @5.5

-    245X6 @7

-    262.5X6(PR) @8.5

CG Bench - 

-    225X1 @10 (fail on 2)

-    185X3 @6

Deadlift - 

-    365X1 @6

-    405XFAIL

Week of travel and away gyms.  Still has some PRs on supplemental lifts.  

The travel was pretty rough.  Hoped to go for a PR DL on first session back, but things started to go off the rails on CG bench, and there just wasn't much there for DL.  Time to pivot and move on to a new block of training. 

RTS Block 1. Week 5. Day 1.

sRPE @9

BW - 229

Pause Squat - 

-    300X3 @7.5

-    315X3 @8

Long Pause Bench - 

-    175X2 @6.5

-    185X2 @7

-    195X2 @8

Pause DL - 

-    315X3 @6

-    335X3 @7

-    355X3(PR) @7.5

CS Rows w/Straps - 160X6, 6, 6 @8/9.5

CG Pulldowns - X10, 7, 7 @9/8

Pause Squats were flat over last week, while long pause Bench and pause DL improved.

My right should felt very strange after DLs, and I was low key concerned I may have done something to my biceps.  The next day it still feels a bit odd, but there's no bruising, etc. and I'm able to push and pull with the arm. Coach calling that a yellow flag, but continue.