UB: Strong Week 6. Bench

Defranco Shoulder Mobility

Bench -
BarX20
95X5
135X5
155X5
165X5
175X4 (fail on 5)

DB Bench - 65'sX10, 5

Cable Rows, Medium-width, neutral grip - X15, 12, 8

Reverse Hyper - 100X12X3

This was the final bench session of this strength phase.  So what did I decide to do?  Start close-gripping!  Ha.  This was on Paul Carter's advice that there's no better time than right now to switch to close grip and start saving my shoulder.  And lookee:  I only missed my target for this cycle by one rep!  That could mean that I was too conservative with my target originally, but whatever.  Bench PR.  Killed two birds with one stone.

UB: Strong Week 6. Deadlift

Defranco Mobility

Calf Raises - 245X15, 285X15, 325X15

Deadlift -
135X5
185X5
225X5
255X5
285X5

GHR - BWX10, 12, 10

Pulldowns (slow eccentric) - 70X15, 10, 8, 6

Standing Cable Crunches - 50X20, 70X15, 80X15

Walk home - 20 minutes.

Last day of Deadlifts on this cycle and I pulled another PR!  That's about 30lbs. added to my deadlift on this cycle.  That's awesome.  I didn't even have to gut out any reps, though I did have to take a couple of deep breathes between sets 3 and 4.

My mid-back strain was really acting up today though.  My new guess is that the pulling has been generating this strain.  If that's true, I believe that points to the lack of rowing I've been doing.  There was no rowing at all in this cycle, so while I was working my pull and bringing up my lats and traps, my rhomboids fell back and have had trouble doing their part at the end of the line.  This is good.  I've been feeling for awhile that I was neglecting the row in favor of building my chinning strength.  This is the final confirmation I need to push chins to the back-burner and bring rows forward.