Son of a Bench Week 7. Day B.

sRPE @6

BW - 224

Bench - 185X1, 1 @6.5

Machine Knee Raise - X11, 11 @10

Machine Flyes - X11, 9 @10

super-set with

DB Curls - 35sX8, 6 @10

Pushdowns - X17, 12 @10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X12, 10 @10

Rower - HIIT, 5 rounds

Just got in and got some work in between weeks off.

Son of a Bench Week 6. Day B.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 222

Bench - 205X1, 1, 1 @~7

Deadlift - up to 365X1 @7

SLDL - 275X5, 5 @7/8

Pec Flyes - X10, 9, 6 @10

super-set with

Rope Bayesian Curls - X9, 8 @10

Pushdowns - X10, 8, 8 @10

super-set with

Machine Calf Press - X12, 12 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Was feeling a bit too good today and decided to push SLDL without thinking that, because of getting sick, it had been weeks since I DL'd.  And because of ending one training block and starting another, it had been over a month since I SLDL'd 275.  

My back was all "Huh?!," and today it's all "See?!"

It'll probably be fine in a couple of days.

Son of a Bench Week 5. Day C.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 225

Bench - 200X3, 3 @7.5/8

DB Bench - 70sX11(PR), 8, 6 @8

BB Rows -

-    190X8(PR) @9

-    165X7, 5 @8

super-set with

Seated Leg Curls - X12, 8 @10

Pushdowns - X13, 10, 8 X10

super-set with

Machine SL Calf Press - X13, 11 @10

Rower - HIIT; 5 rounds

Basically, fully recovered from the cold, and the concomitant down time and fatigue.

DB Bench and BB Row PRs to show for it.  Misloaded the first set of Rows with 10 kg plates instead of 10 lb. plates, so PR, lol!

Also resumed conditioning. 

Rows, Legs, Pecs, Triceps

sRPE @6.5

BW - 223

BB Rows - 

-    up to 225X6 (PR) @10

-    185X5, 5, 5 @6.5

Copenhagen Planks - BWX21, 14, 12, 12 @9/10

1-Arm Cable Flye - X12 @8

super-set with

1-Arm Cable Pushdown X15 @8

I haven't really pushed lower-rep BB Rows in almost 10 years. Glad I've gotten stronger since then, lol.

This is probably the hardest I've ever pushed Copenhagen Planks.  Somewhat because I've developed more proficiency with the movement, and partially because I put them earlier in the session and not super-setted.

The cable stack I started to work on for my Pec and Triceps work was all jacked up.  I started to look around for something else, and then just decided I was over it.

Small Session. Arms.

Hammer Curls - 30sX12, 12, 9
super-set with
Rope Push-Downs - X10, 12, 10 (to a top set)

Machine Preacher Curls - X9, 7, 6 (straight-weight)
super-set with
Cable One-Arm Side Push-Downs - X10, 10 (to a top set)

Dips - BWX10

DB Bicep Curls - 30sX8, 6, 5
super-set with
DB Lying Extensions - 30sX10, 7, 7

I'm moving my big compound lifts to Full Body, 3X/week, and I'm adding in a couple of smaller sessions at the gym in my office building in between.  This was the first of those.

I forgot there was a chin/dip station at this gym and so I programmed in these weird side push-downs to try and get a similar plane of motion.  They actually felt alright, but if I can do real dips, I'd prefer that for now.

Reps and Volume. Week 4. Bench

BW - 230

Bench -
BarX5
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1
155X17, 7

Cable Rows - X75, 25 (same weight as last time)

Straight-Bar Push-Downs - X65, 35 (same weight as last time)

Ran out of strength again after Rep 17.  This week I decided to push the reps on the 2nd set closer to failure instead of getting the prescribed amount for the volume goals.  This makes sense to me.  Stick with the volume goal as long as progress is being made, but push the volume sets past the goal to try and break a plateau.  We'll see if that works.

Kept the weight the same on accessories, but managed to get them both done in 2 sets where it took 3 sets last week.

I believe the 100 rep accessories may be coming to an end after this week.  It should be enough to have moved a lot of blood through  my joints to help recover from the meet, and also to have bumped up my overall work capacity a bit.

I'm a bit torn on what the next phase is going to be.  My original plans had revolved around some specific diet goals, but I have failed to consistently meet those.  If I'm going to abandon those goals, then I feel like the options are:  1) Continue with my main lift programming, but push the accessories into bigger movements with higher intensities; i.e. strength work; or 2) I've been looking at Alex Viada's manual for awhile and I've laid out his P.L.+5K program.

If I do the latter, I believe I will need to pick a 5K to run in order to stick to that 7-day-a-week program.  Because I enjoyed the P.L. meet so much, I'm leaning towards this even though it looks much more difficult than the other option.

Reps and Volume. Week 2. Bench

BW - 229

Bench -
BarX5
95X4
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1
155X15, 5

Cable Rows - X100

Triceps Pushdowns - X35, 25, 25, 20

Dialed in technique a little harder on bench.  It felt much better for the first 10-12 reps, but then the bottom fell out.  Still got a couple more reps than last week.  Still a ways off from a Rep PR.

Upped the weight on rows and got all 100.  Upped the weight on pushdowns and did not.

Reps and Volume. Week 1. Bench

BW - 227

Bench -
BarX5
95X5
135X3
155X2
185X1
155X13, 7

Cable Rows - X100

Straight-Bar Pushdowns - X100

My goal is 155X20.  My best with this weight is 17; set on 9/15 last year, after coming back from injury.  I'm pausing the first and last reps on all sets.  Don't know when or if I was pausing previously.  It will be interesting to see if these shoot up as conditioning/work-capacity increase, or if I've really 'lost' something during the meet training.

The important thing is that there's no shoulder pain associated with this workout.

Light weights on the 100 rep sets, and I got all the way through.

LRB Back & DL. Pressing

BW - 208

Incline -
BarX30
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1
165X13

Press - 65X25, 15, 10

Pushdowns - X100

165X13 is a Rep PR!  And I even left a rep or two in the tank.  I was so happy, I forgot I was supposed to do a 2nd back-off set.

And that's why, even though I made the target 50 reps in 3 sets on the Press, I can't count it.  because in previous sessions I was further weakened by a 2nd back off set of inclines.  And the last reps on each of these Pressing sets were brutal.  My triceps and forearms were screaming.

This was the last pressing day that will be set up like this.  Glad I hit a Rep PR on Incline.  Would have liked to have gotten 65X50 total clean, but I didn't.

LRB Back & DL. Pressing

BW - 209

Incline Bench -
BarX30
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1
165X11, 6

Press - 65X17, 12, 11

Pushdowns - X100

+1 rep on both back off sets from last week on Inclines.  That's +4 total reps over where I was a month and a half ago, and only 2 reps off from a PR.

Similarly, while I got fewer reps on the first 350 set of OHP, I got 40 total reps.  That's +5 total reps over the last month.

I thought about doing different stuff for triceps, but since I showed improvement in both of the pressing movements, I though better to just keep doing the 100 reps of tri's.

LRB Back & DL. Pressing

BW - 209

Inclines -
BarX30
95X5
115X4
135X3
155X2
185X1
165X10, 5

Press - 65X20, 12, 6

Pushdowns - X100

For the first time in a long time, I had an unplanned week off of training that didn't involve injury.  My schedule just unexpectedly started to collapse under it's own weight, and I couldn't justify cutting anything but training.

Picked up where I left off, and hit pressing on this day.  165X10 is 1 rep more than last time, but the last rep was 100% effort and is still 2 reps off my best with this weight.

On OHP, I did push the reps way up on the 1st and 2nd set before the bottom fell out on the last set.  I think 65X20 is acutally a Rep PR.

Needed to get home, so just did a 100 rep set for triceps.

LRB 365: LRB Split. Week 6. Press - Light

BW - 198

DB OHP - 30sX28, 16, 16

Incline - 75X16, 15, 13

DB Rear Delts - 20sX30, 24, 20, 18, 16

V-Bar Push-downs - X15, 26, 20, 16, 15

Nice little session.  Really got after it on everything.  The 30sX28 is an all around PR on DB overheads.

Upped the weight a bit on Incline.  Still amazing how much the DB OHP takes away from Incline strength as opposed to doing BB Pressing before flat Bench.

Delts and Tris.

LRB 365: LRB Split. Week 5. Press - Heavy

BW - 195

Press -
BarX15
65X5
95X5
115X5, 4, 3

Bench -
95X5
105X4
125X3
135X2
145X1
155X1
165X1

Upright Rows -
80X10
90X10
100X10, 10, 8

V-Bar Pushdowns - X20, 24, 18, 15, 12

OK session.  Weight didn't move on OHP as well as I'd hoped, these were grinders to tell the truth. 

And I'd wanted the 165 on bench to be a touch easier, but there's not drop-off here, especially considering I ground out three heavy sets of OHP right before.  Just not as much gain as I'd hoped for.

Upright rows felt strong.  I'm a little suspicious of this exercise for me, however.  I've done it a lot, even going back to high-school.  I'm not convinced it really gets me bigger, nor stronger except at upright rows.

LRB 365: LRB Split. Week 1. Press - Heavy

BW - 197

Press -
BarX10
65X5
85X5
95X5, 5
105X5

Bench -
95X5
105X4
125X3
135X2, 2
145X1
155X1

Upright Rows - 85X10, 10, 10, 10, 10

V-Bar Pushdowns - X35, 30, 18, 15, 12

Forgot shorts, and had to work out in jeans.  The confusion caused me to forget my mobility and stretching warm-ups until I was half-way through my Press sets.  Ha.

Press felt good.  My goal for this cycle is 125X5, or 10 more pounds a week.  That would be a PR.  Could be ambitious, but since Bench isn't getting pushed as hard, gotta shoot for assistance PRs.

Bench was fine.  155 is well below my Every Day Max, so I focused on getting tight and moving it fast.

Upright Rows were solid.  If I can hit either 105 for multiple sets of 10, or for more than 10 reps in one set by the end of the cycle, that will be a PR.  Again, that's adding 10 lbs. a week.

I want to do bench dips for my triceps assistance on this day, but there wasn't a good/free spot in the gym to set up for these, so I opted for push-downs.  However, I almost exclusively do rope push-downs, so I thought I would switch that up anyway.  Will the grip matter?  Will I be able to do bench dips next time?  Will I vacillate uncertainly between different movements every week?  Who cares.  It's triceps assistance.  Just get some work in.

LRB 365: 100 Reps. Week 4. Accessory

DB Press -
20sX15
30sX20, 13

Face Pulls - X65, 35

Rope pushdowns - X100

Rope curls - X50, 50

Treadmill - 10 intervals

LRB 365: 100 Reps. Week 1. Accessory

BW -??? (office gym)

DB Press -
25sX12
35sX15
35sX10

Face Pulls, Rope Pushdowns, Rope Hammer Curls - 1 set of 100 each

Treadmill - 20 minutes walking

Nice little workout with DBs and the Cable stand.  Pushdowns were easier than the curls, but I think the biceps were a little pre-fatigued from the face pulls.

I was feeling froggy and had some time to kill, so I hopped on the treadmill for 20 minutes.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 6. Bench

BW - 198

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
105X4
125X3
145X2
155X1
165X1
175X1
155X8

Incline - 95X10, 10, 10

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Rope Pushdowns - 2 sets of 20+

Bench all felt pretty smooth.  155X8 is one rep off of my best with that weight.

I've been leaving Inclines pretty much at the same weight per Paul Carter.  Usually I've been pretty gassed by the time I got to these and was glad I wasn't trying to increase the weight.  Today they felt light as could be, and I ended up doing them a bit more body-builder style without locking them out at the top.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 5. Bench

BW - 200

Bench - (all reps paused)
BarX10
95X5
105X5
125X3
145X2
155X1, 1
165X1
145X11

Incline -
95X10, 10, 10

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Rope Pushdowns - 2 sets of 20+

Had a birthday blow-out for the wife on the night before, so I was pretty gassed on this day.  One symptom of that, was that the unrack on most of the bench sets felt awkward and unstable.  Nevertheless, the weight went up fine and 145X11 is a Rep PR, and a nice, tiny uptick in E1RM over the other weeks on the program.

Being tired and dehydrated, I dropped the weight back a bit on incline.  This was the right choice.

Flyes and Pushdowns.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 4. Bench

BW - 200

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
105X4
125X3
145X2
145X1
155X1
165X1
135X13

Incline -
105X10, 10
95X10

DB Flyes - 1 set of 20

Rope Pushdowns - 2 sets of 20+

I got 135X16 last time at a big commercial gym.  I'm always suspect of the weights at that gym and suspected the X16 was maybe an illusion.  Then I come in to my regular gym and only get X13.  So was I right about the commercial gym, or did I psych myself out with a self-fulfilling prophesy?

Everything else was fine.

LRB 365: Strong-15. Week 3. Bench

*Session done at the local L@Fitness so scale and weights are a little suspect.

BW - 200*

Bench -
BarX10
85X5
95X4
115X3
125X2
145X1
155X1, 1
135X16

Incline -
95X10, 10, 10, 10, 10

DB Flyes - 2 sets of 20

Rope push-downs - 4 sets of 18-20

135X16 would be an all-around PR*.  Felt good to hit that target regardless.

My left triceps were sore and fatigued for some reason today and that back-off set took enough out to make the last couple Incline sets a bit of a bitch.  Barely got the final rep.

Same thing with the push-downs.  Triceps were shot.