Reap What You Row Week 1. Day A.

sRPE @ 6.5

BW - 226

Beltless BB Rows - 

-    up to 185X3 @6

-    160X8 @8.5

Pull-Downs - X9, 8, 8 @8/9

Hypers - 25# behind head X7, 7 @8

super-set with

Bench Dips - BWX14, 10 @8

BB Curls - 65X8, 6, 6, 6 @8/9

Rower - HIIT; 0:20/1:40; 10 rounds

Decided to go ahead and start my Row specialization block with the new week.  I've started recent specialization blocks with much lower volume, but I used this last pivot block to really drive up sub-maximal work capacity.  So I'm coming into this block having everything but BB Rows already at max anticipated volume, and this is still less volume than I was doing the last few weeks.

I would have probably gone for more sets on Rows as well, but I've some nagging issue on the outside of my right elbow that I'm working around.

Also upped HIIT to 10 rounds.

Rows, Legs, Pecs, Triceps

 sRPE @8

BW - 225

Hanging BB Rows - 195X5, 5, 5, 5 @8/9

Leg Press - 3ppsX13, 11, 8, 9 @9.5/10

Pec Deck Flyes - X10, 10, 10, 10 ~10

super-set with

Cable Pushdowns - X20, 13, 11, 10 @10

First time doing BB rows in 6 months.  Feels like I got the weight about right to start.  Would like to see if I can push the first set for a 5 rep PR over 3 weeks.

I felt like my work capacity was going up at the end of the last block, so I'm gong to try upping supplement and accessory work to 4 sets each on average instead of 3. I also shortened rest periods last block to ~2 minutes, so it doesn't really take that much extra time.

Block 13. 7 Cycles. Recap

Starting BW - 221

Ending BW - 222

Overview:

Was out of the gym for almost 3 months avoiding the holiday Covid surge.  Did some BW stuff at home and on playground equipment in that time.  

The main purpose of this block was to just build work capacity back up on the gym lifts.  The layout was generally worst lift first on day one, 2nd worst lift first on day two, etc.  I started off only doing 1-2 sets of 1-8 reps in the first week, to 4 sets of 3-10 reps in the last week, and Toes-to-Bar and Press went from 1 slot per week to 2 slots per week.

Things went generally well.

Lifts in order of priority:

Toes-To-Bar - Went from doing hanging leg raises to just above parallel, to getting my first toes-to-bar in week 4, to doing sub-max sets of 3 in the last week.  Taking this up another level will be the focus of the next block.  Hopefully at the end of that block, I will be able to formulate some long term goals for this family of movements.

Press - Went from 117.5X1@7 (e1RM 132.5) to 135X1@7.75 (e1RM 147.5).  I also hit some volume PRs: 100X3X8 and then 100X3X10

Bench - Went from 215X1@7.5 (e1RM 237.5) to 250X1@9 (e1RM 257.5; I went for some #'s in the last week).   Volume PR: 165X3X10

BB Curls - 70X8@8 (e1RM 95) to 72.5X10@7 (e1RM 112.5).  Volume PRs: 65X3X12 and 67.5X4X10

Deadlift - 380X1@8 (e1RM 420) to 405X1@7.5 (e1RM 447.5; e1RM PR).  Volume PRs: 310X3X8 and 300X3X10.  DL continues to be the lift that has survived-and-thrived the most in all the tumult of the last year.

Squat - 345X1@7.5 (e1RM 382.5) to 365X1@8 (e1RM 420).  This lift struggled the most this block, as I got some lingering soreness in my right adductor that started making heavier sets painful.  I dropped top singles for the bulk of the block and just focused on ramping volume up to 3X10.  Volume PR: 250X3X10

Chin-Ups - Ugh.  BW(221)X3@9.5 (e1RM 245) to BW(223)X3@8 (e1RM 260).  The worst, but I can't bring myself to do another Chins focus block for a bit.

Dips - BW (223)X8@7 (e1RM 317.5) to BW+45 (268.7)X6@8 (e1RM 342.5).