Rob's Brooklyn Block (periodization) Party

[Rob Israel]

Friday night workout...Low stress week

TnG Bench (no belt): 195x5x4 all at about RPE 7

Narrow V-grip pull-down: 120x6x2 and 140x6x5 or there abouts. In 8 or 9 minutes.

Tuesday Night Developmental Work Week 1

Competition Deadlift (all 5's): 365@6, 385@7-sh and 365x5x3 around 7
This was pretty good. The bar only slowed down a little on the last rep at 385 so i think I had 3 left. Was suppose to 6 sets, but come on. Back felt better than last week, maybe it was the belt (which was a little loose to boot). My back felt like shit all last week after the beltless for 4 sets.

Competition Bench (all 5's): 185@6, 195@7-8, 185x5x4
I figure for bench I'd better do all 6 sets! Oh and I moved my grip out a good 2 inches. We'll see where that leads. Felt pretty decent.

Gauging 6's and 7's is a lot guesswork. I'm in the ball park and am not going to fret about it, but it should be noted. It's pretty weird. I really need to get back to the conditioning. It's been 2 weeks now. Ran out of time both days, even with only 2 lifts. I lost about 2 pounds over a long weekend. Back to 180.

[sking1001]

6 sets of deadlifts is a lot. I've been trying to accept the truth about my age and cutting the volume when it is wise to do so. It's hard to gauge that too though. I've been given programming myself that, quite frankly, pushed me too much without considering that I'm over 40. I'm not saying for sure that was the cause, but I do have a bulging disc now. I've been known to have an attitude that, in retrospect, was actually kind of smug, as opposed to just being a bad-ass as I imagined in my head. Things like, "Texas Method is not for old guys? pfff! I guess I'm not old then!" That kind of attitude left me pushing hard for 5 sets, when 3 sets was actually enough stress to produce an adaptation...in my case.

I realize you were going for RPE 7 vs. grinding yourself into dust like I tended to do, but I guess that shows that wisdom comes a little later for some guys (me) than it does for others (you)...

[Rob Israel]

6 sets of deadlifts is a lot. I've been trying to accept the truth about my age and cutting the volume when it is wise to do so. It's hard to gauge that too though. I've been given programming myself that, quite frankly, pushed me too much without considering that I'm over 40. I'm not saying for sure that was the cause, but I do have a bulging disc now. I've been known to have an attitude that, in retrospect, was actually kind of smug, as opposed to just being a bad-ass as I imagined in my head. Things like, "Texas Method is not for old guys? pfff! I guess I'm not old then!" That kind of attitude left me pushing hard for 5 sets, when 3 sets was actually enough stress to produce an adaptation...in my case.

I realize you were going for RPE 7 vs. grinding yourself into dust like I tended to do, but I guess that shows that wisdom comes a little later for some guys (me) than it does for others (you)...

I'll take that as compliment, thanks Steve. Yea, 6 sets is kind of crazy. Shit, 5 sets is crazy but I feel pretty good. It's awesome how 385 is now "light" though.

Honestly, ever since I started with Jordan we've had a battle over volume. He pushes it harder than I want so frequently we end up with a compromise.

In terms of adaptation, I find that hard to judge at my level of advancement. The over-reaching is definitely a fine line and frankly when the stimulus is weeks and not one or two workouts, I don't see how it can be measured via volume since all the other recovery variables become that much more important. For instance, even measuring sleep over 5 weeks time versus one week is pretty challenging-- I mean, who really does that? And if you are trying to recover from this kind of volume, obviously sleep gets more and more important since it's cumulative.

[Rob Israel]

Friday night developmental cycle...

Block pulls (no belt, w/ straps): 345x5, 365x5, 375x5, 365x5x2
I use straps on my supplemental deadlifts so I can be symmetrical. This went pretty damn well considering I'm trying to stay at RPE7 or lower.

TnG Bench (no belt, fives): 200, 195, 190, 195x5x2 and 190x5
Lots 'o volumezZz. Felt decent enough.

Saturday morning...

RDL (no belt, straps): 275x6, 295x6x3
All RPE 7 or lower

Press (no belt, fives): 125x5x2, 120x5x4
Many presses. Embarrassed not to be doing plates, but I'll eat my ego and continue.

DB Incline Bench: 70x5, 75x6 and 70x6x2
Really pushing it on the rest here, could've stayed heavier if I took more.

Lat pull-down (Narrow V-grip): 120x6 and then AMRAP of 140x6x5 in ~9 minutes
I like these although my left shoulder clicks a bit.

That was a good workout. I liked getting in two pulls and two pushes and doing something other than bench and deadlifts. Gotta get my conditioning in tomorrow though-- totally fucking up on that front.

[Rob Israel]

Tuesday Developmental Work

Deadlift: 365x5x2 and 345x5x3
I did not get enough sleep the night before and it showed here. I was tired and weak, but I did the volume regardless. I'm feeling it today too.

Comp. Bench (fives): 190@6 and 195@7 then 185x5x4
This was better than DL. I hope this 30 rep thing leads somewhere. I'm using my new wider grip and it feels OK.

DB Curls: sets of 12-- 25x1 and 30x3

Wednesday Developmental work

OH Press (no belt and sets of 5's): 115, 120, 125@7, 130@8, 125
I mis-loaded the bar and started the ascension too light. I had a phone call I had to take so didn't get to the 6th set. This is Ok and I ended up 5 pounds heavier than last week.

CG Bench (no belt): 165x5 and 175x6x4
The last set was easier than the first which makes me think i could have gone heavier. Now that I'm doing a wider grip competition bench i figure I should keep close-grip in the program. I basically added this since I'm not squatting. I'm going for 5 pulls and 6 pushes this week.

Intervals on C2 rower: :20/1:40 for 5 rounds. First time doing this in 3 weeks. I actually hit a record on the 3rd round with 114 meters.

Lat pull w/ narrow v-grip: 120x6, 140x6 and then 130x6x4 in 6 minutes or so
I'm enjoying these because I can feel my lats, it's comfortable on my shoulders and maybe it will give me a "V." Oh wait, I think I need to lose my love handles to get a V! :-P

I have to admit i'm enjoying not squatting. The last 5-6 weeks leading to the meet really became arduous and the constant discomfort was not fun. I like having more time to do different things and being able to press, bench, and do my GPP in one day feels like a bonus. And it took less than two hours.

[Rob Israel]

Friday night bro workout

Bench (TnG, no belt, all 5's): 195@6, 205@8, 200x5x4 all at about 7-ish
This was a lot better than last week.

DB Curls: 25x12x3
I was going to do incline DB press but all the benches were taken. One guy was using one as a head rest for his rows and another... I dunno what he was doing, but I had 10 minutes before I had to leave so I did curls.

Not ideal, but I'll make it up tomorrow and do conditioning on Sunday.

[Rob Israel]

Developmental Week 2 Day 4

Slingshot Bench (no belt, sets of 5): 215@6, 225@6.5, 235@7, 230x5x2, 225

Romanian DL (sets of 6): 295, 305x6x3 and 295
Pretty good. Got up to RPE 8 there on the last set at 305.

DB Incline Bench (sets of 6): 65, 70, 75@9, 70x6x2

I wanted to do rows, but at this point it was more important to eat. Decent workout. I felt the Romanians during the walk home.

I'm going to try to do both pull-downs and BB rows tomorrow w/ the intervals... Next week I will be out of town and unable to work out for almost the entire week. Then I get back to squatting. My knee felt as good as it has all year today, so hope it stays that way.

[Rob Israel]

Taking a week off for vacation. Should be back to squatting next week-- knee is feeling pretty solid. Starting new program as well... Have a great weekend everyone!

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Have fun at vacation Rob!
Glad to hear the knee is getting better.

[Rob Israel]

Have fun at vacation Rob!
Glad to hear the knee is getting better.

Hey Dwayne: thank you! It was a great long weekend and I got back recharged but my schedule was messed up and only got in one day of lifting last week:

Wednesday, 9/2
Deadlift: 365x5x3
Definitely affected by a lack of sleep the night before. These were about RPE 8.

Bench: 180x5 and 190x5x3
A little better than DL. RPE 7-8