Back To the Lab: January 16 & 17
On Wednesday morning, I weighed 215.8 lbs. I'm not sure how I dropped to 214-something a week ago, but no big deal. My weight is trending the right way! https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...lies/smile.gif I have tendonitis in both elbows, and maybe my right shoulder. Plus, something is causing a dull pain and warming sensation in my right hip (sciatica?).
I'm also 4 weeks away from a 6-day family cruise with my wife, children, mother, and 2 of my 5 brothers. With that deload coming, and the nagging injuries still, well, nagging... here's my plan for now on training days:
* Work up to a single @7 RPE on the competition lifts. That's about 89% of E1RM, and down a bit from the singles @8-9 that I've grown accustomed to. I'll get back to the heavier singles @8 for the 6 weeks after the cruise.
* For back-off sets and volume work, follow a linear periodization format week to week, based on the E1RM from each week's heavy single.
* Do more unilateral stuff.
* Do abs just about every day.
* Generally speaking, train harder and smarter, eat and sleep more.
With the prelude out of the way, here's the training...
Wed. 1/16/19
8:43 - 9:55 pm
1. Squat
135/4
185, 235, 285/2 each
335/1 - added mouth guard
385/1 - added wrist wraps
425/1 @5 RPE - added belt
455/1 @6
475/1 @7 ---> E1RM = 534
(65%) 345/6 x 3 sets
2. Unilateral Leg Press - done on a Cybex machine instead of plate loaded press for safety
100/8 left + 8 right
150/8 left + 8 right x 3 sets
The next 3 exercises were done as a circuit with 2 rounds.
3. Leg Extension - plate loaded
160/10 x 2 sets
4. Single Leg Curl
80/8 each x 2 sets
5. Ab Machine
125/15 x 2 sets
Thu. 1/17/19
8:35 - 9:55
1. Bench Press
95/6;
145/5
185/4
215/3
235/2
255/1 @5- added mouth guard, ended up using it for the rest of the session
275/1 @6
290/1 @7.5 ---> E1RM = 320
(~65%) 210/6 x 4 sets
2. Torso Rotation Machine - I started alternating sets with BP after the 290 single
125/15 left, 15 right, 15 left, 15 right
3. Barbell Row
135/8
185/8
215/8 - added Vera Gripps
250/8 x 2 sets
4. DB Incline Press - low incline
75s/10 x 2 sets
5. Seated One Arm Row - with cable
75/8 left + 8 right + 8 left + 8 right x 2 sets
God willing, I'll be back at it tomorrow and Monday - two straight days without delivering mail! https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...es/biggrin.gif
2 Tough Sessions: 1/20 & 1/21
If I don't make the qualifying total on April 6, I will not allow it to be because I didn't train hard enough.
Fri. 1/18/19
sometime after work
Ab Wheel: 3 sets of 10
Sun. 1/20/19
2:27-4:29 pm
1. Squat
135/6
225/3
295/3
(~65%) 345/3 x 8 sets - used mouth guard and wrist wraps, but no belt. Got tired, but everything went deep and moved fast. I'll take it!
2. Deadlifts - I knew I wanted to pull sumo and conventional today. This is what I came up with as I went.
Sumo:
155/3, 1
265/3
355/1, 1
425/1 - added mouth guard, started using chalk
475/1 @6 RPE - added belt here
505/1 @7, 1 @8
Conventional:
505/1 @7 + 1 @8.5 - While I treated the 2 sumo singles as separate sets, this was more of a cluster set. I took just long enough to reset.
(~65%) 365/6 - added Versa Gripps here
Sumo: 365/6
Conventional: 365/6
3. Snatch-Grip Romanian Deadlift - stayed with Versa Gripps
265/10 @8
265/10 @9
4. Ab Machine
110/15 x 2 sets - lower abs started cramping during the 2nd half of each set
5. Calf Machine
125/10 slow reps + 10 pump reps
slow = 3 count negative, hold, contract at top and hold for a 3-5 count
I don't know if it was solely from this session, or the cumulative effect of a week with these training sessions and walking 6+ miles on snow/ice every day, but after sleeping 8 hours last night, I woke up and ate on the sofa in our living room. I planned to get up and go to the gym right then, but all of my body below my brain said "you're not going anywhere!". Between dozing off and just feeling exhausted, I couldn't get off of that sofa until about 4pm. I felt fine by the time I got to the gym.
Mon. 1/21/19
6:40-8:20 pm
Alternated sets of the first 2 exercises.
1. Bench Press
6 reps each at 95, 145, 185
(~65%) 210/5 x 6 sets - sets 1, 2 & 6 all had 2-3 count pauses.
2. Pulldowns
Normal bar w/wide, overhand grip:
10 reps each at 75, 105, 135, 165 @7 RPE, 165 @8 RPE
<| handle:
165/9 @9.5
150/10 @8
Unilateral - did these on a different stack. The weight must be distributed differently, because these were easy.
75/15 left + 15 right
90/10 left + 10 right + 105/10 left + 10 right
3. Seated DB OHP
35s/12
45s/10 @7
50s/10 @8
45s/10 @9
Alternated sets of #4 & #5
4. Lying Tricep Extensions w/EZ bar
70/8, 10
5. Standing DB Curls
30s/8, 10
6. Torso Rotation
90/15 left + 15 right x 2 sets
Tonight was a planned light(er) volume day for bench and upper body lifts. It turned out that I didn't feel a need to use my mouth guard, wrist wraps or Versa Gripps. Nothing hurts more than normal, so that's good. Back to work tomorrow. Back to the gym on Thursday.
Video and Tonight's Audible
Here's a video recap of the competition lifts detailed in my last 2 posts. The commentary features some musings on the dilemma between short term goals and long term goals and health. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BotfQzjw-6s
Tonight, I walked into the weight room 57 minutes before the gym was to close. I knew that I wouldn't have time for all of the assistance stuff I did on my last "heavy" squat day, so I decided to stay in the rack, but to go heavier than I initially planned to.
Fri. 1/25/19
9:03-9:57 pm
1. Squat
135/6
2 reps each at 185, 235, 285, 335 & 385. Added mouth guard at 335, and wrist wraps at 385.
425/1 @6 - added belt
460/1 @6.5*
* This looked like it moved at the same speed as the 425. I was also more assertive with the bar off of the rack, so it didn't feel much heavier than the 425. I just think it's unlikely that I went up 35 pounds at this weight, but had the exact same degree of difficulty as the lighter weight. That's why I rated this a 6.5 RPE.
485/1 @7.5 --> E1RM = 536
435/4 @7 x 2 sets - 8 minutes rest after the 485 single. 6 minutes rest after the first 435 set.
My lungs felt like these backoff sets were @8, but based on bar speed, I know I had enough to move 3 more reps on each set. Today was a tough asthma/respiratory day for me, so I wasn't surprised by that.
2. Ab Machine (crunch/sit-up)
15 reps each at 100, 120 & 140.
2 Weeks of Short Sessions
One of our vehicles has been down again, and unfortunately, it looks like it has had its last hurrah. It's a 2001 Ford Focus that my wife and I bought a month after we got married. Frankly, our family of 5 has outgrown it anyway. It's primary use in recent years had been to get me to and from work (I live a mile away) and the gym (15 minute drive), and occasionally picking up a child or two. But when we don't have it, I end up losing valuable sleep, gym time, and generally time for anything else that I like to do. That has been the case since my last post, and will be the case until we replace the vehicle. Such is life. https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...lies/frown.gif
Since I'm even more tired than normal lately, and have less time than I expected, I have temporarily aborted any of the periodization ideas I had to get me to April 6. Lots of freestyling going on right now...
Mon. 1/28/19
8:55 - 9:58 pm
1. Bench Press
95/6
145/5
195/4
230/2 - added elbow sleeves
255/1 @5 - added mouth guard & wrist wraps
280/1 @7
300/1 @8; 1 @9
235/5 x 4 sets
2. Pullups
BW/13 wide overhand, 13 medium overhand, 11 medium underhand, 13 neutral = 50 total reps in 4 sets
3. Torso Rotation
110/15 left + 15 right, 15 right + 15 left
Thu. 1/31/19
1. Squat
135/5
185/5
235/4
283/3
335/2
375/5 - added wrist wraps
375/5 - added belt
375/5
2. Deadlift
Conventional: 155/4
Sumo:
155/4
265/3
355/1 - double overhand, might be a PR (no hook, no chalk)
355/1 - started over/under and started with chalk
425/1 @7 - added mouth guard, and why was this so heavy?
475/1 @9 - what the hell?!?!
Those last 2 pulls were way too slow and heavy. I was already dragging before I got to the gym. I felt so bad that I just scrapped the rest of the session, and went home and almost straight to bed. I didn't even note what time I left the gym.
Sun. 2/3/19
6:05 - 6:55 pm
Alternated sets of 1 & 2
1. Bench Press
95/6
155/4
195/4
225/2
245/2 @6- added mouth guard
265/2 @7 - added wrist wraps
285/2 @8.5
295/2 @9.5
255/5 @8
2. DB Chest Supported Row - on an incline bench
30's/6
40's/6 + 6 - changed bench angle
50's/8
60's/6
70's/6 - added Versa Gripps
80/s'6
65's/13
Wed. 2/6/19
8:32 - 9:03 pm
1. Squat
135/6
185/4
235/2
285/2
335/2 - added mouth guard
385/2 - added wrist wraps
425/2 @6 - added belt
455/2 @7.5
475/2 @8.5
Fri. 2/8/19
8:12 - 9:40 pm (spent time helping a couple of young guys who had questions)
1. Bench Press
95/8
145/6
185/4
215/4
235/2
255/2 @6 - added mouth guard
275/2 @7 - added wrist wraps
290/2 @8.5
300/2 @9.5 - got a handoff
270/4 @9
Alternated sets of 2 & 3. Used the same bench and dumbbells.
2. DB Chest Supported Row
45's/10
55's/10
65's/10
Drop set: 85's/7 + 75's/7 - used Versa Gripps
3. DB Incline Press
45's/10
55's/10
65's/10
Drop set: 85's/10 + 75's/6 - used wrist wraps