Codger's Quest

[codger]

Week 7, day 4:

2-count paused deadlift one inch off floor, no belt: 450x1x1@8; 435x3x1@9 (weight, reps, sets); 415x3x2. Four to five minutes rest. I repeated last week's weight. Today the single felt like a real 8; last week it felt more like an 8.5. So I'll add 5 pounds next week.

Touch and go bench: 252.5x1x1@8; 242.5x3x1@8.5; 230x3x2. Four minutes rest. The second set was supposed to be a 9, so I think I can add 2.5 pounds next week. Getting into PR territory! I think all the benching volume--4 days this week--is paying off.

SLDL with straps: 260x8x1@6; 275x8x1@7; 295x8x3@8. Four minutes rest.

Triceps press-downs: 65x13x5. Three minutes rest.

[codger]

GPP today.

Single-arm DB rows with 62.5 pounds: 45 in 8 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs: 28 in 8 minutes. i did the roll-outs from a standing position with the wheel hitting the base of a step, which made it easier to push back up. I didn't manage to get close to parallel but I thought I'd experiment with these instead of doing them kneeling all the time.
30 minutes LISS on airdyne.

[codger]

Week 8, day 1.

Squat with belt: 365x1x1@8; 310x4x4. Four minutes rest.

Press with belt: 153.75x1x1@8.5; 130x4x4. Four minutes rest.

2-count paused bench: 167.5x8x1@6; 177.5x8x1@7; 187.5x8x3@8. Four minutes rest.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x15x5@8. Three minutes rest.

I'll try 370 with the squat next week since today's single felt pretty good. I'll repeat the same press weight next time since today's single was supposed to be rpe 8 but felt more like 8.5, maybe even 9. I'll probably repeat the paused bench weight as well.

[codger]

Week 8, day 2:

Deadlift with belt: 470x1x1@8; 405x4x4. Four minutes rest.

1-count paused bench: 252.5x1x1@8.5; 222.5x3x5 (weight, reps, sets). Four minutes rest.

Squat, no belt: 245x8x1@7; 260x8x1@8; 270x8x1@8.5; 250x8x1@8; Four minutes rest.

Triceps press-downs: 65x13x5@8. Three minutes rest.

I was pretty tired by the end of today's session. The workout started well: the deadlift single went up fast, so I'll add 5 pounds next week. The bench felt a bit heavy. The single was supposed to be an 8 but felt like an 8.5--maybe 2 reps left. So I'll repeat this weight next week. On the plus side today's bench was about what I did for a PR at a meet last March--115kg, or 253 pounds.

The belt-less squats felt surprisingly heavy. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised after the heavy deadlifts, but still...the rpes were supposed to be 6, 7, and 8, and I was supposed to do 5 sets instead of 4, but I was just too tired and stopped after the 4th set. I'll have to adjust the weights next week accordingly.

[codger]

GPP today. Wasn't sure I'd be up for it after yesterday's workout but I felt well-rested this morning.

Chins: 36 in 8 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs, kneeling: 39 in 8 minutes. I paused at full extension for a second or two on most of the reps. HIIt on airdyne: 20 second sprints every 2 minutes for 14 minutes.

[codger]

Week 8, day 3:

2-count paused squat, no belt: 325x1x1@8; 310x3x1@9; 295x3x2. Four minutes rest. These felt pretty good. I think I can add 5 pounds next week.

Floor press: 245x1x1@8; 235x3x1@9.5; 225x3x2. Four minutes rest. I think I'll repeat the same weights next week with these. 235 was supposed to be rpe9 but felt like a 9.5.

Press, no belt: 112.5x8x1@7; 117.5x8x1@8; 122.5x8x2@9; 122,5x7x1@10! Four mintues rest. The rpes were supposed to be 6, 7, and 8 on these. I have a hard time judging rpes with high-rep sets--I could only complete 7 reps for the third set at 122.5 so I think I'll drop 5 pounds next week.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x 15 x 5 @8. Two to three minutes rest.

[codger]

Wrapped up week 8 today:

2-count paused deadlift one inch off floor, no belt: 455x1x1@8.5; 440x3x1@9; 420x3x2. Four to five minutes rest. I'll repeat this same weight next week to make sure the single feels like a true rpe 8.

Touch and go bench: 255x1x1@8.5; 245x3x1@9; 232.5x3x2. Four minutes rest. I'll repeat this one too next week.

SLDL: 265x8x1@6; 280x8x1@7; 300x8x3@8. I might add 5 pounds to these next week. I think I've finally got the right rpes for this rep range now.

Triceps press-down: 65x15x5@8. Three minutes rest.

[codger]

Week 9, day 1. Things are getting heavy!

Squat with belt: 370x1x1@8.5; 380x1x1@9.5; 315x4x3 (weight, reps, sets) @8. Four minutes rest. The 380 single (PR!) was supposed to be rpe 9 but it felt like 9.5, so I'll try these weights again next week. And I realized I should tighten my lever belt another notch--it felt too loose today. All that GPP has shrunk my waist a bit, I think. I weigh a bit under 202 first thing in the morning now--5 pounds less than I weighed for my last meet. Height is holding steady at 6'.

Touch and go bench: 255x1x1@8.5; 260x1x1@9.5; 227.5x4x3@8. Same deal as the squats. I'll repeat these weights again next time. 260 is a PR!

Two-count paused bench: 185x4x1@6; 195x4x1@7; 210x4x1@8; 200x4x1@7. Four minutes rest. I'll add 5 pounds next time since the RPEs were supposed to be 7, 8, 9, and 8.

DB curls: 27.5x15x5; triceps press-downs: 65x15x5. I did these as supersets, with 3 minutes rest between the paired exercises.

[codger]

GPP today:
40 single-arm DB rows with 62.5 pounds in 8 minutes; 47 ab-wheel roll-outs in 8 minutes; 30 minutes LISS on airdyne.
Heavy dead and bench tomorrow.

[codger]

Week 9, day 2:

Deadlift with belt: 475x1x1@8; 407.5x4x4. Four to five minutes rest. Still feeling strong with these. I'll try 480 next week, which would equal a pr and my best effort at a meet last March. Including warmups I did 18 reps with 400+ lbs. today.

One-count paused bench: 252.5x1x1@8; 260x1x1@9.5; 227.5x3x3. Four minutes rest. I think the RPEs are right--a bit hard to tell with these heavy singles. I'll try adding 2.5 pounds next week to see how that feels. 260 is a paused-bench pr for me, and 7 pounds better than my bench at last year's meet. I also used wrist wraps for the first time while benching today--only on the singles. Don't know if they helped at all.

Two-count paused squat, no belt: 260x4x1@7; 272.5x4x1@8; 285x4x1@8.5; 272.5x4x1@8. Four minutes rest. Might be able to add 5 pounds to these next week.

My totals this week: 380/260/475=1115, ten pounds more than at last year's meet.