Codger's Quest

[codger]

GPP day: BB rows with 185 pounds: 40 reps in 8 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs: 63 in 8 minutes. 30 minutes LISS on airdyne.

[codger]

Started week 6 today, which has a lot less volume than the previous weeks.

Squat with belt: 360x1x1@8.5; 306.25x4x2. Four minutes rest. I think I'll repeat this weight next week. (Which is what I said last week about 355, but I was feeling good today, so what the heck.)

Press with belt: 157.5x1x1@9.5; 132.5x4x2. Four minutes rest. The heavy single was supposed to be RPE 8 but I don't know if I had even one more rep left in me, much less 2. Think I'll go back to 155 or even 152.5 next time I do these.

3-count paused bench: 185x8x1@9; 175x8x1@8; 180x8x1@9; Four minutes rest. This was the first time I've done a 3-count paused bench in this rep range and underestimated the RPEs. The progression should have been something like 160@7, 170@8, and 180@9.

DB curls: 31.25x12x4@8. Three minutes rest.

[codger]

Week 6, day 2.

Deadlift with belt: 460x1x1@8; 390x4x2. Four to five minutes rest.

One-count paused bench: 247.5x1x1@8; 210x4x2. Four minutes rest.

Squat, no belt: 225x8x1@6; 240x8x1@6.5; 255x8x1@7. Three minutes rest.

Triceps press-downs: 70x12x4@8. Three minutes rest.

Deadlift and bench are continuing to progress nicely. Both singles went up smoothly and relatively fast. Wasn't sure what weight to use for the 8-rep squats, so I was conservative. I think I'll add 15 pounds to each set next time I do them.

My totals for the week at RPE8: 360/247.5/460=1067.5. Getting close to the qualifying totals for the raw nationals!

[codger]

Week 6, day 3. Missed a GPP workout yesterday because I had to do a short work-related trip. I'll try to make it up on Sunday.

Today:

2-count paused squat, no belt: 315x1x1@8; 305x3x1@9. Four minutes rest. I think the RPEs are about right.

Floor press: 235x1x1@7.5; 227.5x3@8. Four minutes rest. The RPEs on these were supposed to be 8 and 9 but I think I could have done 240 for the rest set and 230 for the second.

Press, no belt: 110x8x1@7; 115x8x1@7.5; 120x8x1@8.5. Three minutes rest. RPEs were supposed be be 7, 8, &9. I probably should have added 5 pounds to each set.

DB curls: 32.5x12x4@8. Three to four minutes rest.

[codger]

Week 6, day 4:

2-count paused deadlift, one inch off floor, no belt: 450x1x1@8.5; 435x3x1@9. Four minutes rest.

Touch and go bench: 250x1x1@8; 240x3x1@9. Four minutes rest.

SLDL with straps: 250x8x1@6; 275x8x1@7; 290x8x1@8. Three minutes rest. The rpes were supposed to be 7, 8, 9 so I'll add a bit more weight next week.

Triceps press-downs: 72.5x12x4@8. Three minutes rest.

I might repeat the same weight with the paused deadlift next week. The single was supposed to be an 8 but felt like an 8.5. The triple felt like a solid 9. Bench also felt good, with the right rpes.

[codger]

GPP today:

Single-arm DB rows with 60 pounds: 50 (each arm)/9 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs: 58/9 minutes; 30 minutes LISS on airdyne.

A small milestone today: I managed to do 3 ab-wheel roll-outs from a standing position for the first time. I positioned my feet wider than shoulder-width, which made the movement a bit easier. I'll slowly try to increase the number of reps and narrow the stance. A very tough movement for me. I felt it everywhere, most surprisingly on my inner thighs as I came back up into a pike position.

[codger]

Started week 7 today.

Squats with belt: 360x1x1@8; 306.25x4x4. Four minutes rest.

Press with belt: 152.5x1x1@8; 130x4x4. Four minutes rest.

2-count paused bench: 165x8x1@6; 175x8x1@7; 185x8x1@8. Three to four minutes rest.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x 15 x 5. Three minutes rest.

I repeated last week's squat weight. I'm finding the RPE hard to judge with these heavy squats but I think this was an 8--definitely not a 9. I'll add 5 pounds next week and see how that feels.
I dropped the press weight 5 pounds from last week and it felt more like a solid 8. I'll try micro-loading in 1.25-pound increments with the press.
Also dropped 5 pounds from the DB curls but upped the reps from 12 to 15 just for a change of pace, and the program called for 5 sets this week instead of 4.

[codger]

Week 7, day 2:

Deadlift with belt: 465x1x1@8; 395x4x4. Four to five minutes rest.

1-count paused bench: 250x1x1@8; 220x3x5 (weight, reps, sets). Four minutes rest.

Squat, no belt: 240x8x1@6; 255x8x1@7; 270x8x3@8. Four minutes rest.

Triceps press-down: 72.5x12x4@8.5; 65x12x1@8. Three minutes rest.

Deadlift and bench still feeling solid. Got kind of pooped with the triceps press-downs, which were supposed to be in the 12 to 15 rep range at rpe8. But the sets were feeling heavy so I went a bit lighter on the last one.

[codger]

GPP day today: 50 DB rows (each side) with 62.5 pounds in 9 minutes; 60 ab-wheel roll-outs in 9 minutes. I did 3 standing roll-outs but couldn't get near parallel like I did the other day--still feeling some DOMS from those! So I could only manage something like a very wide V position. The rest of the roll-outs were kneeling.
HIIT on airdyne: 20 second sprints every 2 minutes for 14 minutes, plus 5-minute warm-up and cool down.

[codger]

Week 7, day 3:

2-count paused squat, no belt: 320x1x1@8; 305x3x1@8; 290x3x2. Four minutes rest. The second set was supposed to be RPE 9 but 305 definitely felt like an 8 so I can probably go up a bit in weight next week.

Floor press: 240x1x1@8; 230x3x1@8; 220x3x2. Four minutes rest. Here again, second set was supposed to be RPE 9 but 230 felt like an 8. Think I"ll try 245 next week for the single.

Press, no belt: 110x8x1@6; 115x8x1@7; 120x8x3@8. Four minutes rest. RPEs felt about right.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x 15 x 5. Three minutes rest.