The Flywheel Effect.

You caught Covid?

So you plan on training 7 days a week?

I just use my monos for bench work. I prefer walking out my squat.

[QUOTE=CW47;1653337773][B][U]December 28, 2021: Yoke Bar Squat[/U][/B]
205 pounds x 1 rep (~7 RPE)
155 pounds x 3 reps

Back at it today. Wanted to keep the exertion level low and I succeeded in that. But man...this still wiped me out. Guess my energy level has been affected more than I thought by covid. Still feeling pretty good though, and plan to be back to lifting pretty much every day if possible. I think next time around I may try walking out the weight with this bar because it's still feeling really awkward with the mono's.[/QUOTE]

Even mild cases of Covid can knock you on your ass fatigue wise. So definitely ease back in slowly before ramping up to every day training.

Yeah, the whole family is home in quarantine right now, since a few days before Christmas... 11 year old has had non symptoms. I've had very mild symptoms. 1 year old was feeling pretty miserable for a few days but is basically fully recovered now. My partner has been fighting something for almost a month (not sure if it was covid all along), and is still feeling terrible.

For the past 6 months I've been [I]trying [/I]to lift every day, knowing full well that won't happen and I'll probably end up lifting around 5 days per week. So yeah, I don't mean literally that I will be lifting 7 days per week. My frequency will stay about the same as it has been. But I will for sure be adjusting based upon how I'm feeling - whether that means taking a day of rest, or just adjusting volume and intensity. My energy level did rebound pretty well yesterday after some relaxation and food. I'm definitely not back to 100% yet though.

And I get why people are less prone to use this type of mono on squats, but I've liked them for squats with a straight bar so far. There's just something funky for me about doing them with the Yoke Bar specifically. I struggle to get my air. I struggle to get my feet positioned correctly so that I can lift straight up. Just feel like I'm in a tug of war against an invisible opponent or something, lol. I may try moving the mono's up one hole, but if that isn't better I'll probably ditch them for that specific lift. I don't have any issue with walking out weights - it's just nice not needing to, primarily because it's easier to maintain my air and bracing.

[B][U]December 29, 2021: Speed Bench Press[/U][/B]
95 pounds + mini band - 6 sets x 3 reps
First time using bands with a proper setup, using band pegs in the rack. Man...the band tension took me by surprise. It's much stronger than I was used to with the method I used previously. Even just bands alone, without any weight wasn't 'easy'. I will probably need to use less weight next time.

Ha ok that makes more sense then regarding the training.

Bands kick my ass every time I try them out lol.

And it’s possible they’ve been sidelined with Covid.

When I had OG Covid I was sick off and on for 2 months as was my son.

I’ve known people run the gamut from a head cold for a day to the ICU for a couple weeks.

Screwiest health lottery around haha.

I landed up buying these roller j hooks for my rack. They fit perfect on the Rep PR4000 rack also.

[url]https://www.titan.fitness/racks/rack-accessories/t-3-series/t-3-series-roller-j-hooks-%E2%80%93-pair/400951.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp400951&sc_intid=400951&utm_content=pla+nonbrand&gclid=CjwKCAiAzrWOBhBjEiwAq85QZ0DYiHvD1oEDVJgWRsqGanBo5GFT9fSo8KRAwHciIy8RIqONSeFniRoC8pQQAvD_BwE[/url]

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1653414783]Screwiest health lottery around haha.[/QUOTE]
Yes, seems to be. I got off easy. My son had what seemed like a pretty typical flu. My partner has been in rough shape. She seems to be improving now, but thought she was over it after 2 weeks and then it hit her hard a second time, so we'll see.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1653444563]I landed up buying these roller j hooks for my rack. They fit perfect on the Rep PR4000 rack also.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, those look nice. I think I'm set for J-Cups for now though - got the Rep Sandwich J-Cups with the rack.


[B][U]December 30, 2021: Sumo Deadlift[/U][/B]
365 pounds x 1 rep [8.5 RPE]
Was shooting for a 7.5-8 RPE and overshot it slightly I think (though I [I]might [/I]have still had 2 reps in the tank). I've been using straps for almost all of my Sumo reps because with a mixed grip I end up twisting just enough that it puts some uncomfortable pressure on my knees. Decided to go without the straps today. Not sure I'm going to do that too often though. I've no plan to compete, and just feel safer with the straps on this lift. But I made it through today without any real issues.

In conjunction with lowing RPE and focusing on technique for the next months, I'm also working on creating good setup habits on all of my lifts. This should help with consistency, and keep me focused on just the essentials. Got a basic routine down today for deadlifts. Set feet, get air/brace, pull out slack, then go. Of course, I've been doing all of these steps already, just with a lot of fidgeting and wasted motion and time. My goal is to have the entire process of lifting be efficient from the moment I step to the bar.

[QUOTE=CW47;1653456283]Yes, seems to be. I got off easy. My son had what seemed like a pretty typical flu. My partner has been in rough shape. She seems to be improving now, but thought she was over it after 2 weeks and then it hit her hard a second time, so we'll see.


Yeah, those look nice. I think I'm set for J-Cups for now though - got the Rep Sandwich J-Cups with the rack.


[B][U]December 30, 2021: Sumo Deadlift[/U][/B]
365 pounds x 1 rep [8.5 RPE]
Was shooting for a 7.5-8 RPE and overshot it slightly I think (though I [I]might [/I]have still had 2 reps in the tank). I've been using straps for almost all of my Sumo reps because with a mixed grip I end up twisting just enough that it puts some uncomfortable pressure on my knees. Decided to go without the straps today. Not sure I'm going to do that too often though. I've no plan to compete, and just feel safer with the straps on this lift. But I made it through today without any real issues.

In conjunction with lowing RPE and focusing on technique for the next months, I'm also working on creating good setup habits on all of my lifts. This should help with consistency, and keep me focused on just the essentials. Got a basic routine down today for deadlifts. Set feet, get air/brace, pull out slack, then go. Of course, I've been doing all of these steps already, just with a lot of fidgeting and wasted motion and time. My goal is to have the entire process of lifting be efficient from the moment I step to the bar.[/QUOTE]

It's nice to have couple on hand. I have the roller ones set for my SSB squats, my monos for bench, and I'll use my normal J cups for another barbell movement I may be doing.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1653462893]It's nice to have couple on hand. I have the roller ones set for my SSB squats, my monos for bench, and I'll use my normal J cups for another barbell movement I may be doing.[/QUOTE]
True, it wouldn't hurt to have another pair. Not trying to spend any more money on equipment at the moment, but I'll keep those roller j-cups in mind. ;)


Just realized I never posted my 2022 goals in this thread...

First goal is bodyweight related - wanting to drop around 15 pounds.

Second goal is work capacity, which I want to address through a couple of routes. Before getting my home gym setup I was doing a lot of bodyweight stuff - pushups, situps, etc. I want to get back to doing that - something like 3-4 rounds of pushups, situps, pullups per day. Also want to build up work capacity by doing something akin to Wenning Warmups. Light, high-rep work before my main work, focusing on movements that align with my main exercise for the day. Also may play around with doing longer ramp-ups (smaller weight jumps) to add in more volume.

For main movements I want to work on progressing on lifts that I really enjoy. Yoke Bar Squat to 335, Floor Press to 225, and Sumo Deadlift to 475 are my initial goals, though I set numbers to them only to have something tangible to shoot for. I've also identified secondary lifts I plan to include regularly to help build these 3 main lifts.

My overarching plan is to 'peak' only twice this year. I'll work my way up to higher volumes gradually, and then taper down from there. Don't have anything really concrete planned right now. I will play it by ear and see how my body reacts.

I've been hitting 40-60 pushups and situps per day, and probably only around 10 pullups. This is largely to build up my work capacity, and even doing 10-20 at a time right now leaves me breathing heavy, so I'm looking forward to building on this.


[B][U]December 31, 2021: Feet up Bench[/U][/B]
135 pounds - 6 sets x 3 reps

Final session of the year. This was much harder than I anticipated. I thought 70% of my 1RM would be a breeze for triples, and almost started off at 80% instead. Good thing I didn't, lol.
Due to how challenging this was, I may focus on adding reps rather than adding weight each time.

Nice goals to have man and I'm sure you'll crush them.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1653543033]Nice goals to have man and I'm sure you'll crush them.[/QUOTE]
I'll give it a good shot, that's for sure.


[B][U]January 1, 2022: High Bar Squat[/U][/B]
195 pounds x 1 rep [7.5 RPE]
135 pounds - 2 sets x 5 reps

Wanted to keep the top set around a 7 RPE. Back off work was to be 3 sets of 5 today. Started getting light headed after the second set (still feeling it now almost 30 minutes later). My work capacity starting point is worse than I thought, but no worries - we'll get there eventually.

[B][U]January 2, 2021: Spoto Press[/U][/B]
125 pounds - 6 sets x 3 reps
Started with the weight a bit lower on this after struggling with 135 on the feet up bench a few days ago. This felt relatively easy, but that's okay. It gives me something to build on over several weeks.

[B][U]January 4, 2022: Speed Deadlifts (conventional)[/U][/B]
225 pounds + Mini Band: 6 sets x 2 reps

First time doing these in quite a while and they felt very good. One of the things I've always really like about speed work is the opportunity is provides to work on technique. I noticed a tendency to not engage my lats, or to only engage on one side. I suppose I've been doing this all along but just never really noticed it. Focusing on engaging lats on both sides actually made a pretty noticeable difference in my tightness, which also affected my speed. I was also able to continue engraining a setup routine. It all felt quite good today.

[youtube]Y_QNyNjtkss[/youtube]

Nice work.

Crispy deadlifts.

Yeah, thanks. I'm going to enjoy the banded deadlifts far more now that I have a proper setup to do them. Standing on the bands always felt awkward.

[B][U]January 5, 2022: Floor Press[/U][/B]
175 pounds x 1 rep [9 RPE]
135 pounds: 3 sets x 3 reps

Did an oopsie on the top set. My goal range was 6-8 RPE. The final ramp up set at 155 felt very light (less than 6 RPE) so I thought a 20 pound jump would put me in the right range. To be honest though, it was a bit of a mis-groove. Still feel like it would've been around an 8 if I'd hit it right, but oh well. Back off work went well. Doing 1 set close grip, 1 medium, and 1 wide. Definitely can tell that close grip is my weakest right now, so it's a good thing I've added in some dedicated close grip work for this cycle. Should help bring it back up.

[B][U]January 6, 2022: Speed Squats - Wide Stance[/U][/B]
115 pounds: 8 sets x 2 reps
I know this seems ridiculously light for squats, but it's probably around 55% of my max with a wide stance. Focus today was on technique work moreso than speed, and it was fruitful. I took video of each set, watched them back immediately, and adjusted accordingly. Found that my knees were often traveling too far forward as I tried keeping my stance upright. As I worked on getting my butt back things got better, but this is still something I'll need to focus on.

[B][U]January 7, 2022: Close Grip Bench Press[/U][/B]
175 pounds x 1 rep [8.5 RPE]
125 pounds: 3 sets x 5 reps

Well, goal was once again to stay in the 6-8 RPE range on the top set. I did a little better this time, lmao! It's just too easy to add 10's on each side instead of going to get the 5's which are on the opposite wall. I should probably just put my 5 and 2.5 pound plates closer to the other plates so I use them more often. Anyway, ended up at about an 8.5 RPE - not anything to worry about as long as I don't do it consistently. Back off work was around 65% of 1RM. A good starting point as I work on gradually adding in more volume. All in all, a pretty good session.

[youtube]5BKUcv86Wxk[/youtube]

[B][U]January 10, 2022: Good Morning[/U][/B]
155 pounds - 4 sets x 3 reps
Planned for 6 sets of 3 at 70%. 155 is probably below 70%. Decided to stop at 4 sets since I'm not 100% comfortable with this lift. Would love feedback on the video below from anyone that's well versed in doing these. I do know that they feel about 200% better with the Yoke Bar than with a straight bar. Was feeling it in my hamstrings, glutes, and entire back. Not sure if that should be the case or not. But anyway, these felt decent. I've always kind of dreaded doing these in the past, but I'm feeling a LOT more comfortable doing them with the new bar now, so looking forward to doing them more regularly.

[youtube]qGY6i-l2Vgg[/youtube]

[B][U]January 11, 2022: DB Bench Press[/U][/B]
50's - 2 sets x 3 reps
60's - 4 sets x 3 reps

Started out with 50's, changed to 60's for the last 4 sets as it became apparent that the 50's were pretty light for me. I've done DB work so infrequently over the last 2 years that it all feels very uncomfortable right now, though I'm sure I'll be reacclimated after a couple more rounds of it. Still not back to 100%, even though my case of covid was really mild. I've been fatiguing very quickly. It's getting better gradually.

With your good morning it looks like you need to focus on pushing the hips back more and get a better hip hinge going.

To me it looks like your squatting the weight a bit too much.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1654194123]With your good morning it looks like you need to focus on pushing the hips back more and get a better hip hinge going.

To me it looks like your squatting the weight a bit too much.[/QUOTE]
This is what I was thinking as well. I'll just keep working to improve it. Thanks for the feedback. :)


[B][U]January 13, 2022: Yoke Bar Squat[/U][/B]
[B]Main Work:[/B] 225 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]
[B]Back off Work:[/B] 155 pounds + 2 chains x 3 reps

A little more comfortable this time around. I used J-Cups instead of the mono's and that felt better. Just need to figure out the setup/bracing routine since it's quite different.

[B][U]January 14, 2022: Speed Bench Press[/U][/B]
95 pounds + 2 mini bands: 8 sets x 3 reps

Struggled with this last time, but decided to keep the weight the same. Managed 2 more sets than last time, and energy level was still good at the end - just trying not to overdo it right now.
I was disappointed by the poor technique after watching the video footage afterward. There was some good - lower body tension and stability were pretty consistent. Touch point was inconsistent though, and I didn't keep my elbows under the bar on several of the reps. I was just trying to go too quickly. Still, I'm happy to have got through these sets in a timely manner and not feel exhausted.

[B][U]January 15, 2022: Sumo Deadlift[/U][/B]
365 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]
315 x 1/1/1

Was kind of sloppy today. Not sure why, but I just wasn't very focused.
Top single at 365 felt like a true 8 RPE, and looked smooth on the video.
I'm trying to work up to around 6 singles for the back off work, but the fatigue started to hit hard after 3 so I called it there. Probably could've made it to 6 if I'd kept the top single at a 6-7 RPE, but oh well...

[B][U]January 16, 2022: Feet up Bench[/U][/B]
135 pounds - 6 sets x 4 reps

Increased from 3 to 4 reps. It was maybe equal, or even just a little bit easier than last time around. Technique was MUCH better than the speed work I did 2 days ago. Not sure if I'll increase to 5 reps or increase the weight next time around - I'll make the decision on the day.

[B][U]January 17, 2022: High Bar Squat[/U][/B]
205 pounds x 1 rep [6 RPE]
155 pounds - 3 sets x 5 reps

Great squatting day. Last time through my top set was a 7.5 RPE at 195, and my back off work was 135 for 2 sets of 5. It's still terrible, but I'm gradually building up my work capacity. I think the covid fatigue is pretty much done at this point. Getting into a nice groove. :)

[youtube]Ec_ed7g9Gyk[/youtube]

[B][U]January 19, 2021: Spoto Press[/U][/B]
130 pounds - 6 sets x 3 reps

This moved VERY fast and easy. Feels like I may be able to keep increasing weight each time for a while yet.

[B][U]January 20, 2022: Speed Deadlifts (conventional)[/U][/B]
225 pounds + Mini Band: 8 sets x 2 reps

Increased from 6 to 8 sets. Definitely felt the fatigue on the 2 extra sets. Hoping to increase to 10 sets next time.

[B][U]January 21, 2022: Floor Press[/U][/B]
165 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]
115 pounds x 20 reps
Pressing felt great again today, moved fast. I managed to keep it within my RPE range of 6-8 too! I listed it at 8, but it may have been anywhere between a 7 and an 8.
For back off work I opted for an AMRAP instead of a 3x3. Knocked out 20, with probably another 1-2 in the tank (yes, I realize that means it wasn't really an AMRAP). ;)

Finally, sharing a FANTASTIC video on Deadlifting - definitely one of the best I've ever watched. It's long, but worth it for those that are looking to improve their deadlift, or just understand more about deadlifting. It does focus heavily on Sumo Deadlift, but also covers conventional.

[youtube]WoB2BLIUg8I[/youtube]

[b][u]July 22, 2022: speed squat - wide stance[/b][/u]
115 pounds - 10 sets x 2 reps
Did 2 more sets than last time and it was still pretty easy. Seeing progress on the wide stance finally. Not sure if I’ll increase sets or add weight next time around. We’ll see…

[B][U]January 23, 2022: Close Grip Bench Press[/U][/B]
165 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]
115 pounds: 3 sets x 8 reps

Still not sure on my RPE ratings... This may have ben a 7. Doesn't matter though since it's solidly in my 6-8 RPE range regardless.
Work capacity seems to be increasing steadily. Had no issue doing the 3x8 today. Main work went well also.

[B][U]January 24, 2022: Good Morning[/U][/B]
135 pounds - 6 sets x 3 reps

MUCH improved technique this week. I recorded a few sets thinking I would upload one of them, but now I just don't have the time so you'll have to take my word for it. Felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head and my head was going to pop off of my shoulders, but aside from that they felt great, lmao! Honestly happy with how these looked and felt today though. Dropped the weight by 20 pounds to make sure I could focus on technique, but this gives me something to build on in the coming weeks.

[B][U]January 27, 2022: DB Bench Press[/U][/B]
60's - 6 sets x 3 reps
Did 2 more sets than last time with the 60's. I'd guess this is around 70% of my max, but I still struggle to get the first rep started sometimes when I'm not in position.

I found out last week that my position is being eliminated at work. Last day is next Tuesday. Been at the same place for 26 years. It's all good - getting a nice separation package. Hardest thing will be leaving all the people I've gotten to know well over the years. It's impacted my lifting right now though. I missed the last 2 days because I was working late, trying to wrap up a bunch of projects before I'm done. It should be a temporary thing. Once I'm done I'll start the search for a new job in earnest, but should have more free time than I typically have had until I start working again.

[B][U]February 1, 2022: Yoke Bar Squat[/U][/B]
155 pounds + 4 Chain x 3 reps
Easing back into it after 5 days off. Didn't want to get anywhere near failure. I was actually planning to do some light bench work as well, but just the warmups and working sets of squat pretty much wiped me out.

Today was my final day at work. I haven't been feeling particularly stressed, but I've worn myself down trying to wrap up various projects I was working on, relaying critical info to other parties, and trying to capture/save as much info as possible for future reference. Lost a fair amount of sleep as a result. And then there also has been some emotional fatigue - not super easy to say goodbye to people I've been working with closely for decades.

Focus shifts now to finding a new job. It keeps getting suggested to me that I should take the time off and collect unemployment, but that's just not my style. Now is an amazing time to be looking for a job and I intend to take advantage of that. I can afford to be picky and leverage the shortage of workers as a bargaining tool. And anyway, I will feel unsettled until I have a job locked up, and wouldn't truly enjoy the time off anyway. Probably won't say much else about this until I have a job secured, but it provides some context for my current (and perhaps near future) training frequency and intensity.

[B][U]February 3, 2022: Bench Press[/U][/B]
95 pounds + 4 Chain x 3 reps

These last 2 days I've been dealing with the worst DOM's I've had in years - from hitting golf balls, lmao. Needed to get my mind on something else after leaving my job on the final day, so I went and pounded golf balls for 30 minutes. Figure I easily hit over a hundred balls in 30 minutes after not hitting a single ball for 2 or 3 years. Was not expecting it to wreck me like it did. My left lat was cramping up when I laid down to sleep, and could hardly grip anything with my left hand. Feeling marginally better today.

Anyway, that's the primary reason I didn't lift yesterday. Got back to it today with some benching. With the chains this was close to 170 at the top of the lift. Happy to have hit a triple pretty easily (6-7 RPE). I think I should be back to going all out again starting in my next session.

[B][U]February 4, 2022 Sumo Deadlift[/U][/B]
355 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]

Felt great during the ramp up. Probably did too many reps though because I fatigued very quickly. Was hoping to be more around the 375 range @8, and it was probably doable but I just ran out of gas. This was unbelted work. Had to redo the top rep because my grip gave out on the first attempt even though it moved very quickly. So the final rep was with straps.

[B]Bench Press - 3 Count Pause:[/B] 155 pounds x 1 rep (8 RPE)

[B]Lat Pulldown:[/B] 15 pounds + 2 Chains - 4 sets x 12 reps

[B]Dip:[/B] BW - 3 sets x 6 reps

Decided it was time to kick things up a notch. Rewrote my programming because the best way to guarantee I do something is to have it preplanned. Will be doing 3 exercises per day. Not sure how many days per week, but it will be determined by my level of fatigue, and may vary.

This was my first time doing either lat pulldowns or dips since 2019. Supersetted them, and they went better than I expected. Bench work was very solid as well, staying very tight and stable during the pause.

[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift:[/B] 245 pounds x 8,7,7

[B]Reverse Lunge:[/B] 45 pounds x 5,5

[B]Yoke Bar Squat:[/B] 135 pounds x 7,7,7

This wrecked me. Not a lot of volume for most people, but I'm nowhere near acclimated to this amount of work. Will keep pushing until the body adapts.

Deadlifts went well. I tightened them up a bit as I went along, and the final set was actually the easiest. Plan here is to do a 3 week wave, increasing by 1 rep each week (8,8,7 and then 8,8,8) and then increase weight.

Found out today that I cannot do lunges... Though I don't notice it anymore in my day to day activities, I'm still not fully healed from my fall down the stairs last fall and my left foot cannot handle the pressure on the toes. Changed to a Brazilian Split Squat on the second set of 5 and will probably use that moving forward. Goal is to work up to 3 sets of 10 with 2-3 reps in reserve on each set. Wanted to do that today but it just wasn't happening.

Legs were rubber before I even started the squats. Goal here is the same as for the lunges - 3 sets of 10 with 2-3 reps in reserve. I should be able to work up to this within the next week or two and then make some good jumps in weight from there.

[youtube]nYwZKt5SW2A[/youtube]

[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 125 pounds x 8,8,8

[B]Cable Row:[/B] 15 pounds + 2 chain x 12,12,12

[B]Floor Press:[/B] 135 pounds x 5,5,5

Solid effort all around. Larsen Press was harder than expected. Took it pretty easy on the rows, and will increase weight as I acclimate to the volume.

[B]Wide Stance Snatch Grip Deadlift:[/B] 310 pounds x 1 rep
This went well. Top rep was at 7-8 RPE.

[B]Seal Row:[/B] 95 pounds - 3 sets x 7 reps
Seal Row was...interesting. It's a lift I like but don't have a great way of getting setup for. Ended up laying on one of my adjustable plyo stands, which worked okay. I then put my dip bars so that they were sitting above my legs and used those to help stabilize myself. It kind of worked - well enough that I plan to keep doing them for now. You can somewhat see the setup in the video below.

[B]Romanian Deadlift:[/B] 275 pounds x 3 reps / 235 pounds - 2 sets x 7 reps
I overestimated how much I could do by quite a lot. My plan was 285 for 3 sets of 7. Did 3 at 275 and could tell that was NOT going to happen, so I dropped down to 235 and that felt like a decent starting point.

[youtube]FegC5KH1SwU[/youtube]

[B]Incline Bench Press - 30 Degree:[/B] 155 pounds x 1 rep (8.5 RPE)

[B]Lat Pulldown:[/B] 20 pounds + 2 Chain - 3 sets x 12 reps

[B]Dip:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x 6 reps

Both Incline Press and Dips were harder than expected today. Fatigue is starting to accumulate. I'll take a rest day after tomorrows lower body workout.

[youtube]q15flw47eq8[/youtube]

[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift:[/B] 240 pounds x 8,8,7

[B]Decline Crunch:[/B] BW + 40 pounds x 15,15

[B]Yoke Bar Squat:[/B] 130 pounds x 8,8,8

Both deads and squats felt marginally easier this week, but this workout still kicked my butt.
Shoulders started bothering me yesterday and I didn't sleep well because of it. Thinking it's from the dips so I'm planning to swap those out for pushups. I'll be taking a rest day tomorrow.

[B]T-Shirt Bench Press:[/B] 155 pounds x 1 rep

[B]Lat Pulldown:[/B] 2 Chains - 3 sets x 12 reps

[B]Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 115 pounds - 4 sets x 8 reps

Took 2 rest days since my shoulders were bothering me quite a bit. Still feeling it today, but it's a little bit better.
T-Shirt Bench flew up easily. Honestly felt pretty light. 155 was supposedly 90% of my max, but definitely felt like quite a bit less than that.

[youtube]Saf1Fv2nlm0[/youtube]

[B]Deficit Deadlift:[/B] 320 pounds x 1 rep (8.5 RPE)

[B]Seal Row:[/B] 95 pounds - 4 sets x 8 reps

[B]Romanian Deadlift:[/B] 210 pounds - 4 sets x 8 reps

Deadlift moved smoothly, but was a little higher RPE than I wanted.

Seal Rows were better this time around. I at least hit the planned number of sets and reps, but it still felt quite awkward. I'll probably try doing them with the low row cable next time around. All I need to do is slide the plyo box further into the rack and I should be able to get into a position where I'd be pulling almost vertically. This would be easier to setup, and save me a bunch of time changing out plates between the 3 exercises I'm doing on this day.

Dropped the weight from 235? to 210 on RDL's and was able to hit all the scheduled sets and reps on this today as well. The weight was fairly light, but the big challenge for me right now is just getting in 8 reps without feeling like I'm going to pass out. I seem to be getting acclimated to it somewhat. :)

[B]Floor Press:[/B] 135 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps

[B]Cable Row:[/B] 4 chain - 3 sets x 12 reps

[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 125 pounds - 5 sets x 8 reps

Man, this kicked my butt! Didn't realize until I was posting this now that I only did 3 sets of 5 on floor press last time around, so getting to 8 on all 3 sets this time was a massive jump. I also changed up the order so this was done first. It helped obviously, but made Larsen Press much harder. I literally took about a 20 minute rest after the 3rd set on Larsen Press, and the final 2 sets were still a grind. Guess it's to be expected when I increased the total number of reps on this day by 17 compared to the previous time I did this workout, lol.

Anyway, it feels good to have finally built up my work capacity to the point that I can pretty much do all of my planned sets/reps at the planned weight. I'll be watching my recovery closely and adjusting as needed.

[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift:[/B] 250 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps

[B]Situp:[/B] 3 sets x 15 reps

[B]Reverse Yoke Bar Squat:[/B] 135 pounds 3 sets x 8 reps

Added 10 pounds and 1 rep on SLDL's.

Added 5 pounds on the squats along with doing them reversed. Essentially reversed means that the bar is sitting upside down from how it's intended to. The results in the camber going up instead of down, and being slightly more forward. It basically moves the center of gravity forward further, making it almost closer to a front squat than a high bar squat. I'll probably continue doing them this way.

Solid day today. I'll take a rest day tomorrow and then the next couple of sessions will be testing out max's.

[B]Competition Squat:[/B] 245 pounds x 1 rep ~8 RPE
[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 180 Pounds x 1 rep (9 RPE) [B][PR][/B]

Well, today was meant to be a rest day, but I had to scratch that. Unexpectedly ended up schedule a weekend trip - leaving tomorrow evening and returning on Monday. So got in some work today and will try to do the same tomorrow.

Squats felt awkward. Not especially heavy, but my movement pattern was out of whack. Goal was to be around an 8 RPE, and I ended up pretty close to that.
Larsen Press moved easier than expected. I don't think I've ever done more than 155 on it previously. 175 felt like around a 9 RPE. 180 felt about the same. Decided to stop there even though I may have had another 5-10 pounds in me.

I'll be doing something similar tomorrow. Planning to do an 8 RPE single on OHP and then a Max Attempt on Stiff Legged Deadlifts.

[B]Overhead Press:[/B] 105 pounds x 1 rep (8 RPE)
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift:[/B] 355 pounds x 1 rep (10 RPE) [B][PR][/B]

OHP felt great today. 3 reps is my max at 105, so I ended up about where I would expect to for an 8 RPE.
Never maxed out on Stiff Legged Deads before. I've been using a projected max of 345, which was a pretty decent guess. This was a true max today. Barely broke if off the floor, and doubt I could've done another 5 pounds.

I'll be out of town until Monday afternoon. Doubt I'll get a workout in on Monday, so I should be nice and fresh for my next session.

[B]Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 385 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]
[B]Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 165 pounds x 1 rep / 175 pounds x fail

First workout in 5 days. Went better than expected. I got some nasty food poisoning on Monday evening and was still feeling the effects yesterday. Feeling much better today, but energy level is still pretty low.

Deads went great. Still need to work on my setup - probably getting closer to the bar, because I can see that I'm still rolling it into position as I pull the slack out. Starting in that position would help a lot with consistency I'm sure.

Even though the deadlift was only about an 8 RPE, it sapped me of most of the energy I had. Had a slight case of the shakes as I did my close grip bench, and it showed. 175 felt like it should have gone up easily, but it just stopped dead and I had nothing left to push through it.

[youtube]SsCHr6la5jE[/youtube]

[B]Bench Press:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep (8.5 RPE)
[B]Snatch Grip Deadlift:[/B] 355 pounds x 1 rep

Bench was feeling much better today. Was shooting for a top rep at 8 RPE and may have just slightly overshot that, but not by much.
The snatch grip turned out to be much more difficult than I had anticipated, and I hit a grinder at 355. Glad to have finished the rep cleanly. ;)

I'll be going back to some higher rep stuff starting tomorrow.

[youtube]dVfBADsKCwE[/youtube]