The Flywheel Effect.

[B]T-Shirt Paused Bench Press:[/B] 165 pounds x 1 rep
[B]Close Grip Paused Bench Press:[/B] 130 pounds - 4 sets x 6 reps
[B]Cable Row:[/B] 2 Chains - 2 sets x 60 reps
[B]Hammer Curl:[/B] 20 pounds/ea - 2 sets x 20 reps

Very solid day. T-Shirt bench around an 8 RPE. Close grip was pretty easy today.
Was not in the mood to mess with the chains so I ended up doing rows with 2 instead of 4 since that's what was on there from when I did pushdowns a few days ago.
Curls are weak! Shouldn't be surprised since I never do them, lol.

Good to see you do some more accessory work finally lol. Good work though man.

Back to singles, lol. I'm using this week primarily as a deload before I start up a new cycle. Will be doing heavy singles with minimal volume work.

[U]June 20, 2022[/U]
[B]3-Count Paused Bench:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 [9.5 RPE]
[B]Overhead Press:[/B] 95 pounds x 5 reps

Feels like I'm consistently able to hit 175 on the 3-count bench now - this is the second time I've done it in the last 2 weeks at about the same RPE.
Followed it up with some OHP for reps relatively close to failure, just because I felt like doing some overhead pressing.


[U]June 21, 2022[/U]
[B]Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 405 pounds x 1 rep [9.5 RPE]

Playing around with my setup still. Started off closer to the bar, widened stance, and moved hands slightly further out. It came off the floor quite easily but I struggled to lock it out, probably in large part because my hands were rubbing against my legs quite a lot. Felt it much more in my glutes. This might be a good setup for me if I adjust my hand placement and do a better job of pulling the slack out of the bar. Still, it feels like this weight should be there pretty much any day of the week.

[QUOTE=CW47;1663243943]Back to singles, lol. I'm using this week primarily as a deload before I start up a new cycle. Will be doing heavy singles with minimal volume work.

[U]June 20, 2022[/U]
[B]3-Count Paused Bench:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 [9.5 RPE]
[B]Overhead Press:[/B] 95 pounds x 5 reps

Feels like I'm consistently able to hit 175 on the 3-count bench now - this is the second time I've done it in the last 2 weeks at about the same RPE.
Followed it up with some OHP for reps relatively close to failure, just because I felt like doing some overhead pressing.


[U]June 21, 2022[/U]
[B]Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 405 pounds x 1 rep [9.5 RPE]

Playing around with my setup still. Started off closer to the bar, widened stance, and moved hands slightly further out. It came off the floor quite easily but I struggled to lock it out, probably in large part because my hands were rubbing against my legs quite a lot. Felt it much more in my glutes. This might be a good setup for me if I adjust my hand placement and do a better job of pulling the slack out of the bar. Still, it feels like this weight should be there pretty much any day of the week.[/QUOTE]

Nice work man. A 405 sumo is some good stuff. You normally pull conventional right?

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1663272543]Nice work man. A 405 sumo is some good stuff. You normally pull conventional right?[/QUOTE]
I do both, but have been stronger on Sumo for a while now. I did 425 a few weeks back. 435 is probably doable on a good day.
Just did 405 conventional for the first time a little over a week ago and it was quite a grind.

[B]Bench Press:[/B] 185 pounds x 1 rep / 200 x Fail

[B]Speed Bench:[/B] 135 pounds - 2 sets x 3 reps

Bench was okay today. Attempted 200 today, trying to beat my current PR of 195. Didn't get close on it. Seems like my max bench is staying pretty stable around 190-195 right now, and my higher rep work is still progressing. Not going to change much as long as I'm seeing progress on a cycle by cycle basis.

135 was just a bit too heavy for speed work. Didn't get through all the sets anyway.

Here's video of some of the ramp up reps and the max attempt:
[youtube]qYY_NfVb_Tw[/youtube]

That 185 you can tell 200 was going to be a big grind.

I hate giving critique cause sometimes I feel like a douche but...

On the 185 set, I would scoot back on the bench just a tad more. The unrack has you traveling with the bar a bit too much before you get into your press position.

Same thing on your 200x1 set. You can see the unrack being unsteady as you travel with the bar to the position you want to press.

At the bottom of the press, it looks like there is a slight shift in the barbell as it appears to shift forward slightly. If you slow it down and look closely you'll see that small shift.

You definitely have 200 in you though that's no question.

To everyone who reads this log - please don't ever hesitate to critique and offer advice. Getting feedback/advice is one of the major reasons why I even post stuff here. I'm always 100% open to it because I know I still have a ton of room for improvement on all of my lifts.

Your advice is spot on Anthony. I will work on getting setup closer to the bar, and check out the shift you mentioned to see what opportunities for improvement I have there.

And yes, 200 is absolutely there, or will be very soon. I can always tell as I'm lowering the weight whether or not it's beyond my capabilities, and the 200 felt very doable (even though I didn't get close this time, lol).

[B]Low Bar Squat:[/B] 285 x 1

Took video from behind, which I rarely do. My squat looks atrocious, lol. Feet too close together, legs unstable and shifting, and a variety of other issues. At least I'm aware now and can work on these things. For what it's worth, the final ramp up set at 265 was much better, and can be seen in the video as well.

[youtube]HAwnRYhPWMw[/youtube]

[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep [8-8.5 RPE]
[B]Close Grip Bench - 30 Degree Incline:[/B] 95 pounds x 8 reps / 115 x 8, 8
[B]Pullup:[/B] 4 sets x 4 reps
[B]Triceps Rope Pushdown:[/B] 2 Chains - 4 sets x 8 reps

Larsen Press went well. 175 was the weight I kind of had in mind that I'd like to hit and I managed to do it without much difficulty.
Started out too light on Close Grip Incline. Increased on the second and third sets and it was a real struggle at that weight. I'll look to hit all 3 sets at 115 next time.

Changing things up a bit since progress has slowed significantly. The core of what I've been doing will still be there, but it will be more of a conjugate hybrid with 2 max days and 2 speed days. Max days will be a heavy single at about 8.5-9 RPE. This lift will change on each of the first 3 weeks, and then I'll repeat the same lifts on weeks 4-6. I'll follow the max work up with a secondary lift that will be done for 3 sets of 8 and use double progression. I'll do it for a full cycle. This secondary lift will gradually get more specific with each cycle. After that is accessory work which I'll do when time allows.

[B]Conventional Deadlift - 3 Inch Deficit:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]] @9 RPE
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 Inch Deficit:[/B] 225 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Calf Raise:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x 20 reps

Previous PR on the Deficit Conv Dead was 355 and this moved easier than that did.
Stiff Leg Deficits kick my butt every time. I'll keep increasing the weight on these weekly until I stall out.
First time I've done calf raises in like 4 years, lol.

[B]Speed Bench:[/B] 135 pounds - 6 sets x 6 rep

[U]Giant Set[/U]
[B]Wide Grip Cable Row:[/B] 2 Chain - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]45 Degree Incline DB Press:[/B] 30's - 3 sets x 12 reps
[B]Hammer Curl:[/B] 20's - 3 sets x 12 reps

Speed work was probably a bit heavy and slowed quite a bit toward the end. I will try it at the same weight again next week and see if it's any easier.
Accessory work went well. I'll be slow to increase the weight and reps on these for a while. Going to focus on increasing the rep quality since I've not really been doing accessory work in recent years.

Nice work on the PR for your deficit pull. I remember those being a good movement to blow up my deadlift.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1663644733]Nice work on the PR for your deficit pull. I remember those being a good movement to blow up my deadlift.[/QUOTE]
Yes, they've helped my deadlift in the past also. I'm planning to be doing them somewhat regularly for a while. I expect the carryover to Sumo will be minimal, but it should help out my conv deadlift.

[B]Speed Low Bar Squat:[/B] 185 pounds - 2 sets x 5 reps / 135 pounds x 5 reps
[B]Speed Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 245 pounds - 3 sets x 5 reps

The first 2 sets of squats destroyed me. I could feel the muscle breaking down in my hamstrings. Legs were shaking just after these first 2 sets, and I'm quite sore today. This tells me that I've not been focused enough on moving the weight with speed, so it should be beneficial for me to do this regularly for a while. Had to dial it back significantly after those first sets at 185. I'll probably start out at 155 next time. Goal is to be doing 5x5's on both lifts, so I will keep building towards that.

[B]Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep [9 RPE]
[B]Incline Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 115 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Pullup:[/B] 4 sets x 5 reps
[B]Triceps Rope Pushdown:[/B] 4 sets x 9 reps

Had a bit of a break since I was out of town for the holiday weekend.
Close Grip single moved smoothly. Setup was a little loose.
Incline got to the 9+ RPE range by the end. I'll increase weight next week and see how many reps I can get.
Pullups actually felt easier than last week despite increasing from 4 to 5 reps per set. Will keep this the same next week.
Pushdowns also got to the 9+ RPE range. Will keep this the same next week.

Nice work after the Holiday.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1663972623]Nice work after the Holiday.[/QUOTE]
Didn't feel any of the sluggishness that I often do when coming back from a break, so that was nice.

[B]Paused Conv Deadlift:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [9 RPE]
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 Inch Deficit:[/B] 230 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps

Got hit with a cold yesterday so I didn't lift. Stayed home today, but was feeling better this afternoon so I got to it.
Paused Deadlift ended up about where I expected to. Still been inconsistent on my setup, and this time I believe I setup with the bar too far from my shins. This pulled me forward initially, but I was able to correct and finish the lift without much difficulty. Should get easier next time if I get the setup right.
SLDL went well. The conditioning to get through these is more of a challenge than the weight at this point. I'll keep increasing weekly as long as I continue to hit all the reps. Will increase to 235 next week.
No accessory work today since I'm still somewhat fatigued.

[youtube]jZewVggCn_E[/youtube]

[B]Speed Bench:[/B] 125 pounds - 6 sets x 6 rep
[B]Wide Grip Cable Row:[/B] 2 Chain - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]45 Degree Incline DB Press:[/B] 30's - 3 sets x 12 reps
[B]Hammer Curl:[/B] 20's - 3 sets x 12 reps

Reduced weight on speed bench by 10 pounds, otherwise kept everything the same as last week.
Turned out to be a really good session. Completed in less than 30 minutes and it all felt easier this time.
I'll increase weight and/or reps on the accessory work next time through.

[B]Speed Low Bar Squat:[/B] 155 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
[B]Speed Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 245 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps

The day I look forward to the least... Probably also the most important day for me. Went better this week than last by a mile, and still sucked, lol.
This should definitely help with conditioning, but where I noticed it most today was in technique. Having not done speed work much over the last 9 months I had forgotten how much it helps with that. I got my deadlift setup dialed in MUCH better today. Squat is still not where I want it, but was improved today as well.
Most likely will take a rest day tomorrow.

[B]Bench Press - 3 Second Pause:[/B] 165 pounds x 1 rep [8.5 RPE]
[B]Incline Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 120 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps

Running short on time today, so just did the main 2 lifts. Both went well.
I'll mostly likely lift the next 3 days as well, since I probably won't be able to lift on Friday, Saturday, and possibly Sunday.

[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [8 RPE]
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 Inch Deficit:[/B] 235 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Calf Raise:[/B] Bodyweight - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Situp:[/B] Bodyweight + a 20 month old - 2 sets x 15 reps

Deadlift felt hard today so I capped the top single at around an 8 RPE.
Every time I try doing situps or pushups, a baby, a puppy, or both try to jump on me. Today's situps were done mostly with a baby on my chest. After I got done and was sitting on the floor holding him, he pushed me in the chest and said 'down', lmao! He wanted a longer ride, but I was done.

[B]Speed Bench:[/B] 125 pounds - 6 sets x 6 rep
[B]Wide Grip Cable Row:[/B] 2 Chain - 2 sets x 30 reps
[B]45 Degree Incline DB Press:[/B] 35's - 2 sets x 12 reps / Drop Set - 25's x 12
[B]Hammer Curl:[/B] 25's - 2 sets x 12 reps / Drop Set - 15's x 12

Speed Bench felt very good today. Going to repeat this weight one more time and see if I can move it even faster/better.
Took a different approach with the accessory work, just hoping to reduce the time to get through it. Did 2x30 instead of 3x20 on rows. It was surprisingly not much more difficult...which means I was going way too easy to begin with. Instead of 3 straight sets on the other accessories, I did 2 straight sets and then did a drop set after the second one. I may continue doing this for a few more weeks.

[B]Low Bar Squat:[/B] 155 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
[B]Speed Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 245 pounds - 1 sets x 5 reps

I can't in good faith call the squats speed work today, even though that's what they were supposed to be. I had long breaks between some of the sets.
Just after I got the bar loaded for deads I had to end the workout. Just did 1 set and unloaded the bar.

It's unlikely I'll be able to lift for the next 2 or 3 days, so I should be refreshed for my next session.

[U]July 18, 2022[/U]
[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 185 pounds x 1 rep [9.5 RPE]

Busy days... Only had enough time to get in the heavy single.


[U]July 19, 2022[/U]
[B]Conventional Deadlift - 3 Inch Deficit:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [8.5 RPE] / 385 x Fail
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 Inch Deficit:[/B] 240 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Calf Raise:[/B] Bodyweight only - 5 sets x 20 reps

Was shocked that I couldn't do the deficit for 385 after it flew up pretty easily at 365. Happens sometimes though...

[B]Speed Bench:[/B] 125 pounds - 6 sets x 6 rep
[B]Wide Grip Cable Row:[/B] 4 Chain - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]45 Degree Incline DB Press:[/B] 35's - 3 sets x 12 reps

In and out in around 20 minutes.
All 3 exercises were quite easy on the first set, and slowed significantly by the last set.
Work capacity does seem to be slowly improving.

[B]Low Bar Squat:[/B] 155 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
[B]Speed Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 245 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps

Squats were not great today, and haven't been feeling right for quite a while. Probably to be expected since I've been heavily prioritizing deadlifts pretty much all year. I'm hoping it will start to come around soon.
Deads on the other hand were fantastic today. Starting position was MUCH improved and these sets felt stupidly light.

[B]Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep [9 RPE]
[B]Incline Close Grip Bench Press:[/B] 120 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Pullup:[/B] 7 sets x 3 reps
[B]Triceps Rope Pushdown:[/B] 2 Chain - 7 sets x 6 reps

Had a couple of days rest, and then a couple of more watching my son who was running a fever (he's doing better now). Finally back at it today.
Disappointed I wasn't able to improve on close grip bench from the previous time. I had hoped and expected that the regular close grip work would help but it apparently hasn't yet.
Did alternating sets of pullups and triceps pushdowns with virtually no rest between, trying to see how many sets I could get it. I probably could have done 1 more round of tris, but stopped after falling about an inch short of getting all the way up on the final pullup rep of the 7th cycle. I enjoyed this and will probably try it again next time around.

[B]Paused Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [9 RPE]

Matched what I did last time on this day for the top single, with it being just slightly easier. No supplemental or accessory work today.
It was a pretty rough week again. Had some stuff going on at work that had me stressed out. Also was helping the family prep for a 3 week trip to Vietnam that I unfortunately can't join since I don't have enough time off at my new job. Things are pretty well settled now and I should be able to hit it hard in August and see where I can get to. Feels like I need a fresh start, so I may go back to doing a Bulgarian Lite type of programming sometime soon to shake things up.

[B]Speed Bench:[/B] 130 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps

1 minute rests. Going to keep increasing weight steadily on this until I can't hit all the reps.

Just placed an order for a Super Bench Pro V2 along with some attachments. Been undecided on what bench I want as a long term solution, and seeing this released today it became an easy decision for me. Hopefully will show up in around 2 weeks. New toys are always fun. ;)

[B]Bench Press:[/B] 130 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
[B]Close Grip Bench - 30 Degree Incline:[/B] 115 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
[B]Wide Grip Cable Row:[/B] 4 Chain x 30/26/25
[B]Triceps Rope Pushdown:[/B] 2 Chain x 20/13/10

Had another lengthy break, trying to spend as much time as possible with the family before they left for their vacation. They left yesterday and will be gone for 3 weeks. I unfortunately couldn't join since I'm at a new job.

This will give me a chance to push myself when lifting. I usually have to hold back a bit because I need to be able to help out around the house, carry the little one around, walk up and down stairs without worrying about my legs giving out, etc. Don't need to worry about that stuff for the next several weeks, so I'll be pushing it hard.

Started a new program that I've designed for myself. It's heavily focused on Bench and Deadlift. It's a 6 workout cycle - Volume Bench A, Max Dead, Max Bench, Volume Dead, Volume Bench B, Speed Squat. Maybe an odd setup, but it's based upon what's worked for me in the past. I'll give it a good run and adjust if/when needed.

[B]Conventional Deadlift - 3 inch Deficit:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [9.5 RPE]
[B]Conventional Deadlift - 3 inch Deficit:[/B] 255 pounds x 3 reps

Happy I was still able to hit 365 on this after a really inconsistent last 3 weeks. Let's see where I can get to after a month or two of consistent work.

Nice! :)

[QUOTE=EliKoehn;1665781963]Nice! :)[/QUOTE]
Yeah, very happy with the result yesterday. Thanks! :)


[U]August 9, 2022[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press - 30 Degree:[/B] 165 pounds x 1 rep [9 RPE]
[B]Incline Bench Press - 30 Degree:[/B] 125 pounds x 3 reps
[B]Face Pull:[/B] 2 Chains - 3 sets x 20 reps

Both the top single and the backoff work were well within my capability. Good starting point to build from. Primary focus today was on maintaining back tightness since I've had a habit of losing it at the bottom. Felt tight and strong out of the bottom today. Video of the incline work below.

[youtube]UVm0FKNOwDI[/youtube]

[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 275 pounds - 3 sets x 5 reps
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 inch Deficit:[/B] 235 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Hamstring Curl:[/B] 90 pounds x 6 reps / 70 x 10 / 45 x 20

My Ironmaster Bench showed up on Wednesday. Also got the leg and the hyper core attachments. Finally finished getting everything setup late yesterday, and ended up not lifting because I was working on that. Seems like a very solid piece of equipment that should serve me well for a long time. I will get some pictures posted in here at some point.

Good workout today. Started light on the conv deads so I wouldn't be totally wiped after the first exercise.
Stiff Leg Deficits always start off feeling pretty easy but then get hard real fast.
Didn't know where to start with the leg curls so I just threw 2 plates on. That was too much so I turned it into what I guess you could call a drop set, doing 70 and then 45 pounds with around 30 seconds rest between. It's a good thing I didn't have to carry anyone up the stairs because I could barely pick my legs up after the curls. Will be interesting to see how sore I am tomorrow after not doing leg curls for a couple of years, lol.

Here's video of the Conv Deads:
[youtube]OTSiZkNjcp8[/youtube]

[B]Floor Press:[/B] 135 pounds - 3 sets x 5 reps
[B]Larsen Press - Narrow Grip:[/B] 115 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
[B]Bent Row:[/B] 95 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps
[B]Tricep Rope Pushdown:[/B] 2 Chain - 3 sets x 12 reps

Floor press and Larsen Press both felt very good. The new bench is much more sturdy and firm than my old one and has better grip as well - all positives.
Haven't done hardly any bent over rowing since I hurt my back doing T-Bar Rows about 2 years ago. Going to see if I can ease back into doing them. Started very light to refamiliarize myself with the lift, focusing on bracing and activating the correct muscles. Felt good.

Here's video of the Floor Press:
[youtube]HxjS_aeq9Es[/youtube]

[B]16 Inch Box Squat - Speed:[/B] 185 pounds - 6 sets x 2 reps
[B]Leg Extension:[/B] 45 pounds x 20 reps - 70 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Hammer Curl:[/B] 25 pounds x 20/17/16

Squats felt quite nice today.
Was being somewhat conservative on the extensions since I've not done these in years. I'll push them harder next time.
Could've pushed the curls further too. Next time I'll plan to do a drop set at the end, do partials, or find some other way to push them harder.

[B]Bench Press:[/B] 135 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
[B]Close Grip Bench - 30 Degree Incline:[/B] 120 pounds x 9/8/8
[B]Double D Cable Row:[/B] 4 Chain x 40/35
[B]Triceps V-Bar Pushdown:[/B] 2 Chain x 20/16/13

Comp Bench was relatively easy. New bench is much grippier and I'm able to get more out of my leg drive. As a result it was also putting much more pressure on my knees which could prove to be problematic. We'll see...

Close Grip Incline felt noticeably harder with the new bench, and I think it's mostly because of the seat angle. With the old bench I'd end up sliding down and flattening the angle to probably closer to 20-25 degrees. I don't even know what the exact angle on it was because I never measured - just guessed it to be around 30 degrees. All 3 sets were 9.5+ RPE, with fairly lengthy rests between.

Got some more new toys this week and put them to use on rows and triceps work. Both felt good and will see fairly regular use. I really need more weight for the rows. Found some 10 pound weights from York that will fit in the tight space I have, and I have 8 of them on order. That will allow me to keep my rep ranges on cable work much more dialed in.

[B]Paused Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 365 pounds x 1 rep [9+ RPE]
[B]Paused Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 275 pounds x 3 reps
[B]Calf Raise:[/B] 45 pounds x 15 reps / 90 x 40 / 135 x 35

Deads were smooth today. Not sure I could've done a second rep at 365, but definitely had more weight there. This was a good stopping point though.
Decided to try some calf raises with the leg attachment for my new bench. It worked okay. Definitely was a pain to get the weight into position once I got up to 135 pounds on it, and that really isn't even enough weight. It's still probably the best option I have right now for calves.

Video shows the top single paused dead and the first set of calf raises:
[youtube]sVAmZXDUwHw[/youtube]

[B]T-Shirt Bench Press:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep @9 RPE [[B]PR[/B]]
[B]T-Shirt Bench Press:[/B] 135 pounds x 3 reps
[B]Incline Pin Press - 40 Degree:[/B] 85 pounds x 3/3/3/3/3/3/3/4 - 25 reps total with 15 seconds or less rest between each set.

Pressing felt great today. Was shooting for 165 for the top single, but realized that was going to be too easy today. Even 175 was quite fluid, maybe around a 9 RPE. Back off work felt very light.
For the Pin Presses my aim was just to pack some extra volume into a short time frame, so I did sets of triples with 5-15 seconds rest between.
I'm really happy with how the training is going right now. Feeling strong on everything and continuing to make technical improvements all around.

[youtube]c2SrjrOYllI[/youtube]

[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 280 pounds - 3 sets x 5 reps
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 inch Deficit:[/B] 240 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Hamstring Curl:[/B] 55 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Standing Cable Crunch:[/B] 2 Chain + 20 pounds - 2 sets x 10 reps

Another solid workout. Deads were nowhere near failure. Stiff Legged deads were a challenge though. I was mostly struggling to maintain my bracing as I got further into each set.

Hamstring Curls were going great initially. On the second set I started getting some serious discomfort in my right quad. Couldn't figure out what was causing it, but it was something with how my quads were sitting on the roller pads. I'll try to pay closer attention next time I do them and see if I can figure it out.

[B]Floor Press:[/B] 140 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
[B]Larsen Press - Narrow Grip:[/B] 120 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
[B]Wide Grip Cable Row:[/B] 80 pounds x 20/18/16
[B]Tricep Strap Pushdown:[/B] 30 pounds x 12/10/9

Was thinking today was going to be a rest day, but then I was sitting around with nothing to do and it ended not being a rest day, lol. Should have taken the rest day though because the fatigue started getting to me during the second exercise. Had to take a good 10 minute rest to recover.
Floor Press went well.
Rows and Triceps were done alternating, with only the time it took to change the plates as rest in between. Definitely taking a day off tomorrow.

[B]12 Inch Box Squat - Speed:[/B] 145 pounds + 2 Chain - 8 sets x 2 reps
[B]Leg Extension:[/B] 70 pounds - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Cable Curl:[/B] 20 pounds 3 sets x 10 reps

Feeling very refreshed after 2 days rest.
Changed my bracing and starting position on squats, engaging my abs and glutes more. It largely eliminates the arch in my back and feels like a stronger starting position. Need to work on getting used to it though. Kind of getting the itch to squat more now, so I may switch my focus from deads to squats at some point relatively soon.
I have typically had elbow discomfort doing any curl other than a hammer curl. Tried them out with a new curl bar and they went quite well. I get some extra resistance because even though the new 10 pound plates fit pretty well, they still start rubbing against the wall about half way up. It's like having built in bands, lol.

[B]Bench Press:[/B] 140 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
[B]Narrow Grip Bench - 30 Degree Incline: [/B]120 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
[B]Double D Cable Row:[/B] 80 pounds x 30/22/16 + drop set of 40 pounds x 30 reps
[B]Triceps V-Bar Pushdown:[/B] 40 pounds x 15/13/12 + drop set of 20 pounds x 16 reps

Bench was still pretty far from failure today. I'll increase to 145 next time.
On Incline I did 5 more reps than last week with the same weight. I'll increase to 125 next time.
Rows and Pushdowns resulted in a massive pump in my arms and shoulders. I will most likely keep the weight the same next time on both.

[B]Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 435 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]

Was planning to work up to about 95% of my 1RM and then do some backoff work. During the ramp up it became pretty clear that I probably had a PR in me today, so I pushed it pretty much to a Max and hit a 10 pound PR. Actually may have been able to do even more but I probably placed my hands too close together and it resulted in a struggle on the lockout. Was maybe marginal by competition standards, but I felt like I was able to fully lock it out. Decided to just end the workout after the top single.

[youtube]Aswtg1_fv7w[/youtube]

[B]Bench Press - 3 Count Pause:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep @9 RPE
[B]Bench Press - 3 Count Pause:[/B] 135 pounds x 3 reps
[B]Incline Pin Press - 40 Degree:[/B] 95 pounds - 8 sets x 5 reps / 1 set x 8 reps

My bench technique is the best it's ever been right now. Matched my PR on the top single and undoubtedly could've set a new one but I wanted to be sure I had something left to do the back off work and hypertrophy work, unlike yesterday.

Not sure that I actually did 8 sets of 5 on the pin press. I thought I had only done 6, but my clicker said 8... Very possible that I lost count. All the sets of this were done with 15-30 seconds rest between.

Here's video of the top single:
[youtube]KwjM6-znLyQ[/youtube]

[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 285 pounds - 2 sets x 5 reps

Family got back from their 3 week vacation a little after 5am this morning. My parents came to visit for the day as well. Long day.
The 2 sets of deads was about 1/4 of what I had programmed for the day, but felt it was better that I just do something rather than push it off another day.

[B]Floor Press:[/B] 150 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
[B]Larsen Press - Camber Bar Narrow Grip:[/B] 110 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps
[B]Cable Pulldown - Med Supinate MAG:[/B] 60 pounds x 20/20, 80 pounds x 17
[B]Tricep Strap Pushdown:[/B] 20 pounds x 20/16/17

Some of the floor press sets were quite hard, others I felt like I had another 4-5 reps in me. Must be from/movement pattern inconsistency.
Just got an American Cambered Bar from ElitFTS, so naturally I had to try it out. Never used one before so it took a few sets to get the feel for it. Last set felt very good.
Also recently got a couple of MAG bars. Gave the Medium Supinate a try today. I really like it. Typically my shoulders fatigue first, but I could feel that most of the work was being done by my lats with this piece of equipment.

[B]12 Inch Box Squat - Speed:[/B] 145 pounds + 2 Chain - 10 sets x 2 reps
[B]Leg Extension:[/B] 70 pounds - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Strap Cable Curl:[/B] 20 pounds x 20 reps / 4 pounds x 20/13

Box Squats felt easier than last time despite the 2 extra sets. I taped most sets to monitor bar path and found that it's straying way forward most of the time out of the hole. A wide stance was the only I did today that seemed to help, but I'm also much weaker with a wide stance. Probably just need to work on getting stronger with a wider stance...

Did cable curls with a strap. This is by far the best a curl has ever felt for me. I'll definitely be doing these more regularly. Below is an image of what I'm referring to when I say 'strap'.

[img]https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41MrKml6tjL._AC_SY1000_.jpg[/img]