ElrondHubbard Clawing My Way Back

[Aristotelian]

Wow, Elrond. You have a seriously inspirational story here. My father in law also goes by 'tonnage' in his workouts too, but I chalked this up to law enforcement types.

Good luck and looking forward to the upcoming deadlift day Thanks for sharing through videos too.

[tblodg15]

Thanks Dave for the description of your programming, obviously it is working for you!

I understand the concern with using RPE, studies have shown some folks can be way off. When I started tracking mine I am surprised how close I am. I rate my RPE in my spreadsheet for the last set of every exercise. I don’t look at my previous workout and even when I change weight and rep schemes they come out real close to the previous workout.

I have a table that calculates % of an estimated 1 rep max based on RPE and number of reps. As I was working up to my AMRAP test the table was calculating my bench press 1RM at 258 based on leaving a few reps in reserve on my work sets. When I did an actual all out test it came to 262 so pretty damn close! On squats my RPE based calculation ended up being 15 lbs less than my actual all out test but that’s still close (within 4%) and I found I can will myself to keep going for a few more reps during a test on squats even after it feels like max effort.

Everyone is different but 17 weeks without a deload seems like a crazy long time. But then again before I learned about deloads and fatigue management I went 6 months myself without taking one. And actually when you reset a weight after a fail that acts similar to a deload in my opinion.

[ElrondHubbard]

Dave you are the man!!

I've been waiting for a proper timing to post,
because this GREAT video should be carried over to and at the top of the new page!!

And try not to be your own critic this once!!

Spoiler!

Sir!!

Your timing is always good, Kaz! I'm glad you liked the video, I sure worked hard for it! It'll be a while before it happens again, but it will!

(And hey, if I don't criticize me, who will?)

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool." -- "Sir" Richard Feynman

[ElrondHubbard]

Wow, Elrond. You have a seriously inspirational story here. My father in law also goes by 'tonnage' in his workouts too, but I chalked this up to law enforcement types.

Good luck and looking forward to the upcoming deadlift day Thanks for sharing through videos too.

Nope, not just a law enforcement type. Even us anarchists like tonnage numbers!

I'm glad you were inspired, but I hope you weren't so inspired as to want to emulate it!

[ElrondHubbard]

Thanks Dave for the description of your programming, obviously it is working for you!

I understand the concern with using RPE, studies have shown some folks can be way off. When I started tracking mine I am surprised how close I am. I rate my RPE in my spreadsheet for the last set of every exercise. I don’t look at my previous workout and even when I change weight and rep schemes they come out real close to the previous workout.

I have a table that calculates % of an estimated 1 rep max based on RPE and number of reps. As I was working up to my AMRAP test the table was calculating my bench press 1RM at 258 based on leaving a few reps in reserve on my work sets. When I did an actual all out test it came to 262 so pretty damn close! On squats my RPE based calculation ended up being 15 lbs less than my actual all out test but that’s still close (within 4%) and I found I can will myself to keep going for a few more reps during a test on squats even after it feels like max effort.

Everyone is different but 17 weeks without a deload seems like a crazy long time. But then again before I learned about deloads and fatigue management I went 6 months myself without taking one. And actually when you reset a weight after a fail that acts similar to a deload in my opinion.

17 weeks IS a crazy long time. I won't be doing it again. That's interesting about how closely you can correlate your RPE with percentages. I wonder if that just comes with experience.

There have been several times that I took a good look at RPE-based programs and thought about adapting one. But then I compare them with my own scheme and I figure they really aren't that different when it comes down to it. One thing I enjoy is studying some of the very old-school body builders from the pre-steroid era: The Steve Reeves, the Reg Parks, the Jack Lalannes, the Chet Yortons, and reading about their workout and diet plans. Each one had a very different approach, and yet each one's approach obviously worked. A big part of it was genetics, of course, but I think the take-home is that the thing that matters most is consistency and dedicated effort. Our approaches aren't that fundamentally different, and what differences there are don't seem to be very important in the long run. I think we can each do what works for us, and it will work for us -- until it doesn't.

[ElrondHubbard]

Before it's too late, here comes the Tuesday night workout. Even though it's a deload... wait, I said that on Sunday!



One thing I did to prepare for my deadlift was to watch the video series So You Think You Can Deadlift from elitefts. Here, they take a guy through a deadlift session from light weights until he fails to move the bar, and point out how the form breaks down at the heaviest lifts, explain what weaknesses those breakdowns reveal, and describe different accessory exercises to help strengthen those weak areas. It looked like their training subject had the same form breaks I did, although mine were worse.

On the other hand, it does look like I'd been using some of the wrong form cues the whole time, even at lighter weights, so I went back and adjusted those, lowering my hips, raising my head, and trying to keep my back straighter. This absolutely made the lift harder for me: I need work in the whole lower chain -- quads, hamstrings, and glutes. So that will change my accessories somewhat.

Also, I think part of the issue is that my deadlift is so far ahead of my squat, that my legs just aren't ready to do their share of the work in getting the bar up. So I'm going to hold the weight steady on deadlift for a while as I concentrate on better form and work to increase my squat to catch up. I'm hoping that before the end of the summer I'll be firing on all cylinders, and ready to pull it up to new highs.

Incline Bench:
100x5
120x5
139x5
159x5

Squat:
120x5 -- Paused
149x5 -- Paused
179x5
179x5

Overhead Press:
55x5
68x5
82x5
96x5
96x5

Deadlift:
226x5
271x5
316x5
361x5



Accessories:

Pullups -- Bodyweight, first real Myo-rep attempt.
10 rep activation set -- pause for 5 breaths
5 -- pause for 5 breaths
4 -- stop
Hope to add 5-rep sets in the near future.


Chinups -- 2x5, NOT myo-reps, appx two-minute rest between sets.

Total pullup + chinup: 29 reps

Pushups -- 2x32, appx two-minute rest between sets.

This myo-rep stuff is going to take some practice. It's not really possible with pushups, each set has too many reps. I'm just trying to shorten up the rest periods across the board, and I can sure feel it. I'll probably acclimate soon enough.

[ElrondHubbard]

Nothing to see on Thursday night. No workout. I spent the day in Las Vegas on a couple of medical appointments, one a routine followup on my treatment, and one an eye exam for a new glasses prescription. By the time they were done, it was rush hour, and there wasn't much chance of getting home at a reasonable hour for a workout. (We're about 2 hours outside of Las Vegas on a good day). So we did the next best thing, which might have actually been a better thing, and spent the time watching the new "Apollo 11" documentary.

If there are any space geeks out there, I can't recommend this film highly enough. No narration, no interviews, just 100% authentic event footage masterfully assembled to tell the no-nonsense story, and make you feel like you really were there. It also makes you appreciate the massive amount of teamwork among the thousands of people that were necessary for the mission's success. An evening very well spent. Even my wife spent the rest of the night geeking out about it, and she's not nearly the enthusiast that I am.

I'll start week 87 on Sunday night, as usual, I'll just do the same weights as this past week. I have had a little more chance to experiment with myo-reps for the accessories, so maybe I'll be a little better then.

[Payton1221]

Pullups -- Bodyweight, first real Myo-rep attempt.
10 rep activation set -- pause for 5 breaths
5 -- pause for 5 breaths
4 -- stop
Hope to add 5-rep sets in the near future.

I know a bit about myoreps but how do you choose when to stop the activation set? I've not been doing myoreps but I've minimized my rest time significantly. I did 14 pull-ups the other night which was nearly failure (RPE 9 to 9+) and after 60 SECONDS I was only able to get 6 reps IIRC.

[ElrondHubbard]

I know a bit about myoreps but how do you choose when to stop the activation set? I've not been doing myoreps but I've minimized my rest time significantly. I did 14 pull-ups the other night which was nearly failure (RPE 9 to 9+) and after 60 SECONDS I was only able to get 6 reps IIRC.

It's all guessing right now. The instructions I'm using come from Austin Baraki on the Barbell Medicine Website.

https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/fo...0652#post10652

How to do myoreps:
The first set is called the "activation set"- which is just working up to the prescribed rep range @ RPE 8.
10-12 reps is likely 62-68% of 1RM
12-15 is likely 58-62%, and all bets are off for 14-16 reps (and the exercises are weird).

After doing this activation set, rack the bar for 5 deep breaths (in and out).

Then do a set of 3-5 reps, aiming for 5 reps.

Re-rack the weight, rest for 5 breaths, then repeat a set of the same number of reps you just did (whether 3, 4, or 5 reps).

Repeat this process (set of 3-5, rack, 5 breaths) until the FIRST TIME you hit 1 rep less than the first set of 3-5.

In other words, if you hit 4 reps on the first set and you hit 3 on the 2nd set, you're done.
If you hit 4-4-3, you're done after the set of 3.
If you hit 3-3-3-2, you're done after the double.

So, my activation set is supposed to go to RPE-8. My problem is I'm a very poor judge of when I've actually reached RPE-8, so I suspect I'll be casting about in the dark for a few weeks until I've got a better handle on it.

There's a lot of other information on the internet about Myo-reps, and I've barely scratched the surface. I have some more reading to do.

[bamazav]

Some good stuff happening in here, even on a deload.

Smart to rework the deads. I did that a couple years ago, still struggle getting Lats engaged, but they are much better than they were. Taking the time to regroup will pay off in the long run.

I have used a variation of myo-reps before, doing micro sets of 2 rep rest paused sets. Since I train at home and alone, these were safer than traditional rest pause work. I hadn't thought about using them for my accessory work. Since I am wanting to do higher rep, more bodybuilding style accessory work, I may have to bring them back. Thanks for getting me thinking.

[Payton1221]

There's a lot of other information on the internet about Myo-reps, and I've barely scratched the surface. I have some more reading to do.

I'm a member of Borge ***erli's (the creator of Myoreps) ******** Group Sustainable Self-Development that's put out some good info. As the name implies, it's for "sustainable" lifting, i.e., they don't advocate stupid-high volume or doing highly technical oly lifts for amrap like some Crossfitters do. He has a link to a $15 ebook on myoreps that he's selling. I should buy it since I'm wanting to do these type workouts on occasion.

[tblodg15]

I have never done myo reps either but I do plan on trying some sets once I am done with this strength block.

A question I have though - myo reps will save time but doesn’t the short rest make it somewhat of an intensity technique? I could be wrong but it doesn’t sound like something for a deload week to me when the purpose of a deload is to reduce built up fatigue? It makes sense to stay well away from failure during a deload week but that sounds difficult with myo reps, but again I haven’t used them yet.

[ElrondHubbard]

Some good stuff happening in here, even on a deload.

Smart to rework the deads. I did that a couple years ago, still struggle getting Lats engaged, but they are much better than they were. Taking the time to regroup will pay off in the long run.

I have used a variation of myo-reps before, doing micro sets of 2 rep rest paused sets. Since I train at home and alone, these were safer than traditional rest pause work. I hadn't thought about using them for my accessory work. Since I am wanting to do higher rep, more bodybuilding style accessory work, I may have to bring them back. Thanks for getting me thinking.

That’s interesting, because until reading your post I had never considered myo-reps for anything BUT accessories. Now the idea of using them for my main lifts is intriguing. I can imagine a circumstance where that might be a good choice.

This is what makes this forum so much fun. Thanks for getting ME thinking!

[ElrondHubbard]

I'm a member of Borge ***erli's (the creator of Myoreps) ******** Group Sustainable Self-Development that's put out some good info. As the name implies, it's for "sustainable" lifting, i.e., they don't advocate stupid-high volume or doing highly technical oly lifts for amrap like some Crossfitters do. He has a link to a $15 ebook on myoreps that he's selling. I should buy it since I'm wanting to do these type workouts on occasion.

I don’t do ********, but he’s also got a regular blog which I have bookmarked. It’s got at least one very comprehensive article on it. Alan Thrall and Barbell Medicine also have some info, among others. I’m just getting my feet wet now, a bit tentatively, but it seems promising.

[ElrondHubbard]

I have never done myo reps either but I do plan on trying some sets once I am done with this strength block.

A question I have though - myo reps will save time but doesn’t the short rest make it somewhat of an intensity technique? I could be wrong but it doesn’t sound like something for a deload week to me when the purpose of a deload is to reduce built up fatigue? It makes sense to stay well away from failure during a deload week but that sounds difficult with myo reps, but again I haven’t used them yet.

It’s definitely intense, and I think you have a good point. If I was using them for more than a couple of accessories, I don’t think I’d get much of a deload accomplished. Eventually, though, I think they might work well for a while if I’m on a cut and not trying for PRs. I ‘ll find out soon enough!

[ElrondHubbard]

For the most part, Week 87 started identically to week 86, so there's not much to report. Same weights, same reps. Since I skipped Thursday, I didn't complete the week, so I can't move up yet, which is just as well for now.

I did make some improvement on the accessories, but I still don't quite have a stride. The pullups and the pushups have definitely degraded since I stopped doing them at the end of January, and I can't include them (at least not the weighted pullups) in any myo-rep scheme. I've successfully reduced the rest period between sets, but not to the extent that myo-reps demands. With the weighted pullups there are too few reps to make an activation set, and with the pushups there are too many.

But that's ok.

Dumbbell seated shrugs were awkward, maybe I need to lean forward more. The plates kept hitting my legs on the way up, which interfered with the movement. If I can't get them working right, I'll probably shift to barbell shrugs. Once I've got the actual exercise figured out, then it's a question of finding the right weight. I'll get there.

Morning weight: 177.6 pounds

Bench Press:
95x5
119x5
143x5
166x5
190x5

Squat:
120x5 -- Paused
149x5 -- Paused
179x5
209x5
239x5

BB Row:
104x5
130x5
156x5
182x5
209x5

Overhead Press:
55x5
68x5
82x5
96x5
109x5

Accessories:

Pullups/Chinups, 35 lb plate hanging:
Pullups -- Moderately wide, neutral grip: 7 + 5 + 4
Chinups -- Shoulder width, supinated grip: 5 + 4

25 reps total

Pushups w/Grip handles:
3 sets: 35 + 35 + 30

100 reps total


Stiff-Legged Deadlifts, 145 lbs:
Myo-reps -- 5 breaths between sets: 14 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5

39 reps total -- STILL needs to be heavier.


Dumbbell Seated Shrugs, 45 lb dumbbells:
Myo-reps -- 5 breaths between sets: 14 + 5 + 5 + 5 +5 +5

39 reps total, but very awkward.

Tuesday will be a repeat as well, but hopefully accessories will progress.


Note: Fore some strange reason, the software balked at a pair of parentheses, and kept crashing when I tried to post. Not even a decent grammar nazi!

[Payton1221]

because until reading your post I had never considered myo-reps for anything BUT accessories.

I know that you've recently posted both about RPE and about Myoreps. Would you agree that Myoreps really distorts your ability to measure RPE? I know that when I start one of the mini-sets after the activation set I immediately think "oh man, THIS IS HEAVY!" But I'm usually surprised that I am able to get a few more reps than I thought possible when performing for the first rep or two.

[Samraiwise]

Your journal is always educational with all the discussions about training methods and other technical things. Dave, Zav and Mark you three are the best minds here in BB.com!!

Thank you!!

[ElrondHubbard]

I know that you've recently posted both about RPE and about Myoreps. Would you agree that Myoreps really distorts your ability to measure RPE? I know that when I start one of the mini-sets after the activation set I immediately think "oh man, THIS IS HEAVY!" But I'm usually surprised that I am able to get a few more reps than I thought possible when performing for the first rep or two.

I don't think I can say that, because my ability to measure RPE comes pre-distorted! And the more I look into it, I think the less I like it. For me, at least, I suspect that it would feed into my tendency for confirmation bias. Since it's based on my subjective interpretation at the time, I can see so many scenarios where that subjective interpretation could be manipulated. Ever since I started lifting at 59 I've been fighting scripts in my head that try to undermine me and make me want to quit. A scheme like RPE could play right into that self-destructive strategy.

That said, I think it's roughly useful with myoreps in determining how far to go with the activation set. But yeah, those subsequent mini-reps can be truly humbling!

[ElrondHubbard]

Your journal is always educational with all the discussions about training methods and other technical things. Dave, Zav and Mark you three are the best minds here in BB.com!!

Thank you!!

Don't forget Kaz!

I feel like I've fallen in with a truly elite group, and I'm proud to be associated with all of you.

[ElrondHubbard]

Tuesday night, again, I simply repeated week 86 by putting a week 87 label on it. Once again, the deadlifts, as long as I'm trying to correct my form errors, was very hard. And, as before, the difficulty is with leg strength. At least I have a clear path forward.

This time, there's no expectation of missing Thursday, so I'll have a full workout this week, and be able to step higher next week.

Incline Bench:
100x5
120x5
139x5
159x5

Squat:
120x5 -- Paused
149x5 -- Paused
179x5
179x5

Overhead Press:
55x5
68x5
82x5
96x5
96x5

Deadlift:
226x5
271x5
316x5
361x5



Accessories:

Pullups -- Bodyweight, neutral grip
10 rep activation set -- pause for 5 breaths
5 -- pause for 5 breaths
3 -- stop
Actually did worse on this than last week, not sure why.

Chinups -- Bodyweight, separate set of sets, myo-reps.
8 rep activation set
5 rep mini-set
2 rep finish.

Total pullup + chinup: 33 reps

Pushups w/ grip handles -- 3 sets, 40 + 35 + 32. Avoided coming too close to failure.

[alicat32]

Outstanding! I often have to repeat previous weeks when I am trying to get form down. For me, I have to check ego at the door. That was me yesterday on bench. Keep up the good work! This far in, you are doing exceptional. 87 weeks, I don't know that I could log that long successfully

[bamazav]

I know that you've recently posted both about RPE and about Myoreps. Would you agree that Myoreps really distorts your ability to measure RPE? I know that when I start one of the mini-sets after the activation set I immediately think "oh man, THIS IS HEAVY!" But I'm usually surprised that I am able to get a few more reps than I thought possible when performing for the first rep or two.

I don't think I can say that, because my ability to measure RPE comes pre-distorted! And the more I look into it, I think the less I like it. For me, at least, I suspect that it would feed into my tendency for confirmation bias. Since it's based on my subjective interpretation at the time, I can see so many scenarios where that subjective interpretation could be manipulated. Ever since I started lifting at 59 I've been fighting scripts in my head that try to undermine me and make me want to quit. A scheme like RPE could play right into that self-destructive strategy.

That said, I think it's roughly useful with myoreps in determining how far to go with the activation set. But yeah, those subsequent mini-reps can be truly humbling!

Some interesting thoughts here. I use RPE mainly for my higher rep sets with lower % weights to try to determine an accurate working set. I confess, that I am not very successful. I find that what I think I can do and what I can actually do are often very different. Right now, I am going by a combination of % and feel. I know on my "powerlifts" I am working toward a 3RM, so once I hit the 80% of my max weights, I began doing sets of triples. I shoot for two to three sets, depending on time and adjust once into them. If I can only get a single or a double, I hit those and continue sets until I hit my overall rep goal for the day. My overall volume stays the same but how I get there changes based on how I feel that day. Time is usually my greatest enemy in the gym and with the clock in the back of my mind, I found that I often wimp out when using a soley RPE based plan. I try to utilize The Prilepin's Chart for determining my reps per exercise which helps me focus also. Being as I am wanting to get stronger and see some hypertrophy, I am going to start adding some myoreps to my accessory work to bump up the overall volume.

[Payton1221]

I don't think I can say that, because my ability to measure RPE comes pre-distorted!

It's logical to think that one's RPE 9 would be more accurate than a lower number, and I'll say that I have confidence in my ability to determine RPE 9 or RPE 10 (duh!) on the pressing exercises like bench or OHP. But for other exercises, like leg extensions, I'm always able to get several more reps even when I think I'm at RPE 9.

I try to utilize The Prilepin's Chart for determining my reps per exercise which helps me focus also.

I think most people should spend most of their time roughly following Prilepins Chart. I've been guilty of stupid-high volumes for a season and it really didn't add any appreciable amount of strength or size, and yet, I'm sure that it made me much more susceptible for injury

[tblodg15]

I don't think I can say that, because my ability to measure RPE comes pre-distorted! And the more I look into it, I think the less I like it. For me, at least, I suspect that it would feed into my tendency for confirmation bias. Since it's based on my subjective interpretation at the time, I can see so many scenarios where that subjective interpretation could be manipulated. Ever since I started lifting at 59 I've been fighting scripts in my head that try to undermine me and make me want to quit. A scheme like RPE could play right into that self-destructive strategy.

You guys are all more experienced than I am but I thought I would share how I am using RPE because I think it avoids some of your concerns.

I plan my workout for the entire week and have predetermined weight, reps, and sets. I then execute the lifts as planned and after the last set I document in my lifting journal my estimated RPE for the last set. So I am not stopping my set short because I think I only have 2 reps left. I hit the rep goal and then estimate how many more I could have done. I have done this for 9+ months and I have only made adjustments to how strong I felt a couple times. So technically I am not following a true RPE based program, I am following closer to a Prilepin scheme but also paying attention to the RPE that brings me to.

Now you may wonder what the point is then. As I ramp up weights near the end of the block I am coming real close to failure so I have a good judge on how accurate the RPE is. For me it is easy to tell when I only have 0 or 1 reps left with good form. The advantage is that I want to avoid overdoing it early in the block. To blindly follow a Prilepin or any percentage based program if it is taking you to failure all the time is not likely to be productive, especially for us older folks. Going to failure can limit effective volume and that’s ok if you are close to a deload at the end of the block because functional over reaching is ok for a short time. But if we are grinding reps early in the mesocycle the fatigue may build up faster than we can recover from it without a deload to reduce that fatigue. So I have made adjustments to my plan for the following week and lowered or raised the weight to try and keep about 2 reps short of failure until the last few weeks of an 8 or 12 week block.

I have only been lifting for just over 2 years and the first year I lifted like I did back in high school and took almost every set of every exercise to failure. I did make progress but could only hit each muscle group 1 1/2 times per week (2x one week and 1x the next). I tried increasing frequency to 2x every week and just couldn’t recover enough. When I started programming blocks and leaving reps in reserve early in the block I have made much better progress and it has allowed me to increase my frequency from 1.5x per week to 2x per week to where I am now doing full body 3x per week.

I just realized I should add this - I have said I am a pretty good judge of RPE but I will say two exercises that are hard to judge are the squat and deadlift! I have not taken a set of squats to failure lifting without a rack but that will change as I just bought one. But I am ok with that because they are so taxing that squats and deadlifts of all lifts are something I don’t want to push to failure often. Good progress can be made with a few reps left in reserve on those exercises where less taxing lifts may need to be pushed farther.

That ended up longer than I planned as usual but those are my 2 cents if worth even that.

[tblodg15]

To blindly follow a Prilepin or any percentage based program if it is taking you to failure all the time is not likely to be productive

For clarification I wanted to say that I was referring to myself because this happened to me. Back in high school our football team held a power lifting meet and I maxed out in bench, squat, and deadlift. I wanted to improve on my numbers of course so I found a 12 week power lifting program based on percentages. I calculated the entire 12 weeks out using my fresh 1 rep maxes and started the program. 3 weeks in I was already failing to get the prescribed reps! Luckily even though I was only 17 years-old I was smart enough to realize that trying to follow these prescribed percentages for the next 9 weeks as the weight ramped up was going to run me into the ground. So after another week I decided to scrap the whole program. I could have lowered the weights but even back then I was more interested in working to add muscle mass than strength so I went back to more of a bodybuilding style of workout.

We all know the percentages are a guideline and the Prilepin chart gives leeway to make adjustments on exact number of reps and sets. But thats how RPE can help because if I am up to RPE of 9 only 2 or 3 weeks in I am surely not going add weight or reps the following week even though my program calls for it.

[ElrondHubbard]

Outstanding! I often have to repeat previous weeks when I am trying to get form down. For me, I have to check ego at the door. That was me yesterday on bench. Keep up the good work! This far in, you are doing exceptional. 87 weeks, I don't know that I could log that long successfully

Logging is easy. It’s the lifting that’s hard!

Ego is definitely an issue here. Which is kind of strange because I work out alone, and there’s no one else watching me. Even when my wife is there she’s doing her best to ignore the clanging and trying to get her own art projects done. So the ego is all internal. I am my own worst critic, and the hardest one to please.

Sometimes I do end up happy with my work, though.

[ElrondHubbard]

Too many good responses to quote here in one batch. And I’m loving this discussion, it’s extremely informative. So, I still need to read more broadly about different approaches to Myo-reps and I was unaware of Prilepen’s chart.

I’m not sure how long I will go with this deload/cut cycle, I want to lose at least 10 pounds, and it might be a good place to experiment with a few things in the meantime. But when I get back on a strength regime, I do think that some of the ideas y’all have put out here are going to be worth incorporating.

[ElrondHubbard]

Unlike last week's Thursday non-workout, I actually got it in last night, and thus completed Week 87. I can now start working back up to previous totals. How I'll combine that with my weight loss goals, I'm still not sure.

Weights were as they should be, accessories still a little short. I've obviously de-acclimated to them, and that's going to take time to ramp up. While the weighted pullups/chinups give me too few sets to do actual myo-reps with them, I did try to apply to principle of shorter rest breaks, and hopefully more effective reps. The only accessory I did true myo-reps on was the stiff-legged deadlift: and I still think I need to add a little more weight. I held back a bit on the pushups, I was starting to run into energy depletion by the time I got there, and I didn't want to ruin whatever came next. As it was, I didn't get to my planned shrugs, so I'll save that for Sunday.

All in all, I think it was a productive workout to get me through the deload.


Bench Press:
95x5
119x5
143x5
166x5
195x4
143x10

Squat:
120x5 -- Paused
149x5 -- Paused
179x5
209x5
245x4
179x10

BB Row:
104x5
130x5
156x5
182x5
214x4
156x10

Overhead Press:
55x5
68x5
82x5
96x5
112x4
82x10


Accessories:
Pullups, neutral grip, 35 pound plate hanging on belt, 3 sets:
7 + 5 + 5

Chinups supinated narrow grip, 35 pound plate hanging on belt, 2 sets:
5 + 5

Pullups/Chinups combined, 27 reps total.

Pushups w/grip handles, 3 sets
30 + 30 + 30, 90 reps total.

Stiff-legged Deadlifts, 150 pounds, myo-reps:
12 rep activation set, + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 4, 32 reps total.

Weather looks good for Sunday -- may not have to wear thermal socks!

[thehobbes]

Always mirin' your row to bp strength, row your boat!

Weather looks good for Sunday -- may not have to wear thermal socks!

Spring is on the way, thrilled to ditch the thermal socks, thermal shirts, and thermal undies lol.