Bench and Squat

Bench Press [ring fingers on rings]
45 x 12
135 x 6
165 x 3
185 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 5, 3

Paused Bench Press 205 x 1 x 3
Incline Bench Press 135 x 8 x 2

Olympic Squat with light wraps [belt at 365]
45 x 12
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1
375 x 4

Paused Olympic Squat [no wraps, no belt] 315 x 1
Hip Belt Squat Machine loaded with 130 x 8x 2

-notes-
I tried to train the bench yesterday evening, but my right shoulder still felt a little unstable. I got stuck with 175 on three tries, then decided to pack it in and head home. Tonight had to cover both press and squat and it went much better. Shoulder still hurting at a very specific point in the press, but I was able to gut out a good set. Couldn't match the feat in another set though. I did as well on squats as I could have hoped.

375 x 5 with wraps and belt

Squat and Assistance

Olympic Squat [belt and wraps at 335]
45 x 12 x 2
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
335 x 1
345 x 5 x 2

Paused Olympic Squat with belt 325 x 2
Hip Belt Squat Machine in flats 90 x 15 x 2

-notes-
Only weighed 180 today. I haven't had much appetite. Squats went okay. Swapped leg press for hip belt machine. Much harder on quads, particularly the vastus medialis. This is in keeping with my renewed focus on getting volume on the main lift followed by very similar variations, especially the paused version. Yesterday I only did the bench, the paused bench, and incline bench.

345 x 5 first set

345 x 5 second set

325 x 2 paused

Bench Press [ring on ring]
45 x 12 x 2
135 x 6
165 x 4
185 x 2
195 x 5 x 3

Paused Bench Press [ring on ring]185 x 3 x 3
 Bench Press [ring on ring] 205 x  3
Low Incline Press 135 x 5 x 3

-notes-
Decided on a upper-lower split with a focus on bench and squat. Got reminded that the bench is king of the upper body lifts. All the pressing musculature is feeling it now. I really hope I get back to working with over 225 very soon. Tomorrow I squat and leg press.

The Sad Results Are In

Weighted Chin Up @ 182
+00 x 4
+45 x 2
+70 x 1
+80 x 4

Conventional Deadlift
315 x 2
365 x 1
415 x 1
455 x 1
495 x miss [belt]
475 x miss [belt]

-notes-
Crushing disappointment. I am much weaker: no no no back squat down 65 lbs (440 to 375); tng bench down 50 lbs this cycle (275 to 225) and 90 lbs from peak (315 to 225); standing press down 20 lbs (175 x 3 to 155 x 3); chin down around 20 lbs (195+105 to 182+100).

Getting Weaker

Standing Barbell Press [suicide grip just inside rings]
45 x 12
105 x 4
125 x 2
135 x 1
145 x 1
155 x 1 *
135 x 7 [PR]

Close Grip Bench Press [suicide grip two inches inside rings]
45 x 12
135 x 6
175 x 3
205 x 1
215 x 1, 1+miss

Low Incline Fly with 25-lb DBs x 12 x 2
Seated Lateral Raise with 20-lb DBs x 8 x 2
Bench Press 225 x 1

-notes-
Very disappointing day. It turns out my bench has evaporated. I barely got 225 for a single at the end of the session. Looks like standing press and close griip were not enough to prevent bench decay.

Squat and Assistance

Olympic Back Squat with light wraps [belt at 325]
45 x 12
135 x 6
225 x 3
315 x 2
345 x 1
365 x 1
385 x miss
325 x 5 x 2

Paused Olympic Back Squat with belt 315 x 1 x 5
45-Degree Leg Press, Squat Style with light wraps 485 x 10  2

-notes-
Back was still fatigued and I lost 385 completely. I gave up and put on the belt and also got volume because my right quad needs the practice. Did a few paused singles afterward (still with belt this time) to reinforce getting tight and mastering the weight. I am reminded that paused squats are arguably the best assistance there is for the back squat. Nearly died after second set of leg press--truly a gut-busting movement when done for full range and for reps, much like the squat. And I was starving afterward.

First set of five with belt and light wraps

Second set of five with belt and light wraps

45-Degree Leg Press

Fasted Weight 180 + Perfect Knees

Fasted for 18 hours except for a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. Weighed 180.8 lbs.

Knees feeling like they are 20 years younger. Able to squat all the way down to pick up boxes with zero hint of pain. I'm sure it's the rolling out of adhesions in my left v. lateralis.

Should Have Waited Till Tomorrow To Squat (But At Least Creationist, Bigoted Pedophile Roy Moore Lost)

Olympic Back Squat with light wraps
45 x 12
135 x 6
225 x 3
315 x 2
355 x 1
380 x 1 [very good]
390 x 1 [very poor, back rounding]
375 x 1 with belt

-Notes-
I should have waited till tomorrow. Horrible session. Low energy. I think I need to start to making my training blocks shorter. Things start coming apart in the fourth week. But at least I got a solid 380 without a belt and with very light wraps (kept on all session); that's still a good bit over 200% of body weight. It's almost as good a ratio as when I did 440 at 194.

...I just realized I am not recovered from that max effort set of semi stiff legged pulls on Sunday...

Holding The Line

Woke up at 182.5 this morning and was looking the best I think I ever have in my life. At a ectomorphic 5'10" this weight looks ideal on my frame.

My line in the sand as far as weight is 180. If I dip below that, I will be extremely worried. I'm getting older; it's getting harder to keep my size and strength up where I want them.

I think my pecs are a little plumper looking than usual because of the recent isolation work -- the first I'd done in years and years.

I have been mercilessly attacking those adhesions in my left vastus lateralis (especially near the origin and just below the hip). I don't think it's an accident that my left knee is now completely normal looking and feeling. I can squat down with zero pain and hold an on-toes squat stance with no problem.

Pull with Hamstring Focus

Semistiff-Legged Continuous Pull [no belt]
225 x 10
315 x 6
365 x 3
405 x 2
425 x 1
440 x 5

Glute-Hamstring Raise x 2, 3, 3
Lying Leg Curl, levered 75 x 25, 115 x 10 x 2
Cambered Bar Curl 105 x 6

-notes-
Dug deep for the pulls. Rear right shoulder still hurting and was wrecked after pulls, so no upper body pulling.

Semistiff-Legged Pull 440 x 5

Press Day + Lighter But Stronger

Standing Barbell Press [suicide grip 1 inch inside rings]

45 x 10 x 2

105 x 5

125 x 2

135 x 1

140 x 1

145 x 6 [RPE 9.5]

Close Grip Bench Press [suicide grip 2 inches inside rings]

45 x 12 x 2

135 x 5

165 x 2

185 x 1

195 x 1

200 x 1

205 x 6 [RPE 10]

Low Incline Bench Fly with 15-lb Dumbbells x 20 x 3

Seated Lateral Raise with 10-lb Dumbbells x 15 x 3

Static Lateral Hold with 5-lb Dumbbells x 10 seconds x 2

-Notes-

Today's press almost matches the 145 x 5 x 2 I did on 10/25/2017 when I was ten pounds heavier! I weighed 181 when I got home today. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I can't believe the presses are behaving so well as I lose weight. 

Close Grips were good too with 20 lbs for the same reps over last week. I want to hit 225 for five next week. That should be putting my competition grip bench (which I will rarely do) at a pretty good spot, like 225 x 8 or so. I bailed on dips today because my right shoulder just seemed to have had enough after the close grips.

The isolation work today was for aesthetics and balance. I want to get some volume directed to the upper chest and to the medial delts. My shoulder/chest circumference is already on the high side at over 52", but I wouldn't mind getting just a tiny bit wider. 

Standing Barbell Press 145 x 5

Close Grip Bench Press 205 x 6

This Is Why I Love Wraps

Wraps are not cheating; they are a legitimate tool, like a squat/deadlift belt. When used judiciously both wraps and belts will enhance training and/or recovery.

I am using wraps this cycle and my knees are loving it. The day after a very difficult squat session, I have zero knee pain. I am able to crouch. The effusion that has been plaguing my left knee for a week is almost gone. Without the wraps that effusion would have gotten worse. I know this from many trials over many years.

Weighed 182 midday. It looks like I could legitimately lift in the 82.5 kg class if I were to compete again. Sigh. At least I will hit a triple bodyweight deadlift soon now that the bar is so much lower. I can legitimately no no no Olympic squat a bit more than double body weight right now.

Squat and Assistance

Olympic Back Squat [light/loose wraps at 45, belt at 385, heavy wraps at 390]
45 x 12 x 2
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1
375 x 1
385 x 1
390 x 3

45-Degree Leg Press, squat style [loose, light wraps] 445 x 12 x 2
Hip Belt Squat Machine with 90 x 10 x 2
Seated Leg Extension, lever 55 x 20

-Notes-
I should have used 375 for the work set, but I really wanted to use 375 as a test for my beltless squat with light wraps/knee sleeves. I will go up to 405 for the belt and heavy wrap sets for the rest of the cycle and try to get multiple singles and then doubles with it. But I should do some back off volume after the heavy stuff.

I was unusually aware of my right quad during the squats. I felt it "kick in" on almost every ascent over 225.

Lastly, my light wraps were so loose that I was able to keep them on the entire session until it was time to change out to the heavy wraps for the work set. It was the coldest day so far this fall in Northern  California and my left knee still had fluid in it. So I had to keep my knees warm and provide some support at the bottom. I will be doing this a lot from here on.

375 @ 185 very loose wraps, no belt

390 x 3 @ 185 belt and heavy wraps

Acute, Temporary Knee Pain Last Night

Knee Pain Came and Went

Last night around 6 pm my left knee suddenly got tight and for the rest of the night I could not squat down more than halfway without being stopped by extreme knee pain. It was like something had slid a little out of groove and was pulling painfully tight with knee flexion.

I took some ibuprofen and when I woke up today the pain was cleared up. Really weird. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary yesterday or the day before. It felt like one of those random signals that I'm ageing.

More Pec Work/Focus

I've decided to add some more dumbbell work to focus on pec development, maybe even try another Press + Assistance day with a pec focus ass opposed to just the delts and triceps focus I currently use.

The pec focus would be flat dumbbell presses, incline dumbbell flyes, weighted dips, and

Weigh In

185 up from 180 last night due to three helpings of stewed beef with vegetables and rice and beans. 183 this morning.

Pull and Assistance

Gluteus-Hamstring Raise
pin-3 x 3 x 2
pin-2 x 2
pin-1 x 1, 2
pin-2 x 5 x 3

Weighted Chin Up @ 180
+00 x 4 x 2
+45 x 3
+60 x 2
+70 x 1
+80 x 1
+90 x 4

Stiff-Legged Continuous Pull
225 x 8
315 x 4
365 x 2
385 x 1
405 x 5

Lying Leg Curl, Levered (55 x 20 warm up) 70 x 15 x 2
Strict Cambered Bar Curl 105 x 6

-Notes-
Down to 180 and I'm sure I have further to go. But strength on all these movements is still the same or climbing. My previous best chin up a few months ago was three reps with 90 and I weighed about 10-15 lbs more; so today's four reps with 90 at a lighter weight is about equal. My best ever stiff-legged pull was 385 for six recently and 405 for five means I'm still progressing there. GHR is improving too, but I weigh less, so there is that to consider.

I really got a great hamstring burn and pump with the leg curl; need to take these more seriously as they may turn out to be a great mass-builder for my hamstrings. I hurt my shoulder in external rotation at that stupid job a couple days ago. It hurt a bit during chin ups, but when I tried to do pull ups it really hurt a lot. Again, because the shoulder is in external rotation on pull ups versus internal on chin ups. So I bailed on pull ups.

GHR

Chin Up @180 + 90 x 5

Stiff-Legged Pull 405 x 5

Standing Barbell Press [suicide grip, inch inside rings]
45 x 10 x 2
100 x 5
115 x 3
135 x 1
145 x 1
160 x 1*
135 x 6 x 2

Close Grip Bench Press [inch inside rings]
45 x 15 x 2
115 x 6
135 x 5
155 x 3
165 x 1
175 x 1
185 x 6

Two-Arm Seated DB Overhead Extension 35 x 15 x 2

-Notes-
I hurt my shoulder more a couple days ago at that stupid job and that stupid job also made me lose a few pounds and now I'm down to 182-183. Still today was okay.

Standing Barbell Press 135 x 5

Close Gripe Bench Press 185 x 6

Two-Arm Seated Dumbbell Extension