War of Attrition

yesterday I benched 102.5 x 5  - smashed it, 100 x 5 all paused - smashed it, 95 x 5 all paused and needless to say - smashed it.

Today wasn't as easy. Squatted 175 x 2 x 5 and 165 x 5. Just hard. See how I feel over the next 2 weeks. I've been running 5s for a couple of months now and they may be getting a bit stale. Got 4 options:

1. Drop down to about 160 and start building back up with 30 rep sessions.
2. Start using ladders to accumulate volume.
3. Keep progressing weight and drop volume; utilise heavy doubles and triples
4. Keep doing what I've been doing.

Looking at my options I think number 2, 3 or a combination of both seems most likely.

23rd

Squatted 180 x 3 x 3. Would of liked another set but rep 9 was a bit slow so I thought the reduced volume probably isn't a bad idea. I've squatted a lot of 20+ rep sessions lately. Might try and run a couple of ladders with 180 next week..3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1,

Riding A Wave

Yesterday was suppossed to be my second last session of that wave block hitting 97.5 x 2 x 5. I did indeed hit 97.5 x 2 x 5 but I ended up doin a bit more and it turned into a great session. Just as I was beginning my bench session, my mate Joe turned up. He's about my age, 77kg, lean as fuck, 5 foot 8 and close to a 1RM on the bench of 140kg. He's currently running Smolov junior for his bench and it's working well at the moment.

Anyway, we had our bench session  together and it definitely gave me a lift; I think training with someone who is stronger than you is definitely a good idea.

After I finished my 2 top sets, he encouraged me to do more. First I hit 100 x 5 but I could of smashed this set for 8 (and maybe I should of). Then put 105 on the bar. I was confident of a PR at this stage despit all of the reps I had just done. I hit 105 for 4 and got stuck half way up on the 5th. Somewhat remarkably (maybe not so remarkably?) I'm stronger on my bench now than what I was when I began my press cycle a couple of months ago, and this is all after only a couple of wave blocks without benching over 100kg once. I think my theory that benching heavy too often on the Texas Method was making me weaker was correct. But I kind of figured that out myself a couple of months ago when my own, volume orientated programme resulted in PRs.

I also squatted 175 x 5,165 x 5 (didn't feel great) and deadlifted a few reps. Apparently my back was set for each rep but it just didn't feel good. Back is a bit of a mess at the moment.

(Lift) In Times of Trouble

Sitting around bored as hell recently - not working much and unsuccessfully trying to find a teaching job. So, I've re-jigged my training schedule just so I train more. I'm really going nuts now after sitting around for 3 weeks.

Benched today: 92.5 x 2 x 5. Will try for more volume next session.

Light DB Press

Face Pulls

Keep Rolln, Rolln, Rolln, Rolln on

Squat: 170 x 5 x 4. I'm gonna be squatting 180 for fun in a few months.

Pull ups: 13.75 x 5, 10 x 5, BW x 8

Seated Machine Rows: 60 x 3 x 8

I'm about to head to the gym and bench again. Gonna bench 3 x a week and vary the volume over the course of the three sessions. I've done 3 bench sessions a week before on Pavel's programme and it worked fine so let's see how we go.

Benching On A Wave

Bench: 97.5 x 2 x 5, 92.5 x 2 x 5.

Incline: 80 x 5, 75 x 5, 72.5 x 5

BBP: 60 x 6
DBP: 20 x 8

LRs

TCPDs

Updates

Had a few decent sessions since my last post. I've been on Pavel's wave cycle for upper body stuff and I have to say I do like it. Considering I've really had a lay off of sorts from bench, I didn't want to experiment so much with my own programming as I have done recently. At the moment, I just want to run a few cycles of Pavel's stuff and see if it takes me to PR territory.

I've just reached the end of my first 4 session block for bench at 97.5 x 5, 92.5 x 2 x 5 and feel like I could do with a "reset". I'm wave cycling incline, pull ups, DB Press and curls too.

I'm still doing my same flexible approach to squatting where I do what I like under the proviso I'm adding weight/reps gradually and I'm really enjoying this at the moment. The other day I squatted 140 x 4 x 5, 100 x 5 with only 60-90secs rest. I was trying to do as many sets as possible but after the fourth set my lower back was just fried from the short rest. Then I shrugged 180 x 5 x 6 and pulled up 11.25 x 2 x 5.

Today I inclined 77.5 x 2 x 5, 72.5 x 5 which I think is a PR for me. The incline seems to give me the biggest overall pump of all the upper body lifts. I can see why some prefer it to benching. I've heard it's the best "overall mass builder". I think that might have been from the SS programmer who's name has escaped me.

Maybe the narrativization of my training has come as a consequence of reading Orwell's Homarge to Catalonia.

Then I DB pressed 26 x 5, 28 x 5, 22 x 5 (sr)

Finished off with a nice T-Cep P-Down pump session.

5/4

Squat: 170 x 5, 165 x 3 x 5. Great squat session.

DL: 160 x 5 (had to start doing these again eventually!)

DB Rows: 40 x 4 x 8. After a run of BB rows, I definitely prefer the dumbell version

BBC: 35 x 2 x 8, 30 x 2 x 8

1st-4th

That last squat session where my belt broke, I developed a a sharp pain in my neck during one of the reps, the neck pain was accompanied by a mild head ache at the time. Last sqaut session, I had neck/head pain again and today's bench session was just mainly head ache on the last couple reps of my 2nd incline set. My back has been so sore and tight though. Ridiculously so. Sharp lower back pain and aching/incredible tightness throuought the rest of my back. Wouldn;t be surprised if it was all related. I've been stretching my hamstrings and calves the last 2 days and no surprise, they are so tight. Whenever I get a bad back, I stretch my hammies and it all comes good again.

In other good news, the manufacturer is replacing my belt; I'm picking my new one up tomorrow.

I'm back to bench focus using Pavel's wave cycle.

Last session was 90, today I benched 92.5 x 2 x 5, 87.5 x 3 x 5 (sr).

Incline: 72.5 x 2 x 5

TCPD

Will squat tommorrow and hope back/neck and head are all good.