5/13 – Paused Bench – 5/3/1

Really strong benching today. Pausing these weights longer than I have ever before and still crushing them.

Paused Bench Press:
135x12x1
185x6x1
225x5x1
265x5x1
305x3x1
335x1x1
340x2x1
305x3x1
265x8x1
225x12x1

Seated Tricep Extension Machine:
75x12x1
100x12x1
125x10x1
100x10x1
100x10x1
75x12x1
50x20x1

Bench Dips:
bw x20x1
bw x20x1
bw x20x1
bw x20x1

Pec Flye Machine:
170x12x1
184x12x1
184x12x1
184x12x1
184x12x1

Shrugs:
225x8x1
315x8x1
405x8x1
495x8x1
495x8x1
495x8x1
495x8x1
495x8x1
405x10x1
315x10x1
225x10x1

Duration: 60 minutes

5/12 – Deadlift – 5/3/1

Meh. This session lacked any real motivation or focus. Hit 660 easy enough on deads but 715 was a no-o – just no focus today. Cruised on rows and face pulls and called it a day. Have a compressed workout week so no rest day tomorrow – back to bench and squats on Thursday.

Deadlift:
135x12x1
225x10x1
315x6x1
405x3x1
495x1x1
585x1x1
660x1x1
715x0x1

Conventional SLDL:
405x5x1
405x5x1
405x5x1

Wide-grip BB Row:
225x10x1
225x10x1
225x10x1
225x10x1
225x10x1

Rope Face Pulls:
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1

Duration: 60 minutes

5/11 – Incline Bench – 5/3/1

Great inclines today. Nice PR @ 340, then another at 315 for paused reps.

Incline Bench Press:
135x12x1
185x6x1
225x5x1
270x5x1
305x3x1
340x2x1 (PR)

Paused Incline Bench Press:
315x3x1 (PR)
275x5x1
225x12x1

Wide-grip Lat Pulldown (bench press plane):
175x6x1
200x6x1
225x6x1
250x6x1
200x6x1

Reverse Cable Pushdown:
40x12x1
60x12x1
80x12x1
80x12x1
80x12x1

Seated Bicep Curl Machine (one big superset):
50x12x1
100x12x1
150x10x1
150x10x1
100x10x1
75x12x1
50x25x1
37x30x1

Seated Shoulder Press Machine:
50x10x1
100x10x1
150x10x1
200x10x1
150x10x1
100x10x1
50x20x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
red x50x1
red x50x1
red x50x1

Duration: 60 minutes

5/8 – Paused ATG Squat – 3’s

Switched to high-bar for squats today and it felt really good on the shoulders. Long pauses in the hole (~5sec per rep). Knee feeling pretty good.

Paused ATG Squats (high bar):
135x12x1
225x12x1
335x3x1
380x3x1
425x3x1

Seated Leg Extension:
157x20x1
157x20x1
157x20x1
157x20x1
157x20x1

Rope Face Pulls:
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1

Bench Dips:
bw x15x1
bw x15x1
bw x15x1
bw x15x1
bw x15x1

Duration: 45 minutes

5/7 – Paused Bench – 3’s

Great benching today – getting into pr territory for paused bench. My shoulders are feeling better than they have in years and I am wondering it is due to the lack of squatting. Thinking maybe I should switch to mid-bar position with a narrow grip to reduce shoulder strain… Anyways, easy benching today, strong upper back and chest work. Those static hold shrugs are feeling awesome.

Paused Bench Press:
135x12x1
185x6x1
225x5x1
250x3x1
285x3x1
320x4x1
285x5x1
250x8x1
225x8x1
225x8x1
225x8x1

Neutral Grip Flat DB Bench (superset with uh db bench):
55x10x1
65x10x1
75x10x1
85x10x1

Underhand Flat DB Bench:
55x10x1
65x10x1
75x10x1
85x10x1

Shrugs:
225x10x1
315x10x1
405x10x1
495x10x1

Shrugs w/ Static Hold (long hold at top of each rep):
495x5x1
495x5x1
495x5x1
545x5x1 (PR)
495x5x1

Single-arm Seated Bicep Curl Machine:
50x10x1
75x10x1
100x10x1

Seated Bicep Curl Machine:
125x12x1
125x12x1
125x12x1

Pec Flye Machine:
100x10x1
170x10x1
184x10x1
198x10x1
212x10x1
226x10x1 (PR)
233x11x1 (PR)
170x15x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
red x50x1
red x50x1
red x100x1

Duration: 75 minutes

5/5 – Deadlift

Did some random non-sumo deads today, including snatch grip pulls. I have not done these in a long time, let alone actually with some decent weight. Not too shabby. DB rows for the first time – going above 150 is a bit awkward since I have to stack and balance another db on top of the 150 to get more weight. Strong single-arm curls out of nowhere.

Conventional Deadlift:
135x12x1
225x12x1
315x5x1
505x3x1
555x3x1
505x5x1

Snatch-grip Deadlift:
315x5x1
405x5x1
455x5x1
505x3x1 (PR)
315x5x1
315x5x1

DB Rows:
100x6x1
150x6x1
175x6x1
200x6x1
150x8x1

Hammer Chins:
bw x10x1
bw x10x1
bw x12x1

Single-arm Seated Bicep Curl Machine:
50x10x1
62x10x1
75x10x1
87x10x1
100x10x1 (PR)
75x10x1
75x10x1
50x15x1
50x15x1
50x15x1

Duration: 60 minutes

5/4 – Incline Bench – 3’s

Good inclines today. Target triple @ 320 went fine then I worked down doing paused work.

Incline Bench Press:
135x12x1
185x6x1
225x6x1
255x3x1
285x3x1
320x3x1

Paused Incline Bench Press:
285x5x1
255x8x1
225x12x1

Pec Flye Machine:
120x10x1
150x10x1
170x10x1
177x10x1
184x10x1
191x10x1
198x10x1
205x10x1
212x15x1 (PR)
170x15x1

Seated Lat Row Machine:
200x20x1
200x20x1
200x20x1
200x20x1
200x20x1

DB L-Laterals:
30x20x1
30x20x1
30x20x1
30x20x1
30x20x1

Single-arm Rope Pushdown:
30x12x1
30x12x1
30x12x1

Rope Pushdown:
50x20x1
80x10x1
80x10x1
80x10x1
80x10x1
50x20x1

Duration: 60 minutes

5/1 – Paused ATG Squats

Finally getting back under the bar after nearly a month off of squats. Nothing crazy today – just easing into it with some paused atg squats. I stopped at 5 reps with 405 since that is about when I felt I had to start trying, and I did not really want to push my knee too much. Switched things up with shrugs and did static holds at the top of each rep for 5+ seconds – pretty brutal on the traps.

Paused ATG Squats(each rep paused 2-3s.):
135x10x1
225x10x1
315x10x1
405x5x1

Seated Leg Extensions:
150x20x1
150x20x1
150x20x1
150x20x1
150x20x1

Rope Face Pulls:
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1
80x20x1

Single-arm DB Preacher Curl:
40x12x1
40x12x1
40x12x1
40x12x1
40x12x1
40x12x1
40x12x1

Flat DB Flye:
60x12x1
60x12x1
60x12x1

Pec Flye Machine:
120x12x1
120x12x1
120x12x1
100x15x1

Shrugs with Static Hold (each rep held at top for 5+ sec):
225x5x1
315x5x1
405x5x1
315x5x1
315x5x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
red x50x1
red x50x1
red x50x1

Duration: 60 minutes

4/28 – Deadlift – 5’s

Deads were OK. Repeating last cycle since I really did not push for the target weight for the single week. Pulls were still pretty fatigued feeling though. Did strict pendlay rows, resetting the weight before each rep; these are pretty tiring.

Deadlift:
225x12x1
335x6x1
405x5x1
495x5x1
555x5x1
635x5x1

Conventional Deadlift:
405x5x1
455x5x1
505x5x1

Wide-grip Pendlay Rows:
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1

Pendlay Rows:
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1

Seated Tricep Extension Machine:
75x20x1
75x20x1
75x20x1
75x20x1

Reverse Pushdowns:
60x20x1
60x20x1
60x20x1
60x20x1

OH DB Extension:
65x20x1
75x20x1
100x20x1

Duration: 70 minutes