Nate's Log

[Nate B]

Thursday, 8/6:

RDL, 202 tempo:
275x8 @ <6
295x8x2 @ 7, 7

Low back felt good today. I'm tempted to jump back into normal training, but I think playing it safe for another week is wise. Plan is to work up to a top set @ 8 with no tempo next week, then drop the reps to 4 and work up to RPE 8 the following week. I'll keep my load selections on the conservative side, then transition back to normal training at the start of my next block.

Feet Up Bench:
195x10 @ 7
205x10 @ 8
215x10 @ 9
200x10 @ 7.5

Switched to ramping sets to RPE 9 with a backoff @ -8% just to get some more reps in this second half of the block.

Pendlay Rows:
205x8x4 @ 8, 8, 8.5, 8.5

[Nate B]

Sunday, 8/9:

Comp Squat:
315x6 @ <6
335x6 @ 7
350x6 @ 8
315x6 @ 6

Another session with no pain. Confidence is coming back, too. Feeling pretty good about taking the training wheels off my deadlift this week and going normal tempo (with conservative load selections, of course).

Kneeling OHP:
125x6 @ 6
135x6 @ 8
140x6 @ 9
130x6x3 @ 7.5, 7.5, 8

CG Floor Press:
200x10 @ 8.5
210x8x3 @ 7.5, 8, 8

[Nate B]

Monday, 8/10:

Comp DL:
385x6 @ <6
405x6 @ 7
425x6 @ 8
385x6 @ 6

I started to get really nervous once I put 4 plates on. Even though that's pretty light weight for me, I hadn't pulled 4+ plates since I tweaked my back the second time, so it felt significant. My back cooperated, and my e1RM is only about 5% or so off where I was, so I'm pretty satisfied.

Comp Bench:
235x6 @ 7
245x6 @ 8
250x6 @ 8.5
230x6x3 @ 6.5, 7, 7

Pleasantly surprised with how 250 moved since 245 felt like a hard 8 vs. a 7.5 or something. I probably had 255 in me, but just didn't realize it. Backoff sets were crisp.

Split Squat:
165x8 @ 6
175x8 @ 7
185x8x2 @ 7.5, 8

[Nate B]

Wednesday, 8/12:

300 HBBS:
265x8 @ 6
275x6 @ 7
285x6 @ 8
270x8x2 @ 7, 7

Felt a lot stronger today. Last week's RPE 8 felt like a 7.

TnG Bench:
225x8 @ 6.5
235x8 @ 8
245x8 @ 9
225x8x3 @ 7, 7, 7.5

Larsen Press:
205x10 @ 9.5
205x8x3 @ 7.5, 8, 8

DB Curls:
40s x14x3

[Nate B]

Thursday, 8/13:

RDL:
315x8 @ 6
325x8 @ 7
335x8 @ 8
320x8 @ 6.5

Low back felt good, but I'm still a little anxious. I need to improve my mental approach.

Feet Up Bench:
195x10 @ 7
205x10 @ 8
215x10 @ 9
205x10 @ 8

Pendlay Rows:
205x8x4 @ 8, 8, 8.5, 9

LTE, 3ct ecc:
65x15x3

Saturday, 8/15:

Chins:
55 reps in 10 mins

DB Lat Raises:
25s x14x3

[Nate B]

Sunday, 8/16:

Taking a low stress week before diving into a more normal training structure. The low stress is mostly needed for bench, since I haven't been pushing my squats or deads at all recently, but just wanted to keep everything on the same page.

Comp Squat:
355x4 @ 6
365x4 @ 7
375x4 @ 8

Pretty low hype for this session, but these went pretty well. I'm shifting my focus to hitting "true" RPEs for squats again instead of trying to undershoot a little, since they've been feeling good the last couple weeks. I'll probably still aim for a 7.5 or "soft" 8 for my deads this week, more to just give myself plenty of room to build.

Kneeling OHP:
135x4 @ 6
140x4 @ 7
145x4 @ 8

CG Floor Press:
195x8 @ 6
205x8 @ 7
215x8 @ 8.5

[Nate B]

Monday, 8/17:

Comp DL:
435x4 @ 6
445x4 @ 7.5
450x4 @ 8

Felt weak and nervous. Before every rep, I get scared that this is going to be the rep that sprains my erector again (or whatever's going on). Not sure why I'm having such a hard time shaking this fear - possibly because I tried to come back too fast after the first tweak and tweaked it again? I need to try to find some confidence and positive thinking within myself - just keep stacking up little wins every week.

Comp Bench:
255x3 @ 6
265x3 @ 7.5
270x3 @ 8

These were good all around - I have a much easier time making solid pauses on <5 rep sets. I wanted 275, but it should be there and more for a top set @ 9 next week.

Split Squat:
165x8 @ 6
175x8 @ 7
185x8 @ 8

Tuesday, 8/18:

Chins:
54 reps in 10 minutes

[Nate B]

Wednesday, 8/19:

300 HBBS:
275x5
295x5 @ 7
305x5 @ 8

TnG Bench:
225x6
245x6 @ 7
255x6 @ 8.5

Larsen Press:
195x8 @ 6
205x8 @ 7
215x8 @ 8

DB Curls:
40s x14x3

[Nate B]

Thursday, 8/20:

RDL:
355x5 @ 6
365x5 @ 7
375x5 @ 8

Feet Up Bench:
225x8 @ 6.5
230x8 @ 7
235x8 @ 8

Pendlay Rows:
185x8 @ 6
195x8 @ 6.5
205x8 @ 7.5

[Nate B]

Sunday, 8/23:

Comp Squat:
385x4 @ 9
330x5x4 @ 6-7

385 actually moved better than a true RPE 9, but felt heavy as fuck. The backoff sets also moved about how they should've, but felt heavier than anticipated. Probably due to going about a month or so with relatively low squat volume and intensity while I was letting my low back get back to normal. Pretty pleased with where my strength is - I'm not too far off at all from where I was pre-tweak, and I think I'll be right back where I was once I get accustomed to the feeling of heavy weights again.

3ct Pause Bench:
225x4 @ 7
235x4 @ 8.5
240x4 @ 9
220x4x2 @ 7, 7

Incline Bench:
175x8 @ 6
185x8 @ 7
190x8x2 @ 7.5, 8

Made an incline bench by propping my flat bench on top of a stack of two 45 and two 25 bumpers. The rubber feet on the bench grip the urethane bumpers really well, so it was a surprisingly very stable and secure setup. Not too sure what degree the incline is, maybe 30-ish, but feels like it's a little less upright that the incline bench at my normal gym.

[Nate B]

Monday, 8/24:

Comp DL:
455x4 @ 8
405x5x4 @ <6-6

My back felt very solid for these. 455x4 moved really well despite the bar floating away from me on the last rep - probably more like an RPE 7.5, but I'm taking my time and slowly building back up. Again, just trying to stack up little wins and not rush back into old weights. Backoffs were very smooth and felt easy, and kinda reinforced to me that 455 may have been a slight undershoot. Huge session for my confidence - I needed this. Busy day and a busy week ahead of me, so I didn't have time for bench and my supplemental squats (I'll hopefully finish those up later).

Tuesday, 8/25:

Comp Bench:
275x3 @ 9.5
225x4x6

Pretty low energy/hype for this session, and the high heat and humidity out in the shed didn't help. Pretty lackluster top set, was hoping for something more in the 280-285 range, but it was pretty apparent that wasn't going to be there in warmups. 275 was even a bit of an overshoot after a pretty smooth 270x3 @ 8 last week. Dropped the load considerably for the backoffs and focused on velocity. My plan is to do this for a block - a heavy top set and lots of backoffs in the RPE 5-6 range - and see if it works. If not, I'll go back to a more "traditional" structure.

Platz Squat:
225x8 @ 6
235x8 @ 7
245x8x2 @ 8, 8

The front squat rack position has always been really painful on my right shoulder where the clavicle meets the head of the humerus due to an old injury that healed weird, even with a towel wrapped around the bar. So, I got this idea for a limited equipment, quad biased supplemental variation from Jonnie Candito. Pulling out all the stops to make these as light and upright/quad biased as possible, hence the baby weight - high bar, bare knees, heels elevated, and ATG (hammies on calves). Definitely something I'm not accustomed to, but they were pretty fun and I really felt a nice pump in my quads, so I'd say they were successful. I'll do these for a block and keep them in my arsenal for future blocks for sure.

Barbell Rows:
135x50 (15, 15, 10, 10)

Did these bodybuilder style, not Pendlay rows, instead of chins this week. Just felt like mixing up my upper back work a bit.

DB Curls:
40s x14x3

Tricep Kickback Extensions:
Yellow band x18x3

[Nate B]

Monday, 8/31:

Took a long weekend to go on a golf trip down to South Carolina with a few friends from college (we drove and didn't go anywhere besides the house and the golf courses, so it was fairly socially distanced). I hadn't really seen many people besides my wife and immediate family since the pandemic started, so it was nice to hang out with some of my close buds that I hadn't seen in a while. We played a LOT of golf and drank a little too much beer. Got a bad farmer's tan. Missed a couple days of training because of it, but well worth it.

Comp Squat:
385x4 @ 8.5
345x5x5 @ 6-7.5

Top set moved a little too well for a true RPE 9, so 8.5 it is. Didn't really expect much after the long weekend and the 7 hours of driving the day before, so I was pretty happy with this. Hopefully 395 or something like that is there next week.

3ct Pause Bench:
225x4 @ 6.5
235x4 @ 8
245x4 @ 9
225x4x2 @ 7, 7

Pause for the last rep of the top set of 245x4 was a little short (more like 2.5 count).

Incline Bench:
185x8 @ 6.5
190x8 @ 7
195x8x2 @ 8, 8

[Nate B]

Tuesday, 9/1:

Comp DL:
465x4* @ 8
415x5x4 @ <6-6.5

Bitched out after the third rep of the top set because it felt hard off the floor and my back slightly changed position. Stood there for about 30 seconds thinking about how mentally soft that was, then reset and hit the "fourth" rep pretty easily. So, I'm slapping an asterisk next to the reps on that top set haha. I feel like this was a mental hurdle that I failed to get over, but I still finished the race. I need to remember that I was hitting countless deadlift reps with a slight degree of lumbar flexion prior to tweaking my back...I'm just a little scared to tweak it again, I guess. Sometimes it's hard to practice what you preach.

Comp Bench:
265x3 @ 9
225x4x6 @ <6

Talk about regressing! Comp bench is being very weird right now. I say comp bench because I don't seem to be struggling as much with other variations. My 3ct pause bench is within 5% of my comp bench (1ct pause) and historically that difference should be more like 10%. I'm starting to doubt my strategy of low intensity/high volume/high velocity backoff sets for comp bench, but there are a few different possibilities for a culprit, like maybe I'm doing a little too much benching on the previous day's session. I've actually been thinking about switching comp bench to my day 1 session with squat for a while now, so I might try that my next block. Theoretically, I should be a little fresher, and it actually seems like it would be more specific to competition since I'd be benching directly after squatting.

Wednesday, 9/2:

Platz Squat:
225x8 @ 6
235x8 @ 7
245x8x2 @ 7.5, 8

Chins:
50 reps

Switching from a 10 minute AMRAP to just setting a rep goal and taking however many sets to get there. Basically just did three sets of 10 and then 5 rep sets taking minimal rest between them.

Curls:
Orange band x15x3

[Nate B]

Thursday, 9/3:

Pin Squat:
315x5 @ 6.5
325x5 @ 7.5
340x5 @ 9
320x5x2 @ 7, 7.5

325 felt pretty good, so I jumped up to 340 for my top set.

TnG Bench:
225x6 @ 6.5
245x6 @ 8
255x6 @ 9
235x6x2 @ 7, 7

Seems like comp bench is oddly my only bench variation that's really suffering because these were fine. Would've liked 260 for a top set here, but not bad.

3-1-0 Tempo Bench:
175x8 @ 6
185x8 @ 7
190x8x2 @ 7.5, 8

First time doing tempo bench. These are way harder than I thought they'd be. I'm hoping they'll help me develop better elbow positioning and more overall control down to my chest.

[Nate B]

Friday, 9/4:

2ct Pause Sumo DL:
385x5 @ 6
395x5 @ 6.5
410x5 @ 7.5
395x5x2 @ 6.5, 7

These went great. I was a little conservative with my loading because I'd rather smoke a set with a slight undershoot right now than potentially overshoot and be faced with a situation like my comp DL session. Building confidence is priority #1, the gains will come.

Block Bench:
245x6 @ 7
255x6 @ 8
265x6 @ 9
245x6x2 @ 7, 7

Pendlay Rows:
200x10 @ 9
200x8x2 @ 7.5, 8

DB Curls:
40s x15x3

JM Press:
95x12x3

Lateral Raises:
red band x 12x3