Codger's Quest

[codgerus maximus]

GPP today. Wasn't sure I'd be up for it after yesterday's workout but I felt well-rested this morning.

Chins: 36 in 8 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs, kneeling: 39 in 8 minutes. I paused at full extension for a second or two on most of the reps. HIIt on airdyne: 20 second sprints every 2 minutes for 14 minutes.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 8, day 3:

2-count paused squat, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 295x3x2. Four minutes rest. These felt pretty good. I think I can add 5 pounds next week.

Floor press: [email protected]; [email protected]; 225x3x2. Four minutes rest. I think I'll repeat the same weights next week with these. 235 was supposed to be rpe9 but felt like a 9.5.

Press, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 122,[email protected]! Four mintues rest. The rpes were supposed to be 6, 7, and 8 on these. I have a hard time judging rpes with high-rep sets--I could only complete 7 reps for the third set at 122.5 so I think I'll drop 5 pounds next week.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x 15 x 5 @8. Two to three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Wrapped up week 8 today:

2-count paused deadlift one inch off floor, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 420x3x2. Four to five minutes rest. I'll repeat this same weight next week to make sure the single feels like a true rpe 8.

Touch and go bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; 232.5x3x2. Four minutes rest. I'll repeat this one too next week.

SLDL: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] I might add 5 pounds to these next week. I think I've finally got the right rpes for this rep range now.

Triceps press-down: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 9, day 1. Things are getting heavy!

Squat with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 315x4x3 (weight, reps, sets) @8. Four minutes rest. The 380 single (PR!) was supposed to be rpe 9 but it felt like 9.5, so I'll try these weights again next week. And I realized I should tighten my lever belt another notch--it felt too loose today. All that GPP has shrunk my waist a bit, I think. I weigh a bit under 202 first thing in the morning now--5 pounds less than I weighed for my last meet. Height is holding steady at 6'.

Touch and go bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Same deal as the squats. I'll repeat these weights again next time. 260 is a PR!

Two-count paused bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four minutes rest. I'll add 5 pounds next time since the RPEs were supposed to be 7, 8, 9, and 8.

DB curls: 27.5x15x5; triceps press-downs: 65x15x5. I did these as supersets, with 3 minutes rest between the paired exercises.

[Silentpadna]

Congrats on the PR!

"Height is holding steady at 6'..." :-) Priceless.

[gymdad150]

I seem to have lost an inch based on my recent appointment

Everything is looking niiiiicccceeee, very stronk!

[codgerus maximus]

Everything is looking niiiiicccceeee, very stronk!

Thanks, GD. About a month to go before the meet. I'm hoping I can add 2.5 pounds to the bench, and maybe 5 to the squat by meet time.

[codgerus maximus]

GPP today:
40 single-arm DB rows with 62.5 pounds in 8 minutes; 47 ab-wheel roll-outs in 8 minutes; 30 minutes LISS on airdyne.
Heavy dead and bench tomorrow.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 9, day 2:

Deadlift with belt: [email protected]; 407.5x4x4. Four to five minutes rest. Still feeling strong with these. I'll try 480 next week, which would equal a pr and my best effort at a meet last March. Including warmups I did 18 reps with 400+ lbs. today.

One-count paused bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; 227.5x3x3. Four minutes rest. I think the RPEs are right--a bit hard to tell with these heavy singles. I'll try adding 2.5 pounds next week to see how that feels. 260 is a paused-bench pr for me, and 7 pounds better than my bench at last year's meet. I also used wrist wraps for the first time while benching today--only on the singles. Don't know if they helped at all.

Two-count paused squat, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four minutes rest. Might be able to add 5 pounds to these next week.

My totals this week: 380/260/475=1115, ten pounds more than at last year's meet.

[gymdad150]

I know me saying this is getting old, but....YOU ARE KILLING IT!

[codgerus maximus]

Thanks very much, GD. I made airbnb reservations today for the meet. It's a two-day event. I'll be lifting on April 27, so just about a month to go.

[codgerus maximus]

GPP today.

Single-arm DB rows with 62.5 pounds: 50 in 8 minutes; ab wheel: 50 in 8 minutes; HIIT on airdyne: 20-second sprints every 2 minutes for 14 minutes, plus 5 minute warm-up and cool-down.

[codgerus maximus]

Wrapped up week 9 today:

Pin squat, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 285x3x2. Four minutes rest. I'll add 5 pounds next week because the first two sets were supposed to be at rep 8 & 9.

Pin bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; 212.5x3x2. Four minutes rest. I'll add 2.5 or 3.75 pounds next week--the second set was supposed to be rpe 9 but I might have been able to do 2 more reps.

Two-inch deficit deadlift, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 365x4x1. Three to four minutes rest. This was my first time doing these. I stood on two 25-pound bumpers--the bumpers are almost exactly two inches thick. RPEs felt about right. I'll try adding 5 pounds next time.

DB curls 30 (each) x 12 x 5 @8; triceps press-downs: [email protected] I supersetted these with 3 minutes rest between sets.

Felt surprisingly good today--not tired as I have been for some days. With week 9 the number of workouts per week dropped from 4 to 3 (not including GPP) and I think the extra rest day has made a big difference. Smart programming in this template!

[codgerus maximus]

Week 10, day 1.

Squat with belt: [email protected]; 382.5 (PR) [email protected]; [email protected] Four minutes rest. These felt good today, so I'll try adding 2.5 pounds next week. I think my squat form was getting a bit sloppy so I watched a couple of Allan Thrall's videos before today's workout and I think that helped me to tighten things up a bit.

Touch and go bench: [email protected]; 265x1xfail! [email protected] Four minutes rest. I don't know what I was thinking today when I set up the bench. I was intending to repeat last week's weights--255 and 260--since they felt like 8.5 and 9.5 respectively. So it was idiotic of me to add 5 pounds to the second set. I think I was influenced by how good the squat felt, and because last week's one-count paused bench was 260. I'll be doing the one-count paused bench again on Thursday, and my plan is to add 1.25 pounds to last week's numbers. The failed single was disappointing, especially since one of the fundamental points of the BB medicine approach is to use your judgment so that you can avoid failed reps. So much for my judgment! I'll try to be more conservative from now on.

Two-count paused bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four minutes rest. I'll try adding 2.5 pounds next week.

DB curls: 32.5 (each) [email protected]; triceps press-downs: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[briangoldstein]

I think you’re being too hard on yourself. One failed rep in six months, in a low leverage situation, is not a mark of failed judgement.

you've made great progress and got a little out ahead of yourself today, that’s all.

Keep up the great work!

[codgerus maximus]

Thanks for the kind words, Brian. Despite yesterday's glitch I'm happy with my progress. It will be interesting to see what happens at the meet I'll be competing in at the end of the month. On another note, I watched a BB medicine podcast the other day in which Austin mentioned that he hasn't failed a rep in 3 years!