MONDAY 5/3/1 CLOSE GRIP INCLINE
*Warm up and stretching

Close grip incline bench w/shoulder saver pad
Working sets:
280/320/360x5
FSL Sets Paused:
280 3x5
Assistance:
Rolling dbl tri ext 40 x20x15x15
Football bar bent over row using under grip 100 x20x15x15

I could not have felt more like sh!t this session. My left pec/biceps tendon is still tweaked, hence the shoulder saver. However, it was more than that. I just didn't have it.

What's nice is, while running 5/3/1 I have a lot more options on days like this than the conjugate training I'd run in the past. Most of the time, I'd probably just struggle through and end up doing more damage than good.

This week's 5/3/1 is was supposed to be amrap. I realized early on, I was not going to be a hero and just cut my reps at 5. In addition, sometimes I run my fsl reps consecutively if I'm feeling really strong. Clearly I did not this week, so I broke the 15 reps into 3 sets.

I switched assistance up for the last month of the cycle. I'm keeping that on the easier side. Now is a time to focus on the bench.

I know Smashing F*#king Weight is important, but I believe more important is the cumulative effect of training. I rarely if ever miss sessions. Even while rehabbing my miserable back and hip for the past 7 months I just kept after it however I could.

This is one of the things I'd tell a younger Vincent. You don't have to go balls to the wall every training session. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you have to prove to yourself you can dig your ass out of a hole because you never know what can happen on meet day. That said, one session rolling into a meet is not going to make your meet, but it can certainly break it. Plus I'd tell him to enjoy his hair while he had it.