TUESDAY – INCLINE BENCH
Seated ohp worked up to 225 and aborted
Incline bench 365x6
Dips 3x20
Inverted barbell rows w/legs elevated 3x10
Bonus Work:
Face pulls 50 3x20 SS w/ Band pushdowns 3x20

This session did not start out well. I got a wild hair up my butt and thought I’d switch to ohp from inclines. Luckily the doorbell rang and disrupted the session. It gave me time to realize they did not feel good. I went to incline with a higher incline instead. It was the worst setup in my rack ever. Not safe. I finished with 365x6 and called it quits. I will be going back to status quo next week.

The rest of the session went well. The dips felt great. My tendinitis is almost gone. I elevated my feet on the inverted rows and they became a much differenct exercise. Much, much harder.

I did a little extra work at the end. (I will be calling it bonus work as it’s work not written in to my program) I read a log post by EliteFTS teammate and friend CJ Murphy about how some extra work will only help. Don’t be a slave to your programming. I’m paraphrasing of course. I am one who becomes a slave to what’s written on paper. I also get concerned about overtraining. The last time I experienced overtraining was when I pushed training up to five days a week. I am opening my mind and realizing a little extra work on my three training days will only help. Yeah, face pulls and band pushdowns will not be my demise, switching out main exercises with no rhyme or reason will.

FRIDAY – BENCH
Bench worked up to 495
Shoulder saver close grip 315 1x11, 2x10
D-Rows 140x15x20x25

This was a really interesting session. After nearly undoing myself on Tuesday I started really thinking about my program in its entirety. A lot of times I just put my head down and push forward. That has served me well for most of my lifting tenure. One thing I have not thought about in a long time is form. Since dropping weight and changing leverages along with dealing with injuries, my form has changed quite a bit.

I started watching a lot of video of lifting and interviews along with reading articles. I wanted to delve deeper into my form. A couple of videos that caught my eye were Mark Bell’s. He’s creeping up on a 600 raw bench and his lifting looks really solid. He lifts his head on the descent and sinks the weight a bit. It is really working well for him.

I used to sink the weight, but with my changed leverage I have not been able to do this. I’m actually a little higher on my chest than I’d like to be as my grip is now closer. My wrists and elbows get out of line with this grip when I try to get lower and I lose the pop out of the hole. By lifting my head I am able to rotate my shoulders and keep my wrists over my elbows while getting the bar a little lower.

So I got on the bench a few times during the week with just the bar and played with this form. I had no plans this week as I’m in that no man’s land between training blocks. I figured I’d work up and play with some new form. For the first time using it, I was really pleased. I got a pretty comfortable 5 plates. I clipped the rack or it would have been even easier. So for not peaking I hit over 90% of my present max using new form. I’ll take it. We’ll see what 24 weeks working with it will bring.

A word of caution, I don't know that I'd recommend this form to everyone. People have a tendency to fall apart in the bottom of the bench when trying the head lift. Plus there have been many that have tried to talk me out of sinking the bar in the bottom. For me right now, it just feels right. I once received great advice from Chad Wesley Smith. He said "The best form is the form that works best for you." Luckily I have been around long enough and have great training partners who can see and advise on what's working best for me. They liked what they saw.

Holy flying monkeys, I almost forgot the most important thing that happened during training, Karsten hit 4 wheels RAW! I really wanted him to hit this pr before starting his new training cycle. He hit 400 at his last meet, but it’s not until you hit it a second time that you own it. He now owns 405. That’s a number he can now hit on any given day. This is such a confidence booster. He will be able to progress up well up into the 400’s quickly. Way to go for the Albino Black Rhino.

SUNDAY – SQUAT/DEADLIFT
Trap bar deadlift worked up to 525x1
Safety squat bar squat worked up to 515x1
Back raise 5x10 SS w/ Hammer Curls 30 5x10
Bonus Work:
Barbell curl 45 1x20 *concentration on the negative
Dumbbell shrugs 60 1x20 *slow tempo
Single leg sq 1x5 SS w/ Single leg dl 1x5

Since this was a “tweener” week with no real plan I figured I’d reset my squat and deadlift numbers. So this is what happened, a 525 trap bar deadlift and a 515 safety squat bar squat. I’d be lying if I said I was happy with these. I have pulled 800 with the trap bar and squatted 700 in the past. These numbers are a long way off.

I just took a trip to the fridge to get a drink between paragraphs and I had a bit of an epiphany. I have just spent the last 70 weeks rehabbing my back and hip. Hell, they are still both not completely healed, but they feel the best they have in as long as I can remember. This might be the best they every get. I don’t know. Regardless, I guess I have maintained a decent amount of strength. Now I have something to build on. In other words, I am not weak, I just have lots of potential.

For a down week that could have gone horribly wrong, I learned a lot. Now I have to put it in to practice. Next week is a deload and then the real fun can begin. I’ll have 22 weeks of meet prep to hit 500+ @ 220. While fighting off injuries and age, this will be no small feat in my opinion. That and I still have a good 12 lbs to drop. Hey, I love a challenge.