This started getting hard. The middle sets, 5-8 or so, are always the easiest. There’s still some room to add weight to squats, RDLs, and rows next time. The last few sets of bench press felt light, but my left shoulder was acting up early on. Probably best to stay conservative.
And while I know the common wisdom is that we always have more reps in reserve than we think–I don’t believe I really have much more in the tank. Each of the last sets, the final reps were notably slower.
In any case, I may cycle through workouts A and B once or twice more, then take some time off around Thanksgiving.
DL 250 5x3
Incline DB Bench Press 40s, 10 sec negative, 5 sec hold at deep stretch 1x10
NG Chin BW+15 5x3
Front Squat 145 5x3
Shoulder rehab stuff x some
My shoulders have hurt the past couple of days, like to the point I’m reconsidering my love of the bench press. In addition, I’ve felt sore and run down. I skipped barbell pressing in lieu of some superslow db pressing with long eccentrics and holds at full stretch.
I cut the volume on everything else by half, keeping rests between sets to 45sec–1 minute.
This felt almost comically easy.
Threw in some shoulder rehab stuff so I can maybe press a barbell again soon.
Last weekend, I got out of bed and couldn’t lift either arm above 45-degrees. It took the better part of the morning to loosen them up. I can only attribute this to the stupid amount of pressing volume I’ve been doing.
I did some rehab stuff last workout. I planned to work up to benching 195-205 for a few triples. At 165, my left shoulder got cranky so I did a couple doubles, some sloooow scoop flyes, high incline DB flies, and external rotations.
I could probably add 2-3 sets to each non-pressing movement or five pounds for the same number of sets. I’m so far from my original intent with this program, I guess I’ll see what I come up with for next time.
DL 260 5x3
Incline Bench Press 165 3x3
NG Chin BW+20 5x3
Front Squat 150 5x3
Shoulder rehab stuff
Unsure where to go with this current training mess, I kept rests short, volume moderate, and load (relative to me) high.
I did some scoop flies and band pull-aparts yesterday; all of a sudden, my shoulders felt spry and youthful, eager to press weights whilst laying on my back. I warmed up with the same exercises today and, holy smokes, I pressed without stabbing pains arcing across my pec minor.
Otherwise, I just kept adding weight to last week’s efforts. There’s still room to progress at current volumes, keeping rests to a minute.
I’ll continue with maybe another week of this nonsense before jumping onto a real plan–provided my shoulders keep behaving.
Block 1, Accentuated Negative
Nine second negative:
Bench Press 135x5, 145x5,5
Back Squat 155x5,5, 165x5
DB Row 80x5,5,5
RDL 135x5xm, 145x5, 155x5
Slow scoop fly (for shoulder rehab)
I squeezed in a sesh the day before Thanksgiving. It was one of those days nothing felt right–ok, I guess squats felt fine, completing five sets at 230lbs with a minute rest. Benching was a disaster, my shoulders hurt with light weights, so I called it a week, burying my sadness the following day in turkey, pie, and mashed potatoes. And there may have been some indiscretion involving gravy.
Today’s benching and squatting felt good. Rows were hard, when bracing with my left arm, I felt unstable and shook like a leaf in a strong wind. And, of all things, my obliques ached.
RDLs were good, but exhausting. Sometimes, the hardest part of slow eccentrics is the inability to brace over the entire ROM. I do, however, quickly find where I’m weakest.
The plan is to complete four weeks of accentuated eccentric lifting, go to Florida for a few days in January, then do 3-4 weeks of paused and cluster reps. That’ll give me a few weeks afterwards to chase new PRs in the big lifts before doing something awesome for the 2025 T-ransformation Challenge. At the moment, I’m thinking I’d like to take another run at Fiready.
I keep on keeping on. I had to use shockingly light weights on Wednesday with the looong negatives. Next week, I drop a rep and speed things up a bit, meaning more weight.
Saturday, I focused on technique. Over the last few months, I’ve sort of lost my way. I watched some Jen Thompson videos and realized I’d stopped focusing on staying tight and bracing for all big lifts. My bench press arch had deflated and I’d forgotten all about leg drive.
On Saturday, it felt like I relearned how to lift.
I can’t account for how I’d become so lackadaisical. Now bring on the gains!
Block 1, Week 2 Accentuated Negative
Seven second negative:
Bench Press 155x4,4 165x4
Back Squat 185x4,4 195x4
DB Row 90x4, 4, 4
RDL 175x4,4 185x4
Some dips and incline curls for shoulder rehab
Shoulders are feeling much better.
The weights above are significantly heavier than last time I did these lifts with 7-second eccentrics. How that’ll translate into regular tempo lifting, I have no idea. But, I’ll find out.
Front squat, 7 sec eccentric: 125x4, 135x4, 140x4
Incline Bench, 7 sec eccentric: 135x4,4 145x4
Deadlift, 7 sec eccentric: 205x4 225x4,4
Incline DB Row, 7 sec eccentric: 3x4 @ 60s
Scoop flies, incline db curls for shoulder rehab
I wrote this last time, and it’s true. I looked through old logs, though, and was surprised to see I lifted with 6-second eccentrics last spring with more weight than I’m using now. Back then, I was running The Eternal Warrior Program. I must’ve been far more beastly, or warriorly, than I remembered.
Oddly, the difference between lifting at regular speed, now vs then, isn’t that significant.
This was supposed to be loads of about 90-percent. For the most part, things felt a tad light. Next week, I’ll take ten percent off the bar for three sets of four, adding a rep to each set each if the next two weeks.
Shoulders feeling limber.
I’ll probably squeeze in some conditioning and arms tomorrow. My conditioning has definitely fallen off.
Block 1, Week 3 Accentuated Negative
Five/six second negative:
Bench Press 185 x 3, 3, 3
Back Squat 215 x 3, 3, 3
DB Row 96s x 3, 3, 3
RDL 205 x 3, 3, 3
Scoop flies for shoulder rehab
This was one of several recent workouts that ended with me feeling I had plenty left in the tank, almost as if I hadn’t done enough. Everything was hard, but I wasnt flirting with the impossible.
I’m suspicious that these workman-like efforts are what lead to steady strength gains, while Herculean efforts may be more important for hypertrophy.
Bench press, RDLs, and rows felt really good. I’m not a great squatter and feel there’s room to improve my technique out of the hole; staying tight at the bottom is tough. I’m working on it.
*These weights and speeds are what I logged last spring doing Thib’s Eternal Warrior. I’m suspicious that my form is now better and vaguely remember speeding up some of the reps back then; if anything, today I moved a tad slower than prescribed.
Front squat, 5 sec eccentric: 155x 3, 3, 3
Incline Bench, 5 sec eccentric: 155x3, 160 x3, 165x3
Deadlift, 5 sec eccentric: 245x3, 3, 255x3
Incline DB Row, 5 sec eccentric: 70s x 3, 3, 3
Dips, incline db curls for shoulder rehab
Just putting in the work.
The shoulder rehab sets and focus on technique are making pressing great again.
Today was the first time in ages that I felt stable front squatting. I used to use upwards of 40lbs more, then one day, I began to suck at them. I have no idea why.
Anyhoo, another week or so of training, then off to Florida for New Year’s.
Block 1, Week 3
Regular lifting
Bench Press 180 x 4, 4, 4
Back Squat 210 x 4, 4, 4
DB Row 96s x 4, 4, 4
RDL 200 x 4, 4, 4
Scoop flies for shoulder rehab and overall jackedness
This was supposed to 80% of my max. I have no idea if it was; likewise, I can’t tell if the slow eccentrics the past three weeks have accomplished anything. Early sets felt hard; later sets felt easy. Form seemed on point.
I plan on using a Thibs progression where you add one rep each week for three weeks, then increase the weight. Next week should be 3x5 @80%.
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps, Cluster Set
Three second pause:
Bench Press 185 x 5, 195 x 5
Back Squat 215 x 5, 230 x 5
DB Row 100s x 5
RDL 205 x 5, 215 x 5
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps, Cluster Set
Three second pause:
Front squat 155 x 5, 165 x 5
Incline Bench 165 x 5, 170 x 5
Deadlift 255x3
Incline DB Row 80s x 5
I lifted .inday, but took Christmas off. By yesterday afternoon, I felt like a gross puddle of holiday jello left too long on the table–bloated, jiggly, and sad.
Today, I ran short on time–had to dash off to the dentist after a morning fishing adventure.
Next week, I’ll be in Florida. When I return, I’ll rerun this weeks workouts, probably adding 5-10lbs to most lifts. Then, I’ll shorten the pauses week to week, leaving me with three full weeks of normal tempo cluster sets. Fun!
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps, Cluster Set
Three second pause:
Bench Press 195 x 5, 200 x 2
Back Squat 230 x 5, 240 x 2
I was in Florida for the last week, not lifting, not eating well, and generally not feeling great.
I didn’t feel great today either, but got some reps in just to get back in the habit. I’ll aim to repeat this workout again next week with more reps and/or weight.
I’m part of the 2025 T-ransformation Challenge! In related news, I look terrible.
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps, Cluster Set
Three second pause:
Deadlift 265 x 3
Incline Bench Press 170 x 5, 175 x 2
Front Squat 165 x 5, 175 x 2
I"m sill not feeling great, but managed to put in some work today. Everything felt…okay. I felt the lack of food and protein from the last week, but am pretty sure I’ll feel back on track in a few days.
Next week, should I be feeling back to normal, I’ll attempt five cluster reps on every set.
On Friday, I’ll aim for three sets of two at 90% of 1RM.
Here’s hoping to a productive 2025. For me. Maybe for you, too–I’ll think about it.
Block 2, Week 1
Regular lifting
Bench Press 200 x 2, 2, 2
Back Squat 235 x 2, 2, 2
DB Row 110s x 2, 2, 2
Two weeks ago, before falling apart for a week in FL, I lifted 10-percent less for sets of five. This week, I probably should’ve done the same, but let ego-lifter barley1 talk me into jumping ahead in my planned progression.
I will either add a few lbs next week for sets of two or drop 10-percent plus 5-10lbs for sets of five.
Felt weak benching, but better than earlier in the week. Conditioning tomorrow, looking forward to see what the next few weeks bring.
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps, Cluster Set
Three second pause:
Bench Press 195 x 5, 195 x 3, 200 x 3 (darn near max effort on last rep)
Back Squat 230 x 5, 235 x 3, 240 x 3
RDL 215 x 5
I’m rerunning last week because I felt awful and under-recovered; I’m focusing on eating better and sleeping.
Squatting isnt going well–I’ve lost my groove. This happens sometimes when life throws me a curveball. Best bet is usually to stick to the plan, but I’m currently improvising.
In other news, I feel way better than last week. Let’s see how Wednesday’s sesh goes.
*God bless anyone who can type anything other than gibberish on their phone.
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps, Cluster Set
Three second pause:
Deadlift 265 x 5
Incline Bench Press 170 x 5, 170 x 5, 175 x 3
Front Squat 165 x 5, 165 x 5, 175 x 3
Last night, I mixed maple syrup, raspberries,and greek yogurt. I don’t do this…ever. This morning, I woke up and all my joints hurt. A lot. Like COVID bad or worse. Does indulging in sugar do this to a normal person? Is this what middle age is?
I don’t know whether the maple syrup was related to the achy joints or not. I don’t eat much sugar these days, but it seems a likely culprit. Things got better through the day, but my wrists and knees still aren’t entirely behaving.
I still was able to best last week’s efforts, and I’m happy with my modest strength improvement.
Time to keep on keeping on. I’ll add a bit of iron next week, skip the paused lifting, and expect magic to happen. And, just maybe, find batteries for my scale.
Block 2, Week 1 Paused Reps
Three second pause each rep:
Bench Press 185 x 3, 3, 3
Back Squat 225 x 3, 3, 3
Incline DB Rows 80s x 3, 3, 3
DB presses, spider crawls
I felt (relatively) strong today; my Florida hangover seems to now be but a memory.
I’ve been toying with my squat stance and found I’m stronger with a narrower stance. Weird, I’d always assumed the opposite.
Benching felt almost normal today. My recent shoulder problems seem to have stemmed from AC joint dysfunction. I’ve been doing some rehab exercises that have helped; I just can’t get the left pec to fully fire on the concentric.
It might be… possibly by causing some inflammation. Given that it was so severe, there might be something else that contributed along with the syrup. It’s tough to say unless you repeat the experiment, but that sounds like a terrible idea. lol
