Didn't log the last two sessions simply because there has been a lot going on. Given the SB this afternoon and the inevitable (tiresome) party, a late work meeting tomorrow, and baseball practice Tuesday evening, it was train this morning or not at all. So I got to it. At least I'm logging it.
Suffice it to say that this past week was exhausting. I ground out a dupe of my early week maxes, but did not achieve any new PRs after day 1 of week 5. Nevertheless, I feel noticeably stronger for the work.
Warmed up with dynamic work and bar work. Wore knee sleeves and elbow sleeves. Used the TrueNu pair beforehand -- still loving those two (with the ridiculous names).
Squat, 3 sets of 3 reps to RPE=8.5, one set at 95%: Huge jumps (relatively speaking) in squat strength and comfort over the course of the last 5 weeks. Only reached 80% of last week's max before calling it RPE=9 (raced by 8.5), but feel quite good about it. The 95% effort was fine.
Comp bench raw, 3 sets of 3 reps to RPE=8.5, one set at 77% AMRAP: Also big jumps here. I need to calc just how much and report to Big Mike, actually, since he asked. In the meantime, I felt this one a bit more than usual, and I'd say this one was RPE=9 too. Achieved 82% of max before crumping. Got 10 reps at 77% and was clearly done.
2" deficit DL, 3 sets of 1 rep to RPE=9, one set at 95%: Same story here -- reached 82% of max. This one was weird, though, because I expected 75% because of the deficit. More than that, I reached what felt like RPE=9 and decided to add another 10kg to the bar -- the next set was easier than the previous, but I decided to end it there. I'm just a lot more cautious of my low-back the older I get. I will say, though, that my DL feels much, much more solid right now. I don't approach the bar with any sense of intimidation, where DL has typically been a concern. I historically stick at the floor, but the weight is coming up now. Is it possible not to have a sticking point? If I can move it, it goes, and I haven't failed recently (this week's max was a grind, so I didn't try any higher.) I would argue that today I had more, even with a true 2" deficit. Love that.
For the record, I DL sumo always. I squat wide and my comp bench hold is middle finger on the ring.
Still feeling great. Body recomposition is slow but steady, and weight is holding. Strength is climbing, so I'm good with everything we're doing right now. Need a comp this summer, no doubt.
Thanks for sticking with me.
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