November 18, 2022 – Week 4, Day 3

Swiss Bar Incline Bench Presses (4-1-1-0 tempo)
40x5
40x5
90x3
120x3
150x8
150x8
150x8

One Arm Standing/Braced Dumbbell Rows (3-3-1-0 tempo)
62x3/3
82x3/3
102x10/10
102x10/10
102x10/10

Push Ups on Kettlebells
bwx25
bwx20

Paused Band Face Pulls (2 seconds)
abx20
abx17
abx15

Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls w/ Fat Gripz Extremes (3-1-1-0 tempo)
20’sx12
21’sx12
22’sx12

Stretching
 
Comments: As has been the case, work was unnecessarily stressful at times. It’s just dumb. It didn’t make sense to do a workout at lunch and finish up after work since I didn’t have to wake up early tomorrow. But it would be a bit different from last week in that I’d be training after work rather than there being a holiday (which November is weird as Friday off last week and will have Friday off this coming week). Workout plan to be similar to last week in exercises and execution. Dark and cold so wore warm up initially since outside to start things off. Swiss bar incline bench with tempo worker again. These were to be working up to 3x6-8 with plenty RIRs and tempo. Just less RIRs left. By only a little bit. The eccentrics were lowered from 5 to 4 seconds. I had a better understanding of how these would feel compared to last time so I felt I was able to take larger jumps and more weight since less time under tension for the eccentrics. Odd jumps so I did the empty bar for two sets before making the jumps. Adding weight I was feeling a lot of wobble/rocking of the bar in my hands. Not side to side, more back and forth. I was worried that first set that I did more than 8 reps and had to check to make sure. I had done 8. I guess I was confused on how the last two reps got so tough compared to the preceding reps. I felt like this weight was good for all sets as I got it right difficulty wise. Cleaned up that stuff and it was into the garage for the rest of the workout. One arm row variation again. I had overestimated what I could do on these last week with the tempo. I didn’t want to do the same weight so I just went for 2lbs more from last time (which would’ve been what I was going to do with the 12lbs handle and weights added). Seeing as how last time that while some discomfort in the left forearm from the tendonitis, it was the right side that was fatiguing faster so started with that side. These were challenging to finish again. Second set on the right side I gripped the dumbbell in a way that I thought would make things feel better but I was wrong. Too far back and weights jiggling and more pressure on the pointer and middle fingers. So had to readjust grip for the last two reps I think. Forearms fatigue hard on these and I think I’m understanding why. The tempo and contractions require more effort vs the passive nature I try to use with my grip. You flex and stuff fatigues. So this makes me do that to hold on and keep the holds at the disadvantaged points. Sneaky. That was that for the heavier things for the session. Time for more push ups again. Plan was higher reps and less sets than last week. 15-25 reps. Push ups my choice and I’m sticking with what I like. Just bodyweight as I felt this variation was challenging enough to get the top range here (factoring in fatigue). Hit 25 reps that first set and then aim for like 20 reps the second set. Which is how things worked out. Band face pulls followed that up. I had gotten 3x20 with light band last week with the holds. Same as last week with it being holds and 3x15-20 reps with RIRs. I figured that average band would work for 3x15. The tension through me off that first rep of the first set and then I got into a flow. I wasn’t expecting 20 reps to feel so easy. But I also knew with how fatigue builds and light band was challenging to get the last set for 20 reps that I’d be just aiming to keep the remaining sets at 15 or above. Just a few reps dropping off each set. Then last thing was the incline biceps. Thick grips and tempo. Last time I did a warm up set with empty handles more to get used to the movement after not doing anything like it for quite some time. I wasn’t going to forget that from last week so I felt I could go right into it with the other stuff getting warm from the rows and face pulls. Just a little bit more than the top set last time (I had gone up 1lbs jumps). Still was feeling decent so I did the sneaky 1lbs increases each set. Getting closer to 26lbs. Tricky to gauge with these as I know my biceps fatigue hard when they hit the wall. Right side is definitely the lagging side on these. Shoulder felt tight too so I was actively trying to relax my shoulders/biceps in the stretch. Put stuff away, ate dinner and stretched.