December 2, 2022 – Week 6, Day 3

Swiss Bar Incline Bench Presses (3-1-X-0 tempo)
60x3
90x3
120x3
150x3
185x8
167x8
167x8

One Arm Standing/Braced Dumbbell Rows (3-3-X-0 tempo)
64x3/3
90x3/3
116x8/8
116x8/8
116x8/8

Dumbbell Floor Presses (2 second eccentrics)
40’sx25
46’sx25

Paused Band Face Pulls (2 seconds)
sbx18
sbx16
sbx15

Dumbbell Zottman Curls (5 second eccentrics)
26’sx10
26’sx10
26’sx10

Stretching
 
Comments: Some slight concerns going into this workout. I mentioned feeling like a slight cold was starting up end of last workout. Feeling like that was the case the following day and maybe ear ache/infection. Was tempted to do Dayquil to get through that day but going for a walk to clear my lungs out and eat some hot food at lunch usually is enough to feel right enough. Then hips felt stiff and tight after work so that was also strange. But I figured that a good night’s sleep would be enough to feel good for the next day. Especially since pretty much upper body session. Getting through the week of work and time to train. Still a bit jarring to have it be dark this early on top of it being colder. Swiss bar incline bench with tempo worker again. This would appear to be the last week of this particular setup, whether that mean no tempo or different exercise entirely. I’ve been digging this exercise. It has felt like it improves and isn’t feeling like dependent on my fatigue or how my shoulders and neck are. So as seems to be the case when a main variation changes up, top set with less RIR and then 10% drop with matching reps for two sets. Just like with the half kneeling presses last week with tempo. So listed was top set of 6-8 with 1-2RIR. Thinking on things here, I felt that 180lbs would be what I could do. It would depended on how things felt warming up honestly. Started heavier just so 30lbs jumps would feel right. First set is always so easy and then the next jumps might be harder. But I think realizing that the second set was 90lbs had me feeling that this was comfortable. As the last set before top set, I decided to add 5lbs to my top set. I had felt that 180lbs was guaranteed 8 reps so 5lbs more would be a test. Joints felt a little achy/stiff but locking out was still going strong. I feel I cut things close here with how fatigue was feeling in the shoulders and chest with the holds and slow descents. I figured that the down sets would be hard even with drop in weight because of how exhausting extra reps are on these with tempo work. These sets all felt about the same by the end difficulty wise. Rest after that was just getting everything from outside cleaned up and then get ready for the work in the garage. One arm rows again. Same as last week with the tempo and reps and difficulty. I felt that with the lower reps that I felt stronger and would be able to get to the weight I had kind of expected to use the very first week with the handle and both sets of my overweight 25’s. Pleased to see that this 6lbs increase felt about the same as the weight the week before. Left side is slow to start and right side fatigues faster. I think I was a slightly worried that there would be grip fatigue being more an issue this session with the thick grip frame stuff from the previous workout. Got through these. I was really kind of feeling myself here with how pumped up my arms were feeling after this combo of incline benching and dumbbell rows with tempo. Heavy stuff done and on to the lighter stuff as has been the case for this session.  Change up here was to do floor pressing with dumbbells. I think I’ve tried these before or these were planned previously but something came up. Plan here was 2x20-25 with 1-2ct eccentrics to keep it light to get used to it as new and not to bounce reps off the floor. I think I’ve avoided these because difficulty of using heavy enough weights by myself with getting the dumbbells into position. I was only expecting to use 40lbs dumbbells on this so I felt that the getting into position part wouldn’t be that big a problem. It felt really light up until 15 reps but then fatigue started to hard in the lockouts. But still very easy. Too easy I felt and figured that I should go heavier to see how my plateloaded handles would feel to get into position and dismount. It is different for sure so it was a good thing to test. More fatigue for that second set. But expected as these kinds of reps tend to get me fatigued hard on upper body stuff with pressing focused on triceps. Put that stuff away and it was time for band face pulls. Indication this was the last week of these. As it has been, 3x15-20 with 1-2ct holds. I wanted to test out strong band on these. I generally don’t use this much band tension as always has felt like too much biceps in the past but feeling strong and improving on these. It took my like 5 attempts to get used to the bands. The issue was that the tension was such that it was pulling me off balance on the eccentric. Eventually I got it figured out via staggered stance and off to the side being even better. I alternated positions between sets to kind of even out balance issues if that was a thing, with the last set being more of a squared up stance. I’ve done more reps with this band in the past but not with any holds. Then the last thing was biceps. So these were the same but change from last week. Indication was not to go much heavier than I was already doing at this point but to focus more on control of the turn over in position and the eccentrics on these zottman curls. I actually lowered the weights down after seeing the suggested was to do 3-5ct eccentrics. Considering the amount of RIR to be left, I knew that even what I was attempting would be challenging. Not the lifting part, the lowering part. Of course going for 5 second lowerings. Tough but I managed it. These feel better on the left side vs right side, not that it is uncomfortable. Just that tighter on the right side with the shoulder. Put stuff away and ate dinner before stretching out. Hopefully a good night’s sleep will have me ready for another session tomorrow.