Exhausted!

“Week 2”

• 3 reps – Bench Press (working max: 205#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x85
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x3x125
  • 1x3x145 (work)
  • 1x3x165
  • 1x9x185
• Asst. #1 – Bench Press
  • 5 x 10 x 115
• Asst. #2 – 1 arm dumbbell rows
  • 5 x 10 x 45
• Metcon – jump rope
  • 1 Tabata set – all single hop… sorta

Today was cool. Bench press felt very good, all up until the last set. I’ve been trying to refine my form, especially using the cue “tight” to keep my entire body tight from the floor/feet up through my whole body. I was doing fairly well all throughout until the last work set when things went to pot. I was probably focused more on moving the weight for many reps, which is OK in that case, but I would find myself lowering the weight and the body got loose, I’d start to press and remember to tighten up, which would maybe have the foot drive but the torso would be loose, then I’d tighten the torso and the legs would loosen so I’d tighten that again and then the butt would come off the bench… just all over. Not good for form.

Nevertheless, cranked out 9 reps with 185, which is alright. Last bench workout was 1x12x175 and “week 3” last cycle was 1x6x190. So, I’m doing just fine and should kick it out of the park next bench session @ 195#. 200+ here I am.

I forced myself into strict form on the assistance bench, and especially noted that I wasn’t going to full lock-out… I’d go like 98% because I was focused on powering through the reps at a fairly rapid and explosive pace, so I was clipping the lockout. Fixed that. I’ll stick with 115 for next week and go 120 on deload week.

Rows went alright, but I felt like I was peeding out faster than last workout. Not sure why. Stick with 45, go 50 deload.

Then on the jump rope. I started out just working on the running in place technique and it actually went pretty well. So after doing that a few times I figured why not just start the set with that and see how far I get. I got through 1 proper reps (in addition to all the other I did just to practice) and felt that was enough because I was starting to trip up too much, so then I did 3 reps of the double-leg hop… and that was all I could muster. I was just truly out of gas. Go fig. I do like the running in place tho… it’s FAR more intense work. I’m just going to keep this up for a while… do a few to kinda warm up the CNS to the movement, then just kick into the set and do the run in place as much as I can and once the coordination falters finish out the set with double-leg hops but moving the rope at the same pace.

All in all, not a bad workout. Some good, some bad. But progress in general.