Started strong, ended… meh

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Bench Press (working max: 220#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x135
  • 1x5x145 (work)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x9x190
• Asst. #1 – Bench Press
  • 5 x 10 x 135
• Asst. #2 – 1-Arm Dumbbell Rows
  • 5 x 10 x 60
• GPP – Elliptical
  • 6 minutes steady at 120 spm, 10 incline, 14 resistance

As in other exercises, I’m modifying the weights on the warmups just slightly. The weights will be just under some plate threshold and gee, it’s just a warmup weight so who cares. If it makes it easier to (un)load the bar, fine. Thus why 95 instead of 90 on the warmups set. But… whatever.

Worked my way up to 190×9. I felt good, especially in my form. Getting the whole body tight and into the press, improving form over past workouts. So, good thing. I didn’t feel on the work set like suddenly everything went shaky — it was just another set. Doing the numbers it didn’t feel like a strength increase, but that’s ok. I think the improved form and over the course of this cycle I’ll still perform just fine.

On assistance bench pressing, I should have gone to 130, but again it was a plate thing. Going to 135 keeps it simple. And 5# does make a difference. It worked me well, the last couple reps of the last set were a bit of a struggle but not much. So it was good to have bumped things up a bit. You know what else? There was a nice ego stroke here. I remember when I couldn’t bench 135 at all. I remember when I broke the 135 barrier. Now it’s just light assistance work for me. I am pleased.

Speaking of light, going to 60 on rows felt really light today for some reason. But here’s a place I’m not going to crank it up. I think I could get away with 65, but let’s just be slow and steady.

Then came time for the GPP work, and I just did NOT feel it today. I just did a few minutes of steady pace stuff. Lame, I know.

I need to buy a foam roller to have at the house. Makes my back feel so good.