I think going for prescribed-reps-only is going to be good for me.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 2

• Work Set – Bench Press (working max: 240#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x120
  • 1x3x145
  • 1x3x170 (work)
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x3x220
• Assistance – DB Incline Press
  • 5 x 12 x 40
• Assistance – DB Rows
  • 3 x 10/10/25 x 45
• 100 rep work – JM Presses, Face Pulls

I think keeping it to prescribed-reps only is going to be what helps me in the long run. I certainly am not feeling as beat up, and I also go into that last set with a different mentality. Instead of “grind out all you can” and trying to pace myself and set myself up pushing out a zillion reps, I just put everything into “those reps”. And while certainly I can and have set “over prescribed” limits/goals before, it’s always still a reach. I’m leaving things in the tank, “never miss a rep/lift”, etc..

Maybe it’s all the attention I’m paying to raw lifters, like Brandon Lilly and Dan Green. Or even “more rawer” guys like Paul Carter. Maybe it’s Dan Green’s “West of Westside“. Maybe it’s because most of the people I’ve read in the past have been primarily geared lifters. While all those folks still have much more knowledge, experience, and wisdom than myself, it’s interesting to see some different approaches and philosophy, even if it borders on blasphemy. And reading these “counterpoints” makes a lot more sense to me now.

So today, I played a bit more with my foot placement. The whole “knee below the hip” makes sense. Feet have to go out in front for me, but then getting my knees lower than my hip? Forget it — it’s almost too far out, almost too flat. But I can get close, and so I played with that some.

I also played with my hand placement. Usually it’s been ring-finger on the bar rings. Today I went with middle finger. Tried index finger, but that’s too much. I’m trying to see what difference it plays in my pressing, but also my shoulders. It was good enough that I’m going to keep trying it for a bit. Requires some thought as to how my elbows move through the range, but it should be all good.

On inclines… yeah, I think inclines are a good assistance exercise for me right now. Helps get more tricep work in, some further range of motion stuff, etc. I’m still trying to find the right groove for it all, and I think I about have it. Yes, I’ll keep with lighter weights and higher reps to get me there right now. Really liking the higher rep thing and think it’s having some bigger payoffs for me in many ways. One fun thing here is at the end of the 3rd and 4th sets I started to feel it in my triceps but that’s all. On the 5th set, instead of “pressing” the weight up, I focused on just contracting my pecs to focus more on pulling my upper arms together than necessarily pressing the weight up (it’ll go that way by virtue). Boy, suddenly I felt it a LOT more in my chest. Makes sense.

Rows I did Kroc-style. Warmed up for 2×10, then did all I could. It’s not Kroc rows at all, in a strict sense, because that’s not the heaviest weight in the gym, nor probably the heaviest I can muster. But I just kept with what I had. It’s another case of really trying to feel it more in my back muscles. It’s less about moving the weight through the air from floor to chest, and more about extending the arm/shoulder, then retracting it… thinking more about upper arm and elbow moving through space.

I’m going to keep the weights lighter, the reps higher, and keep going. This is good for me. Week 3 will keep the weights the same, but strive to get even stricter, feeling it even more… more about the muscle than the movement.

I also think more about my longer term “where to go next” with my cycles. And I’m trying to hold back… kinda wanting to change a lot. But I think it’d probably be wise to stick with the same basic exercises I’m doing now, stick with prescribed reps, keep the assistance weights “light” with higher reps on things. And if I do reset, that’s fine too…. because I might then actually do a little more then prescribed reps but certainly leave a BUNCH in the tank (instead of pushing myself as hard as I have)… because again, heavier, higher reps, I think that may be good for me at this point.