Sleep is so nice.

Sleep has been better this week; I noticed the past couple nights I was waking up remembering some dreams, which I haven’t done in some time. So I take that as a good sign. Plus the Sleep Cycle app is showing that I am sleeping 7+ hours so hey, good deal. Still a ways to go, but starting to feel better.

And so today went pretty well. I remain happy with my decision to add the pyramids as that little bump in work and intensity; it’s been a good thing, and I am enjoying that push.

I am coming to realize that things like “over-warm-ups” (as Paul Carter calls them) really work for me. Just working up then working there doesn’t seem to jive as well for me as working up and over, then backing down to work levels. Probably found a staple for myself going forward.

One fun adjustment to the pulldowns? I continue to focus on back work originating from the elbows (not the hands) so that it’s really the back muscles doing the work — not arms. Thinking about originating from the elbows, and if you have to think hands to think pinkies, makes a huge difference for me in terms of actually working my back. Today tho, instead of just pulling down, when I got down the upper arms got pulled back a little more… think instead of the elbows being slightly in front of or next to the torso, they ended up behind… arcing the upper arms so the elbows are fully retracted. Hard to describe. But it’s just a little extra bit at the peak of the movement, made a big difference.

All in all, today went well. Just a solid expected day.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Bench Press (superset lat pulldowns)
  • bar x whatever
  • 100 x 5
  • 125 x 5
  • 155 x 3
  • 180 x 3
  • 205 x 3
  • 230 x 3
  • 205 x 10
  • 180 x 12
• Wide, pronated grip lat pulldowns
  • 100 x 12
  • 110 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 10
• DB Bench Press
  • 70e x 10
  • 70e x 10
  • 70e x 9
  • 70e x 8
  • 70e x 7
• Chest-Supported DB Row
  • 55e x 12
  • 55e x 12
  • 55e x 12
  • 55e x 12
  • 55e x 9
• Pushdowns (EZ-bar)
  • 45 x 100
• Face Pulls
  • 50 x 100