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About to hit legs. No real plan. Ill try to get in what I can around the strains. Legs have been torn up for many months now. It will likely end up being more of a maintenance session if anything.
Next session will be chest. I think I will do another light chest session and start off with a 60 rep attempt on the 225 flat bench barbell. Every exercise has the same meaning to me, and every rep range. Any movement I always did in the past was pretty much a record attempt on most sets. Atleast once per exercise. This even included the warm ups going up the pyramid to the heaviest weight. Didnt always go back down the pyramid, depended on what I was doing. When I did reverse flies on a machine for rear delts, for example, Id be trying to blast out the stack of as many reps as possible on the heaviest set. I dont view any exercise in a casual way. The only reason I dont aim for PRs on every movement now is due to all these strains. So things have changed. More growth focused. So the 225 for reps is just as significant to me as a one rep max attempt. Not much mental preparation needed as its almost automatic for me at this stage but I get the same type of satisfaction from any PRs. Thats why I still aim for PRs even though i dont need them to grow anymore. I do believe that progressive mentality helps me to continue to grow though. I cant see myself getting larger by doing the same shit for the same reps indefinately. Though there are techniques around it, like no rest, pre exhaustion techs, etc.
Just a little insight on my perspective. I believe its important to have that type of intensity to really push strength and progression to the limits. Even when I did cable crossovers, it had to be with the stack on each side, for more reps than the last time. It seems that alot of lifters only take certain lifts seriously, but then casually finish the rest of the routine. Thats never been how I approached training.
I will set up the power rack for the 225 set. The metal bar wont catch the bar if I fail, but I can roll it down my chest to about leg level, where it will catch the bar. Unfortunately there is no adjustment that fits me properly in the rack. The holes in the rack should be more gradual but they are not. Thats why I will probably avoid too many sets with 275 or 315, even in the rack. Aside from, as mentioned, being at a much worse leverage when I lift off myself. However, I felt that I definately have 60 or more reps on the 225 set, strength wise. I think even with the limitation of lifting off myself I can hit it possibly in a few days.
Starting with this movement means that I will unlikely hit any PRs on the next movement, whatever it may be, but Im having fun and growing for now. My shoulders will require some light weeks and also some weeks off at periods. So it all evens out. All strength on all movements translates to the next. Thats why I hit 50 reps with 225 after not benching for a year and a half. I had added alot more muscle and power in that time, doing a variety of other presses.
Also as mentioned, I find a definate value in doing warm ups to failure on the way up to the heavier sets. The reason is that, if you can hit records in a pre exhausted state, imagine what you can do fresh. Maybe another 5-10 reps, depending. Sometimes more if heavily pre exhausted. I believe in really testing the limits that way and forcing adaption. I will cut back warm ups to minimal when attempting specific PR targets. Ive become very proficient at manipulating those numbers to hit the targets Im aiming for. I can generally predict what numbers I will hit on a given movement, a week before attempting them. As anyone who follows my journal may have noticed. I usually have a clear idea of where my failure will fall with PR attempts. Sometimes I exceed, and sometimes I have a bad day and may fall a rep short of my previous best. Thats because I really have connected with my body and am very familiar with its performance. Theres many days of visualization , as I nurture that flame and wait to hit that set.
I used to think warm ups were more useful as a mental tool. Because I really needed to feel the weight in smaller increments on the bench, to really hit certain targets. Its definately good for that. Though it has to be balanced for hitting records. Too much warming up will cut into the PR attempt strength, too little and you may not be mentally prepared or joints may not be warm enough. That takes experimentation. I learned the hard way, one time when I deadlifted 405 without a warm up and pulled out my lower back really fucking bad. With all my strains now I perform alot of warm ups. Just some thoughts.
KILL THAT SHIT
Next session will be chest. I think I will do another light chest session and start off with a 60 rep attempt on the 225 flat bench barbell. Every exercise has the same meaning to me, and every rep range. Any movement I always did in the past was pretty much a record attempt on most sets. Atleast once per exercise. This even included the warm ups going up the pyramid to the heaviest weight. Didnt always go back down the pyramid, depended on what I was doing. When I did reverse flies on a machine for rear delts, for example, Id be trying to blast out the stack of as many reps as possible on the heaviest set. I dont view any exercise in a casual way. The only reason I dont aim for PRs on every movement now is due to all these strains. So things have changed. More growth focused. So the 225 for reps is just as significant to me as a one rep max attempt. Not much mental preparation needed as its almost automatic for me at this stage but I get the same type of satisfaction from any PRs. Thats why I still aim for PRs even though i dont need them to grow anymore. I do believe that progressive mentality helps me to continue to grow though. I cant see myself getting larger by doing the same shit for the same reps indefinately. Though there are techniques around it, like no rest, pre exhaustion techs, etc.
Just a little insight on my perspective. I believe its important to have that type of intensity to really push strength and progression to the limits. Even when I did cable crossovers, it had to be with the stack on each side, for more reps than the last time. It seems that alot of lifters only take certain lifts seriously, but then casually finish the rest of the routine. Thats never been how I approached training.
I will set up the power rack for the 225 set. The metal bar wont catch the bar if I fail, but I can roll it down my chest to about leg level, where it will catch the bar. Unfortunately there is no adjustment that fits me properly in the rack. The holes in the rack should be more gradual but they are not. Thats why I will probably avoid too many sets with 275 or 315, even in the rack. Aside from, as mentioned, being at a much worse leverage when I lift off myself. However, I felt that I definately have 60 or more reps on the 225 set, strength wise. I think even with the limitation of lifting off myself I can hit it possibly in a few days.
Starting with this movement means that I will unlikely hit any PRs on the next movement, whatever it may be, but Im having fun and growing for now. My shoulders will require some light weeks and also some weeks off at periods. So it all evens out. All strength on all movements translates to the next. Thats why I hit 50 reps with 225 after not benching for a year and a half. I had added alot more muscle and power in that time, doing a variety of other presses.
Also as mentioned, I find a definate value in doing warm ups to failure on the way up to the heavier sets. The reason is that, if you can hit records in a pre exhausted state, imagine what you can do fresh. Maybe another 5-10 reps, depending. Sometimes more if heavily pre exhausted. I believe in really testing the limits that way and forcing adaption. I will cut back warm ups to minimal when attempting specific PR targets. Ive become very proficient at manipulating those numbers to hit the targets Im aiming for. I can generally predict what numbers I will hit on a given movement, a week before attempting them. As anyone who follows my journal may have noticed. I usually have a clear idea of where my failure will fall with PR attempts. Sometimes I exceed, and sometimes I have a bad day and may fall a rep short of my previous best. Thats because I really have connected with my body and am very familiar with its performance. Theres many days of visualization , as I nurture that flame and wait to hit that set.
I used to think warm ups were more useful as a mental tool. Because I really needed to feel the weight in smaller increments on the bench, to really hit certain targets. Its definately good for that. Though it has to be balanced for hitting records. Too much warming up will cut into the PR attempt strength, too little and you may not be mentally prepared or joints may not be warm enough. That takes experimentation. I learned the hard way, one time when I deadlifted 405 without a warm up and pulled out my lower back really fucking bad. With all my strains now I perform alot of warm ups. Just some thoughts.
KILL THAT SHIT
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