Exerbabble for 4-7-7

Today’s workout:

BB Back Squat:
3 @ 95 lbs
3 @ 155 lbs
6 @ 185 lbs
6 @ 185 lbs
6 @ 175 lbs
6 @ 175 lbs
5* @ 175 lbs
6 @ 165 lbs

Alternating Sets:
BB Bench Press:
3 @ 65 lbs
3×9 @ 95 lbs (+1 rep)
8 @ 95 lbs
Supinated Bent-over Row:
3 @ 70 lbs
3×9 @ 100 lbs (+1 rep)
6 @ 100 lbs

One-Arm DB Cuban Rotation: 2×9 @ 15 lbs (+1 rep)

current bodyweight: 162.8 lbs (+.8 lbs; weekly average of 162.1)

I’m patting myself on the back for moving to two warm-up sets. It really let me affirm where my depth was going to be. It’s never perfect. I lowered the weight and decided I don’t need wave-loading right now. So I’ll alternate 6×6 and 8×3. I also told myself to lower the weight if I wasn’t getting depth, or if my form was going. Fifth set, I hit failure on the sixth rep. Went down, and for whatever reason, I just didn’t come up. Went down to the safeties. Racked the weight, put the bar back up, and reset the weight minus ten pounds. I have to get comfortable in the hole. Really, once I got that depth and started my accent, I was fine. I haven’t hit failure anywhere else.

Had a minor drop-off in my forth set of upper body work. Afterwards, I was pondering why I was doing a fourth set anyway. Oh right, ‘hypertrophy’. Moreover, since it’s the only upper body work of the day, the volume should be a little higher. I think I’ll stick with it. You can’t get everything every workout. I’m sure I’ll get 4×9 next time.

On the plus side, I felt like my bench form was just better. Without realizing it, I think I was tucking my elbows a little more, as opposed to defaulting to a bodybuilder style. The bar was coming down to the bottom of my sternum, if not a little lower. Felt just fine on my shoulders.

Truth be told, my hips/legs were a little tight yesterday and today. I can just feel things. But, no pain, so I had a hunch I’d feel better after I squatted. I’m always fascinated by how I feel it in different parts of my body after I squat. First set, I felt it in my ass. As the sets wore on, I felt it more in my quads. Probably just a matter of fresher muscles being forced to work a little more than fatigued muscles.

Close to breaking 163. I should get to 165 by the end of the month. Then I’ll be within striking distance of 170 lbs.

Adjustments: I should be able to squat 185 through at least the first three sets next time. I’ll take it from there. Man, those squats took a lot out of me. For the upper body stuff, I’ll try for 4×9 again. I should hit it just fine.