195 lbs Today!

10.20.2015

Bench Press, touch and go

45 x 12

135 x 5

185 x 4

225 x 3

230 x 5 x 4 misload
235 x 5 x 4

I apparently forgot to put a fiver on the right side of the bar. No wonder four sets of 235 x 5 felt easy; it was 230!

So I did it all over with the correct weight. Failure on very last rep. Still, I freaking got a lot of volume with 230-235: eight sets of five in all.

Up to 195 this morning. Though that was after a cup of coffee, a couple slices of toast, and a few slices of Cajun turkey. But I've been eating pretty nonstop. My appetite isn't ravenous, but it's constant. 

In the interest of getting sensible frequency I've vowed to alternate squat and bench sessions on non-consecutive days. No more trying to squat twice in one week. Rather I'll get each movement in three times in two weeks, i.e. Tue-Sat-Thur squat, Thur-Sat-Tues bench. 

I'm already finding that this is allowing not just great recovery in terms of the muscles, but even more pronounced relief for my joints! More frequent training just means getting more beaten up and having to take deloads more often. And I am miserable during the actual training cycles by the second the week. 

I will be accumulating volume with a given weight instead of rushing to add more weight. So I'll stick to 315 on the squat till I can get multiple sets of six, then I'll add weight. I was able to get three sets of four with 315 immediately after my two-week layoff. If I can get multiple sets of six with 315, then I should be able to work up to a single with 405+ over the next six weeks (nine sessions). This will be HUGE: a completely raw high bar squat with 405 while under 200 lbs.

Oh, and today's performance on bench makes me feel like 315 is very likely this year.