DCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[DCR]

1/13/23

Pause Squats 45,135,205x5 250 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 180 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,185x5 230 x5,4,4
Rows 150x7+3+3
Press 115x8+4+4

Well, so much for the bench LP, buuuuut I had to take a work call between the first and second sets, after which I was ice cold, so may give it another shot next time in.

Hadn’t earned the weight increase on the rows but forgot to bring my change plates. That said, I got more reps than I did with the last increment, and despite not having done the movement in a week or so. This DC work really has provided amazing results, despite going against everything I became convinced of the past three or so years (and that despite my own past experience indicating otherwise).

[DCR]

1/15/23

Pause Squats 45,135x5 225x4 252.5 x3s x3r 135 (pause and no lockout) x6
Pause RDLs 182.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,190x5 232.5 x3s x5r
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows (neutral grip) 90x7+4+4
Preset EZ Curls 70x7+3+3

Surprised by the bench sets and, actually, the T-bar rows. Amazing what actually getting over eight hours of sleep will do.

[DCR]

1/17/23 (back in NY)

Pause Squats 45,135,225x5 255 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 185 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135,190x5 235 x4,4,3+1
Pullups (legs slightly forward) x3+2+2
Chinups (legs slightly forward) x3+3+2

[DCR]

1/19/23

Pause Squats 45,135,225x5 257.5 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 187.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,195x5 237.5 x4s x4r
Rows 150x9+4+3
Press 117.5x7+3+2

[DCR]

1/21/23

Pause Squats 45,135,185,225x3 260 x3s x3r 135 (no lockout) x8
Pause RDL 190 x3s x3r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,185,225x3 240 x3s x3r
Neutral Grip Pullups (wide) x4+2+2
Lying Leg Curl 80x10+5+5
DB Curls 35s x7+3+3

I want to de-prioritize the barbell movements in favor of bodyweight movements, as part of this cut I’ve just started, and the goal today was to just work up to a triple on each of them and then stop… but then I couldn’t help hitting 3x3 and only did one BW movement. Sigh.

Lowkey considering going DC on those movements, despite that the actual program forbids it for squats. It’s just working so well for everything else. As silly a thing as it is to care about, I always had trouble on this particular leg curl machine, such that I’d actually work up to 70 or so pounds for fear of hurting something. Smoking 80x10 with no warm up was shocking.

[DCR]

1/23/23

High Bar Squats 45x10 135x10+5+5
RDLs 95x10+5+5
Leg Extensions 30x10+5+5
Lying Leg Curls 85x10+5+2
Pause Bench Press 45x10 135x10+5+5
Rows 135x10+5+5
Press 95x10+5+5

First leg extensions in over 20 years. Right knee already unhappy.

Quad-iest squats I’ve done in ages, goals were as upright as possible and knees in front of me as long as possible. Idea was to make them feel like they did when I was 20, per my exchange with @dw upstairs. Legs were shaking after, from 135, but they were fun.

Other than that, don’t ask.

[DCR]

1/25/23

High Bar Squat 45x10 140x10+5+5
RDLs 100x10+5+5
Bench Press 45x10 140x10+5+5
Neutral Grip Pullups (wide) x5+2+2
EZ French Press 42x15+8+8
EZ Curl 42x15+5+5

Feel myself shrinking just looking at these weights but hopefully headed somewhere good.

[DCR]

1/27/23

HBBS 45x10 145x10+5+5
RDLs 105x10+5+5
Bench Press 45x10 145x10+5+5
Rows 140x10+5+5
Press 100x10+5+5

Fucking right shoulder. Gonna need to do something about it this weekend.

[DCR]

1/29/23

Squats 45,95,150,185x10
RDLs 110,125,135x10
Bench Press 45,95,150,165x10
Neutral Grip Pullups (wide) x6+2+2
Leg Extensions 15x10,10,10
Lying Leg Curls 90x10+2+2
EZ French Press 52x10+6+6
EZ Curls 45x15+6+6

Session thoughts:

This fucking leg extension. Set it to the lightest weight possible and my knee still is blown up. Enough. I’ll try again in another two decades. Icing as I write this.

Used straps for the first time in my life (really), on the RDLs, just to get an idea of how they work. … I get it now. Totally different movement when not thinking about grip and only grip from the first second.

Metal rec of the day:

Conjureth/The Parasitic Chambers. These dudes like Deicide a lot.

[Renascent]

Used straps for the first time in my life (really), on the RDLs, just to get an idea of how they work. … I get it now. Totally different movement when not thinking about grip and only grip from the first second.

I had a similar breakthrough after someone recommended straps when I was stubbornly trying to SGDL with a sweaty hook grip. They're a game changer for sure.

[DCR]

2/5/23

Fuck you, Omicron, you fucking fuck. Maybe a week off was good for me, especially after those leg extensions wrecked my knee. Anyway:

Squats 45,135,195x10 205x6
RDLs 115x10 w/ straps: 145,155x10
Bench Press 45,135,175,185x10
Rows 145x10+5+5 (some real trash reps near end)
Press 105x10

Session thoughts:

Near total lack of sleep aside, felt pretty good, although hoo boy that last set of squats died. I’d have failed another rep. Form was dialed, though, concentrating on midfoot plus hams fully extended, while keeping as upright as possible throughout. As posted elsewhere, I need full quad and ham involvement, or my hips are all over the place.

Weights were light but given the lack of sleep and the 10s, blasted those bench sets. That felt good.

Didn’t forget the DC sets on press. Just was really done.

Metal rec of the day: …And Oceans/As in Gardens, So in Tombs. Scratching the hell out of my mid period Emperor / good Dimmu Borgir itch. (Yes there once was good Dimmu Borgir.)

[dw]

I think I asked you about this before but unfortunately I don't remember the answer.

If you had a routine that worked but wanted to try drop sets, how would you convert it to drop sets?

So for example if I do 5 sets of curls for 10 reps and then AMRAP the last set to 14 sets, what would you consider to be the drop sets equivalent?

Do you just keep the total # of sets the same or do you try more to keep the reps the same?

I'm thinking of trying no rest times but dropping the weight 20% each time and just sticking with whatever total rep volume that happens to be.

[DCR]

I think I asked you about this before but unfortunately I don't remember the answer.

If you had a routine that worked but wanted to try drop sets, how would you convert it to drop sets?

So for example if I do 5 sets of curls for 10 reps and then AMRAP the last set to 14 sets, what would you consider to be the drop sets equivalent?

Do you just keep the total # of sets the same or do you try more to keep the reps the same?

I'm thinking of trying no rest times but dropping the weight 20% each time and just sticking with whatever total rep volume that happens to be.

We definitely haven’t discussed this before, and I’m glad you raised it because my only interest right now is in bodybuilding (or more accurately, getting strong for bodybuilding reps) and drop sets are something that would have reared their head eventually.

I have never had any success with them, in getting stronger or bigger, and my failures always came with a side helping of tendonitis. To be fair, I never incorporated them with any plan - it always was just remembering that they were a thing and then playing with them for a few weeks, usually as a finisher after whatever else I was doing. If I were to try them out again now, I’d do exactly what you suggested: no rests, 20% or so drops, and wherever that ends in “sets” and reps, is what it is. I would do one drop set per movement, and that one set would be the only thing that I’d do for that movement.

That said, me with my total lack of science background or knowledge am now gonna go full bro n=1 and probably embarrass myself and make you sorry that you asked me anything: I kind of think they probably don’t work at all. I think that because per se the large majority of the work takes place with light weights - “light” meaning well less than the apparently magic 70% or thereabouts - and I don’t think light weights do anything for anyone without sick genetics or drugs. I know that there are plenty of studies regarding an ability to trigger strength and/or hypertrophy with light weights provided that one lifts to failure, which drops sets of course entail, repeatedly, but I think those studies are all bullshit. I think one is much better off doing rest pause sets where the rest periods are very brief but something more than zero (I’ve been going with 30 seconds) and keeping the weight the same throughout.

[DCR]

2/7/23 (back in Baton Rouge, as of last time in)

Squats 45,135,205x10 215x6
RDLs 120x10 w/straps: 160,170x10
Bench Press 45,135,190,195x10
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows (neutral grip) 70x12+5+5
Lat Pulldowns (neutral mag grip) 100x12+7+7

Session notes:

Fuck me my legs were sore coming in and got worse throughout. Still, everything felt good and initiating the squat and RDL reps from juuuuuuust short of full lock out really helped dial the form in. Probably the least hip shift I’ve had in months.

Some of the reps on the last set of bench were ugly. Too fast / dive bomb-y, left hand lagging. Not gonna use that (as I have in the past) as an excuse to lower the weight and “work on form” next time. I can work on form with more weight.

Lowered the weights on the DC movements in order to ensure that each first mini-set was at least 10 reps.

Metal rec of the day: Forgot my damn headphones up north so slacking on new stuff. Word is new In Flames is not a dumpster fire. Feel like a sucker (again) because I’m now looking forward to finding out. For now, Come Clarity is super underrated and a great piece of the aughts.

[broseph]

Some of the reps on the last set of bench were ugly. Too fast / dive bomb-y, left hand lagging. Not gonna use that (as I have in the past) as an excuse to lower the weight and “work on form” next time. I can work on form with more weight.

This is the way.

[DCR]

2/9/23

Squats 45,145,215x10 225x6
RDLs 125x10 w/straps: 175x10 180x6
Bench Press 45,135,200x10 205x8
DB Rows 50s x11+5+5
DB Press 35s x12+5+3

Session thoughts:

Hitting that 200x10 on bench, easily, after a long time away from this rep range felt good.

Weird to actually have to stop a set of RDLs because I didn’t have another rep, and not because my trash grip gave out. Feel like I wasted decades of my gym life due to my antipathy to straps.

Metal rec of the day: Nightbringer/Terra Damnata. Emperor worship that sounds like they’re not kidding, at all.

[Renascent]

Hitting that 200x10 on bench, easily, after a long time away from this rep range felt good.

Welcome back!

[DCR]

2/11/23

Squats 45,135,225x10 235x6
RDLs 135x10 w/straps: 185 x2s x6r
Bench Press 45,135,205x10 210x6
Lat Pulldowns (neutral mag grip) 105x12+8+8
DB Curls 30s x10+3+3
SportsArt Mid Row 88x10

Session thoughts:

Guess I’d forgotten that benching (or whatever) touch and go without break and without it getting sloppy is a skill. Fortunately I seem to be relearning it, because 205x10 was a hell of a lot easier and better looking than 195x10 a few days back. Was also pleased to get back to a two plate squat in this rep range. Rough set, though, took probably a full minute to complete, with half that minute being the last three reps. Otherwise uneventful session outside of the RDL LP finally dying (of course I did try to jump 10 lbs bc I didn’t feel like loading less than quarters). Oh yeah, the curls were atrocious from a form perspective. Don’t care.

Metal rec of the day: 1914/The Blind Leading the Blind. No better war themed band today, and it isn’t close.

[DCR]

2/14/23

Squats 45,135x10 185x6 235x10 245x6
RDLs 135x10 w/straps: 185x10,6
Bench Press 45,135x10 210x8+1,7
Rows 150x10+3+3
Press 110x10
SportsArt Mid Row 94.5x10

Session thoughts:

Proud of that set of squats. I actually think I had 10 with 245 as well but was just wiped after the 235 turned onto a 1:15 set:



Starting to feel a little like myself again.

Back on the RDL progression train, but bench finally died. That said, initial top set got sloppy and given that I nearly matched it on the second set, with better form, wonder if I could have had 10 if I’d kept things clean.

Love this machine row; aggravated that I’m headed back home this weekend where I won’t have access to it.

Metal rec of the day: Faithxtractor/Contempt for a Failed Dimension. Has that indescribable vitriol that somehow elevates it over a million things that sound just like it.

[Renascent]

Love this machine row; aggravated that I’m headed back home this weekend where I won’t have access to it.

Is that the same as the Hammer Strength® low row machine thingie?