noviceLifter's Bridge 1.0 log

[noviceLIfter]

W3 D3

Not a great day at work and was not at all motivated. Middle of the bench session I wanted to pack up and go home. Grinded through it.

Dead w belt Rx: 5@6 5@7 5@8x3 sets
I did: 240x5@6.5 250x5@7 275x5@8.5 275x5@8.5-9 270x5@8

Similar to last week. I didn't move up in weight. Hm, but less variation at 5@8x3 sets. Hm. Am I being too cautious with my weights? Too cautious with RPE?

Bench 1 ct pause Rx: 5@6 5@7 5@8x4 sets
I did: 175x5@6.5 185x5@7.5 195x5@8-8.5x4 sets. I don't think I consistently got that 1 ct pause down. Ego a bit down as I was hitting 220x5 at one point, but I'm reminding myself to trust the process. Times like these I miss my more experienced training partners from my old gym.

3-0-3 sq Rx: 8@7 8@8 8@9x2 sets
I did: 95x8@7-7.5 100x8@8 105x8@8.5 and 110x8@8.5-9. Undershot the prescribed RPE. Feel I developed a bit of a groove for this lift. Sort of click that this isn't about strength but technique so I started trying to fix little things in my lifts--balance, keeping the upper back tight, knee slide, etc.

Some shoulder presses with the dumbbells. Gotta finish every workout with some bro stuff.

[crunchyKnees]

Maybe just an off day. You mentioned that you are cutting, and in particular that you are on very low carbs. Maybe it's just diet thing and some more carbs before you lift will help? Was your reduction in carbs drastic, or slight?

[noviceLIfter]

W4 D1 high stress

Sq w belt Rx: 5@6 5@7 5@8 x 4 sets
I did: 200x5@6-6.5 210x5@7 225x5@7.5 235x5@8 x 2 sets an then 235x5@9-9.5. Felt I misgrooved the last set so @9-9.5 because I made it harder than it should be. I felt my technique was sloppy too. I need to let my knees track a little more before 'posting' them. Otherwise it turns a bit more into a GM squat. This is something I felt on the 3-0-3 squats

CGBP Rx: 4@7 4@8 4@9 x 3 sets
I did: 175x4@7-7.5 185x4@8 195x4@8.5-9 x 2 sets then 200x4@9-9.5

Rack Pull mid shin Rx: 7@7 7@8 7@9 x 2 sets
I did: 245x5@?? 245x7@8 then 260x7@9 x 2 sets.

Need to revisit form on this lift. Felt I tweaked my lower back. Nothing serious. I hope. Just a little stiff tonight and tomorrow. Workout was around 1 hr 40 min. Could have shaved a few minutes off if I found a satisfactory rack pull set up.

[noviceLIfter]

Maybe just an off day. You mentioned that you are cutting, and in particular that you are on very low carbs. Maybe it's just diet thing and some more carbs before you lift will help? Was your reduction in carbs drastic, or slight?

Yah I think it's just an off day. I'm running the Bridge with one of those RP fat loss templates, and their macro break down seems to be really high on carbs. They prescribe well over 200g on days I lift, but on rest days I'm down to 50g. Hoping for 0.5-0.75 lbs loss per week.

[noviceLIfter]

W4 GPP Day

Definitely fatigued from yesterday's workout. In weeks one through three the fatigue dissipated quickly, but today I'm still sore all over. Back tweak is better. I did 20 minutes incline treadmill. Probably closer to rpe 5. Just too beat up from yesterday. Also did 7 min of lat pull downs. I'll postpone the 7 min of planks to Tuesday.

[noviceLIfter]

W4

2 ct pause sq Rx: 4@7 4@8 4@9 x 3 sets.
I did: 190x4@7 205x4@7.5 220x4@8.5 220x4@8-8.5 225x4@8.5-9.

Super tentative on these because of the back tweak.

OHP Rx: 5@6 5@7 5@8 x 4 sets

I did: 90x5@6 95x5@7-7.5 and then 105X5@8.5 x 2 sets 105x5@8.5-9 (misgrooved this and didn't' rest properly) and then 105x5@8.5

Rows Rx: 8@6 8@7 8@8 x 4 sets

135x8@6-6.5 140@8-8.5 (??) then 140x8@8 and 145@8@8 x 3 sets. Realized I should treat these as 'violent/angry' pulls and they've bad more sense to me.

1 hr 40 min total.

Back felt okay by the end of the workout. Mental funk. Most days I'm motivated to hit the gym, but last few sessions I'm grinding through things.

[crunchyKnees]

Keep up the good work. It'll turn around soon enough. Get through the hard sessions then cash in when the going is easier.

[noviceLIfter]

W4

Deadlift w belt Rx: 5@6 5@7 5@8 x 3 sets

I did: 240x5@6 250x5@7.5 and then 275x5@8 x 3 sets. Nailed the prescribed RPE nicely. Maybe could've added 5 lbs but cautious with the back tweak.

1 ct pause Bench Rx: 5@6 5@7 5@8 x 5 sets

I did: 170x5@6 175x5@7 then 185x2@8. Felt easier on 2nd set so opted for 190x5@8-8.5 x 3 sets. Talked to another lifter who shifted my hands a little more aggressively into the 'bulldog' grip. Felt better. Also counted '1 banana' in my head. These really force you to stay tight at the bottom of the rep.

3-0-3 sq Rx: 8@6 8@7 8@8 x 2 sets

95x8@7 then 100x7@?? then 105x8@8 x 2 sets.

Getting used to the tempo squats. Had some issues with upper back tightness, or lack thereof. Felt motivated today. Looking forward to adding weight this Saturday.

[noviceLIfter]

GPP (cont'd)

7 min plank. Left that off earlier this week since my back hurt.

[noviceLIfter]

Week five D1-mod stress

Squat w belt Rx: 4@6 4@7 4@8 x 3 sets
I did: 205x4@6.5 215x4@7 240x4@7.5 245x4@8 245x4@8.5.

Good stuff. Being exposed to different rep ranges is interesting experience. Fours shouldn't be a big deal; it's only one rep less, but when you only have to complete four reps you can push the intensity a little higher than usual. Felt the first set @8 was a bit conservative imo. Still having issues accurately gauging rpe 6-7. "I can do four more reps" is a lot to guesstimate.

3 ct pause bench Rx: 4@7 4@8 4@9 x 2 sets
I did: 160x4@6 165x4@7.5 180x4@89 x 2 sets.

3 ct pause is interesting. Gotta isometrically hold the bar for three counts since a different experience. Don't understand the logic though. Hm.

2ct pause deadlift @ 1 inch off the floor Rx: 4@7 4@8 4@9 x 2 sets
I did: 225x4@7 235x4@8 250x4@8.5 255x4@9.

Glad to do these over rack pulls. Bit conservative since I'm wary of the back tweak.

1.5 hours for the entire workout. One thing I really like about the Bridge is fatigue management. Tough but not destroying me.

[noviceLIfter]

Week 5 GPP day 1

Did this on sunday.

30 min on incline treadmill. 7 min plank. 7 min lat pull downs.

[noviceLIfter]

week 5 day 3

Pin squat Rx: 4@6 4@7 4x9 x 2 sets
Press w belt Rx: 4@6 4@7 4@8 x 5 sets
Row Rx: 8@6 8@7 8@8 x 4 sets.

Replaced pin squats with 2 ct pause squats based off an old forum response from Leah on BBM.

Pause sq: 195x4@6.5 205x4@8 225x4@9 x 2 sets. Hm. Hard to judge RPE on these today. Didn't feel quite right.

OHP w belt: 95x4@6 100x4@7 110x4@8 then 110x4@8.5 x 4 sets. Great. 110 felt great. Haven't pressed 110 with such easy and smooth bar speed since I can remember. Glad I made the change to BBM programming.

Row: 135x8@6.5 140x8@7.5 140x8@8 (easy 8?) 145x8@8 145x8@8.5 145x8@8

Not great at these still get very fatigued after rep five.

[noviceLIfter]

Week 5 day 5

Deadlift Rx: 4@6 4@7 4@8 x 3 sets
I did: 235x4@6 265x4@7.5 280x4@8 280x4@7.5 then 290x4@8.5 Puzzling. I feel I undershot all of these.

Bench 1 ct pause Rx: 4@6 4@7 4@8 x 5 sets
I did: 175x4@6 185x4@7 200x4@8 x 2 sets then 205x4@8.5 x 2 sets and 205x4@9. 200 felt not so challenging @8 so I pushed it.

Sq (no belt) Rx: 6@7 6@8 6@9 x 2 sets
I did 175x6@7.5 185x6@7.5 205x6@8.5 and 225x6@9 (?!)

Session was very puzzling. I felt I undershot my lifts. The "1 RPE ~ 5%" heuristic does not seem to be accurate for my squat or dead, but it is useful for press and bench. I'm not sure what what I'm supposed to make of 205x6@8.5 and 225x6@9 (?!) on my squats at the end of the session.

[noviceLIfter]

GPP Day 2

7 min plank. 7 min lat pull down w/ submaximal sets.

[noviceLIfter]

Week 6 day 1
Rx
Sq w belt: 1@8 then 4@8 x 3 sets
255x1@8.5 then 245x4@8.5 245x4@8 x 2 sets

3 ct bench: 4@7 4@8 4@9 x 2-3 sets
170x3@7 185x3@8 195x3@9 x 2 sets 195x3@9.5

1 inch pause dead, 2 ct: 4@7 4@8 4@9 x 2 sets
230x4@7 245x4@8.5 255x4@8.5 260x4@9.

GPP day 1 tacked on at the end.

20 min bike
7 min density block on chins: 5 4 4 3 3 3. Elbow in good shape.

[bross84]

First time in my life doing rack pulls and it showed. I struggled a lot here to hit the Rx, but I really enjoyed the movement. Interwebz tells me that rack pulls are supposed to be heavier than one's deadlift, but mine certainly did not turn out like that. Less fatiguing than deads at 5x1@10 like sslp.

With block pulls I've always been under the understanding that they should actually be harder than your comp. deadlift. If you can pull more of blocks then you probably aren't starting in a position that needs work, granted you are overloading the movement but it could possibly more beneficial to just pull from the floor. With you saying they are much harder than you comp. deadlift it seems you are more than likely weak in that area of your pull, so it's a good thing they are harder.

[noviceLIfter]

Place holder for week 6. Logged it on paper. Will write it up here.

[noviceLIfter]

Week 7 Day 5

Dead w belt Rx: 1@8 3@8 x 4 sets
I did: 325x1@8.5 then 285x3@7.5 x 2 sets then 290x3@8 and 295x3@9. Some grip issues. Overshot 1@8 and went a bit too conservative on the 3@8.

1ct pause Bench Rx: 1@8 3@9 x 4 sets
I did: 225x1@9 oops! then 205x3@9 x 4 sets

beltless Sq: 6@6 6@7 6@8x4 sets
I did: 145x6@6 155x6@7 then 175x6@7.5 180x6@7.5 185x6@8 x 2 sets. Kind of weird. Fatigued thanks to the deads. Didn't think the 6th rep would change things, but it is a real shift in mindset.

Chins: 21 reps in the 7 min density block. Probably had another set in me but the elbow flared up again so I shut it down. Been doing chins for the last week. More satisfying than lat pull downs.

[noviceLIfter]

@bross84 Thanks! That clip was helpful. You're probably right that it is a weak point in my lift since they were significantly less than my comp dead.

[crunchyKnees]

I also found the sets of 6 squats to be a hard way to end the week. Good luck in your last week!