I do remember hitting snooze but thought I slept in by 30 minutes not over an hour. But I needed the extra rest if not even more. The funny thing is that I didn’t realize it till half way into my workout when I looked at the clock.

 

Since it was later then planned I skipped the Walk+Run at the end. I got time to ramp up running.

STRENGTH - July 12th – August 23rd

ENDURANCE -August 26th – August 30th

TAPER - September 2nd – September 20th

 

With that and my last Chest Workout post Gemini AI gave me a roadmap to get to a new Chest PR. The plan:

 

Weeks 1-2 (July 15 – July 28): Build Strength Foundation

* Aim for 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps with a challenging weight (e.g., 155-165 lbs).

* Rest 3-5 minutes between these heavy sets.

* Example:

* Warm-up: Empty bar x 8, 135 lbs x 5, 145 lbs x 3

* Working sets: 155 lbs x 5, 160 lbs x 4, 165 lbs x 3, 165 lbs x 3, 160 lbs x 4 (adjust based on how you feel)

 

Now THE WORKOUT:

 

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 74

6 hours and 18 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 64

5 hours and 11 minutes

 

5 mins Easy Indoor Cycling Peloton App Warm Up

 

BB Flat Bench Press (175 lbs 1RM / PR)

8 x EB

5 x 135 lbs at 77.14% of 1RM / PR

4 x 145 lbs at 82.85% of 1RM / PR

5 x 155 lbs at 88.57% of 1RM / PR

3 x 160 lbs at 91.42% of 1RM / PR

2 x 165 lbs at 94.28% of 1RM / PR

1 x 165 lbs at 94.28% of 1RM / PR

1 x 170 lbs at 97.14% of 1RM / PR

1 x 160 lbs at 91.42% of 1RM / PR

2-3 minutes Rest

 

Flat Bench DB Close Grip Press at 40 lbs Each Side x Reps 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

(Previously Feb 25 40 x 10 / 8 / 8 / 8)

2 min Rest

 

Standing DB Lateral Raise at 20 lbs x reps 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

1 min rest between sets

(Last Time 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

 

The rest of the day is errands and rest. Hopefully a little reading.

 

THE LIFT AHEAD:

SUN - COMBO + TEACH BODYPUMP

MON - SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE - CHEST + TEACH 30 min Indoor Cycle

WED - SWIM w/ Team (Triathletes)

THU - COMBO + TEACH 30 min Indoor Cycle

FRI - SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

 

- 24th Annual Gainesville Senior Games

500 Free

100 Back

100 Fly

50 Fly

100 IM

- 2025 ROB CURRY PANCAKE PENTATHLON

Sept 21st

100 Fly

100 Back

100 Breast

100 Free

200 IM

TBD

- T.V. Senior Games April 18 & 19, 2026

TBD

 

It sounds like you definitely needed that extra sleep, even if it threw off your schedule a bit! It's good you listened to your body and adjusted your workout accordingly. Skipping the Walk+Run was a sensible move given the circumstances and your long-term plan.

Workout Assessment: July 19th – Chest Day

Given your goal of achieving a new Chest PR and the "Build Strength Foundation" phase outlined, let's break down your workout:

Barbell Flat Bench Press

You definitely pushed the intensity here, attempting weights very close to your 1RM. This is a good approach for strength building. You hit 170 lbs for a single, which is very close to your 175 lbs PR, especially considering it was after several challenging sets. This shows good progress and mental toughness.

However, the "Build Strength Foundation" phase specifically recommends:

* 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps with a challenging weight (e.g., 155-165 lbs).

* Rest 3-5 minutes between these heavy sets.

Your workout included:

* 5 x 155 lbs

* 3 x 160 lbs

* 2 x 165 lbs

* 1 x 165 lbs

* 1 x 170 lbs

* 1 x 160 lbs

While you were in the target weight range, most of your working sets were for fewer reps than the recommended 3-5. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're feeling strong and want to test heavier singles, but for pure strength foundation, accumulating more reps in the 3-5 range at 155-165 lbs could be more beneficial for building the base for your PR attempt.

Your rest periods of 2-3 minutes were a little short for true heavy strength sets, where 3-5 minutes is generally recommended to allow for fuller recovery of your nervous system. This could have impacted your ability to get more reps on the heavier sets.

Flat Bench DB Close Grip Press

* 40 lbs Each Side x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

* This is excellent! You significantly improved from your previous performance (40 x 10 / 8 / 8 / 8), hitting all sets for 10 reps. This shows great progress in triceps and inner chest strength/endurance, which are crucial supporting muscles for your flat bench press.

Standing DB Lateral Raise

* 20 lbs x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

* Consistency is key here, and maintaining the 10/10/10/10 performance is solid. This exercise targets your shoulders, which are important for overall upper body balance and injury prevention, especially when you're pushing heavy on chest day.

Overall Assessment

This was a strong workout, particularly given your slight sleep deficit. You demonstrated good strength on the bench press by hitting a heavy single, and your accessory work (DB Close Grip Press) showed clear improvement.

Key takeaways for optimizing for your PR:

* Bench Press Strategy: While hitting heavy singles is exciting, try to adhere a bit more closely to the 3-5 rep range with the specified weights (155-165 lbs) for your working sets during this "Build Strength Foundation" phase. This will help build a more robust base. You can still test a heavy single at the end if you feel good, but make sure the bulk of your work is in the prescribed rep range.

* Rest Periods: Aim for the full 3-5 minutes of rest between your heavy barbell bench press sets. This will allow for better recovery and potentially more successful reps.

* Sleep: Your body is clearly telling you it needs more rest. While a 6-hour sleep isn't terrible, aiming for more consistent 7-8 hours, especially with your training volume, will significantly aid recovery and performance.

Looking Ahead

Your upcoming training schedule is packed, but well-rounded with a good mix of swimming, strength, and teaching. Make sure to prioritize recovery with adequate sleep and nutrition, especially with the Senior Games and Pancake Pentathlon on the horizon.

It's impressive how you're balancing your training for both lifting and swimming goals! How are you feeling about your progress towards the 2025 Senior Games and the Pancake Pentathlon after this week's training?