Bench Day Bummer

Today was bench day, which traditionally has been not-my-favorite, because for about 9 months (from September of last year through this May) my 1-rep max was stuck at 115#. It did not budge. FOR NINE MONTHS. I was a little frustrated.

Happily, I did finally bust through that plateau and hit 135# for a clean, relatively easy rep in May. It was wildly satisfying and definitely one of my biggest accomplishments in the gym to date, mostly because I worked so long and so hard without any measurable progress. Lesson learned, yet again.

Since that awesome day, I have been feeling solid about my bench form, and though I haven't gotten 135# again (not because I haven't tried), overall I've felt good. Which was why today, when I was supposed to max out at 115# for 5+ reps (I'm following 5-3-1 for all my main lifts) and I could only get 2 on my own with an assist for a 3rd, I was not thrilled. But I'm trying to live out my new-ish gym motto "Don't Be Such A Spaz," so even after trying for a second set with the same result and even though I am coming off my deload week and should feel fresh as a daisy, I figured it's just not my day and moved on. I adjusted my foot position for my pause bench sets, pulling my heels farther back so I could drive in without pushing my butt off the bench, and this definitely felt better. Form, form, form.

Training:

Warmup: rotator cuff and lat work

Bench:

• 7 sets working up to 115#x2,2
• Pause bench 100# for 3x3

Accessory: More back and tricep work (serious weak spots both)

Finisher: Burpees --> Pullups (jump up to bar and eccentric lower for my non-pullup-capable self)x 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5

Burpees are RAW. They give me that throw-uppy, burning, want-to-die feeling like nothing else. But they're also extremely effective and I definitely get an outsize sense of satisfaction after doing them. And on days like today when my benching is off, it feels good to throw myself into something hard and sort of terrible to end the day. Good times.