Bench press

235 x 5

255 x 5

285 x 6

Swiss bar bench

235 x 3 x 8, 185 x 7

Super-set with bent-over dumbbell rows

115 x 8, 8, 8, 10

Alt dumbbell side curls: 35s x 3 x 16, 20, 20

Super-set with kb lateral raises: 15s x 3 x 10

285 felt much lighter than expecting. Had a 7th rep in me if I wanted to struggle, but I'm just getting over being sick and opted to stop before the bar slowed down too much. Very pleased with how this felt in my hands, though.

The Swiss bar bench was brutal and the very last rep of 235 was a fight. Something about that bar makes me slow down my rep tempo, likely due to how the bar requires more balancing in my hands than a straight, and I was expecting more reps of 185 but I was spent after those first 3. Chest is sore the next day as a result.

Over the weekend I signed-up for a strongman contest in April, my first one since 2017 (I've done a few powerlifting meets since then, though). The events are nothing I haven't done before except for a Dinnie Stones hold. Otherwise, we're looking at log clean and press, sandbag loading, sandbag floor-to-shoulder, and a yoke walk + max deadlifts. 

I'll be replacing the axle press with the log for my main lift on press day and add sandbag work throughout the week, but training via 5/3/1 will structurally stay pretty similar. This will be the first strongman show I'm training for with my own log and crash pads at my disposal. Same goes for the sandbags. 

I also happened to get sick over the weekend, but managed to finish my deload week with a simple session:

Walking kettlebell lunges: 50s x 3 x 16

Super-set with axle Romanian deadlifts: 250 x 3 x 8, 8, 10

Had dinner with the family that night at a Persian restaurant to commemorate Dad's birthday, so food intake was high. Sometimes I don't have an appetite when sick, but on this day it felt like I couldn't eat enough. It was good seeing everyone and going to Farah's house afterwards.