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So much for resting my back lol. Played basketball at training Was so much fun, prob the first time since Feb i've been able to play like that. I still wont jump DL off RL, esp maximally, but, i'll try next week, 12 weeks since injury. Hopefully it goes ok! i'm looking forward to it, if somewhat tentatively because i dont want to be disappointed...

Lifted before bbball, did bench press only -
BP 6x88.5 (PR), 6x87.5 (PR)

Bench notes:
Hardest bench ive ever done - on that second set, i couldnt lock it out completely and just took it back into the pins .. gave it everything but im still counting it as 6. First set was hard as fuck as well. But i said to myself i can get 2x6 i'll go to bball and not worry about doing more sets.

BP 6x87.5(PR!), 5Fx87.5(LPR), 5Fx85, 3x3x85 (LPR)
FBS 3x100
BS 3x120, 4x120 (LPR), 3x120, 3x120, 2x120, 3x120
Dunking stuff - 3x3 - see notes (*new exercise*)

Bench notes:
Bench lifetime PR .. feels satisfying Couldnt lock out 6th rep of the 2nd set though to make 2x6. Benching again sunday - considering to cut volume at 3 sets instead of 6? hmm we'll see. decided to stick with RSR 6 sets and progress from doubles up to triples. Total of 25 reps with the final goal of 36 (6x6x85). Progress by any means necessary!

Squat notes:
Front squats hurt my back after the triple with 100kg my back was aggrieved and that persisted throughout the rest of the squat workout. i need to figure out how to fix this, im starting to worry now. Started RSR backsquats with 120 training weight today. Did 18 reps with 120kg (goal is 36=6x6x120kg eventually).

Dunk notes:
Order of the day was to get in and do some jumps at the rim with the completely unnatural and alien LR plant.  I did 2x3 rim grabs after initially trying with a ball and finding them to be not even quite layups but floaters lol. Then finished off with a set of 3 with the ball - but here is the thing - my body wanted to turn it into a ME attempt, quite rightly, because it could sense that anything else was not going to work - but even doing LR plant, i felt myself trying to squeeze out some force with my L leg which should only have been the plant, oops. This bothered my ankle a little - not quite as acutely and sharply as when I've tried to do RL dunk attempts - but still disturbing a little. So this killed my confidence for wanting to dunk with LR - it just seems max effort jumps are contraindicated regardless of the plant Oh well. I'll continue wtih the submax rim grabs - better than nothing, right..

2 more weeks til i can try dunking again (I hope). That will make 12 weeks i was told it would take before I could play sports again. The last 2-3 times i tried dunking it hurt like hell and i havent done so the last 2 weeks. 

In the meantime i'm thinking of taking the advice i got 1.5 years ago to try transforming into a LR jumper. At the time i had managed to land some dunks LR even while weighing ~100kg, very quickly, like 2-3 sessions of practice. Now i'm a lot lighter but weaker, but i should still be able to dunk LR eventually.. right? I need a program. May just try 3x3 every other workout.. or something like that..

so go lighter on sunday and try again next week! you don't have to PR every consecutive session.

this might be the way i go. didnt fall asleep til 4am and wanted to wake up early to watch the clippers game. which was amazing and totally worth it. tried to nap after the game. we'll see how it goes. back feels like shit though.

i will be taking light days regularly from here. thinking Weds heavy and sunday heavy with friday light? that might work. or perhaps alternating heavy and light would work even better.

cutting to dunk is a fools errand. You will lose athletic gains in the time it takes you to attain the required bodyfat % and by then you'll have to work hard to get them back. I've dunked while weighing 30kg more and while weighing 30kg less - the only difference is you go from needing to make a max vs submax effort. Same VJ, no change by bodyweight. The sweet spot is somewhere where you are heavy enough to be powerful and strong but not too heavy to make it max effort nor too weak to make it submax. Imho. Listen to all the advice given. Much easier ways to shed bodyfat than stupidly through training. Do it through diet - RFL as a cat 1 for 10 days if you really wanna do it properly. Not intervals. Jack is unhelpful for giving you that advice.

BP 2x6x85.5 (LPR), 6x80
FBS 6x60
WCU 3x99, 2x104, 1x109, 4x99, 6x94, 6x92, 6x90, 6x89

BP notes:
Close to hitting the wall now. I am in PR territory soon as well but i dont seem me getting there unless i find a way to stay unstuck. Might go to 1/2kg increases now instead of 1kg but that strikes me as self defeating. Also i prob need more frequency as well. I want to do RSR with BP but was hoping to get closer to sets of 6x90kg first. Maybe 85kg is a good place. Or i could try doing RSR while improving the first set or two up to 87kg which would be a lifetime PR for bp.. idk.

Squat notes:
Took a light day. Walked out 100kg warmups but my back didn't like it and i said fk it, get better first then worry about squats.

Chinup notes:
The last 2 reps of the chinup 6s were cheaty but i dont care as long as it makes me bigger/stronger.

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Lots of upper body volume mainly from chins. Want to make the most of this time where im not able to jump or squat to improve my upper body strength and size. I do think BP will be the best exercise to build my upper body though not chinups..

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Oh and my bodyweight tipped the scales above 87kg for the first time. So i decided to diet for the next 6 weeks til im under 85kg again. But not sure if i can even commit to that because training sucks and i have little motivation. Even skipped basketball training today for the first time in 3 years.

BP 6x84.5 (LPR), 6x84.5, 6x80

BP notes:
RPE 10s - didnt have a 3rd set in me after the 2nd - i thought id for 8x80 but even 6 was a max so i ended it there.

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Omitted squats on account of lower back issues. I'm taking all of these setbacks in stride. So i cant jump, squat, deadlift. It happens. I'll just focus on getting a decent BP now. 6x90kg is my goal.

just benching focus lately has put some mass on my triceps.. nice. am definitely going to prioritise my upper body v. soon. Will put squats on maintenance and focus on bench press - adding 20kg to my BP will restore some semblance of balance cause my legs are much bigger than my upper body atm.