Charting my Progress

I have set a deadline for myself to "strictly" press 1/2 my bodyweight with each arm. I have already pressed this weight strictly on the occasional good day, but I have not yet reached the point where I can do so consistently on any given day.

As the RKC's Chief Instructor Pavel would say, if you want to be good at pressing you need to press A LOT.  According to Master RKC Kenneth Jay, this can mean performing up to 150 reps per arm in a single day.

Two weeks ago I began keeping detailed records of my press workouts.  I created a fancy spreadsheet that I input my reps and sets into during my rest breaks.  I've added a bunch of formulas and charts to graphically show my progress and keep me on track.

Here is a sample of the charts as they appear today. They do a nice job of graphically representing the "Waviness of Load" principle taught in the RKC School of Strength.  Following the principle is one way of preventing burnout while ensuring progress.

In the image you will see that I have performed 6 press workouts. I am mostly working with two Intensity levels, defining intensity in terms of my 1 rep max. Once intensity is established I am gradually increasing the volume of work performed at that intensity. Next I am increasing the density (work performed per unit of time) as much as possible. Eventually the volume and density will plateau and I will shift focus to another variable not shown here, fatigue.

Finally, I will re-test my 1 rep max (RM) hopefully beating my previous personal best. At that time I can start the cycle over again if I choose with a new Intensity and continue to progress.