Date: September 25, 2026
Focus: Raw Bench Milestone / 137.5 kg

Context: The lower back continued to improve compared with the previous day and appears to be gradually recovering more each day. There was no lower-back irritation at any point during the bench work, including the heavier singles and normal bench setup.

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Bench Press

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
Bar	1×15	Warm-up
60 kg	1×8	Warm-up
80 kg	1×5	Warm-up
100 kg	1×3	Warm-up
110 kg	1×1	Paused
120 kg	1×1	Paused
130 kg	1×1	RPE 8
137.5 kg	1×1	RPE 8–8.5; smooth top single, no grind, form locked in

The 137.5 kg top single moved smoothly with no grind. Form remained locked in throughout the rep, and there was no lower-back irritation during any of the bench sets.

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Bench Press Backoff

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
112.5 kg	2×3	Controlled backoff work

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Incline Dumbbell Press

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
44 kg	2×8

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High Rows

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
20 kg	3×20

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Triceps Rope Pushdown

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
23.75 kg	2×15

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Pull-Ups

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
Bodyweight	1×8
Bodyweight	1×8
Bodyweight	1×5

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Lateral Raise Machine

Load	Sets×Reps	Notes
20 kg	2×20

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Treadmill

Completed the usual treadmill work.

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Session Interpretation / Why This Session Matters

This session established a new raw bench milestone at 137.5 kg. After a 130 kg readiness single at RPE 8, the 137.5 kg single moved smoothly at approximately RPE 8–8.5 with no grind and with technique remaining locked in. This represents a successful progression from the recent consecutive 135 kg raw singles and places the raw 140 kg target only 2.5 kg away.

The session was also an encouraging checkpoint for the lower-back irritation that occurred earlier in the week. The back was more recovered than the previous day, no symptoms appeared during the entire bench sequence, and recovery has continued to trend positively day by day. The successful heavy single, controlled backoff work, and completed accessories made this both a strength milestone and a positive recovery-adjusted end to Week 38.