MarkKO's Training Log

Training Training Logs
2625

Feeling so-so going in

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

TM is 462 lbs

Work up from bar in 44 lbs x3-5 to 60%, 10 facepulls between sets - took a while to get my squats feeling right today

Using my meet wraps today, to be sure I can get the same revolutions. This will be the third time they’ve ever been used.

3x324 lbs, under 6 RPE, 7 revolutions (3, X, 2)
2x368 lbs, under 6 RPE, 7 revolutions (3, X, 2)
1x396 lbs, under 6 RPE, 8 revolutions (3, X, 3)
5x462 lbs, 8-9 RPE, 9 revolutions (3, X, 4) - best wrap job I’ve done yet. It HURT and trashed my elbows doing it. Very, very pleased with this. It’s the best feeling squat set I’ve had in months.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVyJbyvF0j1/

Left it there, saw no point in pushing further. That’s a two rep increase at the same or lower RPE than in week one and puts my estimated max at 539 lbs. I may up my third attempt to 506 lbs, depending how 473 lbs feels.

SSB squats, bare knees and open belt 3x5x324 lbs, under 6 to 6 RPE with short rests

Walking lunges with 44 lbs chain and one to two second pause at the bottom 1x25/leg - the pump from these gets better and better

BB RDLs with feet elevated, focusing on controlled eccentric
20x198 lbs
2x15x198 lbs

Got the most amazing stretch in my hamstrings for the first set, OK-ish on the second and by the third I was fighting just to move the bar, hammies were toast

Abs/shoulders superset
Medium band kneeling cable crunches with squeeze: 25, 30
Shoulder raise tri-set: side at 15 lbs/front at 20 lbs/RDFs at 25 lbs
22/18/16
18/12/10

That’s all my heavy and taxing work done. Everything points to me being in a good place for squat and DL come meet day. I’ll train early tomorrow (yuck) and get my last heavy bench done.

9 Likes
2626

Woke at 186.6 lbs, but looking (as far as I can tell) fine/normal. Go figure. I’m guessing I’m holding water due to salt and/or inflammation.

2 Likes
2627

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

TM is 253 lbs

Work up from bar in 22 lbs x3-5 to 60%, 20 pull aparts between sets

3x176 lbs, 6 RPE
2x203 lbs, 6 RPE
1x225 lbs, 6 RPE
1x253 lbs, 8-9 RPE
1x269 lbs, 9-10 RPE - got a liftout for this, made a big difference

Happy. Shoulders (left especially) and upper back are achy, so it’s a positive that I got my third attempt happily enough.

Floor press 3x5x176 lbs, 6 RPE

Kept it at fives to keep my shoulders happy

Supersetted strict BB rows/strict log press

BB rows 3x10x154 lbs
Log press 5x110 lbs, 2x5x116 lbs

Left it here, no sense in irritating my shoulders

Lat pull-downs with rope seated on the floor facing away from the machine as described in Paul Carter’s recent tip

3x15x77 lbs - I like these, hits my lats well but very differently to normal pull-downs. I’ll keep these for one of my pull-down days.

Elbows starting to hint at their annoyance by now, so went for a prehabby approach to my arm work

Bis/tris giant set
Seated strict incline DB curls with controlled eccentric 3x15x20 lbs
U-bar tricep pushdowns with controlled eccentric 3x15x44 lbs
30 second rests

Got a great tricep pump out of this, and my elbows felt much better.

Stationary bike sprints 10x35 seconds off/25 seconds on - intensity all over the shop and my quads getting pushed hard by this

7 Likes
2628

Woke at 185.9 lbs, but yet again seem to look ‘normal’. Go figure. I’m getting calipered Friday and doing a BIA Monday which should be interesting.

2629

Just mulling a few things over in relation to what I’m perceiving as a disparity between my scale weight and appearance which I think began around three weeks ago. As far as I can tell, there are a few possible explanations.

  1. I put on some fat. Possible, but then why do I look the same or even maybe a little better? Well, I could be seeing what I want to see instead of what’s there.
  2. For one reason or another I’m holding a lot more water. That would point to a dietary change, and I haven’t really changed my diet. Or have I? I could have gotten slacker without knowing, although it’s hard to see how given I’m still tracking and weighing. Inflammation possibly?
  3. Combination of options one and two
  4. I gained some muscle. This would be awesome. In favour of this option is that the last three weeks have seen my strength seem to pick up without dropping off again.
  5. Combination of options one, two and four.

Then of course there’s the general point that during Phase II I was never looking to stay at or below a specific scale weight PROVIDED I MAINTAINED MY BODY COMPOSITION. I simply assumed Phase II would entail staying around the scale weight I was at when Phase I ended while my body adjusted to being not fat. It didn’t occur to me that my body might adjust faster than the 12 months I planned for. It’s around this point that I reminded myself that I’m almost three months into Phase II.

Anyhow, that’s where my mind is at currently. The calipers and BIA will shed a bit more light on the why, and I’m steeling myself for some bad news just in case.

4 Likes
2630

Did you consider a possible Brownie allergy?

2631

I did not, although I’d need to eat a lot more brownies to be sure.

8 Likes
2632

Note to self: this may be useful

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV20kOIgQFA/

1 Like
2633

Had access to some stairs at work so

1x100 bodyweight calf raises with toes neutral, slow eccentric (about one second), full stretch and ‘jump’ to the top - got a really good pump and burn

A little later

4x25/leg calf raises, constant tension workout a full stretch or lockout - blasted my calves, pretty much couldn’t fully contract them from rep 20 onwards

2 Likes
2634

RE your mysterious scale weight/visual disparity issue:

You mention it started about three weeks ago. Did you see a sudden big change three weeks ago that quickly stabilized and has remained fairly constant since then?

Or

Have you been progressively looking softer at a consistent rate throughout the past three weeks?

Any new protein sources introduced three weeks ago?

Try drastically dropping protein intake from solid food for a day. Just go with BCAAs all day and/or Mag-10 if you have it, and/or any protein shake but no beef, chicken, or other animal protein. Eggs are fine.

I wish I could provide some science to back up my recommendation, but it’s something I stumbled on accidentally and have since employed a few times to harden up/dry out/unbloat.

I don’t know if you partake in the devil spirit, but another thing you can try is to have something like 4-7 alcoholic beverages one night. Gotta make that a very clean eating day for it to work.

Both of these can help drop water, especially if it’s inflammation-related, which seems possible for you.

Also, if you drop water quickly, you’ll get a better idea of what kind of muscle and fat changes are really going on.

Following. Looking forward to hearing about those body comp measurements.

2 Likes
2635

Neither. That’s what’s puzzling me. I certainly wouldn’t say I’ve been looking after at any kind of rate, consistent or otherwise. If I had, I’d be way more concerned. It doesn’t help that my hair has grown back to normal length these last three weeks either.

I check how I look morning and evening daily, same four places at home, same lighting. Over the period in question I’ve seen no change jump out at me in the mornings. Some nights I’m a bit softer, but others I look identical to the morning.

I did have one thought just now though: in this last three week period I’ve reduced my vegetable consumption noticeably (I was eating a bunch and wanted a break). I’ve been less regular as a result. Sounds almost too simple, but maybe I’ve just been carrying more waste than usual. I started to up my vegetable consumption again yesterday, and I’ll continue today and onwards and see what the effect is. It would kind of tally with what’s been happening: a couple of days over what I think of as normal weight, back down for a day, the up again, etc.

Either way, I’ll have those measurements on Friday which will tell me more.

1 Like
2636

Woke at 185 lbs, looking good. Scale moving in the right direction, so that’s pretty positive.

2 Likes
2637

Posted this in another thread, but it’s the coming together of something I’d be inclined to try if I didn’t compete in PL and just wanted to be strong all over.

Day one

Squat, work up to heavy five then some back off sets of five to eight
Press 5x10 cleaning every first rep
Chins/pull-ups

Day two

Press, work up to heavy five then some back off sets of 10, cleaning every first rep
Barbell row, 350 set
Bis/tris

Day three

Squat 350 set
Dips, work up to top weighted 10 then backoff set at bodyweight for AMRAP
Chins/pull-ups or barbell row 5x10 depending on how your elbows tolerate chins/pull-ups

5 Likes
2638

No hip hinge movement?

2639

It has a real Classic, or Golden Age kinda-feel. Like John Grimek in the 50’s.

1 Like
2640

Cleaning the bar, BB rows and even squats incorporate it.

It’s based on pretty much just squatting and pressing, with back work. I’d be surprised if it didn’t at least maintain DL.

2641

No benching?

Pssshhhhhh!

2 Likes
2642

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

Squat

15x2x308 lbs, took just over 17 minutes

Lower back started whinging a bit towards the end, I think mostly because I got a bit lazy with my bracing.

90 degree back raises with pause at top: 35, 35

Lower back trashed

Kettlebell rope upright rows at 35 lbs: 30, 25

Supersetted with

Medium band (doubled) side bends with squeeze at top: 25, 25

Done in an hour and five minutes or so.

Later on did a bunch of glute squeezes, some both sides, some unilateral. Held them as long as possible. Made my back feel a ton better.

4 Likes
2643

As someone who has dealt with lower back tightness and aches, no real pain, I’m curious about this. Done standing? Feels better how? Less tight/less tired? Just trying to steal anything that works, lol.

2644

@bctx1981 standing, in my squat stance. Yes, it helped. Made things feel more normal, less tingly.

3 Likes