I can usually train quite well on little sleep luckily, so it irritates me when I can’t. Still, I don’t often do such long hours. I’m excited for tomorrow, and I’m mentally preparing for how crap waking up in the dark will feel.
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Found out today Elite is actually going to replace the safety straps. This is a nice surprise, since they still have a (not fantastic) squat bar so it’s a workable situation.
Yes, Burley is a better gym. It’s hours are just workable for me. I also really, really don’t like getting up that early to train if I can avoid it. I also really, really do like being able to train virtually whenever I like. It’s kind of a catch 22.
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Had a little thought about DL after the meet.
I’m playing with the idea of replacing DL with snatch grip DL for the 531 sets and then an AMRAP FSL set of either conventional or sumo.
In terms of loads, I’ll assume my SGDL is 80% of my conventional max. I’ll assume my conventional max is 577 lbs (262.5 kg) so that would put my SGDL max at 462 lbs, which means my SGDL TM would be 416 lbs (190 kg). My DL TM would be 550 lbs as it would be cycle eight.
That would have my DL for cycle eight running as:
Week 1
5x275 lbs/125 kg
5x313 lbs/142.5 kg
5+x357 lbs/162.5 kg
AMRAPx357 lbs/162.5 kg
Week 2
3x297 lbs/135 kg
3x335 lbs/152.5 kg
3+x379 lbs/172.5 kg
AMRAPx379 lbs/175 kg
Week 3
5x313 lbs/142.5 kg
3x357 lbs/162.5 kg
1+x396 lbs/180 kg
AMRAPx412 lbs/187.5 kg
I’m thinking this could be a way to bring my conventional DL up without beating myself up much. It’d also let me relearn hook grip, and I would think it’d help me off and just off the floor which is where I’m weaker. The FSL sets would keep me accustomed to semi-heavy regular pulls too.
@Destrength it was your last entry that got me thinking.
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I think you have to modify your foot angle for snatch grip DL. Good luck!!!
Not much to be honest, or at not in my experience. I guess I have my feet pointing it for conventional a tiny bit anyway.
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Advice regarding the hookgrip in case you don’t already know… Don’t hold it so damn hard. I was holding my hands really hard with the hookgrip previously until I started doing the snatch regularly and I was told to just “believe in the hookgrip”, so much less painful when you just hold it. It ain’t double overhand or mixed grip where gripping the shit out of the bar/strangling it helps.
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Go figure. I had never, EVER known that. Thanks. When you think about it it’s similar to using straps isn’t it? Except that instead of friction caused by a strip of fabric it’s caused by your thumb.
Yup, that’s exactly it. Took me way longer than I’d like to admit to figure it out haha.
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Another Jekyll and Hyde squat day.
Still no slings for the mono so had to walk out and use a cage as well as the old Texas bar. Am I glad I walk most of my squats out so I’m used to it! Biggest issue was the rack hooks sit almost exactly where I grip. TL;DR I had to grip at the sleeves and then move my hands in after unpacking.
Today’s training
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Squat
15 push-ups after first three warm up sets. Bar slid off my back at the end of second warm up at 230 lbs. Not a good start AT ALL.
5x374 lbs, 6 RPE - felt slow though and still off
3x423 lbs, 6 RPE - Slingshot wraps, 6 revolutions, last two in an X. Night and day from first set.
1x473 lbs, 7 RPE - Slingshot wraps, 7 revolutions, X covered by a revolution over the top. Best rebound I’ve gotten out of any wraps I think. Probably about 44 lbs worth.
2x517 lbs, 9-10 RPE - revolutions, X covered by a revolution over the top again. Massively pleased since that’s my all time PR weight for a double.
On went the Oly shoes
3x5x374 lbs, 8 RPE - close stance, deep(ish). These were hard AF. Cut sets to three due to time and to be frank running out of gas too.
5x10x30 lbs hammer curls after each set from the first FSL set onwards
1x30x75 lbs leg extensions - not a fan. Felt strain on the knee and a just a small quad pump. Hack squats will stay.
1x25x45 degree back raises with 88 lbs chains - the usual semi-debilitating pump in hams and glutes during the last five reps and then in my lower back for a good 10 minutes.
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@MarkKO looks very good to me!!! That’s a good angle for the video. Is your waist smaller? What was the red you had on your knees? What are you thinking about between your squats? 
What she said, great job, cool video. It’s nice to see things from the front. Plus, a cool glimpse into your training. Do 1st rep, go through checklist, “Depth? Butt?” do second rep.
Also, to see what a good job you’re doing of making The Oly squats carry over to your wrapped squats. I can see you making the connection. Similar to how you made the close stance box squats into a “deadlift move” a few months back. Great work.
Well thank you @countrygirl2016.
Maybe, although it could be that you’ve never seen it from that angle before with a wide belt clamped over it.
Knee wraps: 2.5 metres of thick, stiff elastic cloth. When you wrap that around your knees, the wraps compress as your knees bend and this creates tension in the wrap, pushing you up out of the hole. The way I’m wrapping my knees now I think I get around 45 lbs extra on my squat.
Usually how many more I can do; and what cues I need to focus on.
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When you put it that way… I guess I’d never really thought my thought process rep to rep. That time I asked Sean because I’m still feeling for depth in wraps. I know I tend to go deeper than necessary when I wrap, so I was purposely cutting my squats higher to counteract that. I think I’m pretty OK for both.
Dude. Thanks. Honestly, I barely make a conscious connection between the Oly and my regular squats - but they’re obviously doing something positive, and it seems maybe having a greater effect than I thought. They’re definitely going to stick around.
I did like those close stance box squats. Ended up dropping the box height slightly and using my regular squat stance (so, medium I guess) but still thought of them as a DL. Never done anything since that torched back anywhere near as much.
@MarkKO thank you for the detailed answer on the wraps. It’s crazy to think you get that much more weight from using those! I might look into it and if nothing else at least I’ll look cool 
My right knee pops like crazy every time I go down.
From that angle you look fantastic!!
When I’m thinking like that it’s me repeating: don’t puss out, you got this, don’t make an ass out of yourself, I’m strong and this is easy, I’m too old for this shit… things like that! You are focused on the task and I’m mentally kicking my own ass haha. Maybe I should try your way.
Knee sleeves would be a better option @countrygirl2016. Wraps are NOT comfortable, and it can take a while to learn what wrapping style suits you best. Besides, wraps change the dynamic of the lift enough that until you’re comfortable in your squat groove they would probably do more harm than good. It’s a good idea to get used to coming out of the hole being the hard part.
Knee sleeves, on the other hand, just make your knees warmer and comfortable. Much better.
Generally I think a good rule of thumb is not to use wraps until you’re squatting close to 1.5 times your bodyweight for women and double bodyweight for men.
Cinch anyone’s waist down and they look good.
I think generally speaking once you’re under the bar/the bar is in your hands there shouldn’t be any emotional thinking. That leaves the mind clear for focusing on technical cues. Too much emotion before the lift and you’ll get over-aroused and mess up your technique and fail, or expend all your energy getting psyched up and have none left to move the bar.
The closest I come to emotional dialogue in my head during a set will be during the last few reps where I’m assessing how my sticking point feels to determine whether I know I can safely complete another rep.
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Wonderful set Mark, form was perfect. You looked very dedicated. Keep going bro
Cycle 6, week 4 - deload
Today’s training
Press
35 bench pull aparts after first three sets
5x93 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x115 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x132 lbs, under 6 RPE
16x93 lbs, 8 RPE
100 leg-to-leg jump rope followed by 5 done unders between three sets around this point. Don’t remember exactly when.
Supersetted 176 lbs bench press/132 lbs Fat Gripz lat pulldown
16/20
Tri-set 49 lbs preacher curls/220 lbs BB shrugs/88 lbs calf raises
3x12/12/20
1x12/20/40
Grip was fading fast on set three of shrugs so hook gripped set four. @Benanything your tip worked nicely.
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Thanks mate. I was going to go with constipated, but dedicated sounds better. Technique is coming along. Still mistakes, but the main difference between now and a year or so ago is that I know what I need to do at almost any given point in a rep. This helps. A lot.
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I’d recommend taking less than 80% of your all time max, perhaps 75% unless you decide to put on a belt for snatch grip deadlifting ( in which case I have no experience on that). They are both surprisingly harder to do, and easy to mess up. Also don’t pull them like an oly lifter, just think of it like a deficit deadlift with a wide grip.
I’m planning on using a belt. SGDL would be treated as my regular DL
That’s how I approach them. Get right, grip, pull.
I remember when I started out I could pull about 300 lbs snatch grip the first time I tried it.