Congrats on the 135kgs! You’ll be getting that 3 plate soon, I know it. Man, it has been really fun seeing the progress you’ve made over the past year. I still recall one year ago you were benched 102.5kgs at your mom’s place. Now you’re repping that out and it’s a probably a RPE 6 for you now. Keep up going mate!
1 Like
Thanks Ben! I’ve been gunning for three plates for about a year now. Then 350 lbs, then beyond. Hopefully more frequent benching will help with this.
2 Likes
Hey, Mark, how do you combine recordings in your videos? Do you use some type of video editing software, or is it a feature on youtube? I am trying to do the same type of video set up for my training sessions.
Also congrats on the benching.
1 Like
Not sure about Mark, but I’ve got an app (free) called Splice. Its pretty simple to use and has basic stuff but it does the job for me.
1 Like
I use the free version of VideoShow. I’ve used VivaVideo and it isn’t as good.
Did four sets of three pull-ups while at the park, some on the pull-up handles, one on play equipment (thick AF piping). All felt good, chest high if not quite to bar. Pleased.
3 Likes
Cycle 9, week 4 - deload
Well, deload but starting with week three squats. Feeling stiff is the best way to put it.
Today’s training:
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Squat
Feeling good in the groove, surprisingly, although my lower back felt off. Put it down to sloppy bracing and guess what, it felt better as soon as I really squeezed my abs.
12 TRX fatman pull-ups between first three warm-up sets.
5x363 lbs, 6 RPE
3x412 lbs, 7-8 RPE
1x462 lbs, 8-9 RPE - just didn’t feel like there were many reps in there so left it as is. Bar speed was fine, technique seemed fine. Felt fine, just not something I was keen on repping today
0x500 lbs - this was a shock. Yes, the unrack was off but I checked my previous set very carefully and was sure I’d get 500 lbs with some effort. The weight felt fine, fine out of the hole, but just couldn’t get through the sticking point. Like I said, shocked. Disappointed in myself too. I can honestly say I didn’t do this for ego, I figured like with bench just because the reps aren’t there doesn’t mean heavy singles aren’t - so I thought I’d get a heavy single in. Apparently not, or at least not a heavy single that is my all time sleeve PR.
Kind of dented confidence and kind of not. Pissed off for sure, but since I don’t have a meet any time soon a transitory dip in strength isn’t a big deal.
Included all my work up sets today.
5x5x247 lbs front squat, 7-8 RPE throughout. Oly shoes
These felt off too. Back is definitely tired AF.
Oly shoes stayed on
50 total reps RFESS with 50 lbs DB in each hand: 5x10, Oly shoes feel great for these
100 total reps 90 degree back raise: 25, 25, 30, 20
Sort of supersetted with
50 total reps hammer curls with 25 lbs DBs: 15, 12, 13, 10
This session took way too long, probably 45 minutes over what it should have.
I’ll chalk it up to a bad day and move on. Thank fuck it’s deload week.
1 Like
Hey Mark, that miss looked kind of scary lol. You had great speed out of the hole then just hit a wall at your sticking point like you said. Could just be one of those days…
1 Like
Lol, yeah scared me too! We’re the safety straps a bit low?
Edit: And Mark walks it off like “no big deal.” !!!
Strong work though. Split squats are so damn tough.
2 Likes
@max13 yeah, that’s what took me so off guard. It felt 100% fine going down and out of the hole, then a big fat nope. I never saw it coming. Hell, I’d have thought the 462 lbs would have been far harder and uglier if my back was off. That’s why I took 500 lbs.
Edit: probably should have had the foresight to realise my lower back not feeling one hundred per cent might mean I can’t rely on it to pick up the slack like it usually does.
For some reason I’m not scared of failing squats. Annoyed, yes, but not scared.
Edit: yes, probably a bit low for someone else. For me that’s just OK
Currently thinking about what to do for next cycle/last cycle before being into leader/anchor/peaking.
I have to be honest: I’m feeling a trifle beat up, for the first time since maybe March this year. Knees are achy, shoulders stiffen up more then usual, back feels strained fairly regularly and elbows, despite no flareups feel a bit brittle. I’m aware that part of this is probably due to the caloric deficit (which isn’t going away, so no change possible there at the moment); another part could conceivably be due to the higher volume of assistance work (total reps vs repsxsets) but again it is quite obviously working well after just one cycle, so I’ll chalk any impact up to an adjustment period; but my gut tells me a large part is due to shooting for rep PRs every week when my squat and press are starting to enter the actually heavy zone.
So, OK, my recovery may be slightly off. I’ve had this feeling since end of cycle eight, where I hit those big squat rep PRs, pulled 550x2 and 600x1 and started noticing my press start to slow down. I’m not willing to ignore it for another cycle.
All of the above is a massive reason I picked the leader/anchor approach. Come 2017 my TMs go way down and I’ll have three months of plain old fives, letting me hit some decent volume hammer weak points with assistance while slowly building the intensity up. Experience dictates I will get stronger doing this, and will reap those rewards come anchor time.
Now I need to decide what to do for cycle 10. I’ve already decided that from Xmas Eve to New Years Day I won’t touch a barbell just to really let my body take a load off. I’ll do a few sessions of
50 total dips
15 total pull-ups, 35 total Fatman pull-ups
50 total reps/leg single leg
I can do that across the road. It’ll be enough to keep me sane and not so much it’ll have an impact.
That leaves me with what to do for cycle 10.
I think maybe this will work:
Monday
Bench press 5/3/1 sets, no PR sets, optional joker at +10% or TM, whichever is lower, for weekly reps, pull aparts between warm-ups
25 total reps military press
50 total fatman pull-ups
100 total calf raises
Tuesday
3/5/1 DL as current with pull-ups between warm-up sets
100 total back raises
100 total fat Gripz BB shrugs
Thursday
Bench press 5/3/1 pyramid, no PR sets, pull aparts between warm-ups
50 total reps dips
Kroc rows one set
100 total calf raises
Friday
Squat 5/3/1 reps, no PR sets, optional joker at +10% or TM, whichever is lower, for weekly reps with fatman pull-ups between warm-ups
Single leg 50 total reps
Shrugs 50 total reps
Calves 50 total reps
That’s a decent drop in volume, accommodates my current rep range deficit and lets me hit some heavier loads. Should keep me in one piece till year’s end without hurting overall progress.
1 Like
Reading through my putative next cycle and I think I’ll need to drop my squat and bench TM. Given I’ll be looking to hit it for triples in week three the way the cycle is set up:
Squat 215 kg/473 lbs
Bench 120 kg/264 lbs
Cue me repeating ‘the TM is just a tool’ through gritted teeth.
4 Likes
I think that sounds like a good idea mate, if you’re feeling a little beat up, an ‘easier’ cycle won’t hurt anything. Better to be cautious than end up injured 
2 Likes
That’s my thinking. As long as I’m working and regularly going reasonably heavy (up to my TM) I won’t lose top end strength. I already know my rep capacity is diminished at the moment. Dropping the FSL sets and paused front squats for a cycle will hopefully be enough to let my joints cheer up.
1 Like
When was the last time you took a week off from lifting completely? Might not be a bad idea if it will allow your bumps and bruises to heal up.
3 Likes
no entiendo.
I blame the gym music, of all the stupid laws in the world cant we get one good law dictating appropriate gym music?
4 Likes
For the last month or more you’ve been pushing real hard, with great success, but you’re starting to pay the cost with the nagging issues. Don’t do like me, take care of it now. I like your plan above, lowered volume, and, more importantly, less intensity. Repeated bouts of near maximal weight really does put you in a recovery deficit if you’re not mitigating properly. That deficit takes a while to get out of too (so I’m learning).
I love your idea to give the barbell a break too.
Great year in training you’ve had. Come into 2017 feeling recovered and ready to have another great year.
2 Likes
It takes as long to get out of as it took to get into. With novices, you get out of it fast, the more advanced you are, the longer it takes.
1 Like
Yo tambien.
March 2013, when I got so dehydrated after a bout of flu I ended up in hospital very briefly on a saline drip.
I’m not so particular about gym music. Although, I do like some late 90s/early 2000s RnB for squats.
1 Like