MarkKO's Training Log

Training Training Logs
1322

Woke up a few times in the night, first time that’s happened in a few weeks. I think it’s the heat, you could feel it go up a few degrees not long before we went to bed. Left hamstring feeling much looser on waking, and weight down to where I want it - 201 lbs. Looking good too, probably leanest on waking I’ve seen. Now to keep that going.

Nervous going in today because of my top DL set. Last week was hard, and this week’s has been bothering me since then.

Today’s training

Lazy lifter

Stiff bar DL

5 neutral grip pull-ups between first three warmup sets, not feeling bad but not nice. Nerves really fucking with my head.

5x379 lbs, under 6 RPE - first two reps double overhand, remaining three hook grip.
5x434 lbs, 7-8 RPE, straps - using my new Elite FTS loops, quicker to set up than my Spud Inc figure 9s but they still suck the life out of my pull
5x484 lbs, 9-10 RPE, straps - about as horrible as I’d feared but not something I couldn’t get. Palpably relieved when it was over. Last rep is ugly. First three look decent to me.

FSL SGDL 3x5x297 lbs, 6 then under 6 RPE

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPV8vygh_wr/

Took longer than usual breaks between sets on purpose, because nerves aside this took a decent amount of energy out of me.

SSB squat 50 total reps at 280 lbs: 20, 20, 10

This was oddly satisfying. I mostly did blocks of two to four reps followed by a few breaths, then went again.

Supersetted calf raises/ab wheel rollouts
Calves 100 total reps at 143 lbs: 35, 35, 30
Ab wheel 50 total reps plus 33 lbs: 25, 15, 10

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1323

I feel like this would have sucked a lot for me…

Good work man.

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1324

Oh, it sucked. It was satisfying to do two squat sets of 20 reps though.

1325

Actually napped/dozed this afternoon. Felt drained - combine that with how GD hungry I was yesterday and today and I think I may be on the verge of some decent progress acceleration on the leaning out front. Looking back, any time the bodyfat came off faster than usual I was very hungry and felt drained for no reason, buy not to the point of struggling in training. Hopefully that’s how things will pan out.

1326

Looks like all the rep work you do for your bench is paying off

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1327

I think it’s the twice weekly benching that’s my magic bullet.

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1328

SOAB, couple of 20s? You’re on fire and have sparked me off. Getting my numbers up and scheduling a day for these.

You’re a lean-back DLer, not a quad guy right? No wonder your hamstring feels it.

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1329

From what I saw it was ALL in your head, those reps looked just like last weeks.

Also last week felt heavy because you didn’t sleep.

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1330

First, thank you. Second, SOAB? SSB? The 20s are mental more than anything unless you’re unrealistic with the weight. SSB is great for this because the bar just sits there, you won’t have to worry about anything except standing back up. My buddy did 25 a couple of weeks back with 154 lbs and it was his second time squatting in over a year. He weighs about 155 lbs.

Oddly enough, I’m a lean back DLer so I can use my quads more. Otherwise my back takes all the strain. I remember when I was learning how to do it, my quads would get really sore after every DL day.

1 Like
1331

Pretty much. I feel good now I’ve made it through each week for DL. It’d been three or more months that I’d only pulled heavy for threes or ones, and all on a DL bar.

So far it looks like I’ve pitched my TM right too, because recovery has been spot on. That’ll have me pulling a five at 506 lbs in two months when the leader ends, which will set me up to pull some rep PRs in the anchor. Well, that’s the plan.

2 Likes
1332

Still hot AF. Decided to spend 20 minutes on the stationary bike my fiancee uses. We got it at the tip for almost nothing, it’s kind of like a cheap copy of an Airdyne.

Not sure if it even counts as easy cardio, but it kept my legs moving and got some blood pumping.

1333

Son Of A Bitch.

Haha!

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1334

Got you. I always use SOB.

1335

Ended up mulling a few things over in my head. I’m fairly sure these are all things I’ve mulled over before, but what the hell.

  1. I don’t understand the need for motivation. Since the first time I touched a barbell it was never a question of needing motivation to come back. It just clicked, like that’s what I was meant to do. Nothing feels more natural than doing something to physically improve. I get tons of satisfaction out of other things - being a husband, trying to be a decent member of society, etc - but none of those feel quite as natural. The closest thing is being a parent, that’s about on a par.
  2. When I look back on it, that first time I started training seems to be about the time I started taking steps to actually be happy with my life, and it really seems like a huge part of that is that I never once let go of training, even it was just push-ups and crunches.
  3. Following from that first point, it makes it hard to relate to someone who trains but seems to need motivation or validation to do it. There’s just a big cognitive blank for me.
  4. That first point also makes it hard AF to explain to anyone who asks why I do this.
  5. The first point (again) makes me not so great at advising people how to train unless they have a similar relationship with training. The best I can ever come up with is that if a goal is important enough to you, you’ll do what it takes to achieve it (thanks Charles Poliquin), and until that happens don’t worry (read don’t bother).
  6. Point one can also make me quite nasty if you’re training with me, because my immediate reaction to comments like ‘I’m not comfortable with…’ or ‘its hard’ or ‘I’m trying’ is simply ‘I don’t care’.
  7. My own little mantra kind of thing is: the goal doesn’t care if you like doing what it takes to achieve it. The goal only cares that what it takes to achieve it gets done.
6 Likes
1336

MarkKO, that’s weird. Leaning back engages the hamstrings… you should be feeling it there (unlike snatch pulls) which is more like a good morning squat.

(I don’t know how to quote posters, drats)

Okay, now I know. The function’s so user-friendly.

The way you tear up 5 plates you can probably bag 506lbs for 5. You just need ample rest prior to the feat. Don’t you feel it some days? DOMs and/or adrenal fatigue.

When you’re that seasoned, it don’t matter I guess. It’s very specific down to the exact trigger of the feeling. Just watch your volume and keep it manageable.

1337

I do, but if I don’t lean back I get almost no leg drive and it ends up being a stiff leg DL.

Certainly on a good day now - in two months it should be down to on a reasonable day. Yes, rest is important but mostly rest from pulling. DOMS I get in my legs mostly, and generally only if I do single leg work. I don’t know if that’s because they’re more prone to it or because I train them harder. I don’t think I ever train nearly hard enough or ever eat badly enough to come close to adrenal fatigue. The worst that’s happened is my back just getting really GD tired after a cycle where I got amazing squat rep PRs; or my DL stalling because I’d been pushing rep PRs for five cycles straight. Both were fixed within a week or two of dropping volume.

I figure it does and it doesn’t. The longer I do this the better I get at reading the signs my body sends me so I get better at making sure it doesn’t happen too often.

That and intensity.

1338

Woke up a bit tired but perked up once I’d warmed up. As a note, it seems like the sweet spot for my macros right now is around 185 g protein/300 g carbs/35 g fat.

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

Bench press

30 pull aparts with rotation between first three warmup sets

5x192 lbs, under 6 RPE - felt fucking amazing
5x214 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x242 lbs, 8 RPE - actually paused these this time
3x5x192 lbs, under 6 RPE

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPbH3C6Bn_Y/

I’m noticing that the weights just feel better on the second bench day

Dips 50 total reps: 24, 13, 13

Close enough to 25, I’ll add 22 lbs next cycle

Kroc rows 120 lbs 25 L+R
Balance to 50 reps at 90 lbs: 14, 11

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPbU6cABPHD/

First time doing Kroc rows that my grip was the limiting factor. I wonder how long it’ll take me to get to 30 reps.

I’ve realised Kroc rows are a good indicator of overall progress for me. When they go up, my comp lifts are generally doing well too.

Supersetted hammer curls/Fat Gripz BB shrugs
Curls 50 total reps at 30 lbs: 16, 16, 12, 12
Shrugs 100 total reps at 154 lbs: 40, 24, 20, 20

Stairmill 10 minutes at level seven

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1339

Sounds like you have weak lats/traps. Probably do considering how much your deadlift and squat kicks my ass.

Also god damn, you are killing all of this rep work.

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1340

It’s kind of going both ways in parts, but overall, yes, it would appear rep work agrees with me.

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1341

More rambling/ranting because I’m bored.

First, some ranting.

  1. PRs are important. If you flood my FB/IG feed with PRs that are almost all lift variations or PRs at your bodyweight this morning to a decimal point I’m going to lose respect for you very fucking fast. Show me what you’re doing and be proud of progress by all means, but don’t call it a PR. Funny how the people using phenomenal loads on variations rarely seem to call them PRs.
  2. If you squat in wraps all the time, wear a belt for sub-300 lbs pulls when your max is close to 550 lbs, virtually never go above three reps because ‘you should train like you compete’ and wear your lifting suit every goddamn training session because ‘its good enough for Eric Lilliebridge’ you’re a fucking idiot.
  3. If you use drugs and still don’t get bigger or stronger I don’t know what the fuck to tell you.
  4. Never blame the judges when you get two or more red lights. It’s your job to get up there and give at least two of them no option but to give you whites.
  5. If you underperform at almost every meet it might be a good idea to stop competing every three to four months. It might also be a good idea to take a long, hard look at how you train and prepare for your meets.
  6. If you do more than one of the above and behave like you’re a) special and b) better than other people training around you I predict that you’re going to lose friends FAST.

Now the rambling.

  1. It turns out I sleep better if my mobile isn’t in the bedroom. Not because it stops me using it during the night, though. Something about it not being in the room makes me sleep better.
  2. Sitting down to eat breakfast makes a hugely positive difference to how I feel about going to work.
  3. One of my favourite training moments last year was when a young bloke at the gym asked if I could help train him. TL;DR I later ended up setting out a leader/anchor for another young bloke who has bags of potential and today found out they’re both training it together. Does my heart good to see two 16 year olds using 5/3/1 and enjoying it. One of them is very close to a 500 lbs DL at just under 198 lbs, while the other one weighs in around 140 lbs and benched 176 lbs for a reasonably comfortable triple. They go to school together and are both called Tom.
  4. Whenever I do shrugs and curls my bench feels better @Destrength is onto something there.
  5. I am quite particular when it comes to my training clothes. They are also the majority of my non-work clothes. I got very excited to get Inzer and Metal shorts and Elite FTS shirts. Looks aside, they’re comfortable AF. I’m going to get more Metal shorts next.
6 Likes