MarkKO's Training Log

You mean it’s just a phase? Huh.

@markko: Have you tried ring pull ups? They allow for a lot of movement that bar pull ups don’t allow. Anything with rings requires a good bit of stability though.

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@Destrength I sort of tried once. It wasn’t happening.

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Went to bed with a budding migraine. It was still hanging around when I woke up so I went back to bed. Felt better on my second attempt getting up but sleeping longer means I ran out of time to train today. Annoying, but better than a migraine. Soft, I know. Also have a lovely knot in my right lat (it pops up periodically) that feels like there’s a spike lodged in it and it’s radiating pain down my arm up my neck. Probably has something to do with the migraine.

I’ll have to mash Thursday and Friday together. No big deal. Also means I’ll be up for a very short time (six hours tops) so I’ll probably keep calories at around 1900-2000 and get back to normal tomorrow.

Don’t get too obsessed. You are making good progress so if you don’t feel good, auto regulate. I think you are better being fresh and hitting it hard than if you feel like crap and are going through the motions.

Remember, it’s a marathon and you are winning. It’s better to stay healthy and keep working out than to burnout and bail.

You got this bro - I think 189 is three weeks away!

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You’re right, of course. I feel fresh as a daisy today with is a bonus. The knot is still there but less so, courtesy of getting the hell pounded out of it by my other half and munchkin.

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Back on 194.5 lbs on waking. Feeling rested.

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

Squat

15 TRX fatman pull-ups between first three warmup sets

5x319 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x363 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x412 lbs, 6 RPE - got through the reps as fast as I could. Makes it heavier by the third.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRJ4F-7l6TA/

Front squat FSL 3x8x214 lbs, under 6 RPE

Bench press

30 pull aparts between first three warmup sets

5x170 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x198 lbs, 6 RPE
5x225 lbs, 7 RPE

Instead of FSL decided to repeat all sets, but with my Reactive Slingshot to get a feel for it

5x170 lbs, under 6 RPE
5x198 lbs, under 6 RPE
9x225 lbs, 9-10 RPE

Felt good as long as I remember to aggressively flare my elbows at the bottom.

Decided to do something a little different for single leg

SSB RFESS 50 total reps/leg: 15xbar, 10x1 plate, 5x2 plate, 10x1 plate, 15xbar

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

I’m going to say my single leg strength is proportional to my bilateral leg strength.

Decided to do the same for dips

Dips 50 total reps: 15xbw, 10x22 lbs extra, 10x44 lbs extra, 10x22 lbs extra, 10xbw

Getting 10 with an extra 44 lbs was a nice surprise. The following sets were an unpleasant surprise and could probably be called a nine and a half each. They were hard AF past five.

Kroc rows were a no go at 120 lbs: I got seven and my mind just folded. Grip was good though.

Balance to 25 total reps at 90 lbs: 10, 10

Obviously doing a whole lot more than usual before Kroc rows makes them a fuckton harder. Got a good back pump though.

By this time I’d been training for almost three hours so I decided to do a single AMRAP of each third tier exercise and call it a day. Yes, I know. I’m a fucking snail. So sue me.

Hammer curls at 30 lbs: 20
GHR sit-ups plus 22 lbs on chest: 25
Band tricep pushdowns: 40
Rear delt flyes at 25 lbs: 25

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Man you’re a god damn beast how the heck do you train for three hours

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Dude your waist is shrinking!!

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God damn! Great job.

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You use a lot of calves in squatting.

I get the shakes from basketball. Very interesting. Never for squats.

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@duketheslaya slowly, that’s how.

@BOTSLAYER seems like it. Woke up at 195.6 lbs but looking leaner than yesterday somehow. I’m going with inflammation holding water.

@Koestrizer I read that article here about RFESS strength so obviously I had to have a crack.

@darkcop makes it interesting for sure, although shaking knees are worse.

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I have a sore backside today. At a guess, it was the heavy RFESS. Further guess, light and higher rep RFESS hit my quads more; heavier and lower rep hit my glutes. Not sure how much sense that makes.

Squats felt good yesterday. Angle isn’t great but it looks like buttwink is virtually non-existent. That lazy lifter has made a massive difference in how I can squat without a bar - even in my Chucks. Another guess, but I think it’s carried over to my squat.

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Here are this week’s highlights

Not much to say I haven’t already said.

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That’s a crap ton of work posted yesterday.

Do you always squat out of a monolift?

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Two days in one more or less. Not something I make a habit of, but occasionally it’s the only way I can get the work in.

I do use the mono all the time, even when I walk my squats out (which is any time except six to eight weeks out). It lets me grip wider.

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Wow Mark, excellent progress with the weight loss/recomp.

That squat vid really shows a major difference in your waist, chest, etc.

Big results!

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Thanks! So far so good.

I was wondering because the next meet I’m doing may be out of a monolift. I’ve never squatted out of one and was wondering what the key differences are for set up.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that balance is different just standing up. For me it means I have to have my feet more forward than when I’m unracking to walk out.

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@ouroboro_s Thought I’d comment as I’ve just done a meet with a monolift for the first time; yes, definitely feet further forward, centre the weight over your feet but keep your hips behind the bar - I found it helped to picture Eric Lilliebridge as I was setting up! Haha :laughing: But yeah, in general I didn’t have a problem with using it after the first go, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.

@MarkKO Btw great work so far with the weight loss, keep it up!

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