MarkKO's Training Log

Pay attention to sleep and macros. Don’t be afraid to bump your fat a little, take it out of carbs, if you’re feeling run down. Fat helps boost your energy and healthy fat is good. I know you know this, but just a reminder.

Congrats on the PR.

As always, enjoying this log!

3 Likes

@The_Myth that’s on the cards. I’m starting to see a pattern, though. Any time I get even a little noticeably leaner, I have a few days where I feel hungrier than usual and a bit drained. Then I pick back up. I’ll probably have a refeed today week too.

Definitely having one of my lean-out energy drains with the dizzy spells, general lassitude, etc. Already planning next week’s refeed (I’d do it this week but my roster has me working afternoon/evenings, so it’s hard to work in).

Today’s training

Lazy lifters plus shoulders

Bench press

TM is 253 lbs

Work up from bar in 22 lbs x 3-5 to 60%, 20 pull aparts between sets

3x176 lbs, under 6 RPE - leg drive timing was off
3x203 lbs, under 6 RPE - mistimed leg drive again
1x225 lbs, under 6 RPE - timing was on, and flared almost perfectly so this felt like there was about 80 lbs on the bar. Nearly threw it into the rack
2x253 lbs, 9 RPE - timing leg drive and flare right makes a big difference
1x269 lbs, 9-10 RPE - pleased with this, especially given I’m not feeling particularly fantastic today. I’ll definitely go with 264 lbs for my second attempt, then either this or 275 lbs for my third.

Floor press 3x8x176 lbs, 6, 7-8, 8-9 RPE with short breaks

Strict BB row supersetted with strict log press

Rows 10x132 lbs, 2x10x143 lbs, 2x10x154 lbs - I’m getting stronger on these. When I added them I found it challenging to stay strict at 154 lbs fresh, now it’s pretty easy. I’ll need to push the weight a bit now.

Log press 2x5x110 lbs, 2x5x121 lbs, 10x126 lbs - I like pushing for a kind of rep PR on the last set. I think it does me good.

Lat pull-down 3x15x77 lbs, feet behind me and pause at my chest - dropped the weight to focus on the contraction. This worked, I think, although I felt my triceps in the armpit along with my lats.

Bis/tris giant set
Seated incline strict hammer curls 3x15x25 lbs
U-bar Columbu pushdowns with pause at lockout 3x15x25 kg

30 second rests, obnoxious pump. Finally got my abs feeling the pushdowns, and I suspect it was partly a little extra weight because I wasn’t focused on my abs until I started noticing that they were working

Canned the planned incline treadmill walk (sprints are Friday this week) because I felt absolutely drained and I’ll be walking a fair bit at work this week and we did a decent amount of walking in Melbourne. Also I’m training four days back to back this week, so squats are tomorrow (which is why sprints are on Friday).

Oh, and my elbows feel really good. Didn’t need the cuffs.

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IG being cooperative again. Here are some clips from this week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVURx1HFiHV/

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

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

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

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Hey man I just noticed your hook grip might be placed wrong.

Pic One: Really sinking that bar into your palm
Pic Two: Begin Pull the bar begins to slip
Pic Three: Top of Pull See where the bar is in relation to your knuckles at the top? This is where your grip should start.

That slip is what causes pain and callouses to rip.

Another thing is to make sure you dont bury your thumb too far into your fist.

Left example the thumb is comfortably and correctly placed. On the right the thumb is jammed way in there and is going to cause a dislocation movement.

I learned first hand these two technique mistakes cause 90% of the pain from hook grip.

9 Likes

Damn this is a good post. Seems to solve the problems I have with hook grip. First I struggle to get my hands round (problem 1) then when I pull rather than the crushing pain I hear about it’s in the joint and feels like my thumb is going to dislocate (problem 2).

Definitely going to try this on Friday.

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Thank you! What I’m seeing in the picture of correct grip is that you don’t wrap your thumb around the bar at all, rather keep the top joint parallel to it. Am I right @BOTSLAYER?

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Woke at 184.6 lbs. Looking pretty much what is normal now, which when I think about it is kind of nice. Feeling nasal/snuffly so squats today are either going to make me feel a whole lot better or a whole lot worse.

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Squats always does the body good rain or shine!

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This has not always been my experience.

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Nice post, @BOTSLAYER! I’ve only played with hooked grip a few times. I’ve used it a couple times recently since @MarkKO is trying it–I was inspired to try it again. I found that doing what you say allows me to tolerate it whereas the bad way you described definitely feels like a dislocation is pending.

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Training worked kind of like a poultice; I’m definitely crook, but I also got through everything. Admittedly I spent a couple of hours semi comatose on the lounge after eating dosed up on cold and flu meds, but I feel like I’ve broken it.

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

Squat

TM is 462 lbs

Work up from bar in 44 lbs x 3-5 to 60%, 10 facepulls between sets

Either it was the disease or the gym, but I was COLD

Wraps on

Trying a narrower wrap job to get more wrap behind the knee

3x324 lbs, under 6 RPE, 7 revolutions (3, X, 2) - the setup changes combined with the narrower wrap make a massive difference. This felt like about 220 lbs
3x368 lbs, under 6 RPE, 7 revolutions (3, X, 2) - felt great again, third rep was the only one I had to do anything other than move with rebound
1x412 lbs, under 6 RPE, 8 revolutions (3, X, 3) - noticing the practice of the setup changes here, leaning forward and lower bar feeling way more natural even with heavier weight
3x462 lbs, 9 RPE, 9 revolutions (3, X, 4) - most revolutions I’ve ever gotten out of my Slingshots. Very, very happy with the set. Again, setup changes feeling great, leaning forward with lower bar feels fine. Big confidence booster, and bodes well I can do this when I’m a bit crook.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVVzQ0ZlW3K/

Made the adult decision to leave it there. I’ll push closer to 500 lbs next week instead of reps though.

SSB squat 3x5x324 lbs, bare knees with open belt (although over my jumper, so nice and snug), under 6 to 6 RPE with short breaks - felt good but one thing I have noticed is that the wider stance lights up my outer quad at the knee. The right one feels like there’s a golf ball lodged in it, so I may need to do something about that.

Walking lunges with 44 lbs chain and two count pause at bottom 25 each leg - watched the veins on my quads get more and pronounced as the set progressed. Massive pump.

BB RDLs with toes elevated
15x176 lbs, using @BOTSLAYER hook grip
15x198 lbs, double overhand
2x10x220 lbs, hook grip again

Same as usual, first set lit up my hammies then kind of lost the connection. Feet elevated helps a little. Decent back pump, but that’s not what I’m looking for. Hook grip changes are promising.

DB side raises dropset 15x20 lbs, 12x15 lbs, 14x10 lbs

Decided to leave my front and rear delts alone what with training back to back days with each day having rear delt work (pull aparts or facepulls) and every second day pressing variations, not to mention the plate raises

Doubled medium band side bends, pause at top 22 each side - pause adds a whole new dimension, lit up my obliques beautifully.

Went home and ate a large lunch: a lean pork medallion, some lambs liver, mashed carrots, two crumpets with peanut butter and two pb&j crumpet sandwiches, some cold and flu meds and a coffee. Leaves me a mite under 350 calories for the day, but felt better for it. Followed this up with a nap.

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Wowzors. I’ve definitely been curling the thumb as far around as possible and it feels like a dislocate is near. Great explanation, going to give this method a shot.

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Yes sir. Did it feel better today?

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I think so. I’ll find out for sure next week.

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Woke at 186.3 lbs, but looking really good. No bloating, nice and dry. I think the weight is the vegetables I ate yesterday - I ate a lot of them - and my tendency to add weight when I have a cold. Massive bonus is looking good.

Still a bit congested, but I think I got on the pseudoephedrine early enough to wars off the worst.

2 Likes

Bit of a surprise here and there. It just goes to show.

Today’s training

Lazy lifter plus shoulders

CGBP

TM is 231 lbs

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

3x170 lbs, under 6 RPE
3x187 lbs, 6 RPE
1x209 lbs, 6 RPE
5x231 lbs, 9 RPE - first surprise, and a pleasant one. Pretty sure that’s a rep PR
2x253 lbs, 10 RPE - failed third, started doubting it as soon as I started bringing the bar down
3x8x170 lbs, 6 to 8 RPE, short rests

Dips, against doubled and double choked light band to failure, then bodyweight to failure
8/4, 8/4, 7/3

Didn’t have much gas, but got a markedly better upper chest pump on top of tris

Strict DB rows
No way anything heavy was a good idea so
10x40 lbs
10x60 lbs
10x80 lbs

With no rest then
3x10x100 lbs, short rests (just enough to get breathing slower)

Very good middle back pump

Lat pull-downs, paused on chest and feet behind
3x15x77 lbs

Getting better at feeling my lats with these

Bis/tris giant set
Seated incline DB curl 3x12x25 lbs
Long rope Columbu-ish pushdowns 3x10x55 lbs - little too heavy for the rope, fine for the U-bar

Stationary bike sprints 10 x 35 seconds off/25 seconds on at level 15 - surprise number two, managed these at higher intensity than before

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I got bored. Still can’t pose worth a damn. What a difference lighting makes…

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Shit that’s a decent quad sweep!

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Casually strips down to take pictures and post them online.

looking good

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