MarkKO's training log

[MarkKO]

Week two of block two

Monday bench
4x2, 1x10x242 lbs
10, 8, 7 pullups. Still not quite getting that eleventh.
12, 2x10x77 lbs DB bench
2x15x132 lbs T-bar rows
2x10, 1x8 chain flys with four chains each side and failure on rep nine of the last set. My loading scheme for the chains is whatever is on the strap.
3x35 facepulls
24 steps x 264 lbs, 35 steps x 264 lbs sandbag carry. Managed both with horizontal pick and carry this time and it wasn't absolutely horrible. Just need to repeat that on Friday.

[MarkKO]

A propos of nothing I went and got a Galaxy Watch 5, mostly to track my heart rate and sleep. I like it so far. I'm not sure how accurate any of the tracking is, but it'll be consistent in whatever its inaccuracy is so I'll still get a decent idea of how things fluctuate. I also played around with the body composition analysis, which put me at 29% bodyfat. I think that's kind of high, although the navy method does put me around there as well.

Wednesday SSB squat
5x3x330 lbs, 5x330 lbs and this time I made damn sure the rests between sets were 10 seconds. I went three breaths, then brace. That actually got me around eight or nine seconds on a couple of sets, so I know three breaths is the go. By set five I was fighting hyperventilation, which while it will sound odd is one of the main benefits to me of this method. If you can override your body's instinctive panic at will and continue executing the lift, a max effort attempt becomes very very easy by comparison.
5x3x364 lbs deadlift on stiff bar against mini bands in four minutes and 36 seconds so I get to add 2.5% next time. Thanks for these @Hardartery I could feel the pulling exactly where I need to get stronger
3x25x308 lbs reverse hyper
2x25x44 lbs air squats done as Hatfield squats
2x15x44 lbs walking lunges
5x5 pullups
3x25 facepulls



I also have the dates for 2023 APL meets in Canberra with 19th March being the first one. Thats about as good a time as I could ask for, so that's more good news.

[Hardartery]

A propos of nothing I went and got a Galaxy Watch 5, mostly to track my heart rate and sleep. I like it so far. I'm not sure how accurate any of the tracking is, but it'll be consistent in whatever its inaccuracy is so I'll still get a decent idea of how things fluctuate. I also played around with the body composition analysis, which put me at 29% bodyfat. I think that's kind of high, although the navy method does put me around there as well.

Wednesday SSB squat
5x3x330 lbs, 5x330 lbs and this time I made damn sure the rests between sets were 10 seconds. I went three breaths, then brace. That actually got me around eight or nine seconds on a couple of sets, so I know three breaths is the go. By set five I was fighting hyperventilation, which while it will sound odd is one of the main benefits to me of this method. If you can override your body's instinctive panic at will and continue executing the lift, a max effort attempt becomes very very easy by comparison.
5x3x364 lbs deadlift on stiff bar against mini bands in four minutes and 36 seconds so I get to add 2.5% next time. Thanks for these @Hardartery I could feel the pulling exactly where I need to get

Those bands really kick it into a different gear. I thought I was pulling all the way through and then the bands told me otherwise. Now if I could build up to your work capacity with the short rests...

[Renascent]

Now if I could build up to your work capacity with the short rests...

For real. That is fucking nuts!

[MarkKO]

A propos of nothing I went and got a Galaxy Watch 5, mostly to track my heart rate and sleep. I like it so far. I'm not sure how accurate any of the tracking is, but it'll be consistent in whatever its inaccuracy is so I'll still get a decent idea of how things fluctuate. I also played around with the body composition analysis, which put me at 29% bodyfat. I think that's kind of high, although the navy method does put me around there as well.

Wednesday SSB squat
5x3x330 lbs, 5x330 lbs and this time I made damn sure the rests between sets were 10 seconds. I went three breaths, then brace. That actually got me around eight or nine seconds on a couple of sets, so I know three breaths is the go. By set five I was fighting hyperventilation, which while it will sound odd is one of the main benefits to me of this method. If you can override your body's instinctive panic at will and continue executing the lift, a max effort attempt becomes very very easy by comparison.
5x3x364 lbs deadlift on stiff bar against mini bands in four minutes and 36 seconds so I get to add 2.5% next time. Thanks for these @Hardartery I could feel the pulling exactly where I need to get

Those bands really kick it into a different gear. I thought I was pulling all the way through and then the bands told me otherwise. Now if I could build up to your work capacity with the short rests...

Give it a try. I suspect you'll be already able to do it. The weight is light, the not breathing part is the only issue and as long as you remember that you won't die and don't panic it's fine.

[MarkKO]

Now if I could build up to your work capacity with the short rests...

For real. That is fucking nuts!

Give it a try with light deadlifts. You'll be able to do it, and it's over quickly.

[MarkKO]

Got a knot in my left trap since Monday evening I think. Doesn't seem to be shoulder related, no discomfort with any of the movements that hurt when the shoulder was injured.

Friday JM press
5x187 lbs
4x8x149 lbs which were hard from set one. I did make sure to be careful to do them properly which definitely didn't make them easier
11, 9, 5 pullups and of course I don't film the one day I get that GD 11. Win, anyway. Not expected today.
2x8, 1x10x77 lbs DB bench
3x12x132 lbs T-bar rows
Tried pressing a log here that someone else had out. Empty log is 143 lbs, clean and strict press no problem. Reminded how pleasant log pressing feels compared to barbell. Apparently I'm in the minority with that opinion.
10x60 lbs, 10x40 lbs, 28x20 lbs tricep pushdowns with failure on rep 29
3x35 facepulls
Tried to avoid sandbag carries by shouldering sandbags.
132 lbs, very easy
165 lbs, easy
187 lbs, not easy but not exactly hard
220 lbs, fuck. Failed maybe three times to go past my chest.
Got 220 lbs
Tried again, failed at chest a couple of times. Got massive pain in the back of my head which I think was a BP spike. Happened once before and left me concussed for a couple of days. Not this time
Got 220 lbs (that's the video)
25 steps x 264 lbs sandbag
20 steps x 264 lbs sandbag, horizontal pick and carry is getting less terrible

[Hardartery]

Got a knot in my left trap since Monday evening I think. Doesn't seem to be shoulder related, no discomfort with any of the movements that hurt when the shoulder was injured.

Friday JM press
5x187 lbs
4x8x149 lbs which were hard from set one. I did make sure to be careful to do them properly which definitely didn't make them easier
11, 9, 5 pullups and of course I don't film the one day I get that GD 11. Win, anyway. Not expected today.
2x8, 1x10x77 lbs DB bench
3x12x132 lbs T-bar rows
Tried pressing a log here that someone else had out. Empty log is 143 lbs, clean and strict press no problem. Reminded how pleasant log pressing feels compared to barbell. Apparently I'm in the minority with that opinion.
10x60 lbs, 10x40 lbs, 28x20 lbs tricep pushdowns with failure on rep 29
3x35 facepulls
Tried to avoid sandbag carries by shouldering sandbags.
132 lbs, very easy
165 lbs, easy
187 lbs, not easy but not exactly hard
220 lbs, fuck. Failed maybe three times to go past my chest.
Got 220 lbs
Tried again, failed at chest a couple of times. Got massive pain in the back of my head which I think was a BP spike. Happened once before and left me concussed for a couple of days. Not this time
Got 220 lbs (that's the video)
25 steps x 264 lbs sandbag
20 steps x 264 lbs sandbag, horizontal pick and carry is getting less terrible

Log comfort depends on Log diameter. It appears to have become standardized these days to 10" or whatever the closest metric equivalent is. That is the nices diameter by far. 8" sucks, 12" is better than 8" bet less nice than 10", and I dislike 13" and 14" quite a bit. But 10" is so much nicer than a bar. I think the Axle is nicer than a bar too though, and I am probably atypical in that opinion.

[Renascent]

Now if I could build up to your work capacity with the short rests...

For real. That is fucking nuts!

Give it a try with light deadlifts. You'll be able to do it, and it's over quickly.

Percentage-wise, how light is "light?"

[MarkKO]

Got a knot in my left trap since Monday evening I think. Doesn't seem to be shoulder related, no discomfort with any of the movements that hurt when the shoulder was injured.

Friday JM press
5x187 lbs
4x8x149 lbs which were hard from set one. I did make sure to be careful to do them properly which definitely didn't make them easier
11, 9, 5 pullups and of course I don't film the one day I get that GD 11. Win, anyway. Not expected today.
2x8, 1x10x77 lbs DB bench
3x12x132 lbs T-bar rows
Tried pressing a log here that someone else had out. Empty log is 143 lbs, clean and strict press no problem. Reminded how pleasant log pressing feels compared to barbell. Apparently I'm in the minority with that opinion.
10x60 lbs, 10x40 lbs, 28x20 lbs tricep pushdowns with failure on rep 29
3x35 facepulls
Tried to avoid sandbag carries by shouldering sandbags.
132 lbs, very easy
165 lbs, easy
187 lbs, not easy but not exactly hard
220 lbs, fuck. Failed maybe three times to go past my chest.
Got 220 lbs
Tried again, failed at chest a couple of times. Got massive pain in the back of my head which I think was a BP spike. Happened once before and left me concussed for a couple of days. Not this time
Got 220 lbs (that's the video)
25 steps x 264 lbs sandbag
20 steps x 264 lbs sandbag, horizontal pick and carry is getting less terrible

Log comfort depends on Log diameter. It appears to have become standardized these days to 10" or whatever the closest metric equivalent is. That is the nices diameter by far. 8" sucks, 12" is better than 8" bet less nice than 10", and I dislike 13" and 14" quite a bit. But 10" is so much nicer than a bar. I think the Axle is nicer than a bar too though, and I am probably atypical in that opinion.

I think the log was eight. There's a sheet in the gym that gives the key stats for all the bars and I'm pretty sure we've only got six and eights.

I've used an axle for incline once and didn't like it much, don't think I've pressed with one. I might next time there's one in the rack for shits and giggles.

[MarkKO]

Now if I could build up to your work capacity with the short rests...

For real. That is fucking nuts!

Give it a try with light deadlifts. You'll be able to do it, and it's over quickly.

Percentage-wise, how light is "light?"

For those short rests, I go between 50 and 70 per cent. This week was 60 because the reps weren't super high. Next week I've decided on 5x5x50% and I'm regretting it already but I find it's better to decide in advance and then focus on those sets in the week leading up. Squats are the hardest by far.

If you're genuinely thinking of having a crack, I would say take 50% and go 10x2 on deadlifts. That'll give you an idea.

[Hardartery]

I think the log was eight. There's a sheet in the gym that gives the key stats for all the bars and I'm pretty sure we've only got six and eights.

I've used an axle for incline once and didn't like it much, don't think I've pressed with one. I might next time there's one in the rack for shits and giggles.

The thing with Axle, and any thick bar really, is how it sits in the palm. So, palm size matters a lot and generally speaking it's better to use a false grip with any of them. That includes Deadlifts. That's a trade secret no one talks about, but using a false grip is magic with them.

[MarkKO]

I think the log was eight. There's a sheet in the gym that gives the key stats for all the bars and I'm pretty sure we've only got six and eights.

I've used an axle for incline once and didn't like it much, don't think I've pressed with one. I might next time there's one in the rack for shits and giggles.

The thing with Axle, and any thick bar really, is how it sits in the palm. So, palm size matters a lot and generally speaking it's better to use a false grip with any of them. That includes Deadlifts. That's a trade secret no one talks about, but using a false grip is magic with them.

That actually makes a ton of sense when you mention it, and I can't recall whether I used false or not the one time I did incline with an axle.

My palms/hands aren't super big so that might be why I didn't immediately like it too.

[MarkKO]

Judged at an unsanctioned meet at Ultra today. I always enjoy helping out at meets, and definitely prefer judging to spotting and loading for obvious reasons. It was good, the people I was hoping would do well did well, and it was nice to catch up with people from other gyms I don't often see.

I also decided to make a teensy tiny change to my training, specifically the Friday although there will be a small change to Monday as well.

JM press is swapping out for log clean and press away one week and axle clean and press away the other; and JM press is moving to Monday into the DB bench slot. DB bench on Friday is swapping out for DB clean and press. I'm also going to do a few reps of sandbag to shoulder to work up to the sandbag carry weight on Mondays and Fridays. The sets, reps and progression model stays the same. So really, it's just a couple of changes in exercise selection.

It's fairly obvious where this is going, eventually. There's also the fact that I had my doubts about the long term viability of DB bench because of my shoulders. I don't know how coincidental it is that in the the two weeks I've done DB bench my shoulders have felt less great than usual. I've also been slightly concerned about JM press. It hasn't felt as good as it did. That started at the end of last cycle, and it hasn't changed. I could be unknowingly doing something different or I could simply have reached the limits of how far I can push it in the way I was pushing it at this stage.

Historically overhead pressing is something my shoulders have always been very tolerant of, so I have no concerns about increasing the amount of overhead work I'll be doing. There shouldn't be any significant impact on my bench either. I'll still be doing JM press, just not as a main movement.

[Hardartery]

Judged at an unsanctioned meet at Ultra today. I always enjoy helping out at meets, and definitely prefer judging to spotting and loading for obvious reasons. It was good, the people I was hoping would do well did well, and it was nice to catch up with people from other gyms I don't often see.

I also decided to make a teensy tiny change to my training, specifically the Friday although there will be a small change to Monday as well.

JM press is swapping out for log clean and press away one week and axle clean and press away the other; and JM press is moving to Monday into the DB bench slot. DB bench on Friday is swapping out for DB clean and press. I'm also going to do a few reps of sandbag to shoulder to work up to the sandbag carry weight on Mondays and Fridays. The sets, reps and progression model stays the same. So really, it's just a couple of changes in exercise selection.

It's fairly obvious where this is going, eventually. There's also the fact that I had my doubts about the long term viability of DB bench because of my shoulders. I don't know how coincidental it is that in the the two weeks I've done DB bench my shoulders have felt less great than usual. I've also been slightly concerned about JM press. It hasn't felt as good as it did. That started at the end of last cycle, and it hasn't changed. I could be unknowingly doing something different or I could simply have reached the limits of how far I can push it in the way I was pushing it at this stage.

Historically overhead pressing is something my shoulders have always been very tolerant of, so I have no concerns about increasing the amount of overhead work I'll be doing. There shouldn't be any significant impact on my bench either. I'll still be doing JM press, just not as a main movement.

Can you better describe what goes on with the shoulders? I am learning things about shoulders mostly first-hand right now because I am old and have had chronic medical issues. I am curious what exactly is going on with yours to compare, I am pretty sure we are having very different issues.

[MarkKO]

Judged at an unsanctioned meet at Ultra today. I always enjoy helping out at meets, and definitely prefer judging to spotting and loading for obvious reasons. It was good, the people I was hoping would do well did well, and it was nice to catch up with people from other gyms I don't often see.

I also decided to make a teensy tiny change to my training, specifically the Friday although there will be a small change to Monday as well.

JM press is swapping out for log clean and press away one week and axle clean and press away the other; and JM press is moving to Monday into the DB bench slot. DB bench on Friday is swapping out for DB clean and press. I'm also going to do a few reps of sandbag to shoulder to work up to the sandbag carry weight on Mondays and Fridays. The sets, reps and progression model stays the same. So really, it's just a couple of changes in exercise selection.

It's fairly obvious where this is going, eventually. There's also the fact that I had my doubts about the long term viability of DB bench because of my shoulders. I don't know how coincidental it is that in the the two weeks I've done DB bench my shoulders have felt less great than usual. I've also been slightly concerned about JM press. It hasn't felt as good as it did. That started at the end of last cycle, and it hasn't changed. I could be unknowingly doing something different or I could simply have reached the limits of how far I can push it in the way I was pushing it at this stage.

Historically overhead pressing is something my shoulders have always been very tolerant of, so I have no concerns about increasing the amount of overhead work I'll be doing. There shouldn't be any significant impact on my bench either. I'll still be doing JM press, just not as a main movement.

Can you better describe what goes on with the shoulders? I am learning things about shoulders mostly first-hand right now because I am old and have had chronic medical issues. I am curious what exactly is going on with yours to compare, I am pretty sure we are having very different issues.

I'll try. I have to admit that since I had that partial tear in my left supraspinatus in 2020 I've been fairly paranoid about any discomfort or tightness in my traps, rear delt or biceps. So what I'm calling an issue may actually be just tightness and nothing more BUT its onset coincided with introducing DB bench which is more time under load with my shoulders on a bench which is something I've tried to avoid.

Anyway, the issue (such as it is, if it even is anything) is that my traps, especially the left, tightened up early last week after Monday's session. That in itself was odd because my traps tend not to get tight at all, ever. It didn't hurt as such, but it felt different to just tightness. By Friday the tightness has mostly gone but was still there. When I did JM press it felt like I wasn't getting as much thoracic extension as I normally do. I did DB bench again, and again it didn't feel terrible but it felt somewhat off.

Of course, to muddy the waters that was the day I tried sandbag to shoulder and I would imagine that if anything was going to make my traps tight they would do it.

Anyway, Saturday onwards and the left trap doesn't feel tight but does get twinges of pain periodically which don't seem associated with any particular movement.

Now, the main indicator I have for whether the issue is in my rotator cuff again is bringing my arm across my body. When the tear was there, it felt like an invisible wall flew up just about when my arm was extended directly in front of me. I just couldn't get it past that point. At the moment that isn't happening. The other indicator is bicep pain when benching, just after I come off the chest. This also isn't happening. I did have some bicep discomfort benching a couple of weeks ago but that seemed to be related to pullups using the Angles 90 knockoffs I have. I stopped using them shortly after and went to using horizontal handles and my biceps loosened right up.

Hopefully some of this at least makes sense.

[MarkKO]

Kicking off week three. I'm tired. The weekend was less restful than it might have been. Enjoyable, just less restful.

Monday bench
3x292 lbs for which I fucked the unrack so a five was out of the question
5x5x198 lbs in five minutes and 13 seconds, wrapless
11, 7, 5, 5 pullups, and I know it's not a super amazing 11th but it's 11
10x132 lbs, 2x8x132 lbs JM press off pins. These I'm now doing closer to how JM Blakely seems to be teaching it. My shoulders much prefer it, and it is a whole new level of hard
3x12x132 lbs T-bar rows
2x15x four chains per side chain flys with failure at 16 on set two
3x40 facepulls
Sandbag to shoulder a couple of times each side with the 165 and 187 lbs bags
25 steps x 308 lbs sandbag carry
10 steps x 308 lbs sandbag carry
25 steps x 308 lbs sandbag carry



I only used the 308 lbs bag because the 264 lbs bag was being used as part of a sled pull for one of the strongwomen there. I helped tail out the rope.

The 308 lbs isn't much harder to pick up vertically than the 264 lbs, but at the moment not so much lengthwise. I'll get it eventually. Awkward to carry vertically though, mostly because I don't lap it very well yet.

[Hardartery]

Can you better describe what goes on with the shoulders? I am learning things about shoulders mostly first-hand right now because I am old and have had chronic medical issues. I am curious what exactly is going on with yours to compare, I am pretty sure we are having very different issues.

I'll try. I have to admit that since I had that partial tear in my left supraspinatus in 2020 I've been fairly paranoid about any discomfort or tightness in my traps, rear delt or biceps. So what I'm calling an issue may actually be just tightness and nothing more BUT its onset coincided with introducing DB bench which is more time under load with my shoulders on a bench which is something I've tried to avoid.

Anyway, the issue (such as it is, if it even is anything) is that my traps, especially the left, tightened up early last week after Monday's session. That in itself was odd because my traps tend not to get tight at all, ever. It didn't hurt as such, but it felt different to just tightness. By Friday the tightness has mostly gone but was still there. When I did JM press it felt like I wasn't getting as much thoracic extension as I normally do. I did DB bench again, and again it didn't feel terrible but it felt somewhat off.

Of course, to muddy the waters that was the day I tried sandbag to shoulder and I would imagine that if anything was going to make my traps tight they would do it.

Anyway, Saturday onwards and the left trap doesn't feel tight but does get twinges of pain periodically which don't seem associated with any particular movement.

Now, the main indicator I have for whether the issue is in my rotator cuff again is bringing my arm across my body. When the tear was there, it felt like an invisible wall flew up just about when my arm was extended directly in front of me. I just couldn't get it past that point. At the moment that isn't happening. The other indicator is bicep pain when benching, just after I come off the chest. This also isn't happening. I did have some bicep discomfort benching a couple of weeks ago but that seemed to be related to pullups using the Angles 90 knockoffs I have. I stopped using them shortly after and went to using horizontal handles and my biceps loosened right up.

Hopefully some of this at least makes sense.

This is a guess, I would maybe make a more educated guess if I cold see your shoulder muscles during a DB Bench session. Based loosely on my personal experience with DB's and benches and using the DB's while on my back on said benches (Not just Benching with them), and additional disclaimers that don't come to mind at the moment; you lose a significant amount of bracing power with DB's versus a bar of any kind. This is going to lead to additional bracing and strain requirement in the shoulder musculature itself and possible/probable different form versus the bar. The traps might well be engaging heavily to stabilize the joint, maintaining a contracted position or at least a strong isometric for the duration of the set. So, the sandbag would just be insult to injury and exacerbate the pounding they are taking. Two options for a possible fix. Intentionally rotate the shoulders underhand when you set up and maintain that "Bottom of the shoulder forward" position throughout the set, or work the hell out of your traps with additional accessory work for a while and then take a recovery break to let them get up to strength.
You are at a commerial gym now, so I'll throw out a few other things. One arm Rear Flyes on the cable stack with the pulley at eye height and pulling down at a 30 degree (Roughly) angle to build that pattern and strengthen the musculature in that plane. Nothing heavy or time consuming, almost like junk volume. The other thing would be something that I have no name for. Brace the elbow on something so that the upper arm is parrallel to the floor and then using a band or the stack you do the reverse of what you would do arm wrestling. Basically you want a constant tension as you rotate the arm so the the hand goes backward as far as possible and returns to roughly perpendicular to the floor. I would tend to go lower reps with these and look for a load that makes them hard, which honestly is probably not very much.

[MarkKO]

Can you better describe what goes on with the shoulders? I am learning things about shoulders mostly first-hand right now because I am old and have had chronic medical issues. I am curious what exactly is going on with yours to compare, I am pretty sure we are having very different issues.

I'll try. I have to admit that since I had that partial tear in my left supraspinatus in 2020 I've been fairly paranoid about any discomfort or tightness in my traps, rear delt or biceps. So what I'm calling an issue may actually be just tightness and nothing more BUT its onset coincided with introducing DB bench which is more time under load with my shoulders on a bench which is something I've tried to avoid.

Anyway, the issue (such as it is, if it even is anything) is that my traps, especially the left, tightened up early last week after Monday's session. That in itself was odd because my traps tend not to get tight at all, ever. It didn't hurt as such, but it felt different to just tightness. By Friday the tightness has mostly gone but was still there. When I did JM press it felt like I wasn't getting as much thoracic extension as I normally do. I did DB bench again, and again it didn't feel terrible but it felt somewhat off.

Of course, to muddy the waters that was the day I tried sandbag to shoulder and I would imagine that if anything was going to make my traps tight they would do it.

Anyway, Saturday onwards and the left trap doesn't feel tight but does get twinges of pain periodically which don't seem associated with any particular movement.

Now, the main indicator I have for whether the issue is in my rotator cuff again is bringing my arm across my body. When the tear was there, it felt like an invisible wall flew up just about when my arm was extended directly in front of me. I just couldn't get it past that point. At the moment that isn't happening. The other indicator is bicep pain when benching, just after I come off the chest. This also isn't happening. I did have some bicep discomfort benching a couple of weeks ago but that seemed to be related to pullups using the Angles 90 knockoffs I have. I stopped using them shortly after and went to using horizontal handles and my biceps loosened right up.

Hopefully some of this at least makes sense.

This is a guess, I would maybe make a more educated guess if I cold see your shoulder muscles during a DB Bench session. Based loosely on my personal experience with DB's and benches and using the DB's while on my back on said benches (Not just Benching with them), and additional disclaimers that don't come to mind at the moment; you lose a significant amount of bracing power with DB's versus a bar of any kind. This is going to lead to additional bracing and strain requirement in the shoulder musculature itself and possible/probable different form versus the bar. The traps might well be engaging heavily to stabilize the joint, maintaining a contracted position or at least a strong isometric for the duration of the set. So, the sandbag would just be insult to injury and exacerbate the pounding they are taking. Two options for a possible fix. Intentionally rotate the shoulders underhand when you set up and maintain that "Bottom of the shoulder forward" position throughout the set, or work the hell out of your traps with additional accessory work for a while and then take a recovery break to let them get up to strength.
You are at a commerial gym now, so I'll throw out a few other things. One arm Rear Flyes on the cable stack with the pulley at eye height and pulling down at a 30 degree (Roughly) angle to build that pattern and strengthen the musculature in that plane. Nothing heavy or time consuming, almost like junk volume. The other thing would be something that I have no name for. Brace the elbow on something so that the upper arm is parrallel to the floor and then using a band or the stack you do the reverse of what you would do arm wrestling. Basically you want a constant tension as you rotate the arm so the the hand goes backward as far as possible and returns to roughly perpendicular to the floor. I would tend to go lower reps with these and look for a load that makes them hard, which honestly is probably not very much.

Thanks. That makes a bunch of sense but never occurred to me.

After yesterday my traps are toast but this time it actually feels like standard DOMS and I'm ok with that.

Now I've had more time to think about it, I suspect what happened is just what you suggested and there's no injury. I just haven't used my traps before so they are in a state of shock right now.

I might try those exercises if this persists, but I'll give it a week and see if my traps don't just start to get used to the work. Typically that happens with me, I'll get sore as hell for a relatively short time and then the muscles start adapting and it stops.

[MarkKO]

Made it to Wednesday. I've been getting to sleep and hour or more later than usual since Friday night and it is not doing me any favours.

Wednesday spider bar squat*
3x456 lbs
5x5x346 lbs in seven minutes and 25 seconds
4x3x308 lbs, 6x308 lbs DL on stiff bar with what ended up being 15ish second rests between sets, beltless
3x25x308 lbs reverse hyper
50 air squats done as Hatfield squats



*well, I figured out early enough today that it was not a day I was going to want to train. I made the compromise that I would squat beltless and maybe do less than the 5x5. I briefly considered switching days and doing my second upper day until I remembered that would include sandbags. When I got to the gym, the spider bar was in the mono and I thought that if I used THAT, then I could get away with not deadlifting. So I used the spider bar. I haven't used one in maybe seven years, and even then only used it a couple of times. So I just worked up to something that felt similar to 489 lbs on a bow bar and took it from there.

By the time I'd finished squatting I was mentally fading in and out and for some reason decided to deadlift anyway.

I got to the air squats, did them in one set and decided it wasn't worth persisting beyond that point.

I quite like the spider bar. It absolutely hammers me where my squat feels like it's weak so I'm thinking about keeping it in. There's no way in hell I'd use it for short rests but for the top triple and 5x5 I think it might work out quite nicely.