KarlM: It's all about the log.

[KarlM]

@DCR, @JohnHelton
Thank you gentlemen! I hope to join the 300+ cool kids soon.

[KarlM]

@augeleven
I first heard Clay Pigeons covered by John Prine. I mostly listen to old sad songs. I’m a sucker for a little heart break.

Re Jazz, nah, I’m mostly a picker. Do a little blues from time to time. And I like me some classical guitar. I love the old Segovia videos you can find on YouTube. Where he stoically plays perfectly with his fat stubby fingers. Like he’s doing you a favor.

[KarlM]

Top bench single flew. If I didn’t have a meet coming up I would have put 300 on today. I think it was there.

What is the heaviest bench you plan to hit before the meet, and when do you plan to hit it? Also, what do you hope to bench at the meet?

Without knowing the answers to that, my gut says you could have gone heavier and not hurt your plan. 300? I don’t know, but 275 was a smoke show.

If all goes well I’ll hit 285, then meet week I’ll take my opener for 3-4 singles. I think 275 will be my opener. I’m looking at 125 kg, 130, then 142.5-135 for my third. If I’m feeling really good, maybe the 137.5 kg third will be there.

I think you’re right and I think I’m probably too conservative when I peak.

[KarlM]

1/31/24

AMBW = 184.6 lbs

Went to gym in the AM with wife. Tried to do my heavy deadlift single. Just wasn’t there. Worked up to 405 but that moved slow so I called it. Plan was to pull 440 today. I’ll plan on pulling that next heavy deadlift day.

PM

Squat (M)
335 X 3 X 3

Comp. Bench (L)
245 X 3 X 3

Didn’t feel strong today. Didn’t feel bad, weights just didn’t move fast. I’ll do some curls and side lateral raises and some cardio tomorrow, then take the following day off. Feb 3 I’ll work up to a 385 squat. Fingers crossed it will move well. If so I think I’ll be back in the 400 squat club on meet day.

[MailmanMuscle]

If all goes well I’ll hit 285, then meet week I’ll take my opener for 3-4 singles. I think 275 will be my opener. I’m looking at 125 kg, 130, then 142.5-135 for my third. If I’m feeling really good, maybe the 137.5 kg third will be there.

I think you’re right and I think I’m probably too conservative when I peak.

For a meet in 3 1/2 weeks, that 275 looks like an appropriate opener. You could probably roll out of bed and hit that by the time you get to the meet.

I don’t know if you’re a big bencher or not, or how many meets you’ve done. I have never been a particularly good bench presser, and only benched the weights you’re moving when I was training for PL, and I weighed at least 10 lbs more than you do now. I mention that to say that at meets, I could never make a bigger jump from 2nd to 3rd attempt than I did from opener to 2nd attempt and have it go well. If you’ve done this before with success, then immediately disregard everything I just said.

[KarlM]

If all goes well I’ll hit 285, then meet week I’ll take my opener for 3-4 singles. I think 275 will be my opener. I’m looking at 125 kg, 130, then 142.5-135 for my third. If I’m feeling really good, maybe the 137.5 kg third will be there.

I think you’re right and I think I’m probably too conservative when I peak.

For a meet in 3 1/2 weeks, that 275 looks like an appropriate opener. You could probably roll out of bed and hit that by the time you get to the meet.

I don’t know if you’re a big bencher or not, or how many meets you’ve done. I have never been a particularly good bench presser, and only benched the weights you’re moving when I was training for PL, and I weighed at least 10 lbs more than you do now. I mention that to say that at meets, I could never make a bigger jump from 2nd to 3rd attempt than I did from opener to 2nd attempt and have it go well. If you’ve done this before with success, then immediately disregard everything I just said.

I had fat thumbs yesterday! 142.5 is a typo. I meant 125 kg, 130, then 132.5-135, depending on how it moves.

My meet best for bench is 132.5 kg, but that's when I weighed a tad over 200 lbs. I'd like to match or beat that at my current body weight (185 lbs). In truth, I'd like to be back to 180 lbs by meet day, and I've cleaned up my diet, but I'm not going to cut aggressively leading in to this meet. There really isn't any point as a master's lifter anyway. I go off of DOTS these days, since I'm not going to be breaking any records. I just like knowing I'm stronger now than I was before, and DOTS is as good a way to measure that as anything else out there.

[KarlM]

2/1/24, logging yesterday’s training

Elliptical 312 Cal. Haven’t been logging my cardio.

Cybex Side Lateral Raise
110 X 20 X 2
110 X 15, F16

Seated Incline Curls
27.5 X 20
27.5 X 12, F13
25 X 13
******

2/2/24, AMBW = 182.8 lbs. Well look at that. Finally got a lower reading. Today is a rest day. I’ll take an ~hour walk but that’s all. Tomorrow is heavy squats.

[cole]

I'm signed up for the USAPL Colorado State Championships Feb 24-25 in Thornton CO.

Following with interest....

[KarlM]

2/3/24

AMBW = 185.4 lbs, but seriously, why?

Squat (H), included warmups
Bar X 3
135 X 3
225 X 2
275 X 1
315 X 1
350 X 1
385 X 1 @7
365 X 2
345 X 3 X 2

CG Bench (M)
250 X 3r X 4s

Top squat single moved great. It felt easier than last training week’s 375. Unless the wheels come off I’ve got a 400+ squat again come meet day. CG Bench also moved well. I slept unusually well last night, and I haven’t been drinking the last two weeks or so (to help with recovery leading in to this meet). Probably all of that helped today.

Now if my damn deadlift can just show up on meet day…

[JohnHelton]

That could be an opener. Moved great.

[KarlM]

That could be an opener. Moved great.

Thanks John. So far so good! I’m excited this meet will go better than my last one. I’d like to see some real progress in my total and over my last couple of meets I’ve really only seen progress in my bench. I’m hopeful I’m on track this time through.

[KarlM]

2/4/24 log catch up

Deadlift (M)
385 X 3 X 3, thèse felt great! Perhaps predictably I watched a bunch of YouTube slack pull videos. Found one that really resonated. I’ll find it again and post a link.

Neutral Grip Pull-ups
BW X 14
BW X 12
BW X 10

*here it is

[DCR]

*here it is

Godamnit, I’m not even DLing right now but got enough out of that that I’m now gonna rabbithole this dude’s channel. Procrastination mode: on!

[JohnHelton]

The biggest issue that I see with deadlifters when they pull the slack out, is that they rush the entire process. They get amped up and want to complete the rep as quickly as possible. I think of it as a two-step process. First, you pull the slack out and feel the tension through your entire body, then you pull the weight off the floor. @Testiclaw used to hammer me on this.

[KarlM]

Godamnit, I’m not even DLing right now but got enough out of that that I’m now gonna rabbithole this dude’s channel. Procrastination mode: on!

While a lot of youtube rabbithole explorations are just time sinks, I never feel bad about it when it's lifting related!

[KarlM]

The biggest issue that I see with deadlifters when they pull the slack out, is that they rush the entire process. They get amped up and want to complete the rep as quickly as possible. I think of it as a two-step process. First, you pull the slack out and feel the tension through your entire body, then you pull the weight off the floor. Testiclaw used to hammer me on this.

That is exactly my problem, and historically is likely at least part of the reason why my deadlift has always been such a fickle lift for me. Lots of performance variability. I think it's simple, and is related to properly "getting tight" at the start of the pull, which is what good slack pull accomplishes. After that last session, I was sore in my hamstrings. I'm sure that's because I was actually using them effectively from the beginning of the pull.

It seems to me it would be easier and more intuitive to slack pull in a sumo stance, than a conventional stance. Do you find that to be true?

[KarlM]

2/6/24 *logging yesterday's session

Did this late after a long day at work. Lot's of client facing meetings. Day went well but I was mentally tired.

Comp. Bench (H)
280 X 1 @8, felt good
265 X 2
255 X 3 X 3

SSB (L)
310 X 3r X 2s

One of my gym acquaintances who's strong as hell and can give a good lift off happened to be at the gym late as well. I was able to get another good lift off from him. Very happy with how 280 moved, especially considering the long day.

[JohnHelton]

The biggest issue that I see with deadlifters when they pull the slack out, is that they rush the entire process. They get amped up and want to complete the rep as quickly as possible. I think of it as a two-step process. First, you pull the slack out and feel the tension through your entire body, then you pull the weight off the floor. Testiclaw used to hammer me on this.

That is exactly my problem, and historically is likely at least part of the reason why my deadlift has always been such a fickle lift for me. Lots of performance variability. I think it's simple, and is related to properly "getting tight" at the start of the pull, which is what good slack pull accomplishes. After that last session, I was sore in my hamstrings. I'm sure that's because I was actually using them effectively from the beginning of the pull.

It seems to me it would be easier and more intuitive to slack pull in a sumo stance, than a conventional stance. Do you find that to be true?

Actually, pulling the slack out on sumo is more difficult for me, because it is key to set your spine angle correctly as you pull the slack out with sumo. You can pull the slack out with your spine at the wrong angle and destroy the efficiency of the lift.

[KarlM]

Log catch up:

2/8/24

Deadlift (H)
Worked up to 440 X 1, and it was surprisingly hard. It might be the day but honestly I just think I don’t have the strength right now. If I can match last meet’s deadlift, while PRing squat and bench I’ll call that a win.



Theme music for this meet:


******
2/9/24

Squat (M)
345 X 3 X 3

Comp. Bench (L)
255 X 3
245 X 3 X 2

Starting to feel beat up. Final week will be doubles then lead-in week will be openers.

[KarlM]

Log catch up:

2/12/24

Squat (H)
bar X 3
135 X 3
185 X 3
225 X 2
275 X 1
315 X 1
340 X 1
365 X 1
395 X 1 @9, heaviest single of meet prep.
370 X 1 (opener?)
350 X 2

CG Bench (M)
255 X 2r X 3s


******
For squat I think I'll do 167.5, 177.5, 182.5 kg.

I weighed 183.2 lbs this morning (2/14). Last weekly average was 184.0 lbs.