MarkKO's training log

[MarkKO]

Well, it's the end of week 25. Which is deload week, so I didn't do much AT ALL.

Average weekly weight is 211.2 lbs, which is a bit of a WTF especially since we spent the long weekend in Sydney. I'm good at staying vaguely on track during breaks, but I'm not THAT good. I expected to have gone up a pound or two which would then drop again once I got back to work, I didn't expect to have just kept on losing. Not that I'm complaining, although I almost am. Calories are going up to 3600. I've been playing with the idea of going 3600 on training days only, or just weekdays even but I want to stop losing weight. If I'm losing weight this easily, it's at the point I actually need to slow it down because I'm getting uncomfortably close to the point where performance will suffer. I'll reasses how the 3600 works at the end of the next week. That may be the point I go to 3600 on training days and back to 3400 on rest days if I need to.

Tuesday bench
5x3x193 lbs, didn't even get up between sets. This was easy
Minimal assistance, but hit a set of 10 pullups. Very pleased, I can count the number of times I've done that on one hand.



Friday squat
Absolutely smashed for time, so no warm up or work up, just loaded the bar
3x3x386 lbs which I'm low key really pleased with under the circumstances.
Minimal assistance, but I ended up saving enough time do it all including the prehab I normally do as well as two sets of eight chinups



Two weeks of next block, then a deload and then peak. I absolutely HAVE to have steadied my bodyweight by the week before peak. I don't want to peak and compete still trying to figure out what maintenance is. Maintenance during peak will be fine, but I need it to be there when it starts.

[JohnHelton]

Up until this point, I have found cutting so much easier than maintaining or slow bulking. Recently, I have been actually maintaining for a change. However, now I'm switching to a slow bulk. In the past that has always turned into an explosive bulk. Controlling the bear can be tough once he awakens from his slumber.

[MarkKO]

@JohnHelton this is very uncharted territory for me, but I'm convinced I need to do it. Historically I've been fat, skinny fat and for a very, very short period lean. Then fat again, just with more muscle.

So I decided once I got to a sustainable level of leanness (so, *just* leanish), I'd stay there without adding bodyweight for six to 12 months. Then slow bulk, because I don't want to get fat again and I don't need to to build my total. So I won't.

I'm relying on a combination of my stubbornness and vanity to control the bear once I start building slowly. Luckily for me, I have plenty of both.

[MarkKO]

It's week 26, week one of a very short block six. Short because peak starts in the fist week of May.

Got myself some kind of infection in my left ear but training seems unaffected. I'm not though. Joy.

Monday bench
5x254 lbs which I stopped simply because it isn't an AMRAP day. Seven was there, possibly eight.
5x5x193 lbs in eight minutes and 51 seconds, so I get to add 2.5% next time although that'll be during the pre peak deload and everything resets after the meet anyway. Still nice.
Incline bench 3x15x132 lbs which was HARD. Last set was rest pause by necessity and I failed just as I racked on the last set.
Then assistance including three sets of eight pullups.



Tuesday wrapped squat
10x480 lbs AFSAP in eight and two. The eight ties my rep PR at this weight some 33 lbs lower in bodyweight. This is a good way to lead into the peak
High squat stance box squats 3x5x397 lbs
Then assistance

[MarkKO]

Second entry for week 26.

Average weekly weight is at 212.1 lbs. Next week's will be higher, as the antibiotics I'm taking for my ear infection have made me hold water and bloat like a MFer. Last two days I've gone up around 3.5 lbs. I conferred with a mate who has a decent amount of experience with nutrition for bodybuilding and he was the one who told me it's a common reaction to antibiotics. My intake has been the same, and the gain was that quick I didn't think it was anything to do with my diet but the reassurance from someone more knowledgeable was good. I'll stay at my current intake and once my antibiotics are done I should shed the bloat and water within a week or so.

Thursday press
5x165 lbs, this block the top set goes up
4x8x137 lbs
Then assistance including three sets of eight chinups

Some clicking and discomfort in my left shoulder/trap are but it didn't persist beyond the sets. Lower back was noticeable, but paying more attention to bracing fixed that.

Friday deadlift
5x5x424 lbs in 10 minutes and 59 seconds, so no increase. Although the increase only happens if the 5x5 is done in under 10 minutes after a top triple, so kind of irrelevant
Semi sumo deadlift to the knee 2x8x342 lbs
Then assistance



Bringing the deadlift bar in now, simply to get used to it coming into peak. Back is holding up well which is excellent.

[MarkKO]

The one and only entry for week 27.

Average weight for the week is 213.2 lbs, but by now the bloating and water from the antibiotics is gone. Tail end of the week waking weight was right back to normal.

The ear bullshit or whatever it was knocked me around, midweek I was cooked for a good couple of days. Probably didn't help I trained through the period I was actually sick. Duh.

Monday bench
4x2x242 lbs
10x242 lbs for the AMRAP which I'm pretty sure is equal all time PR. Pleased
2x10x143 lbs
Then assistance including three sets of eight pullups



Thursday bow bar squat
5x5x385 lbs in 10 minutes and 33 seconds
Low squat stance box squat 3x5x353 lbs
Then assistance including 3x5x264 lbs barbell rows. I figured since I skipped deadlifts this week I could afford these.



Friday press
5x165 lbs
4x8x137 lbs
Then assistance including three sets of eight chinups
Skirted the borders of stupidity using the dip press but I think I may have *just* gotten away with it.

That rounds of accumulation training. Next week is a deload (again) and then into peak. It's a good time, I'm starting to accumulate niggles which is standard for six or so months of training. My elbows are starting to get sore, my hips flared up during squats and my left shoulder is letting me know I need to remember it's only been a few months since it got back to full function (and I'm paranoid about it too). By some miracle, my back is OK. The peak will be just what I need. It sounds counter-intuitive but the volume is reduced to maybe 20%, assistance is minimal and I train a day less a week. Then afterwards I have a full block of restorative work.

[MarkKO]

Quick recap:

Week of deload following last entry. Uneventful. Feeling like garbage, sleep absolutely shocking. Not apnea, just waking at around 0330 and not being able to go back to sleep.

Week one of peak, also largely uneventful. Sleep better because I got some sedatives. I'll do what I need to at this stage. Still tired but that's more a hangover from the previous week. Heaviest I've benched or deadlifted in over six months. Everything moved ok. Trainjng was:

Monday squat, 2x1x496 lbs (90% of working max), paused 4x3x330 lbs (60% working max), minimal assistance;
Wednesday bench, 3x1x275 lbs (90% of working max), paused 4x3x200 lbs (60% working max), minimal assistance;
Friday deadlift on deadlift bar 2x1x540 lbs (90% of working max), 4x3x391 lbs (60% of working max), minimal assistance.

End of the week increased calories to 3800 cal/day as I had to take my belt (yes, my NEW belt) in a notch on Friday. Average weights last two weeks are within 0.2 lbs but I can see the writing on the wall and if I don't add calories I'll still be dropping throughout the peak. That's not happening, and the trend for this week was showing there would likely be a drop. So I'm trialling 3800 to see what that does. Ideally I'll go up maybe a pound by average weight and then steady out.

[MarkKO]

Peak week two incoming.

Monday squat
Worked up to 1x600 lbs for a five pound all time PR. This is how I wanted to kick the week off. Quite a bit of positive self talk and visualisation went into this one.



Bench and deadlift to go.

[JohnHelton]

Congrats on the PR! That is a big squat!

[MarkKO]

@JohnHelton thanks! Been wanting it for a while now. I was grinning like an idiot for a good 15 minutes after.

[MarkKO]

Wednesday bench

Worked up to 308 lbs, missed 319. I'll take it. As long as I'm benching over 300 lbs to start with I'm happy for now. I don't like resorting to bodyweight strength references, but it's an improvement on when I was last around 211 lbs, and I'll throw in the shoulder injury for good measure because I've only been actually benching again since January.

Still a sub par bench, but less so than it used to be. It's only going to go up from here, without my fat levels following.

[MarkKO]

Friday deadlift, and that's week two done.

Worked up to 600 lbs for a fatigued max.



Very pleased that my back held up perfectly. Zero discomfort. Had a minor scare on my last warmup at 550 lbs when I didn't brace quite hard enough.

I'm sitting on 600/308/600 and both shoulder and back tolerated everything. I really couldn't be in a better spot right now.

Time to embrace what Swede Burns calls the death march that is the next two weeks of the peak.

[houzi]

Awesome stuff man.

[MarkKO]

Thanks @houzi

It's nice when plans come together.

[Hardartery]

Nice lifts. I think it looks like you have more in you on the deadlift. The other two looked good but less comfortable. I hate that leg shake thing, it happens to me sometimes now but never used to when I was younger. It's so weird when it happens.

[MarkKO]

Nice lifts. I think it looks like you have more in you on the deadlift. The other two looked good but less comfortable. I hate that leg shake thing, it happens to me sometimes now but never used to when I was younger. It's so weird when it happens.

@Hardartery thanks! I'm probably being extra cautious with the deadlift because of my back. It's fine now, but when it went last year it scared the crap out of me. It holding up fine last week was a big boost. The leg shake comes and goes for me. Hasn't happened in a while, but it's not new.

Plan is to take another 15 lbs or so for my third squat and DL on meet day. My second will be 600 lbs, experience tells me that'll move a fair bit better by then.

[MarkKO]

Peak week three is upon me.

Monday squat
2x1x540 lbs, which will be my owner
2x2x391 lbs paused for a three count in the hole
Minimal assistance



I was so tuned out today, but that isn't uncommon in weeks three and four for me. Especially three, I tend to have a bit of a mental rebound from week two where I wind myself up pretty tight.

Hips are hating squats right now, unless wraps are on. I have a plan to fix this after the meet.

[MarkKO]

Wednesday bench

Worked up to 3x1x275 lbs, again my opener and this time I paused properly. Although I did a little 'research' and I don't think the APL goes in for particularly long press calls.
Bench paused on the chest for a three count 3x3x215 lbs
Minimal assistance

[MarkKO]

This is the day I calculate my average weight for the week. I'm guessing I started tracking it on a Thursday, go figure. I'll forget to mention it if I wait till tomorrow.

Average is sitting at 211 lbs, and that's being dragged up by one day where I woke at 214 lbs. It would be lower if I did a six day average leaving out that one higher weight, around 210.4 lbs. That's two weeks in to hitting 3800 cal/day, and from last week adding a legitimate cheat meal once a week.

So that's four weeks I've managed to hold around 211 lbs, but two weeks in went to 3800 cal/day because I was starting to see a downward trend. First week at 3800 had a drop, then this last averaging week back up to where it was in weeks one and two and I'm pretty sure that's largely due to the cheat meal.

I'm fairly certain by now once I start training normally gain I'll be looking at 4000 cal/day or a bit more just to stay at an average of 211 lbs. Another 11 or so months before I start trying to gain weight.

[MarkKO]

Friday deadlift
Worked up to 2x1x540 lbs
Deficit DL off one mat 3x5x297 lbs
Minimal assistance



Everything is going as it should so far. Two weeks to go.