KarlM: It's all about the log.

[KarlM]

8/30/22

Bodybuilding day.

Cybex Chest Supported Rows
185 X 15
185 X 12
185 X 11

I moved the seat up one notch. I guess that counts as a variation.

DB Curls
40 X 15
35 X 16
35 X 13

Cable Overhead Triceps Extensions
80 X 20
80 X 15
80 X 13

Cybex Side Lateral Raise
120 X 20 X 3

[KarlM]

9/1/22

Drove from Birmingham AL to Pensacola FL today. We stopped at a gym on the way to get our training in.

Squat (M)
275 X 5 X 3

Comp. Bench (M)
205 X 5 X 4

Deadlift (H)
340 X 5

RDL
245 X 10 X 3

[alek]

9/1/22

Drove from Birmingham AL to Pensacola FL today. We stopped at a gym on the way to get our training in.

Squat (M)
275 X 5 X 3

Comp. Bench (M)
205 X 5 X 4

Deadlift (H)
340 X 5

RDL
245 X 10 X 3

Are you from, or live, in Alabama? I grew up in Phenix City.

[KarlM]

Are you from, or live, in Alabama? I grew up in Phenix City.

Nah, my best friend lives in Pinson, just outside of Birmingham. He just bought a freaking sailboat, and he's got it in a slip in Pensacola, which is about a 4 hour drive. I flew in to go sailing with him.

[KarlM]

9/2/22

Aaron and I trained at World Gym in Pensacola FL.

C. Bench (H)
220 X 5 X 5

Cable OHTE
42.5 kg X 17
42.5 X 16
42.5 X 15

Seated Incline Curls
30 X 16
30 X 11 X 2
******

9/6/22

Back Home, Powerlifting Day

Squat (H)
310 X 4 X 4

C. Bench (M)
220 X 4 X 4
******

9/7/22

Bodybuilding day.

T-bar rows
+90 X 10 X 3

DB Curls
40 X 16
35 X 16
35 X 13

Cable OHTE
85 X 18
85 X 14
85 X 10

Cybex Side Lateral Raise
120 X 20 X 3

[KarlM]

Busy week. Had to get training in when I could.

9/8/22

Comp. Bench (H)
230 X 4r X 5s

Squat (M)
290 X 4 X 3

Did this late at night in my garage.
******

9/9/22

AMBW = 176.2 lbs

Deadlift (H)
360 X 4

RDL
250 X 10 X 3
******

9/10/22

AMBW = 175.8 lbs

CG Bench (L)
210 X 4 X 3

Dips
+45 X 15 X 2
+45 X 12

Seated Incline Curls
30 X 16
27.5 X 14
27.5 X 12

Smoking baby back ribs for a get together tonight. The fat is dripping gloriously into my catch pan.

[KarlM]

log catchup

First, the ribs were amazing.

9/12/22, reduced stress week. First of two scheduled in the run up to my AZ meet. Not sure I'll take the second one.

AMBW = 177.4 lbs

Squat (H)
315 X 2r X 3s

CG Bench (L)
215 X 2 X 3
******

9/14/22

AMBW = 176.4 lbs

Cybex Side Lateral Raise
120 X 20 X 3, form is getting a bit wonky on these.

DB Curls
40 X 16 @10
35 X 16
35 X 14

Cable Overhead Tricep Extensions
pulley is positioned around my low back
85 X 18 @10
85 X 15
85 X 13

Cybex Chest Supported Row
185 X 15 @9
185 X 12
185 X 11
******

9/15/22

AMBW = 177.0 lbs

Squat (M)
295 X 2 X 3

Comp. Bench (H)
235 X 2 X 4

Deadlift (H)
370 X 2
******

9/16/22

Neutral Grip Pullups
BW X 15
BW X 12
BW X 10

Facepulls (pulley at face level)
60 X 20 X 2
65 X 20

Seated Incline Curls
30 X 16 @10
25 X 16
25 X 14

Cybex Side Lateral Raise
(Pause at top for one count, slow eccentric)
110 X 10 X 3

The facepulls felt great. I used the long rope and that made a big difference to reduce right shoulder tweakiness, becaue I was able to pull wider in the middle of the ROM. I hope to keep these in the rotation for a while based on how they felt today.
******

Still in the "low stress" week. My body is feeling good for this run up. My goal is to beat my best DOTS score, which I hit last meet. It would also be nice to push up my Colorado State Records a bit. I'm surprised they are still on the books.

[cole]

didnt see you at the CO State Championships, hope everything is going good for you

[JohnHelton]

Yeah. I have been missing Karl.

[KarlM]

I missed you guys. Life got complicated, but I’m still training. My son and my step daughter both moved in with us. Long story for perhaps another time.

My step daughter will return to university this fall, and has taken up the trampoline, of all things. It’s cool because she can do shit the rest of us can’t.

Ryan is crushing his training. He recently competed in the usapl high school nationals, where he placed second in his age and weight division. He can podium at this thing when he’s a senior. If I get to it I’ll post some videos of his lifts. He squatted 190 kg, benched 112.5 kg and deadlifted 227.5 kg, all at 73.9 kg bodyweight. I can still bench more than him thank god, but he’s leaving his old man in the dust

I’m signed up for the USAPL west coast regionals this August in Las Vegas, and tomorrow I’m taking a road trip out to Concord NC for the southeastern regionals to handle my buddy.

Recent training highlights: I benched 275 for a pretty easy paused double. Yesterday I did my squat workout, which was 300x8, 270x8, then 245x8r x3s, with those last three sets being paused. I’m squatting once a week, deadlifting once a week and benching three times a week. I’ve got bodybuilding stuff sprinkled in there as well. I still weigh about 175 lbs, and will say that that’s the biggest accomplishment of the last couple of years - keeping my body weight weight stable.

Otherwise, things are pretty much the same. We just have a full house at the moment.

[DCR]

Good to see you, @KarlM. Sounds like things are complicated but good with you. I’m glad.

[cole]

Holy cow dude your son is strong. 500 DL at 160bw!

[JohnHelton]

Ryan is crushing his training. He recently competed in the usapl high school nationals, where he placed second in his age and weight division. He can podium at this thing when he’s a senior. If I get to it I’ll post some videos of his lifts. He squatted 190 kg, benched 112.5 kg and deadlifted 227.5 kg, all at 73.9 kg bodyweight. I can still bench more than him thank god, but he’s leaving his old man in the dust

Dude! He has gotten seriously strong!

Welcome back!

[augeleven]

welcome back!

[KarlM]

@JohnHelton , @cole , @augeleven , @DCR : Thanks for the warm greetings gentlemen!

Yeah, I'm a proud dad but it's clear Ryan will be a stud. These day's it's about managing expectations, trying to keep him from maxing out all the time, and being smart about his training so he can make this a long term endeavor without snapping his shit up.

The southeastern USAPL regionals was a well run event and pretty big. They had three platforms and two sessions (morning and afternoon). Even with that, Aaron was the only masters II 75 kg lifter, so he got the first place medal. But he also was within the 50 kg handicap to qualify for nationals (place in the top three at regionals and be within 50 kg of the qualifying total gets you in nationals). He can't go this year because apparently the thing is closed to additional entries, but this performance will count towards next years comp, and that's a better fit for him anyway.

I did train when I was on the road, but still wound up missing a few days. I'm doubling up today to try to stay on program.
******

6/13/23, at Powerhouse Gym in Thornton CO (got this in when I left work for my road trip)
CG Bench
210 X 8 X 4

Pull-ups
BW X 11 X 3

Seated Incline Curls
30 X 16
30 X 13
30 X 12

Decided to do pullups for awhile instead of chins. Thought it might be a good idea to help the mobility of my right shoulder if I ever want to press overhead again. Side note - this was a pretty cool, old school body building gym. It was also very clean. Would recommend.
******

6/15/23, at Elite Fitness in Concord NC. My phone said this was a Gold's and it was only a mile away from the hotel. When I arrived it was a 24hour keypad gym. I got there 5 min before the front desk closed, but no one was there. I didn't feel bad following someone in to sneak in my workout. I bought a daypass the next day anyway, so please don't judge too harshly.

Deadlift (H)
330 X 8, easy thank god. Deadlift is coming back from the dead haha.
300 X 8

Paused Deadlift
265 X 8 X 3

It might be true for me that I can never drop paused deads from my program. For me that movement emphasizes keeping tension right off the floor, and might be all I really need to drive up my deadlift to its former glory (former glory should be taken with a grain of salt lol, but it used to be my best lift).
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6/16/23, at Elite Fitness
Incline Bench
205 X 6
205 X 5 X 2

Pullups
BW X 12
BW X 11 X 2

Dips
+90 X 6
+90 X 5 X 2

My third pressing day is incline bench and dips. I think this is the reason my bench is moving right now. My e1rm is 306 right now, weighing almost 30 pounds lighter than when I pressed 292 in competition. I haven't trained incline bench in forever, and put it in since I can't OHP right now. The incline movement is totally fine on my shoulder as long as I keep it close grip.
******

6/20/23, at Gold's back home.

Drove all day yesterday from St. Louis to Longmont. Got in pretty late. Glad to be home

Morning, lifted with my wife before she took off for her work trip
Comp. Bench (H)
252.5 X 5 @8.5
242.5 X 5
237.5 X 5 X 3

Afternoon
Squat (H)
330 X 5 @8
295 X 5

Paused Squat
265 X 5 X 3

I bought four large washers with a 2 inch ID from Ace Hardware. Together they weigh 2.5 lbs. I'm using them to bump up my bench 2.5 lbs cycle to cycle. Squat and Deadlift are getting 5 lb bumps (every three weeks).

[cole]

Good to see you back logging so I can follow along again

[KarlM]

Good to see you back logging so I can follow along again

Thanks man! And congrats on the new house.

[KarlM]

6/21/23

My work building just installed a gym! It’s pretty nice. I’d say it compares to an above average hotel gym. No barbells but there are dumbbells up to 75 lbs, pulley machines, leg extensions and curls, machine pressing and other standard gym items. No complaints here. I did some accessory work at lunch.

Pull-ups
BW X 12 X 2
BW X 11

DB Side Lateral Raises (weight refers to each individual DB)
15 X 23
15 X 21 X 2

DB Curls
40 X 15
40 X 11
40 X 10

Took a shower and returned to the grind
******
6/22/23, @Gold’s

Deadlift
360 X 5, easy!
325 X 5

Paused Deadlift
295 X 5 X 3

CG Bench (paused, because I pause all my bench reps)
227.5 X 5 X 4

So I’m pretty excited and I guess also embarrassed it took so damn long. Today I figured out the slack pull in the deadlift. I felt a huge difference in tightness/brace off the ground - the the weights flew off the ground for the first time in a long time. I think the thing that’s hard about it, for me at least, is going through sequence while also focusing on feeling the braced core before pulling. I took my breath, pulled against the bar until my body was braced, then did my hamstring bump AGAINST THE BRACE, then pulled. Turns out that’s a lot to keep straight. It made a huge difference.

[KarlM]

6/24/23

Morning:
Comp. Bench (H)
277.5 X 2, @9
267.5 X 2
262.5 X 2 X 3

Evening (make up session):
Incline Bench
205 X 6 X 2
205 X 5

Dips
+95 X 6 X 2
+95 X 5

Bench moved really well today. That 300 lb bench is close. Incline bench is getting heavy. I’m doing double progression on these. I started these at 95 lbs a few months ago and worked them up to make sure I didn’t jack up my shoulder. Dips feel really strong right now. If I wasn’t a powerlifter and if I was after minimal programming, dips would be my primary upper body movement.
******

3/25/23
Squat (H)
360 X 2 @8
325 X 2

Paused Squat
290 X 2 X 3

Squats felt good today. I rotate my left toe out a bit more than my right. This fits my hips structure really well and lets me drive out of the hole using my quads without too much knee cave. Also protects my left knee from the occasional tweak.

This once a week structure for squats and deads is working. It will work until it doesn’t lol.

[DCR]

This once a week structure for squats and deads is working.

This has been a theme around the logs of late.