KarlM: It's all about the log.

[KarlM]

Nothing quite like a good bed.

Preach brother Mark!

[KarlM]

2/12/22

AMBW = 176.2 lbs

CG Bench (with light pause)
190 X 8r X 4s

DB Curls
40 X 14
40 X 11 X 2

DB LTE
32.5 X 14 X 2
32.5 X 12

Machine Side Lateral Raises
90 X 20
90 X 17 X 2

40s for dumb bell curls are a tad bit heavy for sets across. The top set felt good however. It's time to push the weight on the curls since I can get the 35s for 20 with good form regularly. 35 to 40 jump is a big deal with curls. The Gold's gym has 37.5s, so those are what I will use when I'm not at home. I just acquired a mismatched pair of 40s for the home gym, so when I'm at home I'll do a top set with the 40s then back off work and when I'm at Gold's I'll shoot for 37.5s for sets across (if they're available - there's only one pair!). It takes a long time to actually progress load for something like DB curls but it's not too hard to figure out if you use mind muscle connection and good technique as a guide. I have a hard upper cap at 20 reps because I just don't want to do more than that. My experience so far suggests that upper body isolation work (for hypertrophy purposes) benefits from sets in about 12-20 rep range. Less than that and, at least for me, the form gets too squirrely. More than that and my gym experience suffers, lol. For the most part, the weights are light enough I can control them so that I can establish good mind muscle connection when in the 12-20 rep range, and they are heavy enough I can feel the muscle fatigue and sometimes fail. In my case this seems to be true so far for things like curls, LTEs and shoulder isolation work.

[MarkKO]

I have much the same experience with the smaller isolation exercises. I just curl a lot less than you do.

[KarlM]

I have much the same experience with the smaller isolation exercises. I just curl a lot less than you do.

My DB Curls aren't super strict, and I find if I try to make them strict, I don't get as much out of them. I try to feel the bicep load as the weight swings up. It's a very distinct feeling and when I feel it I get a nice pump.

[KarlM]

2/13/22

SSB
225 X 8r X 3r

Weighted Chinups
+45 X 5r X 3s

[MarkKO]

I have much the same experience with the smaller isolation exercises. I just curl a lot less than you do.

My DB Curls aren't super strict, and I find if I try to make them strict, I don't get as much out of them. I try to feel the bicep load as the weight swings up. It's a very distinct feeling and when I feel it I get a nice pump.

I have a devil of a time feeling anything in my biceps. It's annoying. Maybe I should just start hammering chinups.

[KarlM]

I have much the same experience with the smaller isolation exercises. I just curl a lot less than you do.

My DB Curls aren't super strict, and I find if I try to make them strict, I don't get as much out of them. I try to feel the bicep load as the weight swings up. It's a very distinct feeling and when I feel it I get a nice pump.

I have a devil of a time feeling anything in my biceps. It's annoying. Maybe I should just start hammering chinups.

Yeah, I know exactly what you are saying. When I finally felt them was when I finally understood what bodybuilders meant when they said mind muscle connection.

I've always done chins. Early on my arms grew from them but then they stopped being enough of a stimulus to get further growth. At least growth I could detect in any quantifiable manner. Which I admit is tricky, and isn't as good as simply keeping track of how you look in the mirror.

[KarlM]

2/14/22

AMBW = 176.8 lbs

Comp. Bench
245 X 3, failed 4th!
235 X 4
230 X 4 X 3

In and Out Curls
30 X (8, 8) X 3

DB LTE
27.5 X 20
30 X 20
30 X 19

DB Rear Delt Flys
(seated, bent over)
17.5 X 20 X 3

Supersetted LTE with RDF.

I haven't failed a bench rep in a while. It came as a surprise. Rep 3 felt fine. I'll repeat the weight next week.

[MarkKO]

I have much the same experience with the smaller isolation exercises. I just curl a lot less than you do.

My DB Curls aren't super strict, and I find if I try to make them strict, I don't get as much out of them. I try to feel the bicep load as the weight swings up. It's a very distinct feeling and when I feel it I get a nice pump.

I have a devil of a time feeling anything in my biceps. It's annoying. Maybe I should just start hammering chinups.

Yeah, I know exactly what you are saying. When I finally felt them was when I finally understood what bodybuilders meant when they said mind muscle connection.

I've always done chins. Early on my arms grew from them but then they stopped being enough of a stimulus to get further growth. At least growth I could detect in any quantifiable manner. Which I admit is tricky, and isn't as good as simply keeping track of how you look in the mirror.

My arms haven't grown from pullups, so realistically I shouldn't expect them to grow from chins. I'm sure at some point I'll find out what makes my biceps grow.

[KarlM]

2/15/22

Switching up programming for the power lifts. I’m going to try Austin’s scheme that Hanley was promoting upstairs, with a slight twist. Warm up to a top set of 2@85% of my training max, then 3@75%, 4@70%x2-4. Week 1 is two backoffs at 70%, week 2 is three sets, and week 3 is 4 sets. Then I’ll add a bit of weight to my training max and run through it again. I might deload every fourth week.

Training max is 440 lbs @175 lbs body weight.

Deadlift
bar x 10
135 X 2
225 X 2
315 X 2
340 X 2
375 X 2
330 X 3
315 X 4 X 2

Seated hamstring curls
90 X 20
90 X 15 X 2

After hamstring curls, I couldn’t curl the weight of my own leg while standing. Lol.

https://youtube.com/shorts/heOSRItcQ94?feature=share

Also, here is my bench set from yesterday, where I failed the fourth rep. From rep 3 I would never think rep 4 was in question. Probably a form breakdown but still, it didn’t really feel like that. So, how do I RPE this?

https://youtube.com/shorts/cbJuLmSfBew?feature=share

[cole]

Yea that was weird, 3rd rep went fast. Looked like you had 2 or 3 more then just hit a wall. I wouldn't bother rating that set, just consider it an anomaly

[KarlM]

Yea that was weird, 3rd rep went fast. Looked like you had 2 or 3 more then just hit a wall. I wouldn't bother rating that set, just consider it an anomaly

I’m trying to do that but now I’m thinking I’m only a 265 lb bencher! Lol. I need to sac up and take a heavy single to see where I’m at.

[JohnHelton]

Karl, if you look at my log starting 12/26/21, I did only bench singles for 5 days. They got progressively harder, and I got progressively stronger. It was a cool experiment...that I'm afraid to do with squat or deadlift. I wouldn't be afraid of doing that again to find my true 1RM for bench. Lifting close to your 1RM is definitely different than rep work.

[MarkKO]

Bench can go from fast to stuck so quickly it isn't funny.

[KarlM]

Karl, if you look at my log starting 12/26/21, I did only bench singles for 5 days. They got progressively harder, and I got progressively stronger. It was a cool experiment...that I'm afraid to do with squat or deadlift. I wouldn't be afraid of doing that again to find my true 1RM for bench. Lifting close to your 1RM is definitely different than rep work.

Yeah, I'm going to incorporate more heavy singles and doubles. I'm going to apply the same scheme I stole from Austin for my bench as well, but hit a heavy single around 90% along with a bit more volume for the backoff work.

I took a look at your singles experiment. How long do you think you could have run a singles only set up like that? It did seem to peak your bench pretty quickly. That's interesting.

[KarlM]

Bench can go from fast to stuck so quickly it isn't funny.

Yeah, it's more switch-like than dial-like for sure!

[KarlM]

2/16/22

AMBW = 176.2 lbs

OHP
135 X 8r X 3s

Foot-elevated side plank (on elbow)
(R, L) X (20sec,20sec) X 3

Plate-loaded Chest-supported Rows
200 X 8 X 3

[MarkKO]

Bench can go from fast to stuck so quickly it isn't funny.

Yeah, it's more switch-like than dial-like for sure!

https://images.app.goo.gl/fZ5J8q6AKKiFauAA6

[JohnHelton]

How long do you think you could have run a singles only set up like that? It did seem to peak your bench pretty quickly. That's interesting.

I'm not sure, but I wouldn't think more than a couple of weeks. It is really just a way to peak, but it wasn't very tiring at all. It also made the heavy attempts much less mentally stressful.

[KarlM]

How long do you think you could have run a singles only set up like that? It did seem to peak your bench pretty quickly. That's interesting.

I'm not sure, but I wouldn't think more than a couple of weeks. It is really just a way to peak, but it wasn't very tiring at all. It also made the heavy attempts much less mentally stressful.

I'm thinking of trying this to quickly peak my OHP to finally get the BW OHP. That's a goal I've had since I first started OHPing.