MKW’s “Making My Own Luck” Towards a 1,000 Pound Total Log

[Anthony21]

Now that's what I call a workout. Nice PR on the box squats Mark. Do you just use a bench for your box squatting?

I plan to incorporate good mornings when I run another 9 week Madcow cycle.

[MKW]

Big workout! An welcome back from Florida! Lots of fun I hope.

Thanks man. It was a lot of fun but much too short. I wasn't there for more than 38 hours or so. Still fun.

way to go MKW..you hammies seem not bother you too much now?

Thanks U. I would put my hamstring at around 80-85%. I don't feel it on any of the exercises from last night. The only exercise at this point where I feel it is on deads. That is still noticeable at times, but it is getting better. I also haven't attempted to run since mid-August when it happened and don't plan on trying any time soon. It was supposed to be a 12 week injury, so the time frame only ended a couple of weeks ago. Getting there for sure but I need to be careful.

Now that's what I call a workout. Nice PR on the box squats Mark. Do you just use a bench for your box squatting?

I plan to incorporate good mornings when I run another 9 week Madcow cycle.

Thanks Ant. A bench would be a little above parallel for me (I'm 5'11). My gym has various boxes already made (ranging from maybe 5 inches to 3 feet). I use one well below parallel and then put a plate on top of it, making it the slightest bit below parallel.

I'm liking good mornings a lot. My only worry lies in recovery for deadlifts since squats + GM's both put the lower back in play, but I'll just keep an eye on it and make a change if I feel I need to.

--

Update: Woke up with a sore throat and sneezing. WTF, are these logs contagious? Haha. OHP tonight.

[Anthony21]

That's my problem with GM's, they leave me sore as fawk. If I incorporate them it'll be on my third day since i'll have 2 days of rest following.


The GM is one of the best accessories to the squat and deadlift IMO.

[MKW]

December 3, 2012: 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 3, Day 1

Box Squats

1+

Box Squats:

- 185 x 5
- 210 x 3
- 235 x 8 PR (got 225 x 8 on my 3+ last Sunday)

Good Mornings:

- Bar x 12
- 105 x 10 (+10 from top set last week)
- 105 x 10
- 105 x 10
- 105 x 12

Split Squats:

- BW x 15
- 40s x 10 (+5 from top set last time)
- 40s x 10
- 40s x 10
- 40s x 10

Seated Calf Raise SS Cable Crunch:

- 1 plate x 15 / 120 x 20
- 1 plate x 15 / 170 x 20
- 1 plate x 15 / 170 x 20
- 1 plate x 15 / 170 x 20
- 1 plate x 15 / 170 x 20

Notes:

- Great workout. I'll take 8 reps on my 1+ every time, especially considering I only got 225 x 8 last week.

- Brutal combination of exercises. I limped out of there for sure.

- AMRAP at 145 tomorrow on OHP for my 1+ day.

Bumping to this page

That's my problem with GM's, they leave me sore as fawk. If I incorporate them it'll be on my third day since i'll have 2 days of rest following.


The GM is one of the best accessories to the squat and deadlift IMO.

Yeah that's a good idea. I have SLDL's on my 2nd lower workout of the day, but eventually I think I will have to alternate or choose between the two lifts and put them on day 3 of the week.

[MKW]

December 4, 2012: 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 3, Day 2

Military Press Day

1+

Standing Military Press (no leg drive):

- 95 x 5
- 115 x 5
- 130 x 3
- 145 x 8 PR (+5 pounds, same reps as last week)

DB Bench: (not to failure)

- 75s x 12
- 90s x 8
- 75s x 10
- 75s x 9
- 55s x 17 or 18, can't remember

Rack Pendlay Rows:

- 135 x 15
- 165 x 11
- 175 x 10
- 175 x 10
- 175 x 10

DB Shrugs: (slow with a squeeze)

- 45s x 20
- 75s x 20
- 75s x 20
- 75s x 20
- 75s x 20

DB Subpinated Curls:

- 30s x 15
- 30s x 10
- 30s x 10

Notes:

- Good workout. I'm battling a little cold but it's child's play compared to the stomach aches I get, haha. Happy to have PR'd OHP. Everything else felt good. Off tomorrow, deads on Thursday. I still haven't decided if I want to do 280 or 285 as part of my progression. If my hamstring is feeling good I'll do 285 x 5.

- Crazy how tired I am after any pressing movement when I go to bench. My PR on DB bench is 115 for 2 or 3, but I'm shot after hitting my shoulders first. Great pump though.

- Used my new toy today, an Inzer Lever Forever belt.

[Anthony21]

Awesome PR bro. 145x8 is STRONG. Seems you found your program with 5/3/1

[MKW]

Awesome PR bro. 145x8 is STRONG. Seems you found your program with 5/3/1

Thanks man. My pressing strength hasn't had nearly the "start... stop... stop... stop.... start... stop" pattern as my lower body lifts over the last 2+ years so the numbers are more impressive than my lower. My upper body has rarely been banged up, knock on wood. 145 x 8 felt good. 7 and 8 were grinders. I'm doing 145 again in two weeks and want to hit 9.

Agreed on 5/3/1. It matches up so well with my current philosophy on training. The goal is to do 12 cycles... we will see .

[ulsak]

Man, congrats to that PR! I have to tell that to my shoulders so they shape up next wave..

[MKW]

Man, congrats to that PR! I have to tell that to my shoulders so they shape up next wave..

Thanks U. I'll remind my deads of the same thing so I can get back to your level!

[MKW]

Update: Woke up again feeling like **** with my cold/sore throat combo. Soups, honey, etc will be on the menu all day along with my typical macros. I have a couple of important meetings the next two days as well as a movie premiere for my buddy in NYC tonight so I need to get my voice back!

Deads tomorrow. I've got an interview in the morning and then need to pick my brother up at the airport, so I'll be fitting it in in the afternoon.

[Anthony21]

Update: Woke up again feeling like **** with my cold/sore throat combo. Soups, honey, etc will be on the menu all day along with my typical macros. I have a couple of important meetings the next two days as well as a movie premiere for my buddy in NYC tonight so I need to get my voice back!

Deads tomorrow. I've got an interview in the morning and then need to pick my brother up at the airport, so I'll be fitting it in in the afternoon.

.

Hope you feel better buddy.

[MKW]

.

Hope you feel better buddy.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I'll be all good by tomorrow. I'm all hopped up on DayQuill and cough drops, haha.

[Filmbuff81]

Feel better! How'd you like your belt?

What do your macros look like on a daily basis?

[MKW]

Feel better! How'd you like your belt?

What do your macros look like on a daily basis?

I liked it, but it definitely needs to get broken in. I think it would have felt pretty terrible if I had been squatting or deadlifting. The belt makes me nervous because of all of the injured ribs stories I've read on the forums from the Inzer Forever. I'm currently squatting and DL'ing without a belt and will have it broken in as much as possible (ideally) before I hit weights where I need to use it.

My macros on workout days are 3,200/360/89/240/35 (calories/carbs/fat/protein/fiber). Non-workout days I tend to drop the carbs a bit and hit around 3000 calories. I always keep my protein relatively high due to absorption questions from my Crohn's. I would rather err on the side of too much protein than too little given my circumstances. Carbs and fat I play around with, but recently bumped the fat to the 80-90 g range as an experiment. It has worked well so far. I weigh out every meal I have at home but am not OCD if friends or family want to go out to eat. My view is, I never want to "mess up" and binge while I'm by myself. If I can do that, then it is no problem the few times a month something comes up and I eat out. I don't think I've had a non-tracked meal by myself in maybe three years (not counting days where I'm ill). The consistency in food choices and calories helps keep my stomach in check.

[MKW]

Yesterday's diet as an example is below. Note: I wasn't feeling well so I had a couple of glasses of Orange Juice for the Vitamin C, and that caused fiber to be lower (since it took the place of other carb sources). I generally have more balanced meals with carbs but I don't stress about it as long as I'm in the vicinity of my numbers by the end of the day:

[Anthony21]

Good macros are good

[MKW]

Good macros are good

Thanks man! Always a work in progress.

[MKW]

December 6, 2012: 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 3, Day 3

Sumo Deads

Continuing my +10 progression as my hamstring heals up

Deads:

- 185 x 5
- 225 x 5
- 255 x 5
- 285 x 7 (+10 from last week, +2 reps)

SLDLs:

- 135 x 10
- 195 x 10 (short rest)
- 195 x 10 (short rest)
- 195 x 7 (see notes)

Notes:

- This was a bit of a "I'm not doing jack ****" day because I had to fit this workout in between a meeting and picking up my brother at the airport. It worked out though. I was going to do 285 x 5 but it was pretty easy so I did two more. I was going to hit 8 but didn't want to push my hamstring.

- For the SLDLs, the weight wasn't heavy (and damn do I love that movement) but I went deep on that last rep and felt my hamstring too much for my liking. I immediately racked it and called it a day. The way I see it is, which option will give me more progress in the long run: hitting 3 more reps and an additional set on SLDLs while risking injury, or playing it safe and staying healthy? It's not close.

- Running to NYC in a few, I'll get to everyone's logs tonight. 225 AMRAP set on the bench later to end cycle 1!

[Anthony21]

Nice quick and efficient workout bro.

[MKW]

Nice quick and efficient workout bro.

Thanks man. It did the trick.

[MKW]

December 7, 2012: 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 3, Day 4

Bench Press

1+

Bench Press:

- 180 x 5
- 200 x 3
- 225 x 6 Possible PR, I don't think I ever did 6

Dips:

- BW x 10
- BW + 45 x 12 PR



- BW + 90 x 7 Possible Rep PR DS BW + 45 x 4 DS BW x 7 (video gets cut off)



Dip note: My legs are flailing around a bit because I refused to flex either hamstring. They're not giving me momentum on any of the reps even if it appears that way because I'm literally not trying to move them at all, haha. I didn't want to flex the tweaked leg.


Rack Pendlays:

- 135 x 15
- 175 x 15
- 185 x 10
- 185 x 10
- 185 x 10

Rack Shrugs:

- 135 x 20
- 185 x 20
- 205 x 15
- 205 x 15 DS 135 x 20

Notes:

- Eh, OK workout. I had an interview this morning so I was running on empty by the time I got to the gym. That + the cold didn't do me any favors. Bench might have been a PR but I can blow that away. Give me another cycle!

- I took videos of the dips because the gym was so empty it was crazy.

- My hamstring is slightly tweaked. I will work on it and hopefully it will be good to go for Monday. I will also write up some cycle 1 thoughts tomorrow.

[MKW]

How do I link to the video? It's off of photo bucket. I can't link it straight into the thread.

[ulsak]

congrats to PR and way to go with dips!

[MKW]

congrats to PR and way to go with dips!

Thanks U!

[Anthony21]

You can upload it to youtube if you have an account. Nice workout buddy and sick PR.

[JerG]

Nice dips man, really. Thanks for taking the time to upload some vids. Also noticed 2 things:

- I'm glad I'm not the only one with crazy blistered hands (end of first vid).

- Thought the person grunting was you until 30 seconds into the second video haha.

[Filmbuff81]

Big day in the gym! Awesome!

[ulsak]

saw the vid now, very good ROM all of the dips

[lllDBOlll]

Damn thought I had subbed to you... so many journals...

Those 90lb dips looked legit as fuk cuz

[MKW]

You can upload it to youtube if you have an account. Nice workout buddy and sick PR.

Thanks Ant!

Nice dips man, really. Thanks for taking the time to upload some vids. Also noticed 2 things:

- I'm glad I'm not the only one with crazy blistered hands (end of first vid).

- Thought the person grunting was you until 30 seconds into the second video haha.

Hahaha, this cracked me up because I considered noting that the crazy grunting wasn't me but then forgot to. The kid was working hard but damn he was so loud. Pretty sure he was doing DB laterals or DB military press at the time, not even a deadlift or something needing more force.

Happy to hear another person has hands all calloused up. Mine are a mess.

Big day in the gym! Awesome!

Yee!

saw the vid now, very good ROM all of the dips

Thanks U!

Damn thought I had subbed to you... so many journals...

Those 90lb dips looked legit as fuk cuz

Awww ****, nice to have you here man! Your journal is active as hell, no worries on having mine lost in the shuffle. It'd be a full time job to keep up with everyone's log who keeps up with yours, haha.

--

Posting up a little update/thoughts from Cycle 1. I'll write it in a little bit.