Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Michael Wolf]

Even though a newbie spotter messed up my new 5 Rep Bench Press PR attempt today, it was still great to get back into the gym after a deload week and hit the weights hard again. The gym wasn't as crowded as I was worried it would be, and only a few mild globo distractions to training today. It's always tricky picking a first weight back for Intensity Day on the upper body lift done before doing any volume; in today's case, I switched back to Intensity Bench on Mondays, so did Intensity bench press today without any volume or intensity stimulus for 10 days. I was slightly aggressive in going for a new 5 rep PR, but I would have had it if not for the spotter jumping in too soon. Alas.

Bench Press
352.5x4+, 365x2
Notes: As I mentioned, spotter touched the 5th rep. I would have gotten it, but I can't count it. My training partner decided last minute to take advantage of the beautiful weather and ditched me for outdoor Memorial Day stuff. Everyone else at the gym looked totally clueless. Sam doesn't have experience spotting a bench press as we do it, but I actually know her so there was a better chance she would actually listen to me. She did, she just panicked when it got slow and stuck. You can see at the end of the vid she asked if she wasn't supposed to come in and spot. Ah well.

I bridged up some on the last rep, not sure if I lifted my butt off the bench or not. Rested only a short 2-3 mins and then did the 365x2 to make up somewhat for losing the last rep of the 5-set.



Press
185x5, 190x5, 195x5, 200x5, 202.5x5
Notes: Got a bit hard by the last couple sets but pretty good and solid overall.

Weighted Chins
BW+45 x5x3
Notes: Pretty easy. Surprising.

Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Row
180/side (4x45) x 12 x 3

STanding OH EZ Curl Tri Extensions
Bar + 70lbs x 15
Bar + 80lbs x 12

Cable External Rotations
7.5x15x3

[John Petrizzo]

Tough luck with the spot, Wolf. Still pretty impressive.

[Sarah Archenbronn]

Final day of the deload, Squats and Deadlifts. Sarah is in from San Fran this weekend so we got to train together!! It was just like old times, we were back bickering like an old married couple before we even finished the empty bar sets. Ryan probably thinks we're nuts.

Squat
365x3, 405x2, 435x1, 365x3
Notes: All felt solid and fast today, good to shake off the de-load blues. 365s were beltless.

Deadlift
475x2x2
Notes: Forgot my pulling belt, so did them beltless. All felt fine and fast, though Sarah yelled at me because apparently I didn't set my back well for rep #1.

I stayed in the weights area to hang and coach Sarah on her remaining presses and pulls, so by the time she was done, I had been done lifting for an hour. I just didn't have the drive to get warmed up again to do conditioning so skipped it and went to Chipotle together. Because Duh.

Ryan is just jealous he can't keep up with our repartee.
He clearly can't measure up to me.

Even though a newbie spotter messed up my new 5 Rep Bench Press PR attempt today, it was still great to get back into the gym after a deload week and hit the weights hard again. The gym wasn't as crowded as I was worried it would be, and only a few mild globo distractions to training today. It's always tricky picking a first weight back for Intensity Day on the upper body lift done before doing any volume; in today's case, I switched back to Intensity Bench on Mondays, so did Intensity bench press today without any volume or intensity stimulus for 10 days. I was slightly aggressive in going for a new 5 rep PR, but I would have had it if not for the spotter jumping in too soon. Alas.

Bench Press
352.5x4+, 365x2
Notes: As I mentioned, spotter touched the 5th rep. I would have gotten it, but I can't count it. My training partner decided last minute to take advantage of the beautiful weather and ditched me for outdoor Memorial Day stuff. Everyone else at the gym looked totally clueless. Sam doesn't have experience spotting a bench press as we do it, but I actually know her so there was a better chance she would actually listen to me. She did, she just panicked when it got slow and stuck. You can see at the end of the vid she asked if she wasn't supposed to come in and spot. Ah well.

I bridged up some on the last rep, not sure if I lifted my butt off the bench or not. Rested only a short 2-3 mins and then did the 365x2 to make up somewhat for losing the last rep of the 5-set.



Press
185x5, 190x5, 195x5, 200x5, 202.5x5
Notes: Got a bit hard by the last couple sets but pretty good and solid overall.

Weighted Chins
BW+45 x5x3
Notes: Pretty easy. Surprising.

Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Row
180/side (4x45) x 12 x 3

STanding OH EZ Curl Tri Extensions
Bar + 70lbs x 15
Bar + 80lbs x 12

Cable External Rotations
7.5x15x3

I'm gone for ONE day. ONE DAY and you're replacing me with a terrible spotter in purple pants and gloves. Jeez.
At least she's prettier than Ryan.

[kel]

I will have to try your set up method on bench...

[Rob Israel]

I'm gone for ONE day. ONE DAY and you're replacing me with a terrible spotter in purple pants and gloves. Jeez.
At least she's prettier than Ryan.

The gloves did her in. Jeesh.

[sking1001]

"Should I have helped?"

NO

[Rob Israel]

I wish we could all just bench together. Everyday.

[sking1001]

I wish we could all just bench together. Everyday.

This

I wish we could all just bench together. Everyday.

...and this...

I wish we could all just bench together. Everyday.

and THIS!

[Michael Wolf]

You guys are hilarious! Got 3 sessions in a row now, so will have to reply later. For now, just a quick logging of today's training.

Good first lower focused day after the deload today. It's, once again, really nice to power clean for a week or two before the squat volume builds up and crushes me.

Squat
375x5, 390x5, 405x5, 420x5, 435x5
Notes: Nice ramping sets day to re-adjust to volume and intensity of heavy 5s. Rest went from about 3 to about 6 min prior to last set. No problem on any of these.

Power Clean
45x6, 95x2, 125x2, 155x2, 185x2, 205x2, 225x2, 245x2, 265x2 - PR
Clean Pull
305x2, 345x2, 385x2x2
Notes: Always fun to PR the power clean, even when it's not a very impressive PR. Didn't feel especially good or poppy today, so it's good to know I can do 265x2 after squatting reasonably high volume, even when not feeling my best in terms of explosiveness. As long as I haven't built up too much death by volume over the cycle yet.

C2 Erg Intervals
30/90 x 8
Paces: 1:51.1, 1:43.4, 1:37.4, 1:35.5, 1:36.7, 1:38.6, 1:36.7, 1:29.8
Notes: I went kinda easy here. Didn't really feel like I pushed hard, because I didn't, but after missing conditioning altogether Friday and coming off deload week, just took it a bit easy.

[Walter Palmer]

Your training continues to impress. Good volume and some PR's to boot! Year of the Wolf!