Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Happy squatting too! Looks locked in!

[Michael Wolf]

A lot of positive things going on there, Mr. Wolf. It is easy to tell from your prose that you are in good place mentally.

Thanks Walter, and I am. Sometimes lifts go poorly in training for a while, and that's always tough to deal with. But not being able to train any of the lifts hard, and some not at all, for an extended period really bummed me out. Even though I'm still not squatting heavy and my DL and bench are not quite up to their peaks, just being able to lift heavy and go at it hard again makes me happy.

Happy to hear the knee is feeling good, Wolf!

Thanks Doc. Knee felt ok last night and feels fine today. Hoping what happened after Tuesday's squats was unrelated and just a random bad day, which still do happen now and then.

Happy squatting too! Looks locked in!

Thanks dude. Good to have a few plates back on the bar again.

[Michael Wolf]

Mike, you didn't ask but I love you and feel the need to protect you; so I need to give you my thoughts on what you did with the grip switch.

I think you should not do over/under grip to give your hook a break. I think you should use straps to give the hooks a break. My reasoning is that if you haven't been over/under'ing in a while, the stress placed on the biceps of your underhand is a risky stress. On lighter sets, its most likely not a problem. On heavier sets, it could be a problem. I say this because I have witnessed a lifter train hook all the way up to a meet, and then on meet day, he felt like his over/under grip was performing better than his hook. That was the day his bicep ruptured.

Let's keep it to nose bleeds and avoid the bicep rupturing please.

Heh, I appreciate your worrying about me Dwayne. But I don't think this is a major concern. Anything is possible, but I'm not too worried. I built my deadlift up to nearly 600 on the mixed grip. Then I switched to the hook, but still did mixed grip rack pulls up to 580x5 in 2013. I haven't done rack pulls in some time now, but have kept doing some mixed grip reps on my heavy sets when I felt my hook giving out, and have mixed grip to practice right before and at all the meets I've done. So even though it's been less frequent, I've kept somewhat in training on the base I built with the mixed grip.

Add to that, I'm using it primarily on my lighter DL days, and I'm really not too concerned. Something could happen, but I don't think the chances are really appreciably higher than if I didn't switch to hooking (har!). I think I've remained somewhat adapted to it, to the extent that that makes a difference.

[Michael Wolf]

It's been an exhausting few days. Got home last night at 10, back at the gym at 8:30am this morning ((on a weekend!!) to train before coaching my semi privates, and then we put on a pulling camp that went till about 8. I'm spent, but it was a great camp.

Paused CGBP
265x4x4
Notes: Solid, good, etc.

BW Chins
12,11,11
Notes: 3-4 mins rest.

[Rob Israel]

Mike, you didn't ask but I love you and feel the need to protect you; so I need to give you my thoughts on what you did with the grip switch.

I was like, "who's Mike?"

Looking good here Mike! Happy to see things moving well. Good stuff.

[Michael Wolf]

I was like, "who's Mike?"

Looking good here Mike! Happy to see things moving well. Good stuff.

Tuchscherer?

?!?

[Michael Wolf]

Slept little and poorly last night and felt blah this morning, rallied a bit for training. It was harder than otherwise, but got through everything and a small bench PR.

Bench Press
380x2 @ 9
385x2 - PR @ 9.5
380x1+f
Notes: 380 moved very well, and 385 was solid, too. Just didn't mentally prepare properly for the third set, considering that I was tired and should have anticipated needing to grind through the third set more than usual. I didn't, so missed the second rep of that set. I'm disappointed in myself about that but not worried. Bench train will continue moving forward, just a blip.


I'm including the instagram of the 385 since YouTube blocks audio for AC/DC. My favorite training song came on at the perfect moment:
https://instagram.com/p/zdctN_GIb7/?modal=true

Press
213.5x4x5 @ 8.5, 8.5, 9, 9, 9.5
Notes: Harder than I expected but definitely easier than 210x5x5 last week. Hope to do one more week of 4s for volume at 216-217, then move to six triples.

Weighted Chins
BW + 44 x 5 x5
Notes: Solid today.

HSPU
2, 1+f
Notes: The first rep of the second set moved fast so I tried for a second double, which I've never done before. Stalled out about halfway. Just did some more handstand practice afterwards.

Standing OH EZ Curl Tri Extensions
86x10x2
Notes: Easy.

Did TKEs and the usual KB presses and push presses as well.

[Michael Wolf]

Knees felt great straight through since Friday, better than they've felt since all this started, so continued upwards in the squat. They did get/are now a bit grumpy but their grumpiness now is easily less bad than a normal day was for a while.

Squat
45x5x2, 135x5, 195x5, 245x5, 295x5, 325x5, 345x5
Notes: All easy, no knee issues.

Snatch Grip DL
135x3, 225x3, 315x3, 405x3, 455x3x2
Notes: Still moving decently well, but starting to feel like I'm actually pulling hard against a heavy load. 10lb weekly jumps inevitably couldn't last forever. May be time to switch to 5.



Didn't do conditioning; ran out of time.

[Michael Wolf]

Solid day today. I'm pleased I've been able to keep ramping up my press by 2.5 lb at a time and haven't had to go to smaller jumps beyond previous PR levels.

Press
245x2 - PR @ 9.75
245x1 @ 9.75
245x2 @ 9.5
Notes: First set was solid, went up faster than I expected after warm-ups felt a bit heavy and sluggish. Second set only got one; it got out away from me a bit and the rep slowed enough so I knew there was no chance for a second, so I racked it. Knowing it was solely a focus and technique issue, I rested 4-5 mins and made another double. I regrouped and focused well enough that the second double was faster than the first. At weights this close to my max, technique is so crucial here. An extra inch forward is the difference between a single @ 9.75 and a double @ 9.5.

Bench Press
335x4x4 @ 8, 8.5, 8.5, 9
335x5 @ 9
Notes: Plan was 335x4x5, but had definite gas in the tank so took the extra one. Rest was 3.5-4 mins, and 5 mins for the last set. The last rep on both sets 4 and 5 *felt* very hard like a 9.5 but bar speed was definitely a rep in the tank level.

BW Chins
7:15 Density Block - 61 reps.
Notes: 3 more total reps over 15s additional time, so my pace was slightly better. I was able to go to 30 unbroken (meaning without any additional rest beyond walking the few feet from bar to bar) using a triple or two and lots of doubles and singles. The next 31 were much harder, and slower, but I'm pleasantly surprised pacing improved.

HSPU
1,1,1

KB Press
24kgx6, 32kgx6x2
KB Push Press
24kgx3, 32kgx3

EZ Curl Bar Curlz
86x8x2
Notes: Forearms don't really love these. I miss my dumbbells.

[Dunk]

BW Chins
7:15 Density Block - 61 reps.
Notes: 3 more total reps over 15s additional time, so my pace was slightly better. I was able to go to 30 unbroken (meaning without any additional rest beyond walking the few feet from bar to bar) using a triple or two and lots of doubles and singles. The next 31 were much harder, and slower, but I'm pleasantly surprised pacing improved.

This is impressive man! Am i right in thinking that you only do triples up until those start to fail? I've just started to use ladders for density blocks but i feel like i could get more if i didn't ruin myself on the higher rep sets. Thanks!