Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Rob Israel]

I've been aggressive trying to get my back and knees on track. A lot of time with the rumble roller, a lacrosse ball, stretching (for my back, for the first time in a while), compression with bands (aka flossing), a tens unit, and ice packs. Both have responded and have gotten better over the past 2-3 days of this, hopefully will continue to do so.

I respect your work on all this. My knee was getting better from not squatting, but I stopped a lot of my pre-hab and then had set back this last weekend. (I think bicycling actually). I got back to banded-knee extensions finally, but need to get the voodoo bands out.

I'm curious also how you are using the tens unit and if you are icing you knees.

[Michael Wolf]

I respect your work on all this. My knee was getting better from not squatting, but I stopped a lot of my pre-hab and then had set back this last weekend. (I think bicycling actually). I got back to banded-knee extensions finally, but need to get the voodoo bands out.

I'm curious also how you are using the tens unit and if you are icing you knees.

Where are you flossing and does it help? What brand of band do you recommend?
How are you using the tens unit? I have one but haven't used it and I'm curious about it.
Glad things are feeling better!

I didn't mention it, Rob, but sometime over the past few months, I also got lazy and stopped doing the banded extensions/TKEs as often; probably 1-2x/week instead of at least 4, sometimes 5. I've started doing them again after every workout.

I'm rolling, flossing, tens-ing, and icing the quad tendon above and just into the top of the patella. I put the pads for the tens unit there as well. I roll pretty aggressively until I can't take it anymore, then floss 1-2 times each knee, then stim followed by ice for 10-15 mins each. I'm trying to do this whole series at home at least once a day, twice if I can. I also roll and floss at the gym right before lifting.

I have the Rogue floss bands, a pair each of black and a red, but there are cheaper options available now on Amazon; can't speak to their quality, my bands from rogue have held up well.

I have also rolled, iced, and tens-ed my erectors - though haven't done the latter since the meet, but did seem to help the recovery some leading up to it.

[Michael Wolf]

Either my continued efforts are working or I just had a good day, but knees felt better today than they have in about a month.

Squat - rehbands + belt
365x5, 385x5, 405x5 @7, 365x5
Notes: Solid, easy, slightly less out of breath than I have been. Can't remember if I mentioned, but I've continued squatting in the romaleos since I've returned from vacation. Though they do tend to get me forward more easily due to the higher heel, I have some thoughts - which may or may not be correct - on them possibly being better for my knees. I need to focus on staying tight more with them compared to the 1/2" rogues, but I'm going to try this for a bit and see.

Press
135x5, 160x5, 177.5x5 - beltless
185x5, 195x3x2 @7,7.5 - belt
175x5 - beltless
Notes: Put on the hammy band for this, which I haven't worn in months, since getting under the bar has been hurting my left knee. Felt much better. Also working on a new breathing pattern for my take-out into first rep. Also working on not sucking at the press.

DL
135x5, 225x5, 315x5x3
Notes: Back is feeling better but still a little tweaky so kept the weight down and did a larger number of perfect and easy reps. Felt good.

C2 Erg - 20/80 x 8
Paces: Most in the low 1:30's, fastest one at 1:28.
Notes: Back and knees actually felt like I could push this today, for the first time since before the meet. I went a bit faster, but still held back a bit to keep the ramp up consistent.

[tdood]

When you've worked out all your thoughts on the higher heels, share them with us please. I'm always looking for ways to make my knees not hurt.

[Michael Wolf]

When you've worked out all your thoughts on the higher heels, share them with us please. I'm always looking for ways to make my knees not hurt.

Will do. Busy at the moment but will explain at some point.

[Michael Wolf]

This quad tendon/knee therapy intensive is working well. After a solid week of doing the entire procedure at least once a day, usually with some rumble rolling and flossing at other times of the day as well, my knees feel better than they have since before I can remember. I think since before this all started 11 months ago. Since I'm doing several things and not isolating any one variable, it's difficult to say with absolute certainty what the main contributors are, but my sense is that it's 1. consistency and 2. The addition of regular e-stim on the tendons.

Anyway, very glad that to feel the improvement after so long. Back is still healing slowly, but I know it will be OK given time.

Squat - rehbands, belt
[375, 395, 415, 395, 375, 355] x 5 on a strict 4 minute clock.
Notes: Holy cardio, Batman! Sets were all solid from strength perspective, nothing hard. But I was sweating and breathing heavy from this, big time. It was a good way to get in some base conditioning at the beginning of a cycle while things are still lighter, while still accruing ~11,500 of tonnage at an average weight of 385.

I will obviously rest more when doing some of my heavier volume work to come, but this was a fun little first day back into things.



Press - some with belt, no wraps
165x5, 185x5 (put on belt here for rest of heavy sets), 195x5, 185x5, 175x5, 145x10 (no belt)
Notes: 195 was a bit hard, but this will come back. Perhaps the oddest thing is that I feel generally forward when I press in my Romaleos - both my weight and the bar path. Even though I know this and try to correct for it, I still found myself forward on every set, bar path out away from me a bit, making it harder. May go back to using the 1/2" rogues for pressing as well.

Power Clean
135, 165, 185, 205, 215x2 sets, 185 - all for 1+2 clean pull + power clean
Notes: Focused on waiting for the right spot on my thigh and getting my hips through. Mixed bag. Having my back still be a bit tweaky didn't help, but knees felt good.

[sking1001]

I've never seen you move so fast. No wonder you were breathing heavy!

[CeeKa]

Hey Wolf! What's that in your red shaker? Secret gainzzz?

[Michael Wolf]

I've never seen you move so fast. No wonder you were breathing heavy!

People assume that just because I'm a big guy, I can't move fast. Finally, I have unequivocal proof of just how speedy I truly am. I have a better first step than Allen Iverson.

Hey Wolf! What's that in your red shaker? Secret gainzzz?

Heh, nothing quite so grand. Just some Gatorade G2 powder mixed with water.

[Michael Wolf]

OK day. Back is still bothering me and it's oddly both sides (I originally tweaked, and thought I had just re-tweaked, only the left side). But was still able to go up a bit in the DL, but felt my back during bench press and erging.

Squat Warmup - naked knees
95x5, 135x3, 185x3

Deadlift - DOH
185x5, 275x5, 325x5, 345x5x2
Notes: These felt solid. Still wore Nikes and despite being aware of and trying to correct for it, I started a bit forward. Just a bit. Overall they felt solid, and back felt OK and held up well.

Bench Press - beltless
135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 265x5, 295x5, 305x5 @8.25, 275x5 (last set "wide grip" aka half an inch narrower than my old regular grip aka pinky just inside the PL line).
Notes: I have a bit of trouble finding a good groove with the medium grip bench. Close grip and my old regular grip are fine, but I just have a hard time finding a good, consistent bar path with the in-between grip I'm currently taking to keep my shoulders and pec happier. 305 was a little harder than expected, but these'll come back, not worried.

Ring Rows
BW x 7 x3

C2 Erg - 25/75x8
Paces: 1:54, 1:51, 1:40.8, 1:36.8, 1:38.4, 1:41.6, 1:42.4, 1:40.0
Notes: Felt my back get cranky after the 4th and 5th one, so flexed it less and used more legs and arms and went a bit slower. Helped some. These weren't hard, just couldn't push them today because of my back.