Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Michael Wolf]

Good, encouraging day today with several post-op milestones. Also, I'm not posting regular updates but after a few weeks of so-so compliance, I've gotten more locked in on my nutrition in the last 2-3 weeks. I weighed in at 267.4 today, from a starting weight of 280.6 on May 6th and 279.0 on May 9th when I started tracking and attempting to reign things in again. I lost the first few lbs of bloat in just a few days and was down to 275 by May 12th, so about 8 lbs of actual weight loss in 6 weeks. I'm using a hole tighter on my belt than I was in the few months before surgery. I'd like to get at least one hole tighter, probably 2. I'll adjust as I go and am not dead set on a specific weight or belt hole but I think that 2 holes tighter will put me in a good place of being able to regain my strength and add from there, but still be able to enjoy food in the way I like to.

ROM-wise (primarily internal and external rotation), I've been stretching a lot and it's kind of worked like opening a jar: you push and push and it doesn't budge and suddenly it pops open. I stretched and stretched and the ROM didn't improve for a week or so, and suddenly yesterday it just moved a few inches. Don't have a goniometer to measure but it's much better. I will probably be ready to try a high bar squat on Monday, which I am excited about. I benched 45x5 today and that's still not ready to load, unfortunately.

Safety Bar Squat
70x5, 140x5, 200x4, 250x3, (belt for the rest) 300x3, 340x2, 360x2, 365x2, 340x3
Notes: All solid except the 360 set, which I just didn't mentally prepare for. 365 was better.

Press
PVC stretches and press x10
45x10, 60x10, 75x10, 87.5x10, 95x10x3, 65x15
Notes: 95s felt good, no pain, though I did notice I was fatiguing a bit the last couple reps of the sets. Nice to get some bigger plates on the bar.

Deadlift
135x5, 225x5, 315x5 - hook, 365x5 - DOH, 405x5 - hook
Notes: Broke out my 1/2" heels for the first time post-op, feel better pulling in them. I wasn't happy with my grip strength at 365, I really didn't have too much to spare but think this will come back as mu pull does in general. I need to remember that I haven't really trained my deadlift in a regular, heavy, progressive manner in almost a year. 405 felt hard but moved fast.

Chins
Red Band x5
BWx3x6
Notes: Bodyweight chins, bitches!!! That is all.

365x2 SSB, 95 presses, chins, and 405x5 pulls on IG. Sound track by KISS.

C2 Erg - 30/40x5
Paces: 1:54, 1:46, 1:44, 1:56, 1:40

[wk105]

Starting to build some good momentum - good to see! Just remember how quickly things come back for you when this happens. Keep at it.

[Michael Wolf]

Starting to build some good momentum - good to see! Just remember how quickly things come back for you when this happens. Keep at it.

Thanks Will. I'm so determined right now, and each little step forward feels like a big victory.

[Michael Wolf]

Big milestone today - first post-op back squats!! I was beyond excited to be able to do this, one day shy of 10 weeks post-op. Using the SSB was a nice first step, but I've been itching to get a bar on my back, and today I finally could. Wider grip, high bar, wrists slightly back, but still just so happy.

I warmed up my shoulders and started pressing first, so they'd be loose by the time I tried to squat. I believe I did my first empty bar set after my set of 80x10 pressing. I think it also helped that the A/C wasn't working downstairs today. It was massively hot and humid down there, so I sweat like a pig and drank about 50-60 oz during the workout, but warming up my shoulder was pretty easy under those conditions.

Press
45x10, 65x10, 80x10, 95x10, 105x10, 110x10x2, 70x15
Notes: Did some shoulder warm-up stuff and a bit of stretching prior to the first set, and between the first couple of sets. Plan was 105 but it was feeling good, so went to 110 for the next two. Had a bit of fatigue from already having done PT earlier in the day, but no pain or discomfort.

75x10 were my heaviest work-sets exactly one week ago. Today the 70x15 back-off felt like a breeze.

HBBS
Fives at: 45,80,105,135,165,195,215,235,255,275
Notes: Did I mention I was really excited to be able to squat today?!? I felt the stretch when holding the bar with my elbows slightly lower than I prefer, with my wrists just slightly bent back to accommodate this, but it wasn't painful, just a normal level stretch. Went all beltless, and no trouble with any of the reps, all pretty easy. YES.

Chins
BWx4x8
Notes: Starting to feel less weak here again, finally. My arms are getting less mushy again.

Deadlift
Fives at: 135, 225, 315 (hook) 385 (2 DOH, 3 hook), 435 (hook)
Notes: I wanted to do the 385 set DOH but with my grip strength still not back where it was before and the immense amount of sweating I was doing in the humidity, I decided to use the hook after the first two reps. 435x5 felt hard but moved pretty well. I see I had my hips a bit low for the first reps of the set, I'm still not back in my deadlift groove yet, but just the slightest bit off. Should continue to improve as I get my feel for things and bearings back with 4-5-6 plates again.

Press, Squat, and DL on Instagram

C2 Erg: 30/45x5
Paces: 1:50, 1:46, 1:43, 1:51, 1:39
Notes: Gave myself an extra 5s rest due to the heat and humidity, was able to increase the pace. My should still isn't ready for all out efforts, but I've been able to go a little harder each time, so far.

[Iamthestorm]

Holy cow Wolf, your progress is outstanding. I am still recovering from spec tear last year. Keep it up dude

[Iamthestorm]

Correction:Pec tear
I do have fat fingers

[kfreeman85]

Exciting news Wolfe. Glad to see things going so well. Scratch that. Glad to see things continuing to go so well.

[Michael Wolf]

Holy cow Wolf, your progress is outstanding. I am still recovering from spec tear last year. Keep it up dude

Thanks man. No penalties in my log for fat fingers. Though your deadlift might not be as gracious to you over em.

Exciting news Wolfe. Glad to see things going so well. Scratch that. Glad to see things continuing to go so well.

Thanks Kris.

[Michael Wolf]

Another solid day. I also did a lot of packing and hauling a bunch of relatively heavy bags today, so my shoulder definitely feels it now, but it feels like a "got worked" sore, not a bad sore. I could also feel yesterday's massage when pressing today. She got pretty hard into my traps and pecs and I wasn't quite over that yet today. Still, a good session.

Press
PVC stretches & set of 10, plus other various stretches
45x10, 65x10, 85x10, 100x10, 110x10, 120x10x2, 125x10, 75x15
Notes: Other than the fatigue mentioned above, no problems. 125 was a little slower because of it but no pain. Hoping for 135x10 on Friday, though that may be ambitious. We'll see.

HBBS
45x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5
Notes: Still working with a somewhat compromised position but it's slooooowly getting better. Lots of various stretching in between sets.

125x10 Press & 315x5 Squat on IG

Chins
BWx4
BWx5x6
BWx4
Notes: The last rep of the last couple of sets of fahve were tough but overall these felt very solid.

C2 Erg: 30/45x6
Paces: 1:53, 1:50, 1:46, 1:48, 2:00, 1:40
Notes: Added an additional interval, so lowered the intensity just a bit.

[Iamthestorm]

[QUOTE=Michael Wolf;1343264]Thanks man. No penalties in my log for fat fingers. Though your deadlift might not be as gracious to you over em.

Lol. How true.