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Thread: Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

  1. #2951
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    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Took a light day today. I needed one mentally, and my low back seemed to be getting re-aggravated each time I squatted.

    Press
    PVC + stretches
    45x12, 75x10, 95x10, 115x10, 125x10x2
    Notes: Knowing I wasn't going heavy, I sandbagged my focus a bit but these were still pretty easy relative to the last couple weeks of pressing.

    Squat Stretches
    About a million, in high bar and then low bar. Could finally sustain a narrow enough low bar position to unrack and re-rack the bar on the monster light racks, which cut off ~1 inch on each side due to the wider uprights. It got uncomfortable a little too early to really do a full set, so I'll stretch this some more over the week and plan to do my first low bar squats on Friday in Seattle.

    I also did lots of other stretching throughout. Usually I stretch just enough have the ROM necessary to do the lifts I'm going to do that day (press and HBBS, till now), and save any more extensive shoulder stretching till after lifting. But I wasn't doing anything heavy or challenging today, so did all my stretches during rest periods throughout the workout. A LOT of stretching.

    Chins
    BWx5
    BW+4kg x3x5
    BW+10lb x3x2
    BW+8kg x3x2
    BWx5
    Notes: First weighted chins post-op, just under 12 weeks out. Long story why there was such a mix of denominations but bottom line is these felt good. Weak, compared to what I'm used to, but good. Hopefully will be back to lots of reps with the 24kg KB again.

    Bench Press
    45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 105x5, 115x5, 135x5x2
    Notes: Felt alright so kept going up to the glorious two plates. One on each side, of course. It still doesn't feel 100% normal - the press, for example, once I'm warmed up feels 95% normal, just weak. This still doesn't feel normal so I'll be more gradual and cautious loading it back up, but now that I'm pressing reasonable weight, doing weighted chins, and can get into low bar squat position again, I think things will generally speed up a bit and I'll be benching 225, 275, and 315 before too long.

    Bench and Weighted Chins on Instagram
    Last edited by Michael Wolf; 07-11-2016 at 09:26 PM.

  2. #2952
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iamthestorm View Post
    Wolf:
    As I mentioned on the intro to my log I am very impressed by your lifts, form and technique. I mean it, you should be the poster child for SS specially on the DL. Very good visual of what the SS book explains as a DL. I saw your videos of the 2015 classic, again, impressive. Did you always trained SS style? How did you train up to the meet? ( or I can look at your logs from say around Aug/Sept 2015?) You have a good amount of DL and Sq volume but you are young i will be 51 in 2 weeks and I am trying to find that balance where I can push yet recover...Don't want to SQ 3 times a week or DL twice a week but don't want to DL every 2 weeks either or alternate SQ/DL every week...still looking for my Rhythm within SS and being and advance lifter yet not a strong buck anymore. I am still learning from all of you. Thanks
    Thanks again for the kind words. I didn't always train SS style. I did bro-style splits influenced by Flex magazine and the like beginning when I was a junior in high school. I basically focused on chest and arms, with some cursory attention to shoulders. I didn't "do legs" and not much back, either. Really beach muscle focused for a few years. Then I became enlightened by the power of the BOSU and spent some time doing "functional training" and some other stuff for a couple years. When I started lifting in what I consider a more useful manner, in 2008, SS did influence me from the beginning but I didn't adhere to it 100%. I was simultaneously reading and watching stuff from SS, Crossfit, the Olympic Lifting world, and still some carryover/holdover from some of the "Perform Better" world that I had started paying attention to a few years earlier in 2005-2006 (people like Dan John, Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, etc). So SS was an early influence in terms of real training, and probably always the biggest one, but it wasn't my only one. As an example, I started squatting below parallel in 2008, but all my back squats - 2 to 3 times a week -were high bar squats until 2011. As an aside, this is one reason I often laugh when people say I only advocate for low bar squats for general strength purposes for everyone - even athletes and olympic lifters - because I am simply following Rippetoe and don't know any better. They assume I couldn't possibly be so obtuse and had I only experienced having trained the athletic, graceful, superior high bar squat, I would realize how wrong I am. I tried so many things. So many. I did half squats for a couple years. I did high bar squats 2-3x/week for 3+ years, with some front squatting. I pulled deadlifts and cleans with low hips. I didn't try EVERYTHING - who has? - but I have come to agree with Rip's analysis of things not just in theory but also in practice: by being skeptical at first, doing it other ways, trying it this way, thinking about the analysis again, and repeating the process.

    I just made this 6.5 year old video public, so anyone who wants to can see me doing some lower hip power cleans. ETA: writing this out inspired a bit of a rant, so including the whole thing here: 200x3 power clean+push jerk

    I would say that I spent 2008-2011 experimenting with many different approaches and various styles, several of which I mentioned above. It wasn't till 2011 that I really fully started embracing all of the principles we use here, as both a technique and a programming model. It is to my regret that I didn't do so sooner. Not because there wasn't anything to learn from any of the other sources; there was and still is, in many if not all cases. But what I found and what I still find is that this is the best base material upon which to build, and things I take from other places are nice cherries on top. Little things here and there that are just useful to know in this industry, most often to provide a work-around for someone who can't do X, Y, or Z. But SS principles provide the best base that I've seen.

    Regarding your situation, it's somewhat unique in being 51 but having lifted the weights you've lifted. I'll have to take another look at your log to see what kind of program you're doing but off the top of my head and without knowing the particulars, I'd probably set up something like the following, of course subject to adjustment if needed:

    Lift 3x/week.
    Squat 2x/week, alternating heavier and lighter. The heavier day alternates between volume and intensity, so you have one harder volume workout in week 1, and one harder intensity/heavier workout in week 2. The light day always stays relatively light, but allows you to accumulate some volume that you miss by having a real harder volume workout only once every two weeks.

    Deadlift alternate between 2x and 1x weekly, so 3x every two weeks, like the novice schedule. When you DL twice per week, one day is heavier and one is lighter (and the lighter day could be a variation that works well for you: Deficit, Snatch Grip, Paused, etc). The heavier day of that week is still set below max, so it's heavIER, but not all out heavy. Save that for the 1x/week pull the next week. So you're pulling with a decent amount of frequency to stay solid with the technique and also accumulate some volume, but only pulling a really heavy deadlift once every two weeks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Iamthestorm View Post
    by the way, I know you visited Arizona before. I am out in the West valley. Let me know if you ever visit
    I may be swinging out your way again in the fall. Might even do a camp, if the pieces fall into place just right.
    Last edited by Michael Wolf; 07-12-2016 at 10:08 AM.

  3. #2953
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Wolf View Post
    Thanks again for the kind words. I didn't always train SS style. I did bro-style splits influenced by Flex magazine and the like beginning when I was a junior in high school. I basically focused on chest and arms, with some cursory attention to shoulders. I didn't "do legs" and not much back, either. Really beach muscle focused for a few years. Then I became enlightened by the power of the BOSU and spent some time doing "functional training" and some other stuff for a couple years. When I started lifting in what I consider a more useful manner, in 2008, SS did influence me from the beginning but I didn't adhere to it 100%. I was simultaneously reading and watching stuff from SS, Crossfit, the Olympic Lifting world, and still some carryover/holdover from some of the "Perform Better" world that I had started paying attention to a few years earlier in 2005-2006 (people like Dan John, Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, etc). So SS was an early influence in terms of real training, and probably always the biggest one, but it wasn't my only one. As an example, I started squatting below parallel in 2008, but all my back squats - 2 to 3 times a week -were high bar squats until 2011. As an aside, this is one reason I often laugh when people say I only advocate for low bar squats for general strength purposes for everyone - even athletes and olympic lifters - because I am simply following Rippetoe and don't know any better. They assume I couldn't possibly be so obtuse and had I only experienced having trained the athletic, graceful, superior high bar squat, I would realize how wrong I am. I tried so many things. So many. I did half squats for a couple years. I did high bar squats 2-3x/week for 3+ years, with some front squatting. I pulled deadlifts and cleans with low hips. I didn't try EVERYTHING - who has? - but I have come to agree with Rip's analysis of things not just in theory but also in practice: by being skeptical at first, doing it other ways, trying it this way, thinking about the analysis again, and repeating the process.

    I just made this 6.5 year old video public, so anyone who wants to can see me doing some lower hip power cleans. ETA: writing this out inspired a bit of a rant, so including the whole thing here: 200x3 power clean+push jerk

    I would say that I spent 2008-2011 experimenting with many different approaches and various styles, several of which I mentioned above. It wasn't till 2011 that I really fully started embracing all of the principles we use here, as both a technique and a programming model. It is to my regret that I didn't do so sooner. Not because there wasn't anything to learn from any of the other sources; there was and still is, in many if not all cases. But what I found and what I still find is that this is the best base material upon which to build, and things I take from other places are nice cherries on top. Little things here and there that are just useful to know in this industry, most often to provide a work-around for someone who can't do X, Y, or Z. But SS principles provide the best base that I've seen.

    Regarding your situation, it's somewhat unique in being 51 but having lifted the weights you've lifted. I'll have to take another look at your log to see what kind of program you're doing but off the top of my head and without knowing the particulars, I'd probably set up something like the following, of course subject to adjustment if needed:

    Lift 3x/week.
    Squat 2x/week, alternating heavier and lighter. The heavier day alternates between volume and intensity, so you have one harder volume workout in week 1, and one harder intensity/heavier workout in week 2. The light day always stays relatively light, but allows you to accumulate some volume that you miss by having a real harder volume workout only once every two weeks.

    Deadlift alternate between 2x and 1x weekly, so 3x every two weeks, like the novice schedule. When you DL twice per week, one day is heavier and one is lighter (and the lighter day could be a variation that works well for you: Deficit, Snatch Grip, Paused, etc). The heavier day of that week is still set below max, so it's heavIER, but not all out heavy. Save that for the 1x/week pull the next week. So you're pulling with a decent amount of frequency to stay solid with the technique and also accumulate some volume, but only pulling a really heavy deadlift once every two weeks.



    I may be swinging out your way again in the fall. Might even do a camp, if the pieces fall into place just right.
    Truly appreciate your reply and time. Great points you make here. let me know if you do come this way and perhaps we can chat over some nachos let me know if you do plan a camp

  4. #2954
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iamthestorm View Post
    Truly appreciate your reply and time. Great points you make here. let me know if you do come this way and perhaps we can chat over some nachos let me know if you do plan a camp
    Thanks man. It'll be posted up here if we get the camp arranged.

  5. #2955
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    Default Wednesday, 7/13

    Realized I didn't log this after a long day of travel. Had to train early in the AM, aka at 8:30am, to make flight to Seattle. I do not like training in anything that ends with "AM," and I had to skip my weekly Wednesday morning doughnut date, too. The things we sacrifice for gainz.

    My flight was delayed two hours after boarding, so ended up sitting on a plane for 8 hours. This exacerbated the very tiny back tweak I had, which bit me in the ass today (Friday). Ah well. I've had this one several times, it'll go away. But I'll probably have to not DL heavy for a short stretch.

    Press
    PVC+stretching x a lot
    45x12, 80x10, 110x10, 130x8, 150x6, 160x6,6,8
    Notes: 160 got hard, till something entirely inexplicable happened when a very attractive new member walked in and was watching my last set. Magically, I could suddenly do 8 reps.

    !LOW BAR FREAKIN SQUATS!
    Stretches & empty bar x a million
    135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 365x5
    Notes: So excited to do my first low bar squats since surgery, right at the 12 week mark. 365 not bad for first day back. Wrists slightly bent back but not too bad.
    365x5 Squat on IG

    Chins
    BWx5x5

    DL
    135x5, 225x5, 315x5

    Bench Press
    45x5, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5
    Notes: Some discomfort at 155, but the lower weights felt better.

  6. #2956
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    Default Friday, 7/15

    At Gig Harbor Strength & Fitness, pre-seminar lifting with Rip, Tom, Reynolds, and Brent, along with some of the gym owners and staff.

    Press
    Stretching + PVC x lot
    45x12, 85x10, 115x10, 135x8, 155x6, 165x6,6,8
    Notes: This time it was the camera that got me doing 8 reps instead of 6, rather than a beautiful new member. Same effect. Or maybe Reynolds inspires me in a way I hadn't previously considered...you decide!

    LBBS
    Stretches and holds with empty bar x lots
    135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 325x5 - beltless
    365x5, 405x5 - 3" belt
    Notes: 365 was easier than expected and 405 was a lot harder than expected. Still just glad to be able to do it at all again.

    Chins
    BWx5x5
    BWx6x5 = 55 total reps

    Deadlift
    185x5, 275x5, 375x5 - DOH
    465x5, 515x5 - belt and Right hand up
    Notes: The gym has texas power bars which are great, but I wasn't going to hook two work sets of five with that knurling. I wasn't plan to flip a hand for several more weeks, but it was fine.
    The 465 set was strong, fast, easy. We got silly with 515 and had Rip stand right in front of me and pose. Whether it was that or would've happened anyway with the travel situation, they last 2 reps got slow and I exacerbated the tweak that I had already exacerbated by sitting 8 hours on a plane on Wednesday. It's somewhat inflamed now, 4 hours later. It's still a tweak and not a serious injury but I'll probably need to pull and squat light next week.

    515 set on IG, with Rip posing


    Bench Press
    45x5, 85x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5
    Notes: Felt much better than any day yet. Even the top set was pretty comfortable for the first time.

  7. #2957
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    It's been great to watch your comeback! Be careful with that back tweak. Sometimes you might need a little more discretion, eh?

  8. #2958
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walter Palmer View Post
    It's been great to watch your comeback! Be careful with that back tweak. Sometimes you might need a little more discretion, eh?
    Thanks Walter. It's been a very pleasant surprise coming back this quickly. Even if the tweak sets me back 3 weeks, it'll still be quicker than I thought I'd come back.

  9. #2959
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    Default Monday, 7/18

    Got to sleep more than 4 hours Sunday night, which helped with training Monday, even though nothing was really heavy.

    Press
    Lots of warm-up and stretching
    45x12x2, 75x10, 100x10, 125x8, 145x8, 160x6, 170x8, 170x6, 125x10
    Notes: Solid here today. Less weakness on the right side and less of the already very minor discomfort.

    170x8 Press on Instagram

    Squat
    45x5x2, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5 - belt
    Notes: Stopped at 225 for my back, and belted. Actually felt not so bad.

    Deadlift
    135x5, 185x5x3
    Notes: Felt worse than squat so stayed lighter.

    Chins
    BWx5, BW+10x3, BW+25x3x7, BW+25x4, BWx5x2
    Notes: Lots of reps, lots of weighted reps. Getting back up there. No pain.

    Forgot to bench press. Ah well.

    Back felt better at the end of the workout than the beginning, which is usually a good sign. But it feels pretty gnarly now, after that 5.5 hour flight back from Seattle. Hopefully it'll get a chance to heal up now that my schedule and sleep can be normal for a few weeks.

  10. #2960
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    starting strength coach development program
    Another good upper body rehab day, back still very tight.

    Press
    Lots of stretching
    45x12, 80x10, 110x10, 135x8, 160x8, 170x8, 170x6, 105x10
    Notes: The 170x8 set got pretty hard. I thought I'd be down from 8s to 6s before this, but now that I'm close, I will throw the belt on and see if I can get 185x8 before going down to 6s. Whether I get it or not, it's exciting to be this far along just 3 months post-op, and with a pure linear progression.

    175x8 on IG

    Squat
    Lots of stretching, high bar then low bar position.
    45x5x2, 95x5, 145x5x3 - belt
    Notes: Went lighter and think it was a good idea. Back felt better after these than before. I still think this is going to be a 2-4 week deal, based on previous occurrences, but if I can SQ and DL even lightly in the meantime, should make ramping back up easier.

    Chins
    BWx5x5
    Pull-up
    1
    Narrow Grip Pull-up
    BWx2x2
    Notes: Chins were easy, PUs were more to see if they still bother my shoulder. They do. But narrow grip was fine.

    Bench Press
    45x8, 95x5, 135x5, 165x5, 185x5x2
    Notes: Only jumped 10 lbs since I forgot to do these Monday. Didn't feel as good as Friday's bench reps, but were OK.

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