Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Michael Wolf]

Ran into the expected issue with my press today, so was mentally prepared for it. And everything else went really well. I finally feel like I'm hitting a bit of a stride again, haven't felt that since I tweaked my back in mid-July and lost my post-op momentum.

Squat - each weight done both High Bar 1st rep paused and Low Bar Paused
135x3, 205x3, 255x3, 295x3
belt - 325x3, 350x3
Notes: 350 finally moved fast and felt like, like light day should. Was tempted to go up to 365 but decided to save it for tomorrow's actual heavy work. Very encouraging.

350x3 squats on IG

Press - belt+wraps
210x2, 225x2 @10, 235x1 @10, 225x2 @10, 215x2 @9
Notes: The 10s weren't really those super slow grinds but I definitely didn't have another rep. I expected these to be hard, since it's the first time since October '15 that I pressed heavy with this scheme (volume press Monday and volume bench Tuesday, then intensity press Thursday). I'm used to, at worst, pressing Mon and Fri and benching Wed. So I expected something like this and not too annoyed about it. I was talking to the facility supervisor at the gym between sets and he'd never seen anyone press 225 so he was impressed, at least.

Power Clean
135x2x2, 165x2, 185x2, 205x2x2, 215x2x3 (last rep squat cleaned)
Notes: I was talking to a man who trains at Solace, Don. He's about 70, and has been olympic lifting for almost 50 years, been to 150+ meets. While we don't see eye to eye on everything, he's a lot more open minded and level headed than most of the olympic lifters and coaches of today. We were discussing arm-pull/bend in the clean and he started going off about how these lifters today think it's OK and even teach it and how inefficient it is. Almost sounded like a much mellower version of Rip. Anyway, we were talking while I was cleaning about my f'd up ankles and the poor mobility I have because of them and how I therefore can't stay properly upright in a front squat and am thinking of learning the split versions of the lifts and maybe compete in a meet in the next year or two. Anyway, he convinced me to try a squat catching t and riding it down into a front squat, and I obliged. I felt I was forward, he thought I'd be OK with some practice. Here's one rep of it:
215 power clean & ride-down on IG

Chins
BWx6x6
BWx5x2 = 46 total, very easy.

[Michael Wolf]

Well, today was shit. I felt so good yesterday. So weird.

Squat - belt, SBDs
465x2,2,1 @10,9, 9.5
Notes: 465 was my planned last warm-up, as I planned on doing 4-5 doubles at 495. Nope. The first one was so hard. The second was a little better but still crappy. The third sucked monkey balls so I just called it there. It was weird. Usually after a hard squat, I'm out of breath and feel like I really exerted myself. I didn't feel like I exerted myself with these, even though they moved real slow. I just couldn't get out of third gear.

Bench Press - medium grip
305x3 @8, 325x3 @9, 315x3 @8.5, 245x10
Notes: I expected to go a little heavier here, but not much. Right elbow better than Tuesday but still a little tweaky.

Power Clean+ Push Press
135x2, 175x2, 205x2, 225x1, 245x1
Deadlift
315x3, 405x3 - DOH
455x3 - mixed
505x3, 535x3, 565x1 - belt, mixed
495x5 - belt, straps
Notes: Plan was 565x3 and then 505x5. 535 moved OK enough but 565 single made me lightheaded and I had to stop. It looks like I could've done another rep or two, but again, I think I would've passed out. Not sure what the cause of this weird problem that I've never had before is. I'm losing weight, but not at a super rapid clip, and don't seem to have the problem on all workout days, only randomly. Dunno.

Pulls Montage on IG

Chins
BWx5x4 = 20

HSPU
2,2,4
HSPU set of 4 on IG

C2 Erg: 20/1:20 x8
Paces: 1:44.1, 1:35.2, 1:29.2, 1:22.6, 1:41:2, 1:34.3, 1:21.9, 1:33.4
Notes: 1:21.9 is my fastest yet, still a few seconds off my PR. Overall avg pace going down, meaning faster. I might add some more rest again and see if I can be consistently below 1:30 soon.

[Michael Wolf]

Good, long, and hard (TWSS) day that had some moments but got through it much better than last week's post bomb stress debacle. I was super beat today after no days off last week and running my program's CF Total event yesterday, and this workout took everything out of me. But I got through it and though tired and quite fatigued, nothing specifically hurts afterwards.

Squat - belt
Six sets of fahve reps at: 385 @6, 405 @7, 425x5x2 @7.5,8; 395 @7, 355 @6.5
Notes: Added the 6th set back in today. These felt pretty hard but bar speed stayed decent and I wasn't anywhere near pass-out levels of fatigue like last week. Rest was 5-7 mins.

Squats + Brazilian Booty Dance on IG

Press
Six sets of fahve reps at: 185 @8, 200 @9 (b), 210x5x2 @9.75,9.75 (b+w), 200 @8.5 (b+w), 185x5 @7.5 (b)
Notes: Didn't have another rep on the 210s, but neither were absolute all out grinds (especially the second set). Other sets were harder than I hoped for, and I wanted a set at 215 today, but again better than last week by quite a bit.

Press 210,210, 200 sets on IG

Power Clean+Push Press
135x2, 165x2, 185x2, 205x2
Complex: 1 PC+PP/1 PP+PJ/1 PC+FS
225x5 sets (skipped the first rep PC+PP on the last set)
Notes: I was feeling frisky so added the PP+PJ at 225. My PJs were, understandably, pretty poor, not having really done them since 2011 I believe. But not absolutely terrible. Push presses were crisp, especially after all those heavy squats and presses. Feeling like I could do 300 pretty solidly if I gave myself proper recovery from all the heavy strength based lifting I'm doing.

Chins
BWx5x5 - easy peazy

[Chris McCarthy]

More Brazilian Booty Dancing videos please. And stop trying to ruin it all by squatting in the background, sometimes your videos are not about you.

Very solid session - would be good to see what you could hit in the overhead.

[Sean Herbison]

He's about 70, and has been olympic lifting for almost 50 years, been to 150+ meets. ... Almost sounded like a much mellower version of Rip.

Some people age like fine wine. Others age like milk.

[Satch12879]

Others age like milk.

Into a firm, piquant, salty cheese.

[Michael Wolf]

More Brazilian Booty Dancing videos please.

I'll see what I can do.

Some people age like fine wine. Others age like milk.

That's a gross visual.

Into a firm, piquant, salty cheese.

Aaaaaaand then you took it there.

[Michael Wolf]

I am not a morning person. At all. But I trained this morning because it was the only time I had available due to my full day of before work, lunch, and then after work sessions and the need to run a couple errands and do some food prep in the afternoon between-sessions time. So I trained in the morning after my before work sessions, on no breakfast and tired AF, and then my lunch client cancelled 20 minutes beforehand. This is one of a hundred reasons I like my classes and small groups so much better than 1-on-1 sessions. Annoyed, but anyway.

Squat Warmup
45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5

Snatch Grip Deadlift
185x5, 275x3, 365x3 - DOH
405x3, 435x3, 455x3x2 - straps+belt
Notes: Didn't feel strong or fast today, but the bar moved OK.

SGDLs on Insta

Bench Press
255x5, 275x5, 290x5x2
Notes: Felt really solid here today, much better than last week. Moved fast and felt OK. Having the elbow-itis dissipate significantly since then helped a lot. No shoulder pain at all in these reps now, which is a first.

Top set of 290x5 on Insta

Chins
BWx4, +15x3, +26x3, +35x3, +45x3, +48x3x2, +35x3, +26x3, +15x5
= 33/29 weighted. And went up a little for the top sets.

HSPU
1,3,2,1

Forgot to row. Oops. Will either do tonight or just skip. It'll be the end of a 15 hour day, will see how I feel.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Lunch client cancelled but on the bright side, did you get to eat?

[Michael Wolf]

Lunch client cancelled but on the bright side, did you get to eat?

Basically just had an extra hour of time that day but it's not very helpful when I had already planned my day and trained around assuming I wouldn't have that hour. One reason I am very happy that I switched to monthly rates instead of per-session, a few years ago.