Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[ChasingCurls69]

Are you also in the "power clean more than you squat clean" club?

...I thought I was the only one. But if you're both in it, too, then it might be the best club.

[Michael Wolf]

Just dropping a quick Thank You here. I was feeling sorry for myself and my broken elbow (10 weeks out). Read about how you are dealing with your rehab and felt inspired to get to it.

You're welcome. Glad I was able to provide some inspiration. Sometimes it feels like I'm stuck in a morass of molasses trying to get back to my pre-injury numbers, so it definitely is nice to hear that it's helping others out there going through injury, rehab, or just plain having trouble with training. So thank you, too.

Are you also in the "power clean more than you squat clean" club?

I'm in the "only power cleans because those 10-15 Grade 3 ankle sprains on each side make it impossible to get my knees forward enough to stay sufficiently upright enough for a heavy front squats" club. So technically, yes. I have had the thought in my head that if I wanted to pursue actual olympic lifting, I'd need to learn to split clean and snatch because of that. And I might have to. But I'm giving it a go with the squat versions first to see if I can improve those things and use the squat style.

...I thought I was the only one. But if you're both in it, too, then it might be the best club.

See above. Not sure you want to be in this club.

[Sean Herbison]

I have had the thought in my head that if I wanted to pursue actual olympic lifting, I'd need to learn to split clean and snatch because of that.

I like the split snatch well enough, but I've never been much of a fan of the split clean. At least not since they changed the rules to allow contact with the thighs (which was happening anyway) back in, what, the 60s?

[Sean Herbison]

...I thought I was the only one. But if you're both in it, too, then it might be the best club.

What Wolf said. I want to do an Olympic meet at some point, and power cleaning/snatching, however much more natural/stable it feels, isn't the most efficient way to do it.

[Michael Wolf]

I like the split snatch well enough, but I've never been much of a fan of the split clean. At least not since they changed the rules to allow contact with the thighs (which was happening anyway) back in, what, the 60s?

I'd prefer not to do either, hence my current practices. But I do think they're both cool in a retro way. Cool doesn't necessarily equal better, however.

[Michael Wolf]

Really solid today today. I probably over-reached a bit and will need to scale back tomorrow, but tomorrow was going to be a 'lighter' heavy anyway so that's OK.

Squat: High bar 1st rep paused + low bar paused - triples
135, 205, 255, 295, 325, 355 - beltless
385, 405 @7.5 - belt
Notes: I was pretty tight and achy earlier in the day but felt good as I got warmed up and kept going. From a pure training perspective, I probably should've stopped at 375, but knowing that tomorrow's heavy day doesn't need to be so heavy, just went a little heavier. Felt great for light day to be so heavy (heavier than anything I did Monday, in fact, even if total volume at working weight was much lower).

355,385,405 high bar squats on IG

Press - belt + wraps
220x2 @8.25, 235x2 @9.5, 250xf (out in front), 225x3 @9.5
185x9 @9 - belt only
Notes: Felt a little better here today, though still some arm and shoulder fatigue - but less than previous weeks. Will take a few weeks to have higher confidence that doing intensity bench Tuesday, instead of volume, is better for my Thursday pressing but so far so good. I should have had 250. Just got a bit out in front of me. Probably had a 30-40% chance if I'd fought and grinded it out with everything I had, but didn't want to get a rep that stressful in today so just let it go.

Clean & Jerk
95x1+1, 115x1+1, 135x1+1, 155x1+1, 175x1+1, 195x1, 215x1x3, 225x1x4, 155x1+1x3
Notes: Like the snatch, haven't done any jerks in years other than a light technique oriented session at camp and a few sets of practice with light weight last week. Today, I did the full version of the movement - full clean and jerk. The 1+1 means one clean and jerk, lower it down, and one more jerk.
I'm still less confident and less fast with my footwork than I'll need to be to nail heavy weights, but these were easy. At the lighter weights, I caught the jerk then rode it down to get used to being in the lower position. At the heavier weights, I just recovered from where I caught it.

Once again, 225 for singles is not impressive at all for someone my size. However, given all the same conditions as Monday's snatches, I think it's pretty damn good for my current situation. Will have a vid up on the gram tomorrow.

Chins
BWx6x6
BWx4 = 40 total. Super easy.

[Michael Wolf]

Fun times pre-seminar training with Tom, Niki, Inna, and Skillin up in the lovely Hudson Valley town of Gardiner, NY.

Squat - belt + SBDs
455x2, 480x2, 500x2 @9, 455x2
Notes: After yesterday's heavier weights and more volume than originally planned, I thought I'd just do a few doubles at 455 today and leave it there, going heavier again next week. But I was feeling better than expected, even if still somewhat fatigued, and took the doubles up to 500 before coming back down for a back-off. Pretty happy that I'm back to hitting doubles at 500 with a rep in the tank on my "light" heavy days.

455,480,500 doubles on IG, guest starring Niki Sims as Teen Girl Squad

Close Grip Bench Press
255x5, 275x5, 285x5, 295x5 @8, 265x5
Notes: Triceps feeling fatigued but these were all no problem. Fahve by fahve.

Deadlift - belt
455x3 - hook
495x3 @6.5, 545x2 @7, 585xfx2 (wtf) - mixed
455x5 @6 - hook
Notes: The 545 was so easy - unexpectedly - that I decided to stop at 2 reps and save gas for a heavier, new post-op PR. But I just couldn't get 585. I think it was mental, but I tried it twice and just couldn't get it and my back felt like it was going to tweak if I grinded through it so I just put it down. In retrospect now I regret not doing 545x5, as I definitely could have, but ah well. Like squats, I expected to go light today and stop at 495x3 but it was feeling good and I was with a bunch of friends/SSCs so I went up. Everything above that was a bonus today anyway. 455x5 afterwards moved fast.

On the one hand, I opened a PL meet with 606 last August, 585 should be a cinch. On the other, my DL has been essentially untrainable for a year+, so I have to be patient as it comes back in its own time and no longer linear fashion.

Chins
BWx5x4 - easy peazy

[Michael Wolf]

Been so busy hosting the various and sundry members of the esteemed SS Seminar Staff at my place (aka Wolf Manor) that I've gotten behind on my logging.

Monday, at Solace, with special guest from the souf, Niki Sims, along with local SSC hunk Ryan Arnold. Basically felt like death on a stick after a grueling seminar weekend and traveling.

Squat - belt
365x5, 395x5, 415x5x2, 385x5, 365x5
Notes: These sucked. But I did them. But they sucked. Niki helped with some timely cues.

All six sets at the same time on IG

Press - belt & wraps
185x5 (belt only), 200x5, 215x5 - post-op PR!, 200x5, 195x5, 190x5
Notes: Lots of presses. 215, done in the middle of a volume workout on a day I felt utterly exhausted ("Dear Lord!" and "I want to die" were uttered several hundred times during this workout - mostly by me, a little by Niki), makes me pretty happy.

215x5 HODOR Press on IG

Snatch
75x2, 95x2, 115x2, 135x2x2, 145x2, 155x2x2, 165x2, 175x2x2, 185x2x4
Notes: Most of these were full but I'm still not super comfortable getting under the bar (especially as the weight goes up), so some were power. My non-surgical shoulder and my poor ankle mobility as the major issues here. Still, 185 ain't bad for after heavy presses and squats and only second time working it up.

Chins
BWx5x4

[Michael Wolf]

Today's special guest was Dr. Comrade Thomas Campitelli III, esquire. Overlapped with Ryan again, too. We had some funs, despite sleep deprivation and Tuesday's horrible 9:30am training fasted without breakfast. Ugh. Tuesday mornings are the worst, Jerry, the worst.

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

Snatch Grip DL
185x5, 275x3, 325x3 - DOH
365x3, 405x3, 425x3x2 - belt+straps
Notes: Kept these lighter this week. They moved well. I'd like to actually pull something reasonably heavy either this or next Friday, so not pushing the snatch grips as heavy on Tuesday in the meantime.

425x3 SGDL on IG, with special videography and commentary by Tom C.

Bench Press - belt
315x2 @6, 337.5x2 @8, 350x2x2 @9.25, 9.75
Notes: Not thrilled with the 350 sets, but that's a bunch more than I've done since surgery (335x3 last week was previous high), so I'm ok with it.

Chins
BWx3, +10x3, +20x3, +25x3x4, +15x3, +10x5
= 29/26

HSPU
Tripod: 1,1,2

[Michael Wolf]

Feeling really beat up today. I've put together a decent run of volume (for 6 months post-op, anyway) while still hitting some heavy-ish lifts for lower reps. Might be time to let some fatigue dissipate.

Squat - HBBS 1st paused + LBBS paused, all triples
135, 185, 225 - beltless
255, 285, 305, 325 - 3" belt at increasing tightness
Notes: Put on belt early because everything hurt and my back (left lumbar) felt tweaky. Stopped at 325 even though they still moved OK because of my back. That's fine for today. I think next Thursday and Friday, week from today and tomorrow, I could hit some solid post-op PRs in the squat, press, and DL on their respective days.

325x3 split screen HBBS+LBBS on IG

Press - belt+wraps
220x2 @9.5, 225x1 @9.5, 230x1 @10
175x10 - belt only
Notes: Clearly not recovered from the work earlier in the week, considering I did 215x5 Monday and 220x2 was hard today.

225,230 singles and 175x10 Presses on IG

Clean & Jerk
45 x warm-up stuff, 95x1+2x2, 115x1+2x2, 135x1+2x5
Notes: Just light practice today, was too tired and hurt to go up. Cleans were power till 135. The last set was by far the best. Really stuck the jerk and got my footwork down.

Chins
BWx6,7,7,7,6,6,5 = 44. At least one thing was easy today.