Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Michael Wolf]

Lotsa voluuuumes today. Gonna be tired for a while but was pretty happy with today's work.

Squat - belt
Fives at: 355,375,395,385,365,365,350
Notes: None of these were particularly heavy but it's more cumulative volume/tonnage than I've done since before my injury. Probably since early October last year, possibly September, I'd have to go check. Feels good to be able to do a workout like this again.

Press
Fives at: 185, belt from here on out - 205, wraps for the next four sets - 217.5 @10, 200, 195, 195, 185
Notes: Pretty much same as squat, except that the 217.5 set was a limit set. As in, bone on bone 5RM. Not my true 5RM, but today. Happy to get it.
217.5x5 Griiiiiindy Press on IG

Snatch - did most of these as power snatch + snatch, but a couple sets in the middle were power doubles
Doubles at: 95,115,135,155,155,165,175,185,195,195,200, 145,145,135
Notes: Is snatching a 200 lb double for someone my size a big deal? No, even given my mobility restrictions. Is doing so after 7x5 each of squats and press, 6 months post major shoulder surgery, the 5th (I think) time snatching since then at all? I believe that yes, yes it is. I really need to work on a few things here, but the idea that strength built via low bar squats, presses, and deadlifts doesn't carry over is pretty obviously bollocks.

[Michael Wolf]

Squat Warmup
45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5

Snatch Grip DL
185x5, 275x3, 325x3 - DOH
365x3, 405x3, 315x10 - belt+straps
Notes: Don't know if I've ever done a set of 10 deadlifts before, but my back has been so tweaky I just wanted to get some blood flow to the area with light easy work. Which 315x10 definitely was.

315x10 SGDL on IG

Bench Press
305x2, 325x2,2,2,3 @9
Notes: Elbow-itis still bothering me here, seemingly having more of an affect than fatigue from yesterday's big volume press session.

Ring Rows
BWx8x5, BWx5 = 45 total
Notes: With my elbows still pretty pissed off, chins seem to bother them more, so I just stuck with ring rows.

[Satch12879]

Wolf, I've been meaning to ask you this; what's your approach with programming SGDLs? They are obviously a DL variant, so I'm assuming they're a "light" or "medium" day pull? Seems to be the case, but just wanted your thoughts.

[Michael Wolf]

Wolf, I've been meaning to ask you this; what's your approach with programming SGDLs? They are obviously a DL variant, so I'm assuming they're a "light" or "medium" day pull? Seems to be the case, but just wanted your thoughts.

Yes. It'll be a little more complicated if I continue training the olympic lifts and they get to the point where they are actually a stress to be considered. But in my more simple plan, I pull twice per week in a way that I consider part of training stress: SGDLs on Tuesdays and regular DLs on Fridays.

Tuesday I'll do triples, working up to an RPE of 6.5 to 8, depending what I have planned for that Friday. Friday is the "heavy" day of the week, but it could be heavier with a lower absolute weigh and RPE, or closer to/at a true max and higher RPE. When Friday is the former, I'll go heavier/higher RPE on Tuesday. When Friday is truly heavy, I'll make Tuesday's work easier. I like SGDLs because they provide a little variety for someone training as long as I have, have some quad and back stuff going on that's different than regular DLs, can still be worked fairly heavy, but between my RPE limitations and the inherent worse mechanical positioning of the SGDL, prevent me from going too overboard and toasting myself on Tuesday when there's a lot of training left to be done each week.

Example:
Tuesday 1: SGDL triples till @7.5, repeat for one more set = 185x5, 275x3, 365x3, 405x3, 435x3, 465x3x2
Friday 1: Squat 455,465,475 x3; then DL up to 535x3, then 455x5 back off.
Tuesday 2: SGDL triples till @6.5 then stop = 185x5, 275x3, 325x3, 365x3, 405x3, 430x3
Friday 2: Squat 495x2, 515x2, 525x2, 495x2; then DL 495x5, 545x5, and 585x3.

[Michael Wolf]

Today was forgettable.

Squat - HBBS 1st paused + LBBS paused
135x3, 205x3, 255x3
295x3, 325x3, 345x3 - 3" belt
Notes: Left lumbar still tweaky and was having some other pain too so just called it at 345. Didn't move that slow, but seemed wiser to let my back rest than to push it.

Press - belt + wraps
225x1x3 @10,9.5,9.5
185x5, 165x6
Notes: I expected my press to be rough today after all the volume on Monday and some bench on Tuesday, but not this rough. Once I felt it was, though, I didn't fight it and just did singles and a couple back offs.

Power Clean & Jerk
45 x a few sets, 95x2x2, 135x2x3, 155x2
Notes: Was really feeling beat up so just cut this early. Some of the jerks were power, too, because hurty.

Chins
4,5,5,5,5,4 = 28. Elbows still a little tweaky but better than earlier in the week

[Michael Wolf]

Back still tweaky today but better than yesterday. What's weird is that it felt better Monday (3 days after the thing that made it tweaky) than it did Tuesday, or Friday/today. Dunno. Anyway. Elbows hurt a lot too, but still, overall felt better than yesterday and think next week will be a big tick upwards.

Squat
415x2, 435x2, 455x3 @8.5, 425x3 @7.5
Notes: Stayed lighter to be conservative with the back tweak, but still got some work in and felt a heavier weight on my back. Elbows aggravated here.

Paused CGBP
225x5, 245x5, 255x5, 265x5, 245x5
Notes: Elbow tweakiness affects these the most, but still pretty easy.

Deadlift
135x5, 225x5 315x5 - DOH
375x5 - hook + belt
425x5 - 3 hook/2 alt + belt
365x10 - 5 hook/5 alt + belt
Notes: Back was getting a little cranky so back off sooner than I'd planned/hoped and did another set of 10 (wut) with lighter weight. 365x10 easy & fast, it's the heavier weight that bothers it right now.

HSPU (tripod)
2,2,6,2
Notes: 6 is a PR, FWIW.

Chins
BWx5x3

C2 Erg 20/1:20 x8
Paces: 1:37, 1:31.7, 1:28.4, 1:25.4, 1:34.3, 1:30, 1:24.7, 1:35.2.

[Michael Wolf]

Today was a very weird day. I woke up feeling sick: pounding headache, a little nauseous, and chills like a fever was coming on. It kept me up for an hour or so but I was able to go back to sleep for another 2.5 hours and felt a little better when I woke up again. But still pretty shitty. I knew I couldn't train in the afternoon, but I was hopeful it'd get better as the day went on and it did - I still had a minor headache but that was it. Took 2 aleve, a caffeine pill, and trained with my class starting at 6pm tonight. I recently started doing that once per 8 week cycle anyway, it's good camaraderie to train together, but was planning on doing it next week or the following. It worked out well tonight though, and I ended up having a pretty good workout.

Squat - belt
405x5x5
Notes: RPEs were 6.5-7, they didn't feel great but moved decently enough.

Press - belt, wraps
205x5, 225x5, 205x5x3, 185x10
Notes: My all time hardest (not most tonnage, but hardest) volume press workout is 215x5x5 then 185x5 - this doesn't quite equal that yet, but hitting 225x5 again is a big one for me. I did it a bunch of times over the past 3 years, but it's seemed elusive since surgery. I planned on 205x5x5 but the first set flew up so fast that I just called and audible and went for it. I prob will have to do lighter presses on Thurs because of this, but that's OK, totally worth it. 185x10 as a back-off is another big post-op milestone too. I could do that before, but it's seemed impossible since surgery. Excited to get that one in tonight too.

225x5 press, dual angle shot on IG

Snatch
45 x a bunch of prep work, 75x2, 95x2, 115x2, 135x2x2 155x2, 165x2, 175x2x2, 135x1x3
Notes: I was tired by this point, and having to coach my class between sets broke up these sets too long for proper focus, so cut it short. That's ok, got some decent practice in.

[Sean Herbison]

Left lumbar still tweaky
...
Elbows still a little tweaky but better than earlier in the week

Back still tweaky
...
Stayed lighter to be conservative with the back tweak
...
Elbow tweakiness affects these the most

[Michael Wolf]

[Satch12879]

Yes. It'll be a little more complicated if I continue training the olympic lifts and they get to the point where they are actually a stress to be considered. But in my more simple plan, I pull twice per week in a way that I consider part of training stress: SGDLs on Tuesdays and regular DLs on Fridays.

Tuesday I'll do triples, working up to an RPE of 6.5 to 8, depending what I have planned for that Friday. Friday is the "heavy" day of the week, but it could be heavier with a lower absolute weigh and RPE, or closer to/at a true max and higher RPE. When Friday is the former, I'll go heavier/higher RPE on Tuesday. When Friday is truly heavy, I'll make Tuesday's work easier. I like SGDLs because they provide a little variety for someone training as long as I have, have some quad and back stuff going on that's different than regular DLs, can still be worked fairly heavy, but between my RPE limitations and the inherent worse mechanical positioning of the SGDL, prevent me from going too overboard and toasting myself on Tuesday when there's a lot of training left to be done each week.

Example:
Tuesday 1: SGDL triples till @7.5, repeat for one more set = 185x5, 275x3, 365x3, 405x3, 435x3, 465x3x2
Friday 1: Squat 455,465,475 x3; then DL up to 535x3, then 455x5 back off.
Tuesday 2: SGDL triples till @6.5 then stop = 185x5, 275x3, 325x3, 365x3, 405x3, 430x3
Friday 2: Squat 495x2, 515x2, 525x2, 495x2; then DL 495x5, 545x5, and 585x3.

Not to distract from the funzies with Tweak, but (late) thanks for the insight, Wolf. I'm not near understanding how the RPE method works per se; however, I totally get how you use the limitations of the exercises to vary your weekly stress.

Carry on.