Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Philbert]

Really, George? I've never been to anywhere else with enough regular foot traffic on the street that this was an issue. I'm not counting large public events like concerts and ballgames where lots of people file in/out in a small window of time, and it's more like a squished mass than individuals walking into each other head on. Just regular pedestrian traffic on the street being so dense that this is an issue? I grew up in Chicago and it certainly wasn't, there. I spent an entire day walking around Seattle (primarily the densest bits) last summer and it certainly wasn't there, either. Nor anywhere else I've been. I can imagine it in parts of SF, which I have hardly spent any time in, but hard to imagine it anywhere else in the US.

Living in a small city in upstate NY I see this when two girls are walking down the sidewalk together. The only way for me to avoid a collision is to step entirely off the sidewalk. Never occurs with men or people walking alone.

[Michael Wolf]

Bench Press - feet up
135x8, 185x8, 225x8x3
Squat
BWx10x2
16kg 1 Arm Rack x 6/side x4

Rack Pulls - just below knee
135x5, 225x5, 245x5x2, 225x5
Ring Rows
BWx8x5
Notes: Lowered rack pulls another 2 inches and added 20 lbs. Ventral repair very slightly not pleased but generally OK.

DB Curls
35x10, 40x8
Hammer Curls
15x10x2 - 5 count eccentric

[Michael Wolf]

Quicky.

Press
45x8, 75x8, 95x8, 115x8, 135x8, 145x5x2
KB Swing
16x15, 20x15, 24x10x3
Notes: Haven't pressed in a while and these felt not too bad on the ventral repair. Was happy to get up to 145. Left shoulder was irritable. A wonderful reminder that surgery on that side is probably inevitable at some point, too. Went to 24kg swings for the first time and seemed OK.

RDL
45x10, 95x8, 135x8, 155x8, 175x8x2
Chins
2,3,3,3,3,3
Notes: RDLs were fine and easy. Doing the rack pulls with heavier weights is re-acclimating me to holding weights in my hands so the 175 felt light, even though last time I did RDLs, 135 or so felt heavy in my hands. Which was somewhat demoralizing.

Chins, tried to stay "hollower" and keep the sets short, and that seemed to help. Ventral repair didn't get irritated. So some encouraging stuff here.

Standing EZ Curl French Press/Tricep Extension
67x10, 87x8x2

Also totally random, stupid, and idiotic, but I was coaching a very strong (female) bodybuilder in the deadlift yesterday morning and she was working up to a single at 375 (before barely missing 405 only because she'd never had to grind through a rep in her life and easily will do it once she learns). Anyway, when 375 was on the bar, I did a single rep, double overhand, in my squishy new balance shoes. With no warm-up. I was trying to show her something, and also just generally mentally in the dumps about basically not even lifting for months and months. My knees couldn't handle the start position, it's just terribly painful, so my form is more like an SLDL, but it was still easy. With no warmup, DOH grip, and the squishy shoes. So that was a mental win, even if stupid.

[Ryan Arnold]

Ventral repair didn't get irritated. So some encouraging stuff here.

#rehabgainz

[Michael Wolf]

Went back to the doctor to check on my hernia repairs. All seems fine on the surface, just taking longer than expected to be pain and irritation free.

Bench Press
265x5, 285x3, 305x1, 265x5, then 245x5 close grip
Squat
BWx10x2, 16kg x8, 24kg x8x3, BWx10
Notes: Bench was pretty easy.

Rack Pull - just below knee
135x5, 225x5, 265x5x3
Chins
BWx3x4, BWx4
Notes: All easy and both chins and rack pulls didn't irritate the ventral repair much. So maybe some movement in the right direction, hopefully not a fluke. Trying to be more "hollow" with the chins seems to help. Though abdominal engagement is high in that position, it doesn't seem to bother it as much as being elongated and stretched does.

DB Curls
40x8, 40x10

[Ryan Arnold]

Though abdominal engagement is high in that position, it doesn't seem to bother it as much as being elongated and stretched does.

I was similar both before and after my last inguinal repair. I fought through discomfort on the lifts pre-surgery by just getting "extra tight." Then afterwords I felt the discomfort for quite a while with the bench press arch and chins, long after the Squat, DL and Press had started feeling normal again

[Michael Wolf]

If only I could squat or DL, I could test that out and see if I'm the same. But my knees are preventing me from doing that. The light goblet squats and rack pulls seem OK, though the rack pulls only since last week.

Bench Press - feet up
275x5x3
Squat
BW x10x2, 16kg x8, 24kg x8x4


Rack Pull - just below knee
135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 295x5x2
Chins
BWx5x3, BWx4x3
Notes: 275 was easy and felt fine so moved to 295. After not having anything like that in my hands for nearly 4 months, it's crazy how heavy it feels. Moved quick though, no issues. Stayed hollow again on chins, seems OK.

Standing EZ Curl Triceps French Press
77x8, 92x8x2

[Michael Wolf]

Press
85x8, 115x8, 135x5, 155x5x2
KB Swing
16x15, 24x12x5

Recline Row - barbell
BWx8x5
RDL
135x8, 165x8, 200x8x2

DB Curls
40x8x3

[Michael Wolf]

Bench Press
285x5, 305x5, 285x5
Squat
BWx10x2, 16x9, 24x9x5

Rack Pull - just below knee
135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5x2
Chins
BWx5x2, BWx4x5 = 30

Standing EZ Curl French Press
77x9, 92x9x2

[Michael Wolf]

Missed Monday due to simply being busy + since I'm unable to train hard/for real right now anyway, it's lower on the priority list than usual.

On Weds:

Bench Press - close grip
225x8x3, 255x3
Squat (goblet)
BWx10x2, 16kg x9, 24kgx9, 32kgx9x2, 24kgx9x2
Notes: 32kg bell is harder to hold than to squat.

Rack Pull - just below knee
135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 325x5x2
275x15 second hold x 2
Chins
BWx3x10

Standing French Press with EZ Curl Bar
67x10, 87x10, 97x10