Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[JimB]

Good New Years eve session yesterday with my friend Hayden visiting from NYC. Hayden observed me coach a bunch at Solace, and is now a student in the SSOC Barbell Coaching Academy, and has taken over my strength cycles at Solace since i left. He's also one of my best friends and a really good dude, hopefully a future SSC.

Bench
405x2, 420x2x2 @7
Notes: Left pec was a little tetchy so I moved my grip in an inch on each side, but boy did these move well. I'll post the video later today on insta, I have definitely never moved 420 this fast before. I pushed 425 up pretty quick the day I strained my pec when attempting 475 back in June, but not this fast. Woosh!

Deadlift: 3" belt
585x1 @6, 620x1 @7, 640x1 @8, 495x3 @everything felt hard at this point even though it was 145 lbs lighter
Notes: I've been going back and forth about whether to be more aggressive or conservative with my DLs prior to the meet. My injury history suggests conservative, my performance history - I do not get a huge "meet bump" and generally only do a little more than I've done in training unless there are unusual circumstances - suggests that if I want a real shot at 700, I need to be aggressive.

So I'm kind of playing it by ear. I planned to do 620 today, 635 next week, and though that is much further from 700 than I wanted to be at before the meet, knowing that I did a not quite maximal 675 in May gives me confidence that it might be there.

But the barbell gods were with me on this eve of the new year, and 620 flew up. So I took it, put on 640, and that went up real fast too. Definitely had a triple there, had I wanted it, which puts me right around the 700 mark by extrapolation. I'll hit one more day with 1-2 heavy singles next week and then it's up to the barbell gods.

Technique wise, having Hayden was super helpful. Due to my knees, I'd moved my stance to a very narrow, toes-out to allow a more vertical shin, which avoided my knees trying to extend through an ROM that was very painful, with a bunch of weight. Breaking the weight off the floor, basically. Though they have gotten a little better, I kept the stance. But Hayden was very unsatisfied with my Step 4, and suggested I try a more conventional "SS Stance." I went into all the stuff about my knees etc but eventually caved and tried it - knees were fine, and got a much better squeeze, and felt less strain on the areas of my back that get dinged all the time. So that was awesome. I really can't say enough how important technique coaching is, regardless of how experienced or strong you are. You can't see yourself lift in real time, period. I pay such close attention to my form at all times, I really never just say f**k it and go. Ever. And I film some of my sets every workout and watch them immediately after. But some things need to be in from multiple angles, in real time, and it's absolutely invaluable.

Press: 3" belt, no wraps
225x5x4 @6-7
Notes: Smoove. These were movin.

Lat Pulldown
4 sets of 5 heavy, then a back-off set of 10

Rolling Dumbbells
40x10, 50x10x2

C2 Erg
25/75 x7 @1:40-1:45
275/1:30 x2 @1:55ish
Notes: Once again amazed at how quick this comes back. I know it in my head but experiencing it is crazy. Still not especially fast or challenging even by my unimpressive standards, but 2 weeks ago this would've been a max effort and left me wasted. It was actually too easy and the only reason I didn't push it more was because I was chatting with Hayden in between intervals and because I have a meet coming up.

"I guess you could say things are gettin' pretty serious" Awesome lifts

You bring your B&R bars and plates to Texas? I don't think I see the B&R bar in your lifting.

[Michael Wolf]

"I guess you could say things are gettin' pretty serious"

You bring your B&R bars and plates to Texas? I don't think I see the B&R bar in your lifting.

My B&R bar is currently resting in my bedroom. The gym has a few good power bars, and I can usually get one. I'd prefer the B&R most of the time, except maybe for some real heavy pulls, but the marginal benefit isn't worth shlepping it down several flights of stairs, into my car, into the gym, then back again every time. Don't want to leave in my car either, for several reasons. I sold my metal plates to Ryan, so they're still at Solace.

[Michael Wolf]

Press: 4" belt + wraps
275x1, 290x1, 302.5x1 - PR @9.5, 185x10
Notes: I planned on 3 heavy but submax singles, but once again was feeling warmups a little hot so decided if 275 was fast I'd go up, and if that was fast I'd try a little PR. 302 was slow but never in doubt.

I have PRd my sets of 10 (225), 5 (260), 3 (265) and 5x5 (250) this training cycle, but missed my only attempt at a new 1RM. This was a much smaller PR attempt, but was very happy to get it.

Block Pull, Just below knee: 3" belt, straps
650x1, 700x1
Deadlift: 3" belt, straps
451x5
Notes: 700 is the most I've ever done in any kind of real pull (excepting that silly 815 stunt from above the knee back in June, which doesn't really count). It was real slow to budge but then went up fast, as my pulls from just below the knee tend to do. I don't think I tweaked anything but it was so much weight and required so much force that it's hard to be sure with my back constantly so whiny. There's one spot that feels iffy so I'll probably know tomorrow. I knew this plan was a little risky so we'll see what happens.

302.5 press and 700 block pull on IG

Bench Press
325x5x4 - EZPZ

Lat Pulldowns
4x10
Rolling DBs
45x8, 55x8x2

[Michael Wolf]

Bench: 100% RAWR - no belt, wraps, lifting shoes, or full setup
440x1, 410x5 - PR @8.5
Notes: I knew I could do this but wasn't 100% sure I could do it today, but once warm-ups and the 440 single were done, I knew I could so I did. I'd otherwise have done 425x2x2, but once I knew it was there, took it for a ride. First new 5RM on bench since late March, 2017 I believe. Could've hit one back in May/June but didn't do it.

410x5 bench on IG

Press: no belt or wraps
215x3x6
Leg Press
[135, 225, 315, 405, 495, 495] x8
Notes: Knees actually felt OK on the leg press and not much to say on the easy volume press work.

Lat Pulldown
5 sets of 6: 1 warm-up, 4 work sets
Tricep Rope
3x10

C2 Erg
30/75 x7 @1:45-1:50
250m/1:15 rest x 3 @1:55-2:00

[Michael Wolf]

Got a big 800 pound...no, scratch that, 700 lb gorilla off my back tonight by finally, FINALLY, deadlifting 700 lbs. Did I mention finally? I've wanted this real, real bad ever since June, 2013 when I pulled my first ever 600 lb, slow, ugly, unsquoze deadlift of 605 at WFAC.. Skip ahead if you don't care about my personal lifting history of the last few years.

I've written about this recently in regards to meet prep for nationals, and also elsewhere scattered throughout my log, but there have been several times in the past 4-5 years when I have been between pretty confident and at least a puncher's chance that I could have pulled 700. But I never even got to attempt it because every time I was in one of those zones, something happened that derailed me. After pulling a pretty solid 645 at a meet in July, 2014, I developed an infected cyst on my neck that needed minor surgery. Working back up from that took a while. In 2015, I was on a major roll and pulled 560x5 @7-7.5 and then 600x3 where if I'd stopped after 2 reps, would've called that @7, but I let the last rep get about 2 inches off my legs making it slow for mechanical error, not strength. I tweaked my back not long after, and didn't really pull anything heavy in training till the October Fall Classic that year, where I pulled 650 with gas in the tank, despite about 14 weeks without any heavy pulling prior - so safe to say 650 was well under my limit before the July back tweak.

One week later, I slipped on the icy staircase and tore my shoulder up, eventually getting surgery with 7 anchors placed in my right shoulder and a shaving down of my very special type IV acromion; I wouldn't re-achieve previous strength levels till about a year later. Soon after that, I suffered a major back tweak, which I still feel every single day 2 years later, when I dive bombed a low 500s squat when trying to come back from the flu. My knees had given out but I hadn't accept that yet, and my loss of tightness led to this injury, after which I couldn't pull for about 4-5 months.

Healing from that one coincided with my scheduled triple hernia surgery, which I found out on the prep table would be done OPEN, and thus that took about 5 months before I could resume lifting heavy. The January 2017 back tweak still effected me, as it does to this day, but I was able to do *some* pulling again. However my knees had gotten even worse, and the position of the interface between tibia and femur was such that I had to give up pulling from the floor.

I did my best and worked off 1.5" mats, the lowest I could go, and ended up puling 675 that way about 5 months back into heavy lifting after hernia surgery. That was more or less the end of a great training cycle, and I didn't push my luck by trying any more before my few months of "off season" maintenance during the summer.

That brings us to this prep cycle. I discovered I could pull off the floor again, albeit only with shoes off so my knees stayed back and avoided the position of excruciating pain, so I started doing that. Throughout this cycle, my pulls have moved really well and I felt 700 was there. I was moving 600 like a warm-up for the first time since 2015, and even faster. When I tweaked my back in November and had to stop DLing for a few weeks, I still had hope that I could heal in time to do it. I wasn't optimistic but I didn't lose all hope. But the way 600 moved in November, and then 620 and 640 the other week, I just knew it.

So today, I planned to work up to 660-665 and then back off to 545x3 and 495x3. But 665 moved so fast, so well, that I decided with all that's happened to me, with all the times I thought I'd stick with my plan and wait for 700, only to see opportunity after opportunity to do it or work up to it be snatched away, that I just needed to do it now. Maybe my flight tomorrow to the seminar will crash. Maybe I'll trip on the stairs carrying Chops up while he heals from his broken toe, smash my knee, and I won't be able to pull for 2 months. Who knows what life has in store?

So I decided to take it, and it was there. It was freakin there.

Deadlift: 3" belt
625x1 @6, 665x1 @7.5, 700x1- PR @9.5 - mostly due to pure weight shock
Skipped back-offs
Notes: Mostly covered in what I wrote above. Being prone to Wolf's disease, I did slightly tweak a small spot in my left low back, but I think it's rather minor and won't cause an issue and will be fine by the meet. I've thought that before and been on the bad side of wrong, but I'm pretty sure. Will probably know for sure when I wake up tomorrow.

700x1 DL on Instagram

Everything else was VERY pedestrian.

Close Grip Bench
275x5x3

DB Arnold Press
70x8x3

Cable Row
4x8

DB Curls
50x8x3

[Ivan Stepic]

Good job. Congrats.

[Mike Longnecker]

Awesome, congrats!!
Hope you wake up feeling good today!

[danomite!]

Impressive lift! I especially liked that those ugly shorthorn plates were upside down... Sorry, couldn't resist!

[JimB]

Awesome pull. That flew up - on first watch I thought the video of 700 was 665 since it looked so damn easy. Also, as you said in the comments, you did 700 as you do every other pull - no reaction afterwards. Can't say I would've been quite so calm.

[Ryan Arnold]

Boom! Awesome pull Wolf