Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Michael Wolf]

My weekly workout schedule is a bit wonky right now, because I am on an Intermediate Program for Bench Presses and Presses, but an Advanced Novice Program for Squats, Deadlifts, Power Cleans, and Pullups/Weighted Pullups. So while today wasn’t 100% recovery, it was mostly recovery, which made it nice and easy.

Foam Roll/SMR/Movement prep/etc…

BB Squat - mixed in Front Squats and High Bar Back Squats, too - this is a new recovery day experiment, we’ll see how it hoes

Low Bar - 45x5x2, 95x5; Front Squat - 95x3; Low Bar 125x3; Front Squat 125x3; Low Bar 155x2; Front Squat 155x2, 175x3x2; High Bar 215x3x2; Low Bar 255x5, 270x5.

All easy and smooth. Honestly, I haven’t front squatted much lately, so the 175x3x2 was the hardest of the bunch.

DB Bench Press - another recovery day experiment, going to do DB Bench Press on Press week recovery day and see what happens. I was scheduled to do a recovery Bench of 230x5x3 today, so estimated the appropriate load with DBs. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow and how my 5 Press singles @ 200 feel on Friday.

50x6, 70x4, 90x5x2, 85x5 - 90 was probably the right load, but reduced for the last set, since it’s been forever since I’ve done DB Bench, so just felt like taking it a bit easier this first time was a good idea. All sets were easy though, felt like recovery, and only rested about 2 mins or less between sets.

Weighted Pullups

Bodyweight + 35lbs for 3 sets of 5 reps - last rep of last set was challenging, but otherwise all solid. Which was surprising. I had done BW+30 x5x3 the last 2 weighted pullup workouts, and it wasn’t much easier the 2nd time than the first. I was considering repeating 30 again today, maybe going for 6,5,5 or something, but decided to go for +35. Obviously was a good choice.

Conditioning - did 4x300m, at about a 1:50 pace and 5x200m at about a 1:42 pace (last one went hard at 1:35 pace) on the C2 Erg. Didn’t work that hard. Foot feeling a lot better since Monday, thankfully, but not quite walking 100% normally yet. Probably won't be able to do sprints for another 5-10 days.

[Michael Wolf]

Today was Deadlift day, loading squats, and TM Intensity Press day. And it was a good one!

Foam Roll/SMR/Movement Prep/etc...

Deadlift - decided to do these first, honestly because John Krasinski (Jim from "The Office") was lifting nearby. He was super setting DB Bench with Walking Lunges. I figured it'd be cool to lift some heavy iron with him looking on. So I did DL first instead of last.
135x4 + 1 Power Clean, 225x3, 315x1, 405x1
470x3 - smooth, have a video will post later
420x3 - back off @ 90%, nice and easy

Press - TM Intensity Day, 5 singles
95x5, 125x3, 150x2, 175x1
200x1 for 5 sets - rest 3-4 minutes between singles. Have a video here too of the last single.

Squats
45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 265x1, 300x1
340x5x3 - was planning 335x5x3, but felt strong on the DL and warmup sets, so decided to go back to 340, and nailed all 3 sets. Have a video of the final set will post too, once I download it.

After this, did 2 back-off Press sets: 145x6, 135x8
And 1 back-off Squat set 255x5. Cause I was feeling good and not in a hurry. Great workout today!

[Rob Israel]

nice dude. nice!

[Michael Wolf]

Videos from yesterday's workout:

DL 470x3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmplODKdsGY

Press 200x1 (5th of 5 singles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knbIES4ERiA

Squat 340x5 (3rd and final set): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iMQ87fzuU

Feedback and form checks welcome! I noticed a bit of knee slide at the bottom on 3 reps of the squats - but not much. Which is good for me, as that's my biggest problem during squats at heavy weights. Press looked good to me, and didn't watch the DL vid too closely.

[Michael Wolf]

Did my taxes today @ H&R Block. Because most of my income is as self-employed (independent personal trainer), I have lots of forms added to a basic return, so it cost $500! Made me mad, and I took it out on the bar. That said, the accountant I use is great, and if any of you need tax prep in NYC, I recommend this guy highly. You can PM me if you want his info.

Squat Load, Bench Press Volume, BW Pullups

Foam Roll/SMR/Etc…

BB Squat
45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 265x1, 305x1, 345x5x3

The work sets were hard, but not devastatingly hard. I rested about 4 minutes between work sets - the first 60 seconds, all I could do was breath really hard. This is the first weight that really did that to me.

BB Bench Press
135x5x2, 175x3, 205x2, 235x1, 260x5x5 - volume day on Texas Method. Felt good.

Bodyweight Pullups

10, 8, 10 - rested a bit more between 2nd and 3rd set. Then did 2 back-off sets of 115lbs x 12 rep pulldowns.

[Rob Israel]

Videos look great man. All the lifts looked solid to me and wicked fast. You got a hell of a lot more in you.

[Michael Wolf]

Videos look great man. All the lifts looked solid to me and wicked fast. You got a hell of a lot more in you.

Thanks Rob! A bit of knee action at the bottom of 3 of the 5 reps, but only a little, and other than that, looked and felt solid to me too. I'm excited to be at these numbers a full 2 months before the meet.

[Michael Wolf]

(Mostly) Recovery Day

I didn't practice Power Snatches yesterday, or row, like I was supposed to. And caved in to my craving and ordered Chinese for dinner. Double fail. At least today went well.

Foam Roll/SMR/Etc...

BB Squats - recovery. Continuing to warm up for my 2x5 @ 80% squats using Front Squats and High Bar, to keep in some small amount of practice with them.
Front Squat - 95x5, 135x3, 165x3, 185x2
High Bar - 215x3, 235x3
Low Bar - 255x5, 275x5

BB Press
Warmup, then 165x5x3 (last week's 5x5)

Power Cleans - warmup, then singles on the minute
135x3, 165x1, 195x1
225 on the minute for 9

Was short on time so did Versa-Climber intervals:
75 foot climb, 30 second recovery x 3
75 foot climb, 40 second recovery x 3

[Michael Wolf]

Was supposed to do this yesterday, but didn't feel ready yet. I think all the walking I do from client to client on Tues/Thurs (I go from Chelsea to deep UES to Fidi all before noon) really tires me out. This is gonna be a problem no matter how I schedule my TM. Oh well.

Anyway, had to do this early today because I'm hosting my fantasy baseball draft at 1, so needed to be back home by 11:30 to set up. Being up, having breakfast, lifting, and being back home by about the time I usually wake up on Saturday. Weird!

Foam Roll/SMR/Movement Prep/Etc…

Squat
45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 265x1, 305x1, 350x5x3. Rested about 4 minutes between sets. More knees sliding forward than I would have liked. I felt myself have to "quad" up several reps. Still, got all 3 sets of 5 without any major problem or slow down.

Bench Press - TM ID
45x5, 135x5, 175x4, 215x3, 255x2, 285x1, 320x1x5 (5 singles). Rested 3-4 minutes between sets.

Weighted Pullups: BW+35lbs x5x3. Then 130x12x2 on Lat Pulldowns.

Versa CLimber Intervals: 75ft climb/30s rest x 3, then 75ft climb, 40s rest x 3.

[Michael Wolf]

Today was pretty brutal. As in hard, not as in a failure. Was supposed to lift Friday, but had to push off to Saturday because I was just not feeling it Friday. Saturday’s lift went great: Squat 350x5x3, Bench 320 for 5 singles, and weighted pullups +35 x5x3, plus a little conditioning.

The problem? Only 1 day of rest before today, which was Deadlift day!! DL day only comes once every 5 workouts (roughly every 9-10 days) in my program, so if I’m not “on” and don’t nail it, I don’t get another chance for a while. I thought about making this week a Tues/Thurs/Sat lifting week, but knew I’d have to correct back to M/W/F eventually, so just sacked up and did it. Just a hard, hard lift today (that's what she said) - but no misses!

Foam roll/smr/movement prep/etc…

Squat:
45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 235x2, 275x1, 310x1, 355x5x3 - hard and some knee slide (as usual with my work sets), but all done, all below parallel. Rested almost 5mins between sets and needed it!

Bench Press - TM volume day 135x5, 175x3, 205x2, 235x1, 270x5x5 - Did 260 last week, so actually a 10lb jump instead of 5. I know I should be patient and my 5x5s will get harder, but 260 was just so easy, and with the meet now less than 2 months away, I don't have much time to get my bench up. I also felt there was too much space between VD and ID. I will do 325 for 5 singles on Friday. So just made the 10lb jump. I rested about 3.5 mins between sets.


Deadlift
175x3, 265x2, 345x1, 425x1 - still trying to double overhard my warmups, but this almost slipped. Might have to chalk up for last warmup from now on if I want to keep double overhanding until work set. Could also try hook grip.

480x3 - HARD! I’d rested about 6-7mins after last warmup, but I don’t think I kept perfect spinal extension through all 3 reps, but hard to tell with so much weight pulling down on you and no video.

425x3 - back off set. Not easy but not too hard. Rested 5-6mins after work set before this.

Was scheduled to do some versa climber, but was too beat at this point. Probably because of the 1 day of rest instead of 2.