Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[mitchless]

When I took the dog out this morning, it was 7 degrees out with a feel temp of -7. Now at noon it's 14 with a feel temp of 1. I may just push today's workout outdoors in the garage with no heat to tomorrow when it'll be a balmy 25.

Stay warm, Wolf. And watch out for Austin drivers -- they don't know how to handle snowy roads.

[Michael Wolf]

Skipped the entire week, for a variety of reasons. Lack of power, then unsure if power would stay on - garage door has no manual, so if power went out again would've been a problem. Lack of water to shower with, and even needing to conserve the amount for handwashing, and just being constantly fucking freezing, among many others.

I'll get back to it today.

Stay warm, Wolf. And watch out for Austin drivers -- they don't know how to handle snowy roads.

Staying warm wasn't really an option, alas. But I did have enough stuff at home that I didn't have to go out on the awful roads until after they were mostly fine already anyway.

[Michael Wolf]

Quick easy ramp-up today.

Press
5x5 to 205x5 top set.
Then 225x2, 245x1
All super easy.

DL - 2" blocks
405x5, 455x1 - super easy.

[Michael Wolf]

Bench Press
135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5
355x2, 375x1, 405x1 @6.5

Power Clean - no feet
135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3, 225x3

Notes: Started benching first but ultimately did sets of cleans between bench sets. No-feet because my toe is still healing from the plate fall 2 weeks ago. It's MUCH better, but not back to normal yet. I was extremely pleased with bench bar speed at 405 considering I've only benched, at all, twice in the last 6+ weeks, once at 275 and once at 315. Being able to pop off 405x5 after a full week off due to the weather and 6+ weeks away from training the bench bodes really well for my plans to finally get 500 in the coming months.

405 bench on IG

245x3 power clean on IG

[Michael Wolf]

Delayed a bit, but finished up the week yesterday. Will do Tues/Thurs/Sat this week.

Press: No belt, no lifting shoes, no wraps
225x5, 255x2, 275x1, 185x10
Notes: I think this is the most I've ever done without any of the 3 gear items on. Not 100% sure but I think so. I've definitely done 275 without a belt and wraps, but I don't think I've also done it without lifting shoes. Not that it makes a HUGE difference in the press when wearing No-Bulls, but it's greater than zero. So I'll take my pretend PR, thank you very much.

All of yesterday's presses on IG

Deadlift
455x5, 500x1 - beltless, with straps
Notes: Used straps because it was so humid that the bar and plates were actually wet just from the air.

[Michael Wolf]

Squat: sleeves + belt
405x5, 455x1 both @6
Notes: Been 6.5 weeks since I squatted, because one of my knees had really started to act up in a concerning way that was reminiscent of the 2+ years I couldn't squat at all because of it. It had felt better for a solid 2-3 weeks, so will resume low frequency squatting now and see how it goes. I had been doing 1x/week for a while with no issues, but it started acting up again in late fall. I'm gonna start with once every other week and see how that goes right now.

Close Grip Bench
275x5, 315x5x2 - easy

Deadlift: 4" blocks
495x3, 545x3, 585x1 - beltless
Notes: Easy. Did these shirtless cause it was beautifully sunny out and I wanted to soak it in between sets. #thirsttrap
Block Pulls on IG

[Michael Wolf]

Good lift today but got distracted by a neighbor coming by right as I was starting a power clean rep and my back dinged up a bit. Feels minor but I've said that before many times before a 4-8 week tweak, so I'll shut up and wait to see how it goes.

Press
285x1 @8.5 - belt
235x5 @7.5, 215x5, 205x5 - beltless
Notes: Didn't rest too much between 285 and 235, so the latter was a bit harder than otherwise. But all OK.

Power Clean
135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3, 265x2
Barbell Row
295x5, 315x5
Notes: All pretty smooth and easy. Could've easily done 265x3 with no prob. 275x3 was a PR, albeit a bit of a PRino, just a few weeks ago. As long as I'm not uber fatigued from DLs, it looked like I can pop off power clean triples around this weight pretty much any time now, despite only doing the lift infrequently (have probably averaged once every 1.5-2 weeks for the last 8 months, and before that hadn't done them regularly since 2016 I think). Pretty cool to see that kind of progress, and obviously driven primarily by strength gains.

[Michael Wolf]

Good news is it appears back thing was indeed minor, a rare lucky stroke in that dept for me. I did take one extra day's rest as it was still a little irksome on Saturday, but got back to it today.

Bench
5x5 @135, 225, 275, 315, 335@6.5
Notes: pretty easy, but didn't take much rest between 315 and 335 so it was just a bit slower than otherwise. Still fast.

Sumo DL: 2" blocks, 3" belt
405x5 - DOH
455x5 - straps
Notes: Both pretty easy, back held up fine. Would've gone beltless but wore the belt just in case, wanted the extra bracing support.

Lat PD: Neutral Grip
3x8 @135, 160, 160 - first time doing these in a while, kept it easy.

[Michael Wolf]

Did this one Tuesday. Will have to miss the rest of the week due to an unexpected issue but hopefully will be back to training by Monday or so.

Press: 4" belt
225x4, 245x4x2, 225x4

Deadlift: 3" belt
500x5
Snatch Grip DL from 2" blocks
405x7x2 - straps

Ab Wheel
2x4

[Michael Wolf]

Long story shot: I got bit by a neighbor's dog, pretty bad, on my left leg (outer calf up close to the knee) last Weds. It's still not fully closed up but I thought it was close enough to resume some type of training today. Seems OK afterwards. I'm annoyed to have missed a week's worth of training to it, but can't really do much about it. Just re-acclimating to lifting again here. I wanted to squat but I didn't think that direct pressure in the area that got bit was a good idea till it's truly closed up. I'm hoping Saturday, but next week seems more likely.

Bench Press
275x5, 315x3, 345x2, 365x1

Block Pull: 8"
405x3 - DOH
455x2, 495x1
Notes: Used 8"blocks - which comes to just below kneecap - only because I needed the bar to start above the level of the wound so as not to mess with the dressing on my leg. Normally I use 6" for my higher block pulls, which is upper-mid shin.