Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Michael Wolf]

Some things probably worth logging:

1. New Program
* Still 4 day TM based, but a two week cycle
* Volume and Intensity Day each week, but every two week cycle only has one each truly hard VD and ID. I'm calling them VD1, VD2, ID1, ID2. 1 signifies the harder, more intense and close to or actual max; 2 is hard work, but leaving volume and intensity gas in the tank - I haven't decided on a specific RPE to use as a ceiling for this, and it's still going to be based on a planned weight, but will be autoregulated based on feeling that day as necessary.
* Planned weights but somewhat modulated and flexible based on RPEs

The basic set-up is:

Week 1
Mon: ID1 Bench, VD2 Press, chins etc
Tues: VD1 Squat, Medium Pulling (Power Clean, then Snatch Grip DL triples to a max of RPE 8.5)
Thurs: ID1 Press, VD1 Bench, chins etc
Fri: ID2 Squat, VD Deadlift

Week 2
Mon: ID2 Bench, VD1 Press, chins etc
Tues: VD2 Squat, Lighter Pulling (Power Cleans, RDLs)
Thurs: ID2 Press, VD2 Bench, chins etc
Fri: ID1 Squat, ID Deadlift

VD1s will include some hard, grindy 5x5s but will not stick exclusively to 5x5 or always 5s; 3s and 4s will be used as well, and even more so on VD2s.
ID1s and ID2s will rotate rep ranges. Both IDs and VDs have planned numbers but can be auto-regulated as needed based on RPEs that day, with the goal of each 2 week cycle being an ID PR every other Friday, and volume PRs as they come, but not to force either one if they're not there (hence the auto-reg).

I'm a little off schedule right now because both DL and BP are being ramped back up from injury based lay-offs. Will need to get all my lifts together to run it this way as planned, but I can probably mix and match the bench and press work with either of the squat and pulling work and be ok.

2. Weight Cut
From a high of 276, I've weighed in at a lowest of 271.8, and am currently floating between that and 273 depending on daily fluctuation. Today, Monday, was the first day in a couple months that getting the 4th hole in my belt was easy and didn't require extra effort. Haven't noticed a change in pants/shorts fitting yet, but belt is clearly a little bit looser. Hanging out at the meet yesterday really lit my competitive fire again and got me excited to train for the August meet, and make weight at 264 without a water cut. Things are going well so far on both those fronts, just need to stay on track over the long haul.

[tdood]

Which August meet, the NJ states?

[Michael Wolf]

Which August meet, the NJ states?

That's the plan.

[Michael Wolf]

Didn't feel as bad as yesterday, but still not locked in.

Squat
440x4x4 @ 7.5, 8, 8, 8.5
Notes: Had trouble staying tight today, got a bit forward on almost every rep. Kept rests fairly short, 5-6 mins, and each set got a bit harder. Thought about 18 total reps (4,4,4,3,3) but since I wasn't feeling so hot, kept it down to 16 total. Hopefully I'll be better for the end of week sessions.

Power Clean Warm-up
45x6, 135x2, 165x2, 185x2, 195x2, 205x2
Notes: All pretty easy, feeling slightly less slow and rusty here. Just slightly.

Snatch Grip DL
275x3, 325x3, 375x3, 405x3 @ 7.5, 425x3 @ 8.5 called it here
Notes: I did plan on 425 but expected it to do it for two sets at 7.5. Was surprised it was so hard, even after squats being more difficult. It was about a crappy as a set can feel and still have possibly two reps in the tank.

C2 Erg: 25/1:25 x 8
Paces: 1:50.6, 1:38.4, 1:35.4, 1:34.6, 1:35.4, 1:34.6, 1:33.9, 1:29.2
Notes: Added 10s rest, sped up the paces a bit. Will probably do this once more, then move work interval down to 20s and go harder.

[Michael Wolf]

Another meh day with some of the low energy/hard to focus and grind thing happening. Might be I'm fighting something off, might be related to my current food intake, might be both. Hard to know for sure. I've never had an issue when I've done a slow cut like this before, especially from such a high number to begin with, but since I'm not tracking, I might be eating less than I think I am. That's not generally an issue with me, and if it was the case, I think I'd be losing weight faster, but I can't rule it out without tracking. Will keep on eye on things, as I won't be able to push things if I don't get it sorted, either by waiting it out if it's fighting something off, or tweaking my nutrition.

Press
235x3,2,2 @ 10 (failed 4th),10 (failed 3rd),10
Notes: Even with my low energy level and lack of focus, I was really surprised to miss those two reps. The previous rep slowed just a little, normally I would have gotten the next one - if I'd stopped there, I'd have sworn it was a 9. But obviously I couldn't get the one more rep. I had no ability to grind here, none at all.

Bench Press
135x8, 195x5, 245x5, 285x5 @7, 315x5 @9, 325x5,4 @ 10,9, 295x5 @ 8.5
Notes: These felt weak and kinda sucked, too. Don't have my usual strength this week.

Chins
BW x 8,10,10,10,8,8
Notes: These weren't good either, unlike Monday. Had to will myself to keep doing them. Once again, called it here. No assistance stuff.

On the bright side, my knees are feeling very good. After Tuesday's knee slide, I was a bit worried but no problems and squatting with naked knees in my warm-up today felt fine.

[Michael Wolf]

A wise woman once said: You take the good, you take the bad, you take 'em both, and there you have the facts of life. Managed an unexpected squat rep PR out of an otherwise subpar week, but my deadlifts were absolute shit. Onward, soldier.

Squat
467.5x3@8
495x4 @9.75
455x4 @9
Notes: The 467.5 set wasn't spectacular but was just good enough to go for 495. Which I got, somehow, after all my trouble this week. It wasn't nearly as smooth as the 485x5 set a couple weeks ago, but I have more fatigue built up now and I'm happy with it. Adrenaline dumped after that, and the 455x4 afterwards was legit tough; I rested about 8 mins before the back-off but probably should have taken a few more. After that, had to rest 15 mins before I started power clean warm-up.



Power Clean Warmup
45x6, 135x2, 165x2, 185x2
Deadlift
515x3x3 @ 8,9,9
Notes: Cleans were ok, though could definitely still feel some squatting fatigue. DLs sucked though. Still struggling to find the best surface and place to pull heavy in my gym. It all only becomes an issue somewhere around 500, so not applicable for anyone else there - it's a crossfit gym, after all, and the next best pull we've had thus far is 445x1. My 500 set was traveling a bit to the right every time I put it down and re-adjusting 3 times was too much for my brain. So although I could've had five reps in a straight set, I couldn't do it with a re-set between every rep. Second and third sets weren't great either, I'm a bit worried I tweaked my back again at some point here, but even if so, it seems pretty minor and I probably won't really know till tomorrow or Sunday.

This all took so much time, I had to skip conditioning.

[KyleMask]

Nice work on the squat PR. I wish I could hold my form like that when shit gets real.

[ChasingCurls69]

I really like the idea of doing power cleans+deadlift variation for lighter pulling days instead of just the power cleans, or leaving out power cleans in favor of heavier pulling. Are you just building up to a heavy single/double/triple for the power clean?

[Vogstar]

Your progress on squats is inspiring Wolf. Whilst you aren't setting PRs everywhere your training have been great!

[Adam Skillin]

A wise woman once said: You take the good, you take the bad, you take 'em both, and there you have the facts of life.

That woman was Alan Thicke. He wrote the Diff'rent Strokes theme song too.



not sure why I know that.