Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Ryan Arnold]

Wolf,

Some time ago I asked you what thoughts you'd had about looking at fixing this back long-term and you answered in the affirmative...care to share?

I reckon some kind of Shamanistic-Charm might be effective in your Case.

Unfortunately doctors have been working round the clock to discover a cause and/or a cure for Wolf's Disease. Nothing but dead ends so far. We are only left with experimentation

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Wolf's Disease is fucking real and I am the most snakebit, unlucky SOB to ever lift weights. My body is an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in my own ponytail.

Maybe it's the ponytail.

No lessons learned, no wisdom gained about what to do next time to avoid it or make it better faster.

Maybe you need to pay better attention and think outside the box.

Something on the goddamn other side of my back goes out.

Welcome to 35 youngster.

FML. Seriously just FML.

Your life is not that bad.

Hopefully without sounding like an arrogant asshole, I lift with better technique than 99.9% of people lifting weights. Maybe more than that.

No words.

Though I am sometimes aggressive in training with weights, I'm usually not reckless and usually don't use weights that are clearly more than I can handle.

Fixed that for you.

Yet I am the most goddamn injured lifter I have ever heard of.

Some lifters completely rupture quad tendon without ever squatting 405. This must be fake news.

... while everyone else trains without a problem.

More fake news.

This is just so goddamn stupid. Fuck everything.

Yeah fuck everything. STOP IT.

OK now that the tantrum is over. Go back to the data and really analyze it with a different outlook. Maybe consult with a new set of eyes to help you take a look out of the box that you've been playing in. You will get past this but you can't say fuck it unless you plan to quit. Do you plan to quit? No I don't think so. I wish I could put you in time out for this post but you aren't my kid.

[Michael Wolf]

words

Looks like we just disagree. I will grant that I wrote this still freshly upset from having it happen a few hours earlier, and 2 days later am now more frustratedly resigned than freshly upset. But I'm not deleting it just because I wrote it while hot. I still agree with the premises, even if I'd express them differently while in a less upset state a couple days later. When I read your post it sounds to me like platitudes.

As far as updates, it's tough to say for sure but I think it's a minor tear in my right lumbar erector. If this is the case, it should be a shorter recovery than the other side was. Weeks, not months.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Just trying to help Wolf but you are making it hard for me to want to help you.

Good luck with your wolf-diseased body. I hope you don't re-re-re-reinjure it.

[Michael Wolf]

I just think it's weird that as someone who's known me for 5 years, you think I haven't done and thought about the things you mention. And that there simply MUST be data and information there that a lesson can be learned from, and I missed it. This is possible, of course, but the assuredness with which you imply this, and is, as far as I can tell, the only basis for the snark in the rest of your post is unwarranted. Given my lifelong and familial histories of injury, as well as the specifics in the cases of both of the most recent back injuries, bad luck - essentially meaning a congenital basis for increased risk, which I have jokingly referred to for years as Wolf's Disease - seems much more the likely. "I honestly don't know anyone with chronic lumbar problems like you." - Dr. Petrizzo. The only possible candidate might be my mother, who has had serious and sometimes debilitating back issues for 30 odd years. But nah, it's more likely a data analysis would explain how one rep of a squat at less than 60% of 1RM - a weight I could have done 15-20 reps of on that day despite the recent time off from squatting - done without a major or significant form fault, tore an erector belly in a muscle that had both been completely fine as well as completely rested for months beforehand, without any realistically plausible buildup of trauma or fatigue, while using a ramp-back-up protocol I've used successfully many times before, except much more conservatively this time.

You're my friend, so I assume you're trying to help. Maybe even in the slap me in the face to knock some sense back into me kind of way, and tell me to stop whining and stop being a little bitch. That's fair. But I really don't think any kind of analysis can explain what happened. It just did.

[Michael Wolf]

Back felt slightly better today. Still feels superficial, and confidence that it was just a erector pull, and not deeper/spinal is higher. Assuming this holds true till tomorrow, I'll do some light extension work to begin the rehab process. The good news is that the left side is continuing to feel better.

Press - belt
95x8, 145x8, 175x8, 195x8x3 last set @8
Notes: Slight discomfort in right erector during the reach so was very conservative with it, especially since weights were light today. Took fairly short rest (3-4 mins) between these, no problem.

195x8 press on IG

Ring Rows + Pushups
BWx10x5
Notes: About a minute between rows and PU, about 2 mins between PUs and the next set of rows. Pretty easy.

LTE
87x10
DB Curls
40x10
Notes: Both pretty easy, but been 2+ weeks since any direct arm work so just eased back into it with one fairly easy set each.

[Michael Wolf]

Back continues to improve daily and near 100% certain now it's a minor tear in the erector. Still mysterious why, but whatever.

Did 3 sets of 10 KB DLs today, one with 16kg and two sets with 24kg. Will do the same tomorrow with increased volume, then plan to pull some light regular deadlifts on Monday.

[Michael Wolf]

KB DL
16kg x10x2
24kg x10x2
KB Swing
16kg x15x1
Notes: All felt better than yesterday on the right side, daily improvement is encouraging. Left side actually a little irritated today, after a few days of feeling fine, nothing strikes me a clear reason why but it's still not bad. Just a reminder that as better as it is than a few weeks ago, it's not 100% yet.

[Michael Wolf]

Woke up today and the right (newly injured/muscle tear) side felt about 90-95%. The left side (January tweak) felt like it had regressed. So it goes.

Squat - beltless
95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 255x5, 275x5
Notes: Easy. Right side felt fine, left side a little irritated. Kept it light.

Bench Press - beltless
355x2, 365x2x2, 365x4 @8
CGBP
295x6x4 @7.5
Notes: Solid, easy, pec/shoulder tie in felt fine once I got warmed up

Deadlift
135x8, 185x8, 235x8x2
Notes: Similar to squat. Right side felt almost perfectly fine, left side wasn't bad but could feel a little bit again, a slight regression from last week. But these were super easy and felt like I can go up next time.

Chins
BWx5x4
BWx10 = 30

DB Alt Curls
50x7

[John Petrizzo]

Good to see you back to squatting again so quickly after the most recent set back, Wolf.