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Thread: Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

  1. #3881
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
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    7,856

    Default Monday, 11/26

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    At a globo gym in Maryville, TN yesterday with my friend Dave, who hosted us overnight the previous night as we make our way down to Texas.

    Press
    215x5 - belt
    230x5x3 - belt and wraps

    Bench
    365x3x2 @7, 8

    Lat Pulldown
    210x6x3

    DB Curls
    45x8, 55x8x2

    Wanted to leg press and try my back out deadlifting but we needed to get back on the road, so kept the workout short. Sunday was brutal. We left my sister's in NJ at 7:30am, with an ETA on the GPS of 6:15pm in Maryville. We figured we'd get in around 7:30 or 8pm with the stops along the way. We ended up rolling in at 11:30pm. NJ and Pennsylvania were fine, but Virginia was the worst. 81-south was a parking lot and we spent 9 hours in VA. There were about a dozen accidents and a dozen other slowdowns we couldn't find a reason for. Some were long stretches going 10-15 in a 70, others were absolute stop-n-go, as bad as the NYC highways.

    I knew the Sunday after Thanksgiving would be a little worse than usual, but I thought that would be over once we got past DC into the rural areas. I was totally wrong. That's where the trouble STARTED. After that 16 hour day Sunday, yesterday was much better and smooth.

  2. #3882
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    New Jersey
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Wolf View Post
    I find this to be one of the more overlooked aspects of all the lifts, but especially the press and bench. I want the breath I take before unracking to last for the first rep. In a limit single, that's the ONLY rep, and also slower - so no time wasted in the setup is possible. When you let out your air, you lose some stiffness that you just can't regain in those two lifts, and you also waste time and energy holding the bar while you exhale and then inhale for the rep. Better to just walk out/unrack as directly into your first rep as possible, taking all the time you need to set up for it, but not a nanosecond more.



    Thanks Big Jim. I was at Solace for 4+ years since the day they opened in October, 2014. I'm glad Hayden and Ryan are taking over what I built there, makes me happy to know a couple guys who I had a hand in mentoring will be continuing the good work.
    We shall do our best to keep the gainz train a rollin'. Thanks for all your help

  3. #3883
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    Apr 2010
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    7,856

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan Arnold View Post
    We shall do our best to keep the gainz train a rollin'. Thanks for all your help
    Carry the torch, my friend; carry the torch!!

    Torch.jpg

  4. #3884
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    Apr 2010
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    7,856

    Default Thurs, 11/29

    Missed Weds. I arrived at ~2:30pm, and spent the rest of the day getting set up at home and shopping for basic needs (something to sleep on and sit on, toilet paper, etc). Didn't have time to train by the time I finished. Trained Thursday at Crossfit South Lamar, where a friend who used to coach at Solace and moved to Austin in early 2017 now coaches.

    Press: first rep 2,0, then dead stop strict
    195x4x4 - beltless, wrapless

    Close Grip Bench
    135x10, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5x2

    Chins & Pullups
    Two sets of four and two sets of two each

    And that was all. Had to get in and out quick, still so much to do here to get set up. Was able to get the dog out for an hour hike yesterday, as he's been stir crazy after the last two weeks in NYC with nothing but city leash-walks which do nothing for his energy, and then 4 days of chaos in NYC/NJ and then 4 days on the road cooped up in a car all day. So that was good for his sanity. Planned to train again today, Sat, but still just too much to do. I'm annoyed that I would have gotten it in had I not wasted over an hour going to try to get a car inspection to start the Texas DMV registration process, only to be told they can't do it with NY State based car insurance, and then an hour on the phone with car insurance telling me that they're happy to switch me to Texas effective immediately but the moment I switch, NY State fines me $8 per day for having their license plates. So basically NYS makes it impossible to be in compliance: you either comply with their draconian rules and send the plates right back, and see if you can manage to not get pulled over and ticketed for driving without plates till you can get through the whole process here (at least a few days), or else you keep your NYS plates but pay an $8 per day fine. According to the insurance agent, NY is the only state that does this. So not only do they make it a terrible place to live, but they also make it a terrible place to LEAVE. This was after waiting in line for three hours at the DMV, a mere few months ago, to pay them thousands of dollars in sales tax for the car even though I was only a resident for a few more months, and getting berated by the DMV guy for missing a form that my car dealership, which has prepared thousands of NYS DMV New Car Registration Packets, had never even heard of. When it comes to NYS, why am I not surprised, AT ALL.



    Anyway, long story short and the point as far as this training log goes: that 2-3 hour total ordeal/time wasted finding all that out, was my training time and so I'll just have to miss one this week. So I'll have done 2 shortened sessions this week, and missed the third, but that really isn't bad at all, all things considered.

    I plan to pick it up tomorrow and do Sun/Tues/Thurs this week, but that may be derailed depending which day my stuff arrives with the movers. But I will get in three sessions this week, just may have to play around with the days.
    Last edited by Michael Wolf; 12-01-2018 at 06:48 PM.

  5. #3885
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    Dec 2014
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    New Jersey
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Wolf View Post
    So not only do they make it a terrible place to live, but they also make it a terrible place to LEAVE.
    What a debacle. This was funny though

  6. #3886
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    Apr 2010
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    Finally a full training day. First one in two weeks and it felt goooood. Also a surprise unexpectedly quick recovery for my back, which is notoriously bad and tweaks that feel minor end up knocking me out for 2 months almost every time.

    Bench
    385x2x3 @ 7.5
    Notes: Not quite as easy as this was a month ago before my pec strain redux, but pretty speedy nonetheless. Today was the first day since back tweak that it didn't irritate me while reaching during the press 2.0 reps. I still felt it, but it was just like "Oh, I feel that spot isn't 100%" without any actual pain or discomfort.

    Press - belt and wraps
    235x5x5 @8-8.5
    Notes: A good tough volume workout, but definitely a step easier than when I did my PR 5x5 @ 240 back in the spring. Despite using a bar that was too spinny and whippy to be ideal for pressing.

    Deadlift: 3" belt
    495x1 @5, 545x1 @7, 435x5
    Notes: Back was feeling better so planned to work up to 405x1. It felt 100% fine there so did 455, fine. 495, fine and still super fast. 545 - OK, but noticeably slower and felt it a little there so cut it off and did a 435x5 back off. Really happy here, this went better than I could have possibly imagined. I need to remember not to rush back into heavy singles, but at least I still have enough time to do some more training before the meet.

    One set from each main lift on IG

    Chins and Pullups
    3x3 chins, 2x3 pullups = 15 reps total, between DLs

    LTEs
    90x8, 110x8, 130x8 - not really sure about weight, assuming the bar is 20.

  7. #3887
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    Apr 2010
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    Press 1.0
    170x7x3
    Notes: EZPZ

    Swiss Bar Bench: Narrower Neutral Grip
    45x8, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 245x5, 225x5
    Notes: First time using this bar, ideal is to have an alternative bench one of the three days a week that doesn't work the spot I keep straining as much, but is still a bench press based movement. Two things make it interesting and challenging, as well as not suitable to really heavy loading, IMO:
    1. The fact that there isn't a touch-point as much as a touch area, because the bar itself is so broad.
    2. Like the trap bar, controlling the bar and keeping it level, preventing it from tipping towards or away from you is part of the challenge. OK for a lighter variant for certain purposes, not so much for max or near max loads, where it's easy to tip or where your weight is limited by wrist control in a primary rather than secondary or tertiary way like the normal bench.

    Leg Press
    45x8, 135x8, 225x8x2 - I'm just calling the sled 45, cause it's so much easier to keep track this way.

    Cable Row
    3x10 - kept it easier since I haven't done these in like 6 months.

    DB Curls
    45x10, 55x10 - dropped a set since I did cable rows for the first time in a while.

  8. #3888
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    Apr 2010
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    Solid day today. My back has been somewhat tight and wonky since the deadlifts Sunday, leading me to think I should have stopped at 495 even though 545 felt OK at the time. But it did loosen up with some extra attention and warm-up today.

    Press
    255x1, 275x1, 290x1 @8.5, belt + wraps
    250x2x3 @7.5-8, belt only
    Notes: 290 went up much faster than the first and only other time I did it 20+ months ago: Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf: Page 338.
    That rep was not quite a full max, I probably had 295 or maaaaybe 300, but not much more. When I did 300 this past June, my prior rep was 285, so hadn't actually done 290 since. This one looks like I could have doubled it, and maaaaaaaaaybe tripled, which is a pace faster than the 3/17 version. Feeling good for 315 at the meet, which will be good especially if my DL isn't back at 100%. I need at least one lift to be workin.

    290 press on the grams.

    Bench
    315x5, 335x5, 315x5, 295x5
    Notes: All easy and fast, just getting back into bench volume since I hadn't done it in about 2 weeks since before the move craziness began.

    DL
    405x3, 455x3x2
    Notes: Felt OK, much better than before the workout started, but not great. A little lingering low back wonk.

    Chins and Pullups
    2 sets of 4 and 3 sets of 3 = 17. I intended to do 5 sets of 4, but forgot and cut some reps off at 3 and just didn't feel like making up the reps.

    LTEs
    110x8, 130x8x2 - used a different EZ Curl bar, assuming this one weighs 20 as well.

    C2 Erg
    30/40 x 5 @1:55ish
    Notes: Hello again, old friend. Been a while and a half. Started easy and not that much work, but good to get back on it again. Forget volume bench, I haven't done conditioning in a long while. Need to get back into it. Not having any of my cookware has also got me eating out every meal, now for over 2 weeks, and so I've definitely put some unwanted girth on my belly. At least a small mitigation will be good, but really I need to be able to cook again. But I won't get my stuff till next week. ugh.
    Last edited by Michael Wolf; 12-06-2018 at 06:55 PM.

  9. #3889
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Pearland, TX
    Posts
    106

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    Welcome to Texas, Mr. Wolf. I think you’ll really enjoy Austin. It’s a cool city. Enjoy the Fall / Winter weather. It’s fantastic down here. Brace yourself for summer.

  10. #3890
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    Apr 2010
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    starting strength coach development program
    Ha, that's what everyone says! Both times I visited Austin before moving here have been the first week of August, and I was here for a week each time, so I'm pretty well aware of the summer situation. While living here may change my mind, right now my calculus is that even that, the supposed one worse thing compared to the northeast, actually isn't as bad when you compare it to living in Manhattan specifically. Because in Manhattan, you have the heat island effect in a huge way - so the area is already, say 85 with high humidity. In the heart of the city, it's more like 90, and it's just horribly humid. Not quite Houston humid, but bad. And this is normal summer, not specifically during a heat wave. So you have that. Austin is still a little worse, but not much.

    But then you have the real brass tacks: how long do you have to be outside in it? Well, if you want to do lots of outdoor activities, sure, you'll be a little worse off in Austin. Maybe. More on that in a second. But in Manhattan, no matter how hot or shitty the weather, I had to walk outside 4-7 miles a day, between walking the dog, errands, life, and walking back and forth to work. So that's a solid 2-3 hours outside, on average. And then I get home to a crappy non-central AC that doesn't work well, and where the only possible unit was not in my bedroom so I couldn't even get cool when I sleep. All for the low low rent of $3k/month!

    In Austin, if I want to be outside, I can, but if I want to avoid it, all I need to do is walk to the car and back, which is decidedly shorter than two hours a day. Even walking the dog is much shorter in bad weather situations, because in NYC there is so little tree and grass area that it took ~30 minutes for him just to get to enough places to do his business. Here that could be done in 10. So being outside for 2.5-3 hours a day, no matter what, in the 90+humidity, is worse to me than being outside ~45 mins a day in the 100+humidity.

    And if you want to do outdoor activities, in Austin that can mean a hike and jumping in the water along the way in certain places. In NYC that means baking in Central Park or sitting on a sidewalk cafe cooking. I mean, you COULD go to the beach in Coney Island or the Rockaways with 86,000 of your closest friends and have your 4 sq feet of beach space....

    tl:dr thanks! Happy to be here lol
    Last edited by Michael Wolf; 12-07-2018 at 11:58 AM.

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