WOLF, nice job on the 405 squat.
WOLF, nice job on the 405 squat.
Little bit of a challenging day today. My gym membership at the local globo that has bumpers, platform, and a B&R bar is up, so I'm going to resort to going to my GF's gym where she is GM down in Tribeca. It's out of the way, but not too bad, so I should be able to make it work. Cara and I ordered a B&R bar last Wednesday, which was supposed to arrive Friday, so we could lift seriously and well at her gym, which otherwise only has sub-par bars. They're not the super cheap and hated 32mm bars, they're probably 28-29mm, but still not good steel and no center knurl for squats.
Anyway, the UPS tracker said the bar was missing Friday afternoon - either some UPS has a free B&R bar, or they lost it. Rogue shipped a new one, but it hasn't arrived yet, so had to Squat and do Haltings with the cheap bar. Floor isn't ideal either - rubber squares, with the rack positioned so my feet were right in the cracks in between. I'll have to move it next time, with the help of 1-2 other people. Anyway, when things aren't ideal, what can you do but plow through as best you can.
Squats
45x5x2, 135x5, 225x3, 295x2, 365x1, 410x5x3
These went surprisingly smooth. Last 2 reps of set #3 were hard, but every other rep felt good. I was shocked, considering the cheap bar (which bent visibly in the rack with 410 on it) and the floor situation. I have video of set 3, which I'll put up later.
EDIT: Video of 3rd and final workset of 410x5. Not the most beautiful reps I've ever done (and you can't see the 2.5 plates on either side, but trust me, they're there and felt like they added about 25lbs each instead of 2.5), but I went down and got back up. All 5 times. Which is the key, really, when you think about it.
Bench Press
45x5, 135x5, 195x3, 245x2, 290x5x3
Went up smoothly, got a good hand-off for all 3 sets.
Halting DLs
Decided to switch back to haltings and rack pulls. Partially because I knew it was either time or close to it, and partially because I have to squat again on Saturday or Sunday, and probably wouldn't be recovered if I did a set of 5 deadlifts at 460 or 465 today.
Did 185x4, 275x3, 365x1, 425x8
First 4 reps double overhand (no hook), next 2 right palm up, last 2 left palm up. I should use straps, but I just hate the thought of it. I know I'll cave though when the weight for these goes up, especially for rack pulls.
All in all felt good and strong today. Took generous rest periods between sets, which helped too. Probably rested 7-8 minutes between squat sets.
Last edited by Michael Wolf; 09-19-2012 at 05:52 PM.
Alright, so Jordan's ass ripped through Under Armor multiple times, but DJ and Mac give it the thumbs up. And Rob says, come on Wolf, just get your ass in something stretchier. I will see what the local Modell's has on the cheap and go with one pair of that. If I like them after a few workouts, I'll get more.
Also, I will have to get to Bareburger one of these days. I see you eat there often after your lifts at CFSBK. We didn't get there this weekend, but two trips to Prime Meats left me a happy man.
Ah yes, eez good. Ve hav many drinks to celebrating this!
Seriously though - thanks Kong. Great meeting you Saturday, too.
Thanks Claudette. Not quite sure it's worthy of a holy shit just yet, but getting closer - 500 for 5 and I'll take it!
Thanks Mac - yup, I did 400x5 with Tom C, and one of the sets in front of Rip. The week at camp and then week sick led to a 27 day time lag between 400 and 405, when it should have only been 3 days. But progress is progress and I'll take it.
Ha! I don't know about that metric ton, but something in the 470 range seems about right. Working on the ton though. Working on it hard. I have to watch my rear view mirror for you, now you've got that 405 under your belt and have gained about 80lbs of solid mass in the past 6 months.
Thanks Josh, looking forward to getting a lift in together soon. Will be good to lift with someone who squats more than I do.
John, it was great meeting and coaching you this weekend. And a fellow former 'Noxer to boot - who would have thought?! You're clearly dedicated and into this stuff. Remember your moment arms and the coaching you got on on all 5 platforms (we did DL together, as I recall), and you'll find your lift #'s improving as a result of your increased lifting efficiency.
You're planning on that Dec 1 meet, right? What are your goal #'s for the meet?
Wolf, to be clear, I don't wear compression anything. I have the standard Under Armor boxer briefs, the kind with the pee hole in the front, black - to hid the skid marks, LOL.
Compression stuff is not regulation PL meets, I've never wanted, nor tried to wear them. I like to be able to pee without doing the kabooky dick dance to get out of my clothing.
I with that were true, and I'm glad it isn't (uniforms are VERY expensive). May 9 I weighed 219 at the SPF meet, no cutting, just walked in off the street and weighed in with my clothes on. Today I was 238. Two months before that I was about 215.I have to watch my rear view mirror for you, now you've got that 405 under your belt and have gained about 80lbs of solid mass in the past 6 months.
The difference has been getting back on the milk, like 3/4 to 1 gallon a day while doing the "Matt's Craziness" and Prowler to keep an old guy from getting fat. I was stuck at 215 for the six months I trained using Steel. He was not a dairy guy, and it hurt. I guess Uncle Rippie knows what he's talking about after all! He's the one that got me from 180 to 215, I don't know why I stopped in retrospect.
Last thing, I always find it interesting to watch videos and here what folks say. You thought your last two were slow.
Watch my videos, I'll show you slow.
You're strong.
Like bull.
Last edited by Mac Ward; 09-20-2012 at 04:09 AM.
Nice squatting, man! I like the Pendlays...I have the same ones :-)
Curious, do you pull in them too?
Wolf what are you doing next Saturday? Lets see about working out next week.
Didn't have a chance to log this yesterday.
B&R bar arrived at my better half's gym Thursday night after she left. I went in yesterday to test for straightness as it was perfectly straight as an arrow. Really excited. It had some dust and film on it that got my hands pretty filthy, even after I wiped it down several times with a rag. But let's be honest, that's good dirt.
Did a bit of foam rolling first.
Press
45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 145x2, 175x5x3
Quads were cramping something awful today. Still quite sore in the quads, glutes, and erectors from Wednesday's Haltings. I'm sure that's what caused the early and often quad cramps during the presses. Made 175 harder, because I couldn't squeeze my quads as fully as I needed to, due to the strong cramping pain. But they went up.
KB Swings
Did these as active recovery for the soreness from the haltings, plus to space out some time between presses and chins. More the latter, cause it's better than just standing around.
16kgx10, 24kgx10x2. Really easy, obviously.
Chins
10,10,9
Used some hip action for the last rep or two of each set.
Later today I plan to squat 325x5x2 (80%) and do some light rowing intervals.
Ah, ok. Regular old manderwear. I agree about the freedom to pee...and almost busted a gut laughing when you wrote "kabooky dick dance." I might buy a pair of compression shorts just to see, but I generally would much prefer to just wear some normal boxer briefs that won't split on me.
Uncle Rip does indeed know his business. But I gotta tell you, in case you didn't already know, that the 20lbs you put on looks more like 40, at least judging by the video of the May 9 meet vs meeting you last month.
Fair enough. They were slow compared to my previous reps and felt quite slow when I did them - like I was straining hard with my erectors to not fold over as I continued to drive with my hips. But watching the vid, you're right, they only look a bit slow. I don't think Reynolds will have to watch his back to see me sneaking up on his total anytime soon, but I should have a bit more LP in me, and then a long drive down Intermediate lane where I'm still progressing fairly quickly.
I get a lot of comments about the electric blue color. Eye catching, it would seem. I do pull in them. Always. Have done so for about 3 years now.
There have been a billion threads here about pulling in lifting shoes vs barefoot vs chucks vs vibrams vs whatever other minimalist shoe you want to mention. Some people really like their flat shoes, but I've felt, from the first time I pulled in them, that I got a greater advantage from the incompressible sole that articulates fully and evenly with the floor, than any disadvantage from having to pull the bar 3/4" higher. I pulled in minimalist shoes for ~2years but after my first workout in the lifting shoes, I never went back.
Next Saturday my mom's in town so I'll probably be in NJ that day. Saturday after that is the SSCC, so we can get our first lift together in at the WFAC.