Wolf's Log: From Cub to Direwolf

[Karl Schudt]

Perhaps you could do a writeup on the hook grip? Because I hate the mixed grip with a fiery passion. I'm just worried about numbness and nerve damage.

[Michael Wolf]

Blew it today. Was feeling under-recovered from my lift Tuesday: lack of sleep, a bit too few calories, and one less day than usual between a 5x5 volume day and a 1x5 intensity day. But I still went for it because I figured my heavy set of 5 today is still a ramp-up to what I was doing pre-back injury, so I thought I could do it despite the lack of recovery. I was wrong.

Squat
45*5*3, 135*5, 235*3, 315*2, 395*1, 435*4 (failed 5th rep).
Squat Notes: I should have grinded (ground?) it out. I could have grinded it out. But I forgot my testicles at home. My nose also started bleeding mid 5th rep and that threw me off a bit too. I also used the god damn communist 35lb plates, which probably adds like 100lbs to the weight of gravity. My fault.

In hindsight, feeling the way I did (under recovered) I probably should have waited till tomorrow, hit 3 heavy-ish singles, and then resumed normal schedule Monday. But I still could and should have finished the 5 reps today. I will CRUSH this next week and be at 475*5 soon.


Press
45*5, 85x5, 125x3, 165x1, 200x1x10 (10 singles).
Press Notes: Easy. I have recently noticed this old guy at the gym pressing 135 and benching 205. Not amazing numbers, but he looks to be in his 70's and has a big gut. I started speaking to him Tuesday and it turns out he's not just ANY old guy. He's a cool old guy who used to compete in O-lifting in the 60’s. He says competed in some of the same meets as fucking BEDNARSKI!
He came up to me and gave me some suggestions for the Olympic Press. I’m not sure they fit into the Starting Strength Model of the Press 2.0, but I’m gonna give them a think-through.

Power Cleans
95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 195x3
PC Notes: Super easy. Didn’t do more since it was my first time cleaning since back injury. I’ll be back to triples at 110kg soon, and then up to 125kg for 3.

Rowing Intervals
200m/1:30 rest x 4 @
1:49, 1:46, 1:43, 1:40 paces
Pretty easy, but LEGS were getting tired, not lungs. This is another hint why my squats failed today.

Perhaps you could do a writeup on the hook grip? Because I hate the mixed grip with a fiery passion. I'm just worried about numbness and nerve damage.

Not sure what you mean by a write-up here. I really got to disliking the mixed grip as well, but not sure what you mean by write-up on the hook.

[Karl Schudt]

Not sure what you mean by a write-up here. I really got to disliking the mixed grip as well, but not sure what you mean by write-up on the hook.

Just something simple, like: how to do it right (think I got that figured out), what if it hurts, how much does it hurt, does it really kill the nerves in your thumb, and is it worth it to avoid the accursed mixed grip? Maybe not a write-up. How about a brief reflection?

[Michael Wolf]

Solid volume day today. Trained at a different gym than usual where it was a zoo; no, it was more like cockroaches climbing all over each other, it was so crowded. But I managed to get a rack with only a 5 minute wait.

Squat
45x5x2, 135x5, 225x3, 315x2, 370x5x5
Squat Notes: First true volume day since back injury December 24. Back feels fine during squats now, don't notice anything at all. 370 was harder than I thought but I haven't been sleeping well lately and was also less fed than usual before lifting today. Still wasn't that hard, though. 4-5 min rests.

Also after Friday's knee-sliding debacle, I focused harder on maintaining hamstring tension and bouncing off of that. It was definitely better than Friday, though some reps still got away from me a bit.

Press
45x5, 95x4, 135x2, 165x1, 190.5x5x3
Press Notes: Forgot my washers so loaded 190 and a collar on each side, figure that's 190.5. Hard, but no true grindy reps. Last rep of last set was slow but no grind. Assistance tricep work will need to start happening to keep driving this up in absence of bench press. Wednesdays, I guess.

Deadlift
195x5, 315x2, 405x1, 465x5
DL Notes: Warmups felt heavy, but workset felt fine. 2 of the reps got an inch or so away from my shins on the way up. Hook grip continues to solidify. Used it for the work-set only.

Just something simple, like: how to do it right (think I got that figured out), what if it hurts, how much does it hurt, does it really kill the nerves in your thumb, and is it worth it to avoid the accursed mixed grip? Maybe not a write-up. How about a brief reflection?

I suppose I could, though I don't consider myself the hook-grip-on-heavy-pulls expert. I've only been doing this for a month or two, so would like some more experience and perspective myself before writing this. I mean, I've been hooking for years and years, but only for power cleans, power snatches, and the occasional full version or high pull. Hooking for heavy deadlifts is newer to me.

[Oldster]

Awesome lifting Michael. Absolutely fantastic!

[Walter Palmer]

Congrats Wolf! In the grand scheme of things, you have come back quickly and with the hook. Sounds like all is on the up and up!

[Nick D'Agostino]

Nice job Wolf, happy to see the back is good to go.

[Josh Wells]

Glad to see you getting back into it wolf.

[Michael Wolf]

Awesome lifting Michael. Absolutely fantastic!

Congrats Wolf! In the grand scheme of things, you have come back quickly and with the hook. Sounds like all is on the up and up!

Nice job Wolf, happy to see the back is good to go.

Glad to see you getting back into it wolf.

Thanks for all the support, guys.

Easy recovery day today.

Front Squat: 45x3, 85x3, 115x3, 145x3, 175x3, 195x2
HB Squat: 45x3, 85x3, 115x3, 145x3, 175x3, 195x3, 215x3
Squat Notes: As I've been doing: front squat, HB Squat, add weight. FS, HBS, add weight. And so on. All very easy.

DB Incline Bench Press: 30x10, 40x10, 50x8
BB Incline Bench Press: 95x6, 115x6, 135x6, 155x6, 175x6, 185x6
Bench Notes: Tried these after a talk with Jordan this week, trying to get a little bit of quasi-benching back in my routine. My left shoulder wasn't happy with the DBs, but the BB seemed OK. I can tell that I will definitely need a hand-off though, if I go at all heavy here.

Power Cleans
2 reps @ 95lbs told me all I needed to know about the barbell, the only kind this gym has: they barely spin and the knurling is so deep that it would catch and snag on my socks on the way up. Fail.

Chins
8,8,8,6

Conditioning
Someone was on the ONLY rower, so I tried to sprint. But didn't have my ace bandage with me and my ankle wasn't quite ready to do it by unprotected. So after the jog warmup, I just stopped. Will have to do this Friday after Intensity Day.

[Michael Wolf]

Did this Friday, 2/22.

Squat
45x5x2, 155x5, 245x3, 335x2, 405x1, 435x5
Squat Notes: Got it this week! Despite awful and lack of sleep all week. First four reps did much better at keeping the hamstring tension. Last rep had knee slide and it got pretty far out forward of mid-foot, but I sure as fuck wasn't going to miss this two weeks in a row.

Press
45x5, 85x5, 125x3, 165x1, 205x1x10 (10 singles)
Press Notes: Can feel bar speed slow down a bit vs the last couple weeks, especially when I don't get my hips very involved (about 4 of the 10 reps). Will also start resting more between reps - have only taken 2 minutes thus far. Some reps yesterday were closer to 3, but most were 2 or just a bit more.

Power Clean
135x3, 155x3, 175x3. 195x3, 215x3x3, 195x3x3
PC Notes: Still moving up slowly. Gym I'm training at now (again) has mirrors in front of where I have to clean. This is a problem. Whether due to the mirror or not, I noticed I was jumping 1-2 inches back to catch a bunch of reps, so moved back down to 195 for some lighter technique work. Also, Alec Baldwin saw me cleaning. He was busy doing his e-z curl bar preacher curls, though.

Conditioning
Still on old man runs. 1 min walk/1min run x6. Started at 5.5, finished at 7.8. Then a last 45 second run at 8.5.