Wolf Brigade “Standards and Practices”, V.1, 2017.

For those unfamiliar with us, we are an experienced, forward-thinking, strength & conditioning brand headquartered in Rochester, NY. Please dig deeper into this very website for more information on our history, philosophy, and lineage.

Our purpose here is to outline some things we hope you will address prior to undertaking our program! Beginning a project with the appropriate tools goes a long way in ensuring its success- Especially in something as detailed, potentially risky, and potentially rewarding as high-level physical training.

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Knowing specifically what you’re supposed to do, but guessing as to why, or how, is one of the most common- and in this case, ultra-avoidable- pitfalls in all of physical culture. If there is a valid “what”, there must be an equally valid “why”, and a sound, proven, and detailed “how”.

Our goal for you is the same one we share with all our in-house trainees: Wide-range adaptability. Physical proficiency. Mental acuity. Above-average durability. We use a specific set of movements and lifts to develop and train the patterns we use the most in life, leisure, profession, and sport.

Utilizing details of breathing, and bracing, consistent application of full range of motion, movement quality even at pace and under duress (speed is not a substitute for form…) are all things we describe as “not suggestions”.

“Functional fitness” must be learned and performed with strategy, quality, and mindfulness, or it loses its truest function, and creates incomplete fitness.
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Once position and execution of each are practiced and in-order,
we recommend testing a 2-rep max in the following lifts:

Bench press
Press
Push press
Pendlay row
Deadlift
Back squat
Front squat
Power clean

While 1RM may show a truer number of absolute strength, the 2RM requires a different demonstration of sustainability and standardization that, for most lifts and movements, falls better in line with our overall goals and philosophy. Both are useful, however you will see our program reference 2RM far more frequently
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Thank you for the interest in why we do what we do, and how we do it. We hope you find value in the following explanations.

This is an evolving document, and we will do our best to make sure you have all the tools and information possible to succeed in our program. Please feel free to reach out with questions!

(A short, preferably unnecessary article by Greg Walsh)

I went to Starbucks today (got it… my fault, and I get what I get), and during the attempted assimilation I ended up having a brief but memorable conversation.

When in such settings I attempt invisibility, am cordial and specific, and also attempt to be as efficient as that sort of process allows. Their job must be extremely trying- everyone “wants” something, no one “needs” any of it, people demand as opposed to asking, and there is a level of impatience to it all that confuses me; It’s a motherfucking luxury drink, goofballs. Keep your expensive fucking pants on.

I was wearing one of Wolf Brigade’s earliest shirts, which says “Physical Culturalists” on the back.

The obviously waiting to die/ gave up a long time ago 40-something male behind me in line began a conversation with the back of my head: “Hey, what’s a physical culturalist?” Assuming he was talking to me, although no proper indication was given, I turned and responded “Well, we would define it as someone that looks at physical training and movement as more than simply lifting weights or something.”

In his defense, he did take a second to absorb what I had said, and then responded snarkily with “Oh… you mean like steroids and shit… “. I also took a second, and simply responded with “No, we mean, like, thinking and shit”.

I looked at him in a way that even to the dullest of dullards would signal the end of the current conversation or the potential for an unpleasant new one, and then turned back around.

After ordering my drink I listened to him “order” his. “I’ve got a free drink coming and I want a venti mocha frappucino with a banana, two extra shots of espresso, and caramel. The coupon doesn’t say there is any limitations on the drink”.

No, my friend. There… are no limitations… to your free drink at Starbucks.

Image stolen from Nausea