“The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.” --Vince Lombardi
TUESDAY, 05APRIL2016 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 3/Day 2
STRONGMAN
Work up to a 1RM Circus Dumbbell Clean & Press
Between attempts complete a 15 foot Rope Climb & 10 Toes to Bar
116 lbs
136lbs
166lbs
186lbs
206lbs x 1Kinda
211lbs x 1Kinda
VOLUME - 3 Rounds
5 Circus Dumbbell Clean & Presses @ 170lbs
10 Toes To Bar
5 Medicine Ball Throw (From Knees)
CONDITIONING - As Fast As Possible
20 Grenade Pull-Ups
20 Handstand Push-Ups
15 Grenade Pull-Ups
15 Handstand Push-Ups
10 Grenade Pull-Ups
10 Handstand Push-Ups
NOTES:
I came into today pretty beat up from the deadlifts I did yesterday. Felt like my CNS was in a deficit. The clean and rack felt ok, but when I went to press, there was just no speed. I really need to step up my game on these if I am planning on being competitive in May. The boot and foot are definitely playing a role since the main mover in my leg drive is good 'ole Lefty. Blah, it will be ok.
@stronkfak You got is boss, I am glad that they helped out!
=============================================
“According to decades of research, there are two fundamental mindsets that determine how people respond to struggle, setbacks and failure. In one mindset, you’re likely to get discouraged and give up on your goal. In the other, you tend to embrace the struggle, learn from the setbacks and keep moving forward - you persevere.”
“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” --Thomas Carlyle
WEDNESDAY, 06APRIL2016 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 3/Day 3
After the circus dumbbell day yesterday, i wasn’t really expecting much, but today tuned out pretty ok. I was just hitting some lifts literally while just hanging out and talking at the gym and the 320 Continental went up. I wish that happened more often!
i am going to try to edit and upload this week’s training video tomorrow, so if I do, I will post it here. Thanks for the support everyone!
@biker, I believe most people do it this way. At least once you get up to a weight that you can no longer hold with a double overhand. The 2" bar makes the double overhand grip much weaker, so lifters are forces to use a mixed, and then switch mid-movement. But it is definitely one of the trickier parts of the lift, especially when first getting used to it!
@Alpha: Crazy strength, I can’t believe all this is being done on a broken foot. Love seeing your conditioning as well, always gives me new ideas for circuits to try!
@biker Hahaha yea man, like little sleeper said, that is common usage. A guy at my gym actually told me that back a long time ago this was the standard way people took heavy weights from the floor to overhead. If you didn’t use the “continental” method (which is wha i was doing) then it was said that you got the weight “Clean” and that is how cleans were named. Whether it is true or not is way above my pay grade but I found the story to be super interesting and thought I would share. Thanks for stopping in man!
@littlesleeper What is really crazy man is that it has been broken for 6 months now. So all of the PRs you have seen the past months, Maryland’s Strongest Man and even Nationals were all done with 2 Broken bones in my foot and a toe that is broken in the joint so it dislocates every time I perform weight carries. Pretty gross.
I got an MRI today and will know if there is any more damage Monday when i go to my follow up with my ortho Doctor. Depending on what the tests show, we will see if I will be able to compete in May. But honestly, I am just considering wearing the boot for the contest and seeing if it works out. Thanks for the kind words brother!
===============================================
Finished up the video from the beginning of this week’s training sessions. In it you will see a 600lb deadlift for 5 reps, a 206 and 211 Circus Dumbbell Press (kind of) and my Continental Cleans from yesterday. I also give a little bit of an injury update…But you definitely get to see the sexy boot I have to be wearing these days…
Hey, you’re definitely selling yourself short on the circus dumbbell. 200+ on that as a 231 is some serious stuff. No joke, you clean a 200lb dumbbell faster than a lot of strong guys can clean it on a barbell.
Anyway, heal that foot up after this damn contest, would you? Nationals this year ought to be extra fun for you in being 100% healed up.
Hey Alpha, I have got a question for you (that may fit as a video idea as well).
I often times feel not that explosive when lifting. The lift I feel/ am most explosive with is always any kind of overhead press which is also my strongest lift (relatively speaking). How can I generally improve my explosiveness? Especially with deadlifts and squats. You have given some pointers in your videos so far like always squeezing the bar as hard as possible and stuff like that but do you have something particular to add or try for me?
@strongmanvinny2 Man, I would love to believe you but I have seen a good number of vids of the guys I compete against at nationals hitting 220-230 fairly easily. And I guy I have to compete again in May has hit 245 for a double…It blows my mind!
And yea man, i really hope the foot gets better quickly. I would really love to go into these next few contests at 100% Thanks for stopping in man!
@Koestrizer Great suggestion of the video man, I think that is a great topic! But a quick answer for now would be Dynamic work with bands. Get yourself some mini bands from elite FTS or Rogue and start doing some banded squats and banded deadlifts against them at 50-65% of your 1rm. The accommodating resistance works like magic. Since the lift just gets harder as it goes on, it really teaches you to go all in immediately and helps you learn to blast through your sticking points. I can honestly say that using the bands one designated day a week has done wonders for my explosiveness. Here is a video of how I set mine up and how I do an average dynamic day.
“To be nobody - but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” --e. e. cummings
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” --Aristotle
FRIDAY, 08APRIL2016 - Work for Today
SPEED - At the Top of Every Minute for 10 Minutes
3 Banded SSB Squats @ 200lbs + 300 lbs of band tension
STRENGTH - 4 Rounds
5 Front Squats At 365lbs
10 Glute Ham Raises
1:00 Minute Weighted Plank
STRONGMAN - 3 Rounds
:60 Seconds Max Reps Keg over Bar @ 270lbs
NOTES:
Good training day. Squats definitely felt weird in a boot, but it definitely could have gone worse.
Also Shot some video for (Hopefully) my next article here on T-Nation. Ended up doing about 1,000 squats with 135…Ridiculous
@Benanything hahaha no, no, no man, I was just using an expression. I didn’t actually do 1,000 squats with 135. I just had to do a ton of them when shoot multiple takes for the video I am making. If I did 1,000 Squats with 135 I think I might die
Well just wanted you to know that your video on how to use leg drive on BP was really helpfull, I understand it much better now and BP felt much better last workout out.
Also for what it worth, I just find you amazing man, awesome perf, nice strong body and for what I read on your training with a broken foot, a mind of steel that carry you on.
“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” --Kenneth H. Blanchard
“Knowing is not enough; You must apply. Willing is not enough: You must do.” --Bruce Lee
Go some really bad work news from the doctor today…Need to see a specialist on Friday about it. Time will tell, can’t freak out about such sings right now. Just keep driving on.
Workout went well today. Did some weighted carries with the boot on and they didn’t feel too bad then worked up to 600 for a 3 second pause squat and ended the day with a ton of heavy bag picks @300lbs.
The may comp is looking pretty bleak for me, but if anyone can pull this of, it is me. We will see what happens
Keeping my fingers crossed for you Alpha. I know no matter what the outcome of your time with the Docs, you’ll pull ahead.
@Beanything asked a question in my log about building up willpower, and I’d love to get your take on it. I answered as best as I could, but I think it’d be cool to kinda do a little roundtable on the matter with some other crazy folks. Would you be willing to pop on over to my log and give your 2 cents?
@T3hPwnisher Thanks brother, I got some news from the Doc yesterday and it was pretty bad. I go see another specialist on Friday to find out for sure, but I’ll definitely keep you updated brother.
And i would LOVE to talk about that! I will jump over there just as soon as I have enough time to really put something together. Thanks for the invite Brother!
===================================================
First video in a series about how to improve your squat. This one includes 3 tips that you may not have heard about. Definitely give them a try and let me know how they work out for you.
I haven’t been on here often lately, but the vids reminded me to take a peek. Great work on the videos! I really hope everything works out medically. Whatever it is, or how bad it is, it doesn’t really seem to slow your down!
