Alpha V

Training Training Logs
342

@Benanything That is a great idea man, I added it to my list of “video ideas”. I will definitely get that done for you guys!

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“If a man has a talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has a talent and uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men ever know.” --Tom Wolfe

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FRIDAY, 22APRIL2016 - Work For Today

STRENGTH -
Sumo Deadlifts: 135, 225, 315, 405, 500, 585, 635
Kettle bell Snatches @ 70lbs (Each Side): 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Standing banded Crunches: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

STRONGMAN - Stone Series - 3 Rounds
207, 232, 260, 300lb Stone
16.23 Seconds Was my best time

NOTES:

  • Decent training day. I am so bad at Sumo Deadlifts so hitting a relatively easy 635 was good to see.
  • Stones felt pretty good. Honestly all of the stones we have are a little light for me. I am going to order a bigger mold and make some bigger and heavier ones.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEg52pYJHWF/?taken-by=neversate

343

Seriously no homo…but, are your muscles fairly hard and dense, or more pliable on a given day? Some bigger guys I know are quite lean and muscular, but still feel so jiggly when we wrestle around. Other guys feel like a wall of bricks. I heard some things about density, neurological residue and different types of hypertrophy, but I really can’t tell.

Mind chiming in?

344

@Panopticum I honestly couldn’t say. I know that when you lock up with some guys in fighting, they feel soft or like an immovable force much like you said. I know it sound weird but you can almost feel that other person’s energy. I think that’s why fighters gain a bond so fast. You can tell within minutes what kind of person you are rolling with. I locked up with Pat Militich one time and that guy was carved out of wood, no joke. As for me, I couldn’t tell you, I have never locked up with myself. Since I have a smaller frame and lots of muscle, i feel like I am pretty dense. In all honestly, I have actually wondered what it feel like to roll against me in the past. What my weight is like and such, but there is really no way to tell.

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Just uploaded my latest training video from this week. There is a beltless, 6 Second Pause squat @ 430, 635 sumo deadlift, 425 Paused bench as well as an Atlas Stone series and some truck pulls. Check it out if you are interested, I really appreciate all of the support!

345

Thanks for consistency in the log and with the vids man. Gives me a pick me up to see it! I will be doing beltless paused front squats more I think. My recent bomb with a submax weight has got me hungry as fuck for a bigger FS.

346

What? I get the lots of muscle part, duh but do you really consider yourself to “have a smaller frame”?

347

That is a very cool insight! And I agree very much. Last week I sparred with a guy, very easygoing, king of cool-esque, and he couldn’t be moved. He kept his cool and every time I moved in he stood ground and hit me like a truck. While scared people swing for the fences or crumble. Fighters just read each other like no other.
Strange thing is, when clubbing in the weekends, it kinda feels the same…when you feel like a rock when chatting with a girl, they get all over you, while guys seem to respect you more.

And you went with Militich? That is a royalty in the MMA world! Cool as hell.

And let me compliment you on the vids. The first few you looked very uncomfortable and stiff, but your honestly are witty and relaxed in the last ones. Cool to see! Editing starts getting on point too. Might be an idea to do a Q&A, or at least have a buddy you chat with a bit.

Before I forget. How is the foot?

348

Just wanted to jump on to say your videos are terrific. I know they are time-consuming, but I really do think they’re going to end up paying off. You just haven’t hit critical mass on subscribers yet. You will, though, and then you’ll see an exponential increase overnight.

Thanks for putting in so much to give so many of us such great advice (non-quantifiable adjectives for the win!).

2 Likes
349

Brian thank you so much for your consistent uploads and content over the years. And thank you for all the personal help you gave us.
Thank you very much Brian!

350

@strongmanvinny2 Thanks man, long pause Front squats are the way. They feel terrible but they definitely make you stronger. And thanks for keeping up with your log as well. I feel like there is much less traffic these days then there used to be. Checking out logs like yours definitely gives me ideas and keeps me going!

@Benanything Yea man, definitely. I still only weighted 170 when I graduated high school and that was after a few years of lifting. I am not naturally that big of a guy. I’ve just spent 20 years gaining muscle.

@Panopticum I never actually “went” against Militech. I was at a seminar with him and he was using me for demonstration, like I said, even when we just locked up his body was painful. The guy definitely has spent a lot of time doing hat he does.

And thanks for the kind words about the vid man, I am definitely getting more and more comfortable with it and it seems to be reflecting that with subscribers gained. I’ve almost doubled my numbers since I first started with he commentary. And someone else mentioned a Q&A on my channel. I’d be happy to do one, i just do not have enough questions to fill up a video just yet. I may put it out there on social media and see if I can get a few to use in a video.

And foot is still just broke. I am making an appointment with a foot/ankle guy to see what he thinks surgery wise, but it is probably going to have to happen sooner than later. Thanks for asking!

@TrainForPain Thanks man, i really appreciate that! And i think you are right, it seems like people breed people and the more subscribers I get, the quicker they seem to be coming in. I enjoy making the videos, so I am just going to keep doing what i am doing and see where it ends up. If it works out as a secondary income, that would be amazing, but as of right now I am just happy to help people and give the athletes at my gym a directory that they can refer back to. I really appreciate you stopping in to say that!

@Regev19978 You are beyond welcome brother, i am happy to do it!

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“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” --Vince Lombardi

MONDAY, 25APRIL2016 - Work For Today

Maximum Effort Lower
SSB Squats
160lbs
250
340
430
520
570
625 (PR)

VOLUME - 3 Rounds of 5 @ 500 lbs
Hanging Knees to elbows between the squats working my way up and on the volume work.

STRONGMAN - Tire Flips Series…6 Tires for time. Did a few rounds of this then i decided to go try out the tire I got from Mike Jenkins that I have never even been able to break it off the ground. Well, I got it up onto of my knee 3 times but couldn’t get through the transition. Best have ever gone with it but I have a very long way to go.

NOTES:

  • Really happy about the SSB 625 PR, I was really not expecting it at all. great way to start my first day back on conjugate!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEootEgJHSf/?taken-by=neversate

2 Likes
351

I remember thinking this in a past life, as a high school wrestler. I had a nice career and was one of the better kids in our league, but never really thought of myself as especially physically intimidating until a tournament late in my senior year, when I overheard one of my adversaries talking to his teammate about me, specifically singling out my strength as an aspect that made me difficult to deal with on the mat. I’d always locked up with other guys and thought “damn, this guy is strong” (even guys that I would eventually pin, that initial lock always came with a bit of a shock). I had honestly never thought of it from the other perspective, that those other guys might think that I was actually the immovable object.

1 Like
352

Well shit, I guess I’m still somewhat on track, I’m 170-ish lbs at 5’9 and 18 years old. Just gotta gain muscle for the next 20 years or so haha. Hearing it does give me hope. To be honest, it’s somewhat hard to imagine but I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.

353

@ActivitiesGuy Man, it is such a bad feeling when the first thought in your head when you lock up is, “this guy is strong” hahaha I’ve been there so many times. And it is impossible to predict. Some guys look soft but are tanks while other guys look the part but are super light. Bizarre

@Benanything you are in a really good spot man! Most natural people only gain 5-10lbs of actual muscle per year depending on their diet, so you could be well past me by the time you are my age!

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“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” --Jim Rhon

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle.” - Phillips Brooks

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WEDNESDAY, 27APRIL2016 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 1/Day 3

MINDSET - Get a Mouth Full of Water and grab a Kettlebell.
While Holding the Water in your Mouth Complete:
:20 Seconds of Burpees.
:10 Seconds Kettlebell Swings
Do this for 10 Rounds (or 5:00 Minutes)
Then Spit the water out.

STENGTH - Maximum Effort Upper
Close Grip Bench Press:
135
225
315
365
405
430
470 (PR)

VOLUME - 2 Rounds
Close Grip Bench Press @ 365x5
20 Hollow Rocks

ASSISTANCE - 2 Rounds
10 Plyometric Push-ups onto benches
30 Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench presses @ 90lbs each hand

NOTES:

  • Great first week back on Conjugate! 625 SSB Squat PR on my ME Lower day, then the 470 CG bench press PR today. Can’t ask for a better way to kick things off.
  • I am planning on running conjugate for the next 3 Months. in that time, I’d really like to hit:
    515 on bench Press
    710 on Deadlift
    700 on Squat
    550 on front squat
    400 on Axle Overhead
    350 on the Log.

Time will tell…

Here is the 470 CG Bench Press From today…It was slower than I’d like but I’ll Definitely take it!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEtyBFzpHXJ/?taken-by=neversate

3 Likes
354

Just uploaded part 2 of the squats series I am running on youtube. It deals with fixing your set-up. Working these cues took my squat from an iffy 600lbs to 675 in about a year and a half. I hope you find it insightful and entertaining. Thanks for the support everyone!

2 Likes
355

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” --Mark Caine

“When I dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” --Audre Lorde

FRIDAY, 29APRIL2016 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 1/Day 5

DYNAMIC EFFORT LOWER
At the top of every minute for 10 Minutes
2 Banded SSB Box Squats @ 210 + 300lbs of band tension (510lbs @ the top)

At the top of every minute for 10 Minutes
2 Banded Deadlifts @ 315 + 270lbs of band tension (585lbs @ the Top)

ASSISTANCE - 3 Rounds
6 Banded SSB Good Mornings (360lbs @ the top)
15 Knees to Elbows

NOTES:

  • First Dynamic Day back on conjugate. Everything was light (as it should be) and I was feeling good. Took me a while to get the speed back up, but overall, very happy with the day. Dynamic Upper tomorrow and conditioning…
356

Hey Alpha, since you’re starting on a new cycle on Conjugate, will you do a write up like this ( Alpha V - #86 by Alpha ) again? Or will you be doing the exact same thing again?

357

Hey man, I have got a question for you. I am interested in probably starting a new program, designed for strongman. I am not allowed to link it here (I guess because it is published on a rivaling forum) but it is called “a standard template for the strongman competitor”. The program is influenced by the conjugate method in the sense that it features ME days.
Since you have been running conjugate successfully I thought I might ask you: How experienced should one be when he starts conjugate or a program that uses ME days in a similar fashion? I am not sure if I am experienced enough for something like that and how well I would build strength.
That said doing 1,3, 5 RMs and so on isn’t foreign to me.

358

Hey guys, I will get to your questions later tonight, i just don’t have time right now.

Just uploaded the latest training video of my first week back on the Conjugate Method. In it you will see a 625 SSB Squat PR, a 470 Close Grip Bench PR and and horrible fight with a tire that doesn’t go my way! Thanks for the Support Everyone!

1 Like
359

@Benanything Well man, I am going to run pretty close to he same exact thing since the last one worked so well…and if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

But I will be running 4 Days a week, 2 Maximum Efforts and 2 Dynamic. The Actual variations will look like this:

Wave 1/Week 1 (All numbers are the current PRs in those variations)
Maximum Effort Lower - SSB Squats: 625 /
Maximum Effort Upper - Close Grip Bench Press: 470
Dynamic Effort Lower - SSB Box Squats with blue + red Mini bands Doubled.
Dynamic Effort Upper - Bench Press with Doubled Blue Mini bands

Wave 1/Week 2
Maximum Effort Lower - Banded Deadlifts (doubled average bands): 540
Maximum Effort Upper - Axle Split Jerks: 380
Dynamic Effort Lower - SSB Box Squats with blue + red Mini bands Doubled.
Dynamic Effort Upper - Log Press with Doubled Red Mini bands

Wave 1/Week 3
Maximum Effort Lower - Front Squats: 530
Maximum Effort Upper - Banded Bench Press (Doubled blue mini’s): 425
Dynamic Effort Lower - SSB Box Squats with blue + red Mini bands Doubled.
Dynamic Effort Upper - Bench Press with Doubled Blue Mini bands

Wave 1/Week 4
Maximum Effort Lower - 3 Second Pause Squats: 645
Maximum Effort Upper - Log OHP: 320
Dynamic Effort Lower - SSB Box Squats with blue + red Mini bands Doubled.
Dynamic Effort Upper - Bench Press with Doubled Blue Mini bands

Wave 1/Week 5
Maximum Effort Lower - Deficit Deadlifts (3" Deficit): 635 /
Maximum Effort Upper - Floor Press: 490
Dynamic Effort Lower - SSB Box Squats with blue + red Mini bands Doubled.
Dynamic Effort Upper - Log Press with Doubled Red Mini bands

There may also be some Axle Deadlifts, Axle Continental Clean & Press in place of the Deficit deads and the Split Jerks but time will tell as I get further into this.

@Koestrizer Well, as long as you have fairly decent form on your main lifts, i don’t think experience really plays that big of a role. On traditional Conjugate, you run variations of the lifts and I am not familiar with the program you mentioned, but I will definitely look it up.

I think you will definitely bud strength as long a your drop back for your Volume sets. I personally think going for a PR that day then dropping back to 80% for either 3 sets of 5 or 5 Sets of 3 (if you are not feeling so hot) is the way to go. If you are pretty used to going for lower rep PRs like that, then I think it would work out just fine for you.

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“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” --Ray Goforth

MONDAY, 02MAY2016 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 2/ Day 1

CONDITIONING - At the Top of Every Minute for 12 Minutes
5 Burpees
5 Squats
5 Push-Ups
20 Mountain Climbers
20 Jumping Jacks

STRENGTH - MAXIMUM EFFORT LOWER
Banded Deadlifts (270lbs Band tension at the top of the lift)
135 + 270lbs of band tension
225 + 270lbs of band tension
315 + 270lbs of band tension
405 + 270lbs of band tension
500 + 270lbs of band tension
540 (PR) + 270lbs of band tension
545 ( Didn’t quite lock it out.) + 270lbs of band tension

6 Blast Strap Layouts between sets

VOLUME - 4 Rounds
3 Banded Deadlifts @ 405 + 270lbs of band tension

NOTES: - I definitely didn’t think I was going to do this well today, but I just kept working my way up and it ended up going pretty well. The 540 set is 810lbs at the top and felt every bit like it.

  • 545 went 3/4 of the way up then it got a little out in front of me…it dropped back down a little bit but then I forced it back up but I’m not counting it because I just didn’t feel like my shoulders were completely back and my legs were a little soft.
  • Overall, decent day. I’ll definitely take it.
360

Here are the banded pulls on my IG account.

They are 540 & 545 + 270lbs of band tension, making them around 810 and 815 at the top
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE8iAnnpHUw/?taken-by=neversate

2 Likes
361

I figured out your version of Conjugate. It took me a small while, but now I see the genius of it, especially for a strongman where you need a level of high strength across the whole border. If I understand correctly, for upper body you hit a ME and a DE for every lift once in the cycle. For lower body, you hit ME for every lift, and a banded box squat for DE.

I’m not really comfortable running such a system yet…I need a while to get proficient in a lift. I screw up timing on push presses/jerk far too much when I do them once in a while hahaha. But I can totally see how it would great for someone which such proficiency in the lifts as you.