The bird: Yea man, sparring in Jiu-Jitsu is usually just called “rolling”. It really helps keep my back and hips loose. You should definitely give it a try man. One of the best things that I ever did.
Red five: You should definitely work those things in man, they will help you!
Regev: Well man, I always use grass fed beef or ground turkey. Then add onions, sea salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning…That’s it man. Hope that helps out! and great job on the new program! Stick with it man, I am sure you will get some great gains from it!
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“Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.” --A.W. Tozer
Wednesday, 23APRIL2014 - Work For Today
INSERT: Giant Sets
20, 15, 10, 5 Reps of
Wide Grip Chest to Bar Pull-Ups
Single Arm Inverted Ring Rows
Ring Dips
Seated Good Mornings with 225 on the bar
Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlifts 100lbs
Weighted Hallow Rocks 45lbs
STRENGTH:
Sprints on the Rower. :30 Seconds Work / :30 Seconds Rest for 10 Minutes.
Loaded a Barbell with 225 and did the following in a lot of broken up reps and sets
30 Power Cleans
30 Snatches
30 Overhead Squats
Just wanted to say I really respect your attitude and the way you push yourself and others! I have a friend who has competed in the decathlon at the olympic games and he’s been advocating a very similar way of training to me. This log ( and the previous one ) has been a huge inspiration and I’ve really transformed my training over the last month and I’m loving it
How do you decide when to go for a new PR? Is it something you plan or do you just go by feel and see how everything feels in that workout and go by that? Or do you just try to constantly get (rep)pr’s by beating last weeks workout?
Leino: Hey man, thank you so much for your kind words. They mean a lot, seriously. Secondly, I used to try to go about things in a strict cycle. I would work 4x8 for 5 weeks, then switch to 5x5 for 5 weeks, the 10x3 for 5 weeks, then try to max out on some stuff. The only problem was that if I didn’t feel my best on a particular day, then I would miss lifts and that would create some mental blocks for me…So I kind of quit doing that and will just go for PR’s whenever I feel like I am at my best. Things don’t get too built up that way and I find that I respond best to this kind of training. I hope that helps out man. Thanks for asking.
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“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” --Albert Einstein
Thursday, 24APRIL2014 - Work For Today
INSERT: 3 Minutes work / 1 Minute rest for 6 Rounds
3 Squat Cleans with 135lbs on the 2" Axle Bar
6 Burpee Lateral Jumps
5 Sprawl Heavybag Flips
5 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls with 135lbs on the 2" Axle Bar
6 Heavybag Over the Shoulder
15? Handstand walk
STRENGTH: Giant Sets
Deadlifts with Farmer’s Walk Handles: 410x2, 510x2, 590x2, 690x1
Dumbbell Arnold Presses: 60x8, 70x8, 80x8, 90x8
Barbell Land Mines (Each Side): 90x8, 90x8, 90x8, 90x8
Lumberjack Squats (Each Side): 175x8, 175x8, 175x8, 175x8
60 Meter Sandbag (120lb sandbag) Carry (Bear Hug Position)
NOTES:
-First time I have ever done deadlifts with the Farmer’s Walk Handles…Couldn’t believe I got up to 690…If I realized what I was doing before hand, I just would have added the 10lbs! No problems with the grip at all though.
-Arnold Presses felt good. Strong, no problems.
-Using the axle on the INSERT felt good. I am going to continue to do this.
I bet by 2015 you can deadlift with the farmers 1000
I need to get myself some of this!
Question, I told you already that I started this week 5/3/1 TBT version,squat front and back with 5/3/1 parameters, unilateral leg push movement and hill sprints across the week isn’t too much am I right? I don’t want to task my body and CNS too much… Everything I noted is quad dominant movement, there are also more posterior chain dominant work like deads and good morning which I never tried! really excited!! haha
You know, I’m having a bar marks after squat (front and back), power cleans and basically everything that’s not too light that compresses against my skin, no pain though so it doesn’t matter, I guess it’s my german pale skin. Do you have this too my pale friend?
By the way, I saw you quoted Einstein and I thought it might be cool you to know that I’m related to him, I was amazed when I heard that from my great-grandmother a few years ago haha
I love that you’re back, been following and admiring like usual. You’re a true inspiration - thanks for logging here.
I have a question just for fun - who is your favourite comic book hero/villain, and why? I’m going to guess Batman, but I was wondering if you had a different answer haha.
Regev: Hahahah I don’t know about 1000lbs man, but I will definitely set that as a goal! As far as the volume of your 5/3/1 Protocol…That is really dependent on the lifter man. I would definitely read up on what Wendler says about it. He knows much better than I ever would. I would definitely tell you to give it a shot and see how your body and CNS feels after doing it. You can always add or back off by how you are progressing.
As for bar marks, sometimes I get some redness right afterward, but never bruising or anything like that. And that it awesome about Einstein man! Hope that helps out some!
justrob: Hey man! Great to see you around here! And yea, I was making huge jumps yesterday. It was my first time ever doing deadlifts with the handles so I didn’t really know where my limits were. And since it is 4 different loading areas for the exercise, if you add a 25 the weight immediately jumps up 100lbs…I wasn’t even really paying attention to how much it was…When i got done that last lift my friend asked me how much it was…I couldn’t believe it was 690. If I knew I would have added the 2.5’s!! I think I will definitely get over 700lbs next week. If I do I will try to get a video of it. Thanks for stopping by man!
Burst: Hey Man! Great to hear from you again and thanks for the kind words! Great question about the superhero! You were right on with Batman brother! He is probably one of my tops. I am also a huge Ninja Turtle and Wolverine Fan! But growing up I loved Ryu from Street Fighter. Not really a superhero, but you get the idea. I never really got into any superheroes that had any real big super powers…I just didn’t find them as interesting as the guys who had to overcome obstacles. Great question man.
Alpha,
I’ve been trying out something you mentioned it has been working great. I’ve always struggled with consistency in diet, lately everytime when about to buy or put some crap in my mouth I ask myself: Will this make me a better athelete? This simple question has made a huuuuugeee impact on my consistency. Currently 2 weeks without a single cheat meal while eating enough of the right stuff! Amazing how a small tweak like that can work
[quote]Leino wrote:
Alpha,
I’ve been trying out something you mentioned it has been working great. I’ve always struggled with consistency in diet, lately everytime when about to buy or put some crap in my mouth I ask myself: Will this make me a better athelete? This simple question has made a huuuuugeee impact on my consistency. Currently 2 weeks without a single cheat meal while eating enough of the right stuff! Amazing how a small tweak like that can work[/quote]
So true bro.
Alpha, every answer of yours helps in a way, whether if it’s literally and whether if it’s just makes me think.
Leino & Regev: Thanks so much for what you guys said. The feedback helps a lot fellas.
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“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, 25APRIL2014 - Work For Today
INSERT:
10 Minute Plank
The at the top of every minute for 15 Minutes, Sprint 200 Meters. Took the remainder of the minute to rest.
STRENGTH:
20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 10 Reps (100 Total)
Pull-Ups
Floor Presses with 225lbs
Single Leg Bulgarian Split Squats with 185lbs (100 Reps Each Side)
NOTES:
-Just some light weight stuff to get reps in. Felt good.
[quote]Leino wrote:
Alpha,
I’ve been trying out something you mentioned it has been working great. I’ve always struggled with consistency in diet, lately everytime when about to buy or put some crap in my mouth I ask myself: Will this make me a better athelete? This simple question has made a huuuuugeee impact on my consistency. Currently 2 weeks without a single cheat meal while eating enough of the right stuff! Amazing how a small tweak like that can work[/quote]
So true bro.
Alpha, every answer of yours helps in a way, whether if it’s literally and whether if it’s just makes me think.[/quote]
I can’t agree more. And that one quote goes through my head every time I see food haha! It’s changed my entire diet.
To Alpha: I think your uncompromising attitude is something that more people need to be exposed to these days. It has sure helped me.
10 minutes plank? I can barley hold 2-3 minutes.
I guess I should improve at it everyday by a few seconds. I also try to improve at BW pull-up and push ups and pistol squats, everyday or other-day I’m adding another rep.
Today I did timed hill sprints, it was tough after front squat for reps.
Redfive: Thanks man! I catch a lot of grief over my attitude towards life and what I expect out of myself as well as others…That said, I’d rather live life the way I do than any other option. And yea man, that quote about food gets me through a lot of my decisions when cravings hit me hard. I’m glad that it helps others out as well!
Regev: Yea man, a 10 Minute plank is no joke. But it is 100% mental. Your body can do it but your mind doesn’t believe that. Especially around minute 3. Your mind starts thinking about how it feels at that moment and you start doing the math and you just start telling yourself that there is no way you can make it…It always helps me to have music playing that gets me going. I will tell myself to just make it through the next chorus or verse, or just make the next 15 seconds. In all things in life, I find that if you look at the challenge in its entirety, it is very overwhelming and seems impossible. But if you break it into smaller manageable pieces, you can take on much more than you ever thought possible.
Sparring at MMA practice this morning was VERY challenging…That workout yesterday really had my body sore. Especially all of these Bulgarian spilt Squats! Those things make my butt sore every single time!
Hey Alpha, any tips for someone going to start rucking? I’m gonna implement it on my non running days. What weight do you use? What weight should a newb use starting off? What footwear do you use for it? Thanks in advance man!!
[quote]law8 wrote:
Hey Alpha, any tips for someone going to start rucking? I’m gonna implement it on my non running days. What weight do you use? What weight should a newb use starting off? What footwear do you use for it? Thanks in advance man!![/quote]
As far as I know, start even with no weight, build the length of the ruck or the speed, within a couple rucks you’ll feel you can add weight. Alpha, correct me if I’m wrong.
Man, I’m going to do some planks right now! Going to break records!! haha
Alpha,
Great work, very inspiring man. I was wondering if you could talk more about your nutrition, and maybe any general guidelines you’d give to all of us.
law8: Unfortunately Regev is a little off on this one. It is called “rucking” which is slang for “ruck marching” which implies that you have a rucksack on your back. If you don’t add the weight you are just walking Basically, find a really durable backpack and put stuff inside it until you reach your desired weight. As a Beginner, I would start with about 25lbs and around 2 Miles…If you decide to use a weight plate in your pack, wrap an old towel around it so it doesn’t constantly bounce off your spine.
As for footwear, unless you are training with a military goal in mind, just wear whatever shoes are comfortable to you. If you are walking on rough terrain you may want to consider boots for the ankle support, but if you are going to be on pavement, anything will do.
Find some hills. Go faster than you want to. Heavier than you want to. and Longer than you would like to. Good luck brother. I love rucking and it is a great way to burn calories! Thanks for asking!
Destroyer2020: Hey man, welcome to the log and thanks for asking! To start, I don’t count calories or even really break down my macros into any sort of percentages. I really think both of those things are unnecessary…As for my actual diet, this is what I follow and the advice that I give to people when they ask.
Try to eat smaller meals more often if possible. But if unable, ensure that you are getting 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Ingesting smaller meals more often (each containing a complete protein source) will help ensure that you reach your 0.7-1.0 requirement and can help to stave off cravings and overeating.
Eat Complete lean protein sources each meal. Some examples of complete proteins are: Grass fed beef, bison, veal, venison, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, pork, organ meat and some types of protein powders.
Ensure that 35-50% of your caloric intake is derived from healthy fats. Your ingestion of said fats should be balanced, with ratios split equally between saturates (Animal fat, Coconut oil, MCT oil, grass fed butter), monounsaturates (avocados, extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil, almonds) and polyunsaturates (Flax oil, fish oil, walnuts).
Eat green vegetables or fruit with each meal. However, be careful not to consume an overabundance of fruit due to high levels of fructose which can quickly drive up the number of carbohydrates you intake throughout the day. Vegetables are usually the better option of the two.
Ensure that your ingestion of carbohydrates comes ONLY from vegetables and fruit.
Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, your best choices being water, green tea and black coffee. Avoid soda, diet and sugar free drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks.
Eat whole foods when possible. If it didn’t have a mother or grew from the ground, avoid it. An exception to this rule would be workout and post-workout shakes.
HYDRATE! Try to drink a gallon of water a day.
Eliminate sugar from your diet.
Consider supplementing with fish oil, MCT oil, probiotics, HCL and Vitamin D.
And no man, I have never tried 3g or plazma. Not that I am against them or anything, I would just rather spend my money on protein and fish oil. I can’t say whether 3g or plazma would work or not, but I DO know that Metabolic Drive and Flameout are proven for me personally. When Biotest decides to ship me out some for free, I’ll gladly give a great honest review of them! thanks for asking man!
Alpha,
Thanks so much for all of that, I really appreciate it. If someone is trying to drop bodyfat, would you recommend they go closer to 50% of their calories from fat, 40% protein, and 10% carbs?
Basically, find a really durable backpack and put stuff inside it until you reach your desired weight. As a Beginner, I would start with about 25lbs and around 2 Miles…If you decide to use a weight plate in your pack, wrap an old towel around it so it doesn’t constantly bounce off your spine.