A few suggestions:
LURE THE TIGER OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS : The 36 Stratagems of Ancient China ( mulitiple authors)
BOOK OF FIVE RINGS by Miyamoto Musashi
THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu
DUNE by Frank Herbert
QUOTE: " I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever feeling sorry for itself." --D.H. Lawrence. From the collected poems series.
Much respect to your training.
LoRez: Thanks for the questions man! Well, I spread the Flameout and Vitamin D throughout the day mainly because I was told a long time ago that you get better absorption by breaking it up…I just never changed that practice. Not sure how much merit it actually has, but it is just habit now.
My first meal is done a couple of different ways. I will either slam the protein shake w/ the superfood in it and the coffee/butter/mct oil separate or Slam a cup of water with the superfood separate and then add ice and the protein powder to the coffee concoction for a moca type of thing. I hope that answers you questions brother! Thanks for posting in here.
Paul215: Yea brother, I got your message but I realized that I have never set up that email account with google+ ( I am beyond busy with starting this new business) so I can read the emails but am unable to reply yet. Once I set it up I will answer all of the questions that I can. Sorry brother, I will get there soon.
Burst: Emerson takes a wealth of knowledge and condenses it into small inspiring essays. It is like cliff notes for living a full life. It is great stuff. And yes, I have read a LOT of Batman graphic novels…Love those things!
MaximusB: Hahaha thanks so much man! I hope others feel the same way!
Lonnie123: Yea man, I have taken quite a few people from “Normal” lifting to doing programs similar to the ones I run, all with very good results. But I have found that if I am not there with them every day then they will tend to make their own “changes” to the program (Always substituting easier exercises) and then they struggle. Lifting in the manner I do means that something is always tweaked, sore or borderline hurt. If the individuals don’t have the mental wherewithal or fortitude to work around or through the issues then they don’t do well. That is why I really prefer personally coaching individuals rather than just selling my programs online. It takes a special individual to go through this level of suck without personally seeing another human doing it day in and day out. Some people get it done, but they are definitely the minority and I am very proud of every single one that does the work.
I have heard the same arguments that you laid out above about work capacity and volume, but I don’t really buy into it. That may be true for the “average” person, but I turn “average” people away all of the time…If you look at the workload of professional athletes/spec ops guys and individuals who are at the upper echelon in the lifting world, every single one of them should be “Overtrained”. I think it is POSSIBLE to be overtrained, but I have personally never seen one true case of it in my entire 20 years of the lifting game. I think mental burnout is really the culprit in 99.9% of situations.
I wouldn’t say that I am an outlier physically, but mentally, yea, absolutely. I don’t see the world the same way other people do. Individuals with a similar mindset as me flourish when I give them hard programs. People who chose to make excuses rather than decisions don’t do very well on my programs at all. Again, it is all about their minds…The physical performance ALWAYS resembles the individual’s character.
If you show me an individual with that “Outlier” character and mentality, I can ALWAYS get that person any results they desire.
I hope that answers your question brother!
idaho: The book of five rings is one of my all time favorites! I love the others you suggested as well. I am not familiar with “Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountains” though, I will definitely check that one out. And I love the quote! Thanks for stopping in and posting brother!
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“Always do what you are afraid to do.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, 20JUNE2014 - Work For Today
INSERT: 5 Rounds
1:00 Minute Static Hanging “L” Sits
1: 00 Rest
Then, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Reps of
Chest to Bar Pull-Ups
Handstand Push-Ups
MMA Get-Ups
Burpees
STRENGTH:
Zercher Pin Squats: 315x5, 315x5, 315x5, 315x5
Weighted Pull-Ups: 135x5, 160x5, 180x5, 205x5
Weighted Dips: 135x5, 160x5, 180x5, 205x5
Barbell Rollouts: 10, 10, 10, 10
NOTES:
Have you looked at josh Bryant’s jailhouse strong? Any opinions on it?
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Lonnie123: Yea man, I have taken quite a few people from “Normal” lifting to doing programs similar to the ones I run, all with very good results. But I have found that if I am not there with them every day then they will tend to make their own “changes” to the program (Always substituting easier exercises) and then they struggle. Lifting in the manner I do means that something is always tweaked, sore or borderline hurt. If the individuals don’t have the mental wherewithal or fortitude to work around or through the issues then they don’t do well. That is why I really prefer personally coaching individuals rather than just selling my programs online. It takes a special individual to go through this level of suck without personally seeing another human doing it day in and day out. Some people get it done, but they are definitely the minority and I am very proud of every single one that does the work.
I have heard the same arguments that you laid out above about work capacity and volume, but I don’t really buy into it. That may be true for the “average” person, but I turn “average” people away all of the time…If you look at the workload of professional athletes/spec ops guys and individuals who are at the upper echelon in the lifting world, every single one of them should be “Overtrained”. I think it is POSSIBLE to be overtrained, but I have personally never seen one true case of it in my entire 20 years of the lifting game. I think mental burnout is really the culprit in 99.9% of situations.
I wouldn’t say that I am an outlier physically, but mentally, yea, absolutely. I don’t see the world the same way other people do. Individuals with a similar mindset as me flourish when I give them hard programs. People who chose to make excuses rather than decisions don’t do very well on my programs at all. Again, it is all about their minds…The physical performance ALWAYS resembles the individual’s character.
If you show me an individual with that “Outlier” character and mentality, I can ALWAYS get that person any results they desire.
I hope that answers your question brother!
[/quote]
Can’t even begin to tell you how timely these words are after tweaking my back. In fact to reach my goals I will definitely need that mentality.
How would you advise training around back injury to help get back into things as quickly as possible? This time around I don’t want to just sit on the sidelines for a few weeks waiting for things to heal. I would still like to keep the intensity of both my cardio and strength work up as much as I can without risking further injury.
[quote]idaho wrote:
[/quote]
I absolutely love that book.
Alpha, I would actually be interested in what you would consider some must reads if you’ve ever got the time. Also, keep up the good work. Your logs are one of favorite things on the internet right now, and your work is inspiring.
Alpha, I have a question about your coffee, what type/brand of coffee do you buy?
I used to drink coffee a little when I worked a job requiring v early starts & would often have some kind of mocha mix, but also had a bad experience once of feeling quite sick (unrelated I think) and as I’d just had a coffee that was all I could taste, that kind of put me off coffee for a while. I find that coffee seems to repeat on me a bit and I don’t like the aftertaste.
I’ve been reading recently about the bulletproof coffee and that its the toxins in ‘cheaper’ coffee that make people feel crappy? What do you think? Does better quality coffee remove the aftertaste?
I think I like the idea of coffee & the smell more than the actual taste/aftertaste, but maybe its because I need to buy a good coffee?? I’m liking the idea of a creamy coffee with butter/mct or adding protein powder for a mocha effect, but hesitant on a tight budget to spend on an expensive coffee I might not be able to drink.
I’m also quite caffeine/stimulant sensitive so tend to just have a sugar free caffeine energy drink before training, but not every day and never past about 2.30pm otherwise I just don’t sleep that night. Though being English I can of cause drink tea til it comes out my ears 
So would be interested in your thoughts on this. Thanks as always for your time and advice.
^^^ Lift and Eat , sorry to butt in buddy but I really like Lavazza Rossa beans. The quality on them is very consistent, they aren’t too expensive and they should not be too hard to pick up in the UK. I make mine black from an italian stove top maker. They knockoff ones of these are dirt cheap.
Alpha, do you see in the future doing online consultations/etc for people as a possibility?
Ironwarrior: Honestly man, both times when I broke my back the healing process was different. I would definitely recommend PVC rolling, LAX ball work, stretching and massage. But my back seemed to heal faster when I didn’t really take too much time off the gym. I obviously had to work around the issue and choose my exercises wisely, but the less you lay around the better. That is my opinion though. What exactly did you do to it?
Roran: Thanks so much for the kind words man! I would love to give some reading recommendations! What vein are we talking though? Fiction, non fiction, philosophy, motivation, history? What are you looking for?
Lift and eat: I have heard the same thing about fungus and mitotoxins (Sp?) messing up coffe from Dave Asprey, but they I have also heard that all of that was debunked and his claims were completely unsubstantiated…So i am really not sure. Personally, I buy all different kinds of coffee. For me it is about getting the caffeine and not so much about the taste. I really wish I could be more of a help on this coffee question man, but I just don’t know enough about it. law8 made a suggestion, I would give that a try. I am sorry man!
law8: Thanks for jumping in on that coffee question brother, I definitely know nothing about it!
As far as consulting and training…I am already doing it. That is what my side business is and I am making enough now that i am opening a gym to better work with my clients. I started my own website where I offer training, consults, speaking arrangements, write a workout of the day and articles. I even have some partners who play different roles in the business working with me. It is going really well. I will release the name of the website on here soon so that people can come read my stuff if they wish, but I don’t want to be disrespectful to this Tnat either. Thanks again for the help brother.
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Saturday, 21JUNE2014 - Work For Today
No weights for me today, just MMA practice in the morning. Hope all is well out there!
Honestly, whatever you like, I need to start reading more. The few times I do, I enjoy it and my days go better.
Thanks Alpha. I guess the coffee thing maybe a bit trial & error then. I’ll test it out & see how I get on. When you mix the coffee, mct, butter with Metabolic Drive do you make the coffee as normal then just stir in the protein or do you mix them up in a blender?
Law8, thanks for the suggestion man. I’ll buy a small bag & see how it tastes/feels…maybe offload it to a friend if I don’t like it! Someone said to me yesterday that African coffee is more bitter & Italian is more mellow, so maybe I’ll try both & see what suits me best.
I’ve already got some mct & protein, so just need to pick up some decent butter. We have a new local farmers market just started here & I’ve been meaning to get there for the last 4 wks, but am def going to check it out today.
Bignmean: Sorry about that man, I didn’t pass over you on purpose, I just missed the post! Ummm I have heard of it, but haven’t seen enough of it to have a educated opinion. If I can get a hold of a copy I will look deeper into it and let you know what I think when that happens. Sorry man!
Roran: Well man, some of my all time favorites are:
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck
Talent is overrated by Geoffrey Colvin
I like a LOT of Edgar Allan Poe, Hunter S. Thompson and Emerson.
I can seriously talk about books for DAYS! I have a massive library and read a ton. Read something from above, let me know what you thought and I will try to suggest some more.
Lift and eat: Yea man, you will just have to keep trying things until you see what fits. I usually just buy starbucks espresso and french press it.
I feel like I chemist when I do the moca thing… I brew the coffee in a french press then pour that + the MCT or Coconut Oil + Kerrygold Grassfed Butter into a magic Bullet and blend it all together.
Then I pour it over a bunch of ice in a protein shaker, add the powder and shake it up. I love it. Hope that helps man!
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“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we Become.” --Buddha
Sunday, 22JUNE2014 - Work For Today
2 Hours of Sparring at fight practice…Then Slammed another protein shake, drove to the new gym site and completed
CONDITIONING: As Many Rounds As possible in 40 Minutes
3 Tire Flips (Tire should be heavy enough that you can only lift it to your knee and fight for the flip…No light Tires Today)
15 Kettlebell Swings (70lb Kettlebell)
10 Sledgehammer Swings (Left Side)
10 Sledgehammer Swings (Right Side)
NOTES:
Thanks for the list!
Since there seem to be several questions about your diet recently, I’ll keep the trend going. I was wondering how you choose foods for the week, and if you had any suggestions for people on a budget.
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Ironwarrior: Honestly man, both times when I broke my back the healing process was different. I would definitely recommend PVC rolling, LAX ball work, stretching and massage. But my back seemed to heal faster when I didn’t really take too much time off the gym. I obviously had to work around the issue and choose my exercises wisely, but the less you lay around the better. That is my opinion though. What exactly did you do to it?
_ [/quote]
Just felt it go during squats. I think it is just a muscle strain. Definitely agree on keeping it moving, it is agony first thing in the morning, but after a swim yesterday it hardly bothered me. I should be able to work around it with a few exercises. How did you build things like your squats back up during your rehab?
Just seen some of your reading recommendations as well. There are a couple I have not come across that I will definitely check out.
Training is looking as strong as ever. That many tire flips is no joke.
Alpha, are there any markings or numbers on the side wall of the tires? If you can post them it should be really easy to find the weight online, tire companies usually list size/weight on their catalogs.
Alpha you will find this interesting I think:
The “Bulletproof Coffee” idea of Adding Butter/MCT Oil to your coffee is actually based on the principles of both a low carb/keto diet and intermittent fasting
Basically the point of the drink is to kick start your fat-adapted metabolism to in the morning with a good dose of fats so, remain fasted so your body uses your own fat as fuel after “getting a thirst” for it, and then eventually break the fast using a low carb eating plan.
The “bulletproof” part is actually a brand name that is now synonymous with the idea of adding butter/fat/mct oil to any kind of coffee
Roran: Well man, i am not sure where you are located but finding a local farm that provides meat/milk/eggs is probably the cheapest option. You can also go in halves with someone else on a side of beef. You can get a lot of meat for a very cheap price per pound, but you need to be able to store it. Otherwise i would just say look out for the meat that is on sale, clip coupons and get a costco membership.
What I decide to eat each week really just depends on my mood. I try to keep it as random as possible but sometimes the convenience factor just keeps me eating the same stuff. Thanks for the question man!
Ironwarrior: I would just start at a very light, get a set done and assess. Add some weight, hit a set and assess. I would just keep doing this until you get to a weight that scares you a little bit about your back and see how you do with it. then I’d back it back down and just work with it. I will usually do some rolling and lax ball stuff between sets as well. I hope that helps brother. Keep moving it, brother!_________________________________________________________________
Dave101: Thanks so much man! I will definitely check that out as soon as I can!
Lonnie123: Yea man, I have read that also. I just do it to get the fat in my diet. Have you ever tried fasting before?
I tried 16/8 intermittent fasting for a week but it just doesnt fit with my schedule. Have to work out in the morning and not eating the back half of the day didnt doesn’t well for me, and not eating for 8 hours after my workout doesnt seem like a great idea.
However, I did successfully implement the “MAG-10 Pulse Fast” during my contest prep 2 years ago. Starting at 1 a week @ 8 weeks out and increasing to 2 a week for the final 4 weeks, it really helped bring me from LEAN to Stage Condition. With the current formulation I have done it for quick fat loss using 5 Pulses throughout the day. It’s my silver bullet when I go on a 4-6 week fat loss blitz.
Lonnie123: Yea man, it is good to hear how it worked for you. I have thought about giving intermittent fasting or carb back loading a shot, but I am always needing to fluctuate my weight for different fights/comps so I haven’t given either one a real shot yet. Thanks for your input brother!
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“One Machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” --Elbert Hubbard
Monday, 23JUNE2014 - Work For Today
INSERT:
Completed As Many Burpees as Possible in 5 Minutes
2 Minute Plank
Completed As Many Burpees as Possible in 3 Minutes
2 Minute Plank
Completed As Many Burpees as Possible in 1 Minute
2 Minute Plank
STRENGTH:
4 Sets of 8 Conventional Deadlifts with 455 On the Bar. Performed a 2 Minute plank between sets as rest period.
Giant Sets:
Farmer’s Walk Handle Deadlifts: 490x5, 590x5, 630x5, 630x5
Toes to Bar: 15, 15, 15, 15
Handstand Push-Ups: 15, 15, 15, 15
Stiff Legged Deadlifts: 365x5, 365x5, 365x5, 365x5
Run 300 Meters holding a 25lb Medicine Ball
NOTES:
Solid training today brother!
We have similar taste in literature. I loved those 2 Rand books when I was in my early 20’s. Haven’t read much of her since then. I spent last year going back and forth between Steinbeck and Dostoevsky books. Reading Tolstoy at the moment. There are some interesting commonalities between Steinbeck and some of the more politically charged 19th century Russian literature. A lot revolves around the plight of the lower class and labor reform, particularly as they relate to farm culture. I can’t get enough of that stuff.
Anyway, always a joy to read your log.