Alpha's Work 3

Training Training Logs
561

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“There is only one way to avoid criticism. Do nothing. Say nothing. And be nothing.” --Aristotle

Saturday, 26JULY2014 - Work For Today

Started off first thing this morning with 1.5 Hours of Jiu-Jtsu open mat rolling time, once I got home I did this:

4:00 Minutes of Tabata Yoke Walks (:20 Seconds Work/10 Seconds Rest) - @ 500lbs
4:00 Minutes of Glute Ham Raises (:20 Seconds Work/10 Seconds Rest)

Rest 3:00 Minutes and Add Weight to the Yoke
4:00 Minutes of Tabata Yoke Walks (:20 Seconds Work/10 Seconds Rest) - @ 575lbs
4:00 Minutes of Glute Ham Raises (:20 Seconds Work/10 Seconds Rest)

NOTES:

  • My legs won’t stop shaking and Upper back is Fried!

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Sorry I couldn’t post the link to the article. Keeps getting edited out by the Mods. Which I understand but is disappointing. So if you haven’t gotten over to my site to read it, here is the latest rant…

Follow the Plan.

Getting results is not hard at all. But following a plan is. If I had to boil it all down, this is the main reason why people fail at reaching their goals; Not only in fitness, but also in life.

If you buy, find or steal a program from a professional coach, give it a fair shot and follow it. If it is an 8 Week program, complete ALL 8 Weeks. If you are anything like me, you will read a new article a few days after starting you new program and want to jump ship and switch over. Don’t. And if you do, do not go around telling people that the original program didn’t work for you. You never DID that program, so you forfeit all rights to an opinion about it.

If a program calls for 4 Sets of 8 Reps of Romanian Dealifts, that is what you do. Not 3 Sets, not 5 Reps…not substituting one exercise for another. A squat is not the same as a leg press. If you make any of your own changes to the design you are NOT following the program that the coach intended and as such cannot blame them for your failure.

If you are told to eat nothing but lean proteins, fats and vegetables with one Cheat meal per week, then that is what you do. Don’t try to fake your way through it by eating gluten free pasta and diet soda. That is NOT the plan. If you don’t follow the plan then you have no one to blame but yourself if you are not leaner in a month.

Own Your Mistakes.

If you not as strong as you would like to be. It is your fault.

If you not as lean as you would like to be. It is your fault.

If your life is not going in the direction you want it to; if you haven’t lived up to the goals you set for yourself; if you can’t seem to find the happiness that you have always been chasing;

It is your fault.

We live in a culture that would rather label a lack of self-control as a disease and medicate our children so that we can spend more time on Facebook. it is a rare individual that will stand up against the conformity and take some control over their life.

We are not victims of our circumstances, our genetics or our age…We are just inundated with plausible excuses for why we are not who we want to be. I contend that we are better than that and the first step in changing the collective social temperature is by individuals stepping up, showing some self discipline and actually following through with some of the simple plans that they committed themselves to.

Following a diet or workout plan may seem simple and trite, but if you cannot be trusted to see small things through to the end, what will happen when REAL responsibility falls on your shoulders?

I am not saying that you will not fail. Everyone fails. But not everyone gets back up. It is better for you to do your best and fail twenty times than it is to have never had the courage to see what you are capable of.

There are countless individuals out there with REAL problems. Cancer is a problem. Losing your legs is a problem. Your house burning down is a problem. Yet there are people out there with issues just like these who still choose to pick themselves up and get it done every day. Please stop insulting their true hard will and determination with your complaints about your job and lack of energy. Step back and get a true perspective about just how fortunate you really are.

What you become is nothing more than the collective decisions that you make each hour, each day, and each year until you find yourself standing where you never thought possible.

Next time you are thinking about skipping a workout, swapping exercises, or stopping by a drive through, ask yourself, “Does this bring be closer to or further away from the person I want to become?”

Something as simple as sticking to a designed workout program builds discipline and will inside us all. That indomitable spirit will slowly begin to bleed its way into other areas of your life and you will start to see a change. That change is addictive. The small things become big things and before you know it a life of your dreams can be realized.

It all begins with one decision.

Follow the plan.

562

NSAIDS work like magic on me. While acetemophine does nothing. Heal that bicep up man. ! Big picture. Fyi I sometimes copy n paste your quotes. Motivation!

563

I’ve never experienced anything chronic with my biceps, but I have had some acute issues and run ins with tendinitis, particularly from rough stone (usually tackiless) or sandbag sessions. I REALLY stress recovery in times like this. Bicep injuries are most prevalent in strongman and even though they tend to be pretty simple and fast in recovery, they are still devastating. Stretching and digging into the muscle can help to relieve such twinges, and I’ve also heard of things like electronic stimulation, ultra sound, and cold laser therapy working great for people.

Take the time to sort it out and become more magnanimous. I’ve taken up to a month off because my fucking body was in agony for god knows what. An ounce of cure is worth a pound of prevention.

Also, as for your post on programs and sticking to them, I have had many clients (or just friends and associates I advise a bit in training hehe no PT or anything) whom I have advised and told them the biggest factor that warrants their success is consistency and discipline. Ye old adage or what have you that states “80% of success is based on just showing up” reigns very true in the lives of any body pursuing ANY endeavor that yields great fortitude and persistence to become better than average in. The discipline to also let go of your contemporary ego for the better future you. Whether it be in injury prevention, diet choices, or moral life choices, there is limitless avenues we can become better at through those two virtues. Recently, I’ve made a real effort to actually find a program, regardless of preconceptions, and do it, sticking to it with all of my volition instead of someone else’s bandwagon-driven influence.

P.S…And yeah, fuck 90% of gyms and training centers. It’s almost silly how arduously people defend themselves and their ego against the stigma of strongman/powerlifting. Try a home gym.

564

Barbedwired: Thanks man. Yea, I just got a script for napracin and we will see if that helps. Also going to check out a PT this week. Thanks for stopping in man!

StrongmanVinny: Yea man, I totally agree with the consistency thing. People just don’t seem to want to give that a shot though! Thanks for posting brother, I always love your insights!

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“I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I think that when you set out looking for the big answers in life, you gotta be as uncomfortable as possible when you do it.” --Kelly McGonigal

Sunday, 27JULY2014 - Work For Today

I trained a group of people today. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off so I am not sure how to log exactly what all I did. It was a lot of jumping from thing to thing and helping people…Anyway, the workout looked like this:

:40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds Rest for 5 Rounds
Max Effort Tire Flips

:40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds Rest for 5 Rounds
Max Effort Farmer’s Walk

:40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds Rest for 5 Rounds
Max Effort Battle Ropes

:40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds Rest for 5 Rounds
Max Effort Kettlebell Swings

:40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds Rest for 5 Rounds
Max Effort Sandbag Clean & Throw. Burpee Broad Jump to the sandbag and repeat.

It was a great group of people and I even have my first T-Nationer come today. StClair20 Killed it. Good times.

565

Great article! I had this problem and that’s why I stopped reading training related articles.
As for the keg problem, throw a keg party/BBQ and make sure that by the end of the day the keg is empty.

566

Alpha: Not sure if this will be applicable to you, but I found some things that really helped me when I tore my right biceps about 2 years ago. Getting ART twice a week really seemed to help, along with stretching right after. As far as exercise goes, I tried all the standard PT advice like doing high-rep curls to flush blood into the area, doing eccentric training to strengthen the tendons, voodoo bands, foam rolling, and eventually just getting fed up with doing nothing and training it normally, but still experienced constant pain for about a year. What DID help, however, were isometric holds. I stumbled upon it when I interned at a crossfit gym in Silver Spring, and was instructing people on how to do goblet squats every day. After a week or two of holding kettlebells in the goblet position every day, my biceps felt 90% better…even after having hurt constantly for a year. I make sure to do some kind of goblet squat or carry every week as part of a warmup or metcon and my arm doesn’t bother me at all. Just food for thought.

567

Regev: Thanks so much for the kind words about the article man, I really appreciate it! And the party Idea is great, the only issue is that I need like 6 kegs! Thanks for stopping in man!

Bjack: Thanks so much for the advice man, I will have to put some of it to practice. The good news is that the meds that I was prescribed helped tremendously today. I had no pain and no issues at all. I am still trying to rehab it as best as I can, but the anti-inflammatory seems to be doing me a world of good! Thanks for posting brother!

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“You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.” --Rumi

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” --Albert Einstein

Monday, 28JULY2014 - Work For Today

CONDITIONING
20, 16, 12, 8 Reps of
Pull-Ups
Handstand Push-Ups
Squat Presses with a 2" Axle Bar (135lbs)

STRENGTH
At the Top of Every Minute For 10 Minutes Complete 3 Deficit Deadlifts with 425lbs on the Bar. Complete these from a 3" Deficit.

GIANT SETS
Deficit Deadlift: 455x1, 500x1, 550x1, 550x1
10 Skin the Cats: 1, 1, 1, 1
“Z” Presses: 135x10, 155x10, 185x6, 185x6
60 Meter Sandbag Carry (Bear Hug Position): 1, 1, 1, 1

NOTES:

  • The conditioning went really well, and thanks tot he meds that I started yesterday, i had no pain in my shoulder or my bicep. This is a very good thing!
  • Big focus on deficit reads today because I want to get to the 700lb dead and my weakest point is off the floor and mid shin.
  • Everything else went smoothly.
  • Normal rucking first thing this morning
  • Still continuing all of the rehab stuff I am doing for my bicep. On the meds for 5 days. Hopefully it will be a decent amount better by that time.

Hope all is going well out there!

568

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“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” --Kurt Vonnegut

Tuesday, 29JULY2014 - Work For Today

STRENGTH
At the top of Every :90 Seconds, I Completed 3 Incline Log Bench Presses.
255x3, 275x3, 305x3, 325x3, 345x3, 365x3, 375x1

GIANT SETS
10 Incline Log Bench Presses @ 255lbs: 1, 1, 1
10 Plyometric Push-Ups onto 18" Jump Boxes: 1, 1, 1
10 Standing Cable Crunches: 1, 1, 1

CONDITIONING
I Set a Treadmill at 10mph and got a mouthful of water. Completed 8 Minutes of :20 Seconds Sprinting / :10 Seconds Rest (Added .2mph every rest interval)…Held the water in my mouth for the entirety of this challenge. Spit it out after I was Done.

Then Completed 100 Ring Dips. But Every time I had to drop off the rings, I complete 20 Windshield Wipers as penalty. I had to drop off 4 Times.

NOTES:

  • This is the heaviest I have ever gone on Log incline so that is a good thing. I think I definitely have 405 in me in a little bit of time. It is amazing how much harder the exercise is with the log. I’ve hit 435x1 with a barbell on incline…I think it it harder because the first rep has to start dead from the pins. Love the exercise though.
  • The holding water in my mouth tabata thing is getting easier and easier so I tried to push it harder this time.
  • Ring dips were hard because my chest was already fried, but it worked as a great way to finish the workout.
569

Glad I finally stopped in here. Just reading this last page of your log was good for me…I like the quotes. passages and thoughts you throw up here. In a kinda rough place in life right now and keeping tabs on dudes like you is a big motivating factor to focus on what’s important. I’ll be dropping in consistently.

570

Alpha, I’ve been following your blog for a while and I think it’s a great thing what your doing here.
Anyways, if it’s not to much to ask for, I was wondering what would you do with shin splints? I’ve started to ruck but this pain in front of my shin started so I don’t know if I should keep on cause i figure my body will adapt or stop and try to do some prehab/rehab work.
Thanks again!

571

Great article Alpha, thanks for writing/posting.

572

Hungryformore: Thanks so much for saying that and for dropping in man! You inspire a TON of guys on here. Keep your chin up and if you are going through hell, just keep on moving. I am honored that I help you out with your mindset in some small way!

gvaldes: Well man every time I have had to deal with shin splints I roll them out on a PVC Roller and work on strengthening my tibialis anterior. That has always worked for me. I also think manipulating the incline may help you out some. I find that the steeper the better for me, but try different things and see what works for you. I hope that helps out brother, and thank you for the kind words!

justrob: Thank you so much man! I wasn’t sure how that one went over, but most of the feedback I have gotten has been pretty positive!

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“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” --Coco Chanel

Wednesday, 30JULY2014 - Work For Today

CONDITIONING
Minute 1: 1 Pull-Up + 1 Viper Press
Minute 2: 2 Pull-Ups + 2 Viper Presses
Minute 3: 3 Pull-Ups + 3 Viper Presses
Did this until I hit 12 Minutes/Reps

Then I was supposed to walk up sets to hit a rep @90%, 92.5% and 95% of my 1RM Squat…Instead I did this:
405x3, 455x3, 500x3, 520x1, 550x1, 585x1 and hit a new PR with a rep at 615. (Video Below)

Between Sets I completed
10 Meter Handstand Walk
3 Meter Butt Walk
8 Plate Around the Head (Each Side)
10 Sandbag Loads to a 54? Platform

Then I loaded a bar with 225 and completed 15 Rounds of:
3 Speed Front Squats
Rest 15 Seconds

NOTES:

  • Normal Rucking first thing this morning
  • Fight practice this afternoon.
  • Today was the first day I have ever tried using knee wraps. Not sure how I feel about them, but they are legal in strongman comps so I figured I better learn how to use them.
  • the 615 Squat really didn’t feel too bad at all. I really think I have a good bit more in the tank but I will take it as a PR for today!
  • You can see my left groin is Voodoo Banded up for the set because of the pull/tear in there. Doing this just helps it feel a little bit better when squatting. Check out the video

Thanks for reading!

573

[quote]Alpha wrote:
Hungryformore: Thanks so much for saying that and for dropping in man! You inspire a TON of guys on here. Keep your chin up and if you are going through hell, just keep on moving. I am honored that I help you out with your mindset in some small way!

gvaldes: Well man every time I have had to deal with shin splints I roll them out on a PVC Roller and work on strengthening my tibialis anterior. That has always worked for me. I also think manipulating the incline may help you out some. I find that the steeper the better for me, but try different things and see what works for you. I hope that helps out brother, and thank you for the kind words!

justrob: Thank you so much man! I wasn’t sure how that one went over, but most of the feedback I have gotten has been pretty positive!

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“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” --Coco Chanel

Wednesday, 30JULY2014 - Work For Today

CONDITIONING
Minute 1: 1 Pull-Up + 1 Viper Press
Minute 2: 2 Pull-Ups + 2 Viper Presses
Minute 3: 3 Pull-Ups + 3 Viper Presses
Did this until I hit 12 Minutes/Reps

Then I was supposed to walk up sets to hit a rep @90%, 92.5% and 95% of my 1RM Squat…Instead I did this:
405x3, 455x3, 500x3, 520x1, 550x1, 585x1 and hit a new PR with a rep at 615. (Video Below)

Between Sets I completed
10 Meter Handstand Walk
3 Meter Butt Walk
8 Plate Around the Head (Each Side)
10 Sandbag Loads to a 54? Platform

Then I loaded a bar with 225 and completed 15 Rounds of:
3 Speed Front Squats
Rest 15 Seconds

NOTES:

  • Normal Rucking first thing this morning
  • Fight practice this afternoon.
  • Today was the first day I have ever tried using knee wraps. Not sure how I feel about them, but they are legal in strongman comps so I figured I better learn how to use them.
  • the 615 Squat really didn’t feel too bad at all. I really think I have a good bit more in the tank but I will take it as a PR for today!
  • You can see my left groin is Voodoo Banded up for the set because of the pull/tear in there. Doing this just helps it feel a little bit better when squatting. Check out the video

Thanks for reading![/quote]

Awesome lifting man. That squat looked perfect, and smooth. It’s gotta feel good to hit a PR in that fashion.

574

trivium: Man, thank you so much! It felt awesome to hit it, and feels even better to know that I have more than that in me! Thanks for stopping in and posting brother!

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“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” --Denis Waitley

Thursday, 31July2014 - Work For Today

Deck of Cards Workout: Complete the number of Repetitions corresponding with the number on the card. Face Cards = 10 Reps, Aces = 11.

Spades: Sumo Deadlift High Pulls With a 2" Axle Bar (155lbs)
Diamonds: Burpee Lateral Jumps
Clubs: Floor Presses With a 2" Axle Bar (155lbs)
Hearts: Double Unders x3 (7-21 Reps, 4=12 Reps)

Joker 1: 8 Rounds Tabata Deficit Push-Ups
Joker 2: 8 Rounds Tabata Hollow Rocks

NOTES:

  • Normal rucking in the morning
  • Today was kind of an off day so i just got some conditioning in. The Deck of cards workout is always tough on the lungs. But I am glad I did it rather than taking the entire day off.
575

[quote]Alpha wrote:
Joker 1: 8 Rounds Tabata Deficit Push-Ups
Joker 2: 8 Rounds Tabata Hollow Rocks
[/quote]
Last time I did this I remember we had some challenge thing for the Joker which we did on the first one, but after that we decided to make the second Joker a water break lol.

576

csulli: Hahahah yea man, I totally get that! The urge for a water break becomes VERY strong during this!

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“I don’t believe that you have to be better than everybody else. I believe that you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” --Ken Venturi

Friday, 01August2014 - Work For Today

CONDITIONING - At the Start of Every Minute
Minute 1: 1 Pull-Up, 2 Burpees, 3 Push-Ups, 4 Mountain Climbers
Minute 2: 2 Pull-Ups, 4 Burpees, 6 Push-Ups, 8 Mountain Climbers
Minute 3: 3 Pull-Ups, 6 Burpees, 9 Push-Ups, 12 Mountain Climbers
Minute 4: 4 Pull-Ups, 8 Burpees, 12 Push-Ups, 16 Mountain Climbers
Minute 5: 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Burpees, 15 Push-Ups, 20 Mountain Climbers
Minute 6: 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Burpees, 15 Push-Ups, 20 Mountain Climbers
Minute 7: 4 Pull-Ups, 8 Burpees, 12 Push-Ups, 16 Mountain Climbers
Minute 8: 3 Pull-Ups, 6 Burpees, 9 Push-Ups, 12 Mountain Climbers
Minute 9: 2 Pull-Ups, 4 Burpees, 6 Push-Ups, 8 Mountain Climbers
Minute 10: 1 Pull-Up, 2 Burpees, 3 Push-Ups, 4 Mountain Climbers

STRENGTH - Loaded the log with 235lbs
5 Log Presses, Rest 45 Seconds
5 Log Presses, Rest 45 Seconds
5 Log Presses, Rest 45 Seconds
3 Log Presses, Rest 30 Seconds
3 Log Presses, Rest 30 Seconds
3 Log Presses, Rest 30 Seconds
1 Log Press, Rest 15 Seconds
1 Log Press, Rest 15 Seconds
1 Log Press, Rest 15 Seconds

GIANT SETS - 5 Rounds
3 Weighted Semi-Supinated Pull-Ups: 100, 100, 100, 100, 100
3 Standing Strict Presses: 205, 225, 235, 245, 255
1 2? Axle Deadlift (Max Effort Hold at the top of each rep): 500, 500, 500, 500, 500
8 Barbell Landmines (Each Side)
Max Effort Bumper Plate Farmer?s Walk (Pinch Hold): 45’s, 45, 45, 45, 45

NOTES:

  • Normal Rucking first thing in the morning
  • Fight practice this afternoon
  • Stayed light on everything because this is my first day off the naproxin for my bicep. Felt pretty good. More pain than when I was taking it, but much better than it was before taking the med. We will see how it does with yoke walks tomorrow.
  • The med has also seemed to have solved the left shoulder issue as well. This is a very good thing so that I can start doing pull-ups every day again.
577

That was a great squat.

Glad to hear the bicep (and shoulder) are feeling better already.

578

LoRez: Thanks so much man! Yea they are definitely better than they were, but the yoke definitely aggravated it some today.

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“What is to be done with the millions of facts that bear witness that men, consciously - that is fully understanding their real interests - have left them in the background and have rushed headlong on another path, to meet peril and danger. Compelled to this course by nobody and by nothing, but as it were, simply disliking the beaten track. And have obstinately, willfully, struck out another difficult, absurd way, seeking it almost in the darkness…And what if it happens that a man’s advantage, sometimes, not only may, but even must, consist in his desiring in certain cases what is harmful to himself?” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Saturday, 02AUGUST2014 - Work For Today

2 Hours of fight practice this morning…Once I got home, I did this:

140 Foot Yoke Walk: 380x140, 470x140, 560x140, 650x140, 700x140

Then Completed 1 - 60 Foot Carry at the top of every minute for 10 Minutes with 560lbs on the yoke.

Finished with 100 Glute Ham Raises. Broken up into different reps and sets.

NOTES:

  • I love and hate the yoke all at the same time. It is so punishing of an exercise, yet it makes all of my lifts go up.
  • Fight practice went really well.
579

No weights for me today, just a long fight practice this morning. I was supposed to train a group of people outside today where I would have fit some extra work in, but it rained here a lot of the morning and tire flips and prowler pushes don’t work out very well on soaked grass…

Getting ready to go for some new PR’s as my 10 week program is just about up. I have already hit some throughout the time, but I am hoping to break a few big ones in the upcoming weeks. If I do, I’ll be sure to post some vids.

580

This should be exciting, good luck!