[quote]Alpha wrote:
It felt heavy and I never really hit my groove today, but I’ll take it![/quote]
This should be reposted in the grinders thread haha.
Great lift. I love when you can grind something and have the discipline to keep form. I don’t think there is a better feeling.
I do have to say you are a BEAST puller. That 655 was freaking amazing. Didn’t even look like your body broke down that much either. Awesome!!
Your form is great! How come you deadlift in conventional stance much better than the years you deadlifted in sumo stance and the back issues you? No back issues at all?
If so it’s remarkable, maybe your vertebrae healed somehow?
Back in the day you had a lot more health issues than now,
Hope you’re well bro.
Dude congratz on the 655lbs! Deadlift…thats what I call an Alpha lift…pun intended.
But seriously congratulations on continuing to climb the deadlift ladder.
Trivium: Hahaha you are probably right man, it was a bit of a grind. I’ll take it though! Thanks for stopping in and posting man!
strongmanvinny: Thanks man, that means a lot! Yea, it didn’t feel like my best pull, but I stuck with it and it worked out. Really glad I got it! Thanks for posting man!
Regev: Thanks man and yea, my back seems to be all healed up. I really took some time off deadlifting within the 85+ percentage of my 1RM and really broke my form down and it really seemed to help out a lot. I think I am just smarter about they way I go into things these days.
As far as health issues, as long as the brain tumor continues to remain stagnant I seem to do ok. It seems like when it grows and secretes weird hormones into my system it really messes me up. I just hope it stays the way it is right now! Thanks so much for asking brother!
Farmer Owen: Thanks so much for the kind words man, it means a lot to be closer to 700 than 600…The program I wrote up and have been following has really seemed to be working along with the strongman training. I’m gonna keep chasing that 700lb pull. Thanks for stopping in brother!
Tuesday, 12AUGUST2014 - Work For Today
FINDING NEW 1RM
Took 15 Minutes to work up to a 1RM Flat Bench Press
135x5
225x5
275x4
315x3
365x2
385x1
405x1
425x1
455x1
475x1 (Vid)
500xNope. Spotters grabbed it when I got a little out of the groove
STRENGTH
20 Pull-Ups
20 Flat Bench Presses @ 245
20 Ring Dips
15 Pull-Ups
15 Flat Bench Presses @ 245
15 Ring Dips
10 Pull-Ups
10 Flat Bench Presses @ 245
10 Ring Dips
CONDITIONING
50 Double Unders
50 Hollow Rocks
40 Double Unders
40 Hollow Rocks
30 Double Unders
30 Hollow Rocks
20 Double Unders
20 Hollow Rocks
10 Double Unders
10 Hollow Rocks
50 Double Unders
50 Hollow Rocks
NOTES:
475lb Flat Bench
CONDITIONING
With a continuously running clock?Complete 12 Chest To Bar Pull-Ups the first minute, 11 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups the second minute, 10 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups the third minute, 9 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups the fourth minute?Continue this pattern until you reach 1 Chest to Bar Pull-Up.
Then, With a continuously running clock?Complete 24 Deficit Push-Ups the first minute, 22 Deficit Push-Ups the second minute, 20 Deficit Push-Ups the third minute, 18 Deficit Push-Ups the fourth minute?Continue this pattern until you reach 2 Deficit Push-Ups.
Then, With a continuously running clock?Complete 36 Squats the first minute, 33 Squats the second minute, 30 Squats the third minute, 27 Squats the fourth minute?Continue this pattern until you reach 3 Squats.
STRENGTH
Took 20 Minutes to Find My New 1RM Squat.
225x5
315x5
405x4
450x2
500x2
550x1
575x1
585x1
605x1
635x1 (PR Vid Below)
Then Completed 15 Rounds of 3 Speed Squats @ 365lbs. Took 15 Seconds Rest Between Sets.
Then Completed 4 Rounds
Run 400 Meters
20 Green Band Leg Curls
NOTES:
-I hit the 605 set a little off so the rep was slow. But after thinking it through, I decided that I really wanted to see 6 - 45’s + Quarters on the bar so i went for it. Sorry for the bad camera angle but there was literally NO one else in the gym to tape it. I set the camera and went for it. Big PR for me and I feel pretty good with this number.
635 Squat
An easy PR and a good looking squat. You’ve got a hell of a total having not really trained for it.
All inspiring, as usual. Keep on leading the way.
edit… such a good squat, it commanded my 1000th post
Awsome PRs and awesome total! As I said in the last reply-your form is much better than it used to be.
You should try a powerlifting meet once, you set the singles PRs so why not to do it surrounded by a bunch of strong people? A lot strongman athletes compete in PL.
I bet you can set some records even though this is not your main focus.
Any way, you’re strong MOFO.
Everytime I come in here I realize I am such a puss bag lol.
HOLY GUACAMOLE! Big PR’s all week dude congratz! That was one fast 635lber and without a spotter!
Huge numbers in here as always, glad the PRs are coming. Yeh I agree, though it’s not your priority & you prob don’t have time with your schedule, you should do a pl meet. If you can hit PRs in the big 3 without doing specific meet prep then why not pick a meet for next time you’re aiming to test your PRs & just go & do them there?
mahwah: Thanks so much man! I am honored to have gotten your 1000th post! I really appreciate what you said man.
Regev: Thanks so much for the kind words man, I have spent a lot of time breaking down my squat form as well. It has really made a difference. I am considering doing a meet, I am just unsure of where to start! Thanks for posting brother!
Reed: Hahahaha whatever man! You are crushing me on the front squat! I have no doubt you will surpass me on everything very soon!
Farmer Owen: Yea, thank man! I was a big week for me! I am definitely tired from it! And yea I don’t really use spotters at all. Sometimes I will on my heaviest sets of bench, but I don’t like lift offs and tell them to stay far enough away that I cannot see them. It is just a psychological thing for me. Thanks so much for what you said and for posting in here man!
Lift and Eat: I think I would try one, but to be completely honest I do not know one person in real life who has ever done a meet and I am completely lost when I think about where to start training for one. I am sure I could figure it all out, just am not sure if I want to take the time out of my schedule to do so.
But now that you guys are mentioning it, I think I will. It would be a good focus after Strongman Nationals. Thanks, as always, for stopping in and posting, brother!
Thursday, 14AUGUST2014 - Work For Today
CONDITIONING
40 Reps of " Burpee/Push-Up/Jumping Jack/ Sit-Up/Handstand Combo" in Less than 10 Minutes.
1 Rep = Complete a Burpee, Drop and complete a Push-Up, stand and complete a Jumping Jack, drop and complete a full Sit-Up (Arms extended above your head), stand and complete a 1 Second Handstand Hold.
FINDING 1RM
Took 15 Minutes to Find 1RM Log Clean & Press.
165x5
215x5
235x3
255x2
275x1
305x1
315x1
325xFail…Got the clean and about half of the press. I think i am just shot from all of the work earlier in the week.
SPEED
Then Completed 15 Rounds of 3 Log Clean & Presses @215. Took 15 Seconds Rest Between Sets.
STRENGTH
8 ?Z? Presses: 135, 135, 135, 135, 135
10 Dragon Flags: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
Handstand Walk - 30 Feet: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
8 Dumbbell External Rotations (Each Side): 20’s, 20, 20, 20, 20
NOTES:
Normal Rucking first thing in the morning.
Kinda bummed I didn’t get the 325 today because I KNOW i can do it. I really think my CNS is just run down from the entire week of PR’s. I did tie my PR from last week though and it was MUCH easier…
I may hit another PR here and there for the next few weeks, but I recalculated my percentages and have to get back to the grind so that I can get stronger before Nationals again…Sucks, because I LOVE just going in and throwing heavy stuff around, but the last 10 weeks of programming definitely have made me stronger than I have even been in my entire life and I need to keep that train running if I don’t want to embarrass myself at nationals.
Thanks for reading everyone!
I bet that if you would have rested a bit more before the attempt you would have got it!
Anyway, good work!
Regev: Yea man, i definitely am strong enough to get that. Just need to do a better job next time. Thanks for stopping in man!
Friday, 15AUGUST2014 - Work For Today
4:00 Minutes of Tabata (:20 Seconds Work/:10 Seconds Rest for 8 Rounds)
Yoke Walks @ 600lbs
4:00 Minutes of Tabata (:20 Seconds Work/:10 Seconds Rest for 8 Rounds)
Glute Ham Raises
4:00 Minutes of Tabata (:20 Seconds Work/:10 Seconds Rest for 8 Rounds)
Yoke Walks @ 600lbs
4:00 Minutes of Tabata (:20 Seconds Work/:10 Seconds Rest for 8 Rounds)
50lb Medicine Ball Slams
4:00 Minutes of Tabata (:20 Seconds Work/:10 Seconds Rest for 8 Rounds)
Yoke Walks @ 600lbs
Excellent choice of quotation today.
Alpha - I have been following your log since iteration 3 began. I have glanced through the second installment as well. Like so many others, I am inspired by your work and thankful that you take the time to post here. Though being 39, I am just finishing my second year of strength training. I have been bitten by the bug hard. Really wish I would have joined the meat-heads earlier.
Quick question if I may. From the way the log is written, it appears that you are usually doing your conditioning work prior to your strength work. If this is correct, do you do this out of personal preference or because it is more effective?
Thanks again.
-Needa
Dude, stop thanking me for stopping in, I should thank you! You makes me better in a lot of senses, so thank YOU!
I’m not really familiar with the tabata method, what do you get from doing this? You’ve always said that before you do something in the gym you should ask yourself “how will it better me?”.
Another question, how do you set up your training? You schedule the strength part and the rest is more instinctive but always push yourself beyond your limits?
[quote]Captain Needa wrote:
Alpha - I have been following your log since iteration 3 began. I have glanced through the second installment as well. Like so many others, I am inspired by your work and thankful that you take the time to post here. Though being 39, I am just finishing my second year of strength training. I have been bitten by the bug hard. Really wish I would have joined the meat-heads earlier.
Quick question if I may. From the way the log is written, it appears that you are usually doing your conditioning work prior to your strength work. If this is correct, do you do this out of personal preference or because it is more effective?
Thanks again.
-Needa[/quote]
If by cardio you mean the morning rucks then I guess it’s just part of waking up every morning, at least for me that’s what it is.
Twojarslave: Thank you my friend, I am a big fan of Thompson’s work and life. I have notice that you are as well.
Captain Needa: Thanks so much for the kind words and that is great to hear that you have the bug. It is never to late to start man, just be glad you found it when you did!
As far as the conditioning prior to the strength. Being 34 and having a laundry list of injuries under my belt, I find that it warms me up to the point that nothing hurts when I start my strength training. I also find that it primes my CNS for the work it is about to do. I know a lot of people would disagree with me contending that the conditioning will take away from my strength but once I got used to it, I have never found that to be the case. If anything I am stronger when conditioning first. This is also why I often go for PR’s in the middle of giant sets.
I know that it has worked for me and a lot of the people I have coached. It just takes time to get past the mental barriers that it tends to set up. I hope that clears some things up and answers your question. Thanks for posting man and don’t be a stranger!
Regev: Well man, if I am being completely honest, 99% of the resin why I post my workouts on here is to help people, answer questions and try to change some people’s preconceived ideas. Without all of you posting in here, I wouldn’t keep a log going…
So I thank YOU, for thanking ME, for thanking YOU! …
As far as programming goes. The strength stuff rotates between strength, rep and explosive days based off of 1RM’s. The conditioning, like you guessed, is much more instinctual and helps prepare the muscles I am planning on using that day…Also, sometimes it is based off of skills I am trying to acquire or exercises I am trying to perfect and sometimes it is just conjuring up ideas that I know will suck and i will have to mentally push through. It is all a battle in my head and it is one that I know I have to fight every day or I will get softer…
Thanks for posting, brother! Hahahaha
More true words have never been spoken about any sort of combat …
This morning started with 2 hours of grappling sparring…Then I headed over to the building site for the new gym and helped lay all of the pipe for the radiant heat…Just got home…Long day, but great progress.
We pour the floor on monday, put in the 4 garage doors on tuesday, wednesday will be all about laying down the rubber and tatami mats and thursday, we should start moving all of the equipment in…Stoked. Gym should be just about complete by this time next week!
Open gym tomorrow (Outside strongman Conditioning) if any of you who live in the Maryland area are interested. Just shoot me an email through my site and I’ll hit you up with the address and time.
Alpha, care to put up some pics of the new gym? Don’t need the address etc if you want to keep that off this site - but be great to see how you’ve set things up, what equipment you have etc. Thanks, Rob.