Printed out and stuck to my wall
Thank you for being you. 
I know thats cheesy, not actually knowing you. But your words are enough to give me inspiration to stop being a wuss and just get shit done!
Most definitely worth the wait. Inspirational as always.
I donāt think Iāve ever posted in this log before but I do drop in from time to time to see whats going on with you. Its always motivating stuff but man, that last post just took it to a whole new level. Thanks for sharing man. Its going to stick with me for a long time.
Les Brown - Live Full, Die Empty
Man, I really like your āpractice how you playā philosophy on training. Iāve recently adopted the same philosophy, only we play two entirely different things, haha. Keep it up brother. Oh yeah, I fully expect a 3.5xbw deadlift vid within the next year. Itās in the bag mane.
Came home from squatting a PR feeling completely knackered, read the new rant got all psyched up went for a run now I feel great.
mmatt: Thanks man, thats a great compliment!
Heracles: thanks so much for the kind words and the vids brother. i think I have watched the first one like 20 times already!
Bambi: Thanks man!
MIM: haha well thank you! It is funny to see you say something sweet and then use āget shit doneā in the same breath!
Adam-F: Hey thanks man! Sorry they are so few and far between.
tokyo: Thanks so much for what you said man!I just hope it helps!
The dude: thanks so much for the video brother, I dug it! Die empty brother.
Whiteflash: hey brother! We may practice different things nowābut when we both become pirates together it is going to be awesome! and I am going to get that 3.5xBW dead lift man!
Redstar: That is awesome man! and congrats on the PR!
=====================================================
āOnly those are fit to live who do not fear to die; and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life. both life and death are parts of the same adventureā¦Unless men are willing to fight and die for great ideals, including love of country, ideals will vanish, and the world will become one huge sty of materialismā¦All of us who give service; and stand ready for sacrifice, are the torchbearersā¦They, who have dared the great adventure.ā
-Theodore Roosevelt
=======================================================
29 june 2010: Training
Insert: As fast as possible
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
15 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
15 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
Strength: Giant sets. As little rest between as you can stand
1a. Front squats: 275/6, 315/6, 335/5, 315/6
1b. weighted Semi supinated pull-ups: 100/8, 110/8, 110/8, 100/8
1c. Weighted abs: 4 Sets of 8 reps
2a. Wide grip BW pull-ups: 15, 15, 15, 15
2b. BB incline bench: 245/8, 275/8, 295/6, 275/8
2c. Weighted abs: 4 Sets of 8 Reps
Extract: As fast as possible
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
15 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
15 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
Notes:
-i think this will be the last higher rep workout i will do for a while. i was happy with it, and the insert/extract just about killed me, but the strength portion went fairly well.
-I think i am actually going to a bastardized version of 5/3/1 and see if it doesnāt help up some of my big three lifts. but of course i will still have the inserts/extracts and LOTS of accessory stuffā¦actually i shouldnāt even call it 5/3/1 at allā¦i am not sure how well it will work, but it gives me a lot of time working on my form, while still getting to throw around heavy thingsā¦
-Keep an eye on these though, i think they will turn into really interesting sessionsā¦
Thats for all of the nice feedback about the rant everyone, it helps me to know if I should keep writing them or not
[quote]Alpha wrote:
mmatt: Thanks man, thats a great compliment!
Heracles: thanks so much for the kind words and the vids brother. i think I have watched the first one like 20 times already!
Bambi: Thanks man!
MIM: haha well thank you! It is funny to see you say something sweet and then use āget shit doneā in the same breath!
Adam-F: Hey thanks man! Sorry they are so few and far between.
tokyo: Thanks so much for what you said man!I just hope it helps!
The dude: thanks so much for the video brother, I dug it! Die empty brother.
Whiteflash: hey brother! We may practice different things nowābut when we both become pirates together it is going to be awesome! and I am going to get that 3.5xBW dead lift man!
Redstar: That is awesome man! and congrats on the PR!
=====================================================
āOnly those are fit to live who do not fear to die; and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life. both life and death are parts of the same adventureā¦Unless men are willing to fight and die for great ideals, including love of country, ideals will vanish, and the world will become one huge sty of materialismā¦All of us who give service; and stand ready for sacrifice, are the torchbearersā¦They, who have dared the great adventure.ā
-Theodore Roosevelt
=======================================================
29 june 2010: Training
Insert: As fast as possible
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
15 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
15 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
Strength: Giant sets. As little rest between as you can stand
1a. Front squats: 275/6, 315/6, 335/5, 315/6
1b. weighted Semi supinated pull-ups: 100/8, 110/8, 110/8, 100/8
1c. Weighted abs: 4 Sets of 8 reps
2a. Wide grip BW pull-ups: 15, 15, 15, 15
2b. BB incline bench: 245/8, 275/8, 295/6, 275/8
2c. Weighted abs: 4 Sets of 8 Reps
Extract: As fast as possible
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
15 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
15 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
10 BB overhead squats w 135lbs
10 80 lb DB swings
Sprint 400 Meters
Notes:
-i think this will be the last higher rep workout i will do for a while. i was happy with it, and the insert/extract just about killed me, but the strength portion went fairly well.
-I think i am actually going to a bastardized version of 5/3/1 and see if it doesnāt help up some of my big three lifts. but of course i will still have the inserts/extracts and LOTS of accessory stuffā¦actually i shouldnāt even call it 5/3/1 at allā¦i am not sure how well it will work, but it gives me a lot of time working on my form, while still getting to throw around heavy thingsā¦
-Keep an eye on these though, i think they will turn into really interesting sessionsā¦
Thats for all of the nice feedback about the rant everyone, it helps me to know if I should keep writing them or not
[/quote]
Pirates??? That makes sense, 'cause Iāve been hunting booty for as long as I can rememberā¦
Alpha,
Do you have any advice on how to preserve joint health(mainly the knees and ankles) when running several times per week on top of lower body training?
- I perform 3 full body workouts per week. Lower body always gets trained in some way. Right now Iām on a 4-way split. lower body training looks like this:
day1- max effort squat or deadlift
day2- posterior chain(RDL, GM, DB swings, etc.)
day3- unilateral squat movement
day4- posterior chain
-
Depending on how I feel and how the rest of my training is going, I perform cardio āfinishersā after I lift. These could be jump rope, BB complexes or body weight circuits.
-
On off days, I usually run hills, do flat ground sprints, do strongman training(programmed for conditioning) and have started to add in LSD runs.
For example, today I ran 1.7 miles to the hill, did some sprints and then ran back home.
Iām trying to find that balance of work and recovery for my joints. I want to work hard and push myself bu also donāt want to grind my knees into dust.
I figure this is going to be trial and error to figure out how much I can take, but do yo have and advice?
Alpha, somethings you write about reminds me of some pieces of wisdom my grandfather used to give me. The man fought in WWII so I believe there was lots of things to learn with what he said. I just thought this would be an interesting remark, anyway, nice rant bro. You seem to like reading a lot, something we have in common, what readings would you recommend for inspiration ?
[quote]Alpha wrote:
mmatt: Thanks brother, hopefully you will like this one as wellā¦
=============================================
Dear Alpha,
A long time ago someone much more intelligent than you once said, āIf you ever find yourself in a rut, you had better start climbing out; because the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.ā I fear it is time, my friend, for you to start climbingā¦
But if the idea of being āaverageā makes you ill, and you KNOW you were made for more, well than brother, dig inā¦cause itās time to start climbingā¦
LOLZ and HUGZ,
Your BFF
[/quote]
Only the mediocre are always at their best.
Jean Giraudoux
I hadnāt heard the phrase about the rut before and I like it. Apathy is the quiet death of a fulfilling life.
I am so glad you wrote another rant! Although I didnāt hear the āscreaming drill instructorā tone that I have heard in some of the other tones. This is the tone of the friend that, when you say āI hate when I do that,ā says to you, āThen donāt do it again.ā
What can you possibly do to challenge yourself even more Alpha? Are you going to join The Avengers or something?
Admit it, youāve decided to take up Salsa dancing.
I hope the back is holding up.
well i stole your āfranā insert and extract idea for my workout today. It was awful and I hate you for it! I was cursing your name and everyone was looking at me funnyā¦ āwhy does this guy keep yelling 'Damn you Alpha! Damn yoouuuuuuu!ā hahaha It was rough and I wanted to get both of them under 5 minutes but that was not happening on the āextractā one.
I even had some crossfit guy come up and talk to me asking if I was doing fran and I told him it was my warm up and then gonna be my finisher of my workout. He was so confused lol
.greg.
Alpha, your log and videos RULES, you are the King of the Hill and master of motivation.
"I need to stop reading your log at night, it makes me too pumped "
Same here !!!
āwell i stole your āfranā insert and extract idea for my workout today. It was awful and I hate you for it! I was cursing your name and everyone was looking at me funnyā¦ āwhy does this guy keep yelling 'Damn you Alpha! Damn yoouuuuuuu!ā hahaha It was rough and I wanted to get both of them under 5 minutes but that was not happening on the āextractā one.
I even had some crossfit guy come up and talk to me asking if I was doing fran and I told him it was my warm up and then gonna be my finisher of my workout. He was so confused lol .greg.ā
When people are confused about what youāre doing, itās good sign!!!
Hey Alpha, Iām going to start trying some inserts/extracts like you do. They seem to be in line with my goals currently. Do you have any advice or simple ones to start off with? Thanks man
WhiteFlash: that made me laughā¦a lotā¦AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!
Animal mother: Man, i wish i knew more to help you out on this one brother. LOTS of fish oil, a clean diet, and a stead regiment of foam rolling/LAX ball stuff is what has worked for me. I feel your pain though man, right now it feels like a drunken horny rhino speared me in my kneesā¦stupid drunken rhinosā¦
Deltaone: Thanks for the comparison to your grandfather! I am sure that is an awesome compliment! As far as book go, I could seriously give suggestions to read all day longā¦it all depends on what motivates you. You into fiction or non-fiction? I am almost entirely a non fiction guy because I like to learn thingsābut I will read fiction from time to time but it feels a lot like mental masturbation to meā¦
Anyway, on the non fiction note, I just finished āoutliersā which inspired me a lot, and āA lion in the White houseā it is a biography of Teddy Rooseveltā¦The dude was a pretty sick guy for his time and has some of the best quotes still to this dayā¦i would recommend both. Give me an idea of what motivates you and I can send LOTS of suggestions your way. Thanks man
OG: You got me! i am a salsa dancing fool! Ha but thanks for such kind words girlie! And about the ādrill instructorā toneā¦maybe i am mellowing out in my old age! Buuuuuuttttt not at allā¦i donāt know, i guess i just felt like if you need external motivators or someone screaming in your face in order to push yourself to the next level than it doesnāt matter. Those kind of people will never make it when and where it mattersā¦those motivators wonāt always be there and if you rely on them, eventually the time will come when you are hurt cold and aloneā¦and at that time, i donāt want to be wondering if i have the balls to push myself through somethingā¦i know these are things you already know, i am just using you to get back on my soapboxā¦wanna go salsa dancing?..just kidding, Iām a grown arse man! i donāt dance!
Greg: thatās awesome man! Keep it up! and next time some crossfit guy interrupts your insert or extract punch him in the nose and tell him to learn how to do some real work.
Vorstef: Hey man, thanks so much for the nice words and for checking out the log man. Welcome and donāt be a stranger!
Mmatt: sure man, i would say start out with a quick paced 1.5 mile run, and finish with a 1 mile run as fast as you can (but donāt be surprised when this is the slowest mile of your life!) thatās how I startedā¦
If you donāt want to start out with running stuff, do 25 Burpee pull-ups on the way in and 25 on the way out.
Try it out and see how you feel brother. you can also checkout the 10,00000000 crossfit sites out there for ideas, or sealfit.com. just pick and pull and creat things that you dread doing, then get them done. Good luck brother and welcome to the suck!
=============================================================================================================
āWhat worries you masters you.ā
- Haddon W. Robinson
=============================================================================================================
01 July 2010: Recovery
today is ALL about recoveryā¦
i ran a brisk (yea i just used briskā¦but iām not gay i swear) 3 miles and did one hill sprint in the middle (because the hill looked lonely) and then came home and stretched out and did lot of foam rolling and LAX ball workā¦i didnāt have much choice, my knees are picketing outside my body holding signs that read, āVIVA LA CARTILAGE!!!āā¦
thanks for all of the comments everyone! it is so nice to sign on here and see all of them!
Hey man, thanks for the insight on the inserts/extracts. I did my first ones today and they were terrible. Iām definitely going to keep doing them
mmatt: That is awesome man! Definitely keep it up and see if it is going to work out for you!
=================================================
"Everything we have learned says that success follows a predictable course. It is not the brightest who succeed. Nor is success the simply the sum of decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. it is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities ā and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize themā¦
We look at the young Bill Gates and marvel that our world allowed that thirteen-year-old to become a fabulously successful entrepreneur. But thatās the wrong lessonā¦ our world only allowed one thirteen-year-old unlimited access to a time sharing terminal in 1968. If a million teenagers had been given the same opportunity, how many more Microsoftās would we have today?
To build a better world we need to replace the patchwork of lucky breaks and arbitrary advantages that today determines success."
-Malcolm Gladwell from the book āOutliersā
===============================================
02 July 2010: Training
Insert:
Run 400 Meters
20x 8 count bodybuilders
Jog 400 Meters backwards
20x 8 Count Bodybuilders
Run 400 Meters
20x 8 Count Bodybuilders
Strength: 5/3/1 Supersets
1a. Deads (All dead stopped on the floor): 380/5, 410/5, 440/5*
1b. Toes to bar: 4 sets of 8 reps
2a. Front Squats: 225/8, 275/6, 315/6
2b. Toes to bar: 3 sets of 8 reps
2c. DB swings: 80/8, 80/8, 80/8
3a. Rack deads (Pins set in the center of my knees): 495/4, 545/4
3b. BB Shrugs: 405/8, 455/8
Extract:
Run 400 Meters
20x 8 count bodybuilders
Jog 400 Meters backwards
20x 8 Count Bodybuilders
Run 400 Meters
20x 8 Count Bodybuilders
Notes:
-I am choose to do all of the deads today conventional rather than sumoā¦and i actually felt stronger. I have a tweaked hamstring so conventional seems to put less stress on it than the sumoā¦
*I also am only planning on doing the prescribed reps for most of the 5/3/1 stuff due to my higher volume stuffā¦
-I set the rack deads right in the center of my knee because it is the weakest point of my full ROM deads and where I miss liftsā¦and I swear they felt 100% heavier than doing the full deadliftā¦i hope working the weak part of my lift will help it go upā¦Only time will tellā¦but both of these sets just about killed me!
-i will kind of be in some bad lifting situations for the next few days, but I am going to try and get some stuff doneā¦if I can, i will post it. Other wise happy fourth of July to all of you out there!
Sickest physique on T-Nation bar none. I remember when I first stumbled upon this website I was directed to your infamous first log, it was the reason I came back to the site again and again. A truly inspirational member and a credit to the T-Nation flagship. Alpha=WIN.
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Deltaone: Thanks for the comparison to your grandfather! I am sure that is an awesome compliment! As far as book go, I could seriously give suggestions to read all day longā¦it all depends on what motivates you. You into fiction or non-fiction? I am almost entirely a non fiction guy because I like to learn thingsābut I will read fiction from time to time but it feels a lot like mental masturbation to meā¦
Anyway, on the non fiction note, I just finished āoutliersā which inspired me a lot, and āA lion in the White houseā it is a biography of Teddy Rooseveltā¦The dude was a pretty sick guy for his time and has some of the best quotes still to this dayā¦i would recommend both. Give me an idea of what motivates you and I can send LOTS of suggestions your way. Thanks man
[/quote]
Well man, I donāt know what to say, I read pretty much EVERYTHING that I get my hands on. Non-fiction, Fiction, even Self-Help books, I think thereās knowledge in all kinds of books, so I basically dig into the pages and absorb as much useful stuff I can. But I really like books that tells about peopleās achievements, or how theyāve delt with a specific event. For example, Iāve just finished āLone Survivorā by Marcus Lutrell, despite the book being filled with political remarks, I got plenty of inspiration from it. Iāve read Dean Karnazesās book, that guy who runs 200 kilometers as easily as climbing a stair, and Iāve also read āThe Art of Warā and Musashiās āFive Ringsā.
Iāve got my own private library, I could sit here all day writing about what I read, but as I said, I read everything! Haha, I hope you can get an idea for some suggestions out of what I wrote 