Alpha's Work II

Training Training Logs
921

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I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.

-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960

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i just landed for where i will be for the next 20 hours or so, so i went to my room, changed into my PT gear and got down to the gym only to find a lot lot of nothing weight wise…so it became a low impact GGP day…

13October2010: GPP

Type II rower: 1000 meters as fast as possible
Elliptical: 800 meters as fast as possible

Type II rower: 1000 meters as fast as possible
Elliptical: 800 meters as fast as possible

Type II rower: 1000 meters as fast as possible
Elliptical: 800 meters as fast as possible

Type II rower: 1000 meters as fast as possible
Elliptical: 800 meters as fast as possible

Shadow boxing:

2 minutes
1 minute rest

2 minutes
1 minute rest

2 minutes
1 minute rest

2 minutes
1 minute rest

2 minutes
1 minute rest

Stretching and some LAX ball work…

Notes:

well i sweated some. I wish i could be running but my foot has kind of taken a turn for the worse…maybe it will be better tomorrow…We will see what else i can fit in during this trip!

Die Empty

922

tough question…
I suppose I feel I’m on the right path.
I have my university degree
Bought my condo
Had a couple of life altering meals and wines
traveled a few places
married a good man
Taking care of my family.

If I was to die tomorrow I would be sad that I didn’t get to dive somewhere amazing after spending all that time and money on courses. That will be rectified in January.

I try to challenge myself regularly, I act with self respect and respect for others. I can die and feel I’ve had a good balanced life.

923

Haven’t posted in a while, but been keeping up with the log bro!
Weights are looking good, it seems that you are getting to a point where you’ll break some PRs soon. That Harper Lee quote really stuck with me. Keep killing it.

924

BUMP!

Alpha’s Log on page 3?? I don’t think so!

925

nlmain: i know! secretly i am asking just to help figure the answer out for myself! gear response but i am still trying to figure out what it means or myself…

ebomb:Yeah brother, I still read your log every time you update as well! you are a VERY consistent mofo and your results show that! I hope i can break some PR’s soon, as long as my injuries don’t hold me back…I will do my best! But man, I cannot say how much it means that a lifter of your caliber(and some others who check in as well)…what an inspiration it is for me to be better each time i lift! thanks for the inspiration!

Lift and eat: thanks for the bump brother! i hate being back there!

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I’d give a quote but honestly cannot remember the last time i slept for more than like 1-2 hours…maybe monday night???

anyway i just got done more GPP since the gym is closed right now at these hours…

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

I’m making the most of a bad situation…you can definitely believe that…and good things are on my horizon! but i cannot describe how tired i am…still sleep evades me…

Be good everyone…also as part of my discipline I have decided to read the entire bible from cover cover (my deadline is Christmas)…along with other books…if you are not working toward something you are falling for anything…just past through Leviticus…that was some rough shite…

I hope to fit another workout in, in a few hours…FML…

Take it easy…well as easy as easy comes to you…

it should be interesting…all of my free time will be taken up with reading…

926

a few months for the entire bible? that is very short. I don’t think it will give you much time to think and ponder. You’ll be breazing through it. Just my 2 cents. Maybe give yourself a little more time so that when you close the book you will feel you have given it a just time.

not that I’m a believer - only that any book that has such a hold on society deserves to be given time and consideration.

927

[quote]Alpha wrote:
nlmain: i know! secretly i am asking just to help figure the answer out for myself! gear response but i am still trying to figure out what it means or myself…

ebomb:Yeah brother, I still read your log every time you update as well! you are a VERY consistent mofo and your results show that! I hope i can break some PR’s soon, as long as my injuries don’t hold me back…I will do my best! But man, I cannot say how much it means that a lifter of your caliber(and some others who check in as well)…what an inspiration it is for me to be better each time i lift! thanks for the inspiration!

Lift and eat: thanks for the bump brother! i hate being back there!

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I’d give a quote but honestly cannot remember the last time i slept for more than like 1-2 hours…maybe monday night???

anyway i just got done more GPP since the gym is closed right now at these hours…

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minutes rest/15 buprees

I’m making the most of a bad situation…you can definitely believe that…and good things are on my horizon! but i cannot describe how tired i am…still sleep evades me…

Be good everyone…also as part of my discipline I have decided to read the entire bible from cover cover (my deadline is Christmas)…along with other books…if you are not working toward something you are falling for anything…just past through Leviticus…that was some rough shite…

I hope to fit another workout in, in a few hours…FML…

Take it easy…well as easy as easy comes to you…

it should be interesting…all of my free time will be taken up with reading…[/quote]

Leviticus (and the other parts of the OT law) are hard to get through. Hang in there, it gets better.

928

As someone who went to a Lutheran school from kindergarten-6th grade I can’t tell you how many times I’ve [been forced to] read the bible. And in my humble opinion, it doesn’t get any easier/better. But, I do think it’s a fundamental read. Good luck bro.

929

nlmain, double duce and flash: thanks for checking in everyone…yeah i have read the bible a few other times before. But it is always challenging to me, so i though I would go for it again…Thanks for the encouragement though!

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Training has been pretty7 limited…got a jog in yesterday but my foot is still a little rough and today is still up in the air, we will see what unfolds.

Anyway just wanted to check in and say hi and thanks!

I hope all is well out there!

930

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“To be pleased with one’s limits is a wretched state.”

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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16October2010: Training (kind of?)

Well i am stuck in a junky international hotel, and they had a universal and some dumbells that were labled 1-16 with those reflective sticker numbers for the side of mailboxes…I am guessing the heaviest were about 35lbs…so when i talk about dumbells, those are what i am talking about…

the circuit I came up with: no rest at all…

1a. wide grip Pull-ups: 12, 12, 12, 12, 12
1b. Dumbbell squat presses: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
1c. Burpees: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
1d. Push-ups (plyometric): 20, 20, 20, 20, 20
1e. Back extensions: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
1f. Dips (plyometric): 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Then i finished up with:

20 Chin ups
10 Dumbbell Lateral raises
20 Chin ups
10 Dumbbell lateral raises
20 chin-ups
10 Dumbbell Curls

Well it was something, but I cannot wait to get back to the States and get to a real gym again…I am craving real workouts and real weights…not to mention food and sleep…

Thanks for reading and head over to http://www.5100block.com/ in the next day or so, i will (hopefully) be posting an article on how to improve your pull-up numbers…oh yeah and click on some ads while you are searching around over there…we just hired a new staff member as well…should be writing some pretty hilarious stuff…

thanks for the support!

931

I am checking in as well…have you considered having your foot looked at by your favorite people? ( a doctor) or you holding out because you just want to do your job?

Take care!

932

Your T-levels will thank me!

933

I ordered a sand bag from muscle driver. Right now I am using an old duffel bag filled with sand but it tends to leak everywhere. The sand bag is a good training tool for GPP type work and since I have been following along with the military athlete workouts its pretty much required. One of these could be a big help to those who travel. Once I start traveling more for work again I could bring the empty bag with me and find material locally to fill it. When finished dump it out rinse, wash if needed and pack up. Something extra to have instead of just having to rely on the aweful hotel gyms everyone hates.

934

MIM: well i am holding out mainly because i don’t want to hear what they are going to tell me. but also because I haven’t been in the US for a few weeks and doctors in other countries are scary to me! i figure i will be ok. Bones heal right?

Chi-town: well it worked out brother and it definitely DID help me with feeling less starved! Good suggestion brother!

je5335: This is a great idea brother! i have messed around with old duffel bags filled with wood chips doing that sort of stuff (it seems to stay in better than sand) and have really liked the workouts…but taking one over seas is a great idea man! i may just have to do this! thanks man!

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“The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going”

-Epictetus

“When I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgement, i will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”

-Deuteronomy 32: 41-42

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18October2010: Training

Strength: Giant sets

1a.Weighted Semi-Supinated Pull-Ups: 135x3, 145x3, 160x3, 170x3, 180x2, 160x3, 160x3
1b. Standing Barbell Military Press: 195x3, 215x3, 235x3, 245x2, 245x2, 235x3, 235x3
1c. Oblique: 7 Sets of 10 reps Each side

2a. Front squats: 275x3, 315x3, 335x3 (back got weird)
2b. Close grip standing Barbell Shrugs: 315x10, 365x10, 365x10
2c. Standing DB Lateral raises: 40x10, 50x10, 50x10
2d. Hang clean (to get the bar back up for front squats): 225x1 3 times

Extract: 50 Burpee Pull-ups as fast as possible

Notes:

-Well 180lbs on pull-ups felt pretty good, it is the first time i have had 4 plates hanging from my waist on pull for a while, so that is a good thing.

-military press felt pretty strong today as well. 2 sets of 245x2 isn’t to shabby for just getting home from all of that junk.

-the front squats were feeling really light and easy but during my 3rd rep of my 3rd set my back did one of it’s weird things where it feel like it is going to spasm, give out and lay me up for a while, so I called it a day for them…

-and i got an extract back in today, with just about killed me!

i wrote up an article on how to improve your pull-up performance over at 5100block, you can check it out here: 全网最全欧美影视资源 - 免费观看高质量内容，尽情享受无尽乐趣 and if you like it make sure to show some love to the sponsored ads!

Thanks for reading everyone!

935

Great article alpha! I feel like im at a plateau with pull ups at 5x5 with BW. For a few sets ill maybe hit 6 or 7 but yeah. I am going to switch to weighted chins as you said in sets of 3 working up to my 3rm. Thanks!

Great training and stay strong!

936

Alpha,

I enjoyed your post on pull-ups. Not only was it educational, but very entertaining! I’m assuming you recommend taking the same approach to dips?

How do you recommend improving push-ups? They are harder to load than chins/dips. You can’t hang weights from a chain like we do on chins/dips. Maybe a weighted vest? Those things are pretty expensive and I can’t afford one. Load weights into a backpack? Throw chains over our back? There’s gotta be a better way.

See, the approach I have been experimenting with lately is called “ladders.” I start with one rep and then just keep adding a rep on each subsequent set until close to failure. The start over at one, so: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2…This lets you do a lot of reps without hitting failure, but like you said, trying to do more and more reps probably isn’t the best approach possible. So I started using the “ladder” approach with weighted chins and dips instead of body weight. On push-ups I would tweak the way I did the ladder. Since push-ups are way easier than chins and dips, I wouldn’t just do multiples of one…I would do 2s or 3s so…2,4,6,8,10,12,14,2,4,6,8,10,2,4,6,8,2,4,6,2,4. I figured this would increase the difficulty.

I may stay with the “ladder” approach a few more weeks to see if I gain anything from it. I’m also eager to try your 10x3 set-up. I tried the “ladder” approach because Pavel recommends it and it’s what he uses to get his military guys ready for PT tests.

Thanks again.

P.S- in regards to the Punkin Ale…I never thought you were a drinker…haha.

937

pbclax: Thanks so much man, i really appreciate the kind words! let me know how it works out for you brother!

Animal mother: Yea i would definitely say follow the same idea with dips…but with Push-ups i would recommend something a little bit different, but it is too long of an explanation for right here. I actually have plans to write another whole article on it. I’ll let you know when it comes out, but for right now I think ladders is a good thing to be working on. I will try to get the article out fairly soon!

Also, about the drinking..you sir, were wrong. i do enjoy the occasional cold beverage! i even just brewed my own beer this past month! Thanks for checking in brother!

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19October2010: GPP

Not sure if it counts as traditional GPP but spent quite a few hours today splitting and stacking wood with a 20lb maul and then went for a long ruck all around some of the battlefields in Gettysburg…

Going to get some sort of a workout in tomorrow, but am not completely sure what kind just yet…

Thanks so much for reading and for the comments and questions!

938

Animal mother, have you tried having someone load 45 plates on your back? It’s tricky but works if you center them right. Barbells, dumbbells and dips do the job for me though.

Glad I helped with the hunger pains, keep kicking ass brother!

939

[quote]Alpha wrote:
pbclax: Thanks so much man, i really appreciate the kind words! let me know how it works out for you brother!

Animal mother: Yea i would definitely say follow the same idea with dips…but with Push-ups i would recommend something a little bit different, but it is too long of an explanation for right here. I actually have plans to write another whole article on it. I’ll let you know when it comes out, but for right now I think ladders is a good thing to be working on. I will try to get the article out fairly soon!

Also, about the drinking..you sir, were wrong. i do enjoy the occasional cold beverage! i even just brewed my own beer this past month! Thanks for checking in brother!

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19October2010: GPP

Not sure if it counts as traditional GPP but spent quite a few hours today splitting and stacking wood with a 20lb maul and then went for a long ruck all around some of the battlefields in Gettysburg…

Going to get some sort of a workout in tomorrow, but am not completely sure what kind just yet…

Thanks so much for reading and for the comments and questions! [/quote]
Actually did them for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised! PR’ed with BW+25x3 as my 3RM. So each time you do them try to add weight, right Alpha?

940

[quote]Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
Animal mother, have you tried having someone load 45 plates on your back? It’s tricky but works if you center them right. Barbells, dumbbells and dips do the job for me though.

Glad I helped with the hunger pains, keep kicking ass brother![/quote]

I have done the plates. The only thing is that you can only stack so many plates on your back without them sliding off. I also train alone and don’t usually ask people for anything more than the occasional spot. Chains work well.