Alpha's Work IV

Training Training Logs
421

Regev: Thanks brother. Give it a shot, I guarantee you will hate it!

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“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” --Oscar Wilde

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” --George Bernard Shaw

MONDAY, 27APRIL2015 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 8/Day 1

CONDITIONING - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Reps of
Kettlebell Swings
Goblet Squats
Double Unders x2 (10 = 20 DUs, 9 = 18 DUs, etc)
***300 Meter Run holding a medicine ball after every EVEN numbered round

More Conditioning…(No access to my normal toys)
1 Dumbbell Snatch Right Side
1 Burpee
1 Dumbbell Snatch Left Side
1 Pull-Up

2 Dumbbell Snatches Right Side
2 Burpees
2 Dumbbell Snatches Left Side
2 Pull-Ups

3 Dumbbell Snatches Right Side
3 Burpees
3 Dumbbell Snatches Left Side
3 Pull-Ups

…Continued to add reps to the ladder all the way up to 18

NOTES:

  • Posted my latest article on my site neversate.com/wrath/2015/4/27/paying-attention-to-intention it is about applying intention to workouts. If you are interested, check it out.
  • Today was good, making the best of a less than ideal situation. But I was still able to sweat my arse off in a hotel gym.
  • Hope all id going well out there!
422

Very good article. I wish they would let you post some of them on the main page, but at least we get to read them and share them.

Also I can make it Saturday morning at 9am this week.

423

I read your new article, and it might be the most insightful piece on training I’ve come across. Thank you for taking the time to write the way you do, and to answer the questions you’re asked so comprehensively, you’ve helped me enormously, though you may not know it. As of a week ago, I’ve adopted your style of training, as I’ve recently become involved in something similar, perhaps, to what you do, and I can say already that I will never go back from it.

424

Alpha, just read your new article, your a hero.

I just can’t describe how much you strung something inside me:
I’m in my one way all the frickin time! Self-doubt bothers me daily.
And, as a nice touch: the fourth girl on a row rejected me. (Saddest thing is, that are all the girls I think I loved in my live!) (Every time it seems to wreck me again, I hoped my hearth would be more resilient by now. More conditioning needed to strengthen the bastard! )

A write-up like yours makes me feel so much beter. Don’t sugar coat the world. I love you man! Your words are inspirational and a tad harsh. The style makes it triggering: not loud and cliche, very down to earth and stomach-flipping harsh time to time.

As a guest-quote: Was mich nicht töted, macht mir stärker-Friedrich Nietsche

425

Alpha,

i’ve been using a 5x5 rep scheme for my main strength movements for the last 6 months with good success, but seem to be stuck now. A co-worker of mine is trying an EMOM-scheme for his strength movements lately.

My thoughts are as follows: hypertrophy (and to a certain extent strength) are built by basically doing lots of volume with moderate to high weights in a relatively short amount of time.

If i’d do 3 reps of 200 lbs. Military Press at the top of every minute for 15 minutes straight, i’d get 45 solid reps in a short amount of time (much shorter compared to 5x5 or something like that). That’d be followed by 2-3 assistance exercises and 1-2 isolation movements. I’m thinking that should lead to better strength and size gains than standard 5x5 workouts.

You’re doing EMOM in your conditioning, but I’m wondering whether that would also be an effective layout for building strength. What’s your opinion on that?

426

Roran: Sounds great brother, I will see you then! And thanks for the kind words!

LondonBoxer: Thanks you so much for that man, it means more than you know. I am never sure how these article come across, so I really appreciate the feedback. And congrats on the new job man, glad to be on the same team.

Pano: Thank you brother but I am no hero. I am sorry to hear about the girls man, just keep on swinging, you will find the right one when you are supposed to. And yea, I can see how you could have taken some of the article as harsh. I just try to put out the truth as I see it. It hits all different people in different ways. The important part is that some part of it touched something inside you, made you think about it, and it will hopefully lead you to greater things in the future. I know it will with you man. Just think of this as a motivator to bigger and better things. Thanks again for the kind words brother.

KDO: Yea man, I am a big fan of EMOM stuff for speed work, but that is only at like 60-70%. I think the model can definitely be used for strength and hypertrophy, but you may begin to run into problems when your weights get into the 80% and higher range. I am not saying that you cannot do it, but you may need to start looking at lengthening the intervals to 90 seconds or more when you get into the higher percentages or dropping reps off.

So Just breaking it down, my current Dead PR is 660lbs. So my 80% is approximately 560.
Hitting EMOM 3 reps for 10 minutes would be extremely tough for me at that weight, but I could definitely do 3 reps at the top of every 2 minutes. Or I could see hitting a single EMOM with that weight.

I think the main thing you have to be careful of is safety during the reps and not rushing it. If I go EMOM for squats, my set-up and walk out probably takes 20+ seconds alone. A set of 3 plus re-racking the bar is probably close to another 15-20 seconds, leaving me just 20 seconds to access the prior set and re start up my set-up. It wouldn’t be as big of a problem with an overhead like you said, but just make sure you are giving every set and every rep the attention it deserves so that you stay safe.

And I would agree with your EMOM set for strength, then a few assistance exercises, then a little isolation. I think that would work wonderfully. I run it for about 10 weeks, but you may need to play around with the amount of reps or the interval lengths for certain exercises such as deads and squats. You may want to reference prelipin’s table (sp) to get some ideas, but I think you are onto something great there! I hope that answers your questions man! If it doesn’t, just rephrase and I will try to give you a better answer. Good to hear from you man, it has been a while!

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“I started my life with a single absolute: that the world was mine to shape in the image of my highest values and never to be given up to a lesser standard, no matter how long or hard the struggle.” --Ayn Rand

TUESDAY, 28APRIL2015 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 8/Day 2

Real low on time today. My intent of the day was to go in and set an axle Deadlift PR…I set 2 of them.

Axle Deadlift
135xblah
225xsomemore
315xidunno
405x2
500x1
550x1
585x1
615x1 (PR Yay, Vid below)
636x1 (Bigger PR, bigger yay, vid below)

Then I threw the log into the cage for some
Log Incline Bench Press
155x5
245x3
295x2
335x2
365x1 (at the end of the vid)

NOTES:

  • I was running really low on time and had some people stop by to check out the gym while I was helping some of my other coaches out with so stuff. I was just hitting deadlifts between talking to everyone and giving the new people a quick down and dirty intro to the gym.
    Before I knew it I was up to 615 and didn’t want to look dumb by missing it in front of new people, so i pulled it and it went up pretty easily.

I figured, what the heck and threw on 635 feeling like there was no way I was getting it. I did. It almost slipped out of my hands but it didn’t. Very happy with his. Just threw in the 365 log bench because I had filmed it, that is no where near my PR on that.

Here is the Vid

427

Thanks for the answer! Your advice is much appreciated.

I was thinking about the rest issue with squats and deadlifts also. I have just tried a 15 Min. EMOM schema with overhead presses, which went fairly good- although I had to switch to push presses for the last 2 sets. What I like about this scheme is that it keeps the rest periods down and thus keeps me working hard almost constantly.

I hate sitting around for minutes in the gym doing basically nothing, so I thought of EMOM as a great idea. Short rest periods seem to be a corner stone of your philosophy, too. We will see how it goes, anyway. Thanks again!

428

KDO: You got it man! i am a huge advocate for keeping the rest periods short. That is why I do so many giant sets. No rest between exercises means that I get more done in my time and I don’t lose focus as easily. Thanks for stopping in and asking a question brother!

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“99% of failures come from people who make excuses.” --George Washington

WEDNESDAY, 29APRIL2015 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 8/Day 3

CONDITIONING
Minute 1: 2 Dumbbell Snatches (Each Side)
Minute 2: 4 Dumbbell Snatches (Each Side)
Minute 3: 6 Dumbbell Snatches (Each Side)
Minute 4: 8 Dumbbell Snatches (Each Side)
…Did this until I hit 15 Minutes / 30 Snathes each side when i couldn’t keep up with he clock anymore

CONDITIONING - 8 Rounds
Run 400 Meters
Rested exactly half the time it took me to complete the run, then begin the next.

NOTES:

  • Another one done in a hotel…Is what it is.
  • Feel really good after the deadlift PRs yesterday. No soreness and I am still pretty stoked about them
  • Thank you very much to all of you who took the time to head over to my site to read the new article, it means a lot that you guys do that.
429

Hey Alpha,

I lately read some stuff about conditioning advocating 30 sec/4 min rest. Pretty counterintuitive.

http://zhealtheducation.com/episode-76-rethinking-the-tabata-protocol/

Here is the concept made practical:

http://zhealtheducation.com/episode-94-rethink-tabata-follow-up/

Do you have some thoughts on it? Seems motivated well, but so counterintuitive.
(And if you are dropping some wisedom, maybe some relationship advice by someone who knows what he is talking about will be appreciated too;)

430

Really liked the new article man, absolute gold. Everyone should read it and re-read it. Sorry I didn’t make it out Monday or Tuesday; life attacked, as it tends to do.

431

Nice axle deadlifts! Does the lack of rotation make a big difference to the bar path? You looked pretty smooth on those sets, but I get the feeling that that’s more down to your stability than any lack of challenge - some serious weight being moved here. Impressive as always.

432

Pano: Very interesting article/video. I can’t say that I have an opinion on it because I have never tried it. But for their study, I would really like to see if their subjects were previously trained or not. If they were not trained, then the results don’t mean much, because an untrained individual will get better if they did anything consistently just because of starting at such a low level.

They claimed to make a 100% improvement in stamina…If they could do that with, say an olympic athlete, or even college athletes, then I think we would have heard of this by now. I am definitely going to give it a try, but I am pretty skeptical of anything that says it yields 100% improvement in trained individuals. I’ll let you know how it goes for me.

As far as relationships…The best advise I can give is that, with chicks, you will always find what you are looking for when you stop actively looking. Just work 100% on your own stuff. Drive as hard as you can after your goals and push each day to get better. If you appear desperate and needy at all, then you are not going to land any girls at all. When it seems like you cannot fit one more thing into your life and you are making great progress towards you goals, believe me…a chick will show up and interfere somehow. Not in a bad way, they just do. It is like they can smell it on you if you are looking for a girlfriend and it drives them away. Working on yourself will build your confidence, when you confidence is high, the girls will be approaching you…I hope that helps man, I am no relationship expert…

BJack: Thanks so much for saying that man! How did the contest go? And no worries about the other night, we will catch up again sometime soon.

haljc: Thanks brother! Ummm i wouldn’t say that the lack of rotation changes the bar path all that much, although thinking about it, it may make a little bit of difference during lockout. It is just mainly the challenge of the grip and the fact that there is absolutely ZERO flex in the bar. Previously, anything over 585 was VERY challenging to hold onto…I guess i ave turned some sort of corner, because 615 felt pretty easy and 635 really didn’t feel horrible. I am stoked. Hopefully this will also help drive up my regular barbell deadlift. Thanks for checking in man!

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James Stockdale, a fighter pilot who was shot down over Vietnam in 1965, spoke many times about how he survived seven and a half years in a prison camp. “One should include a course of familiarization with pain…You have to practice hurting. There is no question about it…You have to learn to take a bunch of junk and accept it with a sense of humor.”

THURSDAY, 30APRIL2015 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 8/Day 4

CONDITIONING - As Many Rounds As Possible in 12 Minutes
3 Double Paused Deadlifts @ 425lbs
5 Plate Loaded Reverse Hypers @ 200lbs
5 Glute Ham Raises
5 Toes to Bar

STRENGTH - Tried teaching myself Axle Split Jerks today…Looked like this:
Axle x A Bunch to figure out form
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 1
350 x 0 (Because I am an idiot like that)
315 x 1
325 x 1
335 x 1 (PR by Default)
350 x 7/8s but nope…Didn’t really split like I was supposed to.
350 x Nope again…Was getting tired by this point so I ditched the exercise for the day

ACCESSORY - 3 Axle “Z” Presses At the top of every minute for 10 Minutes (trying to add weight every round)…
Minute 1: 135 x10
Minute 2: 155 x3
Minute 3: 185 x3
Minute 4: 205 x3
Minute 5: 205 x3
Minute 6: 195 x3
Minute 7: 185 x3
Minute 8: 185 x3
Minute 9: 155 x3
Minute 10: 135 x10

NOTES:

  • The conditioning had me walking around very funny for a little bit. My hamstrings were pretty gorged from this.
  • First time I have every really tried split jerks…With an axle or a barbell, but since I have a contest coming up where it is a last man standing axle Overhead Press, i figured I better learn on the axle. I know with a barbell, I have probably 30-50 more pounds in me.

I liked them a lot. My form obviously sucks, but it my first time. Once I get the cues and speed right, I think this could be a really good option for me overhead. I was happy to hit 335, and the 3 misses at 350 were all due to technique. I got the bar up plenty high, just make some dumb mental mistakes in the movement because it is not ingrained in me at all. I have that weight easily though…I know I do.

  • Was running out of time, so (after KDO’s conversation) I decided to try “Z” Presses out in this manner. I liked it a lot. Got a lot of pressing done in a very short amount of time. I only had seconds left after I changed the weight and got set back up. Good stuff.

Here is a vid of the 315, 325 and 335 sets so that you can laugh at my split jerk form:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kh_eQ3M0C8&feature=youtu.be

433

Thanks man, and some great numbers for the jerks. There are a lot of tutorials out there that can help. Maybe not quite a bulgarian coach,but I hope they teach you well.

The article is pretty shady about the participants. Like with most things, science is smart and cute, yet anecdotal evidence and common sense work out better. It sounded cool, groundbreaking and well-motivated. Hope it seems an awesome new tool.

About the chicks, I should’ve figured that. I’m not really looking for a chick, but time to time, I fall in love with a girl after a while.
And well, as relaxed as I am with random chicks, as stressed out, anxious and choked I get when I like a girl. That doens’t help to much.
hahaha, the first indicator I use to test if I like a chick is my stomach. If it feels like I ate a bucket of 3 years old spicy wings, I know “shit” is going down haha.

Your right man, chicks dig confidence and a guy with goals.

Thanks again! You da real MVP

434

How are you liking the olympic shoes?

435

Nice work for your first day of doing split jerks! Are you right handed? I only ask because most right handed people will put their left foot forward when splitting. Also, it was hard to tell from the angle, but it looked like your split got a little shorter with heavier weight. Really focus on being consistent with your foot placement as you ingrain that movement pattern. Put some tape on the floor or something once you figure out a good placement width. Once you get the movement down it should definitely add some pounds to your overhead lifts.

436

@Alpha: Unfortunately I lost…but barely, and to a much larger opponent. Work commitments messed with my prep this year. Still, I have brought shame and dishonor to my family.

437

Pano: Yeah man, like I said, I will give it a shot. If it works, then we all win! And don’t worry about the girls man, time has a funny was of working such things out. But while it is, become the best version of you that you can. When relationships get involved it will be harder to carve out the time. Take advantage of your freedom while you have it!

Roran: Well, I like them for my overhead press - Minus the log. On squats I am still up in the air. It changes my bar path and tends to make my hips shoot back more (As you can see in the vid below) but they are something new, and new things keep me excited and hopefully will lead to further strength gains. I hope to see you tomorrow man, thanks for checking in!

LiftingStrumpet: Strangely enough I am ambidextrous. So there are some things I prefer to do left handed and others that I feel more comfortable with my right. I have never tried these before and for some reason kicking my right out just felt natural so I did it. I will have to try both ways and see which is faster for me. And I completely agree with you on your assessment. When the weights got heavier, I think they kind of got in my head and I pulled the split short, making the lockout harder. A few more sessions with this and I think you are right…Should lead to bigger numbers. Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it!

BJack: Curses!!! That is okay man, you will always be the champ in my opinion! Next time brother, next time…

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“No, some people would rather not see it, but the bull is there for all of us. Some of us choose to pass the cape in front of its horns. To live life is to risk it. And when you feel the rush of air and catch the stink of hot breath in your face, you enter the secret order of those that have seen their own death close up. It make us live that much more intensely. So intense is it for some that it seals their fate; once they’ve tasted it, they just can’t stop. And in their cases, perhaps we have to accept that the light that burns brightest, burns half as long.” --Laurence Gonzales

FRIDAY, 01MAY2015 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 8/Day 5

STRENGTH - Squats
Warm-ups, then
500 x3
550 x2
585 x1 (90%)
605 x1 (92.5%)
620 x1 (95%)

ACCESSORY GIANT SET - 5 Rounds
5 Good Mornings: 275, 315, 335, 365, 335
5 Bulgarian Split Squats (Each Side): 225, 225, 225, 225, 225
Glute Ham Raises: 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
8 Plate Around Head (Each SIde)
50 Foot Farmer’s Walk for Speed: 275, 275, 275, 275, 275 (Each hand - 550 total each run)

NOTES:

  • Squats felt Pretty Good. Feel like the Oly shoes are still making my hips shoot back more than they do when i’m Barefoot, but I am learning…
  • I videoed some of my good mornings just to give those of you who watch my videos a view into some of my accessory stuff. Not quite as deep as I would like, but my lower back was pretty tired.
  • I am going to be working my farmer’s for speed for a little bit up until the competition. Working on using a staggered stance for the pick so I can get my feet moving sooner. I am sure these will get much faster than they are in today’s video.

Here is the vid from today. 620 Squat, the 365x5 set of good mornings, and one of my runs on the Farmer’s.

438

[quote]Alpha wrote:
LiftingStrumpet: Strangely enough I am ambidextrous. So there are some things I prefer to do left handed and others that I feel more comfortable with my right. I have never tried these before and for some reason kicking my right out just felt natural so I did it. I will have to try both ways and see which is faster for me.[/quote]

Well, cool.

You really are Batman, aren’t you?

439

Nice work goin on in here. Congrats on the axle dead p.r. !

440

LiftingStrumpet: Guilty. :slight_smile:

Barbedwired: Thanks brother, I appreciate that!

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“Fortune favors the brave.” --Terence

SATURDAY, 02MAY2015 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 8/Day 6

CONDITIONING - In front of a running clock
3 Minutes of Tire Flips
3 Minutes of Burpee Box Jumps
2 Minutes of Tire Flips
2 Minutes of Burpee Box Jumps
1 Minute of Tire Flips
1 Minute of Burpee Box Jumps

EVENTS - 5 Rounds with a 300lb Stone
Max Effort Stone Load over bar for 60 Seconds. Rested 2 Minutes Between Rounds.
7, 6, 6, 5, 6 Reps

NOTES:

  • Special thanks to Roran for making the drive out to my gym to train with us this morning! We loved having you brother, nice job and come back any time!
  • Waited until this afternoon to hit this so that my lower back would have a little more rest for the stones. Mid workout, I was very happy that I did. My lower lumbar was smoked and stayed smoked for the rest of the workout.