Alpha's Work IV

Training Training Logs
821

[quote]Alpha wrote:
I am getting ready to drop my day job and go for the running my gym full-time, so your support couldn’t come at a better time! I am humbled and overwhelmed by how you guys have gotten behind me in this endeavor, it means more than you know. Really.[/quote]

That’s awesome man, I know this is something you have been working so hard towards for a while. And honestly, I am humbled when I read your log - not just from your strength/lifting/dedication etc but that someone like you continues to give so freely of his time/advice etc to help others without expecting nothing in return. You’re truly one of a kind, in so many ways.

822

Thanks for the advice. I’ve been getting roughly 6-7 hours a night, but not always of the highest quality. Time to make a bigger effort there. I guess I’ve been under more stress than I’d care to admit. Wouldn’t have thought about that without you pointing it out.

Thanks for all the help you’ve given me, you don’t realise how much its been, but my lifting and focus have all changed for the better, so thank you. Quick question - in your opinion is it OK to swap back squats for entirely front squats? I just prefer front squats, that is the only reason I’ve been toying with it.

I don’t suppose I’ll ever be able to pay much back to you, so I will try and pay it forward instead. The only bit of advice I’d give to you is go and see a chiropractor. A decent one will be able to do lots of soft tissue work, as well as look at any structural issues you definitely have. They should be able to sort out any little niggles you have, or even didn’t know you had.

823

justrob: Thank you so much for saying that man. I really, really does mean a lot! Hopefully my business takes off and I can make a full time job of helping people! Time will tell! Thank you so much for stopping in and for your post!

Tim_Tom: Man, thank you so much for saying that! It is humbling to know that I was able to help! I think a little extra sleep will help out with the dark circles and mitigating any stress that you are able to. If you figure out how to do this, please tell me how!

As far as front squats…Absolutely. I personally think front squats are actually a better movement than back squats and if you are doing weighted carries and deadlift variations, i cannot see how swapping them completely would be a bad thing. Really, unless you are going to compete in a powerlifting meet, I don’t understand why more people wouldn’t choose to do this. I feel the same way about heavy bench presses, but I digress…

And that is a great point about a chiropractor. I have gone to one probably 15 years ago, but after breaking my back twice, many of them refuse to get near my lower lumbar region. I have gotten a few massages with mixed results. If they just work on my legs and upper back then I love it. But if they start working on my lower back and releasing some of the tension there, it cripples me. The same thing tends to happen if I do not load my spine for a few days. It is like my lower back needs to always be in a state of stress for it to feel ok. I guess that means I cannot stop deadlifting and squatting for the rest of my life, but i cannot see how that is a bad thing! Thanks for posting and for what you said brother!

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“None of our men are ‘experts.’ We have most unfortunately found it necessary to get rid of a man as soon as he thinks himself and expert, because no one ever considers himself an expert if he really knows his job. A man who knows a job sees so much more to be done than he has already done, that he is always pressing forward and never gives an instant of thought to how good and how efficient he is. Thinking always ahead, thinking always of trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible. The moment one gets into the ‘expert’ state of mind, a great number of things become impossible.” – Henry Ford

MONDAY, 31AUGUST2015 - Work For Today
Wave 2/Week 2/Day 1

CONDITIONING - 3 Rounds
:60 Seconds Max Effort Squats @ 225lbs
:60 Seconds Rest
:60 Seconds Max Distance Farmer’s Carry @ 205 In Each Hand
:60 Seconds Rest
:60 Seconds Max Effort Dimel Deadlifts @ 225lbs
:60 Seconds Rest

STRENGTH GIANT SET
Log Clean & Press (Clean Every rep): 155x3, 205x3 245x3, 275x3, 275x3
50 ft Zercher Yoke Carries: 360, 405, 540, 600 (PR), 540
Windshield Wipers: 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

MINDSET
Get a Mouthful of water.
Complete 8 Rounds (4:00 Total Minutes)
:20 Seconds Sprint
:10 Seconds Walk
Spit the Water out.

NOTES:

  • Not a great workout, not a terrible one either.
  • 600 On the Zercher yoke carry felt like death. Literally like death. It is the weight I will need to compete with at Nationals, so i was glad to do it, but man. It is 50 of hell.
  • Log Clean & Press didn’t feel good at all. the first set or 275x3 was with a belt on and I didn’t like it. The second set was belles and felt much better. I’m going to have to figure out my plan for Nationals soon.
  • The mindset water thing is always good to harden my resolve. I recommend everyone do this from time to time
824

Hey Alpha. It’s great to see you accomplishing what you set out for. So many quit just as they’re about to make it. You continue to walk the walk, and serve as inspiration for the masses. Your efforts make you great. You don’t demean others, and refuse to accept mediocrity. It’s refreshing! I admire your dedication, it’s awesome!

So onto my breathing/bracing quest. I’ve been doing it faithfully about a week now. Coming along well I believe, other then the fact I’m spitting all over everything in front of me. Haha. I have trouble re breathing between reps on the deads. I don’t feel like it’s enough air. Could just be my not being quite comfortable with it yet. I see how you do it in your vids, and I think I’m doing it correctly. Will continue to work on it. Thanks again for your altruism.

Question for you. Where did you pick up the water in the mouth thing, is that military, or just Alpha’s pain meds??!?

825

See, I was thinking it’d help with your broken back, not aggravate it. They should be able to help with any and everything else though, from fingers to neck to toes. I’ve just been looking at your programming, and there are no weighted carries in there. Where do you put them? I was thinking of hitting the gym 4x a week, and putting them in there?

826

[quote]

Question for you. Where did you pick up the water in the mouth thing, is that military, or just Alpha’s pain meds??!?[/quote]

The place I saw this was an old western, where the Apache rite of manhood was to take a mouthful of water, run 25 miles, and spit it out. It’s crazy how back in the day, it was socially acceptable to simultaneously demonize and superhumanize an entire race of people so you were okay with it when they were killed in droves on screen, but who knows, there may actually be some grain of truth in the concept. I’m guessing that’s where it came from.

Personally I want to see him do the Cimmerian rite of passage from the most recent Conan movie, the one with Jason Momoa. Put a robin’s egg in your mouth, run around the village, kill a few Pictish invaders, and spit the egg back out at the end :P"

827

BetaBill: Yea man, the breathing and bracing during reps on deadlifts is a tough one. I always take my air in before I bend over for my first rep, then get more breath at the top before descending again. Some people hold their breath for multiple reps, and you will see some people raise their hips up while the bar is on the ground. This may be them trying to get some rebound out of the pull, but most of the time it is so that they can create space to get more air into the belly. Personally, my bottom position in deads is so poor that I feel I can only get optimally tight while standing upright. Depending on how your form is and how your levers are made some of those other options may work better for you, so i’d give them a try.

As far as the water in the mouth stuff, I had read about it a long time ago similarly to what OTHSteve said, but then I heard it again a little over a year ago on a Joe Rogan podcast. It was the one where he was talking to Steven Pressfield I believe (who I am a big fan of). Anyway, I heard it and gave it a run and liked the mental aspect of it. Now I am just passing it onto my athletes. If you go to my site and look at the workout I wrote for them yesterday, it was all mental hardening. Nothing too heavy, but a lot of opportunities where your brain and body are telling you to quit. Every so often, I try to program things that may not do a whole lot to move you toward you goals, but take you to a place mentally where a set can be almost a transformative experience. One that you can remember years later where you can reference it and put your current state of being into perspective.

Anyway man, i truly thank you for your kind words. I try to live out the values i preach and my current situation is a scary example of that. Quitting a very lucrative career is super exciting, but also very dicey. Most of my colleagues congratulate me to my face but say it is stupid behind my back… I may fall on my face or I will walk away a better person…But either way, I won’t die with regret or always wondering, “what if”. Your words help encourage and motivate me, so thank you.

Tim_Tom: I hate to disagree with you, but I perform and program for my athletes, weighted carries multiple times a week. Virtually every single workout. If you are talking about the template I put out a little while ago, I don’t really go into specifics on that. But if you check out my site and the daily programming I write you will see
Yoke Carries
Zercher Yoke Carries
Sandbag Carries
Keg Carries
Farmer’s Walks
Waiter’s Walks
Atlas Stone Carries
Kettlebell Duck Walks
Pinch Grip Carries
Sled Drags
Prowler Sprints

Almost all of these show up multiple times a week.

As far as the chiropractor, I totally agree. I hadn’t even thought of things like my hands, elbows, knees and hips. These are always beat up on me. For some reason my brain was totally focused on spine alterations. Really good call on this man. I will definitely take your advice and try to get adjusted very soon! Thanks for posting man!

OTHSteve: Hahhaha noted, my friend. Now I just need that “dare to be great” situation.

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“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” --Albert Camus

TUESDAY, 01SEPTEMBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 2/Week 2/Day 2

Had some time to kill so I hit some accessory stuff today

ACCESSORY GIANT SET
45 Degree Back Ext. Deadlifts: 135x3, 225x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3, 225x10, 225x10
Wide Grip Weighted Pull-Ups: 100x5, 100x5, 100x5, 100x5,100x5, BWx28, BWx23
Weighted Dips: 100x5, 100x5, 100x5, 100x5,100x5, BWx45, BWx35
Dragon Flags: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Good Mornings: 225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x10

NOTES:

  • This is the first time I have ever tried the 45 degree back ext deadlifts. They. Are. Hard. I don’t have one of these at my gym, but I was visiting another today, so I thought I would give it a try. My lower back, butt and hamstrings were lit up! I liked them a lot. The strain felt similar to a good morning but more controllable. I may have to invest in one of these…I think they could do wonders for my deadlift.
  • Everything else was pretty standard. Just getting some extra work in while I had the time.
828

Sorry, I wasn’t very clear there. I was just took ng at your template, and wondered where you did them. I know you do them a lot, just how you put them in? I’m just thinking a day of squat, ohp and farmer’s would be good. Sounds fun to me anyway.

829

Hey Alpha, I wanna wish you the very best with quitting your job. I will say this in your face, unlike your collegue’s: this is a pretty stupid thing to do. And well, that’s perfectly fine, cause I’m planning on doing some pretty stupid things too. The things that define lives, or at least mine, were “stupid”. Guys on this log shouldn’t care too much about what normal people call that way. We’re crazy mofo’s.

You’re giving up a great deal of safety. I don’t now, and do not necessarely need to know, if that’s a big deal. Maybe you got a family you have to care for, maybe you have a wife that can take care of things. Maybe you have non of that. It’s far dicier than what I’m up to anyway!

But I’m sure you thoroughly thought about this decision…well, you were the guy who did a backflip in a hotel room once, right…:wink:

It’s pretty easy to bring it to you since your on the other side of the ocean, and you don’t even know who I really am. And your collegue’s don’t have that comfort, so it would be far too easy to judge them. I believe I would pussy out just as much as they did. I’m trying too change tho.

At least your walking the talk! dieEMPTY FTW.
Anyway, I like to salute to you as a man who tries to make his dreams come true, and therefore has to put himself out there. It’s scary as hell I imagine. But that’s why I salute to you sir: facing fears to become a better man, and make the world a better place is what makes a warrior for me.

Another issue I wanted to talk about.
When I finish studying, I wanna move to the closest city, or at least have a car and licence so I can get there. By that time I hope I have a job. There is a big gym (not planning on training at frickin globo gym!), where they offer a lot of martial art classes: 6 hrs of boxing, 5 hrs BJJ/grappling, 3 hrs Muay Thai, 3 hrs MMA. Aka Heaven.

A few questions I hoped you had an anwser for:

  1. Would you recommend on taking them all? Or would that just turn me into a jack-of-all-trades? I was planning on taking them all because I just want to learn as much as possible. And Boxing bleeds into MT and MMA, MT in MMA and boxing, BJJ in MMA and MMA in everything. I hope to get some fights in BJJ, MT and maybe boxing and MMA, so wouldn’t this mess with my mind too much?

  2. I wanna keep strength training next to it. Do you recommend this? Would getting stronger interfere at one point with my training. Or can’t you really get too strong? I guess getting stronger (but not too much bigger) would help as long as it doesn’t interfere with training (too much fatigue/inury). It might not make you a harder hitter per se, but being strong enough to ragdoll your opponents helps in every situation I guess.

Sorry for the long post! Keep killin it

830

Good morning. Makes sense to take a breathe at the top of the dead. Here I thought you took it at the bottom. I can’t see myself throwing my hips up for a better inhale. I think that would throw off my form. Thanks.

831

Sorry to add on, lost my train of thought. I go to your site daily. It’s the only thing that never gets erased from my iPhone. I’ve been attempting the conditioning portions quite a bit. I have a ways to go. And I absolutely love the inspirational quotes. Sometimes I send them to my family. Credit always given to you!!

832

Tim_Tom: I usually use them 3 different ways. One is during the conditioning I do at the beginning of my workouts. Usually this will be lighter weights for longer distances or very short rest periods. Other times i throw them in as the last exercise of a giant set. Kind of like a cardio finisher to the end of each round. For this I will usually use moderate to heavy weight for a moderate distance. The last way I program them is in he event portion. This is where they show up the most often. Here I try to mimic things my athletes might see in a competition.

With you example of the squat, OHP & Farmer’s is a great start. I would do something like:
6 Rounds, As heavy as possible
10 Pull-Ups
5 Squats
5 Overhead Presses
100 Foot Farmer’s Walk

Or something like that. It should be a good way to get you programming them in. You can also just check out the workout I post every day on my site. A lot of people get ideas from it. Hope that helps man!

Pano: Thank for what you said brother! As far as your questions:

  1. Well, I think taking all of them is a good way to become well rounded if your goal is MMA. But four different martial arts at least twice a week is a LOT of training. I think you should pick the two you enjoy the most and start there. You can always add more classes in as time goes on. But if you jump into BJJ, Boxing, Muy Thai, and MMA all at once, i think you will get burnt out pretty quick. BJJ is a VERY deep pool and takes YEARS before you are very proficient, so i would definitely start learning as much of that as you can. out of the striking arts you mentioned, I would say go with muy thai. learn how to punch, kick, elbow and knee. If you become really good at these, you will be ready for some amateur fights. MMA will teach you more wrestling and how to chain things together, but if you jump right in without knowing the basics of BJJ and Muy Thai, you will feel like you are underwater. Out of all that you mentioned, I’d say BJJ would be the one to spend the most time with since it takes so long just to learn how to use your body properly.

  2. I don’t think there is such a thing as “too strong”. Like Mark Bell says, “strength is never a weakness.” I think you can continue to add it in, but it is really going to depend on how durable you are and how much your body can take. If you are fighting for multiple hours each day then hitting the gym may be hard for you. If you are serious about fighting, I would focus more energy there and learning the techniques. People “rag dolling” their opponents is almost always because their technique is superior, not because they are THAT much stronger. Especially guys at your size. Plus using your strength in a fight is a last ditch effort because you are losing or scared. It tires you out waaayyyy too quickly. Using it isn’t efficient. So i guess my answer is, “wait and see.” If you are doing 6+ Hours of BJJ and 3 Hours of Muy Thai a week and are still feeling good, then weight training would be a good option. But so would going to more fight practices. It is kind of impossible for you to plan it out until you are actually living it. I think you can do it all if you want it bad enough. I’ve done it, many others have done it, but it is MUCH harder than most people expect. Give it a run and see how you feel! I wish you the best brother!

Betabill: Thanks for the support brother! That is awesome about the quotes! And yea, I am definitely a “top breather” hahaha. I have to give the credit to a member on here named “emskee” for that tip though. The guy is an inspiration to me and smart as hell.

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“The day before something is truly a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea. Trying out crazy ideas means bucking expert opinion and taking big risks. It means not being afraid to fail.” --Burt Rutan, Winner of the Ansari XPRIZE

WEDNESDAY, 02SEPTEMBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 2/Week 2/Day 3

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 - At the Top of Every 3 Minutes, Completed 3 Front Squats, Adding Weight Every Round
135x3
225x3
315x3
335x3
375x3 (vid)
415x3 (PR vid)
430x3 (Bigger PR vid)

STRENGTH
Then 75 Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups with a 53b Kettlebell

NOTES:

  • I bought a new Inzer belt that came in the mail yesterday, so I wanted to try it out today. I absolutely love it!
  • I was happy to hit 415 x3 on the front squats since I missed 405x3 last time. Then I figured I’d try to get a little more so I went for the 430. It was tough, but a good set.

Here is a vid of the 375x3, 415x3 and 430x3 sets

833

At Panopticum; if you don’t mind me chiming in on the strength training and martial arts, here’s my 2 cents. If you try to do them both, neither will progress as fast as they could. Whatever your primary goal is, that’s what you should train for. The more goals you attempt at one time, the less likely you are to achieve them. I’m aware it can be done, however everything has to come together perfectly. A sprained ankle when sparring will def effect strength. Max deads on Monday, could effect sparring Tuesday.

Fwiw, grappling is it’s own kind of strength. I’ve trained martial arts for years, and most people I know that compete, do not strength train. Yet, they will take a limb home if you let them. Meaning they are deceptively strong. There is so much skill training involved with ma, it really takes a lot of physical and mental fortitude. Sometimes it takes a day or two to recover mentally from getting punched in the face. I wouldn’t want to put 300 on my back if my mind ain’t right.

I personally did lots of bodyweight stuff during those times. I actually feel it preserved me somewhat, possibly strengthened areas like tendons and ligaments that may have gotten missed just throwing weights around. Idk, I hope that helps.

Hey Alpha, awesome vid. Your back is like an airstrip, could land jumbos on there. Congrats on the PR! What is it you love about the Inzer? My shirts came in today, they’re awesome. Keep em coming, and keep destroying the preconceived notions of mortals!!!

834

Thanks for the input boss! Also, not too shabby on the front squats!

I think it’s solid advice to start off with MT and BJJ and add on when appropriate. I hope to get tons of quality training in when I have the time (no family, young man recovery). I know I recover pretty good, sometimes I shock myself how run down I felt, just to push through and put on a killer act, if I may say that of myself.

The mantra en vogue is: “you won’t over-train, you under-recover” Maybe true. Well, you are the envelope pusher around here, so you would know.

Haha I felt the technique card hiding in someones pocket;) I believe technique is paramount in everything in life, but I feel strength can be a huge equalizer. As a famous combat sports analyst said a while back when he discussed Ronda Rousey fighting men:
“Technique overcoming strength only happens if you know something the other guy doesn’t.”
Like in sparring, I always try to be as technical as possible, but if I stress, I give a desperate push, and that sends back almost everyone.
I might not be the best, and have far too much problems with dealing with pressure (need to fix that when back training), but my strength carries me through most problems.

On the other hand, I barely ever sparred with someone within 40 lbs of my weight. I doubt my strength does so much there.

Thanks for chiming in!

835

Sorry Beta for forgetting you! I guess your post wasn’t past the moderators when I typed my post.

I guess that lifting and MA shouldn’t be combined too much…You wouldn’t try being a top tennis and football player at the same time, that wouldn’t be too succesfull.
I would like to get stronger and have a more balanced physique next to being a martial artist. But I couldn’t push it that hard then. Top athletes of every sport are (beginning) to use strength training next to their sport, so I believe it could even be helpfull to some degree. Maybe running 531 or something minimalist, that could benefit me in that situation.
After some words of Irish I believe, I changed my life motto to “be as dangerous as possible” (a bit like an old okinawan guy who said “hearth of a saint, hand of devil” that’s even cooler!). The strength training is mostly for being a more dangerous man, so it shouldn’t interfere with that goal. I don’t really mind having slow progress too much.

I guess I have to live it to know, but nevertheless, thanks alot for chiming in man! Feel free at all times.

836

Nice front squat PR! Do you think 500 front squat is realistic goal till the end of the year?

837

I also got my shirt today and it looks even better than the picture, thank you!

I’m glad your belt came in and nice work on the front squats, I can’t wait to see 500.

838

BetaBill: Really good response to Pano brother, I would tend to agree with what you said. Especially about grapplers having a different kind of strength. Wresting an experienced ground guy is like fighting a shaved ape…Ridiculous strength.

And thank you for the kind words! I think what i like about the Inzer belt is how much softer and supple it is from day one. I have very limited experience with belts and have only had a few up until now…But out of the box, the Inzer felt half broken in already. Other belts i have had fled similar to when you buy a new baseball glove…all stiff and clunky. The Inzer was like having a glove that had already been used for a season or two. I beat it up a good bit the first night to break it in even further and that front squat day was my first day using it and i was already able to have a larger variety of holes to choose from depending on how much support I wanted for each set. On my old belt, i had one hole that fit when I was carrying a little bit more body fat and then another for when contest time came closer. Already on the Inzer, I have more options.

And i am so glad you got the shirts! I am proud to have you wearing one!!!

Pano: I think you are on the right track man, but i think you have to change your thinking a little bit. Strength is not a terrific equalizer. It is a wish and a prayer that you hope will be enough when you are getting beaten. Comparing Rhonda Rousey to fighting another trained male MMA fighter is pointless. They are not even the same animal. If technique isn’t king then go back and watch the first 5 years of the UFC or Pride…explain how royce gracie, sakaraba, nogeria, rickson, etc… beat all of those guys twice their size. It’s because they were using superior technique against much bigger and stronger opponents. The big guys thought being bigger and stronger would be enough. But it wasn’t. Strength is important when both athlete’s skills are at a similar level and it could give a slight edge. But size and strength alone…Forget about it. There is a reason why marius pudginowski had about 2 MMA fights before he was laughed out of the cage. No disrespect to him (I think he is an awesome strongman), He is by far the strongest guy to step into a cage to fight, yet guys half his strength eat his lunch…with their technique.

Many of your posts concerning martial arts training alway seem to come back to you mentioning your body size. I think if you continue to rely on your body size then that mentality is going to limit you a lot when it comes to how good you can become. Just because you can muscle around guys that weight 40lbs less than you does not mean that you are getting and better at the art itself. You are letting your ego get in the way of your learning. You don’t want to lose, so you throw in a last ditch effort and it works against these little guys… But what happens if YOU are the little guy? You have to learn technique man.

There is always someone bigger and stronger out there, but if you are able to weather whatever storm they bring until they tire out, then technique will win. I personally love to fight/grapple bigger guys because most cannot move well. Your strength and size may get you far, but if you are trying to be “as dangerous as possible” then size is not enough. I think your relying on your size mentality will limit you in the long run if you continue with it. Your goal should be to move as well as a lightweight but hit as hard as a heavyweight. If you don’t take the time to learn the small intricacies of the techniques or how to defend yourself when you are exhausted because you believe that you will be able to hulk smash people if you get in trouble, then i think you are wrong and you will never make it as far as you could if you had a different mindset.

If this gym you are talking about joining is a reputable place and has experienced guys your size, then I think you should spend as much time against them as possible. If you are always fighting guys 40lbs lighter than you, then spend that time learning how to be as quick as they are, or as light on your feet, or just move the way they do. If you are just relying on smashing them with your strength and size then you will never improve. You really need to find some guys who are your same size, who have more experience than you, and humbly ask if you can train with them. The enter the sessions with no ego, get your ass kicked if it means learning something new and you will begin to get better every week.

And all of this worrying about what program to run while you are training…Don’t worry about it yet. Have you signed up at the gym yet? Have you decided what classes you are going to go to? After you have attended those classes for 2 weeks straight, then begin to consider what your body will be capable of during an actual experiment rather than this hypothetical one.

Look man, I’m not trying to be mean, I am just trying to talk to you as a man who has been where you are. These are things, i too needed to learn. I think you will do great things, but start making moves toward this goal and hen worry about the details after. Keep me posted.

Regev: Yea man, it definitely is. I have already hit 485, I think after Nationals and Maryland’s Strongest Man then i will go for it. Thanks for checking in!

Roran: I’m glad you got it brother!

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” --Margaret Mead

THURSDAY, 03SEPTEMBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 2/Week 2/Day 4

I am not even sure if I could call today a workout! It was more like talking to people and lifting some random stuff between discussions.

STRENGTH
Supinated Barbell Rows: 135x5. 185x5, 205x5, 225x5, 245x5, 275x5
Falt Bench Press: 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 385x5, 405x5
Plate Side Bends: 10, 10,10, 10, 10

ACCESSORY
Iso Rows: 3 sets of 10 with 180lbs in each hand
Z Presses: 3 Sets of Z Presses @ 185x5
Trap bar shrugs: 225x10, 225x10

NOTES:

  • Like I said, I would even call it a workout, but it was something to do while catching up with some friends I hadn’t seen in a bit.
839

Thanks for the wake up call.

Believe me, I know technique beats strength and size every day of the week. And perseverance technique for that matter. I guess equalizer isn’t the good term for it. But if skill is on the same level, strength will give a edge .

I try to be the most technical fighter I can be. I’m always trying out new things with sparring, read analysts, work on timing, angles and combo’s. I actually never try to muscle my way out, it just happens. We are trying to drill it out. I don’t really know why it always comes down to bodily size… sorry for that. Maybe overcoming body dismorphia haha, I was catapulted in this body as a kid, so it took me years to grow into it.

I’m just giving it a rest for now. I hope to be back training soon, tonight prolly. Thanks for help Alpha and Beta!

840

It’s been awhile since I’ve lurked your log. I can see you’ve really slacked off in here. :wink: I had no idea you’d come back from breaking your back twice. Good grief. That’s just amazing.

Wishing you well as you switch focus with your career. I know you like inspirational quotes. Doing what you have a passion for, reminded me of this one. “Be in love with your life. Every minute of it.” - Jack Kerouac. I remember agonizing over quitting a job I loved or taking a part-time gig to mostly stay home raising kids. A friend and mentor reminded me that, “Life isn’t a dress rehearsal.” You get this one chance to do it right. It helped clarify things for me, and let me go forward with a sense of peace.

Best to you! Puff