Alpha's Work IV

Training Training Logs
961

Pano: Hahahaha no worries man, and yea, that is my plan. All technique from here on out! Sorry for the confusion man.

Regev: Thanks for the concern and for the suggestion. I wasn’t trying to be inconsistent. It was my intention to push jerk every one of those reps exactly the same as when it is only 200lbs. unfortunately, when working with weights in my 95 percentile, things tend to get a little dicey. I know that I should be striving to do each rep completely the same, but that is how things go in strongman sometimes. Especially with a log or circus dumbbell.

Thanks for your opinion. I really do appreciate it. But understand that if I do not perform up to a certain standard, it’s not because i am not trying to. The log press is ridiculously harder and more technical than a barbell press and is something that i am not terrific at. I am trying to remedy that and the videos you see are me trying new things and learning what works best for me.

962

Fantastic Work At Nationals!! Kick some ass in Maryland. Your posts are always a joy/inspiration to read.

963

You didn’t understood me but never mind.
I remember watching a while back Micha Koklayev in WSM and he dropped pretty low beneath the log, are you allowed to squat/power jerk the weight?

964

reconbyfire: Thanks, that means a lot man!

Regev: Yea man, I’m pretty sure you can do just about anything you want as long as you get the log from ground to overhead. I’ll try to look up the video you referenced and see what you are talking about.

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“Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds.” --Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers

“For almost a generation, psychologists around the world have been engaged in a spirited debate over a question that most of us would consider to have been settled years ago. The question is this: is there such a thing as innate talent? The obvious answer is yes. Not every hockey player born in January ends up playing at the professional level. Only some do - the innately talented ones. Achievement is talent plus preparation. The problem with this view is that the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger role preparation seems to play.” --Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers

MONDAY, 12OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 4/Week 4/Day 1

CONDITIONING - For 12 Minutes
ODD Minutes: Max Effort Burpee Broad Jumps
EVEN Minutes: Max Effort PVC Overhead Squats

STRONGMAN EVENTS
I hit a ton of tire flips today. It is all I had time for. Hopefully i will get a full workout in tomorrow, to include some heavy squats. We will see

965

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“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” --Vince Lombardi

TUESDAY, 13OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 4/Week 4/Day 2

MINDSET
10 Minute Plank.

STRENGTH GIANT SET - 5 Rounds
(Barefoot) Squats:135x3, 225x3, 315x3, 405x3, 500x3, 550x2, 585x1, 635x1
Axle Bent Over Rows (Double Overhand): 135x5, 225x5, 245x5, 245x5, 245x5, 225x5, 225x5
Incline log Bench Presses: 155x5, 245x5, 300x5, 300x5, 300x5, 300x5
10 Knees to Elbows: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

NOTES:

  • Squats didn’t feel great, but they got heavy enough. Just hope that it translates well over to the car squat at he comp.
966

I’m a bit late, but congratulations on your performance at Nationals.

967

Hi Alpha, I’m new to this site and stumbled on your training log. Dude you’re an inspiration in hard core Strongman! Do you mind sharing what your nutrition looks like? I’m 5’9" 250lbs. with 33% bf. I’d like to get where you’re at.
Thanks

968

[quote]Alpha wrote:
…
MINDSET
10 Minute Plank.
…
[/quote]

Alpha - As I suspect many people do, I continue to lurk on your log. I appreciate you putting the time and effort into this.

I love your mindset phase of training. This reminds me of my first Karate ‘special training’ that I participated in when I was in college. This special training was in the mountains over the weekend with training every six hours starting at Friday noon and ending Sunday noon while primitive camping. Sunday morning training, the penultimate session, was standing kiba dachi (horse riding, or essentially squat position) for 90 minutes. Senior members in the back to ‘encourage’ us juniors. For us first timers we could not understand how the human body could stay in a squat for 90 minutes. We learned that it was all in our head. After the first 10 minutes the pain was about constant.

Cheers,
Needa

969

I remembered Koklyaev dropping lower but I guess it is what it is.

[quote]JSRRR wrote:
Hi Alpha, I’m new to this site and stumbled on your training log. Dude you’re an inspiration in hard core Strongman! Do you mind sharing what your nutrition looks like? I’m 5’9" 250lbs. with 33% bf. I’d like to get where you’re at.
Thanks[/quote]
I’m not Alpha but check this out: http://www.neversate.com/wrath/2015/9/11/the-2nd-annual-neversate-athletics-eating-challenge-beginning-01october2015

I bet his nutrition is similar but less strict- milk (which I guess is in the processed category), starchy carbs after workouts…

970

Don’t worry it man, you have a hell lot going on!

Things been pretty busy here, but now I check in here, I see I have nothing to bitch about.

Great work, unbelievable mindset. Keep killin it boss.

971

Thanks Regev19978. I figured as much. Paleo-ish with some stachy carbs after heavy sessions.

972

LoRez: thanks brother! I was wondering where you went!

JSRRR: Thanks man, that means a lot and welcome to the log! Well, Regev hit it pretty much on the head. He provided a good link to just about how I eat year round. I excluded milk for most people because a lot of the population has some degree of lactose intolerance. I do not, so i need up drinking darn close to a gallon of milk a day. At the very least I get 1/2 a gallon.

I know Regev said that I eat starchy carbs post workout but that is more of a rarity for me. If i do eat starchy carbs at all, it WILL be post workout, but 99% of the time, I go from my own workout to 3-4 hours of coaching my athletes, so it is usually just a protein shake for me. Eating like this usually keeps me below 13-14% Bodyfat and then I drop down to around 10% sometimes less when cutting for a competition or fight. I walk around between 238-245lbs most of the time and then cut to below 231 for Strongman. I am 6 feet tall.

All of my food comes from dead animals, vegetables, fruit, protein shakes and lots of healthy fat. As long as i keep my fat intake high, my strength and energy don’t take a hit at all. That doesn’t work for everyone, but after years of dialing my diet in, I know it absolutely works for me. I guess if you had to label it, Paleo or the “green faces” diet are the closest examples for how I eat. I don’t count calories or macros and eat as much as I want.

I hope that helps you out brother!

Needa: Thanks man, it is really good to know there are people like you out there who are still following! And yea, coming from a traditional martial arts background myself, body hardening and mental training have been huge factors in how I am able to push myself the way I do even to this day. It all started back many years ago with holding horse stances and tons of push-ups & ab work that were so common in Traditional schools back in the day. things like those definitely helped shape who i am today. Like you said, once you get over the mental hump your body will do things that you never thought possible. I am glad to see that it has helped you as well my friend.

Regev: Thanks for posting that link and for the video man. I get what you are talking about and am planning on trying it out the week when I do my log presses. Thanks for the suggestion!

Pano: Thanks man! All of us have a lot on our plates right now. If people don’t then they are probably not trying hard enough! Thanks for the kind words and for checking in man!

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“You can’t do common things and expect uncommon results.” --Mike Barwis

WEDNESDAY, 14OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 4/Week 4/Day 3

CONDITIONING - 3 Rounds
50 Foot Forward Bear Crawl
50 Foot Backward Bear Crawl
50 Foot Forward Gator Walk
50 Foot Backward Gator Walk
50 Foot Forward Crab Walk
50 Foot Backward Crab Walk
150 Foot Keg Carry

STRONGMAN EVENT - 18" Deadlift
135x3
225x3
315x3
405x3
500x3
585x3
675x3
675x3

NOTES:

  • I am happy to have hit the 2 sets of 675x3 but man did they feel heavy today. I need to be careful with digging too deep right now so that i can be fully recovered for the competition. It is getting close and i do not feel ready or healed up at all yet!

It will be good though, I am just going to do my best and see where the chips fall.

973

Be carefull, we need you to murder the competition in Maryland!

When I felt run down, I liked to do some movement flow (http://blog.hylete.com/max-shanks-5-minute-movement-challenge/), and then take a small nap (not at sleep per se, just closed eyes and relax) while listening to some ASMR (weird shit, some chick is just whispering some stuff, it works, this is one of my fav’s: Time to Tingle ♡ 3D Sound & Close Up ♡ *ASMR* - YouTube).
If you body still feels run down, maybe get some protein and fats in on beforehand to give your body some building blocks.

Move around easily and in the moment for, then chill out for a short while, just listen to someone whispering. If you got the time, maybe give it a shot.
That’s when I feel best, intens training, intens chilling.

BTW. If you gonna nap, just 20 minutes does wonders, set a alarm clock. Relaxing sucks if you are afraid you fall asleep and wake up next day.

Hope for the best. May it not work out, I’m still on team Alpha;)

974

That’s exactly what I meant regarding the starchy carb and I should have stated that IF you eat any, it will be after hard workouts.

I’d suggest checking if split jerk the weight is allowed because as far as I understood it’s not always allowed.

975

Pano: Well you won the prize my friend! You have definitely posted the weirdest video ever in my log! Hahahaha I appreciate the suggestion man. I’m just beat up from lifting and I did some construction work for my Father’s company during some of the days this week…I would take naps, but with my sleep issues, napping is never a good idea. I don’t really fall asleep very easily and if i do happen to take a nap, i don’t sleep that night. Been like that since I was a kid. And in all honesty, I don’t have very much down time at all. from the time I wake up in the morning until around 9 at night, i am on the move working. Ever since I started my company, i don’t get to sit down for dinner until 9-9:30 at night. Then i jump on here to do this log, edit videos and update my other social media stuff (for the business). I am pretty busy these days, but i will give your suggestions a try. Thanks man!

Regev: Yea man, I have personally never been involved in a competition that did NOT allow split jerks to be used. If it is an axle, i am all about it! But when using a 12 inch log, you really can’t get as much leg drive into the movement because the log isn’t really resting on any bones. All of the weight is in your hands and (kind of) on your chest. Also, if you dip just an inch too deep, since the log is so far out in front of you, you will loose it forward. This is why most guys can strict press (with a log) nearly as much as they can with leg drive. I only gain about 30lbs with leg drive with a log. But with an axle (because i can get the weight onto my shoulders instead of in my hands) I gain almost 80lbs. I have tried performing split jerks with he log before and at lighter weights it is an absolute dream. But when i get to 80% or higher, I can’t get the leg drive to get that far beneath it. Some guys can and it works out really well for them. i will definitely work it more the next time I am working with the log.

Then again, i am a decent presser, but not a great one, so maybe this will be what takes me to the next level. Thanks for the suggestion brother!

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“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” --George Bernard Shaw

THURSDAY, 15OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 4/Week 4/Day 4

CONDITIONING
1 - 15 Foot Rope Ascent
2 Muscle-Ups
3 Pull-ups

2 - 15 Foot Rope Ascents
3 Muscle-Ups
4 Pull-ups

3 - 15 Foot Rope Ascents
4 Muscle-Ups
5 Pull-ups

… Kept Adding reps until I got up to
7 - 15 Foot Rope Ascents
8 Muscle-Ups
9 Pull-ups

STRONGMAN EVENTS - 6 Rounds
75 Foot Arm-Over-Arm Truck Pull
75 Foot Truck Push

NOTES:

  • The conditioning portion may not look like much, but it was brutal on my lats and biceps!
  • The truck pull/push medley was fun. The hard part is the push with my jeep.
  • My arms felt like the were going to jump off my body and run away after this workout.
976

694×530 55.7 KB

Alpha dude! Just stopping in to say howdy! Also, any word on the EliteFTS sponsorship? Positive or Negative? Do I need to finish my letter to Mr. Dave Tate?

977

Hahaha they always weird me out, but as a rough sleeper, she always gets me asleep. If you can do that, I allow you to be a complete nutcase.

I already thought it could be a bit of a problem with your existing sleeping problems. I never really sleep during my naps tbh. I just lie down (on the ground it seems therapeutic being massaged by the hard floor) listen and completely relax. Turns on the “chill mode” (what is that parasympathic system?).

I figured you had a busy time. What do you do during daytime? If I may ask. I guess coaching is mostly at night.

978

FarmerOwen: Hahahaha man that is awesome! I haven’t heard anything back just yet, but I read in one of his books that EliteFTS will sometimes follow a person for up to a year before deciding to sponsor them or not. i really hope that it doesn’t take that long, but if it comes through, then it would all be worth it. All I can do now is continue to compete and keep up my social media stuff. Thanks for taking the time to write that note man, I laughed when i saw it!

Pano: Man, i appreciate the suggestion, if it works, i will definitely give it a shot! As far as during my days, i wake up early and get over to the gym. I get my first workout in (even if it is just conditioning or rucking). Then I coach a class and train some individual people. Then i clean the gym and set it up for the night classes. After that, i will usually edit videos and answer emails that have been sent to the business or questions posted here on on my other social media accounts. If I have time after that, i head out and try to get some marketing done before going back to the gym to train more people and then run the night classes. After everyone leaves, i pick up the gym so that it is not wrecked for the next morning’s classes and head home. It is a pretty busy schedule, but i love every minute of it. Thanks for asking brother!

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“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” --Winston S. Churchill

“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” --Winston S. Churchill

FRIDAY, 16OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 4/Week 4/Day 5

MORNING SESSION

CONDITIONING - 3 Rounds… Complete :40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds Rest At Each Exercise before Moving onto The Next
SledgeHammer Swings
Jumping Lunges
Medicine Ball Slams
Jumping Squats
Battle Ropes
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups

STRONGMAN GIANT SET
Bent Over Rows: 135x10, 225x10, 275x10, 315x10, 335x8, 335x8
Axle Continental Clean & Press: 135x3, 225x3, 275x2, 300x1, 315x1, 335xNope, Just missed the lockout.
Toes to Bar: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Back off Sets: Axle Push-Press out of the rack
275x3, 275x3, 300x3, 275x3

Then i did 50 foot Yoke Waiter’s Walks: 180lbs, 270, 320, 360, 380xNope. i only made it about 25 Feet before I couldn’t stabilize it anymore.

NOTES:

  • I haven’t done continental clean & press for a coupe of months now, but figure it may have some carry over to the viking press i need to do at the upcoming competition. Man they are hard. Worked up to the 315 but it is kind of dicey and then 335 went 3/4 of the way up and I was out of the groove. the continental was destroying my wrists so i put it in the rack and hit some back off sets.
  • The yoke waiter’s walks went pretty well. They start out so easy, but once you get to higher weights, they are brutal. They are definitely going to help with overhead stability though.
979

I saw someone in my gym simulating a viking press like in the video, give it a shot!

980

Alpha dude I’m glad you got a kick out of it lol. Just keep killin’ as only you can my friend and if they cant see and appreciate the meteoric trail you blaze then ?c’est la vie?!