How much time are you reading daily? Or you set ahead a number of chapters/pages per day so you’d hit about 2 books a week?
Are you trying to kill yourself with those strip sets? haha
BTW, congrats for getting over 1000 replies!
Pano: Hahahah will do man. And I have to admit, I will usually ask a guy how tall he is if he is substantially above me. Though, i cannot say that I have ever asked them is they were aware of the fact!
Regev: It really depends on the day. If I day is slower, I will obviously read more. But i make it a point to carry 2 books with me where ever i I go. They are in my gym bag, in my jeep and I will even take them with me to family get togethers or when i am meeting friends. i find that thee are often times throughout the day where i will have 15 minutes where I am just waiting on someone else for some reason. If I have a book then i can knock out a few pages during that time. i try to set 30 minutes out every morning for reading, but I’d say i get the majority done through those brief moments where most people are playing with their phones or just killing time. i do my best not to waste any of the hours i am awake. If i am chilling out and not reading, I am watching youtube videos trying to learn. I rarely watch TV and when i do it is always off my DVR so I only watch the things I really wanted to see and can fast forward through commercials.
I have tried speed reading techniques, but feel like I miss out on too much so I stick to the old fashion way.
And thanks for the congrats man. my post to view ratio is actually something I tried to sell to Dave Tate when applying for the EliteFTS Sponsorship. I’m not sure if it will work out or not, but if it does, it will be 100% because of people like yourselves being such strong supporters of this log, so thank you. it is crazy that the 4th log will be done and locked here in the next few weeks! I think they shutdown right around 1,200 Posts so i am not far off. Which kind of sucks because i am not even close to a lot of the goals I set out to hit by the end of this log! Ahhh, but there have been a lot of good conversations and I learned a lot!
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“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” --Frank Zappa
THURSDAY, 22OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 5
CONDITIONING
10 Power Cleans with your bodyweight on the bar
10 Burpee Lateral Jumps
9 Power Cleans with your bodyweight on the bar
9 Burpee Lateral Jumps
8 Power Cleans with your bodyweight on the bar
8 Burpee Lateral Jumps
7 Power Cleans with your bodyweight on the bar
7 Burpee Lateral Jumps
…Continued to drop reps until I completed the entire ladder
STRONGMAN EVENTS - Yoooooooke walks…for speed
180x50 Feet
270x50
360
450
540
630
750…In just over 8 Seconds
750…Was slower than my first run so i started dropping the weigh back down to keep the speed up
680
630
540
ACESSORY - 50 Foot Axle Walking lunges (On my Back)
135x50 feet
155x50
185x50
205x50
225x50
NOTES:
- I really should have waited until tomorrow to hit these to give my legs a little bit more time to heal after that SSB Add/Drop Set from yesterday…But it fit in my schedule today so i went with it. I came in pretty crippled but things got better and better with each run.
the first 750 was pretty clean but I felt like my steps were too small and choppy.
On my second run, my feet were rolling better but I have a botched pick up so it was about a second slower. Gonna need to do better than that if i want to win that event in 2 weeks! - I was teaching for tips on the yoke walk online today and came across people talking about walking lunges a lot. They wee saying that it will build more strength in your hip flexor and that the walking lunge is just like a big exaggerated ROM Yoke walk…So i hit a few rounds of those afterwards. Man, they lit my glutes UP. Still very sore, but looking forward to playing around in the gym again tomorrow and then the pre-completion practice on Saturday. Sunday will be a needed off day for me!
***I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to go over to my site to check out my latest article. Especially those of you who also took the time to hit the “like” button! That helps a lot and I really appreciate it!
“A man can only be beaten in two ways, if he gives up or he dies.” --Richard Machowicz
FRIDAY, 23OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 5 - TESTING WEEK
STRONGMAN CONDITIONING - For 12 Minutes
ODD MINUTES - 6 Tire Flips (2 Man Teams)
EVEN MINUTES - 15 Dimel Deadlifts @ 50% of your 1RM
STONGMAN STENGTH - Axle deadlifts because I am sore
10 Sets o f 3 Speed reps @ 365lbs off 25lb plates for speed. That is all. I need to rest up, because I have strongman training tomorrow that I am toked about. I’ll tell you tomorrow about it,
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Regev: It really depends on the day. If I day is slower, I will obviously read more. But i make it a point to carry 2 books with me where ever i I go. They are in my gym bag, in my jeep and I will even take them with me to family get togethers or when i am meeting friends. i find that thee are often times throughout the day where i will have 15 minutes where I am just waiting on someone else for some reason. If I have a book then i can knock out a few pages during that time. i try to set 30 minutes out every morning for reading, but I’d say i get the majority done through those brief moments where most people are playing with their phones or just killing time. i do my best not to waste any of the hours i am awake. If i am chilling out and not reading, I am watching youtube videos trying to learn. I rarely watch TV and when i do it is always off my DVR so I only watch the things I really wanted to see and can fast forward through commercials.
I have tried speed reading techniques, but feel like I miss out on too much so I stick to the old fashion way.
And thanks for the congrats man. my post to view ratio is actually something I tried to sell to Dave Tate when applying for the EliteFTS Sponsorship. I’m not sure if it will work out or not, but if it does, it will be 100% because of people like yourselves being such strong supporters of this log, so thank you. it is crazy that the 4th log will be done and locked here in the next few weeks! I think they shutdown right around 1,200 Posts so i am not far off. Which kind of sucks because i am not even close to a lot of the goals I set out to hit by the end of this log! Ahhh, but there have been a lot of good conversations and I learned a lot!
[/quote]
The 2 books you carry with you all the time reminds me my mom, she is a bookworm just like you haha.
I really can’t think of any good reason why to limit a thread’s posts… And there always were great conversations!
[quote]Alpha wrote:
STONGMAN STENGTH - Axle deadlifts because I am sore
10 Sets o f 3 Speed reps @ 365lbs off 25lb plates for speed. That is all. I need to rest up, because I have strongman training tomorrow that I am toked about. I’ll tell you tomorrow about it,
[/quote]
10 sets of 3 sure brings me back…
Regev: Yea man, well 10x3 all be in a lot of the programming starting November 2nd. At least for the speed work.
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“Nothing fires the warrior’s heart more with courage than to find himself and his comrades at the point of annihilation, at the brink of being routed and overrun, and then to dredge not merely from one’s own bowels or guts but from one’s discipline and training the presence of mind not to panic, not to yield to the possession of despair, but instead to complete those homely acts of order which Dienekes had ever declared the supreme accomplishment of the warrior: to perform the commonplace under far-from-commonplace conditions.” --Steven Pressfield, Gates of Fire
SATURDAY, 24OCTOBER2015 - Work From Yesterday
Wave 5
STRONGMAN TRAINING
So yesterday morning a lot of the people competing in Maryland’s Strongest Man got to go in and play with some of the implements we will be using.
I met one of my friends and 2013’s MD’s Strongest Man there and we worked the press medley. Did a little bit of log and then worked the circus dumbbell a lot and finished with the viking press. It was all good work and we even ran through the entire medley a few times. The last one being at the competition weights. Everything felt fine and, as long as get the log and dumbbell out of the way cleanly, I should be good for quite a few reps on the viking press. I think the winner will probably get 10-15 reps with the viking press before time runs out. Hopefully that will be me.
Then Gregg and i started working on the yoke walk, but just as we started getting warmed up, the truck bringing in the car squat showed up, so that changed those plans really quickly.
The next hour was everyone getting in and trying out the car squat. All weight classes are using the same car (a smart car) and we are starting the event in the hole. For the 231 guys they are adding 10-12 plates for our weight. T be honest, I think tis is way too light. One of the top guys in our class jumped in and did 20+ reps in a minute with 10 plates added. The movement is much easier than a squat and it will be a rep fest. I HOPE I can get 20 on this, so I will probably not be walking away with the win on this one.
It feels more like a hack squat or a leg press, and it is positioned as our last event before stones. I am sure there will be a lot of puking and it will take a lot out of people right before the last event so things should get pretty interesting at the comp.
All in all, i feel good about the 2 events i ran through. Now it is just about making weight, resting up and coming in at my best. It is going to be a brutal day but should be fun.
Great work in here as usual.
One question- with much rave about the SSB squat bar.
For a guy like me who only has straight barbells- what would you say most closely emulates what an SSB does?
I’m assuming a front squat of some sort. But more closely a tng, a paused or maybe a front squat to a box? Again assumptions. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts?
Also what would you say it’s main purpose is?
I.e: assistance for squat …or assistance for deadlift…or Build your upper back ? Ect…
Thanks in advance!
x2 on that barbedwire.
I really heard some things here and there, nothing really elaborate. I wanna hear what this deal is all about, told by the real deal himself;)
Barbed and Pano: Well, i have only had the SSB bar for a couple of months now, but I can honestly say that it is one of the best pieces of equipment I have ever purchased.
What it feels like:
The SSB bar gives you immediate feedback by punishing you if you do something wrong during the rep. If you dip forward at all, it feels kind of like someone has their hand on the back of your neck and is shoving your face toward the ground. And this phenomenon doesn’t just last for part of the lift. It stays there for the entirety of the rep. It has helped me learn to stay much more vertical in my squat path and has built up a lot of strength in my upper back because i tend to do a lot of things wrong!
How to mimic it:
Honestly, I have never been able to re-create the sensation the SSB provides. It is different than a front squat because the load is higher up on your shoulders and loaded in the rear. If you get too forward in a front squat it slips off your shoulders and you ditch the bar. When you get forward on the SSB, it gives you just enough hope that you can complete the rep, but it will be many seconds later and after a horrible fight.
It honestly feels much better on your back because of the pads and your shoulders/wrists/elbows aren’t contorted in a weird way, but the movement is MUCH harder.
Regev suggested using straps as handles and positioning the bar very high will mimic it, which makes sense, but I have never tried it out, so i couldn’t tell you one way or the other.
i think a very high bar box squat with a conventional deadlift stance may be kind of close, but again, it is similar to a car deadlift in that, you will never know exactly how it feels until you are pulling on a car. The motion is just different, but in a good, very painful way.
I think an abortion of a bad squat/good morning would also kind of mimic the movement.
My Experience:
In my first experience with the bar, at lighter weights, I didn’t think it was a big deal at all and was worried that I wasted my money. Then I loaded 500lbs. This is a weight that I have repped for 12-15 on a normal squat, but with the SSB I dropped into the hole, came about 1/4 of the way up and it shoved me right back down. It was literally like the finger of God pushing down on me saying, “Nope, not today.” Since then, i have cleaned up my technique a lot and am right at 600lbs for a single, but it wasn’t until i had spent a considerable amount of time with the bar.
I have been using the SSB exclusively for a few months now, doing paused squats, high rep, drop sets and maximal effort stuff and just got back to a straight bar last week because i have the car squat in my upcoming comp. i was able to pause squat 625 on my first day back without too much trouble which was a 15lb PR for me. Without pulling much from the floor (my upcoming comp has an 18" deadlift so i have been focused on that) i was able to pull 655 for a triple which is a PR as well. I am not sure what other carryover effects there will be because I have not tried them out yet (I will after the comp) but I am sure they will be notable and i will be listing them on my log as they come.
one of my athletes who is 50years old and was also using the SSB exclusively, took his deadlift from 465 to 505 and his squat from 365 to 405…So that is substantial.
Its Purpose:
I’d say it is great for building upper/mid back strength. Ever since I actually learned how to breath and brace correctly, it has been my opinion that squatting is more of a core movement than a leg movement. Most people can leg press a LOT more than they can squat (because their core is supported by a bench) which shows that leg strength is usually not the problem. When people miss squats, it is usually because they lose the tightness in their core / Mid-upper back and the weight folds them forward. The SSB bar will either strengthen your back to the point that you can fight through your bad form with a straight bar, or it will teach you how to stay more upright and biomechanically supported. It fixes a lot of bad habits in a lot of cases, or it strengthens those weak points enough to help you through.
I think it has great carryover to the deadlift (As punisher mentioned when i asked him about it) because of the added musculature and strength of the upper/mid back and also seems to help out your squat numbers a lot as well.
I honestly cannot recommend it enough. By the way, if you decide to pick one up, but it from EliteFTS and tell them i sent you, maybe they will get back to me about the sponsorship soon!
Sorry for the long winded post, but I wanted to give you guys all of the information i could think of to help you out.
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“It’s not some magic formula that’s going to allow somebody to go after the thing they want to do. It’s the consistent progress or moving toward the thing they want to do, regardless of whatever thing comes up – and I call that thing ‘quitting.’ That quitting conversation will show up a hundred different ways. You can say, ‘This thing is bullshit. This thing is crazy. I can’t believe I’m doing this.’ Or you can create things like, ‘Well, that person’s just trying to hold me back,’ or ‘I’m just not good enough.’ Whatever… I’m telling you, quitting sounds very reasonable. Literally, it?s a very simple process of getting on target and moving forward vs. the conversation that leads to quitting. And those conversations show up every day for people. And really, that’s the battle. That’s the war. If there’s a war going on, really the war is within yourself and one you have to confront day after day.” – Richard Machowicz
MONDAY, 26OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 5
MORNING WORKOUT
STRONGMAN CONDITIONING - Tabatas :20 Seconds Work / :10 Seconds Rest for 8 Rounds
8 Rounds of Farmer’s Walks @ 255lbs in each hand
Rest 1 Minute
8 Rounds Keg Clean & Press @ 185lbs
Rest 1 Minute
Hanging “L” Sit Holds
Rest 1 Minute
8 Rounds of Backward Sled Drag/Rows @ 510lbs
NOTES:
- Need to keep things kind of calm this week so i can be sure that I am recovered for my comp. Right now it is all about cutting the weight and getting my head/strategy right.
- Plan on hitting some 18" deadlifts and log press this afternoon.
EVENNG WORKOUT
27OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
STRONGMAN GIANT SET
18" Deadlifts:135x5, 225x3, 315x3, 405x3, 500x3, 585x3, 650x1, 585x1, 550x3
Hanging Leg Raises: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Log Clean And Press (2 Reps) @ 245lbs. Completed 9 sets of 2 reps
NOTES:
- Just working some technique here. Nothing heavy and nothing that will tax my spent CNS…
Here is a short car squat video for you inquisitive posters out there. It is just me feeling the comp weight, so I only hit 3 Reps and got out of there. The movement is very different, but I think i will be just fine.
Thanks a ton, man! That’s what I’m talking about. Nice elaborate piece wth great structure.
Would you recommend ditching ussual squats for ssb squats, if just strength and not a specific sport is the goal?
And, I’m pretty much a high bar squatter, since I feel it far more in my quads and ass, and less in my hammies and lower back (those I’m feeling alot when I DL, and I figured it would bring balance if my squats hammered the other part). Also, I feel like I’m cheating my balls of in low bar: hips rise early, much shallower, not feeling my quads.
Would you recommend it for the high bar squatter (with shoes)?
[quote]Panopticum wrote:
Thanks a ton, man! That’s what I’m talking about. Nice elaborate piece wth great structure.
Would you recommend ditching ussual squats for ssb squats, if just strength and not a specific sport is the goal?
And, I’m pretty much a high bar squatter, since I feel it far more in my quads and ass, and less in my hammies and lower back (those I’m feeling alot when I DL, and I figured it would bring balance if my squats hammered the other part). Also, I feel like I’m cheating my balls of in low bar: hips rise early, much shallower, not feeling my quads.
Would you recommend it for the high bar squatter (with shoes)?
[/quote]
X2 on my part.
Also a Highbar squatter with olympic shoes. Though currently on a hiatus trying to build my front squat in olympic shoes.
Hey Alpha, re: car squat
What are the rules of the car squat? Go to IPF parallel?
It kinda looks like a hack squat, just wondering if you’ve tried moving your stance in, might make for better leverage, but again, kinda depends on what the rules are.
Really glad to hear about your experiences with the SSB. I sometimes wonder if I overhype it, but like you, I’ve found it to be one of the absolute best purchases I ever made in terms of developing just raw, brutal strength. I think it’s the perfect “strongman squatbar”.
Pano & Barbedwired: I would recommend it. I think it will have less of a dramatic effect if you guys stay very upright on your high bar. If, when you fail on a squat, you have a tendency to ditch the bar backwards off your shoulders rather than falling forward then i think you would be better off saving the money and hitting your front squats and unilateral work hard. I feel like the limiting factor, (if you ditch the bar backwards) is usually more in your quads…Although the SSB does hit your legs pretty hard, i feel like it is more prone to building up strength in your back and hips (at least the way I use it). I think regardless, it is a great tool for building up both your squat and your deadlift while working your upper back like you would with heavy rows. For training economy, you can’t really beat it…For specificity, I am not so sure.
Like I said in my post above, it has made multiple different lifts go up…So for overall strength, I think it is well worth the money. I am not a powerlifter, so i cannot really speak to what it will do specifically for your total. but for a strongman and other athletic endeavors, I think the SSB squats and front squats are where you want to be. i am sure many people would disagree with me on this one, but that is my opinion.
i do most of my squatting in Oly shoes (to include the SSB work) and love it. the only real time I squat in bare feet now is the i am maxing out. I still feel like I am stronger without a heel, but i think the inclined foot position is better for building up my weaknesses in the squat.
i hope that helps you guys out a little bit! Thanks for asking!
MattyG: Great to hear from you brother, I hope things are going well. I am not sure what IPF parallel means, but at the start of the squat the judge will be on the side of you and will set the bar to a position where your thighs are parallel with the floor. If you re-position your feet after your first rep and no longer are at depth, the reps will not count.
The movement definitely does have more of a hack squat feel to it and it takes your hips out of the equation a lot. It is more of an “up and back” kind of groove more so than straight up. As you start to push, the flex in the frame feels kind of like bands and makes for more of an unstable feel until all of the slack is out. Once that happens it gets easier. I totally get what you are saying about the leverages, i was just trying to mimic the guys that i was watching go before me. For clarification, do you mean move my feet closer to the car, or bring my stance in some? i won’t really get another shot to touch it again until warm-us at the actual event, so there is definitely going to be a big “learn as you go” factor. I just plan on going until I cannot anymore. Hopefully that day i feel good and things go my way. Thanks for checking in man!
Punisher: i totally agree man! i cannot thank you enough for recommending it. Your positive review was what pushed me over the edge when deciding to buy it. Really, really good call there man!
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“The heart of the Warrior is a protective heart. The Warrior shields, defends, stands between, and guards…He invests himself in ‘the energy of self-disciplined, aggressive action.’ By Warrior I do not mean one who loves war or draws sadistic pleasure from fighting or bloodshed. There is a difference between a warrior and a brute. A warrior is a protector…Men stand tallest when they are protecting and defending.” --Stu Weber, Tender Warrior
TUESDAY, 27OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 5
STRONGMAN
18" Deadlift…Yes again…
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
500x3
585x3
635x2
50 Foot Yoke Walks for Speed
360lbs
450
540
630
630
630
CONDITIONING
10 Curtis P’s (Each Side)
10 Sandbag Get-Ups (each Side)
50 Foot Backward Sled Drag
09 Curtis P’s (Each Side)
09 Sandbag Get-Ups (each Side)
50 Foot Backward Sled Drag
08 Curtis P’s (Each Side)
08 Sandbag Get-Ups (each Side)
50 Foot Backward Sled Drag
07 Curtis P’s (Each Side)
07 Sandbag Get-Ups (each Side)
50 Foot Backward Sled Drag
…Continued until i completed the ladder…
NOTES:
- So my 18" deadlift from yesterday was really bothering me. i felt weak and like i wasn’t firing on all cylinders. I thought about some adjustments all day and then worked them when I got in today. Things went much better and i have better piece of mind about it now.
- Yoke walks were fast. They were pretty light, but I was flying with them. all good things.
- The conditioning just about killed me! But I know I need to do it for weight cutting purposes. I cannot believe that i will be starting another water gorge again in a few days…Uggg. It’s all positive though, my head is in a good place and I honestly wish the comp was tomorrow.
I meant bringing your feet closer together.
I watched your car squat video again, and you appear to be going straight up and down, I thought there was more forward lean initially, but I was mistaken.
I know you squat with a bit of forward lean, so I probably just confused myself into thinking I saw something I didn’t.
Because the shortest distance is a straight line, and you essentially want to piston up and down, without fear of collapsing forward in this event, I would try keeping my feet closer together and see how it feels.
Although it seems like any gains in leverage at the bottom might result in the movement being more difficult elsewhere, and vice versa.
Matty: Thanks brother, I really appreciate that! i will definitely give it a try and see how it goes.
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“I’m telling you: Quitting is very reasonable. I can have a million reasons to quit. But can you find the one reason to keep going forward? And literally, by saying, ‘Well, I’m going to keep going until I die.’ As long as you’re still breathing, as long as you have a single pulse in your body, you can still go forward. I think it just makes it very easy to distinguish whether you’re going forward or you’re not.
Under stress and pressure, you think about the doubt… and it’s just self doubt. I think everybody has self doubt. Everybody has those things that occasionally creep in. I don’t care how strong you are. You’ve still got to be able to go one step further. And as long as you can breathe, you can still go one step further. You’re not dead. And so I live by the axiom, 'Not dead. Can’t quit.”–Richard Machowicz
WEDNESDAY, 28OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 5
CONDITIONING - 5 Rounds
8 Burpee Pull-Ups
8 Dumbbell Man Makers
STRENGTH GIANT SET
Barbell Bent Over Rows: 135x10, 225x8, 315x6, 365x5, 385x5, 405x5
Flat Barbell Bench Press: 135x3, 225x3, 315x3, 335x3, 365x3, 410x3
Ab Ring Layouts: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
STRONGMAN
5 Axle Continental Clean & presses (Cleaned each rep) @ 225lbs
5 Atlas Stone Over Bar @ 240lbs
100 Foot Sandbag Carry @ 180lbs
NOTES:
- I know I have said it many times before, but that combination of burpee pull-Ups and DB Manmakers is rough…I don’t care how good of shape you are in!
- The strength stuff was pretty basic. Bench felt pretty good and everything went smoothly.
- Continental Clean & Press when you clean every rep is another thing that sucks all of the oxygen out of the room!
We are just a little over a week out from Maryland’s Strongest man. I am stoked! there will be some really strong guys there, but every is super nice and it is like hanging out with your friends while lifting heavy stuff…Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.
Thanks for chiming in!
I think when the finances allow it, I would seriously think about buying one. Even with heels and high bar, I’m leaning forward quite a bit with my giraffe legs and long ass torso, so it possible has the same effect. I always feel them in my upper back pretty hard, so maybe just a bit more with the ssb (iron rod spine is cool). And my shoulders wouldn’t mind a bit less contortion.
Well, the conditioning is going great I see, damn. And the gorge, bro, I feel you.
Just another pesky question to fill up your log even sooner;)
You talked about muscle growth (and strength I recall) due to loading up your spine very heavy. I heard this more, but I can’t really find any useful info about it. I recall someone call it “systemic stress”, like scaring the shit out of your body by telling it your spine is gonna snap so it builds muscle?
Some thoughts on this?
Hey Alpha!
I have been following your log for a very long time now, started with Apha’s Work II.
I must say I am a great fan. I have always just read everything in your log and website,
but now I have a question for a change.
2 weeks ago I completely ruptured my achilles tendon while playing football. Had surgery
12 hours later where they stitched the tendon. Had a cast on for 1 week and now my leg is
wrapped in tape and I am allowed to put weight on it and try to walk (heel strike only).
It is crazy to see how much weaker my leg is already, and my calf looks like a bag of water.
This is only to get worse until I can walk normally again. By the however I will have a massive left
right strength imbalance.
Do you have any idea about the fastest way I could get my leg up to speed when I am cleaned to train again?
I have a hard time thinking about a logical progression. I want to comeback stronger, but at the same time I am doubting everything. Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance Alpha.
P.S
You should offer some online coaching. Since I am from the Netherlands I cant come to your facility man!
Pano: Yea man, once you get the scratch together, i would recommend buying a SSB bar before any other speciality bar. I’m interested to see how it works out for you.
As Far as loading the spine (like in a yoke walk) leading to more muscle and strength, I wish i could point you to some studies that talk about it. I know Dan John has forgotten more about loaded carries than I will ever know and I’m pretty sure he mentions what you are talking about in some of his articles. Also, I know a lot of guys here have talked about overloading or super compensation with static holds and the such. The yoke walk is similar to a static hold…well, besides the static part. So i would search here as well at the “reactive training systems” site. I know Mike Turscher (Spelling is wrong, i know) has talked about it before. I am sure you could also find some articles over at EliteFTS about it as well.
All I can tell you is my personal experience. When i started doing heavy yoke walks, my squat skyrocketed. I think there is a limit to how much it will help, but if you think of it similarly to Punisher’s or Leeman’s PROM program for deadlifts, the idea has is common veins. Getting your body used to super-maximal loads forces adaptation which will lead to more strength and size. I am interested to see if all of the 18" Deadlift work I have been doing will have a similar effect on my deadlift once my comp is over. But I think it definitely can. I know, personally, often, the first time I touch a certain weight or walk it out or whatever, it seems just about impossible even if it was only 20lbs over my previous max. I think that is more your brain telling your body to put on the brakes because you are in uncharted territory. The next time you touch it, it doesn’t seem quite as bad or you may even get the lift. I don’t think i have ever experienced this more than with front squats, yokes and tires.
The first time you walk out 500 in front rack or attempt to flip a new tire PR, you walk away dumbfounded, wondering how these things are even possible. But once you spend a little time with them, they become doable and eventually common place. Just my experience man, thanks for the question!
White Crow: Firstly, thanks for taking all of that time to read all of my pontificating about weirdness over the years! And thank you for the support and question!
About your Achilles…My dad snapped his moving a piano up a flight of stairs when he was younger (probably around 1985) He was n a wheel chair for a while and hen crutches. But he has always been a mentally and physically tough individual, so he bounced back and returned to completely normal. And surgeries were archaic back then, so i am sure you will be fine.
When I destroyed my knee, I was in a cast from my ankle to my groin for about 9 Months. When they took that thing off it reached like the underside of a dead hippopotamus and looked like a leg that just came out of a concentration camp. The good news is that muscle has memory. It takes 1/4 of the time to get BACK to where you once were if you had good muscle mass prior. The muscle isn’t gone, it is just atrophied and asleep. You have to wake it up and feed it. The only way to do that is to gorge it with blood.
I am sure you will have plenty of physical therapists you will be working with to get your strength and range of motion back. They will tell you to take it slow. Don’t. Get past the pain and frustration and get after it on whatever exercises they give you. If they tell you to do 5 reps of something, do 10. If they stretch the joint, don’t let me stop until you think they are going to break it off. YOUR job is to make them uncomfortable by how much you are willing to do. It is THEIR job to tell you to back off. You don;t want to reinjur yourself, but let that be there call and not yours. You will be working in an unknown realm, but explore every inch of it that they will allow you to. They are mainly used to dealing with whinny, weak, lazy people. Don’t be any of those things. Make them earn their money and do more than your shirt of homework when away from them. You will be sacked at how fast you can come back if you want it back enough.
If you are worried about the strength and size coming back, don’t. It will. It won’t happen tomorrow, but if you do what I said above, you will be there faster than you are expecting.
Oh and I DO offer online coaching! If you want to buy a program, you can buy one on the schedule/merch section of my site.
Thanks for the question brother, I hope you feel better soon, but we all make our own luck. The next move is yours.
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“Any Nation that draws too great a distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.” --Thucydides
THURSDAY, 29OCTOBER2015 - Work For Today
Wave 5
I wrote this for my athletes’ workout of the day and did it myself. It was brutal. I used a 142lb Stone.
ATLAS STONE CARRY CHALLENGE
Grab an Atlas Stone that is at least 50% of your Bodyweight, set a stopwatch and start walking. Go as far as You possibly can in 25 Minutes. Unlimited Drops allowed…Use whatever carry positions or styles you want…Just cover as much distance in the given time limit that you feel you are capable of.
Once 25 Minutes is complete, take 5 Minutes of Rest.
Then pick up your rock and get back to the starting line in less time then it took you to get out there.
If you can do so, you win. If you cannot, you lose.
If you sandbag during this challenge, lose my number, we are no longer friends.
Do what you think is right.
NOTES:
- This is MUCH, MUCH harder than it looks. A carry challenge like this is rough with a normal implement. Doing it with one that has no handles, is made out of rough concrete and has no comfortable way of positioning it made it for a grueling hour of suffering. I think it was amazing. I would recommend it to all of you…You will learn a lot about yourself in that hour.
That looks like a brutal challenge, i’ll definitely have to give it a try. I saw one of your photos on twitter and it looked like you are getting quite a turnout. Are most training sessions pretty busy?