I read this thread, and I must say you are one of the most impressive people on this whole site. To kick such amount of ass in the gym while dealing with such an intense lifestyle is extremely inspiring.
If I’m lifting anywhere near your numbers by the time I’m your age I’ll know I did something right.
I hit a new PR this morning and your inspiration’s the reason why. Your vids “rock”
Thanks again for spending the time to inspire myself and so many others…Dent
Great stuff, Alpha. Seems to me you’re kicking ass in weight rooms all over the world. 
I wonder, have you become adept at the metric system because of this? I’ve been volunteering at a facility with kg bumper plates and it can be kind of a pain. Math is hard 
kmc: Yeah man I have been missing the giant sets! But it just feels great hitting better numbers than I had before! Progress always feels good. You keep up your great work as well bro! Thanks for checking in man
Badmf: MAHALO brudda! Man do I wish I was with you over there! looking over your training, is seems like you are still getting some great work in! Keep it up man! and Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting bro! Go drink some for me!
St Luke: Welcome! and thanks so much for the kind words man. It always makes me feel so good to know that there are people checking this out and liking it! And thanks so much for the PM also brother, I really, really do appreciate it!
Whiteflash: Hey thanks man! Good to see you back around here! Yeah I know I am going to have to shoot for a 5 plate bench, 6 plate squat, and 7 plate dead now! That would be so money! Thanks so much for checking back in over here bro! Good to see you are feeling better and the weights are coming back up!
Silent bob: Thanks so much for such an great compliment man! It means a lot! But for the love of God, I am not that old am I?!? I’m not even 30 yet (well, Barely)…Damn kids! Just joking bro, I really do appreciate you stopping in and reading the log man. Don’t be a stranger around here!
Dent: Hearing you hit a PR is such Awesome news bro! Thanks for the bit of credit, but I wasn’t the one moving the weight for you man! Your hard work and dedication are paying off! Keep it up, I’m proud of you brother!
Flow: Thanks so much for checking back in man! Man, I HATE going to weight rooms in other countries just for that reason! I suck at math! and so it takes me like 20 minutes just to figure out which color weights to put on the bar…WAY too confusing for my brain to do that stuff on the fly!
That and the fact that it is like I am lifting half the weight…so yesterday’s 605lbs would have been like 92.7 kg…Just hearing that would have made me cry and my back would have snapped in half instantly!
Thanks so much stopping in and commenting brother!
“The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had means, time, influence and educational advantages; the question is what he will do with the things he has. The moment a young man ceases to dream or to bemoan his lack of opportunities and resolutely looks his conditions in the face, and resolves to change them, he lays the corner-stone of a solid and honorable success.”
Hamilton Wright Mabie
07.08.09
Training
*So when I woke up today, by entire body essentially donkey punched me for even thinking about maxing out of Front squats and Push presses today, but I had to go to work at my field office in DC and would be given copious gym time…so I had to do something…
I figured since I skipped out of my accessory work yesterday after hitting the PR’s, I would hit those:
So I did these exercises 5 sets of 8 reps in giant set format:
BB Shrugs: 405, 455, 505, 505, 455
Leg Press Calves: Lots of weight?? (I didn’t take the time to see how much was on there…it’s calves! WTF!?
Hammer strength Ab machine: Stack for 5 sets of 8
Alt DB Curls: 60’s, 60’s, 60’s, 60’s, 60’s
Cable wood chops: 40, 45, 50, 50, 45 8 each side
Energy Systems work:
Interval running on the treadmill for a half hour…
Rehab:
Foam rolling
Lax Ball
Notes:
Do not go outside and do yard work/weeding for 4 hours the day after seeing DL PR’s…It makes the back ACHE!!!
Yard work counts as NEPA right???
-b
Quite the popular log you have here. You’re one big strong dude… Keep it up. I hope to be where you’re at in a couple years.
D
Let me get this straight…you fracture your spine, ignore (as would I) advice from medical professionals not to lift heavy shit anymore, then you come back and pull a 605 deadlift? And you don’t even bother with a belt?
You are the “no excuses” mindset personified. Great work man. Congrats on the PR’s.
I’m curious, is there a reason you prefer not to use a belt?
[quote]PJ84 wrote:
Let me get this straight…you fracture your spine, ignore (as would I) advice from medical professionals not to lift heavy shit anymore, then you come back and pull a 605 deadlift? And you don’t even bother with a belt?
You are the “no excuses” mindset personified. Great work man. Congrats on the PR’s.
I’m curious, is there a reason you prefer not to use a belt?
[/quote]
I too was wondering your opinion on belts??
DavyD: Thanks for the nice words and welcome brother! But That better have not been another shot at my age!!! Just kidding bro, again, thanks for stopping in and commenting!
PJ84 and Dent:
Belts are for Cindy Lauper and Nazis…
Just kidding fellas, I had never used one when I started lifting in High school, and then after reading a bunch of articles about the weakening of the transverse abdomanis, I swore off them forever…I was DLing about the same as I am now, and like you said, Broke my back during MMA. That was back in '05 I believe…
So Docs told me never to dead or squat again, but after trying that, I let my balls drop back down and re-entered the game…
Now if I DON’T squat or DL for 3+ days, my back is a total mess and I seriously struggle to get out of bed…I guess it kind of has adapted to being loaded and needs it to function now…
I swore that I would not put one on until I hit 600 DL, and I just hit it (even if it was ugly!). I am still thinking about throwing my hand into doing a PL meet, and if I do, I guess I would need one, so I will have to learn to lift with one.
So i may be buying Dave Tate another few Big Macs soon…We will see.
I really have nothing against belts, I am just ignorant to them…I figure when I put one on it can only help at this point.
But as always, Thanks so much for stopping in and asking questions guys, I dig answering them. You both are a huge support to me, and I thank you for it!
07.08.09
Fuel:
1 Scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% whey, 1 scoop Metabolic Drive, 1 fish oil, 1 Flameout, 1 Multi, 1 HOT-ROX, banana.
1 Scoop of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, surge, 10 Biotest BCAA’s
Turkey and pepperjack on wheat. Cherries, 2 BCAA’s, 1 Flameout, 1 Fish oil
Tuna and cheddar on wheat, orange, 1 Flmeout, 1 BCAA
Tuna and Cheddar on Wheat again…
1 Scoop of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, 1 Scoop Metabolic Drive, 2 Biotest BCAA’s, 1 fish oil, 1 Flameout, milk
1 Scoop of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, 1 Scoop Metabolic Drive, 2 Biotest BCAA’s, 2 fish oil
I just gotta tell you man, not to kiss ass or anything, but you’ve definitely given me some solid inspiration. Whenever I feel like not eating all my meals or not putting that extra weight on the bar each session, I come look at your log or look back at your training thread in the BB section and it keeps my ass in check. Keep it up man, best of luck.
Nice work on deads and bench! Can’t wait to see you beat your front and back squat PRs also, I’m certain that day is approaching quickly.
THOSE PR’S ARE SICK!!! Can’t believe those idiots who walked in front of the camera. Irony is anyone else would have stopped to watch that lift. Those guys carried on with their 10lbs plates as though it wasn’t happening…Kind of tells you were their minds are at…Good for the rest of us though. More Jonas Brothers out there!
Waylander: Thanks so much fro this man, I really do appreciate it, and inspiring people is about the only reason why I am keeping this thing going at this point…I really, really do thank you for telling me that!
Chi-town: Thanks man, but unfortunately today was not may day…see below…But there is always next week! I really do appreciate the compliment, but man I was LIVID today!
Dave_david: Thanks so much for checking back in bro! Yea man the world is filled with D-bags, I just think there is a disproportionate number of them per capita in my gym! Man I they drive me crazy! If only I could have this kind of knowledge back when I was their age…youth is wasted on the weak!
07.09.09
Training C:
8x3 Giant sets with as little rest between exercises as possible:
1a. Front Squats: 275/3, 315/3, 365/3, 405/2, 445/FAIL DAMNIT!, 315/5, 315/5
1b. Wide Grip BW Pull-Ups: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
1c. BB Push Press: 245/3, 265/3, 285/3, 285/2, 285/2, 245/5, 245/4
1d. Standing Cable abs: Stack - 7 sets of 10
Accessory Work:
3x8 Giant Sets with as little rest between exercises as possible:
2a. DB read Delt: 50/8, 50/8
2b. DB Lateral Raise: 50/8, 50/8
2c. DB External Rotations: 30/8, 30/8
Energy Systems work:
20 minutes Hill Interval on the ARC trainer
Notes:
1a: Oh . My . Gosh . I was pissed! the 405/2 felt pretty easy, not like “this is nothing” kind of easy, but, “I can do a lot more” kind of easy…
So i threw on 445 got under it and walked out - it felt light and in my head I thought for sure I had it…Then i dropped into the hole, rose about 6 inches and went right back down onto the rack…I could have eaten the ass end of a dead rino I was so angry with myself! I STILL cannot believe I didn’t get that…I BETTER own that thing next week or I am quitting lifting all together and am taking up knitting…
1b. I really feel as if doing so much bodyweight Pulls helped my weighted ones go up…I have no science to back such a claim up, but I do have evidence, and that’s good enough for me!
1c. I think 285/3 may be a PR for me but I am not totally sure…I would vid the thing but then all of you would see my face…Then stalkers and terrorists would be showing up at my door to ask me how to make a perfect protein shake in the Magic Bullet! And I cannot have that!
Overall:
I feel pretty good, but when i think about that missed Front squat I am still pissed…it is what it is I guess.
I leave for Germany again for a few days in about 2 hours so i will be MIA again…If any of you have questions or comments, just leave them and I will answer as soon as I get back…
All of you be good and someone please go rape a front squat PR for me…Stupid front squats stole my manhood…
Don’t watch “Band of Brothers” on your way over to Germany with some old german lady next to you…she will look at you funny,
-b
Being new to the weightlifting game, I love reading your stuff, and same with all the other big gainers here at tnation. You help make this place what it should be!
I read your log last night and it got me pumped to rape weight. I went to the gym today and I really dug deep and had an aggressive and strong feeling whilste training. It was very good. I plan on always having that mindset now in the gym as it makes me much stronger. Thank you
I call it like it is, and you my man, are old. I had something similar happen to me on my max deadlift last year: - YouTube hahaha.
If you don’t want that posted in your log, I’ll remove it, just let me know.
If you got 405x2, that 445 will go up for sure, just gotta try it a couple more times.
D
Simply amazing. You need to go on a speaking tour…
Knitting…somehow I think that’s a poor choice for a new hobby. Arthritis in the fingers just doesn’t sound like any fun. I have no doubt you’ll have the mindset to own it next week…Dent
P.S. Just in case I’m wrong about the new hobby…I would like a new hat. They say Idaho is in for a hell of a winter.
J.Wollman: Hey welcome and thanks for stopping in bro! Thanks for the complements! And hopefully there will be more and more good guys coming up in the ranks soon. I am sure that in just a little while there will be more than one person that’s reading this right now that will be blowing past me in no time! Thanks again bro!
GodofSteel: Man thanks so much for reading the log and letting me know that it helped you! That just inspires me to keep going and hopefully setting a decent example! Welcome to the log brother, don’t be a stranger!
DavyD: Young little punk! You at Colorado U? I’m thinking of moving out there! And WTF was up with that guy standing right in front of your vid?!?! I swear people are getting dumber and dumber by the day!
Oh and please DON’T take your vid off! Man, this place no longer really belong to me. It is and always was for all of you! I just post here and rant about dumb crap I see and do!
Bunny: That is seriously one of the nicest things anyone has ever written on here! Now if Only I could get TC to pay me in free supps to keep this thing going!
I’ve sent them articles but they never even got read…is what it is I guess, but thanks so much for saying that brother, it means more than you know!
Dent: Knitting is HARDCORE! and you are the first to ask for a hat, you my friend, shall be the first to receive one! Just as soon as I get around to learning how to do it…As always, thanks for stopping in and commenting bro!
Just got home from Germany! Thanks for everyone who kept this thing alive while I was gone!
I got a run in along the Rine (Sp?) river while there. It was really nice outside so it was just a long steady state…No idea of how far or anything…And now it is running here at home. And you all know how I get a hard-on for running in the rain, so i am out for yet another long steady state through the woods near my house…
I am supposed to go to Ocean City MD tomorrow for the day, but REALLY, REALLY do not feel like going…But I made a promise so I am kind of roped in – But if by chance, any of you are around there…if you see an unusually large guy walking around the beach looking pissed off or moping, come say hi…it is probably me!
May fit a lift in tomorrow morning, but it is a HUGE “if” as of right now…we will see.
Thanks again or reading,
b
Well, I’ve been following your log for the past few months, but finally decided to post. This is honestly the first thing I read when logging onto the site every day, and since you appreciate your readership so much, I thought it only fair to comment.
For a while I bought into the dogma that steady state cardio and strength don’t mix, but seeing the kind of results you’re getting has led me to see that I can enjoy a long run and still kick ass with the weights. And whenever I start telling myself I’m too tired, too exhausted, whatever, to eat well, to do my hill sprints, to push myself just a little further, I think of the conditions you get through every day - that motivates me to tear down the excuses and rationalizations and get shit done. As many have said before me, you’re truly an inspiration - thanks for all the time you put into this log.
Good work - keep it up!
I have not read your entire log yet so forgive me if you have been asked:
Thanks in advance, appreciate our time and once again - big numbers - keep it up!
Ciz