Alpha V

“There’s a storm inside of us. I’ve heard many team guys speak of this. A burning. A river. A drive. An unrelenting desire to push yourself harder and further than anyone could think possible. Pushing ourselves into those cold, dark corners, where the bad things live. Where the bad things fight. We wanted that fight at the highest volume. A loud fight. The loudest, coldest, darkest, most unpleasant of the unpleasant fights.” --Marcus Luttrell

MONDAY, 31JULY2017 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 1/ Day 1

CONDITIONING - As many Rounds As Possible in 10 Minutes
5 Burpees
1 Hill Sprint
10 Squat Jumps

STRENGTH - Still Very Sick so tried to go lighter by default by exercise choice.
Hands Free SSB Squat
160x3
250x3
340x2
430x2
520x3
570x1
600x1 PR
Between i was hitting some Glute Ham raise sit-Ups

Then I did a few round of Glute Ham Raises and Sit-Ups to round out the day.


NOTES:
Olu, Nigeria’s Strongest Man is back int he States so he will be at my gym for the next couple of weeks so we hit the squats together today. I love that guy so much!

By the way, i competed Saturday with the flu and a respiratory infection but still ended up doing fairly well. Now i can focus for the next 4 months on nationals in hopes of having a better showing this year!

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Only Brian can feel like crap and still tough out a PB. Quality

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Congrats on your first places!! Love it.

Just a fantastic display of guts dude. This is exactly what we talk about in being ready all the time. If you can go straight from puking to winning an event back to puking, you’re a dangerous human. Great work as always man.

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@simo74 Hahah thanks brother!


@Betabill Thank so much man!


@T3hPwnisher Dude, guys like you make me do things like that. i know you are hard headed enough to do the same type of thing. You make me better man!

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“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” --Beverly Sills

“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.” --Langston Hughes

MONDAY, 07AUGUST2017 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 3/ Day 1

CONDITIONING - 10 minute Time Cap
3 Burpees
Max Effort Barbell Step Ups (In Front Rack Position) For the Remainder of the Minute
Continue to Do this until I hit 100 total Reps

STRENGTH - Deadlift Focus (Power)
Set 1: 8 Explosive Good Mornings (With a Band)
8 Deadlifts @ 465lbs
15 “V” Sit-Ups

Set 2: 8 Explosive Good Mornings (With a Band)
6 Deadlifts @ 535 lbs
15 “V” Sit-Ups

Set 3: 8 Explosive Good Mornings (With a Band)
As Many Deadlifts As Possible @ 605 - I got 6. Broken fingers wouldn’t hold onto the bar…
15 “V” Sit-Ups

STRONGMAN - Hussefield Stone Carry
215
250
300
350
375
400 x Like 25 Feet…It was weak.

ASSISTANCE - 5 Rounds
10 Glute Ham Raises
10 GHR Halos
10 SSB Good Mornings
10 SSB hands Free- Step ups to an 18 inch Box

More … For like 3-4 Rounds
10 Seated SSB Good mornings
10 GHR Halos


NOTES: - First real training day for Nationals.

  • Deadlifts should have gone better but my broken finger was the limiting factor there. I should have used straps.
  • The Hussefield Stone should go home and not come back.
  • Trying new things to attempt to get some more growth and strength because as it stands right now, I will zero a couple of events at Nationals, so i need to level up!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXg4DmWBdBX/?taken-by=neversate

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Man, how does someone with your mass get even bigger haha, your strength is insane .

@duketheslaya Hahah you would be shocked man, this is me next to Brian Shaw backstage after he won the Arnold. The pool is deeper than you think, my Friend!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRWmJTCBH8O/?taken-by=neversate

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Man, Brian Shaw’s son is growing-up big just like his dad! Wait…

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@TX_iron hahaha dude, he and i are BARELY the same species! Just a monster but hanging with him and his family that whole weekend was one of the most positive experiences of my life. Awesome guy!

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“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits one-self, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” --William Hutchison Murray

WEDNESDAY, 09AUGUST2017 - Work For Today
Wave 1/Week 1/Day 3

STRONGMAN - Log Clean & Press Focus (Giant set of Course)
Weighted Pull-Ups: 95x3, 120x3, 140x3, 155x3, 170x2
Log Clean & Press (Cleaning Every Rep): 180x3, 230x3, 280x3, 300x3
Kettlebell Side bends - Lots each side.

STRENGTH - 3 Rounds
Grenade Landmine Rows: 135x10, 180x10, 205x10
Weighted Dips: 140x5, 185x5, 230x5
More Kettlebell Side Bends

ASSISTANCE
:30 Seconds Max Reps Log Z Press
:30 Seconds Face Pulls
:30 Seconds Lateral Raises
:30 Seconds Rest
…I did this For 4 Rounds and finished all of that dumb little stuff in 8 Minutes.

CONDITIONING/ASSISTANCE
Bunch Of Yoke Waiter’s Walks…like a bunch
into 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Reps of
Trap Bar Strict Press
Back to a few More Yoke Waiter’s Walks.


NOTES:

  • 300x3 on the Log - Cleaning every rep - is definitely decent for me. i am happy with it, but man, it was harder than it should have been.

  • My Man Olu is over here from Africa and we have been workout partners some of last week and all of this week. That is who I did the above workout with. It is a humbling experience working out with a guy who just got back from World’s Strongest Man! I love that guy so much!

  • Today Was also a cool day because we had a visitor at open gym who walked in and was amazing to see 3 Maryland’s Strongest Men, 1 Pennsylvania’s Strongest man and Nigeria’s Strongest Man just working out together. And then after he saw the intensity, he said to me, “So this is why all of your people win so often.” It was a really proud moment.

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Glad you got to experience that man! Steel sharpening steel.

BTW, with your given well-deserved growing popularity, I feel this log is sort of a back stage pass to the Brian Alsruhe show

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@TX_iron Yea man, it is strange. Not a lot of people seem to know about it. I kind of like it that way!

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Yer now Brian is getting more popular in a few years people will be able to say. I knew Brian when he was just a monster strong dude on t nation back in the day!!! Keep up the good work man you deff deserve the recognition you are getting.

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@simo74 Hahaha man, i really appreciate that!


So much training on Friday and Saturday. It was all event based but you can see some of it in this video:

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“It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now?”

MONDAY, 14AUGUST2017 - Work For Today

STRONGMAN CONDITIONING - At the Top of Every Minute for 10 Minutes, Completed:
3 Burpees
100 Foot Farmer’s Walk @ 245 Each hand

STRONGMAN - Giant Sets
Frame Deadlift (16" pick height): 340x3, 430x3, 520x3, 610x3, 700x3
Standing Banded Crunches: Sets of 10
:30 Seconds Kettlebell Swings
:30 Seconds Battle Ropes

ASSISTANCE - 3 Rounds of the Following Giant Set
Axle Rows: Sets of 225x10
Deficit Frame Deadlifts: 340x10
45 Degree Back Raise Deadlifts: 315x5
Standing Banded Crunches


NOTES:

  • Well, 700x3 is Technically a PR for me on the Frame, but my weight is Nationals is 830 for as many reps as possible in :60 Seconds…the realization that this is probably going to be a zero fro me at Nationals is slightly disturbing.
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Hey Boss,

I sent you an email a couple weeks back (Jul 27), didn’t hear back from you so I wanted to make sure it didn’t get lost in the void.

I’m down in Annapolis, going to school down there. Schedule wont allow me to drive up everyday to train with yall, but I was wondering if I could join you all on Saturdays when you have that strongman open gym? I come from a (Admittedly mediocre) powerlifting background and would love to get involved in strongman. Let me know if its a possibility, what all I’d owe you, that sort of thing!

Thanks boss, keep crushing it.

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“Self pity is the worst possible emotion anyone can have. And the most destructive. – Self pity will destroy relationships, it’ll destroy anything that’s good, it will fulfill all the prophecies it makes and leave only itself. It’s so simple to imagine that one is hard done by, and that things are unfair, and that one is underappreciated, and that if only one had had a chance at this, only one had had a chance at that, things would have gone better, you would be happier if only this, that one is unlucky. All those things. And some of them may well even be true. But, to pity oneself as a result of them is to do oneself an enormous disservice.” --Stephen Fry

WEDNESDAY, 16AUGUST2017 - Work For Today

CONDITIONING
15 Burpee Pull-Ups
Run 400 Meters
12 Burpee Pull-Ups
Run 400 Meters
10 Burpee Pull-Ups
Run 400 Meters

STRENGTH - Giant Sets
Grenade Pull-Ups: Sets of 15
Push-Press: 225x3, 275x3 315x6
Ab Wheel Roll-outs: Sets of 10

TIER TWO - Giant Sets
Circus Dumbbell Turkish Get-Ups - 5 Each Side
Z Presses: 185 For sets of 5
Ab Wheel Roll-Outs

ASSISTANCE - 4 Rounds
:30 Seconds “Z” Presses
:30 Seconds Lateral Raises
:30 Seconds Face Pulls
:30 Seconds Rest


NOTES:

  • Life is crazy between Gym, Online Programs, training, online training, new building being built, T-shirt release, Collabs, seminars coming up and trying to write this stupid book! Hahaha but I am beyond happy with my life!
  • I am trying to make training a bigger priority right now, but it is tough to carve out the time. Thus, I am happy with this workout. 315x6 isn’t spectacular, but I’ll take it considering. Have a LOT of work to do so that i don’t zero anything at Nationals! Just another Stone in the Wall!

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This is the Start of a new series where I look back over 23 Year in the lifting game and share with you guys some of the most brutal workouts I have ever done. Try at your own risk…or don’t. But if you do, trust me, you will be a different person standing on the other end of it.

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@atlas13 Sure thing brother. It may have gone to my trash folder (it happens sometimes). Just send another email and i will give you all of the details there! Thanks man and sorry about that!

You got it Boss, Just re-sent the email.

“Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are just not cut out for positions at the top.” --James Cash Penny

Friday, 19AUGUST2017 - Work For Today

Didn’t Have much Time, and i tweaked my knee so I have to choose something that, by it’s nature, is lighter. So I decided on a 5 Second Pause Front Squat.
135
225
315
365
405
430
455 (PR I think…)

On a bigger note, I got this awesome shot of one of my Adaptive guys (Tommy, who is the current US title holder for the Strongest Adaptive athlete in America) flipping a 500lb tire with one leg…Blows my Mind…There are no good excuses for anything when you see things like this on a daily basis…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX8qZrKhgZ9/?taken-by=neversate

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Wow, so going up in weight class or are they making things much tougher?(Sorry havent gone through all latest vids)