New Alpha Athlete Matt Phelps

Matt Phelps - graduated high school in 2001in Bardstown, KY and worked as an ironworker until 2009, when I joined the United States Border Patrol.

 I have trained and worked as a Border Patrol Agent in New Mexico, Arizona and Idaho. I have been lifting, albeit sporadically and without any real knowledge at times, since I was 13. My first powerlifting meet was when I was 14, I bench pressed 240lbs.
 
I have a two year old son, Odin, whom I love more than all the ice cream in the universe. I have been a drug free, raw lifter my whole life. I have lifted in the USAPL, USPA, UPA, Nevada Police and Fire Games and numerous unsanctioned meets. I hold drug tested and non drug tested national records in the UPA in the 242 (both) and 220 class (tested) as well as numerous state records in the UPA, USAPL and USPA.

In 2012 I won first place and best bench press at the Nevada Police and Fire Games. My best competition bench press to date is 550 unsanctioned and 547 at USPA. My best in the gym is 570. All at around 240lbs.

My goals in the near future are the 220 (551lbs) and 242 (600lbs) drug tested World Records. I rather enjoy helping other lifters out in anyway I am able to, be it programming advice or just form tips. I am learning new things that I never would have thought of from watching other lifters and asking questions and I think its important to spread that data around to everyone. Looking forward to a good year in 2015, hopefully 600lbs good!

Lone Wolf or Dynamic Duo? – Tasha Whelan

All the best superheroes have a partner, a team mate. No one rides alone successful. The greatest success’ and accomplishments are those that are usually shared.  It has always been said, two (muscle) heads are better than one.

Protection, safety, rescuer. All is fun until you get stuck under a weight. Its never fun to be “that guy/gal” who tries to PR on their own, or feels cocky under a heavy weight and all of a sudden that weight is a bit more than expected. No partner, no one to help move that weight up or off you, so you become “that guy/gal” screaming for help while pinned under a barbell. You don’t want to be remembered in the gym for being rescued. It happens more frequently that it should. This won’t happen with a training partner (given the partner is experienced enough to spot properly).

When spotting, know what your partner likes and dislikes in a spot. Knowing your lifter’s preferences could be key to their lift being successful. A bad spot can ruin a potential PR or just an entire set alone. Talk to your partner figure out what cues help them and what spotting technique works for them. More importantly, always be prepared. If a lift goes wrong, that person is relying on your to bail them out. Be ready for anything. Eyes open and focused on them. Period.

Accountability. Hands down the most valuable component of having a training partner is accountability. How many people have hit there snooze button on a planned early morning training session?  It is too easy to make excuses; staying in a warm, cozy bed for longer, stayed up too late last night, too hungry to get ready in time to train, next thing you know you have to get on with the rest of your day.  Evening training sessions can be just as difficult to make; too tired from the day, dinner was too heavy, etc.  Next thing you know… damn a workout is missed.

It can get way too easy to miss a workout. Maybe you’re in a bad mood, low on energy, would rather watch Sons of Anarchy, whatever the excuse, chances are if you know someone is waiting for you at a given time, you’re going to show. Work out will be complete. One step closer to those goals.

Results:  When training with a partner you are more inclined to pick up the training intensity. Again, if you have the right training partner, who does not slack off or leave you hanging. We all want results, to reach our goals, to lift and train with purpose. It’s much easier to let yourself down than to let another person down. If someone is expecting you to be there to train, you’ll show up, work hard, accomplish the day’s training program, and therefore lead you to key results.

Time-saver: Having a training partner can really eliminate time not only spent in the gym, but during working sets, rest periods etc. A lot of people may not realize how much time can be wasted setting up equipment, racks, getting gear ready etc. Having someone to help move this proves along quickly can make all the difference in a workout when you’re in a good groove and flow.

Notice Technique Flaws: We don’t always know how we look when we are lifting. A lot of the time we focus on moving that weight and if we finish the lift, we will feel accomplished. Well, form, technique, cuing; all crucial to gains, success, progress, and injury prevention. It’s important to have a set of eyes watch the things you can’t see. Maybe your knees are buckling in during a squat, or back breaks a little in a certain part of a deadlift, or your elbows are flaring too much during a bench press. It feels great to you, but that lift could have moved much smoother by fixing the things you don’t notice. Partners give you the eyes you need when you “can’t see”.

Encouragment. Training alone: “I missed my lift, I’m pissed and feel like a weak piece of garbage”. This can ruin your day. That weight should have flown up. “I’m not strong enough, I lost my strength, and I thought I was better than that.”

So easily we put ourselves down, become these self-loathing individuals, the Debby-downers, the negative-Nellys. When you’re just not feeling like superman and more like the garbage man, you need to hear some words of encouragement. Training partner: “You got this Bro. take a moment, re-group, and hit it again.  Today might not be the best day. There’s still tomorrow, and the next time. This is one day. You’ve lifted it before. You work hard, you’re a freaking bad-ass. It’s a bad lift, it happens. You got it next time.”

Instead of walking out of the gym completely defeated by a bad lifting day (we all have them, it’s normal) A training partner can at least make you feel a little bit better, and that little bit can go a long way. Keep on encouraging and motivated your team mate. It’s important. DO NOT LET THEM FALL TRAP TO INTERNAL EXECUTION. Wah. Bad day. Head up bad ass. Not only for missed lifts, but for praise when you hit a PR. It is nice to get recognized for that, maybe a high 5, a slap on the ass, a chest bump. HA. Whatever it is, it’s always nice not to share the experience of success and gain alone.

Afraid to increase the weight? Think you’ll miss it? Partners are there to push you, keeping your mind in the game, mentality is huge when lifting and gaining. You need to keep the positivity there and having a partner there to reinforce the positive thoughts can be night or day difference in the gym.

Right kind of training partner. The right training partner is someone that shares your vision. This person is driven and dedicated to the same level as you. He or she is not flaky, nor is he or she training for a completely different sport or goal. Someone training for a marathon would not make the best training partner for a powerlifting or vice versa, even if they were best friends or husband and wife. The goals must be the same or similar. Gender should not matter. Sometimes training with the opposite sex can actually be better. Who doesn’t like to impress the opposite sex and work hard, and show off a little?

A great partner is someone you feel can push you, motivate you, and excite you to lift. A training partner who comes to the gym, not prepared, bad mood, constantly complaining, or never following through with the planned workout, etc., would not make an ideal workout/ training partner. If your current training partner is not helping you reach your goals, then now is the time to reevaluate what you want in a partner. It’s not selfish to “fire” your training partner if it’s not working out well. You will never accomplish or be successful with your goals if you let someone take you away from achieving them. What is selfish about following your dreams and reaching your goals? Nothing. So say bye-bye to the bad partner and get a new one. IT IS WORTH IT. If you want a good reliable partner you need to pay the same respect to that person. Show up, be ready, be motivating, be open minded, and be a teammate. HAVE FUN!!!

Check out these training buddies. Now this would be an ideal training session ;)

Cutting Weight for the Female Athlete – Tasha Whelan

As a women whose training partner is a man, I can say cutting weight next to him is very annoying. Doing the same weight cut as my training partner seems to be quite more of a struggle for me than it is for him. Given, as a women, hormones come in to play.  Women, having higher levels of estrogen, which is commonly associated with weight gain by slowing down the metabolism. Progesterone, which plays a big role in women’s menstrual cycles, influences the body to hold on to water a bit more. These are factors that contribute to the greater challenge of cutting weight for women.

I’ve done weight cuts where I just focus on a water weight drop (miserable), and weight cuts where I took the more gradual approach (i.e changing my diet, adding more cardio (ugh))… Neither are enjoyable. It’s exhausting, miserable, and pisses me off.

For someone who competes in the 132 weight class, I find it that much harder to cut down. Changing diet up can really screw up my strength, especially when 90% of the time my diet is very clean, so to clean it up more than it already is, can be quite challenging.

How can I make weight, and preserve as much lean mass, strength, and energy as possible? It’s tough for sure. I have found myself sitting in hot tubs, steam rooms, and saunas, fully clothed doing cardio to just lose .25 of a lb.. UGH!

What I have found to be the “easiest” approach, is the gradually cut. More recently, I sit at about 140 and need to get to 132. I clean my “all ready clean” diet up a bit more… usually 4 to 6 weeks out.. Bye-bye jars of peanut butter (sigh)… No cheat meals, no pancakes.  Hello to lots of chicken salads, salmon, sweet potatoes, and protein shakes. Not too horrible really, as long as you are getting in carbs especially post workout, and keeping enough protein in.

As long as I can drop a few “bad” pounds, preferable 4-5 through diet, and keep the water cut to 5 lbs or less… seems to be the best… but again, HARD, as a women, not having too much weight on you to lose, 1 lb can be painful and disgusting to drop. You have to do what you have to do right…

Water loading prior to the dehydration phase is very important. This helps get the water out easier, along with water pills, dandelion root, and magnesium citrate supplement to help extract the water. Steam rooms, and low intensity cardio for the sweat, but be careful to not expend too much energy at a higher intensity as you will need this to recover.

When cutting, do ask yourself, do I need to do this, is it necessary? If you are competing to compete, to get more experience, then I suggest not cutting weight, not only does it take a physically toll on the body, it is stressful and mentally exhausting as well. If you are looking to break records, or hit a certain lift at a different weight class, then sure, do what you got to do, but do prepare yourself for a challenge, a very tough challenge.

When refueling and rehydrating try to avoid going all out and scarfing down as much food as you can immediately as this is not the best way to go about it. First and foremost, your body needs to rehydrate so get some water, sodium, and electrolytes back in. The first thing I have is Pedialyte. This allows me to have a great start to the rehydration process. This process can easily be done wrong. I myself have taken the route of stacks of pancakes, steaks and omelets, hash browns and whatever else I could “uncomfortable” get in my body to try to get the energy and strength back up. Sodium and water is the first priority, then gradually get food back in.  Don’t get me wrong, go and eat a good amount of food, but I don’t suggest getting terrible full like at Thanksgiving. Your body has just been through a massive depletion and needs time to process what you are putting back in so everything will starting functioning (digestive system) as it should. Be smart, be passionate, and only cut if necessary.

Risk Vs. Reward

Reward

• Being more competitive at a lower weight
• Better chance of breaking records or placing on top
• Putting weight back on after weigh in (weigh more than your competition= stronger)
• Qualifying for bigger competitions

Risk

• Losing strength
• Not recovering well enough from water cut (if part of your personal process)
• Possible psychological effects on the brain due to severe dehydration (i.e. depression, mood swing, aggression etc.)
• Physiological effect on the body (Reduced blood volume, heart must work harder to supply oxygenated blood,
• Dehydration results in reduced muscle blood flow, waste removal, and heat dissipation, all of which are necessary for sustained, high power muscle action in events such as boxing and judo.” (Armstrong, 1992, p.29)
• Feeling like crap during the entire dehydrating process

Keeping the Fire Ablaze – Dan Stephenson

As a fitness professional, I spend a lot of time in the gym.  It can be a wonder of how someone such as myself could keep up a high motivation for training myself and others.  After working with clients all day and spending most of the day inside the gym, motivation does not come easy.  I have learned a few things over the years that have helped me to continue to drive myself to train as hard as I need to and to push my clients in the same way.

For the fitness professional

• Find a different gym to train at other than where you work.

If you work in a gym, chances are most people know you and feel comfortable enough to approach you whenever they see you “available” in their eyes.  This is a good thing for business but it can be a problem when it comes to your personal workouts.  I suggest that you get the heck out of there whenever you can and train at a different gym.  Being unknown or at least keeping to yourself is sometimes necessary to get the work in that you need and to keep your focus during your training sessions.

• Plan your schedule wisely

One of the greatest things about working as a personal trainer is the freedom to manage your own schedule.  Conversely, one of the worst things is that your schedule is at the mercy of your clients.  This often leads to trainers working split shifts.  Many trainers can manage the split shift just fine but it does take some planning ahead to pull it off successfully. 

Be sure to prioritize yourself into your schedule setting boundaries of when you are “available to clients” and “unavailable to clients.”  This includes limiting the extra-early morning clients and the late-night clients that turn a 10-12 hour day into a 14 hour day.  Plan your shifts so that you can provide an honest quality service to all of your clients and to get in your own quality training sessions throughout the week.

For the competitor

• Find a gym that supports your sport/style of training

This should be a big priority for those who are serious about their training.  It is hard to improve your deadlift in a gym that doesn’t allow chalk, doesn’t have bumper plates, and frowns upon loud crashing weights.  It is also helpful to get in an environment with like-minded people and people that are stronger than you.  You might be the biggest fish in the pond but there is always the ocean.

• Remember that your competition may out-train you

While you may want to take a day off or only push yourself so far, just remember that you are giving your competition the chance to out-train you.

For the general public

• Establish a few realistic, specific, and time sensitive goals

Goals are important.  More precisely, specific goals are important.  They provide your training with purpose and help to establish a means to measure progress; both of which are motivating.  Training with purpose and recognizing (and celebrating) progress is a good way to keep motivation alive.

• Find your “Fitness Identity”

Finding a fitness identity can be tricky for some but once you have it, it does wonders for motivating your training.  A fitness identity is a trait that one can identify with that is related to fitness.  An example of this would be associating an activity, such as running, to an individual.  “I run often, therefore, I am a runner,” or “I train to improve my total, therefore, I am a powerlifter.”

Once a fitness identity is established, training purpose is established or reinforced and you may find that other aspects such as nutrition and lifestyle choices may coincide more with the new found fitness identity.

To summarize, your training needs to be a priority if you truly want to reach your goals.  As Adrian would say, “Good things come to those who wait… go out and f*cking earn it!”

Randal P - Alpha Athlete

Alpha Project Athlete Intro, Randall Pattee

 

 

I'm originally from Medford, Oregon. Studied briefly at Oregon State before deploying to Iraq in 2003 with the Oregon National Guard B-Co 2-162 Infantry. I currently live in Portland, Oregon and train at Elite Performance Center. I've lifted on and off since high school in the late nineties, but the last 3 years have been the most consistent and serious. I've been powerlifting for one year. I've competed 1 deadlift only and 4 full power meets, most recently at USPA Nationals in Las Vegas. I lift in the 181 lb class mostly. I have 7 USPA raw state records for 181 and 198 but still have a very long way to go before I'm competetive with the upper echelon of lifters in my class.

 

USPA Nationals Recap

 

Nationals was an unfortunate meet for me, I went in expecting a much better total than what I got. I had cut for about 6 weeks leading into it, gradually tapering calories from 3k to 2500. I lost about 13lbs and was at around 184-185 the week of the meet. After fasting for 36 hours or so I made weight Friday morning. I didn't have to do any time in the sauna or anything like that. I hit the buffet right after weight ins, and I think that was a mistake in hind sight. I got full after just a plate and it kind of put a damper on my appetite for the rest of the day. Next time I plan on drinking a bunch of water/gatorade for at least an hour before I go stuff myself, that way my body is prepared to process a bunch of incoming food. So the first thing I learned is that I really need to strategize my rehydration after making a notable weight cut.

 

The day of the event my lifting was scheduled to start at 3 PM, but the event was not run very smoothly as far as time goes. They had a hall of fame induction ceremony before the PM session, by the time it was all said and done, we starting lifting some time between 7 and 8 pm. I had been down in the lifting area since 2:45 ready and waiting to lift. I had a bunch of team mates there and wanted to cheer them on and hang out, but I should have just gone back to the room and relaxed for another 5 hours instead. I didn't really eat much the day of the event because normall if I was going to lift at 3 pm I would just need a moderate meal to be fine. I definitely could have planned better and had more food in my bag for this kind of situation.

 

So by the time I was warming up, I wasn't feeling great about the weights. I hit my opener squat at 451 lbs, narrowly missed 475 on 2nd, then had it staple me on 3rd. Bench opener 260 was good, but I missed the 2nd at 280 because I didn't have a good bar path. I came back for my 3rd attempt to repeat 280. It was an absolute grinder, I pressed and locked it out within the rules. Unfortunately after pressing it, for what seemed like forever, I totally skipped the rack command and got red lights. That was disappointing, but I know that I can do it in competition next time. I actually started to get a bit of a second wind for deadlifts. My 500 opener felt good and fast. In an attempt to beat out one of the JR competitors for 3rd in overall, I bumped my 2nd deadlift up to 550 from my original planned 525. I was under the impression that all the Jrs would be included in the open for placing as well. This was a big mistake, I should have clarified this before ever switching my attempts. My 2nd attempt, 550, got out in front of me and I dropped it cause I was going forward. I think I was just too fired up and should have just picked it up. I repeated 550 on my 3rd attempt and got it up but had a hitch, so get 3 reds.

 

I ended up with a 1212 total, the exact same as a meet I did last November. That was a real kick in the nuts. I met a ton of cool people down there and learned a lot though. I don't meant this write up to sound like a laundry list of excuses. There were plenty of other lifters in my exact same situation that absolutely dominated the platform that night. I just chalk it up as a learning experience and continue to get stronger.

The Alpha Project Training Update – 6 Weeks – Tasha Whelan and Dan Stephenson

Tasha and I have been fortunate enough to have Adrian work with us “hands-on” a few times on our bench press technique in addition to online coaching through the Alpha Project.  Since working with Adrian, he has had us focus on dialing in our technique and rotating different accessory exercises to bring up our bench presses.

As you might imagine, when you alter your technique, it can usually be a big step forward, or a temporary step backwards in terms of strength.  In my case, it was the latter for the first few weeks.  Although frustrated that I wasn’t able to move the same weight as I had once moved, I stuck with the program and slowly but surely the weight has come back to the bar.  I can feel a difference in the bar path and shoulder strength from what Adrian has suggested.

Tasha has had a faster turnaround with her strength gains.  With the help of Adrian, she has been able to put an extra 10lbs on her bench over the past 6 weeks

.

The Alpha Project has been a great experience overall and has brought in some assistance exercises that Tasha and I have not been using previously.  The addition of the targeted exercises for the triceps, pecs, and shoulders has made an impact in our ability to handle heavier weights more efficiently.

We are looking forward to continuing the Alpha Project into our prep for the IPL World’s meet this November.  Our confidence is building and so are the numbers.  We will keep you all updated as to how this meet turns out.

Sincerely,

Tasha and Dan

Breaking through Mental Blocks - Dan Stephenson

You can be your own worst enemy when it comes to training.  Hitting new PR’s can be more of a mental game than it is physical strength.  Try these three strategies the next time you gear up to set a personal record.

Visualization

There is a saying that “on competition day, a champion athlete has already completed his/her task 1,000 times over in the mind.”  I’m not entirely sure who said it but it speaks truth.  Repeatedly visualizing every step that needs to take place in order for you to complete a lift will do wonders for your nerves when you actually attempt the lift.  Mental practice is key to continuing to see success.  Many of times, our worst habits will surface when the weight gets heavy enough.  This is one strategy to gain more focus and eliminate the mental clutter when you attempt your next PR lift.

Change your Warm-up Sets

I can almost guarantee that you have done the same weights in your warm-up sets leading to the top weight for the past few months.  Am I wrong? 

Try changing up your loading pattern for your next workout.  Instead of going up by the same plate increments each time, try making different jumps up in weight for each set.  For example, instead of going from 135lbs to 185lbs, skip 185 and go to 195.  This works well in your first few warm-up sets because taking a bigger jump has less of an impact on your overall performance.  You might find that you can move some weights easier because you haven’t exhausted yourself too much on the lighter sets.

You might even try playing around with more or less sets with fewer reps working your way up in weight.  The point of warm-up sets is to prepare the body for the heavier weight NOT to fatigue you before you get there.

Blind Sets

If you have a training partner that you trust and that knows your strength well, have them choose your weights for you for your next work out.  Try your best not to add-up what is on the bar and just lift it.  In this way, you can cut out all of the mind games that you play on yourself when attacking a certain weight.  There will be no expectations only assumptions as to how that weight may feel.  You might find yourself lifting a weight you have never lifted before and assume that it is lighter than it truly is.