Sam Ashen the PRs - The Daily Grind

[The Most Loathed]

You're obviously capable of the front squats and your wrist mobility is great for someone who doesn't have a strong history in it. That said, I'd back off the heavy reps for a bit. You're got a lot of other stuff going on in your lifts that you need to explore and nail down before you get heavy.

 

on your deadlift, watch your toes (in the video not as you lift) and think about what is happening there.

[Sam Ashen]

Score for today:

4790 Calories

464 Carbs / 164 Sugar

217 Fat

278 Protein

4.241 Sodium - Probably more because of what I picked for the "stew"

 

MFP said I burned more calories on an 8km walk than doing the weights.

[Sam Ashen]

Sunday.  Score for today:

2580 Calories

226 Carbs / 58 Sugar

110 Fat

193 Protein

Skipping the Sodium count until I can find something accurate.

[Sam Ashen]

Monday.  Back at it.

 

Pull-ups, 5 sets, 5 reps

 

Squats

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x5x135 pounds

1x5x185 pounds

5x5x225 pounds - experimenting with the form and not really happy with how the depth looked on the camera.  Knees tracked okay.  Form was a little tippy.  Don't have time to upload anything until maybe the weekend.  Next round is going to be a bit lighter for 10x10.

 

Deadlifts

1x10x135 pounds

10x10x185 pounds - Okay.  These felt SWEET!  I got the last set on tape and I am going to go back to the Healer and show him and find out if that is the form he is looking for.  It sure felt like it!  If that is the case, then I will post the video up here and tell everybody all about it!

 

And then I casually power-cleaned the weight and racked it.  What a way to finish deadlifts.

 

Score for today:

2297 Calories

197 Carbs / 88 Sugar

103 Fat

167 Protein

2.138 Sodium - and I know that is wrong.

 

MFP says if every day was like today, then I will disappear in two years.

[Milo]

MFP says if every day was like today, then I will disappear in two years.

 

That truly is the American dream.

 

10 sets of working deadlifts? Was that a typo?

 

Keep up the good work!

[Sam Ashen]

10 sets.  10 reps.  Working on getting the form together like it is a mission.  Somewhere I heard a rumor that after 1000 reps, then you got it down and it will be more natural - so we are 11% of the way there, including the light set.  I looked at the video again and decided it might be a bad idea to put it up because of where it was taken and other people in the video.  I don't know how to edit the video and take the other people out of it.

 

I am looking forward to the same thing happening to the squats.  Maybe the deadlifts will help the squats.  I'm really hopeful.

 

I'm really excited, too! (EDIT:  Bursting!)

 

Forgot to mention weigh-ins.  Really big meal Saturday.  Weighed in at 200 Sunday evening.  (I was doing some tests with jumps, so wanted to know my weight.)  Weighed in at 196 Monday morning and 193 this morning.

[Sam Ashen]

Tuesday.  Really wanted to show the video to somebody, but I did not find him.  I think it's going to be a while.    I'm just going to have to go with the feelings and work with it like I finally got it right.

 

Messed around a little bit with cleans and stuff.  Went on a walk for 7 km or so.

 

Score for today:

2607 Calories

232 Carbs / 92 Sugar

114 Fat

182 Protein

2.178 Sodium - ya right.

[Sam Ashen]

Wednesday.  Another relatively light day.  Worked on some technical stuff, then work the shoulders in.

 

Overhead Press

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x65 pounds

1x10x75 pounds

5x10x85 pounds

 

Bench Press

2x10x45 pound empty bar

 

Shoulders are telling me to back off, so I am backing off.  Try again Saturday.  Working deadlifts tomorrow - see how well the form fixes are working.

 

Score for today:

2371 Calories

195 Carbs / 94 Sugar

99 Fat

186 Protein - Over at my buddy's place.  Had some goose or whatever it was he shot.

2.008 Sodium - I'm sure my buddy used lots of sauce on the bbq.

[Sam Ashen]

Thursday.  Deadlifts and Squats

 

Deadlifts:

10x10x155 pounds - Looks like it took 18 minutes, maybe 20.

 

"Do you do any cardio?"

"You mean -like- running to the squat rack before somebody else gets there?"

 

Squats

1x10x45 pound empty bar

10x10x135 pounds - Another 30 minutes.

 

Score for today:

2457 Calories - Uh.  Forgot to check the packages and I threw them away quickly because it's chicken and last time rotted horribly in the trash.

208 Carbs / 95 Sugar

104 Fat

181 Protein

5.348 Sodium - more like it.

[Sam Ashen]

Good Friday.  No day off in this state and I cannot spare the vacation day.  

 

Rest day.  Went on a long walk.

 

Score for today:

2527 Calories

231 Carbs / 99 Sugar

108 Fat

168 Protein

6.253 Sodium

[Sam Ashen]

Saturday.  Worked bench press and deadlifts.

 

Bench Press:

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x65 pounds

1x20x65 pounds

1x15x75 pounds - added a negative

1x15x90 pounds

2x10x75 pounds - on a stability ball, experimenting with hip positioning

5x15x90 pounds

 

Deadlfits:

2x10x135 pounds

1x10x165 pounds

2x10x185 pounds

1x10x205 pounds

1x10x215 pounds

1x10x225 pounds

 

Score for today:

 

Still accumulating

[Sam Ashen]

Easter Sunday Best:

 

 

I'm up 5 kg since I got this suit.  The pants fit.  The top button in the shirt was not happening.

 

Day off.  Forgot peanut-butter sandwich with breakfast.  Had Chocolate Diet Cookie instead.  (I should have had the Protein Chip Cookie.)  Had peanut butter sandwich for lunch instead.  Went in slightly light knowing dinner was going to be heavy.  Snoozed my way to dinner time.

 

Had very heavy Easter dinner.  I have no idea how to count all this in MFP.  I got about 2500.

 

 

SMASH!  SMASH!  SMASH!  A three-plate clean!

 

Attempting a MFP high score with sugary drinks is cheating.  Therefore I had water.

 

Score for today:

4182 Calories

525 Carbs / 138 Sugar

158 Fat

195 Protein

10.045 Sodium - I should weigh heavy tomorrow!

[Sam Ashen]

Monday.  Back at it.  Closed out my first Challenge on Saturday.  The new Challenges seem to be out early and they start next week.  The theme I chose is form fixes and tonight I condemned myself to 10x10 Hell.  (Actually it was not that bad - just took a while.)

 

Pull-ups: 5 sets:  8, 5, 5, 5, 5

 

Back Squats: (Trying to work a low-bar position)

2x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x95 pounds

10x10x145 pounds

 

Bent-Over Row: (Working on really extending those tight hamstrings)

1x10x45 pound empty bar

10x10x95 pounds

 

Bench Press:

1x10x45 pound empty bar

10x10x95 pounds

 

Got the stretch in!  Just need to work in foam rolling.

 

Score for today:

3072 Calories (made spaghetti with Italian sausage links)

317 Carbs / 117 Sugar

133 Fat

168 Protein

4.533 Sodium

 

Water intake: 2.9L, plus whatever I had at the gym

 

Bed last night: 2300; Wake up 0630; reasonable quality; felt functional all day even if I got little done.

[Sam Ashen]

Tuesday.  Too cold to run.  Took a rest day.  Went shopping for the Thursday / Friday and maybe Saturday meal plan.  Hmm.  Expensive hobby.  We will see how long this one lasts.

 

Score for today:

2992 Calories

330 Carbs / 118 Sugar

112 Fat

182 Protein

4.228 Sodium

 

Water intake: 2.8L and counting

 

Bed last night: 2230; Wake up 0630; actually up one hour prior but did not get back to sleep; felt functional.

[Sam Ashen]

Wednesday.  Worked Presses and Deadlifts.

 

Overhead Press

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x65 pounds

10x10x85 pounds E2MOM - Last five reps were push-presses

1x5x85 pounds Still on the second minute

 

Deadlifts

1x10x135 pounds

2x10x185 pounds

2x10x205 pounds

2x10x225 pounds

2x10x235 pounds

1x10x245 pounds

 

Big Rod is helping me out on the form.  I am really liking the results and planning to take a video on Saturday and showing it to somebody - then posting it for comments.

 

Score for today:

3047 Calories

314 Carbs / 106 Sugar

109 Fat

226 Protein

1.953 Sodium - I doubt that number.

 

Water Intake: 3.2L, plus whatever I had working out

 

Bed last night: 2200; Wake up 0630; actually woke around 0500 and lay there; still felt productive.

[Sam Ashen]

Thursday.  Squats, Bench Press, Bent-Over Rows.  10x10 Hell.

 

7 Pull-ups

 

Squats:

1x10x45 pound empty bar

10x10x155 pounds - Taped the third set.  No question about depth.  Hips seem to move first.  Trying to fix.  Will show it to the Healer.

 

Bench Press

1x10x45 pound empty bar

10x10x135 pounds - First five sets paused every rep.  Last five sets touch and go.

 

Bent Over Rows

1x10x45 pound empty bar

10x10x115 pounds

 

Got the stretch in.  I feel so warm all over when I get the stretch in.  

 

Score for today:

2837 Calories - I have a crock pot full of beef stew.

288 Carbs / 108 Sugar

106 Fat

199 Protein

2.768 Sodium

 

Water intake: 2.4L and counting, plus whatever I had working out.

 

Bed last night:  2300; Wake up 0630; a little bit groggy but not my worst day.

[Sam Ashen]

Friday.  Planned rest day.

 

Score for today:

2957 Calories

248 Carbs / 118 Sugar

108 Fat

241 Protein

4.363 Sodium

 

Water Intake:  2.4L

 

Bed last night:  2230; wake up 0630 more like 0700; lay restless quite a while from 0200; pretty tired; made the mistake of Friday evening nap.

[Sam Ashen]

Saturday.  Not quite as much volume.  Got lots of videos.

 

Bench Press:

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x95 pounds

3x10x115 pounds

2x10x70 pounds (on a stability ball trying to work out a hip issue)

2x10x115 pounds

 

Bent-over Rows:

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x95 pounds

3x10x115 pounds

 

Overhead Press:

1x10x45 pounds

1x10x65 pounds

1x10x85 pounds

1x10x95 pounds

1x12x95 pounds

 

Deadlift:

1x10x135 pounds

2x10x185 pounds

1x12x185 pounds

 

I will have to check the count on sets later.  Videos will be posted in the near future on the current Challenge thread.

 

Score for today:

2945 Calories

282 Carbs / 50 Sugar

98 Fat

242 Protein

5.06 Sodium

 

Water:  2.0L

[Sam Ashen]

Sunday.  Rest Day.

 

Score for today:

 

2886 Calories

352 Carbs / 160 Sugar - Pancakes with Maple Syrup - Not sure if I over-represented it or not.

86 Fat

187 Protein

2.908 Sodium

 

Water: 3.2L

 

Sleep - Not too concerned about it on the weekend.  Took a couple of decent naps.

[Sam Ashen]

Monday.  Challenge Day 1.

 

Saw Healer.  He says squats and deadlifts are getting better.  Work on extending the butt backwards at the bottom of the squat.  (I have some reps where I pause at the bottom at parallel, then wink.)  I think I just need more confidence (with the feel) that I am at depth.  That would likely come with a lot of bodyweight squats.  The deadlifts now have a neutral spine position.  He wants me to work on getting the natural arch in the lower back instead of neutral.  Right now, I have no idea if I can get that natural arch and reach the weight.

 

I am not posting a video of the squat because it was taken in a commercial gym that frowns on taking videos and there are other people in the video and I do not feel right about posting that.  The deadlifts are -well- kind of bro style and show more flesh than useful information.

 

10x10 Hell today.  (Apparently, I can shorten this by properly going German Style.)

 

Warmup, plus 50 bodyweight squats.

 

10 pull-ups

 

Squats

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x95 pounds

10x10x145 pounds

 

Overhead Press

1x10x45 pound empty bar

1x10x65 pounds

10x10x85 pounds

 

Deadlift

1x10x135 pounds

10x10x205 pounds

 

Score for today:

2676 Calories

252 Carbs / 86 Sugar

89 Fat

225 Protein

1.432 Sodium - ya right

 

Water:  4.8L plus whatever I had working out.  Going without coffee this morning really helped spike the water intake.  Double win!

 

Bedtime: 2200.  Wake up: 0630.  Took an hour or so to get to sleep.  Woke up twice.  Felt okay today.

[Tankweazel]

Easter Sunday Best:

 

 

I'm up 5 kg since I got this suit.  The pants fit.  The top button in the shirt was not happening.

I scanned this and thought "5k on squat a soon as in new suit, wat?"  Then unspoilered.  I'm up 6kg since easter, so you're not alone.

[Sam Ashen]

I scanned this and thought "5k on squat a soon as in new suit, wat?"  Then unspoilered.  I'm up 6kg since easter, so you're not alone.

 

You are about the third person who mentioned spoilers.  I use them in an effort to make posts appear shorter and less cluttered and take the embedded pictures and videos.

 

I got the suit in the summer of 2013 and I was about 82 kg.  I am currently 87 kg.

[Sam Ashen]

Tuesday.  Rest Day.  Supposedly.  Went running.  Too nice outside to turn down running.  It was my first run of the season.  I was all slow and gimpy and they left me behind.  9000m.  Took an hour or so.  I was really slow.  Pathetic, but we grind out the bugs.

 

Score for Today:

2797 Calories

250 Carbs / 85 Sugar

90 Fat

242 Protein - Lots of chicken breast.

1.978 Sodium - doubt it.

 

Water Intake:  3.2L, plus whatever I had after running which I am not going to count.  Taking no coffee at work really hax the water intake!

 

Sleep last night:  2300 to 0630 with a lot of restless time in between.

[Sam Ashen]

Wednesday.  Worked a lot of technical stuff on bench press.

 

Bench Press

Work with the pipe.

2x10x45 pound empty bar

2x10x65 pounds

2x10x85 pounds

1x10x95 pounds

1x10x115 pounds

2x10x135 pounds

 

A few extra reps here and there.  Next up is reading up and seeing if I got it at all right.

 

Curls.  Yup.  Curls.  Cuz Ty threatened to revoke my bro card if I do not tape a set of curls.

1x6x80 pounds

1x10x60 pounds

3x8x80 pounds

 

Score for today:

3106 Calories

315 Carbs / 96 Sugar

112 Fat

233 Protein

1.971 Sodium - Ya right, MFP.  I am sure that Subway was loaded.

 

Water Intake:  4.4L, plus whatever I had working out.

 

Sleep last night: 2300 to 0630.  Restless from 0300 for an hour or so.  Sluggish today.  Slow day at work.  Should have closed the door and slept.

[Sam Ashen]

Thursday.  Worked on stuff from the Accountabilibuddies and then did some work.

 

Warmup.

 

50 bodyweight squats, one set

 

10 pull-ups, one set

 

1x5x135 pounds deadlifts

1x5x185 pounds deadlifts

185 pound deadlift with 30s hold

135 pound deadlift with 45s hold

95 pound deadlift with 75s hold

65 pound deadlift with 5m hold

65 pound deadlift with 60s hold at knee level

 

Squats, sets of 10 with (45, 95, 115, 135, 155, 175, 155, 135, 115, 95) pounds

 

Bent-over Rows, 5 sets, 5 reps, 135 pounds - worked on starting each rep from the ground.

 

Score for today:

2707 Calories

206 Carbs / 103 Sugar

95 Fat

261 Protein

3.608 Sodium

 

Water Intake: 3.2L and counting, plus whatever I had working out.

 

Sleep last night: 2230 to 0630.  Mostly awake by 0500.  Got to work very early.  Slow day.