Sam Ashen Flashback February

[Sam Ashen]

First things first!  February 5 marks my first Nerdiversary!  So I will be honoring this with a Flashback February.  I can look back at what I posted a year ago and look at what has changed since then.  I really had no idea just what I was getting into.

 

Here is a sample:

 

 

The picture to the left was taken approximately one year ago, perhaps a week before I discovered NF.  I was going through a cycle of "winter bulking."  I knew I was getting a lot heavier, but I was not that concerned because I was also getting a lot stronger in a very short period of time.  I was also avoiding the scale because I did not want the number to influence my body image.  I was proud of that picture.  It is the background picture on my phone.  I also think it is pretty funny how my belly presses against my shirt so hard my belly button is visible.

 

The picture to the right is from last night.  Again, I am going through a winter cycle where my weight is rapidly increasing and hopefully my lifts are as well.  It is somewhat more distant, so the belly is hard to tell.

 

The biggest difference I see is the position of the elbows.  On the left, it looked like I was really struggling to support that weight and I was about to dump it forwards.  Cleaning that weight was not very consistent, either.  In the picture to the right, the elbows are high.

 

Otherwise, over the past year, it looks like my weight has not changed much, and neither has my body composition.  Cutting and bulking the same ten pounds, just as predicted by BroScience.  The lifts are better.

 

So over the month, I will be looking for old posts and old pictures.

 

Weeks 5 to 8 (February) Goals:

 

1. Keep on Tracking

 

Last month, we did have 25 straight days of tracking.  This used to be an automatic cut because tracking meant kicking the stupid things out of the diet.  Since then I have learned to remorselessly post huge numbers.  It still provides valuable data.  So now I am typing it into a spreadsheet and seeing how the weight tracks with it.  So at the end of this month, we should have a total of 53 days tracked and 8 weeks worth of weight data.

 

Last month I planned 6 days of IIFYM(acros) and 1 day of IIFYM(outh).  My observation has been life happens to one of those six days and when I finally decide it is time to cut, I would do better with maybe 1 day of IIFYM(outh) per month and expect life to take care of one day per week.

 

So the macros I am aiming for are about 3000 Calories and 200g Protein, approximately.  Last month I had it listed as 300g Carbs, 100g Fat, 200g Protein, plus a few extra Calories or so extra.

 

The January data point to 3000 maintenance Calories.  So we will see if February is pointing to the same number.

 

2. Keep on Lifting

 

There is a Virtual Meet coming up at the end of February and I intend to play!  So my objectives are:

 

Benchmark a 2RM Squat.

Benchmark a 1RM Squat.

Benchmark a 2RM Bench Press.

Benchmark a 1RM Bench Press.

Benchmark a 2RM Deadlift.

Benchmark a 1RM Deadlift.

Benchmark a 1RM Snatch.

Benchmark a 1RM Clean and Jerk.

 

Not much time.  There is one week of working doubles and one week of working singles and two weeks of Virtual Competition.

 

3. Keep on Conditioning

 

Last month, I called for 1 day per week and it turned out to be at least two.  Regarding benchmarks, it is hard to use most of the Crossfit benchmarks because my gym is not a Crossfit gym and I have no intention of turning it into one.  I can try 5-minute Burpees and 7-minute Burpees and 100-Burpees, but I find those tend to get better with just a little bit of practice.  So how about.....

 

Rematch with Fran!

 

4. Reflect

 

Just as mentioned above, we are coming up on my first Nerdiversary, so I will be looking back one year to see where I was one year ago.

 

5. Bonus Quests as they Appear

 

And that's it!

[Sam Ashen]

Today was an Upgraded Rest Day.  I sat in my jammies all day and finally finished off my MOO game.  (Victory Turn 199 with 94/113 Votes)  I finally attempted that Lasagna dish!

 

The good news:  I was able to eat it.

The bad news:  I was able to eat it all!

 

And that is why I am not into batch cooking!

 

Half a pound of noodles.  A jar of pasta sauce.  2 cups of cheese.  Cottage Cheese.  A pound of ground beef.  And two eggs I forgot to put in the tracking.  Oops.  

 

Score for Today:

4030 Calories

329 Carbs

204 Fat

236 Protein

 

So I have a half package of noodles remaining and I am most likely to finish them on Saturday.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along. I want to let all the Warriors know that in The Ranger Guild "Sam Ashen" has become a unit of measure to identify an insanely large amount of calories.

[Urgan]

Here to support/counter-troll~

 

Following along. I want to let all the Warriors know that in The Ranger Guild "Sam Ashen" has become a unit of measure to identify an insanely large amount of calories.

 

I have witnessed this. The man does not lie. 

[Rookiebeotch]

236 Protein

 

Yes

[Yuen]

Are you saying that you just ate an entire one of these?

 

 

 

Respect.

[Sam Ashen]

Following along. I want to let all the Warriors know that in The Ranger Guild "Sam Ashen" has become a unit of measure to identify an insanely large amount of calories.

 

I have witnessed this. The man does not lie. 

 

I fell far behind in my thread reading over the past two Challenge cycles.

 

Are you saying that you just ate an entire one of these?

 

Not in single sitting, but in a single day.  I could not find a square pan, but found a round pan dish that worked well enough.

 

 

Today I feel like Garfield.

 

 

 

[Sam Ashen]

Jailbird says I suck at squats because I go right in the bucket and therefore cannot get any decent reps or weight.

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[Urgan]

Jailbird says I suck at squats because I go right in the bucket and therefore cannot get any decent reps or weight.

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Jailbird should consider a career in comedy...'cause strength training is right out the window! 

[Mr_Willes]

Lurking mode activated. If nothing else only for the IIFYM!

[Sam Ashen]

Jailbird should consider a career in comedy...'cause strength training is right out the window! 

 

The comment was more like no wonder I am having so much trouble.  Where does my movement bottom compared to what is IPF acceptable and can this be translated into more weight?

 

But yes, from a strength training perspective, I prefer more range of motion.

------------------------------------------

 

Front Squats and Overhead Press:

(5+5)x20.4 kg

(5+5)x29.5 kg

(5+5)x43.1 kg

(5+5)x52.2 kg

(5+5)x61.2 kg - Push Presses

 

Front Squat to Push Press Singles:

1x61.2 kg

1x70.3 kg

1x79.4 kg

1x83.9 kg

1x88.4 kg

1x93 kg - and that's as high as it got.

 

 

It's kind of ugly, but it is at my body weight.  I should go back one year and find the post where I said one of my goals was to get a bodyweight push-press.

 

After that, I was kind of done with push presses, so onwards....

 

Clean and Jerk Singles:

1x60.8 kg

1x69.8 kg

1x78.9 kg

5x83.4 kg - I am still pressing out just a little bit over here, so I went backwards....

5x69.8 kg

5x74.4 kg

 

Here is a single at 69.8 kg:

 

 

Squats:

1x10x20 kg empty bar

1x10x60.8 kg

1x5x83.4 kg

1x5x101.6 kg

5x5x110.7 kg - Just a little bit lighter and focusing on technique

 

Leg Extensions and Jump Squats:

3x(10+10)

 

Score for today will be filled in later.

[shaar]

 

#goals

[Bullroarer Took]

I was expecting to see Dr. Timothy Leary in this thread. 

[Sam Ashen]

Here is one article I found today.  This quote stands out:

 

 

 

One day we were at work and had some down time. My friend threw in the Ed Coan deadlift tape, and we watched it. As Ed explained his sumo pull, something clicked in me. Ed kept his hips as high as he could and kept his back inclined slightly forward in what he described as “keeping a ramp-like back.†When I would sumo deadlift, I was always trying to keep my back perfectly upright, which in turn, caused me to sink my hips very low. Now I’m five feet nine inches, but I have a wing span of 74 inches. It was ridiculous for me to sink my hips so low when I had that much of an advantage with arm height. So, I continued to work it until I found the sweet spot in my form.

 

5'10" over here.  Almost.  Maybe.  Wing span is 75 inches.  Guess what?  I am a little behind on the evolutionary scale and my knuckles scrape the ground if I hunch over too far.

 

Another article I found interesting.  This quote was very interesting:

 

 

 

There is ONE optimal position for YOU to place your hips in when you deadlift. Once you dial in that position and progress to very heavy weights, I guarantee nobody will be able to convince you to adopt a butt down position to emphasize the quadriceps, or to do a "clean style deadlift" to keep yourself safe. There are a lot easier ways to build up your quadriceps and glutes than inventing new deadlift versions. On the other hand, lifting the heaviest weight possible from the floor to waist height, that is just plain fun, not to imagine a lot more immediately satisfying. Meanwhile, you can't build a heavy deadlift, in any position, without building a lot of muscle that, should you keep your diet in check, will look good at the beach.

 

Depending on the definition of very heavy, I would say I am there.  

 

The keeping my diet in check part is a different story.  

 

There has been a good bit of experimenting over the month of January - trying to find something that can be fixed quickly that fits the macros.  A pizza with 2k is very likely to put me over for the day.  So is an entire dish of lasagna.  But it was goooood!  

 

Today - Well I tried stew meat instead of chicken for the other chicken marsala sauce package I had and that turned out to be a mistake.  I will finish it off tomorrow.  So we have a light day today to balance out yesterday.

 

Score for Today:

2310 Calories

188 Carbs

101 Fat

166 Protein

 

-6.9 Overall

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

 

Score for Today:

2310 Calories

188 Carbs

101 Fat

166 Protein

 

-6.9 Overall

Here to ask if you are sick before Sloth can.

[Urgan]

If it helps at all, I am also in the "high butt" camp...if I put my butt down low (like, bottom of the squat low), I can't generate the same amount of force. Plus my glutes hurt like crazy in the bargain. 

[Sam Ashen]

By the way, MFP says I burned 520 Calories for 2 hours of strength training.  I finally got a hand calculation to say 570 (122+52+155+241) - so not that much different.  Add a little bit because I did not try to count leg extensions and squat jumps.  The numbers really are nothing more than a flying guess - and for being there so long I sure was a slacker!

 

.....for those who are really interested....

[Sam Ashen]

If it helps at all, I am also in the "high butt" camp...if I put my butt down low (like, bottom of the squat low), I can't generate the same amount of force. Plus my glutes hurt like crazy in the bargain. 

 

Yup.  If I try to sink my hips low, then either the weight stays stapled to the floor or my hips rise until the weight finally lifts.  The other weird thing I have found was at the top then I do this big lean back.  Also:

 

 

 

There is ONE optimal position for YOU to place your hips in when you deadlift. Once you dial in that position and progress to very heavy weights, I guarantee nobody will be able to convince you to adopt a butt down position to emphasize the quadriceps, or to do a "clean style deadlift" to keep yourself safe.

 

....Butt I keep looking around for information.

[EDITED - Just in case Ada shows up and decides to quote me.  ]

[msuroo]

Here to defend the honor of the clean deadlift!

(And you know, follow along).

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[Sloth the Enduring]

 

Today - Well I tried stew meat instead of chicken for the other chicken marsala sauce package I had and that turned out to be a mistake.  I will finish it off tomorrow.  So we have a light day today to balance out yesterday.

 

Score for Today:

2310 Calories

188 Carbs

101 Fat

166 Protein

 

 

An impressive amount of protein for so few calories.  I'm having trouble hitting that macro.

[Yuen]

 

Not in single sitting, but in a single day.  I could not find a square pan, but found a round pan dish that worked well enough.

 

 

Today I feel like Garfield.

 

 

This gif was pretty much the mental image I had in my mind. You still get massive props even though it wasn't in one sitting :)

 

Nice BW push press btw

[Sam Ashen]

Here to defend the honor of the clean deadlift!

(And you know, follow along).

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Hmm. I will watch more of your clean videos. I don't recall you sinking to a squat.

But I understand the clean setup is different and the hips are lower as a result and this is because the objective is different.

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[Trewest]

Not gonna lie, I'm totally just here to follow the conversation about Sam's butt

[Sam Ashen]

Bodyweight coordination and conditioning work.

 

Score for Today:

2854 Calories

239 Carbs

129 Fat

197 Protein

 

+1.1 Overall

[Sam Ashen]

On the work front, somebody remind me if I am running something up the chain, I need to show them something all f***ed up so that it goes through all fixed up and not the other way around.

 

That's my rant for the day.