Sam Ashen - A New Hope

[Sam Ashen]

1 hour ago, Emerald_Dragonfly said:

Well done, sir...well.  done. 

 

[ArgSki77]

Cosplay game was on point! Awesome job on those lifts too...quite the impressive total!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Those lifts were awesome to see, the Cosplay was great too. I actually got to eat a meal with the great Sam Ashen. It was great meeting you and watching you lift.

[shaar]

PICTURES YEEAAAAHHH!!

 

I think Eating Like An Asshole after Camp needs to be an official thing.  Bye bye sweet potatoes and cauliflower rice, hello cheese and pork products.........

[Sam Ashen]

1 hour ago, ArgSki77 said:

Cosplay game was on point!

 

21 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

the Cosplay was great too

 

14 minutes ago, shaar said:

PICTURES YEEAAAAHHH!!

 

I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum.  And I'm outta gum.

 

 

14 minutes ago, shaar said:

I think Eating Like An Asshole after Camp needs to be an official thing.  Bye bye sweet potatoes and cauliflower rice, hello cheese and pork products.........

 

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

[darkfoxx]

It was so great getting to meet you IRL - and watch at least a couple of those amazing lifts at the competition. Thank you so much for sticking around during Day 2 to help - tooooootally couldn't of loaded plates without you!

#TyrusRules

Sent on dragon wing

[Raxie]

5 hours ago, shaar said:

PICTURES YEEAAAAHHH!!

 

I think Eating Like An Asshole after Camp needs to be an official thing.  Bye bye sweet potatoes and cauliflower rice, hello cheese and pork products.........

 

I've already eaten half a pizza upon my return.

 

UGH.

[spezzy]

I'm going to leave this right here:

 

[Sam Ashen]

1 minute ago, spezzy said:

I'm going to leave this right here:

 

Thanks!

 

I'm so glad it wasn't #willstripforwilks

[Raxie]

9 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

I'm so glad it wasn't #willstripforwilks

 

That's definitely not how I heard it.

[spezzy]

15 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

Thanks!

 

I'm so glad it wasn't #willstripforwilks

 

I was answering questions and helping people with the initial forms and someone looks over at you weighing in and goes "...why is he taking his clothes off?"

[Sam Ashen]

1105 pounds lifted at 206.6 bodyweight, after stuffing my face, but butt nekkid = 313.71

1105 pounds lifted at 209.6 bodyweight, after stuffing my face and fully clothed = 311.66

 

Difference:  2.05 Wilks points

 

Just saw the results - and apparently those two Wilks points made the difference between second place to @Flex Luthor and third.

 

They had the PL competition meeting right after Opening Ceremonies and sprung the weigh-in on us right after we stuffed ourselves silly.  This was also right after the big reminders - before you get upset about something, remember:

 

Quote

 

It's going to be okay.

 

It's just for fun.

 

 

#willstripforwilks

 

A timely fudge dragon helped, too.

 

At the time I was feeling anxious and disappointed and frustrated all at the same time.  I had no idea how the lifts were going to go and I really wanted to officially hit 300 and I had my plan set up so that I hit 300 on the sum of my second attempts.  Weighing in at 206.6 butt naked put me in at 299.52.  So close!

 

Not sure how long it is going to take to get the rest of the stories or pictures out.

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

 

Today was a rest day!  I saw the Healer today, but I seemed to be in very good shape - especially considering I just came in from Camp and from a PL Meet.  Not much work to do.  Snap!  Crackle!  Pop!

 

The work day was pretty much scrap.

 

Score for Today:

3248 Calories

370 Carbs

122 Fat

167 Protein

 

+7.7 Overall

[Flex Luthor]

I have a LOT of work to do to recatch you on deadlift. Your progress this past year has been incredible Sam. Keep on killing it.

[miss_marissa]

You did awesome at the competition!

 

Super impressed by the deadlift.

[Sam Ashen]

3 hours ago, Flex Luthor said:

I have a LOT of work to do to recatch you on deadlift. Your progress this past year has been incredible Sam. Keep on killing it.

 

Apparently Gainz and Spezzy do not agree.  They think to reach my PR DL, all you have to do is test your 1RM and surprise yourself.

 

1 hour ago, miss_marissa said:

You did awesome at the competition!

 

Super impressed by the deadlift.

 

Thanks!

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

 

This might be a great time to talk about the gains!

 

From CNF2015 to FFFFF2016:

Squat went from 315 pounds to 325 pounds, +10

Bench Press stayed at 225 pounds, +0

Deadlift went from 435 pounds to 455 pounds, +20

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

Total went from 975 pounds to 1005 pounds, +30

4 months

 

From CNF2015 to CNF2016:

Squat went from 315 pounds to 375 pounds, +60

Bench Press stayed at 225 pounds, +0

Deadlift went from 435 pounds to 505 pounds, +70

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

Total went from 975 pounds to 1105 pounds, +130

11 months

 

Some of this is from belting up, so CNF2015 to SERS2016:

Squat went from 315 pounds to 342 pounds, +27

Bench Press went from 225 pounds to 187 pounds and calling it, +0

Deadlift went from 435 pounds to 480 pounds, +45

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

PR Total went from 975 pounds to 1047 pounds, +72

 

Four months I did a mix of lifting and Counterfit and other stuff.  Then I signed up for a USAPL meet right around when I did FFFFF2016 and that was the beginning of those Evil Eastern Empire Programs:  (EEEP)

2 months of EEEP Bulgarian Six-Day PL Cycle

2 months of EEEP BEBOP Six-Day Olympic Cycle

2 months of EEEP Five-Day Hybrid Cycle that started with the 10x10

1 month of EEEP Five-Day Hybrid Cycle to get ready for CNF2016.

 

Afterwards, I got to talk to Jen the CNF2016 PL Headmaster for just barely long enough to show videos of my lifts and start to talk PL.  That is when somebody decided to ask programming advice with what I will describe as a "variable" time commitment.

 

My trollish advice was:  Hire a crazy trainer to write a six-day Bulgarian-style program for you.

Jen's reaction was:  Holy crap!  (eyeroll)

His reaction was:  I work in IT and sometimes the schedule gets crazy like 13-hour days!

 

This is when I was supposed to put on my best Evil Eastern Empire Accent and say:  When you get Bulgarian Program, you do Bulgarian Program.  There is no choice.

 

My more serious advice should have been:  If you are training three days per week, then ideally the days are spaced through the week.  If your schedule calls for training on two consecutive days, then train on two consecutive days.  I know a lot of doctrine around here says never strength train two days in a row, but "I trained yesterday" should be no reason not to train today.  Otherwise MWF becomes busy Wednesday, so MTS but busy Saturday and S becomes Sunday and next week becomes TTS and eventually 3 days per week becomes two days then one day.

 

Me: But everything I read says gains are made on rest days.

MB:  And that's why you get them!

 

#advicefromthedarkside

#stoptakingadvicefromthedarkside

[Urgan]

Using Camp as a benchmark for your lifting year, huh? What a fun little recap. Learned any good lessons along the way?

[Sam Ashen]

Miss Broki comments:

 

Videos looked SUPER easy

#cantbelieveyoustrippedinfrontof80people

(about new programming)

You'll love it (LOL)

 

 

Another EEEP most likely.

 

I guess I find out tonight because it seems she has decided to keep me in suspense.

 

1 hour ago, Urgan said:

Using Camp as a benchmark for your lifting year, huh? What a fun little recap. Learned any good lessons along the way?

 

There are certain people at Camp who have not seen me in nearly a year.  So it is a good benchmark.

 

Good lessons?

 

[Sam Ashen]

Programming is in!  Just when I thought it was going to be another Bulgarian-style program, it looks like.....

 

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:  (or three days per week)

12 Snatch Singles in waves

12 Clean and Jerk Singles in waves

Front-Squats: 3 Singles at daily max, plus 4 sets of 3

 

Imagine that!  A three day per week program!

 

 

Just kidding.  There is also a Tuesday and Thursday: (two days per week)

8 Power Snatch Singles

8 Power Clean Singles

Front-Squats: 3 Singles at daily max

 

And there is a Saturday:  (one day per week)

Hit a maximum Snatch Single

Hit a maximum Clean and Jerk Single

3x3 Squats

 

This week will be a half week's worth and we run the program for two more weeks following that.  So.  Two and a half weeks of this.  Then another taper and a meet on October 23.

 

Monday was a rest day, so today is Tuesday.

 

Snatch Singles: 3x64, 3x74, 3x84 pounds

Power Snatch Singles: 94, 2x114, 5x124 pounds

Power Clean Singles: 2x134, 1x154, 1x174, 3x184, 2x194 pounds - some followed up with half-front-squats

Front-Squats: 2x194, 2x194, 1x224, 1x244, 1x264 pounds - the last rep was pretty ugly and I will benchmark this as the most I ever front-squatted.

 

70% of my PL squat.  Well.  I'm sure it will get better if I am trying to 1RM my front-squat nearly every day.

 

Score for Today:

3327 Calories

342 Carbs

136 Fat

167 Protein

 

+4.6 Overall

[Grymm]

What did you weigh in at CNF2015 vs CNF2016?

[Raxie]

9 hours ago, Grymm said:

What did you weigh in at CNF2015 vs CNF2016?

 

The 2016 scale read "house elf" ... aka without clothes

[Grymm]

I not familiar with the social norms of powerlifting, but naked weigh ins in other weight class sports are not unusual.  I only ever had trouble making weight once for wrestling, but I did manage to avoid the full monty.  Otherwise, you just weighed in in your underwear.  Dem free wilks, yo!

[Sam Ashen]

10 hours ago, Grymm said:

What did you weigh in at CNF2015 vs CNF2016?

 

I weighed in at approximately 191 pounds.  That is what I seem to remember.  Most likely I took my shoes off, because they are trainers and they weigh a good bit.  I was wearing those blue sweats from the better part of a year ago and a purple 5K run shirt.

 

I was not as concerned about my weight then because they did not take it before the competition and left a scale out there for those who thought it was important.

 

This time it was important to me because 300 Wilks was important and weighing in at 206 pounds instead of 205 pounds makes a difference if I got a total of 1055 pounds.  Scoring 299.95 Wilks when my goal is 300 would.  Just.  Suck.

 

Ya.  I would know I could do the same lifts and hit a 205 pound weigh-in.  But.  I really wanted to see it all happen on the same day.

 

1 hour ago, Raxie said:

 

The 2016 scale read "house elf" ... aka without clothes

 

1 hour ago, Grymm said:

I not familiar with the social norms of powerlifting, but naked weigh ins in other weight class sports are not unusual.  I only ever had trouble making weight once for wrestling, but I did manage to avoid the full monty.  Otherwise, you just weighed in in your underwear.  Dem free wilks, yo!

 

What they could have done was put the bathroom scale in the bathroom.  Weight was done by honor system, anyway.

 

#ideasfornextyear

#willstripforwilks

#cantbelieveyoustrippedinfrontof80people

[Sylvaa]

I follow your threads because I like hearing about the pain programming and the food. I stay for the interesting tidbits of information. The whole stripping thing could be a great way to get more people interested in lifting. 

 

#i'mjustcheckingtheweighins

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

12 minutes ago, Sylvaa said:

I follow your threads because I like hearing about the pain programming and the food. I stay for the interesting tidbits of information. The whole stripping thing could be a great way to get more people interested in lifting. 

 

#i'mjustcheckingtheweighins

He didn't strip to get a lower weight.

He stripped 4 times. That's right, he did it once, put his clothes back on, then stripped again to see if the number was correct.

[Grymm]

15# in a year?  The plan is working!  I think you'd make a great 105kg lifter!