Sam Ashen the Final Five Weeks of the Year

[Sam Ashen]

Suddenly we are at the end of the year!  This is a good time for reflection over the past year and planning for the next year.  As always, here is what I see over the next six weeks:

 

Week 0: November 28 to December 4 - Winter is Coming Program, Week 4

Week 1: December 5 to December 11 - Winter is Coming Program, Week 5

Week 2: December 12 to December 18 - Winter is Coming Program, Week 6

Week 3: December 19 to December 25 - Fly out December 24

Week 4: December 26 to January 1 - Fly back December 31

Week 0: January 2 to January 8 - Start over

 

Thanksgiving is behind us.  The next big events are Christmas and New Years.  I will be travelling - the wrong direction.  I will spend a few days around Christmas with my family in Calgary, then a few days with my best friend in Yellowknife.  It is unlikely that I will be finding a gym in either place where I can follow the program, so it is looking like a full-week break.  Then get back to it on January 2 and start over.

 

Nothing has changed in my general goals:  I am still trying to get strong and fat, within reason.  My post-Thanksgiving weigh-in came in at 93.4 kg, still within the 94 kg class.  On the Powerlifting side, I am marginal on the 93 kg class.  It depends on how accurate my scale is and how much my jammy bottoms weigh.

 

On to tasks and goals for the end of the year, here is what I come up with:

 

Quest 1 - Reflect on 2016 and Make Plans for 2017

We are officially off-season with no planned meets in the near future.  In the next post, I will reserve a spot for highlights of 2016 so that next year I can easily find them.  What lifts did I hit?  How much did I weigh?  What were my measurements?  What did InTroll say my BF% was?

 

Overall, 2016 was a banner year!

 

Quest 2 - Follow the Program

It is an off-season program with lots of accessory work.  I have simply called it, "Winter is Coming."  It runs five days:

Day 1: Counterfit

Day 2: Snatch Balance, OHS, Clean, Paused Front-Squats, Pull-Ups, Leg Curls

Day 3: Snatch + OHS, Clean Pull + Clean, OHP, Squats, KB Lunges

Day 4: Snatch + Paused OHS, Power Clean + Paused Jerk, Deadlifts, Lower Back Extensions + Sit-ups

Day 5: Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Front-Squat, Lunges, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Curls + Y-Rope Pressdowns

 

Quest 3 - Tracking

This is almost going to be a copy and paste of the previous cycle.  Just adding a couple of things.  Still working on IfItFitsYourMacros and being a little bit less extreme on IfItFitsYourMouth.  We have approximately one year's worth of data showing a slow increase in weight at 3350 Calories per day.  Setting my goals slightly lower and using slightly less than 0.9 g Protein / pound bodyweight and splitting the rest of the calories in a 3:1 ratio, I get something like:

 

3220 Calories

360 Carbs (240 to 480)

120 Fat (80 to 160)

175 Protein (150 to 200)

 

So we are not shooting for any kind of precision here.  Let's just see if we can hit the broad side of a barn.  When we miss, then I can go looking for the culprit and evaluate from there if I should be making a different choice in the future.  We will come up with a list of things we can get away with and things we cannot!

 

Meal prep once per week.  Maybe try to make this last three days instead of two!

 

One outing per week, even if MB would have me become a hermit.

 

One dessert between now and Christmas - and this might very likely be scrapped given the season and abundance of food.

 

Quest 4 - Sight Mercury!

Back in my childhood, I was an Astronomy Nerd, but have never sighted Mercury in my life.  This is on my list of Life Quests.  My next big opportunity is on December 10 / 11, in the southwestern sky just after sunset.  Wovercast even sent me a chart to help locate it.

 

Quest 5 - Christmas Season Preparation

The typical end of year theme for me is trying to get as much "work" done before running out the door.  It used to be the last thing I would do on the way out is write out my annual donations, but the past couple of years I have been dealing with so much pressure, it did not happen.  This year might not be so bad, since there is not so much of a year-end push and they hired my replacement and I am only taking one week off.  So the list of things to accomplish before the end of year:

 

People to gift / buy gifts for

End of Year Donations

Stuff from Trader Joe's, most likely

Find out how much empty space to reserve in my bags

Home appointments

Maybe even see the doctor for the year! (which might trigger a New Year "Cut")

 

Quest 6 - Other Quests as they Appear

 

And that's it!

 

EDITS:

11/27 - Added Quest 5

[Sam Ashen]

Reserved for 2016 Memoirs......

 

January 4, 2016:

 

 

Quote

 

So now is the time to track macros and weight.  Macros will be tracked the same way as usual.  Six days of IIFYM(acros) and one day of IFYM(outh).  A goal of 300 g / 100 g / 200 g seems simplest.

 

Track the weight and see what happens.  Make a Candlestick chart.

 

 

A lot of days were tracked - And the Candlestick chart is almost complete for the year!

 

Quote

 

Last year featured an informal CNF PL Competition where I matched my Squat and Bench Press PR's and set a new Deadlift PR.

Squat: 315 pounds / 142.9 kg

Bench Press: 225 pounds / 102 kg

Deadlift: 435 pounds / 197.3 kg

 

 

Squat improved to 375 pounds / 170 kg

Bench Press remained at 225 pounds / 102 kg

Deadlift improved to 505 pounds / 229 kg

 

 

Quote

 

I also started to learn the Olympic Lifts.  They are still noobish and prone to technical issues.

Snatch: 135 pounds / 61.2 kg - 43% of Squat 1RM - Pathetic!  

Clean and Jerk: 195 pounds / 88.4 kg - Clean and Push Press is more like it.

 

 

Snatch improved to 78 kg / 172 pounds

Clean and Jerk improved to 106 kg / 234 pounds

 

 

Quote

 

Goals?

A. When certain lift to weight ratios are in sight, then I will disguise a weight loss goal as a lifting goal.

B. 300 Wilks.

C. Clean and Jerk catching up to Bench Press.

D. Snatch passing 50% of Squat.

 

 

A. Deadlift PR to current weight is 2.5.  I do not yet have an official DL to weight ratio of 2.5.

B. 300 Wilks - Happened!

C. Clean and Jerk is now more than Bench Press.

D. #nopenopenopenope - Improved from 43% to 46%.

 

February 24, 2016 - For a long time, I was talking about finding myself a coach and focusing on PL.  The opportunity presented itself.  I had just signed up for a real PL meet and was going through rotating trainers at the time.  I most certainly did not want to "get to know" a newbish trainer and prepare for a meet.  My first choice would have been to find myself a coach who really does PL, but I did not know anybody and searching the internet was not yielding very much.  My second choice was to find somebody who already knows me and works well with me and at least knows something about PL.  So I have Miss Broki a call.

 

 

Quote

 

A few days ago, I did something else unthinkable and wrote to Miss Broki and told her I entered a real PL competition.  She has moved to a different location, somewhat farther away.  Her first pick for me was the Bulgarian Program FML.  Bulgaria is an evil country and everything that comes out of Bulgaria is evil.  PLTW says I will feel like absolute crap, but the Bulgarian program says I gotta lift.

 

She still thinks I need to belt up my squats and she still thinks I need to fix my deadlifting footwear.  Her advice on deadlift tempo was a winner.  (Look at that 405 pound / 183.7 kg pull!  )

 

Bulgarian would have me doing more triples, doubles, and singles which I really need to work on.  Bulgarian also works on psychology.  I suppose.  You feel like crap all the time but you still gotta lift heavy.  So you get used to lifting something heavy when you feel like crap.

 

On the plus side, a six-day Bulgarian weekly cycle means I will be taking an extended vacation from that XF nonsense.  

 

 

 

 

I knew full well going in that she was going to actively convert me from PL and PL Mentality to WL - And I was willing to give it a try if she was willing to find me a meet.  The rest is history.

 

April 23, 2016 was the PL Meet mentioned above.  I did not get videos.  Here were my numbers:

Squat 135 / 145 / 155 kg

Bench Press 85x / 85 / 95x kg

Deadlift 195 / 207.5 / 217.5 kg

 

September 21, 2016 - Getting ready for CNF and got my hair done for my costume plans.....

 

Quote

 

For those of you not going to CAAAAMMMMPPPP!!!! Let's see if this works.....

http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/4392/RPSWsD.jpg

DAMN! I'm lookin' good!

 

The CNF 2016 PL Meet:

 

Quote

 

Sitting in the airport waiting for my flight. Bigger report sometime later. Some lifts....

Third attempt. 375 pound squat.

 

Third attempt. 225 pound bench press.

 

All three deadlift attempts. 475, 495, 505 pounds

 

1105 pounds total at 206.6 pounds bodyweight the night before. (airport day)

 

 

We can't forget this gem from October 4, 2016:

 

 

Quote

 

Just a note for you guys out there:  These plates stack vertically.  When racking the weight, make sure ALL body parts are out of the way before dropping the plate on top.

 

Me: OWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!

MB: You okay?  (several times - different responses)

I don't know......

*limping* OWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!

This is a low point in life......

I don't know......

The next generation says NO......

 

Kind of amazed she kept a straight face through the entire thing.  I mean - Who else would not burst out laughing upon realizing what had just happened.

(I pinched a piece of it.  Haven't yet assessed the damage.  Of course when it happened it felt like I crushed it.)

 

 

October 23, 2016 - WL Meet where I went 6/6 for a total of 184 kg

 

Quote

 

Weighed in at 91.42 kg. Accidentally have them 75 kg snatch opener but just knew I did it so had it corrected. Then they still had 75 kg loaded. So had them did that too.

Hindsight says I should have opened 75 kg. Hit 3/3 at 70 / 75 / 78 kg. Here is the last one.

 

 

3/ 3 on clean and jerk at 97 / 102 / 106 kg.

 

6 / 6 for a total of 184 kg.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

December 22, 2016 Measurements:

Height 69.5 inches

Weight: 202.6 pounds

Neck: 16.0 inches

Waist: 35.0 inches

 

Military BF%: 17.6

 

About one month previously, InBody had me at 21.5% of 203 pounds (3 pounds fully clothed over gym clothes) and says I have zero lean body mass gains to show for the year. #screwyouinbody

[Sam Ashen]

Score for Today:

3461 Calories

269 Carbs (240 to 480)

187 Fat (80 to 160)

196 Protein (150 to 200)

 

+2.6 Overall

 

Can we hit the broad side of a barn on the first shot?

 

The culprit was going out for Prime Rib.  I looked at my MFP stuff and decided there was no way I could hit anything without going out for something.  So it turned out to be very high in fat according to MFP.  So the consequence is being a little bit over the calorie target.  So it might be a while before I make that choice again.

 

But I do plan to be out next week on Saturday, because that is my day for going out for something to eat!

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

 

Things to add to the list of Quests already:

Christmas!  Plan the trip.  There will be not so much shopping and more reserving room in my bags to transport the stuff my sister buys online.  The trip north is easier.  Just pack a couple of bottles of hard liquor.  That far north, hard liquor = hard currency.

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

 

Just chatted with MB.  She took the day off sick, but that did not stop her from matching a C+J PR.  I'm mad jelly because I don't think I can do that healthy.  Here in MinniBulgaria, we still have to work out while sick.  Suck it up and hit a PR!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

3 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

Nothing has changed in my general goals:  I am still trying to get strong and fat, within reason.  My post-Thanksgiving weigh-in came in at 93.4 kg, still within the 94 kg class.  On the Powerlifting side, I am marginal on the 93 kg class.  It depends on how accurate my scale is and how much my jammy bottoms weigh.

You'll strip to your underwear in public 5 times for a wilkes weigh in but you wear pajama bottoms on the scale at home?

 

Following along again of course!

[shaar]

Oh boy, the barn hitting is gonna be fun...! XD

 

The only PR I get while sick is for whining.

[Urgan]

Following/lurking, based on whatever happens to be on fire at the moment. Let's survive the remainder of 2016 together, shall we?

[RedStone]

Here to cause trouble as needed.

 

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

 

I had the same question as Tank - jammies (heavy, apparently) at home, naked in public? 

 

Also, on a post at the end of last challenge, you said something about CNF moving from summer to spring?  I am hoping to attend the next, what did you mean, and where can I learn more about that?  (Am I making things up?  Totally possible.) 

[Sylvaa]

In for food, innuendos, and hashtags!

[Sam Ashen]

19 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

You'll strip to your underwear in public 5 times for a wilkes weigh in but you wear pajama bottoms on the scale at home?

 

 sighted!

 

3 hours ago, Emerald_Dragonfly said:

I had the same question as Tank - jammies (heavy, apparently) at home, naked in public?

 

They probably weigh a pound.

 

It's weird.  It has been my convention since I started to weigh myself at home in my jammy bottoms.  I estimate they weigh about one pound, and approximately the same as my gym clothing without the shoes.

 

Going back to Wilks and Weight Classes, I suppose the jammies give me a little buffer.

 

3 hours ago, Emerald_Dragonfly said:

Also, on a post at the end of last challenge, you said something about CNF moving from summer to spring?  I am hoping to attend the next, what did you mean, and where can I learn more about that?  (Am I making things up?  Totally possible.)

 

That is the latest I heard.  Not in 2017.  Spring of 2018.  I have no idea where to learn more about it.  I am guessing they are not thinking about it right now and have other things on the go.  They are probably trying to expand NFA.

 

10 hours ago, shaar said:

Oh boy, the barn hitting is gonna be fun...! XD

 

The only PR I get while sick is for whining.

 

I am still mad jelly, by the way.  Maybe the effect of a cold on strength is not so bad if rested up properly and most of the issue is endurance.  But the more I think about it, the more I think it is just a bad idea.  Body is trying to recover from a cold and you just hit the CNS with a train.

 

For a little while, I was happy to hit my openers.

 

6 hours ago, Urgan said:

Following/lurking, based on whatever happens to be on fire at the moment. Let's survive the remainder of 2016 together, shall we?

 

Almost over.  A lot of my other end of year stress is trying to get into and excited about the Season with all the chaos and fires burning nearby, but natural family so far away.

 

3 hours ago, RedStone said:

Here to cause trouble as needed.

 

Tank and Emerald Dragonfly are already ahead of you!

 

1 hour ago, Sylvaa said:

In for food, innuendos, and hashtags!

 

#myhashtaggamestillneedsleveling

 

Hashtags are great on IG for attracting followers.  However.  I am told I need a quick story about myself to put on my page.  Something witty and creative, but I have not come up with anything yet.

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

 

Today is a Rest Day, of course.  I ended up taking a walk because the weather is still warm enough for it and the sidewalks are not too wet.

 

This would have been a good day for reflections (Q1) to find stuff from the year to post, but that can wait.

 

Score for Today:

2805 Calories

365 Carbs (240 to 480)

75 Fat (80 to 160)

191 Protein (150 to 200)

 

-2.8 Overall

 

Heh!  Oh, well.  I don't think it's going to kill me.

 

Hitting the Broad Side of a Barn:  0/2

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

2 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

Hashtags are great on IG for attracting followers.  However.  I am told I need a quick story about myself to put on my page.  Something witty and creative, but I have not come up with anything yet.

Here's a sample for you.

"Hi! I'm an engineer who lifts. I then use calculus to contemplate my resting metabolic rate then troll My Fitness Pal's inability to estimate calories burned while lifting."

[Blocky]

4 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Here's a sample for you.

"Hi! I'm an engineer who lifts. I then use calculus to contemplate my resting metabolic rate then troll My Fitness Pal's inability to estimate calories burned while lifting."

 

Many many clappy hands...

[Urgan]

9 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Here's a sample for you.

"Hi! I'm an engineer who lifts. I then use calculus to contemplate my resting metabolic rate then troll My Fitness Pal's inability to estimate calories burned while lifting."

 

Copy, paste, done. 

[AugustaAdaByron]

On 27 Nov 2016 at 2:41 AM, Sam Ashen said:

Nothing has changed in my general goals:  I am still trying to get strong and fat, within reason.  My post-Thanksgiving weigh-in came in at 93.4 kg, still within the 94 kg class.  On the Powerlifting side, I am marginal on the 93 kg class.  It depends on how accurate my scale is and how much my jammy bottoms weigh.

 

On 27 Nov 2016 at 6:38 AM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

You'll strip to your underwear in public 5 times for a wilkes weigh in but you wear pajama bottoms on the scale at home?

 

Following along again of course!

 

That's what I was about to ask too but I was too late!

 

 

15 hours ago, RedStone said:

Here to cause trouble as needed.

 

 

I'm here to join RedStone of course!

[Laghail]

Following for the holiday gainz, winter is coming here.

[miss_marissa]

Hi there. Here for the holiday gainz!

 

On 11/27/2016 at 8:10 AM, shaar said:

Oh boy, the barn hitting is gonna be fun...! XD

 

The only PR I get while sick is for whining.

This is so true for me right now.

[Juni0r83]

Eh, I'm too tired to post something witty. Subbed.

[RedStone]

16 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

Tank and Emerald Dragonfly are already ahead of you!

 

 

 

4 hours ago, AugustaAdaByron said:

I'm here to join RedStone of course!

 

Is there really such a thing as enough trolls for Sam? #nerdsforcriticalmass

 

 

 

[Sam Ashen]

On 11/26/2016 at 7:41 PM, Sam Ashen said:

Quest 4 - Sight Mercury!

Back in my childhood, I was an Astronomy Nerd, but have never sighted Mercury in my life.  This is on my list of Life Quests.  My next big opportunity is on December 10 / 11, in the southwestern sky just after sunset.  Wovercast even sent me a chart to help locate it.

 

I just checked the long-range weather forecast.  Cloudy.  Partly Cloudy.  Showers.  Snow.  As far as the eye can see.

 

[Sam Ashen]

Monday Night Counterfit with Little John the Warrior who Tries his Best to Pass as a Ranger

 

 

Hang Clean Doubles at 134, 154, 174, 194, 214, 224 pounds

It's the cleanest it has been in a long time!  He says I still have more, but I will take two plates.

 

4 Rounds of:

6 Push Presses at 134, 144, 154, 164 pounds

45 second rest

2x8 Single-Leg Hip Bridges

45 second rest

16 Lunges with 45 pound plate overhead

45 second rest

12 TRX Rows

45 second rest

 

5 Rounds of:

10 KB Swings with 28 kg KB

15 Thrusters with 20 kg empty bar (because I'm a slacker and decided that was AMRAP)

 

Score for Today:

2907 Calories

292 Carbs

107 Fat

219 Protein

 

+1.2 Overall

 

Finished the pot roast.  Hacked it with Seeds of Change.  I could have and should have added some veggies, but I will save that for another night.

 

Hitting the Broad Side of a Barn:  0/3 - Not going to complain too much about this one.

[Sam Ashen]

Tuesday's work:

 

Snatch Balance:

2x3x94, 3x3x114 pounds - She was saying something about actually trying to get under the bar and that being the entire point of the exercise.

 

Overhead Squat:

3x3x134 pounds - She says these are looking so much more stable.

 

Cleans:

3x134, 3x154, 3x3x184 pounds - Okay I lied a little bit about 80%.  It was 79% of 106 kg.

 

Paused Front-Squats:

3x5x134, 2x5x154 pounds

 

Pull-Ups: 8+8+6

 

Hamstring Curls: 3x10

 

Score for Today:

3342 Calories

345 Carbs (240 to 480)

153 Fat (80 to 160)

166 Protein (150 to 200)

 

+4.8 Overall

 

Finally!

 

Hitting the Broad Side of a Barn: 1/4

[Urgan]

Poor barn thought it was getting out of Zero Week unscathed...

[Sam Ashen]

2 hours ago, Urgan said:

Poor barn thought it was getting out of Zero Week unscathed...

 

It is, after all, Zero Week!  The target was 0/7.

[Sam Ashen]

Today was a Rest Day.

 

Meanwhile at the office, we got hit with Ransomware and spent most of the day restoring from a backup.  I should have slept it off.

 

I made Mongolian Beef and ate it all!

 

Score for Today:

3759 Calories

433 Carbs (240 to 480)

149 Fat (80 to 160)

194 Protein (160 to 200)

 

+12.4 Overall

 

Epic.  Hit!

[Juni0r83]

2 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

Today was a Rest Day.

 

Meanwhile at the office, we got hit with Ransomware and spent most of the day restoring from a backup.  I should have slept it off.

 

I made Mongolian Beef and ate it all!

 

Score for Today:

3759 Calories

433 Carbs (240 to 480)

149 Fat (80 to 160)

194 Protein (160 to 200)

 

+12.4 Overall

 

Epic.  Hit!

 

We got the whole ransomware thing at my work a few months back. Didn't get my system directly, but took out a public database I need to do my job. Bad day for IT, especially seeing as it was a weekend...