Boot Camper of the Month

I had a baby almost two years ago, and this August I finally decided it's time to lose my "baby weight!" I started dieting and exercising on my own but it just wasn't cutting it. A friend of mine, told me about this "amazing" bootcamp at samson's and of course I was like yeah right, I could Never do that, not to mention that the mere thought of bootcamp terrified me! But, I finally got the courage to try it and I haven't stopped ever since! My first time was tough, I was definitely feeling it for a few days afterwards, but each time after that it hurt less and less. It's like a drug for me now and it's truly the only "gym" I've ever looked forward to going to. The trainers are all awesome! They are there to work you, but they also now how to motivate you and they keep it fun! It's never the same workout twice, thats what I love! I've lost 33lbs to date! I feel amazing and I have so much energy now! I would like to say a special thanks to Tony for helping me transform my body into it's best shape ever! Thank you for always being positive, keeping me motivated, and pushing me to be my best! You rock!!!!

More Success

Thank You Samson Strength and Conditioning for helping me reach my goals. I have never felt in better shape than I am now. This amazing transformation started 9 months ago. I weighed 218 lbs., wore a size 38, and was a few months away from turning 29 years old and thought to myself that I need to get into shape before I turned 30. My wife, Trish, had been going to your gym for a few months and I was watching her lose fat and build muscle. She kept telling me to go but I was always to busy or had some kind of excuse. I had been dieting and was losing some weight but once I combined training at your gym with dieting I really started to notice it. Everyone (myself included) always thinks that they can just go to their gym and work out and that will do the job. But I must say your program definitely has different exercises than I would normally do. Plus, you don’t even have to think about what you are going to do next. Your whole workout plan with your exercise, reps, set is all laid out for you, and you always have someone there pushing you even further. Not only was I losing fat, I was also building muscle. Now that I have met my goals I keep setting new ones. Currently I have lost 43 lbs and weigh 175 lbs. I wear a size 32 and feel more confident than I ever have. I can’t remember the last time I was this size (even in High school while playing football I wore a size 34). Once you’ve been going there for a few weeks and start seeing things change it really becomes addicting. Thank you Tony for helping me make this transformation, I cant ever imagine not being a part of the family at Samson S&C. I look forward to meeting my new goals, and who knows maybe even go beyond them.



Sincerely,

Philipe Chibas

Lost 75lbs in 6 Months

Dear Tony i would like to thank you and Samson S&C for helping me achieve all of my goals. Not only did you help me lose weight. But also helped me get stronger, faster and much more confident in myself. My whole life i was never happy with my weight, i ate unhealthy and never had the willpower to workout. At one point of time i weighed up to 280 pounds!! You have helped me get down to a solid 195 pounds!! I haven't been down to that weight since like the 5th grade lol... To me Samson is one of the best programs i have ever been apart of. Everyday i look forward to working out. And i have never felt so healthy and in-shape in my life. Thank you for all the time and effort that you have put into helping me reach all of my goals.

Tips and Tricks for Surviving the Holidays

Every year the average American puts on 7lbs from Thanksgiving to New Years. I am going to give you a few tricks to keep the weight off and achieve your goals.

1. Shop the perimeter of stores DO NOT go down the aisles looking for the new Christmas edition of Oreos.
2. When your sweet tooth comes a knocking try and eat some fruit or make sugar free jello to get your fix in.
3. Always be prepared and have good healthy food ready and accessible or else you will be hitting up McDonalds and down Two double cheeseburgers and a large fry which is right around 1000 calories.
4. Drink green teas, black coffees, and sugar free soda.
5. Don’t go on a baking spree and make cakes every weekend for your family, because it always ends up in your house and eventually in your stomach.
6. Exercise at least 5 times a week, you can join our boot camps which meet three times a week and get on the prowler the other two.

Follow these six steps and you will be able to fight off that unwanted weight and still fit in your jeans come New Years. Don’t wait to make a resolutions do it now and stay fit.

Client of the Month: December 2010

Janelle "The Beast" Lopez from Tony Montgomery on Vimeo.

Janelle holds three records on our big board. She owns a 280lbs deadlift, 210lbs Squat and a 33" box jump.

2010 North American Open Powerlifting Meet: Team Samson Recap

2010 North American Open Powerlifting Meet Recap
Tony Montgomery

The meet started at 10:00 on Sunday so I had a week to cut from 235lbs to 220lbs. I never cut that much weight before so I knew it was going to be tough. By Friday I was 224lbs and was ready to drive up to Tampa on Sat. and make weight. We arrived at 1:30 and I figured we can weigh in and be fine since we did not eat or drink all day. Boy was I wrong, I weighed in at 223 in Tampa and I was pissed, its time for a new scale at the gym. So after two hours of sauna and running in trash bags I finally made weight. By Sunday I was back up to 235lbs and I was ready to lift.

Squats were up first and I was near the back of the flight so I had time to relax. Decided to open up light with 420lbs and for some reason it felt extremely heavy, but I nailed it a got three green lights. Next I jumped up to 450lbs and blasted right through it, so I guess my body decided to finally wake up. Feeling good going into my last lift I decided to go with a 30lbs meet PR and blasted through a 475lbs squat and felt really good. I will be shooting over 500lbs next meet.

Onto bench press, which if you are not careful can put you to sleep. I decided to open up with what I ended with last meet 355lbs. It was real easy and I felt good but apparently my butt came up and I was red lighted. So I was nervous going into my next lift and I stuck with the same weight so I can get it and I did with absolutely no leg drive and it still felt easy. For my third attempt I jumped up to 375 lbs, but I was still nervous about my butt coming up and I got stuck at the bottom and with no leg drive I wasn’t going anywhere.

Last but not least are deadlifts, which are by far the best lift ever invented. I was feeling good to pull my first ever 600lbs dead, so I opened up at 550lbs. The warm ups went great and everything felt extremely fast. I got up to the platform and blasted through 550lbs with ease. Feeling good about getting 600 I jumped to 575lbs and I got it for a 25lbs meet PR. I thought I nailed it but looking back at the video I realized it was more of a struggle then I thought it was. So onto my 600lbs attempt, I felt very confident that today was the day, but gravity felt otherwise and I stalled right below my knees on the 600lbs attempt. It actually felt like it got caught on my sock which was weird. Next time I will get it and then some.

I ended with a 1405lbs total which is a 60lbs meet PR which is a great day in retrospect. I would like to thank my wife and kids for there support and my team for all their encouragement and most importantly I thank God for granting me the ability to do what I do.

2010 Training Box Strongman Show Tony Montgomery Middleweight Champ

2010 Training Box Strongman Show
I have said it before and I will say it again. If Dave Beers puts on a show I am there. He runs a tight ship and always takes care of his competitors. All the guys from the gym had a great time and we look forward to doing his next show in March. Now onto the show, I competed in the middleweight division and I was going against 4 other competitors.

The first event was a 220lbs axle clean & press for reps in 60secs. I went first and I knew I had to set the tone due to my competition. On the go command I ripped up the axle and started pressing away. After the clean I knew I was going to be able to put up a high number. As I started repping them out I was finding it harder and harder to catch my breathe. By the time I was on 12 I only had one to two more left in me. I managed one more and I was done. 13 reps was good enough for first place.

The 2nd event we moved onto a 450lbs trap bar for reps in 60secs. I got to go last because of my first place finish and I knew what I had to beat. My buddy Paul knocked out 33 reps and second got 22 reps. I figured I would go after Paul’s 33 but around 25 reps into it I thought twice about it. Our next event was going to tax the grip so I decided to shut it down at 27 reps, which was good for 2nd place.

The next event was a 250lbs farmers pick hold for time. I was able to go one on one with Paul and I knew his hands were hurting from the deadlifts so this would be a good event for me. On the go command I was able to get a clean and easy pick which set up for a good hold. We were about 40secs into it and I decided to look up to see what Paul was doing and I could see him start to struggle, so I gave him a smile and he blew me a kiss and that was it for him. I managed a few more seconds and dropped the weight at 50.83secs and finished in 2nd place.

The 4th event was a 750lbs tire flip for 60’. I did this at Dave’s last show, so I knew the weight would be light and it was going to be a sprint to the finish. Everyone was taking between 6-7 flips to cross. The more you attack the tire and push it over the further it will skid, so you could cut down on the times you flip it. My goal was to be aggressive and attack the tire and it turned out to be a good strategy. I finished in 6 flips and around 20secs which was good for 2nd place.

I was in the lead by a ½ point going into the final event which was a 260lbs stone load for reps on a flat bed truck in 60secs. I am really good at stones and I was confident going into this event. Going last again I knew I had to beat 8 reps for the win. As soon as you hear the go command you attack the stone and not even think about it. I was moving at a good pace and by the time I got to 7 reps I started to slow it down and I finished with 10 reps and 1st place in the event and 1st place in the show.

Here is the video:

2010 Training Box Strongman Show: Team Samson Recap

I am leaving to go to Tampa tomorrow to compete in a powerlifting meet with 3 others from the gym, so I will give you a brief recap of last weeks strongman show. This was a great show that took place in Ft. Myers on October 30th. We had 4 competitors doing this show and I will try and get them all to give a write up of there first strongman experience. As a gym we went 3 for 4 in 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish. Here are the videos from the show:

2010 Central Florida Strongman Show

This was the first time I did this show, I heard a lot of great things about it and it did not disappoint. The show was in the heart of Lakeland and right by the water, it was a great location. I competed in the middleweight division of 265lbs and under. I weighed in at 230lbs and was by far the smallest competitor in my weight class. Usually my class is from 231 and down but this show they switched things up on me.

First event was a press medley that consisted of a 220lbs log for one rep, a 250lbs log for one rep and a 270lbs axle for one rep. Throughout training I was killing this event with a great time. As for the show that was a different story. The logs went up easy, even Weech’s 13” mammoth log. Then I moved onto the axle and this is what slowed me down. I was not able to punch my elbows through on the first and second attempt but I managed to do so, on the third. I finished this event in 38.64 secs and good enough for 2nd.

The next event was a last man standing axle deadlift. My deads have come a long way from when I started so I was fairly confident in this event. That is until I realized I have the hand size of an adolescent girl and that my grip would be a problem. The axle bar is 2” in diameter which really taxes the grip. The middleweights started off with 450lbs and moved up 25lbs each time. 450lbs was no problem and neither was 475lbs. The thing I noticed when doing this event is that my speed is off the ground is not up to par with the rest of my deadlift, so I need to work on that. Everything felt good and smooth until I got up to 550lbs. The daedlift was light and felt smooth and I thought I locked it out, but it slipped out of my left hand twice and I was done in this event with a 525lbs deadlift, which was good enough for second.

The 3rd event was a Yoke/Keg Medley. We had to walk a 625lbs yoke for 60’ and carry a 275lbs keg for 60’. This was a good event for me because I fly with the yoke but I never touched a keg until a week from the show so I was a little worried about my technique. The yoke was easy and light but when I got to the keg I did not lean back enough and it fell forward on me, so I had to repack it and finish up. I finished this event in 28.94 secs and good enough for 2nd again.

The next event was farmer carries for 100’. Usually I never loose at these but my grip was already shot and that made for an extremely difficult time. I had three drops and just absolutely sucked at this event. I finished it in 32.91 secs and again 2nd place.

On to our last event which was a stone series. We had to load 4 stones onto a platform of different heights. The first stone was 240lbs onto a 60” platform, 280lbs onto a 54” platform, 325lbs onto a 48” platform and a 355lbs onto a 48” platform. Going into this event I was in 2nd place behind the leader by one point so I needed to be flawless at this event. Much like the theme of the day I made some mistakes. I let the tacky get to soupy and as soon as I went for the first stone it was gone and I did not set the stones the way I wanted either so by the time I got to the third stone I was slipping all over it. I finished just two stones in a time of 15.98 secs and 2nd place. By staying consistent on every event I was able to get 1st place in the show. I was not happy with my performance, but 1st place is 1st place. Here is a video of the show enjoy.

I'm Back

Picture of Lahela and Wesley

Man things have been hectic to say the least. With the birth of my son 6 months ago, training for 2 strongman shows and a powerlifting meet, and keeping the gym up and running with new clients, something had to go. Unfortunately it was my blog updates and for that I apologize but family, training, and the gym come first. On September 18th I competed in the Central Florida Strongman Show were I took first in the middleweight division and this last weekend the gym sent myself and three others to compete in the Training Box’s Strongman Show were we won three first place trophies and a second place finishing. Now this Sunday we prepare for a powerlifting meet in Tampa, Fl. For R.A.W. United.

As for the gym we have reached our one year anniversary and to celebrate we are running free boot camps, free strength camps, and free high school training. We are doing this to show our appreciation to everyone who made the gym possible. This special ends on Nov. 22nd so get it while you can. We also got our new long sleeve shirts in for the winter; you can pick those up at anytime we have all sizes.

Tomorrow I will have video and a meet write up for you on the Central Florida Strongman Show. Thanks for your patience and keep on setting your goals and blasting through them.

Here is a picture of the Central Florida Strongman Show:

Strength-Power Potentiating Complexes

A small town gym that has two guys that can jump 40in. verticals is pretty incredible, but how about a gym that increased all there clients vert’s by at least 2in. in a time span of four months is just crazy. I have found a great way to increase your athletes vert and explosive power through Strength-Power Potentiating Complexes. These complexes were involved in the begging of our off season plan when we were focusing on strength and explosive power. We lifted four times a week with two upper body days and two lower body days. On our max effort lower body days we would work up to a heavy one or three reps in 90% of the athlete’s one rep max for that particular exercise. All the guys that were on this protocol were experienced lifters who could squat 2x or more their own bodyweight. This is a must, if your athlete can not perform this feat then have them focus on increasing that and do there plyometric training on another day.

The protocol that we used worked in three week waves were we focused on our main lift and after completing the 1-3 rep lifts the athlete’s waited 2-5 minutes before going into the plyometric protocol. This will vary with every athlete do to there strength level and how fast they recover from the lift. Each athlete would then perform 5-10 sets of 1-3 reps of plyometrics. We would do a vertical jump the first week, a horizontal jump the second week and then back to a vertical jump on the third week. On the fourth week we deload and focused on deceleration drills off a 12in. box. The next three week cycle we added more volume to their plyometrics, remember to monitor your athletes CNS and recovery because not all athletes are created equal. The first week of this cycle we added in a depth jump into a vertical jump. We did this because the depth jumps are more taxing on the CNS then any other jump so we wanted to do this in the first following a deload. On the second week of the program we went back to a horizontal plyometric and on the third week we incorporated a vertical jump. We then deloaded the same way as discussed earlier.

After this 8 week protocol we moved our athletes to a three day a week training split to accommodate for the extra running we were starting to incorporate. We lifted three days a week doing two upper and one lower body days and began a running phase where we were out running three days a week. On our lower body days we took out our plyometrics and added them into our running days. We would do a dynamic warm up and then start off with weighted acceleration drills and after 5 sets of ten yard sprints we went into our plyometric protocol of Vertical Plyometrics on one day and horizontal on another. The third running day was sport specific so we did not incorporate plyometrics. We did this for three weeks and deloaded on the fourth. After this 12 week cycle of intensive plyometrics we tested our player’s verticals. We had two guys jump 40 in. and five other guys increase their verticals by at least 2 in. some even increased 4 in. Try this protocol out with your athlete’s and see how the explosive power and speed increase. Here is the link of the two 40 in. verticals, remember these are just high school kids.

Amped Review

As a strength coach you are always looking for ways to improve your athlete’s performance; whether it is strength training, speed training, or quickness. The most overlooked aspect of improving performance is the prehab work done before injuries occur. The warm up is a crucial part of the workout which promotes restoration, joint health, core warm up, and active recovery. The Amped DVD and Manual gives you everything you need to prepare your athletes for training and to help prevent injuries. This is the most comprehensive material on warm ups that I have come across. They demonstrate every exercise thoroughly and at the end they put it all together for you. This is the only manual that gives you samples of warm ups, so it takes all the guessing out of it. This manual will surely help take your athletes to the next level.

A Crazy Summer

There is never enough time in the day. Have you ever heard that one before? I hear it all the time and it drives me crazy. That is what lazy people who cry all the time about the economy and how everybody is after them and they can never catch a break, say. Its time to get off your asses and change the way you live your life or five years from now you will be in the same place living with your parents still and wondering what you've done with your life. Sorry about the quick rant, but some people drive me crazy.

This was the first summer for the gym and it was a blast. We had college kids from across the country come down and train with us to get ready for the upcoming season. We held the first annual Samson S&C Strongman Show, which was a huge success and I can't wait to do more. Actually I am shooting for another one in early March, so get ready! We formed a powerlifting team that won the team trophy in its first meet and the gym also made it onto the news. Here is the link... http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_st_lucie_county/gym-owner-hosts-%27strongman%27-competition-in-ft.-pierce
Like I said it was a crazy summer with crazy results. I got a call the other day from one of our college kids and found out that out of 60 players from his football team only 8 passed the conditioning test and he was one of the first ones to complete it. Oh and by the way he is a 220lbs fullback.

Now that things have settled down I will be updating my blog more regularly and will have tons of information coming your way. As for the fall we have a few strongman shows some of the guys are doing and a powerlifting meet in Nov. that the team will be doing. Remember that today is the day for you to break out of your rut and focus on making things happen for yourself.

Team Samson Totals from UPF Challenge II

Mike Favele-165lbs Weight Class-Ironman Division-275lbs Squat, 185lbs Bench, 405lbs Dead- Total 865lbs
Randy Walker-181lbs Weight Class- Ironman Division-390lbs Squat (R), 275lbs Bench, 405lbs Dead- Total 1070lbs
Mike Glover-198lbs Weight Class-Raw Division-355lbs Squat, 335lbs Bench (R), 515lbs Dead- Total 1205lbs
Dylan Caufield-220lbs weight Class-Raw Division-405lbs Squat, 250lbs Bench
Tony Montgomery-220lbs Weight Class-Ironman Division-445lbs Squat, 355lbs Bench (R), 550lbs Dead- Total 1350lbs
Justin Poma-220lbs Weight Class-Ironman Division- 502lbs Squat (R), 375lbs Bench (R), 560lbs Dead (R)- Total 1437lbs (R)
Kenny Morris-275lbs Weight Class-Ironman Division- 570lbs Squat (R), 430lbs Bench (R), 650lbs Dead- Total 1650 (R)

(R) Indicates New Record

UPF Challenge II Team Write Up

First I just want to take the time to thank my team for being ready and giving it their all at this meet. I am extremely proud of all of them. Thanks to Raw United and Spero for putting on a great show. Thanks to Zee Hichri and the UPF gym for holding the meet at their gym. It was a great experience and out of the seven lifters on the team it was the first meet for six of them.

Everybody came up the night before to make weight. It was the first time most of us had to cut weight so it was a little nerve wrecking. Everybody made weight with ease, so we decided to go refuel after that and put a serious dent in the Outback Steakhouse.

The meet started at 10 and was broken into two flights. First up was the squat and everyone hit their openers with ease so we were all in the meet and feeling good. All of us hit our second attempts and our thirds as well. Have to take a moment to congratulate Justin Poma for Broking the record in squats for the 220lbs Ironman Division with a massive and easy 502lbs squat.

Next up was the bench press and with the nerves gone from the first squat attempt we were zeroed in on having a big bench. All the guys hit the bench and Kenny Morris set a new meet PR with a 430lbs bench press.

Last but not least was the deadlift. This is what makes or breaks a meet for most people. A big pull will set up for a big total and a successful meet. I am happy to say that all but one of us was able to get a full total in our first meet. We had one lifter pull his hamstring and not be able to complete the lift. Congrats goes to Mike Favele for hitting a huge PR for him with a 405lbs deadlift at a bodyweight of 165lbs. Just a couple of weeks ago he could not even budge 365lbs so great job Mike.

We won the team trophy and Justin Poma won best overall lifter for the Ironman Division. It was a great meet and a great experience but we are ready to get back in the gym and continue to get stronger and stronger. We have meets coming up and strongman shows as well, so its time to get back to work.

I will have everyone's totals up with in the week.

Teacher Appreciation

We would just like to take the time to thank all the teachers out there who do a great job molding the youth of America. I know school is about to start up and it is crunch time to get your classes set up and everything ready. We at Samson would just like to thank you for all the hard work you do with a Teacher's special at Samson's. It starts on August 23rd and ends December 5th. It consists of three personal training sessions and two boot camps a week. This is normally a $1500 value but we are giving it to you for the small price of $500. If you are interested just contact me by email or phone. Let's get to work and help take inches off your waist and add years to your life.

Samson Takeover

It has been a busy and crazy summer. I will post an update after this weekend for upcoming events, posts, and specials. This weekend we will be competing in a powerlifting meet up in Orlando. Seven guys from the gym will be competing in various age groups and weight classes. This is the start of building the strongest gym in Florida and eventually in the country. I will have a write up for you on Sunday with everyone's results. Big things to come so stay tuned!!

Samson S&C Strongman Show 2010

This was the first of many shows the gym will be putting on. I had a great time with this, but it was extremely hectic and is the reason I have not been posting frequently. I would like to thank all our sponsors BSN, Orchid Island Juice Company, Village Bike Shop, Look Realty, Cowboys for hosting the event, Max International, Poma Construction, Signature Embroidery. Thanks to all the competitors for giving it there all and busting their butts for us. Thanks to all my helpers, the show would not have been a success if it was not for you. Thanks to all the people who came out and supported the show and its competitors. Big shout out to Orlando Green who broke the all time LW deadlift record with a 755lbs pull.

Mike Witmer Memorial Powerlifting Meet Write Up: By Kenny Morris

2010 R.A.W Untied Mike Witmer Memorial Recap by Ken Morris

I drove up to Tampa Saturday morning to make it to early weigh-ins at 5pm. I hadn’t eaten a thing all day, I was starving and dehydrated. My scale told me I weighed 274 so I didn’t want to take a risk. I sat around until 5 o’clock rolled around and immediately jumped on the competition scale. 270.4 pounds, I easily made weight and immediately started hydrating with a mix of half Gatorade and half water. I gave the score table my openers of 520 Squat, 400 Bench Press, and 620 Deadlift. I ate and relaxed for the rest of the day and just tried to prepare my mind for the upcoming day. As I lay in bed I couldn’t shake my nerves. I always get nervous before a meet but this meet made me especially nervous due to the fact that it was being filmed by Fox Sports for a new show called Xtreme Power TV. They are filming a 13-week series on powerlifting and it all began with this meet. The pressure was on me to perform well because I was told I would be a featured lifter. So, I ended up falling asleep around 12:30 am and I woke up at 6:30. I ate oatmeal and drank Gatorade with creatine, glutamine, and some BCAA’s to support me throughout the day. I left for the meet around 7:45am.

Once I arrived at Jackson Springs Recreation Center I took a look around at the way the lifting platform was setup like a stage, surrounded by cameras and bright lights. All 275 and 198 pound lifters were called into the warm up room for the rules briefing. It was at this point when the nerves started to turn to excitement, it was time and I was ready to go to work. The flight (group of lifters) was only about 8 guys including me and everyone was going to be lifting some big time weights. My flight consisted of probably the best 275er in the world Mike Tuchscherer, two of the best 198ers in the world Ryan Celli and Dennis Cieri, and the rest of us were ranked nationally in either 198 or the 275 weight class.

I mixed up a cup of USPlabs Jack3d, chugged it, and started warming up for the squat. The weights felt good as I finished warming up to 455. I was called to the platform for my opener of 520. I sank it deep and drove it up fast for 3 white lights, good lift. My next attempt was 550, and once again I drove it up fast and got 2 white lights, good lift. After this lift the Fox Sports guys pulled me aside to do my first ever TV interview, I was excited to say the least, so excited that when they asked me how my last lift felt I answered to the tune of, “It felt heavy, but I can do more”. Instant classic. Next time I work on my interview skills before the meet. Anyways, after the interview I called for 580 pounds for my 3rd and final attempt, this would be a meet personal best. I got under the bar and unracked it and it felt lighter than ever. I sank the squat a little to deep and fell forward too much and couldn’t recover from it. No lift.

I was disappointed I didn’t get that last squat but I knew I could make up for it in the deadlift. Next came the bench press. I nailed my opener of 400 and called for 415 on my next attempt. I took the bar out of the rack and it felt light, but when I brought it to my chest and began to press it up my hamstring locked up hard. This causes a slight downward motion of the bar and even though I recovered to make the lift, I got red lighted. No lift. To be safe I called for 415 again for my last attempt. I nailed it easily. After my 3rd attempt Fox Sports grabbed me again for another interview and flattered the heck out of me by calling me an up and coming superstar in the sport. Now I had to finish big.

620 on the bar for my first deadlift attempt, I grabbed it and ripped it off the floor fast. 3 white lights. I called for 640 on my second attempt and again nailed it for 3 white lights. On my last attempt I wanted to be conservative and go with something I was pretty sure I could handle so I called for 660. I pulled it like it was my first attempt and I was hyped about it. This was a 20 pound personal meet record. Fox Sports interviewed me again after my lift about the sport, so I got to talk about what a great sport powerlifting really is. After the 3rd deadlift I was lit up and I knew I had more in the tank so I asked for a 4th attempt of 680. I only had maybe 3 minutes of rest but I hyped myself up with some ammonia and a slap on the back and attacked the bar. I pulled the bar hard off the floor and got it to about an inch before lockout and it just stalled, I just missed it. No lift.

I ended with a 1625 pound total and a nice trophy to bring home. The Mike Witmer Memorial was my one year anniversary being a competitive powerlifer and in that year I’ve taken my total from 1435 to 1625. Best part of this meet was just being around great lifters and great people. Powerlifting has the best camaraderie out of any sport I have ever seen and I encourage any lifter at any level to get involved.

To check out pictures from the meet…. http://www.xtremepower.tv/Raw-United-Federation-June/Flight-E-198-275-Mens/12672362_CyYnR#911431636_GXDZG

Why? The winner...

I just want to thank everyone for there entries and the support you show to the gym on a daily basis. It is all of you who make's my job great by coming in everyday and busting your butt. So without further delay, the winner of our Why? contest is Richard Hall. Here is what Richard wrote...
Why do I exercise? When I originally started to exercise it was to lose weight. I started off weighing 285lb and got down to 228lb, losing a total of 57lbs. With the right diet and lots of hard work, I was on step closer to my target weight of 205lb. It felt great to be able to look myself in the mirror everyday and see a new person, not only on the outside but also on the inside. Getting my old fat ass in shape was opening so may doors for me. I stared to do things I thought were never possible. I had more energy and confidence, I was full of life and what it had to offer. My motivation: My childhood. I grew up always being the chubby kid. Picked on because I wasn’t skinny or muscular like most of the kids around me. Unable to do things the other “skinny” kids were able to do. Those memories are what fired me up to work thru the doubts in my mind.
Today, well Tony, you already know most of the story. On August 31st 2009 I was in a single motorcycle accident where I almost twisted my left foot off. Five surgical procedures later the Doctors were able to save my foot, and with it, the news that I might not be able to run ever again. During my rehabilitation I slowly started to gain the weight back, a whooping 32lb. I tried going back to the gym and getting into a routine of exercise again. I had to dig deep and try to forget the words of my doctor that I my never run again.
Why I exercise today: To get back what I had lost, my energy, my confidence, my physical ability, and most importantly my mental strength.
What motivates me today: My motivation changes every day. The words “YOU MAY NEVER RUN AGAIN” motivated me thru every painful stride I took when I ran a mile and a half to qualify for the RRT Team. Then another day it well be a simple look in the mirror and not like what I see inside out. Or I could simply walk by a picture of me before the accident and it would put a fire in me. But there is one thing that get me fired up every day and that is the pain I feel every time I step on that left foot. Knowing that I’ll have to live with that pain for the rest of my life sets a fire in the pit of my stomach. As it anger or frustration? I don’t know but it fires me up.
Tony I don’t want to sound like I’m kissing your ass but I’m glad to have met you. You were put in front of me to wake me up and to push my soft ass to do something again. Seeing you bust your ass for something you believe in was something I needed to open my eyes and to me get back in the right mind set. You have become one of my biggest motivators to get back on my feet and fight my way back to being the best I can again, and for that I thank you. I’m looking forward to getting my ass handed to me and tossing my cookies on the black top. See ya at the gym Bub.

But there was so many good entries I could not just pick one, so I am also picking Christina Fiore. Here is her story...
Why do I exercise?
Because type 2 diabetes runs in my family, but I refuse to believe that it is genetic. I believe that it is a choice. I believe that what makes it run in families is generation after generation teaching their children too many bad habits and not enough good habits. Unfortunately I didn’t realize this until just recently. Now I am 30 years old and I feel like I am falling apart already. I joke that having a child broke me. But really 30 years of abusing my body is what broke me. I could have made the choice that generations before me made and stop being active because “I am getting too old to do those things now”. But instead I made the choice to fix myself.
Because I never want my son to have to fix himself. He came into this world so perfect. It is my responsibility to preserve that perfection, to teach him how to maintain it and to help him build a strong foundation to carry him into his adult life. It is hard to make the right choices when the wrong choices have been ingrained in you for so many years. I don’t want it to seem to my son that it is a choice that he has to make. I want fitness to be a basic physiological need for him, something that he doesn’t even need to think twice about. I need to pass on the tools that are required for him to achieve this. If I don’t have the right tools, I can’t pass them on to him.
Because I don’t want to rely on pills to “fix” my problems. Since giving birth I have had some anxiety issues. I was talking to a friend about this one day and learned that she used to have the same problem. She takes a pill every day to “fix” the problem. I know at least 3 people that take pills for depression. I hear way too often about kids with ADD or ADHD that need medication. The list goes on. I think that people these days rely too heavily on this kind of band-aid fix. I want to truly conquer my issue. I want the problem to go away. I don’t want to become dependent on a pill to cover it up. I really believe that regular physical activity combined with a proper diet is the answer to many of the ailments that plague so many people today.
Because for the first time in history the youngest generation of Americans have a shorter life expectancy than those that came before them. I do not want my son to be a part of that statistic. And I never want him to believe that he should be either.
Because I see too many people taking the lazy road today, I don’t want to be like that. It may seem like the easy thing to do to pick up some fast food on the way home from work and veg out in front of the TV with it. But in the long run I know that it will really make life more difficult. Since I have had my son I have taken much more notice to the quality of life of the people around me. I have listened to people complain because they are constantly sick and they don’t understand why, but then just chock it up to old age. Meanwhile they refuse to exercise, eat right or quit smoking. Every time I go to Wal-mart I see people that are so fat that they can’t carry their own weight around the store. They stop at the McDonald’s conveniently located inside the store then ride around on an electric scooter while they shop for more junk food. I don’t want to be like either of these people. I would rather be like the 60 year man that has taken care of his body, still exercises every day, maintains a healthy diet and looks more like 40 than 60. If someone asks him how old he is, he replies “You are only as old as you feel.” If asked how old he feels, “21”.
My grandfather died when I was 10. I have one memory of sitting on his foot and holding onto his leg while he dragged me around the house playing with me. I was probably less than 2 years old. The rest of my memories of my grandfather were of him in a wheelchair. He had both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes. It only dawned on me a couple of months ago why my grandfather had no legs. Nobody ever told me. I do not want to create that memory for my grandchildren.
What motivates me?
My son. Knowing that he counts on me for everything. He has never met his father. It is up to me to make sure that he gets to play sports and learn to ride a bike. I don’t ever want to be too tired to play with him. What keeps me going is knowing that I cannot fail because I cannot let him down.

My Professional Football Combine Experience: Told By Justim Poma

The day was February 15th, 2010. It’s been almost a year since my last competitive football game. On the brink of 25 years old with a lot of ambition to play football at the next level, either semi-pro or pro football I decided to enter into the Elite Pro Football Combine. This combine is second to only the NFL combine as being one of the most prolific football combines and is said to be “pro football's insurance policy against missing a single talented player”.

I have had years of football training behind me and felt that with a little extra speed training I would be able to establish myself as one of the top athletes in the Atlanta combine which I was invited to attend on May 8th 2010. As it turned out, it didn’t seem to be as simple as I originally figured. A few weeks into my speed training a hamstring pull put a halt to my training which was followed by weeks of rehab. Three weeks later my training resumed only to feel the constant strain on healing hamstring. I decided it was a little early and I had to continue the strength training of my upper body, core and rehabilitation of my hamstring while trying to maintain my lower body strength.

I knew my time was running out as the combine date was fast approaching, I had to get conditioned for this combine so I decided to continue with agility drills and light speed training. Eight weeks after I originally began preparing for this combine I felt as if I hadn’t made any progress. I knew I had only a few weeks of training remaining prior to my combine. The agility drills and light speed training proved to pay off as my hamstring felt solid and willing to perform to my intentions. I finished my training cycle and although I did not feel I was at my peak performance, I knew that my athletic ability would be able to show for itself, so I decided to carry on with my trip to Atlanta, GA.

Friday May 7th 8:00am, I pulled out of Port Saint Lucie. With the solid 9 hour drive I had ahead of me, I decided to leave a day early to allow myself some time to adjust to the new environment. The entire ride up I was full of mixed emotions. Anxiety that maybe the injury I had would affect my performance against some of the top athletes around the region. That emotion was coupled with confidence that I had truly been training my whole life for an opportunity like this and I had to be ready, I was ready. Nervousness would have to be the one word that could some up the entire trip.

I arrived at my lodging location a little later than expected, approximately 9:30pm. The offensive position combine commenced at 5:00pm the following day. I figured it was time to get some sleep so I could wake up early and take a trip to the facility which the combine was being performed.

Saturday May 8th, 2010. Woke up feeling pretty good thinking “GAMETIME”. Nothing was going to stop me from performing at my best. Having a little knowledge about nutrition I knew it was important for me to continue my hydration as well as stock up on some carbohydrates and proteins, Denny’s sounded perfect! Ordered a steak and egg skillet and started to chow down, guzzled down about (4) glasses of water and took off to grab some Gatorade and began my short trip to the field. Arrived on the field around 2:30pm to see the defensive group still working. Seemed like it was 120º but later found out it was a beautiful 80º with a gust. Must’ve been my nerves playing tricks on me.

First things first, I had to sign in and get my t-shirt, ID number, height (5-10.7), weight (229), arm length and hand size. After that I began my combine experience as I would any other training session, strapped up my cleats and got a thorough static and dynamic stretch in. I couldn’t help but look at every other athlete wondering witch ones were running backs such as myself. There was definitely a good group of guys out there and some stiff competition. Soon after the Combine Coordinator rounded the offensive unit up and informed us that we would be warming up as a team and to get our cleats on. This information definitely helped me feel better about the quality of the stretching I would be getting. We began by jogging around the field, still I was wondering who the other RB’s were. Once we completed our lap around the field we split up into columns and rows to begin our static stretching. I took another look around. There must have been a good 150 offensive athletes. We did a multitude of stretches from jumping jacks to hamstring stretches to groin stretches. We then continued on to our dynamic stretching where were did all the stretching I had been used to since I was 10 years of age and first started playing ball. Now I felt at home and comfortable and confident. Our stretching came to its conclusion and the Coordinator split us up into groups by position. The information was coming so fast all I could think about was getting ready for my first test. RB’s would start off at the 20 yard shuttle. I was excited about this. I was confident this would be one of my better performances. As I watched a few of the RB’s perform I critiqued their techniques to myself and did some light shadowing of the drill. Finally, it was my turn and I was confident. Although I had not been exposed to too much drilling on a field turf surface, I still remained confident. I started off my drill exploding to the right first, planted my foot and with a little slippage, raced to my left, planted firmly and then exploded one last time to my right and finished strong. We then repeated the test in the other direction. Ending up with the fastest shuttle time of the group I was still slightly disappointed with my time, as I know I am capable of sub 4 second 20 yard shuttle times. As we waited around a few minutes to be released to our next station I gazed around the field watching all the athletes perform, wondering which ones would be the tops of there groups.

On to the next one! Bench press was our next event. This is probably the most known exercise to any football player other than squats. Once again, I watched as the other athletes performed their bench press. I was confident I would hit right within my average of 28-29 repetitions of 225 lbs. I did just that, 28 repetitions which I was still just a little upset about, as I figured my adrenaline may have been good for just a few more. This time I was second to one other stallion who threw up an astonishing 31 reps! Quickly after our bench press they rounded us all up to take our photographs. I was told pre- picture by a few of the guys I looked “beefy” so I already knew how that was going to turn out.

Our next event was the vertical jump which I have hit 34” consistently during training. Although I had previously pictured me hitting 36-38 if I had continued my speed and strength training prior to the combine. It seemed as if most of the guys were all in the 30” range until some monster jumped and nearly hit every tab on the vertex machine. As I approached the machine for my turn, I couldn’t help but notice how high the previous athlete had jumped topping just under 42 inches! Once again it was my turn. I got in my stance, squatted down and thrusted up a few times to get some rhythm and then with one last explosive effort pushed off the floor as hard as I could when I fired up. Again, I hit right at my average of 34 ½”. This vertical jump is nothing to be upset about, but with the knowledge that I had of my weeks of setbacks, I knew I could have blown that number away.

The last and most crucial station was the 40 yard sprint. This is the one event which I knew would be the toughest due to my very limited training. As practiced my starts and I watched some of the RB’s takeoff I didn’t notice anyone with any tremendous speed. As my turn approached, in my mind I knew almost everything I had completed prior to this event would mean nothing if I didn’t nail it. My number was called and it was my turn. I got in my stance as I have so many times and exploded out. It seemed I had nailed the start, but more critical was the next 30 yards which I sprinted as hard as I could. My run felt very smooth and clean so I was anxious for my next shot which went equally as smooth. As I finished my run and began to trot back to my group of RB’s I was flagged down by one of the gentleman holding the stop watch. He revealed himself as the owner of “Elite Football Combines” and asked me a few questions about myself. It seemed if he was interested in my football ability and then said to I looked like quite an athlete and he would “keep his eyes on me”. This raised my sprits going into our next and last event which were position drills. I knew if there was one thing I would excel at, it would be position drills. Theses are most natural to me than anything else and due to the explosive nature of the running back position, compliment my abilities.

This last station started with basic coordination drills and moved on quickly to running back routes and ball control. It seemed as if I excelled in the position drills, which is nothing less than what I expected. I felt I had finished the combine successfully with the hopes that somebody will give me the opportunity to showcase my talent even for the briefest moment.

My experience with my first combine was pretty much as expected. It seemed a little fast paced, but when you are aspiring to play professional football, that is nothing short of what they would expect either. In all, I was and remain excited about my experience and look forward to my next opportunity. Maybe it will come in the form of football, maybe in the form of a strongman weight lifting competitor. Whatever it is that I do, I will do with my best abilities and have a tremendous amount of fun doing it.

Another Success Story

Trish started coming to Samson's a couple months ago and has made an amazing transformation. She has dedicated herself to a life of fitness and healthy living. She comes to the gym only three times a week and has managed to shed off the pounds. She has set many new goals recently and will be accomplishing all of them in this next 12 week training phase we are on. So stay tuned and see what other amazing things she is able to accomplish.

Why?

Today I am offering up 6 months of free training. All you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and then email me and tell me why you exercise and what keeps you motivated. I will choose the best one and that person will recieve 6 months of free training. So what are you waiting for sign up NOW! It is absolutely FREE!

Interview with Dr. Jacobs

Q: Tell the readers a little bit about your background.

A: Like a lot of other folks I started off in this field as an athlete. I was what some would call a slow gainer. I never really got to big but I gained some size and power. I went off to college and started to accumulate some injuries. I tried to walk on and did not make it so I started to train some more and realized I loved it and stuck with that and walked on to the track and field team. I threw shot and discuss for a while and then discovered and fell in love with powerlifting. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in physical education. I ended up being conned into working at a local gym that really did not exist. I lived in the closet of the gym for three years, after the first year I owned the gym and turned it into a successful powerlifting and bobybuilding gym. After that I went back to school and finished my Master’s degree and got a job as a strength coach at a small university and took on the responsibilities of the whole athletic department. After that I decided to take a grad assistant spot at the University of Tennessee for one year and after that I became an assistant strength coach at the University of Miami were we one a few national championships and had an extremely successful team. I also worked in the private sector and spent twelve years working with the Miami Project to cure paralysis. Now I am a professor at Florida Atlantic University.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your time with Dave Pasanella?

A: Dave played two years at N. Arizona and then transferred to Georgia Tech and played two years at fullback and then became there strength and conditioning coach. I was an outside consultant for him and his program. We also had a business together called Superior Performance, which was one of the first Sports Performance facilities in the country. Unfortunately Dave passed away and it never took off. We set up a camera so we could analyze the athlete’s squats on a big projection screen while they performed them and were able to fix things a lot better that way. This was by far the best component to our success in the weight room.

Q: If you could design a weight room for high school athletes, what would it consist of?

A: With high school athletes number one is to not get involved with the fancy glitter. The best investments are sound bars and weights. Solid benches and a bunch of power racks. Power racks are the most efficient. In the 1980’s at UCLA I saw a modular system where they just had a rack and an adjustable bench with a power bar and a pulling bar with bumper plates and free weights. That’s how I would set it for high school athletes a place to do squats, bench, chins, dips, and pulls. Start with the basics and don’t get caught up with the machines.

Q: What is your philosophy on training football players in the high school setting, start with the weight room and the go into on the field speed and agility training?

A: Now we know that there is this joker called the force velocity curve and with the concept that when pushing the most weight we are usually moving the slowest and if it is lighter we move our fastest, but we will never be at our fastest speeds, so we’ll have a lower force production. In the concept of specificity we’ll infer that if we want to move fast we can only do that when we are moving light weight. The truth is that most developing athletes using slow crude strength training bet. 3-8 reps moving relatively at a slow pace will increase their force production at all velocities. For developing athlete’s you need to focus on three factors technique, technique, and technique. Stay with in your technique and push like hell. Patience, because if there was a better technique than what you did on your first rep, than you should of used it on your first rep. Second thing which I learned from Doug Furnas from when I was at the University of Tennessee is to not set unrealistic goals. If your program tells you to get five reps you get five reps. you never miss a rep. In powerlifting the goal is to go nine for nine, if you look at the very best they tend to be very consistent. So I would say the first step is to use slow and controlled movements and to keep your goals in a progressive nature but in a realistic frame so you get your reps. and third if you are going to do power work in the gym make them basic power movements. I don’t think Olympic lifting is a realistic activity for most coaches to share. Olymipc lifters do multiple sessions per week and there is a lot of technique involved. With high school athlete’s I prefer to use a power pull or a high pull as opposed to dive bombing under a bar. The idea is that we do strength, hypertrophy and some power work in the gym. We do not do speed work in the gym, we do that outside, we don’t as much overloading. We will not go any higher then 10% of bodyweight. You can do this with a weight vest or pull a sled. We want to turn our gains into speed and do more movement oriented tasks. I think that the best training for lateral movement is a game of pick up basketball. This will make them work harder and be more competitive when it comes to speed and agility training.

Q: How would you go about conditioning high school athletes? Start right off the bat or wait until the season is approaching?

A: It depends on who your athletes are. I would say no more than two weeks and those two weeks will be an active recovery workouts. The time for aerobic exercise is when you retire; if I saw a ball player running or walking they would be punished. I believe in the old school periodisation. In Jan. you are starting a strength/hypertrophy phase up until spring ball. Once spring ball comes around you will turn it into an in season maintenance phase. Once spring ball was over we would go into a strength phase until summer started. Over the summer we focused on power/speed/strength, but we did not do any running until the fourth of July. It only takes six weeks to learn the neural aspect of running for the big fellas. If it was a speed guy it would be a little different maybe go let him run track or maybe 10 weeks. This will prepare them to go all out at camp.
Q: Is there such thing as sport specific lifts in the weight room or is just hype?

A: The only sport specific movement for football is playing football. In training we want to manipulate the factors we think are important. Those factors are going to be related to joint movement and lines of resistance. It should be sport similar movements and velocities. It is impossible to train the shoulder at the velocity of throwing the football. You don’t want to just work the movements that are most predominant in the sport because you can 95% of the time you do but the other 5% we get in odd angles people get hurt, so we want a wide variety.

Q: Would you train each position diff.?

A: No, I remember several times to the dismay of Coach Johnson we had Vinny Testeverde coming out of the squat rack with 500lbs on his back. Everybody squats, kickers all the way to defensive lineman. There might be some slight changes but in general most of the movements are the same. No matter what the sport they all have to move straight ahead really fast, occasionally they have to stop and change directions and every one of them will get hit. The more heavy damage and pounding you cause your body through in training the more we develop the capacity to generate and recover. Any time you get DOMS you are developing the capacity to protect yourself. Now with that being said I would change things slightly with throwing athletes and cut out the overhead pressing, but everything else will generally be the same.

Q: As far as recovery what would you have your players do?

A: Number one factor of recovery is to get enough sleep. The 8 hour’s of sleep generalization is inadequate. The average person should get 9. When I competed and I was training heavy legs I would need to get at least 12 hours of sleep. Preparation before you train is vital; this includes prehab, mobility, and stretching. Getting out and doing other things performing daily activities. Sitting in a whirlpool and having cold water therapy.

Q: What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome with your players?

A: Themselves, psychologically these guys would defeat themselves before we even started. We had to work on cognitively restructuring the brain and to do that we had to talk about the issues. You can have All Americans still hearing that voice from there Dad that said he was too clumsy or weak. Until we talk about that and bring it out it would limit them. We would start by setting goals in the gym; we would try and get more reps or lift a heavier load. Everybody had to write everything down. We found that was quite effective reinforcement. Number one it showed them somebody gave a damn because I wrote each workout out by hand. We did not have excel back then so I wrote all 315 athletes workout sheets. Then we would adjust on the fly and set goals for each phase on what we expected them to accomplish. After we did that in the weight room it was a lot easier for the position coaches to prepare the athletes. So be sure to set them realistic goals.

Client of the Month

This guy is only eighteen years old and has done some amazing things at the gym. He is headed to play college ball and will make an immediate impact on the team. He is always on time and is an extremely hard worker. No matter what is going on he is always ready to smash some weights. He recently had his wisdom teeth taken out and was back in the gym the next day. Here are a few videos of Ced lifting at Samson's.

54 1/2" Box Jump

Does your gym give you this? If not find one that will. These kids are soon to be DI athletes at top 25 programs and they will make an immediate impact.

Living your Dream

Q: I have 3 years left on my commitment to the Air Force and when I get out I would like to open a facility like yours and begin training people, making it a career. I was wondering what advice you would have for someone like me to get started? I'm doing all the reading and training I can right now of course, all my free time is dedicated toward this goal, and I plan to be certified before I leave the AF. Did you have experience training people before you opened your gym? Have any advice on how to get that first client after you open doors, before you have a chance to prove yourself? Any tips or lessons learned on your journey would be appreciated. Congratulations on the success, keep kicking ass!

A: Jason thanks for the question. I got started in my garage and then I quickly found a great buy on a warehouse and went for it. The time will never be right and the situation is never perfect, but you just have to do it. It takes a lot of courage to go out on this huge limb but it is worth it, trust me. While I was in the Marines I trained some of the players on our football team, but most of my work came on me. It was a bunch of trial and error to find what works best. That was over three years ago, when I finally moved into my home in August I started my training business and it really sucked. One it is illegal to run a business in a residential area and two the space was so limited that I never felt I could truly expand the business. A few months later I found a 2500sqft warehouse and I was sold. I started my business and thought everyone would flock to me because I knew what I was doing and I had the best and sickest equipment around. Three months later I still only had the same three clients I had when I first started in my garage. Now just five months later I have a very successful business and my doors are starting to become more and more packed. So what happened in those five months? I learned how to advertise and sell myself. That is the number one thing I can tell you to do. Make sure half of your time is spent on learning how to sell yourself and your services. A good way to start is to train Human Billboards. Take a few people and give them a great deal practically training them for free and lock them into a 3-6 month contract. Let them know that you rely on them to bring you clients and this great deal is only in place if you try your hardest to bring me in at least one client a month. This will help spread the word. Volunteer your time as well. Go to your local high schools and ask the coaches if they need any help with offseason training or give free seminars so people know you are the local expert when it comes to your niche. Find your niche and don't try to reach everyone because you will spread yourself thin and won't ever focus on the important demographics’ of the people you truly want to reach. Keep your cost low, you can find a lot of stuff on craigslist or you can make them yourself. This helps out a lot, because you will not have to worry about paying off a tremendous amount of debt for the best equipment. So to recap on the top five keys to be a successful gym owner is to...
1. Know how to sell and advertise effectively.
2. Train people for free.
3. Volunteer your time to reach your demographic.
4. Find your niche.
5. Keep your start up cost as low as possible.

Hope this helps Jason and if you have more questions just ask. Stay focused and your dreams will come true.

Summer Special

The summer is a great time to get in shape. We offer a 6, 8, and 10 week group (5-8 people) training program. The 6 week is $175 per person, the 8 week is $200 per person, and the 10 week is $250 per person. This package would be 3 days a week and about an hour each day. Since everyone is at a different level of strength the training is set up so that each person will get the workout that their body needs no matter what. In this kind of small group training you will learn good technique and will be one step closer to a healthier life. If you are looking to do this all summer then when it is over you will be more than ready to join the other boot camp classes (which are more conducive for a work schedule) if that is something you are interested in.

Samson's Strongman Show

The date is set for a great show in Fort Pierce, Fl. Samson S&C will be hosting its first annual strongman show at Cowboys in Ft. Pierce. There will great competition as some of the best amateurs from around the country will be competing for a spot in Nationals and cash prizes. There will tons of free stuff handed out, along with the BSN girls there to hand out free supplements. I hope you all can make it to watch and if you want to compete and push yourself to the limits then fill out the entry form and get in the gym and get ready. This is absolutely FREE to watch!! Don't miss out. Here are the events and weight classes:

Heavy 231 and Up
Middle 231-200
Light 200 and under
Master Open
Novice Open
Teen Open

Event 1 Log C&P every rep 60secs- Belt, sleeves, and wraps allowed
Hvy-260lbs
Mid-220lbs
Masters, Nov, Und 200- 200lbs
Teen-180lbs

Event 2 Last man standing deadlift- Suit, belt, and wraps allowed
Hvy-635lbs
Mid- 545lbs
Mas, Nov, Und 200- 455lbs
Teen 405lbs
20lbs jumps

Event 3 100’ Farmers/ 50’ Prowler Medley 75secs- No straps
Hvy- 315 Farmers/ 4 plates per side prowler
Mid-260 farmers/ 3 plates per side prowler
Mas, Nov, Und 200- 220 farmers/ 2 plates per side prowler
Teen- 200 farmers/ 1 Plate per side prowler

Event 4 Tire Flip 60’ 60secs
Hvy- 950lbs
Mid- 750lbs
Mas, Nov, Under 200, Teen- 550lbs

Event 5 Stones Over 50” Yoke 60secs
Hvy- 340lbs
Mid- 280lbs
Mas, Nov, Und 200, Teen - 240lbs


Awards- Trophie or plaque for 1st- Medals for 2nd and 3rd
Hvy & Mid- 1st-$200-2nd $100
Mas, Nov, Und. 200- 1st- $100- 2nd-$50


Weigh ins- Will be held the day before also from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at my gym located at:
2127 NW Settle Ave.
Port St. Lucie, Fl. 34984

Here is where you can go for an entry form:
http://www.nastrongmaninc.com/pdf/entries/samson.pdf

Push Through the Wall

Q: Hey coach, my name is Justin and I have a serious problem with getting stuck at the bottom of my bench and deadlift. What should I do to break through this wall?

A: Justin, you have a common problem that I see on a daily basis. When a guy comes into my gym with this problem, we immediately asses his strength and if he is strong at lockout and weak at the bottom, like you are we start to incorporate speed days. You can do this with a bunch of different exercise. You can use plyometrics, med ball throws, bands, and chains. The bands and chains work with an athlete's natural strength curve, which means as you lower it the weight gets lighter, which is were you are the weakest and as you press the weight it gets heavier, which is were you are your strongest. You have to fight through the tension of the bands and the chains. By fighting through this it will help you increase you speed and fight through your sticking point. You can also incorporate med ball throws using lighter weight and exploding out with it as fast as possible which will increase your rate of force development. The same goes for plyometrics. Make sure to add in a speed day to your routine and incorporate one of these things in certain micro cycles. Try it for 3 to 4 week cycles and see were it takes you. Here is an example of a speed bench press with bands and some med ball chest passes.

Out Here Grinding

Here is a breakdown of our football players workout.
Vertical Testing 5x2
Kneeling Jumps w/ Med Ball into Chest Pass 10x
Mountain Climber Sprints 10x
Step Ups w/ Knee Lift 3x10
Back Extension into GHR 4x10-15
Leg Rasies w/ Band 3x10
Med Ball Ab Circuit 3x10

Want to learn more about what we do feel free to email me and ask questions or just sign up and get the best training in Florida period.

Lock It Out

When it comes to life you either get it or you don't and if you get it than your life will change for the best and if you don't your life will suffer. Life is a huge chess game were every move counts, except in life you can't afford to lose. So it all comes down to figuring out where you are in life and how to get where you want to go. If you are content with your life then you just don't get it. You should always be looking to improve because that is what makes life fun. Figure out your imperfections and conquer them everyday.

Weight lifting is no different. You should always be trying to better your lifts whether it is for sport or for profession. Today I am going to go over a few exercise that has helped to take my deadlift from 455lbs to 585lbs in just one year.

In a deadlift you either are strong at lockout or you are fast at the start. Speed or Strength, it is up to you to figure it out. I have always been weak at my lock out and the best exercises I have found for this is Farmer Deadlifts, Deadlifts w/ Bands, Rack Pulls, GHR, and Good Mornings. These have all helped tremdousoly with my deadlift. I am going to focus on two for right now and will break down the other ones at a later date.

Farmer deadlifts are pretty plain and simple you will have a high pull that mimics a deadlift, so all the focus will be on popping your hips through. Remember to treat it like a regular deadlift. You will have your shoulder blades pinch tight, chest up, and griping the bar as tight as possible. Take a deep breath through your diaphragm and drive through your heels. Once the lift starts to go up remember to spread the floor with your feet and drive your knees out. Here is a video of what I am talking about.


The next exercise that has been a tremendous tool for my lockout has been the GHR. This is the only posterior chain machine that allows you to work the gastrocnemius, hamstrings, and glutes all in one movement. Doing this every lower body work out has brought my deadlift up and there is no end in sight. I will go high rep range one day a week and add band or weights and lower my reps to 10-12 reps on the other day here is a video of band glute ham rasies.

Another One Bites the Dust

FSU bound running back hit an incredible 500lbs Squat today, smashing another record at Samson's. Be on the look out for this kid, he is going to tear up at the next level. Check him out.

Top 10 Ways to Increase your Squat

Squats

1. This is the meat and potatoes of any successful athlete, so treat them that way. If you don’t squat than you will never get faster, point blank. Here are some pointers that will help you correctly teach your athletes how to squat.

2. When setting up under the bar have your athletes treat it as if they were going to squat it. Have them stay tight, elbows bent in, and to really squeeze their shoulder blades together to give the bar something to rest on.

3. Grip the bar as tight as possible

4. Stay fixated on one point with your eyes. This point is straight ahead.


5. Unrack it cleanly and get set in as few steps as possible.

6. On the way down try and spread the floor with your feet by pushing your knees out. You do this on the way up as well.

7. Keep your back arched and have your athletes really try and arch up on the way up this will force you chest up.


8. Control the weight down and explode up as fast as humanly possible.

9. Blow your abs out the whole lift this will help stabilize your lumbar.

10. On the way up try and drive your elbows under the bar, this will help keep your chest up as well.

Client of the Month

I am going to start adding this in every month to show my appreciation for the hard work that Samson's athletes put in everyday and how much they have progressed ever since starting. The first person to be mentioned is Lisa C. who came to our gym about three months ago and has made amazing progress ever since. She came to me a few months after having her baby boy Hayden and has been determined to lose the weight and tone up since the first day we met. When we first tested her she was doing the trap bar deadlift exercise with 80lbs for 5 reps, just last week she hit 175lbs for 5 reps. at a bodyweight of only 107lbs. She has never missed a day at the gym and comes to our boot camps religiously and it has paid off. We have met all of her initial goals and as expected we have set loftier ones that she will surpass real soon. Take a look at what she has done and ask yourself are you doing what it takes to reach your goals.

High School Football Max Effort Upper Body

Here is a workout we did earlier in the week with some of our high school athletes.


I have to say that these are some of the most impressive high school athlete's I have ever seen. A few are going to FSU, Louisville, Alabama, and the University of Jacksonville. These kids are freaks of nature and will make a huge impact on there team this upcoming season.

Rock Solid Knees

Over the years of training athlete's I have always noticed that they all had reoccurring knee problems. Most of the pain was located in the anterior portion of the knee. I have found a way to alleviate the pain by strengthen the muscle's around the knee cap with an exercise called terminal knee extension's or TKE's. This is a great exercise that should always be done on your athlete’s lower body days. If your athlete is experiencing more pain then have him do them on their upper body days as well. Add these into your athlete's warm up routine for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps and watch your athlete's anterior knee pain vanish. There are many variations to this exercise and all of them are great the method we prefer is to girth hitch a light band around your squat rack and put the band slightly above your knee cap. Walk it out until there is a pretty good bit of tension on it. Bend your knee that has the band around it and squeeze it back down. Make sure you leave your foot flat on the ground during the whole movement. Here is a video that will help you see what I am talking about.

Is IT Worth IT

After hearing all the news over the NFL draft about who went where and when he was picked. I have to ask the question. Is it worth it?
Well the short answer is yes, but there is a long answer that everyone should know.

Tim Tebow was one of the best college players to ever play the game hands down and that’s coming from a FSU fan. He came to play everyday and was an inspirational leader to his teammates and so many others. His work ethic was never questioned and his character is as flawless as could be, but there was all this talk about he could never make it the NFL. His release is low, his delivery was too slow and he can't read a defense. Every expert had him picked to go in the third round and just dogged him day after day and told him what he could not do.


Dez Bryant was the guy who was slated as the best prospect in the draft, a top 5 talent. He can make every catch on the field and would be unstoppable in the NFL. He has character issues and missed his last year of college football. He handled everything badly leading up to the draft and everyone said he was too immature to play ball.

Now I am not saying who is going to be a better player in the NFL and I hope they both succeed, but I am saying that one guy with his leadership, work ethic and will to win brought himself up from and third round pick to a first round pick and earned himself millions of dollars. While the other dropped out of the top twenty and lost millions of dollars, because of his work ethic and immaturity.

So I will ask my question again. Is it worth it? Is it worth it to wake up every morning and put in work on the field when everyone else is sleeping? Is it worth it to lead by example and show everyone it can ONLY be done the right way if you want to be the best? Is it worth to always be on time and ready to work? Is it worth it to take everyone's criticism and harness it into a driven force for your improvement? Is it worth it to be the best in every aspect of your life that you can control? The short answer is YES.
So the next time you roll over in bed and hit the snooze button or the next time you show up late to a meeting, workout, or a practice. Ask yourself is it worth it to squander away all the gifts that God gave me, just because it is the easy thing to do. There will be tons of people who tell you that you can’t. It is time to shut them up. Let’s get to work!