Post by Joey Smith on Jul 17, 2006 21:20:34 GMT -5
Interview with Sam Byrd
This week Irongladiators.com sat down with, NGBB lifter and All-Time
Squat
record holder, Sam Byrd.
IG: Let's kick this off with letting the readers know a little
background
both in and out of the weight room. What do you do? Where do you
live?
What got you started?
SB: Well, I’m 24 years old, be 25 in August, and live in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. The last few years I had been attending college at the
University
of TN, Chattanooga and working as a paralegal at my dad’s law firm. I
didn’t
know what I wanted to do, other than get paid to lift weights so I kept
switching my major almost every semester. As the credit hours racked up
and
I got no closer to graduation, I decided to stop donating money to the
University and try to make a go of owning my own gym while I figure out
if
im going to have to get a real job like everyone else some day.
Everything
started to come together pretty quickly and in 4 months I had started
my own
business. My gym, the Iron Playground, has been open since April 1st,
2006
and I am up to 43 members. It’s a great gym, small close knit, and
hardcore…
just the way I have always wanted!
I got started working out in 8th or 9th grade doing push ups and pulls
and
stuff, then really got into it my sophomore year. My first knowledge of
powerlifting was of Dr. Squat, Fred Hatfield. I came across his website
and
was fascinated with his accomplishments, specifically being the
lightest man
to squat 1,000 pounds and holding World Record squats in multiple
weight
classes. Ever since my goal has been to do the same, and when Chuck V.
hit
1025 at 220 it re-ignited the flame!
IG: You have come along way since the 8th grade but looking back if you
could start over what would you change?
SB: I think the only thing I would change would be to stretch more and
maintain flexibility. I think that would solve some nagging injuries I
have
been having. Also when I got into actually training as a powerlifter, I
changed what I was doing thinking I had to train a certain way to get
stronger. I have tried most of the theories and peaking plans out
there, and
now know I had it right all along.
IG: Can you let our readers know what training methodologies you use?
SB: As I mentioned before, I have tried many different ‘routines’ and
none
have really seemed to work for me. I think everything has its place,
but
just plain old-fashioned hard work and heavy weight can't be replaced.
If I
had to characterize how I train I suppose it would be labeled a ‘Power
Builder”… I want the best of both worlds, size and strength.
IG: I understand you love to lift raw, what are your thoughts on the
way the
sport is heading with the constant evolution of gear?
SB: Oh here we go… I love powerlifting! It is a great sport, but I
don’t
like the way things are going. Oh yes, the great gear debate! You
know, I
have been reading a lot of back issues of PL USA that someone brought
me. I
have every issue from 1996 to 2001, and I read almost every one of them
the
last couple weekends. The same arguments over gear and lax judging that
are
going to damn this sport have been going on for over 10 years now! I
could
pull several articles and change the date on them and no one would know
the
difference! I personally do not like the gear. I may be hurting myself
here
with a future sponsorship, but oh well. I don’t like to train in it,
and I
think it is too much. The safety issue is a load of crap.. its all
about
bigger numbers. Is it tough to lift the bone crushing weights some guys
do,
yes! I am amazed at some of these numbers! I just think it has gotten
to a
point where the top guys are getting more ‘extra’ weight out of their
bench
shirts than most grown men bench! I mean really! Squat suits are the
same
way, and even the DL suits are starting to pack on serious pounds. A
training partner of mine got an instant 75 pounds on his DL by putting
on a
suit!
The thing that bothers me is that people spout off these huge numbers
to
non-powerlifters without thinking twice about it. I felt more
satisfaction
and accomplishment squatting my 705 at the New England Record Breakers
meet
than I did when I broke the All-Time 198 squat record. I don’t know
why, but
I did. I also think that all the gear keeps a lot of potential lifters
from
competing. I say this because without fail, when someone first starts
thinking about doing a contest they want to know what everyone else is
doing. They see or hear about these huge numbers without any knowledge
of
gear and what it does, and they are immediately discouraged.
In order to excel in the sport now, you have to devote more and more
time to
learning the ‘groove’ or getting resized, or finding out what the
newest
creation from Dr. Frankenstein is that will give you a bigger total
without
getting any stronger. I don’t know how the sport will ever take a step
back
and reduce gear now that we have seen such huge numbers, but I wish it
would. Not completely raw, belt, knee and wrist wraps of reasonable
size.
And I wish there was a better way to compare the accomplishments of
generations across the board, but there isn’t. While my 915 may be
bigger
than Ed Coan’s 860, I do not consider it better. It is a completely
different story. Jon Grove and I have discussed putting on a ‘Classic
Powerlifting’ meet with gear and records from the early days. I think
it
would be a lot of fun. You know, just a throw back day like when teams
wear
old jerseys to play in. We hope to put that plan to action in the near
future, but ill shut up and move on now! haha
IG: That sounds like an awesome idea! I think I have and old Z-suit
sitting
in my closet that is due for some action. Lets move on to the next
question.
What is your greatest memory or moment in powerlifting, and what is
your
worst?
SB: I have really enjoyed getting to travel and meet so many of the
guys I
have been reading about for so long. I have made a lot of good friends
and
have not had a bad experience at a meet yet. Training at NGBB with
Steve
Goggins and the whole crew has been great! Hanging out with Phil
Harrington,
meeting all the WPO lifters at the Arnold as well as all the guys I
have met
from the various Discussion Boards I frequent. My worst memory would
have to
be blowing out my knee 2 years ago along with all the personal stuff
that
happened right after that. It was a tough time for me.
IG: You achieved a lot in powerlifitng so far, what are your future
goals;
where do you see yourself in powerlifting five or ten years from now?
SB: You would probably think I’m crazy if I told ya’… everyone else
does
when I tell them! Haha First of all, I want to be the lightest man to
squat
1,000 pounds! It has been a goal of mine for over 10 years now and will
soon
become a reality! Other than that, I am not real certain what I want to
do.
I want to bounce around at several different weight classes and do
well.
Actually, I want to drop to 181 and compete in every weight class from
there
up to 242 and maybe 275 within a year! I guess I'm a glutton for
punishment.
I also want to squat 800 RAW in the next year and really work to bring
my
deadlift up to par. I am not satisfied with where its at all. In five
or ten
years, I hope to healthy, injury free, and setting PRs. I also hope to
play
a big part in getting powerlifting into the local high schools and
working
with a team for HS Nationals.
IG: Those numbers are pretty mind boggling but knowing what you have
already
achieved I don't see why you won't achieve those goals. Just incase any
of
our readers are not familiar with you can you share with us some of
your
most impressive numbers, both in the gym and at competitions?
SB: At 198 I have squatted 915, benched 551 and pulled 683 for 2149
total
which is the 5th highest I believe. I hit a 622 bench in training for
that
meet. At 220 I have done a lot of RAW meets. I have squatted 777 at the
2006
APF NC State, 705 with no knee wraps at NERB weighing 207. I have bench
460
in competition, and 500 in the gym before injuries set in this last
year
that are still plaguing me. At 242 (221-227 lbs)I have squatted 750 in
wraps
in an SPF meet, benched 460, and pulled 635. In training at my heaviest
weight of 241 I benched 545 touch and go.
IG: There has been some incredible lifters past and present, who are
your
idols in the sport? Who do you look up to?
SB: JOEY SMITH!!! Haha yea right! Where the hell is Nebo anyways? Love
ya
Joey! Seriously though, there is no way I could list them all here. Of
course I look up to Ed Coan. The weights he moved are mind boggling and
he
is still at the top of lists regardless of all the gear advancements!
Steve
Goggins is an incredible lifter and great guy, Capt Kirk is awesome! I
really liked hanging out with him at NERB, Fred Hatfield, Mike
Macdonald,
way too many to list! Of the new breed, Nick Winters, Jeremy Hoornstra,
Travis Mash, Chuck V, Kutcher, and all the guys I have met and made
friends
with over the last 2 years. I must also throw in here, that with DL
being my
worst lift, I amazed at anyone with a big pull. Andy Bolton… INSANE! I
believe he is the strongest man in the world right now. While I look up
to
anyone who pushes their limits, whatever their chosen field, I aspire
to be
myself. I hope to be remembered a great lifter some day, but that means
nothing if I was not a great friend.
IG: Going back to the gear issue what kind of equipment do you use, and
why?
SB: I use a Inzer Leviathan, a KK DD shirt, and a Metal DL suit. None
of it
fits right. I use it cause I bought it and cant afford to be getting
all new
stuff with the way my weight fluctuates. I can go from 210 to 240 in no
time
and back down just as fast. Maybe one day ill do something worthy of
picking
up a sponsor. Till then, ill use what I have or lift RAW.
IG: What are the best ways to build a big squat, a monster press and a
huge
deadlift, in your experience?
SB: Train hard and heavy. Listen to your body. Fuel it with good
nutrition.
Everything works, but everything doesn’t work all the time. I do high
reps,
low reps, heavy days, light days and everything in between.
IG: Anything else you’d like to share or add for the readers?
SB: I just want to thank you for showing an interest in what I’m doing
over
here. I also want to thank all my training partners over the years, and
especially the ones that goaded me into competing in my first PL meet.
I
would like to ask anyone who is involved with high school powerlifting
in
some way to get in touch with me. Please visit my new website
WWW.IRONPLAYGROUND.NET for more info and upcoming meets.
This week Irongladiators.com sat down with, NGBB lifter and All-Time
Squat
record holder, Sam Byrd.
IG: Let's kick this off with letting the readers know a little
background
both in and out of the weight room. What do you do? Where do you
live?
What got you started?
SB: Well, I’m 24 years old, be 25 in August, and live in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. The last few years I had been attending college at the
University
of TN, Chattanooga and working as a paralegal at my dad’s law firm. I
didn’t
know what I wanted to do, other than get paid to lift weights so I kept
switching my major almost every semester. As the credit hours racked up
and
I got no closer to graduation, I decided to stop donating money to the
University and try to make a go of owning my own gym while I figure out
if
im going to have to get a real job like everyone else some day.
Everything
started to come together pretty quickly and in 4 months I had started
my own
business. My gym, the Iron Playground, has been open since April 1st,
2006
and I am up to 43 members. It’s a great gym, small close knit, and
hardcore…
just the way I have always wanted!
I got started working out in 8th or 9th grade doing push ups and pulls
and
stuff, then really got into it my sophomore year. My first knowledge of
powerlifting was of Dr. Squat, Fred Hatfield. I came across his website
and
was fascinated with his accomplishments, specifically being the
lightest man
to squat 1,000 pounds and holding World Record squats in multiple
weight
classes. Ever since my goal has been to do the same, and when Chuck V.
hit
1025 at 220 it re-ignited the flame!
IG: You have come along way since the 8th grade but looking back if you
could start over what would you change?
SB: I think the only thing I would change would be to stretch more and
maintain flexibility. I think that would solve some nagging injuries I
have
been having. Also when I got into actually training as a powerlifter, I
changed what I was doing thinking I had to train a certain way to get
stronger. I have tried most of the theories and peaking plans out
there, and
now know I had it right all along.
IG: Can you let our readers know what training methodologies you use?
SB: As I mentioned before, I have tried many different ‘routines’ and
none
have really seemed to work for me. I think everything has its place,
but
just plain old-fashioned hard work and heavy weight can't be replaced.
If I
had to characterize how I train I suppose it would be labeled a ‘Power
Builder”… I want the best of both worlds, size and strength.
IG: I understand you love to lift raw, what are your thoughts on the
way the
sport is heading with the constant evolution of gear?
SB: Oh here we go… I love powerlifting! It is a great sport, but I
don’t
like the way things are going. Oh yes, the great gear debate! You
know, I
have been reading a lot of back issues of PL USA that someone brought
me. I
have every issue from 1996 to 2001, and I read almost every one of them
the
last couple weekends. The same arguments over gear and lax judging that
are
going to damn this sport have been going on for over 10 years now! I
could
pull several articles and change the date on them and no one would know
the
difference! I personally do not like the gear. I may be hurting myself
here
with a future sponsorship, but oh well. I don’t like to train in it,
and I
think it is too much. The safety issue is a load of crap.. its all
about
bigger numbers. Is it tough to lift the bone crushing weights some guys
do,
yes! I am amazed at some of these numbers! I just think it has gotten
to a
point where the top guys are getting more ‘extra’ weight out of their
bench
shirts than most grown men bench! I mean really! Squat suits are the
same
way, and even the DL suits are starting to pack on serious pounds. A
training partner of mine got an instant 75 pounds on his DL by putting
on a
suit!
The thing that bothers me is that people spout off these huge numbers
to
non-powerlifters without thinking twice about it. I felt more
satisfaction
and accomplishment squatting my 705 at the New England Record Breakers
meet
than I did when I broke the All-Time 198 squat record. I don’t know
why, but
I did. I also think that all the gear keeps a lot of potential lifters
from
competing. I say this because without fail, when someone first starts
thinking about doing a contest they want to know what everyone else is
doing. They see or hear about these huge numbers without any knowledge
of
gear and what it does, and they are immediately discouraged.
In order to excel in the sport now, you have to devote more and more
time to
learning the ‘groove’ or getting resized, or finding out what the
newest
creation from Dr. Frankenstein is that will give you a bigger total
without
getting any stronger. I don’t know how the sport will ever take a step
back
and reduce gear now that we have seen such huge numbers, but I wish it
would. Not completely raw, belt, knee and wrist wraps of reasonable
size.
And I wish there was a better way to compare the accomplishments of
generations across the board, but there isn’t. While my 915 may be
bigger
than Ed Coan’s 860, I do not consider it better. It is a completely
different story. Jon Grove and I have discussed putting on a ‘Classic
Powerlifting’ meet with gear and records from the early days. I think
it
would be a lot of fun. You know, just a throw back day like when teams
wear
old jerseys to play in. We hope to put that plan to action in the near
future, but ill shut up and move on now! haha
IG: That sounds like an awesome idea! I think I have and old Z-suit
sitting
in my closet that is due for some action. Lets move on to the next
question.
What is your greatest memory or moment in powerlifting, and what is
your
worst?
SB: I have really enjoyed getting to travel and meet so many of the
guys I
have been reading about for so long. I have made a lot of good friends
and
have not had a bad experience at a meet yet. Training at NGBB with
Steve
Goggins and the whole crew has been great! Hanging out with Phil
Harrington,
meeting all the WPO lifters at the Arnold as well as all the guys I
have met
from the various Discussion Boards I frequent. My worst memory would
have to
be blowing out my knee 2 years ago along with all the personal stuff
that
happened right after that. It was a tough time for me.
IG: You achieved a lot in powerlifitng so far, what are your future
goals;
where do you see yourself in powerlifting five or ten years from now?
SB: You would probably think I’m crazy if I told ya’… everyone else
does
when I tell them! Haha First of all, I want to be the lightest man to
squat
1,000 pounds! It has been a goal of mine for over 10 years now and will
soon
become a reality! Other than that, I am not real certain what I want to
do.
I want to bounce around at several different weight classes and do
well.
Actually, I want to drop to 181 and compete in every weight class from
there
up to 242 and maybe 275 within a year! I guess I'm a glutton for
punishment.
I also want to squat 800 RAW in the next year and really work to bring
my
deadlift up to par. I am not satisfied with where its at all. In five
or ten
years, I hope to healthy, injury free, and setting PRs. I also hope to
play
a big part in getting powerlifting into the local high schools and
working
with a team for HS Nationals.
IG: Those numbers are pretty mind boggling but knowing what you have
already
achieved I don't see why you won't achieve those goals. Just incase any
of
our readers are not familiar with you can you share with us some of
your
most impressive numbers, both in the gym and at competitions?
SB: At 198 I have squatted 915, benched 551 and pulled 683 for 2149
total
which is the 5th highest I believe. I hit a 622 bench in training for
that
meet. At 220 I have done a lot of RAW meets. I have squatted 777 at the
2006
APF NC State, 705 with no knee wraps at NERB weighing 207. I have bench
460
in competition, and 500 in the gym before injuries set in this last
year
that are still plaguing me. At 242 (221-227 lbs)I have squatted 750 in
wraps
in an SPF meet, benched 460, and pulled 635. In training at my heaviest
weight of 241 I benched 545 touch and go.
IG: There has been some incredible lifters past and present, who are
your
idols in the sport? Who do you look up to?
SB: JOEY SMITH!!! Haha yea right! Where the hell is Nebo anyways? Love
ya
Joey! Seriously though, there is no way I could list them all here. Of
course I look up to Ed Coan. The weights he moved are mind boggling and
he
is still at the top of lists regardless of all the gear advancements!
Steve
Goggins is an incredible lifter and great guy, Capt Kirk is awesome! I
really liked hanging out with him at NERB, Fred Hatfield, Mike
Macdonald,
way too many to list! Of the new breed, Nick Winters, Jeremy Hoornstra,
Travis Mash, Chuck V, Kutcher, and all the guys I have met and made
friends
with over the last 2 years. I must also throw in here, that with DL
being my
worst lift, I amazed at anyone with a big pull. Andy Bolton… INSANE! I
believe he is the strongest man in the world right now. While I look up
to
anyone who pushes their limits, whatever their chosen field, I aspire
to be
myself. I hope to be remembered a great lifter some day, but that means
nothing if I was not a great friend.
IG: Going back to the gear issue what kind of equipment do you use, and
why?
SB: I use a Inzer Leviathan, a KK DD shirt, and a Metal DL suit. None
of it
fits right. I use it cause I bought it and cant afford to be getting
all new
stuff with the way my weight fluctuates. I can go from 210 to 240 in no
time
and back down just as fast. Maybe one day ill do something worthy of
picking
up a sponsor. Till then, ill use what I have or lift RAW.
IG: What are the best ways to build a big squat, a monster press and a
huge
deadlift, in your experience?
SB: Train hard and heavy. Listen to your body. Fuel it with good
nutrition.
Everything works, but everything doesn’t work all the time. I do high
reps,
low reps, heavy days, light days and everything in between.
IG: Anything else you’d like to share or add for the readers?
SB: I just want to thank you for showing an interest in what I’m doing
over
here. I also want to thank all my training partners over the years, and
especially the ones that goaded me into competing in my first PL meet.
I
would like to ask anyone who is involved with high school powerlifting
in
some way to get in touch with me. Please visit my new website
WWW.IRONPLAYGROUND.NET for more info and upcoming meets.