29 Jan How the Hell Did I Get Here?

By Team Samson

It was late 2011, my training for the last eight months had been based on a popular e book I heard about online. I was bored and not making any significant gains in my training.  I was looking for a change. I came across an article Adam Driggers wrote about vetting new teammates for Team Samson. Every candidate’s process is different. It was somewhere around Christmas that I decided to email Adam inquiring about training with Team Samson.  I wasn’t sure how I’d be received, having not been involved in team athletics for several years. All I knew was that I wanted to be in a competitive environment again.  

 [wa-wps]

Adam emailed me back.

Shane,

I welcome inquiries on the gym and my team. We train together on the Northside of Jacksonville. It is    a garage gym, so it’s no fluff. Everything a powerlifter needs, and nothing he doesn’t. I’m going to   include an article I wrote that explains what I look for when speaking to anyone interested in training. If you think you would are interested send me an email telling me about yourself using the information from the article. Include your lifting goals and if you train geared or not. Experience doesn’t matter. Strength doesn’t matter. Gear doesn’t matter. We simply look for people who will be good for the team. After I receive the information I look over it, and make a decision. If I think you make a good addition, I submit your info to the rest of the team for their thoughts. If we think you would make a good addition we invite you out for a session to see how it goes. I run a private club at my home, thus all the formalities. If you begin to train with us you will find that we are far from formal.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Experience, strength, and gear, none of it matters a bit. Sounds a bit of odd for joining a powerlifting gym, right?

Nope it doesn’t.

Dedication, the ability to learn, the ability to get along, and being a semi decent human being are more important when bringing new people into the team. You’ll gain the experience and strength, if you make it. I emailed the information Adam requested. Almost immediately I put my foot in my mouth. I had equated being part of a team to Marxist philosophy. Yup. I’m a dumb ass sometimes.

Adam emailed me back wanting some clarification. I’m a huge history nerd, not a Marxist, and sometimes information comes out, appropriate, or not. All of the information was compiled, and present to the other team members; Brian Carroll, Clint Smith, Tony Garland, and Keith Price. I’m not sure who, or how many approved, but I know of at least one person voted no. This is part of the process. Not everyone is going to agree, however Adam extended me the invitation to come and train on a Monday night which is bench night.

This was my first experience outside of a high school gym or a commercial gym and wasn’t sure what to expect. I drove about 40 minutes, out into the woods. I pulled up to a small metal garage in the pitch black. Approaching the garage outside, you could hear a conglomeration of aggressive rap music, weights slamming, and people laughing.

Walking in, I still was uncertain as to what to expect. I cracked the door and went in. It was like nothing I’d seen before. A couple monolifts, a couple benches, all the weight anyone could ever want, and a bunch of guys there who were going to lift that weight.

As silly as it sounds, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night. I worked up to 235lb and got pinned by it. I learned how to spot and load correctly that night.  I watched both Brian and Clint work up to 800lbs in a bench shirt. That was the point that I sincerely wondered what the hell I was doing there, I certainly wasn’t as strong as these guys or as experienced.  But I was enjoying shit out of it.

At the end of the night, I was one of the last guys to leave. Before I left, Adam asked if I could make it to train on Thursday. Damn right I could!

I am going on five years, and I’m still around. I’ve learned a lot in those five years and gotten a lot stronger and become a better lifter too. I’ve learned a lot of lessons on how to be a good teammate and what not to do.  I’ve learned that these guys, no matter how hard of a time they give you, will always have your back.  There isn’t a day that I goes by that I don’t appreciate the gym, and what Adam and the team has built.  The moral of the story? You don’t have to be the strongest or smartest to gain respect, a gym to call home, and a team to supports you, you just have to be willing to be a good teammate, keep your ears open, learn, be willing to lend a hand when needed and above all, be humble.

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Team Samson Powerlifting

Team Samson was founded by Adam Driggers who built the Team Samson compound. Some of the biggest names in powerlifting have trained with Team Samson including Dondell Blue, Al Caslow, and Gary Frank. What began as a small group of members has grown into an accomplished team of lifters that continue to chase after new strength gains. Team Samson is made up of pro lifters Brian Carroll, Clint Smith, and Jonathan Byrd along with lifters in various stages of their lifting career including Adam Driggers, Keith Price, Filipe Gusmão, Mike Holman, Paul Key, Shane Ford, Shane Shepperd, and Tony Garland.

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