MARK RIPPETOE: Another Example Of Why You Should Never Lift Weights Alone. “My questions for the Westchester County authorities investigating this incident: What weight was loaded on the barbell when Dr. Ashe was found, and how much was Dr. Ashe actually capable of benching? Somebody knows these numbers. If, for example, he was a 225-pound bencher and 405 was on the bar, this suggests either a critical lapse in judgement, or a different explanation for the unfortunate choice of the attempted weight. The folks in the Dobbs Ferry Police Department would do well to analyze their crime scene evidence with this in mind.”