Like many of you I have read several posts regarding Westside training. And find the methods intriguing.
My question is this: If you had to get right down to the heart of it, what are the three most important techniques that separate Westside training from all others?
Keep in mind that I know there is a great deal to the Westside methodology. However, if you were to brake the mothods down one by one and look carefully at their importance, which methods are the earmarks of the style?
Thanks to any of the Westside guys for taking the time to reply!
My respsonse won’t be as good as others, because I haven’t been into powerlifting or Westside as long as others, but here’s what I think is giving me the most benefit:
The recognition of how the CNS plays a vital role in building strength. I have ignored this in the past.
The conjugate method.
The dynamic work (bands, chains, etc.) Weight that used to barely go up now flies up. And that’s over less than a 2 month period.
A. its fun how many toher programs do you get to max out every week??? Sometimes you get to use exerscices that allow you to use 110% of your max that is just cool, This also teaches you to strain wich many powerlifting programs leave out, the average max bench lasts 3 seconds if you have not strained under maximal loads for at least 3 seconds you will fail, this is the problem with western periodization.
B. Individuality…There is no such thing as the “Westside Workout” there is a templeate and guidlines noting is written in stone…With westsdie it is about finding “What works for you”…THe basic Template is written in stone because it is proven time and time again, but the individual basis of each program per person is diffirent…THis way you are not following a exact written work out you are discovering things about your body and how your body develops strength, If the work out calls for 55% and you fell like you can move 62% just as fast and it works for you do it, or if you need to drop to 40% this is ok also, Or if you fell you get better results by waving %'s then do it…
C. Speed…It emphasis speed with %'s as guidelines if you can use more or need more band use due to a infeciancy in you strength-speed or speed-strength ratios there are ways to fix these problems, that such programs as western periodization, or russian volume programs do not provide…
I’ll be a heretic and say there is no such thing as Westside. What it should be called is utilizing modern strength training techniques in a way that forces one to always evaluate their training as it relates to powerlifting, but can be adapted to general strength gains or sports. It just easier to say Westside.
Louie himself will tell you to go read what he read, and will tell you were he got the idea. It teaches you to think. contrary what some suggest, it is the opposite of dogmatic. Louie just tries shit, and if it works, he'll tell.
Now get off the god damn internet and go lift some weights.
Irondoc you just kicked me in the ass on that one! I don’t even train Westside but have pretty much the same approach to training that you just stated. I’m guessing a huge part of the forums does in fact have this same perspective on training or at least I hope so. Makes me even more interested in Westside, since its all basically a hodge podge of techniques Louie found and tested. Dam makes me feel pea-brained but excited to look in a new direction.