Bench Press Form

Yes, I have been going to 1 RM every week. This seemed like the standard Westside protocol, so I didn?t want to really tinker with it. Here was my workout yesterday:

45 x 3
95 x 3
135 x3
160x 3
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
235 x 1
250 x 1
265 x 1

I would guess 235 or 240 is my 3 RM.

I agree that upping my weight on DE days will be very helpful. For a beginner, it seems almost impossible to keep perfect form with such a big focus is on speed? These reps feel pretty loose to me still. I think the heavier weight will give me more practice on my technique.

As far as camera angle, what would be more helpful? A little higher?

[quote]replacement wrote:
Yes, I have been going to 1 RM every week. This seemed like the standard Westside protocol, so I didn?t want to really tinker with it. Here was my workout yesterday:

45 x 3
95 x 3
135 x3
160x 3
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
235 x 1
250 x 1
265 x 1

I would guess 235 or 240 is my 3 RM.

I agree that upping my weight on DE days will be very helpful. For a beginner, it seems almost impossible to keep perfect form with such a big focus is on speed? These reps feel pretty loose to me still. I think the heavier weight will give me more practice on my technique.

As far as camera angle, what would be more helpful? A little higher?
[/quote]

From the side would be better.

Common misconception about 1 RMing every week.

Read this:

http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_strength/the_westside_method_thread

I get that there is nothing set in stone for westside conjugate training and it all needs to be adjusted to fit the lifter, his weaknesses etc., but Louie says repeatedly that his guys work up to a true max each and every week of the year.

I know that STB and others in that thread have far more knowledge than me, but this whole idea of hitting heavy triples or multiple singles in the 90-95% range for a 3-4 week wave every couple months seems to stand in contrast to what Louie has said in numerous books, articles, videos etc.

And personally, I saw better results just working up to a true 1RM week after week then I did when I broke it down to accumulation, intensification and transformation blocks. Granted for assistance work, dynamic efforts and other stuff I’ve found it helpful to have some blocks where I focus on hypertrophy and lactic tolerance and others where I focus on higher intensity assistance work or maybe strength-speed, but for the ME I’ve always had better results working up to a 1RM each week.

Further to the above, some direct quotes from Louie are copied below. There are countless other examples, but I don’t feel like digging up all of them.

From BP Manual, p. 38:

“Periodization for Max Effort Day. We don?t use periodization for a contest or at any other time of the year. We plan what we?re going to do at a breakfast one hour before training.”

From Squat and DL Manual, p. 27-32:

"At Westside, we max out every Monday and Wednesday. We squat and deadlift on Mondays, and we bench on Wednesdays. Like the Bulgarians, we max out regardless of our training ability.

. . .

"Our system is limited to total max singles regardless of what our level of preparedness is during the training year . . . The first lift is at around 90 percent and gives the lifter an estimate of how strong he is on that training day. The second lift should be at or near 100 percent (or slightly above). The third lift is for a new personal best and should be as much as the lifter can possibly get on that day.

. . .

"I believe our success comes from maxing out on maximum effort day even if we don?t have a meet scheduled. We do this all year long.

. . .

“You must train at the highest average of a one rep max as often as possible. I realize this is impossible for most lifters in every workout, which is why we use the dynamic effort method [the other two main sessions of the week].”

That being said, the westside method thread (both parts I and II) are treasure chests of information for anyone interested in conjugate training. Well worth the few hours it takes to read through them if you haven’t already.

Can’t say I disagree I used to 1 RM every ME day and made gains all the time while doing so. But if you search through everything online, Louie does speak of accumulation blocks albeit very vaguely. Not sure if he does them with the assistance work of if he advocates a 3 RM (i personally prefer a 3 RM to a 5RM.) If you are a less experienced than most of those at Westside looking to pack on some muscle mass as well as strength accumulation blocks certainly don’t hurt. Good points though Rock.

Just want to add a link, don’t see my previous post up.

http://www.westside-barbell.com/index.php/the-westside-barbell-university/articles-by-louie-simmons/articles-published-in-2010/415-programming-and-organization-of-training

[quote]BacktotheBar wrote:
Just want to add a link, don’t see my previous post up.

http://www.westside-barbell.com/index.php/the-westside-barbell-university/articles-by-louie-simmons/articles-published-in-2010/415-programming-and-organization-of-training[/quote]

For some inexplicable reason this site has a policy of taking down all external links.

Thanks for the link (others can google “Louie Simmons organization of training” if the link is taken down). Vaguely recall reading it awhile back and it definitely helps explain where the concept of accumulation blocks etc. comes from. I don’t see him saying anything about hitting a 3RM or heavy singles instead of a true 1RM on ME day during the accumulation block, but given STB and other very experienced lifters in that thread endorse this approach I’m 100% on board. Plus, as you mention, the singles around 95% or the 3RM may provide a better chance to really dial in that technique when working with heavier weights.

Apologies for the diversion.

[quote]Rock978 wrote:

[quote]BacktotheBar wrote:
Just want to add a link, don’t see my previous post up.

http://www.westside-barbell.com/index.php/the-westside-barbell-university/articles-by-louie-simmons/articles-published-in-2010/415-programming-and-organization-of-training[/quote]

For some inexplicable reason this site has a policy of taking down all external links.

Thanks for the link (others can google “Louie Simmons organization of training” if the link is taken down). Vaguely recall reading it awhile back and it definitely helps explain where the concept of accumulation blocks etc. comes from. I don’t see him saying anything about hitting a 3RM or heavy singles instead of a true 1RM on ME day during the accumulation block, but given STB and other very experienced lifters in that thread endorse this approach I’m 100% on board. Plus, as you mention, the singles around 95% or the 3RM may provide a better chance to really dial in that technique when working with heavier weights.

Apologies for the diversion.[/quote]

Didn’t realize outside links were a no no, oops.

No real diversion, trust me I read his articles over and over and over and thought he meant to 1 RM every week. Who knows? They may do that there, and increase their volume in other ways.

The main point of it is you need phases where you have increased volume and working up to a 3-5 RM is a way of doing so. When I go for a 3 RM, I almost treat it like I am going for a 1 RM in the sense that once I hit a certain percentage (say 75-80% of my 1 RM) I start making smaller weight jumps and try to get in at least 5 good tougher 3 rep sets and a PR in 3 rep, just as you would do for a 1 RM. This is the GPP (increase you work capacity and build muscle) phase.

Now once we hit Intensification we start going for more singles and lower the volume seeing as that is our goal as powerlifters, to hit a 1 RM. It is sport specific (SPP) to powerlifters (but other athletes would focus on other sport specific activities for their particular sport.)