New to Westside

What do you think about this, remember I am a bottom of the barrell Linebacker and Im looking to get all my training (strength, speed, agility):

Day1:Upper
Max-Upper Lift:
Close Grip Bench press: 180lbs 3x5
Supplemental Lift:
Incline Dumbell Press: 55lbs (ea. hand) 3x5
Horizontal Row:
Seated Cable Rows: 240lbs 3x5
Rear Delt/Upper Back
Seated Rear Delt Machine: 140lbs: 3x5
ABS:
Weighted Swiss-Ball Crunches: 35lbs: 20x3
Side Bends: 40lbs (ea. hand) 15x3

Day 2: HIIT
Stationary Bike: HIIT for 10 mins
10 Min Walk
Stationary Bike: HIIT for 10 mins

Day 3: Lower:
Max-Effort Lift:
Straight-bar Deadlifts: ??? Never did them
Unilateral Movement
One-Legged Dumbell Squat: 80lbs (ea. hand) 3x5
Hamstring:
Leg Curls: ??? Never did them
Grip Training:
Plate Pinch: 35lbs (ea hand) 3x20 sec.

Day 4: Same as day 2

Day 5: Upper
Repitition Lift:
Barbell Bench press: 95lbsxFAIL, 135lbsxFAIL, 185lbs.xFAIL
Supplemental Lift:
Rope Pushdowns: 160lbs 3x8
Vertical Pullins
V-Bar Lat Pulldowns: 100lbs 4x10
Delts or Traps
Lateral front Cable Rasies: 80lbs 3x12
Elbow Flexion:
Cable Curls: 120lbs 3x10
ABS:
Weighted Swiss Ball Curnches: 35lbs 2x20
Jacknifes: 2x20
Leg Lifts: 2x20

Day 6:
Cardio: Sled Pull Run: 5x50yrd
Sled Drag (backwards run): 5x50yrds
Lower:
Leg Press: 540 lbs 3x5
Standing Calf Raises: 270 lbs 3x15
Leg Curls: ??? Never did them 3x8

I will be doing a Green/Blue stack while doing this. SHould I add an E/C stack as well?? Or what should I do?? Thanks again.

Anyone at all?? What do you guys think about it???

Add a few sets to ME days. 3x5 is not enough work. Try 8x3 with the first set being a rather light warm-up set and your last set an all-out (for you) attack, with moderate, equally spaced weight jumps in between would be better.

Also, the unilateral work (IMO) should be a little lighter and a little higher in reps (8-12).

I’ll see what else but that’s a start. Anyone else?

So you say 8 sets of 3 instead of 3 sets of 5?

So I should lighten the weight on the one legged squat? Anything else guys thanks for the reply.

Day1:Upper
Max-Upper Lift:
Close Grip Bench press: 180lbs 5x5
Supplemental Lift:
Incline Dumbell Press: 55lbs (ea. hand) 5x5
Horizontal Row:
Seated Cable Rows: 240lbs 5x5
Rear Delt/Upper Back
Seated Rear Delt Machine: 140lbs: 5x5
ABS:
Weighted Swiss-Ball Crunches: 35lbs: 20x3
Side Bends: 40lbs (ea. hand) 15x3

Day 2: HIIT (what else should I do)
Stationary Bike: HIIT for 10 mins
10 Min Walk
Stationary Bike: HIIT for 10 mins

Day 3: Lower:
Max-Effort Lift:
Straight-bar Deadlifts: ??? Never did them
Unilateral Movement
Dumbell Lunges: 25lbs (ea. hand) 2x15
Hamstring:
What workouts should I do instead??
Grip Training:
Plate Pinch: 35lbs (ea hand) 3x20 sec.

Day 4: Cardio:
Sled Drags Run: 5x50yrds
Sled Pulls (run backwards) 5x50yrds

Day 5: Upper
Repitition Lift:
Pushups: 5x20
Supplemental Lift:
Rope Pushdowns: 160lbs 3x8
Vertical Pullins
Underarm Lat Pulldowns: 100lbs 4x10 (build my back so I can do pullups.)
Delts or Traps
Lateral front Cable Rasies: 80lbs 3x12
Elbow Flexion:
Cable Curls: 120lbs 3x10
ABS:
Weighted Swiss Ball Curnches: 35lbs 2x20
Jacknifes: 2x20
Leg Lifts: 2x20

I made a few changes to this routine. Just let me know what I need to change or can you guys change it for me. I have football starting in March so I need to achieve something by then. Thanks again. I dont drink soda nor do I east fast food. I will have a burger or some hot wings at a resturant though.

Stay w/ the same weight on all three sets on rep day. Try to match rep count on all three sets. Don’t pick an exact rep # either, just bust your ass each set and keep track of the reps you DO get. Try to beat that # next week.

I use a total; 28 reps, 21 reps, 19 reps added together makes a total of 68. Try to get 69+ total next time.

Well are all the exercises in the right place, right days, right amount of sets (5). Think I can achieve my goals by March. I need to gain strength and lose BF and get faster.

This is long. Really long. I had a bunch of time today, so I just kept going. Also, this is in stream of thought mode, so it is disorganized.

This all depends on your work capacity. If you can handle it, good, do it. If you are really new to high stress lifting(max effort work), you want to cut your exercises down to the money exercises and add in as your work capacity goes up, or cut at least one cardio/gpp day to get your rest. But if you can handle the whole thing, great.

Never done straight bar DL?? I think I know your weakness. Get your P-chain in gear and you’ll (almost) automatically be faster, stronger, and more agile. Hamstrings: natural GHRs, romanian dl, good mornings, pull throughs (this takes some experimenting to find the right “feel” though), clean, snatch (side effect is explosion and upper back work).

You probably don’t need grip training. DLs by themselves will take care of that for the most part.

How old are/what level are you playing at? This could help us out.

You don’t need direct front delt work. Almost no one does.

Looking to get faster? Start without added weight for the runs. Sled dragging is different from running with a sled, so that can stay.

IMHO, weight added to running=screwing up natural/trained run mechanics, and unnecessary for increased speed. Check CT’s new article–strength + power / reactive ability = vert. and speed. Besides, improving body comp. should start improving run speed anyway.

Sled runs might be of value in some circumstances. Ball carriers have people trying to drag them down/kill them, but as you are not a ball carrier, I do not think you will have anybody trying to drag you down, so sled runs are not even close to useful right now. At least you shouldn’t have anybody dragging you, as that would be holding.

Day 1 might very well kill you. In my opinion I think that is too much 5x5. Use your supplemental movements in a hypertrophy range–8-12 reps. Increase both intensity as you feel more at home with the template and with your progress.

If you’re at a young training age or in high school, 5x5 may be fine for max effort work. If you’re experienced at lifting or in college, go heavy (“max” is the key word here). A max first movement is a CNS stressor. The other movements are accessory/specific weak point movements. At least work up to a 3RM. Somebody suggested 8x3, that would do for 3RM work.

Kick the rear delt machine, do bent over rear delt flyes, or cuban rotation, or better yet, do more rows. Neck pulls with a rope are great, look them up in the search engine. Balance your push/pull money exercises. You can do rear delt flyes to finish your back.

Day 2–I’m not a fan of stationary bike work, but if it works for you, go for it. I’ve got a tight overactive hip flexor, and stationary bike work isn’t great for me. Besides, the stress stays on the quads, and there aren’t enough muscles involved. You could do a 2nd day of sled dragging, or sandbag carries (thanks CT), or farmer walks, whatever. Make sure the load is not a strength training load though. Make sure it’s a cardio/gpp load. Remember you’ve got a lower body routine the next day.

Generally speaking, I’d do two lower body days, but if you’re not conditioned to the load, then it could be counterproductive. That’s for you to decide. You can always move up to 2 lower days once you get used to this program. If you end up deciding to do 2 Lower days, alternate lower/upper days and make Day 1 a lower body day.

As far as your lower body day, add at least one more money exercise in after your deadlift max effort. Something like GMs, or power snatch, or oly/power squat. Do all other work first, then finish with the lunges, esp. if you’re going to do only 25lb dumbells for high reps. Generally speaking, organize your workout so that the exercises that are the toughest, or the involve the most muscle groups, or are done at the highest intensity are done first when you’re fresh. Progress downwards to the end of the workout.

You need more horizontal back work to balance out your pushing work. Vertical back movements are great and worthwhile, but they don’t have as great a balancing effect on your shoulder girdle, and they don’t carry over to bench press as much.

Day 1–if you are really planning on using a heavy load for your ab work, then 20x3 is ludicrous, as is 15x3. If you want to do one day of heavy loaded ab work and one of light rep ab work, that’s fine, but do something along the lines of 3-5 sets 6-10 reps on your heavy day until you get used to heavy load, or you could rip something. I like heavy triples for ab work, but not 20 of them. Maybe, say, 5 or 6. Usually I stick to 5-6 reps per set.

The burger/wings are fine, just make sure you do things 90% right, and the other 10% won’t kill your progress.

Just a thought: desire and guts make most of your progress. Without them, no plan at all can help you. Good luck.

I the aregon covered alot…

I will just say why not start westside for skinny bastards? Its a fairly basic templete thats very user friendly and specificly designed for your goals.

So im 21 and play semi-pro league so its pretty much a league for those who didnt get into a college. It was my first year and they said if there are no more improvements im getting cut. I need something guys. If you can fix me up a routine that will help me accell in all areas that would be great. I have heart for this game and dont want to stop. Im willing to do everything that will make me better. I want to look like Urlacher out there. Thanks guys.

[quote]mk0325 wrote:
So im 21 and play semi-pro league so its pretty much a league for those who didnt get into a college. It was my first year and they said if there are no more improvements im getting cut. I need something guys. If you can fix me up a routine that will help me accell in all areas that would be great. I have heart for this game and dont want to stop. Im willing to do everything that will make me better. I want to look like Urlacher out there. Thanks guys.[/quote]

Ok, fair enough. No offense, but make sure the weight training is what you need to improve. If the coaches are saying that it may be because skill play and game thought/tactics aren’t there in their opinions. Weight training won’t make your thought process any faster, nor will it make you any more skilled. Urlacher is obsessive about his skill work, and studies a crapload of game footage. He lives on the stuff.

What are your current stats? squat, deadlift, bench, clean, snatch (if you do it), 40 time, vertical, bodyweight.

You can only improve so many things at once. Prioritize.

Example, say your speed sucks the most, then you work mostly explosive movements and speed-strength, with occasional emphasis on limit strength. You prioritize agility and track work as cardio.

Say your strength sucks. Work primarily on heavy strength movements, with occasional emphasis on explosive movements. Make up the rest with hypertrophy work. Stay with sled dragging strongman stuff for gpp/cardio.

Vert. jump can be a pretty good measurement to know for determining if you’re strong but slow, or weak and fast, or overall explosive.

If your size sucks, eat more and work your other weaknesses in the gym. That one is easy at least.

Heart=Work ethic
Brains=tactics

Heart + Brains = Urlacher

Yeah, it’s cheesy. But it’s also true.

I can read some plays out not saying im a god at it but I can read some. I just want a routine that will make me an all around better athlete. Can you make me one?

Anyone at all?? I need something I start Monday. Thanks

west side for skinny bastards 1 or 2 including conditioning and agility work.

I really don’t think your going to find anything much better then that without paying a quality trainer

[quote]mk0325 wrote:
Anyone at all?? I need something I start Monday. Thanks[/quote]

Westside for Skinny bastards by Joe DeFranco. Its on this site, find it.

It works great. I have put on around 10-15 pound in five months, and my strength is far better than it ever was.

Being a football player, you need to work on SPEED. Run sprints, get your 40 time as good as you can. There is nothing in the world like a linebacker who is strong and fast.

Defranco claimed that because his athletes run so much, another lower body day would be detrimental. If you can handle the load, go for it. But sport specific drills also need some time, so you have to figure out what you can deal with.

WSSB is also a great template to work off of if you are new to the westside routine. Use it, fuck around with it, and you’ll be cool. I tend to throw alot more things like weighted dips and what not in there, because I like doing them and they are one of the best exercises that you can find (my opinion, of course).

When it comes down to it, youre gonna have to figure it out for yourself what you can do and what you handle. Good luck!