UK T-Cell 2

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Yesterday I went up to Beni’s gym. Today I’m in major pain - hamstrings, lower back, calves, chest, triceps and neck.

I am now a convert to Westside.

I have to thank Beni for his hospitality and giving his time up for free to show this former mirror dancer how to train properly.

I was booked in to train from 11 to 1pm. I got there at about 10.45 and left at 3.30pm - mainly because my car parking time had elapsed and I was worried about getting a ticket. We could’ve talked for hours more. Beni is a bloody good bloke…

An amazing day. I can’t wait to get into the gym and apply all I’ve learned.

I did, speed box squat (never done a box squat before), dimel deadlifts, deadlifts with bands, good mornings, max effort bench, reverse hyper, GHR (on the westside machine) and also box squat with bands. At the end I did bench supported by bands for 100 reps -which pretty much killed me…

I did quite well for a mirror dancer, although towards the end I was performing like a weak girl as I’m sure Beni will confirm…

I’m off now for a week so wont have access for a week or so…

Thanks again Beni.

PS - I left my belt at your gym, but don’t tell anyone what make it is… haha…

Cheers…Stubob…

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dude sounds like you had real fun, i’ve had to pop into work after just playing rugby and believe me if you can bring up those weak points it wil make a helish diference to any sports you play, people just couldn’t get me down in the tackle and they all felt like flies when was tackling them!

Look forward to meeting you nearer xmas

STU

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hey Stu, how’s the training be going since you implemented all the new info. forgot to ask if you picked up any bands? got myself a training partner the otherday and he’s stronger than me in upper body (not hard) but weaker in lower, so hopefully we’ll balance each other out! he’s an ex bodybuilder and has some amazing shape and cuts to him but has started taking his rock climbing more seriously. funny thing is that we got talking due to him complaining about sore shoulders and as soon as i saw him bench i knew why, elbows perpendicular to the body, not good when doing 30kg for reps!

strange thing is though that there is no correlation between strenght and power unless you train for it (from what i’ve seen in the gym) after him out benching me by at least 40kg we moved onto push press, do any easy 3 sets of 6 at 80kg i thought, ah, but little did i realise that he had yet to learn to transfer the power generated from his legs through his core, but no doubt ben showed you how to train your core at the weekend?

Anyway hope all is going well, I know chris is busy trying to decide his future in science and Dan’s had some family setbacks so that’s why it’s all quite on the western (or for me north eastern, NEWCASTLE< NEWCASTLE< NEWCASTLE! front)

regards STU

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Oh yeah are you gonna tell us what you deadlifted? by the look of the photo you look pretty solid at 5’9’'.

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Stubob,is my favourite to take the deadlift comp,the guy has a lot of so far untapped potential so it shall be interesting come xmas time.
Glad you are having success with your training Doc keep knocking them over on the pitch.

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DrSTU - I don’t know what weight I was doing on the Deadlift. I really can’t remember. I think there were two plates a side and I was using the bands as well. Can’t remember what plates or bands though.

It was pretty hard work locking out at the top I remember that much…

Pretty solid, I guess so… Although Beni would probably agree I look more like a mirror dancer with a generous layer of insulation… haha…

Beni - Can you remember what I did on Deadlift…? Also have you got your hair highlighted yet…? haha…

After training with you on the Saturday, I couldn’t walk comfortably until Wednesday of the following week. Just as well I was relaxing in Center Parcs…

I’ve been a bit quiet on the forums lately as I’ve been studying Westside in order to start next week on the basic program from Elite and Dave Tate’s "Eight Keys2…

I have a couple of questions that I can’t seem to find the answers to.

On Max effort and also Dynamic effort day, the main exercises are prescribed with their percentage. What I’d like to know is what percentage is used for the assistant exercises on each day. I can’t seem to find the info anywhere. If I’m being a muppet would someone be able to point me to an article…?

Also I did Good Mornings last night with an Olympic bar. I found that I was concentrating on the bar position more than the exercise. We have a cambered bar at the gym but now Safety Squat bar. I’m going to try the cambered but if anyone has any tips for bar position on the Good morning, I would appreciate it.

I must thank Beni again for an awesome days training. Very much appreciated…

Looking forward to meeting you all near Christmas time if it’s still on…

Cheers…Stubob…

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DrSTU - I’ve only just read the post properly… doh…!!!

I didn’t see your second post. I went straight to the bottom and saw your other one and Beni’s…(Stubob=dumbass…)

I haven’t implemented what I’ve learnt since training with Beni. Because:-

The week after I went to see Beni, I went to Center Parc’s for a week with my wife, son, mother-in-law, father-in-law and wifes niece.

Might sound strange but I do get on very well with the in-laws. I play squash three times a week with father-in-law and we go and see him Motorbike racing a few times a year…

This week I’ve continued doing the program I was doing previously whilst I learn as much about Westside and create/modify a program to start next week.

After training with Beni we found that I have a huge weakness in my hamstrings. It was quite amusing seeing me do the GHR (I think the phrase very weak girl might’ve been used). Although in my defence we did do a lot of stuff that day. I really enjoyed my box squating. Think I will have to use a Bench at my gym with the cambered bar.

I bought one green band for pull ups and triceps push downs.

We don’t actually have a power rack at my gym unfortunately but we do have a weird half rack thing, so that’s what I’ll use for Bench, Squat and Deadlift…

To be honest now that I’ve had my form analysed by Beni and I’m now Benching, Deadlifting correctly I think I will make a lot of improvements weight wise, so to start with I think I’ll leave bands out of it for a while…

Before training with Beni my deadlift was pretty much stuck and I quite often had difficulty getting the weight off of the floor when. The reason for this was that I was leaning over the bar with my body and shoulders. Once Beni had shown me correctly then I was deadlifting much better.

With Bench I normally do wide grip with elbows out and use tempo - mirror dancing style… After bringing my grip in and keeping my elbows in, it was much better.

I still have to say that the 100 rep Bench supported with bands was a killer. Once I eventually got to 80-100 reps, it was agony…

Cheers…Stubob…

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that should have read 130 kg for reps not 30 kg, that would be my max effort workout!

if i can keep illness free then all will be fine for xmas and an epic batlle for deadlift king status.

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percentage wise for the assistance exercises.

For most of the exercises i just use a weight that i can comfortabley do for the prescribed reps and then move up in weight. going to failure is a nightmare for me and actually causes more strength loss than any gain, leaving a rep or two in the bag has made a whole lot of difference, sort of like doing 3 reps with your 5 rep max.

Dam, if your bench is going to get better it could be 3 of us deading and you out benching us, wanna try and hit 220kg for the xmas meet.

you get on with your in-laws, jesus you must be a saint!

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DrSTU - Thanks for the tips regarding assistant exercise. I plan to start on Monday. I expect there will be a period of adjustment anyway.

The program I’m going to do from Monday is basically the one from the 8 keys, except as I don’t have the Glute Ham Raise or the Reverse Hyper I will substitute them for Dimel Deadlifts and Pull Throughs.

I wont post it here but the link for the program is Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION

I’m going to do as DrSTU suggested and do the assistant exercises short of failure and increase the weight each week.

Any tips for the Good Morning. It was fine when doing it at Beni’s. I think that I’ll use the cambered bar and bring the weight right down to silly weights, just whilst I get used to the form. Never done it before going to train with Beni.

DrSTU - What’s your Bench at the moment then… 220kg sounds bloody good. I’ve done 160kg for 1 rep, but that was ages ago and that was wide grip bodybuilding style. Hopefully by Christmas I’ll be up to about 180kg, with proper form.

Well that’s it for now…

Cheers…Stubob…

11

Why oh Why do my posts never get posted?

my max bench sucks big time and hovers in the region of 100kg, judging by how much better all my accesory work is going at the mo i hope to get that up to 110-120 before too long and then the magic 3 plates per side before the end of 2004 (but hopefully a lot sooner). Seriously though my physique has improved more on westside than any bodybuilding routine. my back is thickening out my tri’s are getting stronger an bigger and the athletic side gets better too.all a bonus.

i’m sure 180 is well within your grasp.

regards STU

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Doc,
pay me a visit and you may be pushing 315 by the end of this year.

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ah man that got my attention.

Just started the next cycle of box squats and am using the green bands this time, phew what a beauty workout i had this morning with them! only used 50% (100kg) for 10 sets of 2 but the form had to be spot on, especially the explosive power out of the hole otherwise I missed the blast through the sticking point (I did once but then never again after the experience of trying to rack the weight whilst it tries to shoot you down!)

Ben. i’ll certainly pay you a visit soon and hopefuly you’ll see a vast improement in my bench form already. elbows are nice and tight and exploding off the chest well but my sticking point is definetely high up so doing pin presses for this cyce to try and move/remove the sticking point higher!

Chris: Cheers for the PM, think of this as a learning experience for you, planning and management of time is vital in science so if you do a PhD you’ll be wel up on it! good luck and wor hard, only on eyear left!

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I’ve just completed my first week of Westside. Due to going on holiday, sickness bug and trying to nail form on Good Mornings, Pull throughs etc…

I have to say that it was awesome, a little brutal as well…

I looking forward to the next eight weeks and then retesting my 1RM on all the lifts.

Trouble is I think when it comes time to test my 1RM it will be when I’m on holiday in Fueteventura in January.

As I can only train three times a week it takes me a little over a week to complete the four Westside sessions.

I can now feel that I have hamstrings and triceps, been aching quite a bit on those two bodyparts - obviously a weakness there.

When are we all getting together again for this deadlift comp…??

Someone mentioned December sometime. If we can start thinking of some dates then I can make sure that I’ll be available…

Cheers all… Stubob…

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Hey Stu, glad to hear that the training is going well.

I was thinking of suggesting saturday the 13th of december as i assume that everyone will want to be drapsing round shops on the 20th trying to find that piece of crap the gitlfriend mentioned last march and now decides she really wants!

My traininges going v well apart from a slight shoulder strain but squat and dead going nicely.

take care STU

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Men
I need a date asap so as I can keep the gym clear for the Sat.
I have no preferences so argue amongst yourselves then let me know.

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Can I come?

I cant take part in the comp as I’ve hurt my back but I’d love to come meet you guys.

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December the 13th is fine for me… What time we thinking of…??

It that ok for everyone else…?

Looking forward to this…

Going a little off topic…

I went to the British Grand Prix bodybuilding comp last Saturday. Jay Cutler, Ernie Taylor, Gunter amongst others…

Jay Cutler won it and I met him and shook hands with him.

Also Johnnie Jackson was there he came about 4th or 5th I think can’t remember now. I got to meet him and shook his hand also - an interesting fact for you - apparently Johnnie used to be a powerlifter and lifted a 2100 total for the wpo…

Cheers…Stubob…

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At last it all came together this weekend, all the hard work in the gym paid off on the field of play. ever since i swapped to WS training my lifs have been improving but the transfer onto the park wasn’t evident but this time it kicked in big style, guess i just had to get used to the new body!!

Tackles came easier and were more powerful and the extra power in my upper body is evident and tackling the big uns was a game of fun for me this weekend.

I’m def in for the 13th and i’ll pm chris cos he can’t post cos of uni rules or somethin like that, i’l ask danny too. starting to work on my dead now and today was supposed to be the first day of the new cycle but can’t actually close my left hand due to it getting stood on yesterday!

have to weigh myself too as i feel bigger!!

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Ok, so are we on for the 13th of December…?

I can’t do the 6th as that’s when our work has the Christmas do, we get a hotel in London free coach, free food and best of all free booze… Quality…

How’s everyones training going now…? I’ve only completed two full weeks of Westside (I train three times a week so it takes a little longer to do the 2 max and 2 speed days.). My triceps are changing shape, my abs are stronger and tighter, my hamstrings have improved massively and I’m enjoying training immensely.

Can everyone reply to see if we can get this meet arranged…?

Cheers…Stubob…