[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
Ok, I have some time today, I will start the other thread later… this one is making me want to kill myself.[/quote]
Awesome…except the suicidal part
Okay, I have a couple of questions here. I’m familiar with the Westside method. I ran WS4SB last year and had great results. I took my bench up 65 pounds in 7 months, my deadlift 60, and my squat 20 (I had to reassess my form and basically start all over again).
This year, I plan on doing a for-real Westside program. However, I’m kinda confused when it comes to ME work. I have been lifting seriously for 2 years, this year being my third when I start up again. My best lifts are 385/275/425 raw @ 185 bw. I’m also 17 and 5’7".
-
Should I be rotating ME exercises every week, or every 2 weeks?
-
I was watching the bench press secrets video and Louie mentioned to do illegal wides or RE work every 5th and 6th work. Does anybody do this?
-
Louie also recommended that you work your way down on board presses (i.e. - 2 board one week, 1 board the next). Not doubting Louie at all, but is there any benefit to this?
-
Are training cycles meant to be longer in length, or shorter in length? I was considering running two, 17 week cycles with a max out week at the end of each cycle and a week of rest the week before three-a-days starts up in August (2012), then I would do Joe DeFranco’s WS4SB in-season program (it works very well). This is why I was thinking of rotating ME exercises every week.
I might have more later. Thanks.
CS
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
Okay, I have a couple of questions here. I’m familiar with the Westside method. I ran WS4SB last year and had great results. I took my bench up 65 pounds in 7 months, my deadlift 60, and my squat 20 (I had to reassess my form and basically start all over again).
This year, I plan on doing a for-real Westside program. However, I’m kinda confused when it comes to ME work. I have been lifting seriously for 2 years, this year being my third when I start up again. My best lifts are 385/275/425 raw @ 185 bw. I’m also 17 and 5’7".
- Should I be rotating ME exercises every week, or every 2 weeks? [/quote]
At your level you could probably rotate every 2-3 weeks. Especially because you’re just starting out, it might take a week or two for you to get the hang of your ME exercises. Variations of powerlifts play differently with your leverages and strengths and when you’re just starting out, you don’t know what you’re capable of.
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
2) I was watching the bench press secrets video and Louie mentioned to do illegal wides or RE work every 5th and 6th work. Does anybody do this?
[/quote]
Louie says a lot of stuff. Try it out, see if it works. If it doesn’t, drop it.
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
3) Louie also recommended that you work your way down on board presses (i.e. - 2 board one week, 1 board the next). Not doubting Louie at all, but is there any benefit to this?
[/quote]
I think decreased ROM exercises on the bench are more appropriate for geared lifters. I’m assuming Louie mentioned this in the context of benching with a shirt. I don’t think this would do a raw bench much good – this just being from personal experience. For my raw bench, I’ve found full range movements to be better. But then again, what do I know? I’m sure there are plenty of people who disagree with me on this. That’s one of the interesting things about the conjugate method. Only YOU can figure out what works for YOU.
[quote]frankjl wrote:
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
Okay, I have a couple of questions here. I’m familiar with the Westside method. I ran WS4SB last year and had great results. I took my bench up 65 pounds in 7 months, my deadlift 60, and my squat 20 (I had to reassess my form and basically start all over again).
This year, I plan on doing a for-real Westside program. However, I’m kinda confused when it comes to ME work. I have been lifting seriously for 2 years, this year being my third when I start up again. My best lifts are 385/275/425 raw @ 185 bw. I’m also 17 and 5’7".
- Should I be rotating ME exercises every week, or every 2 weeks? [/quote]
At your level you could probably rotate every 2-3 weeks. Especially because you’re just starting out, it might take a week or two for you to get the hang of your ME exercises. Variations of powerlifts play differently with your leverages and strengths and when you’re just starting out, you don’t know what you’re capable of.
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
2) I was watching the bench press secrets video and Louie mentioned to do illegal wides or RE work every 5th and 6th work. Does anybody do this?
[/quote]
Louie says a lot of stuff. Try it out, see if it works. If it doesn’t, drop it.
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
3) Louie also recommended that you work your way down on board presses (i.e. - 2 board one week, 1 board the next). Not doubting Louie at all, but is there any benefit to this?
[/quote]
I think decreased ROM exercises on the bench are more appropriate for geared lifters. I’m assuming Louie mentioned this in the context of benching with a shirt. I don’t think this would do a raw bench much good – this just being from personal experience. For my raw bench, I’ve found full range movements to be better. But then again, what do I know? I’m sure there are plenty of people who disagree with me on this. That’s one of the interesting things about the conjugate method. Only YOU can figure out what works for YOU.[/quote]
Thanks a lot. I’m thinking that taking the first training cycle as a learning experience as to what works and what doesn’t can only benefit me in the long run.
CS
[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
Okay, I have a couple of questions here. I’m familiar with the Westside method. I ran WS4SB last year and had great results. I took my bench up 65 pounds in 7 months, my deadlift 60, and my squat 20 (I had to reassess my form and basically start all over again).
This year, I plan on doing a for-real Westside program. However, I’m kinda confused when it comes to ME work. I have been lifting seriously for 2 years, this year being my third when I start up again. My best lifts are 385/275/425 raw @ 185 bw. I’m also 17 and 5’7".
-
Should I be rotating ME exercises every week, or every 2 weeks?
-
I was watching the bench press secrets video and Louie mentioned to do illegal wides or RE work every 5th and 6th work. Does anybody do this?
-
Louie also recommended that you work your way down on board presses (i.e. - 2 board one week, 1 board the next). Not doubting Louie at all, but is there any benefit to this?
-
Are training cycles meant to be longer in length, or shorter in length? I was considering running two, 17 week cycles with a max out week at the end of each cycle and a week of rest the week before three-a-days starts up in August (2012), then I would do Joe DeFranco’s WS4SB in-season program (it works very well). This is why I was thinking of rotating ME exercises every week.
I might have more later. Thanks.
CS
[/quote]
I’d tend to agree with what was posted above about ME rotation (not necessary every week).
I do illegal wide presses as acessory/RE and have liked the result, but they are difficult if your back is not strong and you have trouble staying tight. It will help you learn to stay tight and punish you if you can’t as well as give you some kind of experience with a much wider grip which might help you figure out if you need to move your grip out (this happened to me and I now raw bench with index fingers on the rings, but I have long arms).
I like board progressions personally (and I lift raw), but if your weakest at the chest there isn’t a lot of point to it. However, a lot of good raw pressers don’t miss at the chest, but rather at a 2 or 3 board height from the chest meaning they have a dip somewhere in the power curve a few inches off the chest. Working with boards can help you with this, so take that into account. Also board work is awesome for developing the triceps and getting some overload in even if done for reps.
I am probably pretty poor at cycling my training, but I have used three week waves on DE work with underlying emphasis to bring up certain lifts over longer periods (like 12 weeks maybe).
Take that for what it is. Plan your training out though as it is very helful and then don’t deviate unless something helps you attain your goals or your goals change.
Get spoonfed by Dave Tate…
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/iron_evolution_phase_6
[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
We should get some people together on here that actually know how this shit works and start a thread about how to actually set-up and PROGRESS the Westside System. [/quote]
great idea .
there was a WS thread a while back , but it morphed into a log-thread for a few guys ; which was cool , but not much in the way of discussion was going on .
make it so…a Westside/conjugate thread consisting of advice from those who understand it best, discussions ,programming/cycle strategies . anything but logs, and arguments about who does or does not actually lift at Westside Barbell should be banned from the get-go…that shit was fucked up .
One of my powerlifting buddies at college gets to lift at Westside in December. I’m jealous, to say the least. Hopefully he can share some of whatever he learns with me.
[quote]RampantBadger wrote:
Get spoonfed by Dave Tate…
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/iron_evolution_phase_6[/quote]
Nice
[quote]black_angus1 wrote:
One of my powerlifting buddies at college gets to lift at Westside in December. I’m jealous, to say the least. Hopefully he can share some of whatever he learns with me.[/quote]
I got to do a speed bench workout there after a seminar Louie was holding. It turned into Louie yelling at me for having small arms. He told me 2 things to fix and now my raw bench is up about 40lbs.
[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
[quote]black_angus1 wrote:
One of my powerlifting buddies at college gets to lift at Westside in December. I’m jealous, to say the least. Hopefully he can share some of whatever he learns with me.[/quote]
I got to do a speed bench workout there after a seminar Louie was holding. It turned into Louie yelling at me for having small arms. He told me 2 things to fix and now my raw bench is up about 40lbs.[/quote]
I might be making a college visit out in to Ohio State, and that is the place I want to visit before I even think about leaving.
CS
[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
Ok, I have some time today, I will start the other thread later… this one is making me want to kill myself.[/quote]
NOOOO!!! DId you kill yourself before you got to make the thread!!!
Question to all the west side guys…
Are board/floor presses meant as primarily an overload movement? I feel like my 1-3 RM board/floor press should be more than my full ROM press. Correct me if I’m wrong. It would really help me structure them.
Right now I’m working up to a 3-5 RM, next board/floor pressing @ my top weight of the day or within 20-30 lbs of it for singles… Then finally speed pressing all in one session @ around 40-60% of my days max. I’ve put up some awesome PRs rather quickly at first but now I’m thinking I should either reverse the order some how (gains are starting to slow)
Also, I know speed work is generally done in a 2nd session after ME work during the week, but I feel faster after I’ve ramped up and then strip for some technique sets… Would be more beneficial to just include speed work on my Over Head Press day or not at all? (I really could care less about speed work, I’m just playing with it to see what happens)
I’m obviously not a huge fan of benching twice a week, I like to dedicate a day to press how ever I do use some west side concepts and would be more than willing to take some advise on this.
When it comes to rotating lifts - I’m hesitant to substitute partial movements for full ROM exercises being a raw lifter. I’m usually doing bench/incline, back/front squat, over head press/seated press, conventional deads/trap bar deads. I’m wondering if any of you have ever felt weaker coming back to the full ROM after a week or two of board/floor/pin presses? Should I just use the lockout work as assistance when and if I need it or dedicate a day to them?
- Just a few questions,
- Chase
My board presses are higher than my bench but my floor press is slightly lower than my bench. Use them if they build your bench. It seems for me that when my floor press goes up so does my bench but everyone is a little different.
I would also love to see a discussion thread on Westside from those in the know - would be a great resource for those less experienced.