Westside BB + Grease the Groove

I have about five months before regular spring track training begins (I’ll be throwing shotput). My goal is to boost my deadlift, squat, and clean strength and power as much as possible over those months.

Would it be feasible to mix an adjusted Westside template with daily GTG on Oly lift and deadlift variations? It would mean training 7x a week, but I tend to recover very quickly, and I’ll be eating like a horse.

Here’s what I’m thinking of doing:

Day 1 - ME bench + chest, tri, shoulder strengthening via 1/2/3/4 wave loading

Day 2 - 3/1/3/1/3 oly variation at 80%
1/2/3/4 deadlift variation at 80%

Day 3 - DE squat + plyometrics + abs (trained dynamically)

Day 4 - See Day 2

Day 5 - DE bench + push jerk + Neider press + abs (abs trained at 80%)

Day 6 - See Day 2

Day 7 - Start off with Day 2’s GTG, then Repetition Method for upper back + dynamic ab training

I took out the ME squat day because of the frequency of deadlift training at 80% intensity.

For Oly vars I’ll rotate every 2 weeks between scoop clean pull, power clean, hang clean, scoop snatch-grip pull, high pull, and power snatch.

For DL vars - trap bar DL, Romanian DL, SLDL, rack DL, sumo DL, and low and high box squats.

For bench vars - incline BB bench, CG BB bench, flat DB bench, incline CG BB bench, flat BB bench.

I like it coming form the crazy work ethic I have and loving time in the gym but hate it from a realistic making gains stand point. I think it would be great for about a week but then you’d start to feel like a truck hit you.

I just think the lack of any down time coupled with the strain on the whole body from not just the big three, ME upper day etc but all the oly lifting and DLing is going to cathc up fast.

I think you need at least one day off and then at least one day VERY VERY light. Im talking just an extra w/o. VERY light. if anything maybe working on just form in the oly lifts. VERY light.

It would take some toying. Thats just my take you may excell with it, just seesm like way to much in the long run and no time to rest and heal. The body just wont catch up.

Phill

Alright … how does this look, then? I view the GTG days as partially rest days because the workout lasts for 15 minutes and doesn’t leave me with any DOMS at the 80% intensity that Pavel recommends.

MONDAY: ME bench + upper body strength (AM) + GTG oly & DL (PM)

TUESDAY: GTG + grip work

WEDNESDAY: DE squat + plyometrics (AM) ; ab power + GTG (PM)

THURSDAY: OFF

FRIDAY: GTG + ab strength

SATURDAY: OFF

SUNDAY: DE bench and jerk + GTG + upper back and bicep hypertrophy

If you think that sticking with either WSBB by itself or GTG by itself would be more effective in strength gains, then I’ll do that. I’m just HUNGRY for posterior chain strength and EXPLOSIVENESS.

what days are you training your shot put??

I had a shotput at home, but I’m on campus now and I don’t have one to use. Actual shotput training will begin in about five months.

You can do a 3x3 workout everyday using medium/heavy/light system. Here how it goes:

Monday-(medium) 3x3 85% 1 RM (squat or deadlift, bench press)
Tue-(medium) 3x3 85-90% (squat or deadlift, bench press)
Wed-(high) 3x3 95%
Thu-(light) 3x3 75%
Fri-(light)3x3 70%

You can do the dynamic lifts on light days. But just do 3x3 reps everyday since you’re lifting everyday. It’s a total of 45 lifts in a week. But if you feel great, you can add additional sets or reps up to 5 on certain days. Just train smart, and back off if you feel tired. Good luck!

ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/training/dave.htm

This might help you. Westside for throwing events, some principles behind it and a 2x/week program.

I second the 3x3 method mentioned above. Great strength gains and you’ll leave each workout feeling like there is still plenty of fuel in the tank.

didnt Dave Tate take on a high frequency, gtg program whilst keeping the ME days, etc at one point?

I think he wrote an article about it on his site… but then again, there are articles on damn near everything on his site…

Great site, Hrastnik. Thanks for the recommendations, guys.

As of now I’m going to stick with what I wrote on 9/18 and just cut back on the volume as I notice recovery lagging. I’ve already begun doing this - for example, on my DE squat/bench days, I’ve brought the main DE set down from 8x3 to 5x3. This feels about right.

Beatnik, did you mean http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=ECE1C6E77D93A8F64C2489394A0CEA3C.hydra?id=459405 ? Tate used sled dragging, not specific lifts GTG style, frequently in this program, which will certainly build ham and glute strength. Though I’m sure the work output was comparable between 15 minute, 1 minute rest between sets, 80% intensity GTG.

Actually no. While i was a little confused about the article i remembered i ment this:

[link]http://www.elitefts.com/documents/moscow_and_columbus.htm[/link]

Its probably not exactly what you need, i just remember the higher frequency of practicing lifts. 4 days instead of 2.

My bad. Good read anyway :wink: