WS4SB 3 Question

On the DE lower body day, is it possible to sub in back squats for speed (perhaps ATG)? Reason I ask is I’m use to squatting 3x a week with Bill Starr’s 5x5… it feels wrong to only have the bar on my back once a week now!

How much are the split squats and lunges doing for my squat and deadlift?

Thanks!

[quote]JFG12 wrote:
On the DE lower body day, is it possible to sub in back squats for speed (perhaps ATG)? Reason I ask is I’m use to squatting 3x a week with Bill Starr’s 5x5… it feels wrong to only have the bar on my back once a week now!

How much are the split squats and lunges doing for my squat and deadlift?

Thanks![/quote]

What are your goals? Are you trying to lift more weight, get bigger, or increase your preparedness for a certain sport?

For now I’ll assume you want to get stronger based on your second question. If you have strength imbalances between legs, then the split squats and lunges will help your main lifts tremendously. If you’re already balanced and are trying to up your total, you may be better off with more practice on your squatting and deadlifting.

You have to experiment yourself and keep detailed records. That way, you know what works best for you.

[quote]Doug Adams wrote:
JFG12 wrote:
On the DE lower body day, is it possible to sub in back squats for speed (perhaps ATG)? Reason I ask is I’m use to squatting 3x a week with Bill Starr’s 5x5… it feels wrong to only have the bar on my back once a week now!

How much are the split squats and lunges doing for my squat and deadlift?

Thanks!

What are your goals? Are you trying to lift more weight, get bigger, or increase your preparedness for a certain sport?

For now I’ll assume you want to get stronger based on your second question. If you have strength imbalances between legs, then the split squats and lunges will help your main lifts tremendously. If you’re already balanced and are trying to up your total, you may be better off with more practice on your squatting and deadlifting.

You have to experiment yourself and keep detailed records. That way, you know what works best for you.

[/quote]

Thanks. And yes my main goal is to get stronger in the main lifts. I mean size will come as I lift more weight and eat more… but I’m not bodybuilding.

What would a sample DE day look like on WS4SB if I’m incorporating back squats for speed?

And for these squats, would ATG be best? Or just going low enough to pass in a competition (hip crease below knee).

Thanks a lot

[quote]JFG12 wrote:
Thanks. And yes my main goal is to get stronger in the main lifts. I mean size will come as I lift more weight and eat more… but I’m not bodybuilding.

What would a sample DE day look like on WS4SB if I’m incorporating back squats for speed?

And for these squats, would ATG be best? Or just going low enough to pass in a competition (hip crease below knee).

Thanks a lot
[/quote]

If strength in the main 3 lifts is your goal, then a traditional Westside DE lower day could be more beneficial. The squats can either be done with or without a box, and if you want to compete then you should stay close to competition depth. Do several sets (10-15) of 2 reps with anywhere from 50-70% of your max squat. The more weight you use, the less sets, but get in lots of sets.

The rest of the session could be done like WSFSB III, but you should focus more on movements that you know will increase your total.

For much better advice than what I can give on the matter, check out westside’s website or elitefts.com. Those guys are more than capable of answering your questions.

disclaimer: not recomended by Joe DeFranco as far as I know.

I would do one day with a squat vairiation then the other lower body day with a deadlift variation. It’s a setup that worked for me in the past. I’m no professional though.