WS4SB + Vanity Day?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

While reading over WS4SB III I see in the washed up meat head version DeFranco suggests a “vanity” day to work in some extra arms or shoulders. Does any one here do this?

I was thinking of adding some extra arm work in on my DE lower body day. For eaxample do 8x3 box squats/low back work than bis and tris for 3-4 weeks than shoulders and traps the next 3-4 weeks.

I am on my feet 12 hours a day and get enough NEPA that I do not need two full lower body days. I do not want to get rid of speed squats though.

So the question is would it be ok to do squats and “beach muslces” the same day and would mixing the two trypes of training be productive?

2

That would be fine. Just don’t spend too much time or energy focusing just on beach muscles.

Save it for the end of the workout and spend about 10-15 minutes for that.

Arms will recover quickly and can take the abuse, so it should be fine to do that after you’ve hit legs hard.

3

i think the purpose of the ‘vanity’ day is to do easy light stuff that is easy on the system, such as the stuff DeFranco suggests. DE box squats are not easy on the system, at least not in comparison to ‘isolation’ stuff like arm curls. i believe some wsb templates that i’ve seen before combine the DE & ME on one day, meaning, you do your DE box squats, then second movement is ME SQ or DL. maybe that could be an option for you?

4

[quote]ikan twin wrote:
i think the purpose of the ‘vanity’ day is to do easy light stuff that is easy on the system, such as the stuff DeFranco suggests. DE box squats are not easy on the system, at least not in comparison to ‘isolation’ stuff like arm curls. i believe some wsb templates that i’ve seen before combine the DE & ME on one day, meaning, you do your DE box squats, then second movement is ME SQ or DL. maybe that could be an option for you?[/quote]

Did you even read his post?

He didn’t say he was going to perform DE box squats as part of his vanity day. He said he was going to add some arm work at the end of that workout.

5

Ditto on nate dogs post…

I like hitting lagging body parts or parts I’d like bigger- guns- on squat days. I’ve read the squat is supposed to make one have more growth hormone so add the lagging or “vanity” parts in to take advantage of the hormones.
Is it better than doing them anyother day? Who knows for sure.

6

Thanks for the advice Nate Dogg.

7

Different Program, but DC Training has you do “Little Stuff” like Biceps, Forearms, and Calves before you do Legs.

8

I have read over DC but still do not understand all of it. Would like to try it in another year or so.

9

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
ikan twin wrote:
i think the purpose of the ‘vanity’ day is to do easy light stuff that is easy on the system, such as the stuff DeFranco suggests. DE box squats are not easy on the system, at least not in comparison to ‘isolation’ stuff like arm curls. i believe some wsb templates that i’ve seen before combine the DE & ME on one day, meaning, you do your DE box squats, then second movement is ME SQ or DL. maybe that could be an option for you?

Did you even read his post?

He didn’t say he was going to perform DE box squats as part of his vanity day. He said he was going to add some arm work at the end of that workout.

[/quote]

whoops. i guess i did read it wrong, i thought the guy was doing the washed-up meathead template + the optional vanity day.

10

He is using the washed-up meathead template, but instead of having a separate day for vanity work, he’s adding it to the end of his DE day!

11

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
He is using the washed-up meathead template, but instead of having a separate day for vanity work, he’s adding it to the end of his DE day![/quote]

No, he is not doing the washed-up meathead template, as it has no DE days.

from
DeFranco:

The only day I�??ve omitted is the dynamic-effort lower body day. I just don�??t feel that the dynamic-effort lower body day is necessary if you�??re a washed-up meathead looking to get jacked.

MONDAY �?? Max-Effort Upper Body
WEDNESDAY �?? Max-Effort Lower Body
THURSDAY �?? Repetition Upper Body
SATURDAY �?? �??Vanity�?? Day (This workout can consist of extra biceps, shoulders, calves & abs)

12

[quote]ikan twin wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
He is using the washed-up meathead template, but instead of having a separate day for vanity work, he’s adding it to the end of his DE day!

No, he is not doing the washed-up meathead template, as it has no DE days.

from
DeFranco:

The only day I�??ve omitted is the dynamic-effort lower body day. I just don�??t feel that the dynamic-effort lower body day is necessary if you�??re a washed-up meathead looking to get jacked.

MONDAY �?? Max-Effort Upper Body
WEDNESDAY �?? Max-Effort Lower Body
THURSDAY �?? Repetition Upper Body
SATURDAY �?? �??Vanity�?? Day (This workout can consist of extra biceps, shoulders, calves & abs)

[/quote]

Read his first post at the very top.

Then, see this:

"I just don�??t feel that the dynamic-effort lower body day is necessary if you�??re a washed-up meathead looking to get jacked. On the other hand, if you�??re in your meathead infancy years (late twenties to early thirties) and you want to improve your athleticism while you�??re getting jacked, you can follow the exact 4-day template I outlined earlier in the article."

Whether he’s using the washed-up meathead version or the new and improved four-day split, it doesn’t matter.

All that matters is that he’s planning on adding some arm work (and shoulders) on his DE day.

And that’s what the post was all about. Adding some arm exercises to the end of his DE day instead of making it a separate day as originally shown in the Washed-Up Meathead template.

13

Isn’t there already a fair bit of arm work in WS4SB already?

If your arms are that big of a priority, then maybe you should look at a more bodybuilding oriented program.

14

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
Isn’t there already a fair bit of arm work in WS4SB already?

If your arms are that big of a priority, then maybe you should look at a more bodybuilding oriented program. [/quote]

x2- your upper body can take a pounding on this program, it’s good to give it a rest

15

[quote]Cprimero wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
Isn’t there already a fair bit of arm work in WS4SB already?

If your arms are that big of a priority, then maybe you should look at a more bodybuilding oriented program.

x2- your upper body can take a pounding on this program, it’s good to give it a rest[/quote]

There’s not much direct arm work on WS4SB. There is some sort of curling movement on ME Upper body day for 3-4 sets and then some curling or triceps on RE Upper body day for 3 sets.

I would not consider that a lot, even after benching and performing supplemental exercises (back, shoulders, traps).

Setting up a separate “vanity day” would be no big deal, or just adding a little more work at the end of one of the other workouts would be fine too.

16

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
Cprimero wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
Isn’t there already a fair bit of arm work in WS4SB already?

If your arms are that big of a priority, then maybe you should look at a more bodybuilding oriented program.

x2- your upper body can take a pounding on this program, it’s good to give it a rest

There’s not much direct arm work on WS4SB. There is some sort of curling movement on ME Upper body day for 3-4 sets and then some curling or triceps on RE Upper body day for 3 sets.

I would not consider that a lot, even after benching and performing supplemental exercises (back, shoulders, traps).

Setting up a separate “vanity day” would be no big deal, or just adding a little more work at the end of one of the other workouts would be fine too.
[/quote]

Working Arms 3 times a week seems kind of silly to me if you’re doing a program primarily geared towards athletic performance and adding mass to large muscle groups.

If arms are such a priority that you’re working them 3 times a week, then consider doing a bodybuilding program. No, adding in arms at the end of a DE Lower day is not a big deal in terms of compromising recovery. But it’s silly.

17

You think that 3 sets of arm exercises 3 times per week is too much?

I think it’s perfectly fine. Now, if he is going to do more than what is recommended, that’s a whole other issue.

But 9-15 total sets of arm work spread over the course of a week isn’t a big deal, even if this is not a bodybuilding program.

Arms recover quickly and can take the extra volume (not that 9-15 total sets is a lot of volume).

18

LOL! Great response from Joe Defranco on his site from an old Q&A in 2004. Obviously, this is a little outdated compared to the newest article and his recommendations for “Washed-up Meatheads” that want to add an extra vanity day, but it’s get info regardless:

Q:[i] Hi coach!
How can I cycle in some direct biceps work into a Westside-style routine? Do your athletes do direct biceps work when doing Westside training?

Keep up the GREAT work with the website!

All the best,
Andy[/i]

A: Andy, I have a confession to make, “Our athletes train their biceps.” I know it’s a badge of honor for strength coaches to say that they don’t allow their athletes to perform biceps exercises, but I had to confess.

Granted, biceps are NOT a focus in our program, but we do train them. I’m a big believer in the mental aspect of training. And for some reason, athletes of all levels love walking out of the gym with a biceps pump. I have no problem throwing in some biceps curls at the end of an upper body workout if it boosts my athlete’s confidence.

An easy way to do this is to superset them with the last exercise of your upper body workouts. Here’s a copy of my max-effort upper body workout from last Monday:

A. Reverse band bench press (green bands) worked up to 505 lbs for 1 rep

B. 4-board press - 4 sets of 5 reps increasing the weight

C1. Lat pulldowns - 4 sets of 10 reps

C2. Kneeling scarecrows - 4 sets of 10 reps

D1. Dumbbell shrugs - 3 sets of 10 reps

D2. Straight bar preacher curls - 3 sets of 10 reps

You can incorporate another biceps exercise at the end of your other upper body workout as well. If 2 exercises a week aren’t enough, take up bodybuilding.

Joe D.