westside barbell system presentation

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The Westside Barbell System

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Page 1: Westside Barbell System Presentation

The Westside Barbell System

Page 2: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Where did it all start? • In the early 1970s, the Soviet Union had 70 highly skilled Olympic lifters.

• Lifters used a system of 20-45 exercises that were grouped into 2-4 exercises per session.

• Exercises were rotated as often as necessary to make continuous progress.

• They found that as the squat, good morning, back raise, glute/ham raise, or special pulls got stronger, so did their Olympic lifts.

• The conjugate system was created:

-A complex method of rotating special exercises that are close in nature which build up the weaker muscle group.

Page 3: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Westside Barbell Club

• Westside Barbell Club is directed by Louie Simmons.

• Involved in strength training for over 27 years, he is also a strength coach for numerous American football teams.

• Louie researched into the Russian strength training methods and found the conjugate system.

• Believing in the system he introduced the techniques to his club.

Page 4: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Westside principles

• Training programs which focus on one set of strengths while neglecting the others fails to produce maximal strength potential.

• A training program must develop all aspects of absolute strength.

• Absolute strength comprises five different types of strength:

1) Static strength

2) Acceleration strength

3) Concentric strength

4) Eccentric strength

5) Speed strength

Page 5: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Principle of variety • The Westside system is not a training program as it has as many programs as

there are lifters that use the system. • What works for one lifter will not work for another. • Training is not as simple as doing any combination of sets and reps.

• System is rather a template to improve a lifter's weaker muscles which will allow progression.

• Greater training results can be obtained by using a variety of “special” exercises than by doing the classical lifts.

• Training should range from increasing work capacity to increasing the level of readiness.

Page 6: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Exercise Variation

• Once the body recognizes the training as routine it will no longer adapt and grow.

• New stimulation is needed to shock the nervous system which then allows the lifter to progress.

• Exercise variation and selection is important, lifter must pick a exercise that builds a particular weakness. 

• There are many types of exercises for each muscle group. 

• Once an exercise is chosen it is performed until it becomes ineffective.

• As a general rule exercises are rotated every 2 weeks.   

• Exercise variation also allows lifter to max out every week of the year.

Page 7: Westside Barbell System Presentation

The Conjugate method

Workouts are intense and high volume consisting of 4 workouts per week.

• 2 Max effort days and 2 Dynamic/Speed effort days.

• 2 days devoted to bench press and 2 devoted to squats/deadlifts.

• One bench press day is a dynamic effort session. In this, multiple sets are carried out with a light weight, aiming to build speed.

• The other bench press day is a max effort session, which uses near maximal weights for a limited number of sets.

• Like bench press day, one squat/deadlift session per week is dynamic effort, whereas the other is max effort.

• Accessory/supplementary exercises are done on all four days.

• A typical rotation would be:Monday: Max Effort Squat Wednesday: Max Effort Bench Friday: Dynamic Effort Squat Sunday: Dynamic Effort Bench

Page 8: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Dynamic Effort/Speed days

• Goal of these sessions is to develop speed.

• Lifters will use lighter weights concentrating on explosiveness.

• Lifter uses 45-60% of their one rep max as a general rule.

• Sets should take 3 seconds to perform, if sets take longer than 3 seconds the weight is too heavy.

• Improves SPP (special physical readiness) and GPP (general physical readiness).

• Using the lightweight and speed you can help to develop strength through sticking points on your lifts.

• The 2 main exercises done on Speed days are the box squats and speed bench press.

Page 9: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Max Effort days

• Increases the motor unit recruiting, and motor unit neuromuscular coordination. • Training with heavy loads will develop excellent strength. • Westside believe in never resting over 5 minutes between heavy sets on max days.

• On maximum effort legs day, system incorporates Squat and deadlifts. • For maximum effort squat/deadlift day a variety of exercises focusing on developing the

posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and lower back) are used. • The maximum effort itself will be an exercise or variation of deadlifts, squats or good

mornings.• These three lifts or their variations are trained in very low reps and fairly high set volume.

• For the bench press the same theory is applied with focus on developing the triceps over the pectorals.

Page 10: Westside Barbell System Presentation

An example of methodDay 1 - Max Effort (ME) Squat/Deadlift• Squat/deadlift/good morning - warm up in sets of 3 until 3 repetitions are no longer possible and switch to a single rep

working up to 4 single repetitions of between 90-100% of your max.• Lower back work - Choose from glute-ham raises, reverse hyper-extensions, half deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, stiff-legged

deadlifts (SLDLs), hyper-extensions or cable pulls - 4 x 8-10 (weighted if need be to stay within rep range)• Abs - Any form of rectus abdominus work - 4 x 8-12• Lat work - Any form of upper back work such as wide grip chins, pull downs, barbell rows, cable rows - 4 x 8-10

Day 2- Max Effort (ME) Bench press• Tricep work - Any form of core strength tricep work such as close grip bench, JM presses, Tate presses, lying dumbbell

extensions - 4 x 5-10 • Cable pushdowns - A variety of cable attachments may be used (flat bar, V bar, rope) - 4 x 8-12• Shoulder work - choice of either lateral or front raises - 4 x 10-12• Lat work - as above - 4 x 8-10• Biceps - Pick any bicep exercise of your choice - 3 x 8-10

Day 3- Dynamic Effort (DE) Squat/Deadlift• Box squat 8-12 doubles with 45-65% of 1RM• Lower back work - as Day 1• Side bends (or variation of external oblique training) - 4 x 8-12• Neck work

Day 4- Dynamic Effort (DE) Bench press• Speed bench 8-10 triples with 45-46% 1 RM• Tricep work - as Day 2• Pushdowns - as Day 2• Lat work - as Day 1• Biceps - as Day 2

Page 11: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Bench Press• should be performed with the shoulder blades pulled together and driven into the bench. • bar should hit you in the lower chest area. • bar must be pushed in a straight line, not back over the face.

Board Press/Close-Grip board press• max effort exercise to help strengthen the lockout of the bench press. • effective in increasing triceps strength. • performed exactly the same as the bench press except lifter pauses • the barbell on a board that is placed on chest.

Close Grip Incline Press • Max effort exercise which isolates the upper middle regions of the pectoral minor and triceps. • Similar to close grip flat bench just perfomed on inclined bench

Heavy handouts• Boards represent sticking points. • Boards lay on chest. Lower the bar to the board and press the bar upward. These are similar to

performing Lock Out's in the Power Rack. This exercise greatly affects the delts and pecs.

 

Bench press lifts and variations on them

Page 12: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Bench press variations continued

Benching with bands

• Develops speed and force development in the bench press.

• Band offers variable resistance by quickly de-loading the weight

in the eccentric phase and loading weight during the concentric phase.

Benching with chains

• Help to develop speed, strength and absolute power.

• Chains offers variable resistance by de-loading the

weight in the eccentric phase and loading weight

during the concentric phase.

Floor press

• Strengthens the midpoint of the bench press.

• Beneficial for overcoming one's sticking point.

• Effective in developing triceps strength.

Page 13: Westside Barbell System Presentation

The exercises of choice are Good Mornings, Box Squats, and Deadlifts.

Good Mornings

• Popular max effort squat exercises at Westside Barbell Club.

• Performed on 70% of all max effort workouts.

• Works the posterior chain.

Box Squat

• Develops eccentric and concentric power.

• A form of overload and isolation.

• Good way to teach proper form of the squat

• Develops power through the bottom of the

squat and deadlift (most common sticking points).

Conventional Deadlifts

• Max effort exercise testing overall body strength.

• Normally advised to use a close grip.

The variations of Squats (deep squat, low box squat, high box squat)

and sumo style deadlifts are also be used.

Squat/Deadlifts and variations of them

Page 14: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Success stories - Does the system work? Louie’s methods of training have resulted in: • - 25 world and national champions• - 27 lifters who have totalled of 2000lbs• - Thirty-three (33) 550lbs benchers• - Eighteen (18) 600lbs benchers• - Twenty-eight (28) 800lbs squatters• - Ten (10) 900lbs+ squatters • - Three (3) 1000lbs+ squatters

• John Iannuzzi, 18-year-old high school basketball player. John went from 171 to 186 pounds in 15 weeks. John also possesses a jaw-dropping 37 and a half-inch vertical jump.

• Brian Cushing, 17-years-old, #2 ranked high school linebacker in the nation. Brian went from 213 to 231 pounds in 16 weeks.

• Nick Brandreth, 17-year-old high school wrestler. Nick gained 12 pounds this off-season on this modified Westside program. Nick has performed 77 consecutive suspended chain push-ups on his repetition upper body day!

Page 15: Westside Barbell System Presentation

Summary

• Most effective form of training Westside club have ever tried, and in the past 36 years Westside lifters have tried them all.

• Highly productive system of training that develop power, speed and lifting capabilities in a short space of time.

• Westside is discovering new equipment frequently so more lifters can use more methods to make weaker muscles stronger

• Now that the "Russian" methods are becoming more popular in America, we are seeing stronger and stronger lifters all the time.

• The typical weaknesses in performing the squat are found in having weak abs and a weak back.

• The typical weaknesses found in the bench are in the triceps and deltoids.

• Lifters must seek to strengthen these weak muscles on speed and max effort days to increase strength on the classical lifts.