Going Westside, need help.

[sharkall2003]

I've looked online for stuff on Westside training and I found some good credible advice, but every site shows something different. For instance, what days to train, what exercises to do, etc. I was wondering if I could get some help with the setting up of a routine. I know that my abs and lower back are my weak points for sure. I struggle doing pulups, so I would think that my lats are pretty weak too. I have a 405 deadlift, 250 bench, and a 295 squat. I've been lifting more on the lines of bodybuilding with 8-10 repetitions with about 15-20 sets per day. My squat is low, so I think I need to work on my hamstrings, and through the reading i've done these are the weaknesses I have found. Any advice that would help me set up a routine that would help make me stronger would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Lones Green]

i'm still new to westside, but i think i can answer some of your questions. first off, louie simmons says if you want a higher squat, work hips. not so much quads. westside is 4 days, and its usually done like this.
day 1- me bench
day 2-me squat
day 3-off
day 4-de bench
day 5-de squat

usually done with a 1 day break in the middle. i've definetely still been sore from squats when i hit the DE squat day, but i haven't been questioning it, i've still seen some pretty monster gains on my squat (from about 315-450 since i started westside.) for lats, i say row heavy. read all the articles on westside and the answers to all these questions are in there, somewhere.

[Bako Lifter]

Yep, read all of the articles on www.westside-barbell.com

[bigmoney]

this should help you out:
http://deepsquatter.com/strength/arc...eep/louie2.htm

and

http://www.elitefts.com/articles/art...aq/default.asp

[Chubrock]

A lot of the advice in these articles is geared towards the equipped lifter. Keep that in mind.

[WillKuenzel]

http://www.elitefts.com/articles/Pow...ng/default.asp
http://www.elitefts.com/articles/Training/default.asp

Start at the bottom of those pages and work your way up.


Westside is a lifestyle not really a training program. You'll find so many different bastardizations of westside that it's not really even funny.

You want a bigger squat, squat more. You want a bigger bench, bench more. You want a bigger deadlift, squat more and do more speed pulls.

ME bench
rest
ME squat
rest
DE bench
DE squat
rest

ME squat:
squat, work up to a 3RM for 3 weeks, take a deload week and then start working up to a 1RM after that.
RDL's and abs

ME bench:
same as squats
pullups and rear delts

DE squats:
speed squats and speed pulls
I do light squats to warm up with emphasis on speed then move to heavier-ish (still only 60-70% of my 1RM deadlift).
Quad work and abs.

DE bench
bench comp grip and close grip (I don't get much out of a medium grip)
heavy close grip bench
lats

Keep it simple and keep it short. The ME days should take time because you are taking time to rest and let the CNS reset between each set. DE days should stay fast and furious. Just because the weight is lighter, don't take it any less seriously. You treat every set like it was a 1RM. Spend time getting set up and concentrate on every rep to make it perfect. Every rep. Even if you are warming up with the bar.

Having done a bodybuilding workout already, you should have fairly decent muscle endurance so work on your strength. Cut the reps back and increase the weight. On everything.

Remember, Westside style training is a training philosophy, not a training program. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The right way is the one that fits you and fixes your weaknesses. The wrong way is anything else. Do what you enjoy but that means you need to learn to love fixing your weak points. Hammer those. That'll make you better. But again, remember, those weak points will change as you train. Keep an open mind and constantly be analyzing your lifts. Where are you failing? Where are you weak? What would make you stronger? Those are the things that Westside concentrates on.

[RedSpikeyThing]

^ Perfect.

[RhodeHouse]

Look at my Bench workouts. SFW is following the Westside template. My squat work is different. Here's the key to Westside from the mouth of Jim Wendler and Dave Tate.

Max Effort
Dynamic Effort
Repetition Method

ME - HEAVY
then bodybuild for assistance work
DE - FAST
then bodybuild for assistance work

Forget weakpoint training. EVERYTHING IS WEAK! Once you've done a Westside type program for 10 years, then you can worry about weakpoint training. In all seriousness, accept the fact that you're weak and make everything stronger. SFW

[WillKuenzel]

Forget weakpoint training. EVERYTHING IS WEAK! Once you've done a Westside type program for 10 years, then you can worry about weakpoint training. In all seriousness, accept the fact that you're weak and make everything stronger. SFW

That's the truth. Sometimes I get caught up in it too much but that's the real point that most people new to powerlifting don't understand. Until you've totaled elite, you're weak. Probably still even then compared to most guys today.

[Chubrock]

That's the truth. Sometimes I get caught up in it too much but that's the real point that most people new to powerlifting don't understand. Until you've totaled elite, you're weak. Probably still even then compared to most guys today.

I think both you and RhodeHouse make a point in a round about way. A lot of the articles Sharkall will read will recommend ME days centered around all kinds of variations of GMs. There also tends to be a lot of focus on lifts that have good carryover. I think the biggest thing a newer lifter needs to focus on is pulling and squatting. In my opinion, save all the variations for long into your career when you've had the SQ and DL form hammered into you so much you do it in your sleep. I had originally tried to use a lot of variation with my lifts but soon found that my CNS just wasn't primed enough to remember the form when I wasn't squatting or DLing all the time.

My opinion obviously. Bash it if ya'll have to haha.

[sharkall2003]

Okay, today I am doing a Dynamic Effort day for the bench press. I've read many of the articles already but for lots of the stuff it say with a shirt. I'm a RAW lifter, no belt, chalk, shirt, wraps or anything. Should I still stick with 8-10 sets of 3 at 125 (which would be 50% of max)? Then I do 4 sets of 8 for tricep extension. 4 sets of 6 for barbell rows. Shoulder work: 4 sets of 8 for lateral raise and some shoulder work with cables. And for extra triceps: 2 sets of 8 for CGBP?

[WillKuenzel]

Generally it's meant to be 50% of your shirted max. You have no shirted max, so it's really more 60-70% of your raw max. I would stick with 6-8 sets of 2, then do your barbell rows, then your shoulder presses and then the extra tricep work.

[sharkall2003]

Am I allowed to do seated shoulder presses? And with this, as far as I read, there is not percentage I use. Rather, I go heavy for 6-10 reps.