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is westside THE best powerlifting system?
- Thread starter AlwaysOn
- Start date
wnt2bBeast
New member
whatever works for you is the "best" system
there are plenty of lifters that dont train westside
make sure you start out slow do not copy Childress's or any other top lifters westside program as youll most likely over train and get zero results
there are plenty of lifters that dont train westside
make sure you start out slow do not copy Childress's or any other top lifters westside program as youll most likely over train and get zero results
majutsu
Well-known member
westside is not as "system-y" as people familiar with 5x5, HIT, HST, etc would like to believe. It basically is a mixed bag of 1) repetition to failure (which every weightlifter on earth does), 2) maximum effort training in the big 3 lifts -- your sporting event training (which every powerlifter does), and 3) explosiveness training. It is the slice of explosiveness training which is pretty much unique to "westside", but explosiveness training has been used for decades in football, baseball, track and field, and crew, in my personal experience. Metal militia removed explosiveness training from their powerlifting training, and they often trade top spots with westside in all these powerlifting comps. So that alone would tell you "westside" is not essential to success. Really, as beast says, most people make their own mixed bag out of the basic elements of strength training anyway. There is a rumor that westside is only for equipped lifting, and that is false. The "westside" boys were making good raw gains for years with this training, and the russian olympics lifts (where this all started) of course have not changed their rules significantly since lifting became an olympic event, and the oly lifts are not heavily equipped. But one could see that speed is essential for oly lifts. It's value for the slow powerlifts is debatable. Westside, I think, works well for the smaller guy who wants to blast up new weights (like me). I think the big boys might do better with a metal militia approach which abandons speed in favor of brute strength. But either way, you are going to be making your own way and your own choices. There really is no "westside routine" or "template", just ideas and choices. There is a sample newbie workout on the westside site, but it really is just a basic high school football workout.
That's probably my biggest complaint as a newbie. "Westside" reminds me of church; you have no idea whether or not you're just deluding yourself. If you do korte's 3x3, e.g., you will know where you stand. I often wonder if I'm doing anything or just logging workouts. Really, westside is not well practiced without a real strength coach. You can play a little without a coach and without a team, but you can't really train westside properly this way.
If you are not competing, do not have a coach, or do not have training partners, I would probably pass in favor of starr's 5x5 or korte's 3x3. If one of those things is true, and you press on with westside anyway (as I have), IMO it would be only be for intellectual curiousity, as meaningful results in these conditions will be small.
That's probably my biggest complaint as a newbie. "Westside" reminds me of church; you have no idea whether or not you're just deluding yourself. If you do korte's 3x3, e.g., you will know where you stand. I often wonder if I'm doing anything or just logging workouts. Really, westside is not well practiced without a real strength coach. You can play a little without a coach and without a team, but you can't really train westside properly this way.
If you are not competing, do not have a coach, or do not have training partners, I would probably pass in favor of starr's 5x5 or korte's 3x3. If one of those things is true, and you press on with westside anyway (as I have), IMO it would be only be for intellectual curiousity, as meaningful results in these conditions will be small.
JLA
New member
I think the elements of rotating me exercises and the dynamic/plyometric training are probably two of the most important.
One thing I like to add is more variation through periodization, for example two weeks of regular training, two weeks of overtraining, and a week or two of deloading (I'm simplifying it quite a bit)
One thing I like to add is more variation through periodization, for example two weeks of regular training, two weeks of overtraining, and a week or two of deloading (I'm simplifying it quite a bit)
C
curgeo
Guest
Nice post majutsu.
koala..goto the main weight training section and look at MADCOW"S 5x5 THREAD. It has an astonishing amount of information on there.
koala..goto the main weight training section and look at MADCOW"S 5x5 THREAD. It has an astonishing amount of information on there.
majutsu.. I know you say repution, max effort and explosiveness... but the main thing her is techniq... its how you lift it... and they use one of the best techniqs for benching, dead lifts and squatting.... Ive been using their system of lifting for 3 years or more... just by using their techniqs... i have no elbow, knee or back pains... and i lift real heavy.... my bench is 455lbs, squat is 705lbs with no knee wraps, and deadlift is 705lbs... and its all from techniq... ive been teaching people at the gym i go to... these techniqs... to people who have knee, back and elbow problems... and they all thank me cause they get no more pains from lifting... and their lifting heavier... so... i really think that westside bb system does work... just gotta work at you pace... let your ligaments and tendons get used to the weight before going up in weight... work at your own pace...
majutsu
Well-known member
sorry, future, didn't mean to imply it didn't work for me. It worked very well for me, especially my squat and dead (bench less so). I just think a lot of people don't get results for the reasons I said. I'm just very cautious of saying anything is best for all people. . .
