Westside Journal 2.5

[2.5 Years]

After some tinkering I'm starting WSB training - following a "standard" routine (common as I've seen so far) at first and will make adjustments from time to time.

Attempting to do everything without a belt or straps but feel there may be a times when necessary - as seen below with military press.

A big key to this as I see it at the present time is that I essentinally have 5 days a week to workout M-F - the weekends are very difficult for me to get to the gym so I will most likely not be able to give the expected 72 hrs between certain lifts which may hurt but we'll see how it goes.

Format:
weight (lbs) x sets x reps


Monday 4/3/06

Speed Bench
warmups
185 x 8 x 3
- already mess this up - my max is probably at 300 so I should have been around 155 - really wasn't too difficult though - about 30 sec breaks - with illuminati's advice I was able to actually take a closer look at my bench and focus on keeping the elbows a little closer in on the decent

Close Grip BP
warmups
225 x 5 x 2
- easy

BB rows
225 x 8 x 3
- messed this up too - should have been 3 sets of 8 - waited about 1 min between, not too difficult

Military Press
135 x 8 x 12
- not too bad but there was a quiver in my back I was not comfortable with - considering belt next time


Feel fine overall, looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[silver_shadow]

typically monday is ME lower body, wed is ME upper body, fri is DE lower body and sun is DE upper body... not that it has to be that way, but since i noticed the difference, i had to ask how exactly your layout is.

 

[Chambewy20]

Nothing says you have to do all 4 in a week, the importance is getting a schedule and maintaining it. Nothing wrong, if you can only go M-W-F waiting until the next monday to finish that cycle, just don't skip or pass on a workout.

Don't worry about percentages, most 1RM are taken from the shirt max and all speed stuff is raw, if you've never used a shirt then go with what you feel like, if your fast enough with 185 instead of 150 go with 185.

Don't worry about set numbers and reps, you'll get it eventually and will be adding volume or movements as your work capacity increases. Maybe go 45-60 secs between reps on speed bench and for the rest of the work out try only to take 60 second rests between sets, take a little longer between exercises, you have to set up the stuff, stare at girls and wait for a$$holes at the water fountain to fill their 12 ounce bottles anyways...

 

[2.5 Years]

Thanks Shadow and Chamb - just really tight on schedule so the weekends are tough.

This philosophy of lifting is so much looser than some other things I've tried that it's still hard to get a total grasp on how it works - especially since I finished a 5x5 a little while back which seems ot be a little more regulated (and works too!).



Tuesday 4/3/06

ME Squat/DL

Squat
Triples: 135, 225, 245, 275
Singles: 315, 345, 355, 365
- 365 was a little tough and I felt a little left-hip pain (flexor) from an injury from last year so I have to keep an eye on that - overall not bad though and I found it sort of easy since they were for only sets of 1 and not 3 to 5

Arched Back Good Mornings
4 x 5 95, 135, 185, 185
- just learning these

Pullups
BW 11 (wide grip), 10 (mid grip), 6 (narrow)
- could not believe the drop off in these from mid to narrow - hoping the previous exercises were what took it out of me

Hanging knee raises
3 x 15


In regards to Westside I'm still confused as to why it seems like one can whip through these workouts much faster than a 5x5 (obviously it's less reps) - it just seems as if you should be in the gym a bit longer - I'm used to at least and 1:15 but today and yesterday I'm in and out in 1 hr.

 

[2.5 Years]

PUMPED!!!

This is what happened today:


Thursday 4/6/06

ME Bench

Flat Bench
warmup
Triples: 255, 265, 275
Singles: 285 (PR), 295 (PR), 300(BIG PR)
- FINALLY confirmation that I'm on the right path - tried 305 and my spotter said he added about 1% to the lift but I still count that as failure. I really concentrated on making as accurate a form as possible based on Ilum's advice, Westside articles, and some other benching advice on the web - it really seemed to help as I practiced yesterday quite a bit and for the first time today I was able to bring the weight down with elbows closer to my ribs, try to bring my shoulder blades together, and drive through my legs/feet - the weight felt much different and I caught a glimpse of the technique - really cool stuff for someone that hasn't felt that before and allowed for a few PR's and establish once and for all what my current max is so now I can build.

Incline DB Press
1x8 65
1x8 75
1x5 95
- obviously started too low and ended too high

DB rows (1 arm)
1x8 100
1x8 110
- easy - nothing big here and 110 is the highest db weight available

Tri push - cable
3x8 max weight available
- cannot recall what max weight - 120 maybe

Cleans
3x8 135
- easy

Did not have time to get to board presses.
Getting a better idea as to how this theory works everytime I try it - it is almost like pyramiding like the 5x5 because your weights should be going up on your DE mad ME each week - I do like the variety you can do and the idea of doing different exercises to improve on competition lifts.

I'm not sure if the program I'm running is "correct" in the sense that I should be doing different and more or less exercises to improve but I assume that is part of learning about what your weaknesses and strengths are and you build your "routine" off of that and adjust when necessary.

Guinness 5.0 thanks so much for posting your journal, it has been a great guide.

Thanks

 

[2.5 Years]

Friday 4/7/06

DE Squat/DL

Speed box Squats
warmup
10x2 200
- 1 min or less rest - very odd as this is the first time doing them - got better and beter and was surprised at how it was a little harder than I thought and had to try not to roll my back on the way up. They weren't very speedy as I went all the way down, sat on the box for at least a second and then tried to explode up


Speed DL
8x1 225
- very easy - noticed a few small form inconsistencies but did not get much out of it and felt like I wasted a little time

Romanian DL
4x8 135, 205, 225, 235
- very easy and was only going to do 2 light sets but it felt so good to stretch out the hams and lower back

That was about it - ran out of time - did one quick set of 5 mid pullups. During the whole time in the gym I had to listen to one obnoxious tool talk loudly with another guy about work (small gym area) - inbetween talking he actually did a little work. Him and his buddy were doing flat bench and he started with 315 for one rep which he managed to lower to his chest all by himself but his buddy had to help him with it on the way up. Then in the next 20 mins he finished 3 sets of 225 for 8 reps each. After the last set he got up and flexed at his buddy and was quite proud of what he'd done - of course he was at least 6'3 and 280 lbs. - mostly fat.

Combine all of that with the fact my hip issue (it may actually be a groin pull I'm still figuring it out) I was a little irratable today.