Westside Routine for a newbie...

[Tom Treutlein]

Trying to get a friend of mine set up with a Westside routine. He's not a newbie entirely, but more ready to make the transition between a newbie and intermediate lifter, so I decreased the volume of the standard Westside routines that I've seen (6-8 sets of 8-12 reps was ridiculous anyhow!).

Let me know if this looks like a viable method...

Monday (ME Squat/Deadlift)
Good Morning 1-3 Reps
Straightleg Deadlift 3x6-8
Decline Crunch 4x5-8
Hyper Extensions 2x10-12
Barbell Curl 2x5-8
Dumbbell Shrugs 2x8-12

Wednesday (ME Bench)
CG Incline Bench Press 1-3 Reps
Skull Crushers 3x8-15
Bentover Row 2x6-10
Lateral Raise 3x8-15
External Rotation 2x10-12
Heel Raise 2x8-12

Friday (DE Squat/Deadlift)
Box Squat 8x2
Straightleg Deadlift 3x6-8
Leg Raises 3x8-14
Hyper Extensions 2x10-12
Hammer Curl 2x8-12
Dumbbell Shrugs 2x8-12

Sunday (DE Bench)
Speed Bench 8x3
Closegrip Bench Press 3x5-8
Shoulder-Width Pullup 3x2-6
Military Press 2x10-12
External Rotation 2x10-12
Heel Raise 2x8-12

No ancillary work taken to failure, that's why there are such large rep ranges. It will allow him to get a feel for everything and avoid failure, while being able to land in a nice rep range.

 

[Illuminati]

Trying to get a friend of mine set up with a Westside routine. He's not a newbie entirely, but more ready to make the transition between a newbie and intermediate lifter, so I decreased the volume of the standard Westside routines that I've seen (6-8 sets of 8-12 reps was ridiculous anyhow!).

Let me know if this looks like a viable method...

Monday (ME Squat/Deadlift)
Good Morning 1-3 Reps
Straightleg Deadlift 3x6-8
Decline Crunch 4x5-8
Hyper Extensions 2x10-12
Barbell Curl 2x5-8
Dumbbell Shrugs 2x8-12

Wednesday (ME Bench)
CG Incline Bench Press 1-3 Reps
Skull Crushers 3x8-15
Bentover Row 2x6-10
Lateral Raise 3x8-15
External Rotation 2x10-12
Heel Raise 2x8-12

Friday (DE Squat/Deadlift)
Box Squat 8x2
Straightleg Deadlift 3x6-8
Leg Raises 3x8-14
Hyper Extensions 2x10-12
Hammer Curl 2x8-12
Dumbbell Shrugs 2x8-12

Sunday (DE Bench)
Speed Bench 8x3
Closegrip Bench Press 3x5-8
Shoulder-Width Pullup 3x2-6
Military Press 2x10-12
External Rotation 2x10-12
Heel Raise 2x8-12

No ancillary work taken to failure, that's why there are such large rep ranges. It will allow him to get a feel for everything and avoid failure, while being able to land in a nice rep range.

the only thing that should be taken to failure is the ME movements. if your friend has never done good mornings before, i would advise that the GM not be his ME movement until he gets his form down. i say this, simply because there is a big difference between doing a GM with light weight and high reps, and then loading the bar up and going heavy. if you do the movement wrong, you can hurt your back pretty bad. i would also suggest that the first time the GM is used as a ME movement, to only work up to a 3RM.
also, be sure to have him rotate the ME movements on both the ME bench and ME squat/deadlift days.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Yep, every fourth week he'll have a new ME exercise for the squat/deadlift and bench combo.

As I said, no ancillary work to failure: only ME stuff.

Good call on only going to 3 RM and getting form down first - those can be a dangerous exercise. Even I'm weary of such high loads with 'em!

I guess everything else is in order, then. Let's do it!