Westside Questions

[Tom Treutlein]

I understand you're supposed to rotate your max effort exercise every 3 weeks or so, but I don't workout at a gym. I workout at home, and that's my only option right now. I don't understand how to do a floor press, or a board press. How many boards would I use? How would I press from the floor without any type of rack?

Also, all the ancillary work is stuff you see at gyms. Pulldown ab crunches, GHRs, rack pulls.

I really want to gear towards strength in a couple weeks (post-HST) but I can't seem to get a solid Westside split going. Can everyone please help me out here? I'm trying to find other websites with example routines, but they're all shit.

 

[casualbb]

My personal opinion is that all that WSB exercise rotation isn't necessary. They'll tell you it's to bring up your weak points and that neural strength patterns will carry over to your target movements, and that's true. But I really think it's this shotgun effect. If you bring up strength on like three dozen movements, your bench, squat, and dead must go up, right?

If I did WSB, which I will in a year or so, I would find my weak points, pick at most 2 exercises to target those, and then just keep hitting the movements I want to improve. Quick quiz: which movement has the most carryover to a squat? Answer: squat.

Here's what I'd do:

My lower ME moves would be:
Olympic squat,
Deadlift

My lower DE moves would be:
Oly squat with bands,
GH raise (if you have one), or speed deads with bands

ME upper:
Bench, Weighted Pullups (cause I like them)

DE Upper:
Bench with bands, speed pullups

Auxiliary work to bring up weak points as you need to. Also keep in mind that board presses are not an essential part of the program. But tricep work is. Try CG bench or even french presses (aka JM presses)

That's two things to alternate each specific day. No fancy rotation, no need for boards or whatever.

 

[b fold the truth]

It is pretty clear from this post that you do not know a lot about the WSB methods.

My personal opinion is that all that WSB exercise rotation isn't necessary. They'll tell you it's to bring up your weak points and that neural strength patterns will carry over to your target movements, and that's true. But I really think it's this shotgun effect. If you bring up strength on like three dozen movements, your bench, squat, and dead must go up, right?

Exercise rotation is necessary as the athlete adapts quickly to certain exercises, especially if they are an advanced one.

If I did WSB, which I will in a year or so, I would find my weak points, pick at most 2 exercises to target those, and then just keep hitting the movements I want to improve.

I do agree with this a great deal and this IS what WSB is about. You are supposed to find the 2-3 exericses which help to bring up your weaknesses and keep them in your rotation. For me, those are basically chain suspended good mornings. They seem to work the BEST for me. I will do different stances, rep ranges, with and without bands, etc... To help my squat I've found that doing free GM's help a great deal as well.

Quick quiz: which movement has the most carryover to a squat? Answer: squat.

Wow...you didn't pass your own quiz here. If all it took for people to squat over 1,000 pounds was just squatting...they would just keep adding 5 pounds to the bar each week for a few years and they would be there. It doesn't happen that way at all and it takes many things to equal a BIG squat.

On another note...WSB is all about finding both the most effective and the most efficient exercise for your needs. This is why they box squat. The box squat builds the squat AND the deadlift...not just one or the other. The use of bands is also KEY to this. If you haven't used some serious band tension on box squats before...you will not understand how similar this actually feels to a deadlift as well.

Here's what I'd do:

My lower ME moves would be:
Olympic squat,
Deadlift

The Olympic squat is not going to build the power squat or the deadlift. You have not addressed any weaknesses either.

My lower DE moves would be:
Oly squat with bands,
GH raise (if you have one), or speed deads with bands

Again, you are not addressing any weaknesses or understanding the volume approach to bringing them up to par.

ME upper:
Bench, Weighted Pullups (cause I like them)

The bench press is not the best way to overload and increase the bench press. Adding to this, you are once again not working any weaknesses to the bench press. No triceps here, no rotator cuff work, not partial work, etc...

DE Upper:
Bench with bands, speed pullups

Still no weakness work at all.

Auxiliary work to bring up weak points as you need to. Also keep in mind that board presses are not an essential part of the program. But tricep work is. Try CG bench or even french presses (aka JM presses)

Everyone needs weak point work because everyone has weak points. Board presses ARE an essential part of a program for a BIG bench press. The board press IS also a good tricep exercise. Also...JM presses are not also known as French Presses. Have you done both JM and board presses before?

That's two things to alternate each specific day. No fancy rotation, no need for boards or whatever.

Sounds great...if you aren't really interested in a big bench, squat, or deadlift.

If you are interested in learning what WSB is all about...read EVERY article at www.elitefts.com and there are actually a lot of good people who train AT WSB who are members on www.totalelite.com.

B True

 

[casualbb]

Bfold, I think you misunderstand. Everything I've listed is my opinion.

ALso I listed olympic squat because that's the squat movement that's most important TO ME. This is the program the I plan on trying later. I'm listing it as an example of a WSB-ish program that doesn't necessitate a lot of gym accessories.

I understand much of it goes contrary to base WSB doctrine. I'm okay with that.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

I understand you're supposed to rotate your max effort exercise every 3 weeks or so, but I don't workout at a gym. I workout at home, and that's my only option right now. I don't understand how to do a floor press, or a board press. How many boards would I use? How would I press from the floor without any type of rack?

Also, all the ancillary work is stuff you see at gyms. Pulldown ab crunches, GHRs, rack pulls.

I really want to gear towards strength in a couple weeks (post-HST) but I can't seem to get a solid Westside split going. Can everyone please help me out here? I'm trying to find other websites with example routines, but they're all shit.

Wow B-good analysis..
TT here a page of links with routines..might see something you like!!
http://www.weighttrainersunited.com/routines.html

 

[b fold the truth]

Bfold, I think you misunderstand. Everything I've listed is my opinion.

ALso I listed olympic squat because that's the squat movement that's most important TO ME. This is the program the I plan on trying later. I'm listing it as an example of a WSB-ish program that doesn't necessitate a lot of gym accessories.

I understand much of it goes contrary to base WSB doctrine. I'm okay with that.

I fully understand that it was your opinion. About 90% or more of what I posted was not opinion though...it was fact for anyone concerned with getting stronger.

With serious training (especially when one is talking about putting up BIG numbers) opinions don't mean much. What WORKS does. One can not really have a full opinion about how WSB should work for them till they try it. For anyone new to WSB...I'd suggest reading EVERY article, training to the T as they suggest, and spending lots of time on www.totalelite.com and learning from some of the best out there.

Just my thoughts...

The info is out there if one is willing to search for it, read it, and do all they can to understand it and put it to use.

B True

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I'm reading the articles right now. There's a lot of them, but I have the next 24 hours with pretty much nothing to do. It's time for me to study, thanks everyone.

One more thing...The main thing I see is that despite all the strength work (which usually carries over to size) there seems to be a minimal amount of stress placed on the chest. Maybe I'm just being stupid, but would the chest grow much on this program? I can see how the limbs would, and the back. The chest just seems very neglected. I say that because I know the PL style of bench uses more tricep than anything.

 

[b fold the truth]

I'm reading the articles right now. There's a lot of them, but I have the next 24 hours with pretty much nothing to do. It's time for me to study, thanks everyone.

One more thing...The main thing I see is that despite all the strength work (which usually carries over to size) there seems to be a minimal amount of stress placed on the chest. Maybe I'm just being stupid, but would the chest grow much on this program? I can see how the limbs would, and the back. The chest just seems very neglected. I say that because I know the PL style of bench uses more tricep than anything.

If your "weakness" is lack of chest size...add in a size movement. I also do inclines in the training. Add and subtract to make it what works for YOU.

B True

 

[Debaser]

Wow...you didn't pass your own quiz here. If all it took for people to squat over 1,000 pounds was just squatting...they would just keep adding 5 pounds to the bar each week for a few years and they would be there. It doesn't happen that way at all and it takes many things to equal a BIG squat.

I would just like to respond to this point...if it doesn't happen this way then why are so many olympic lifters such great squatters, yet don't do a great deal more than actual squatting to bring up the lift?

 

[b fold the truth]

I would just like to respond to this point...if it doesn't happen this way then why are so many olympic lifters such great squatters, yet don't do a great deal more than actual squatting to bring up the lift?

Let me see...they do TONS of different things in the gym AND their goal isn't a BIG squat.

They do overhead squats, front squats, back squats, clean and jerks, snatches, and a MILLION other things.

When an Olympic Lifter decides to focus on the squat...they WILL do a lot more than JUST squat.

By your same rationale...all an Olympic Lifter would have to do to get better at the clean and jerk...is simply clean and jerk. All they would have to do to get better at the snatch...is simply snatch. That is NOT what they do though...they work their WEAKNESS to build those two exercises.

Still...find me a person who can squat a grand who doesn't work on their weakness.

B True