Huge Presser's Westside Barbell Progress

[cdog]

Hey bro those rows are looking great .Just keep rowing and rowing and you back and bis will be strong as well as huge . You had a good workout today nice job ..I look forward to your ME day ..............CDOG

[Huge Presser]

Thanks bro. The thing is all my friends can hardly rep 115 two times on rows so they think MY rows are sick. Also I know a lot of guys who bench in our "range"... about 300-325, most of these guys only do BB rows with 135 for sets of 6. I don't see how the fuck you're so damn strong at these!!! Arrg I need to work harder .

ME day is Saturday... going to go for a max Decline press. My old max is 300 exactly, which I did right before I started my cycle. So I'll hope for around 335 on Saturday. Wish me luck!

HP

[cdog]

I dont know why Im as strong as Iam on rows .I do alot of them and thats the only thing I can think of ?? Maybe it all these years of roofing LOL....CDOG

[Juggernaut]

Good luck on the decline press this Saturday Huge Presser. I've been following yours and Cdog's threads. You both have me wanting to hit this program when I get clearance to workout again.

[Huge Presser]

Juggernaut, are you currently injured?

HP

[BigGreen]

HP, I don't mean to hijack your thread or bog it down, but it's become clear in only a few days that this thread is going to get a lot of hits from guys looking to do this for the first time (as should be the case when you take the time to do this up). Seeing as how that's most likely going to be the case, I just wanted to tack on three quick reads appropriately titled "Beginner's Mistakes" (applying, of course, to the WB program). If you don't want them watering this thread down, let me know and i'll remove them and move them to a thread all their own, but I think that would dissapear to the bottom in time while this will keep a full head of steam.

[BigGreen]

Beginner Mistakes - Part I: Max Effort Progression
By Jim Wendler, Elite Fitness Systems

When I first started training using the Westside methods, I would often end my max effort exercise and feel like I didn’t do anything. Sure, I maxed out and strained, but I never felt like I did that much. Now that I am stronger, max effort days are extremely hard and painful. I hadn’t thought about this phenomenon until recently when Dave Tate and I talked one night after a seminar. We were talking about our training logs and how they would influence people. I had mentioned that many times on a max effort day, I would perform the core exercise, one other exercise and leave. I was unsure if this was the correct message to send the younger lifter. He quickly pointed out that because of my present strength level I had done a quite a bit of work on the core exercise. Even though I worked up to a 1RM, the total amount of weight lifted was large and what was needed to bring up my strength. He had me grab a piece of paper and told me to write down what I did for my max effort bench day.

3 Board Press (straight weight)

2 sets of 5 repetitions @ 45lbs
2x5 @ 95
2x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 185
1x3 @ 225
1x3 @ 275
1x3 @ 315
1x3 @ 365
1x1 @ 405
1x1 @ 455
1x1 @ 495
1x1 @ 525
1x1 @ 550

Dave then told me to add up the total weight that I lifted that day. This amounted to 9645lbs. Three lifts were done over 90% of my max.

He then mentioned that too many times a younger, weaker lifter will make huge jumps between attempts and thus the total amount of weight lifted is significantly reduced. Here is a sample workout of what I would use to do.

3 Board Press (straight weight, previous personal record was 355lbs)

135x3
185x3
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1

The total amount of weight lifted is 2140lbs with only one lift over 90%. This is a far cry from what I am doing now. Of course my current strength level will dictate that I will lift more weight during a session. But how could I have increased my volume on the max effort day without sacrificing strength? Here is what I should have done.

2x5 @ 45
2x5 @ 95
1x3 @ 135
1x3 @ 175
1x3 @ 205
1x3 @ 235
1x1 @ 265
1x1 @ 295
1x1 @ 325
1x1 @ 345
1x1 @ 365

This now equals 5955lbs with three lifts in the 90+% range. This is over 2 ½ times the weight lifted from the previous example. This is a great way for a beginner to increase his strength and work capacity. These smaller jumps were less than 10% of my 1RM. In the first example, I would jump 40 or 50lbs between sets. This represents a 15% jump. If I were to do that now it would be over 80lbs between attempts. There is no way I could do that, so why should I expect a beginner to handle that? I made this mistake and I suspect that many other young lifters are doing it now. Take smaller jumps and make bigger gains.

[BigGreen]

Beginner Mistakes, Part II: The Dynamic Bench Press
By Jim Wendler, Elite Fitness Systems

Having coached for several years and after attending several Force Training seminars, I see the same problems on dynamic bench day no matter where I am. These problems aren't always reserved for the beginner; I seem to make some of these same mistakes and have to take a step back and re-evaluate. Let us first take a look at the general parameters on this day so that we are all on the same page.

1. Perform 8 sets of 3 repetitions at given percentage. (see below for percentages)
2. Rest periods between sets falls between 45-60 seconds.
3. Use three different grips; all grips should be inside the power rings.
4. The bar must be pushed with compensatory acceleration. This means that the concentric, or raising, portion of the lift must be done explosively.
5. The bar must be lowered quickly, but under control. Remember that the faster the bar comes down, the faster it comes up.
6. Your form must be perfect on each rep. See Dave Tate's article "How to Bench Press 600" in the articles section at EliteFTS.com for more information on correct bench press form.
7. The bar weight remains the same throughout the training cycle. This is referred to as a smooth wave. It does not wave like the dynamic squat. Once you find the correct bar weight, stick with it.

Here are the percentages used on this day. Estimate which category you fall into and start with that percentage. Adjust from there.

Beginner - 60%
Intermediate - 55%
Advanced - 50%

Note: This percentage changes when using bands. This will be addressed below.

Let's examine the most common mistakes that are seen on this day and what you can do to correct them or avoid them.

1. Training too heavy

This is probably the biggest mistake that is being made. Most of it has to do with ego and gym machismo. Let your competition bench do the talking and let the critics laugh during your workout. One of the best ways to know if you are training too heavy on dynamic day is if your max effort work is not going well. This does not mean that once you have 1 or 2 bad max effort days to immediately change your bar weight. But if it becomes a trend, it may be time to back off. Another great way to see how fast a bar should move is to watch Westside Barbell's Reactive Method video. It has great footage of a dynamic bench workout and you will have a better idea of what kind of bar speed is needed.

2. Your back comes off the bench

I hear this all the time. It's almost like the people are bragging as if to say, "Look how explosive I am! I can lift myself off the bench." Unfortunately, this just means that your form is terrible. You should push yourself through the bench, not push the bar away from you. Your upper back and lats must be driven into the bench. You cannot do this if you are constantly throwing yourself off of the bench.

3. Improper set up/use of chains and bands

First, let me say that the new wave of "geniuses" in the strength training world have finally embraced using chains. Unfortunately, they know nothing about lifting, why the chains are supposed to work and the whole concept of accommodating resistance. If they did then they could easily see that the set up that they sell is, and I am putting this kindly, retarded. There must be a total deload at the bottom portion of the lift. This can only be done if all or most of the 5/8 inch chain is on the floor. Simply attaching the large chain to the bar ensures that about 5 links (probably 5lbs) is being deloaded. See the exercise index at EliteFTS.com for a better understanding on how to set up chains. When using bands the set up must be done correctly. There must be tension at the bottom of the lift and mini-bands should be used. Again, see the exercise index for information and pictures on how to correctly set up the bands.

When using the bands you must account for the tension at the bottom of the lift. This is unlike chains. Remember that when using chains, there is a deload at the bottom of the lift thus the bar weight should remain the same. But with bands, there is tension at the bottom of the lift and this must be accounted for. You can save yourself some time and headaches by not measuring the tension but by performing some simple math and coaching. If you loop the mini-band correctly around one dumbbell, estimate that there is 30lbs of tension at the bottom of the lift. Take your bar weight and subtract 30lbs. This is the weight you should use for your sets. If the weight is moving too slowly, take some weight off of the bar. It's that simple.

Another big mistake that I see and read about is the use of bands and chains on this day. Many times people want to use bands during every workout. This can be tough on the shoulders, chest and elbows. There are many ways to use bands. Here are a few examples;

3 weeks bands/ 3 weeks chains
3 weeks bands/ 3 weeks straight weight (this means no chains or bands on the bar)
1 week bands/ 1 week chains or straight weight

There are numerous combinations. Those listed above are some of the most popular. You have to decide what is best for you.

4. Using time as your guideline

Too many times people use the "3 second rule" as if it were written in stone. For those that don't know, Louie Simmons timed competition bench presses and they were all around 3 seconds or slightly above. Louie knew that explosive strength is best developed around 60% of one's max. Louie timed his lifters at 60% and found out that they could perform 3 reps in about 3 seconds. This is why 3 reps are used on this day. Unfortunately, too many lifters want to rush their reps to fall within this time frame. This leads to reps that are not locked out, sloppy form and a complete waste of time. Remember that time, like the percentages, is a guideline. If I feel as if I am rushing through my reps, I will remind myself to perform each rep independently. I will also make sure to tell my training partners to remind me as I prepare to do my set and during my set. This always leads to better form and better speed.

5. Lack of understanding and importance

Of all the days in the training template, I feel that this day is the most overlooked. I have told the following story several times, but I feel that it is worth mentioning again. One Sunday, I was lifting with Dave in London, Ohio and after our dynamic bench presses we moved into lockouts. For the record, Dave's best bench press is 605 and mine is 575. We moved to high pin lockouts and started with 315. After my set, we moved to 365 and Dave started to psyche himself up. At first I thought he was joking, and laughed at him. He stared back at me, grabbed the bar and proceeded to grind out 3 reps. I think he ended up doing 455 for 2 reps and burst every blood vessel in his face in the process. I moved to doing 500 for two easy sets of 3 reps. So how did he bench 605 and but can barely lockout 450? It has to do with bar speed. Without that component, Dave would have never come close to bench pressing over 600lbs.

Before you start each workout, whether it be a max effort, dynamic or extra workout, ask yourself why you are doing it. Have a clear understanding of why you are doing what you are doing. If you cannot answer the question, do some reading and you'd be surprised how much better your training will become.

These five mistakes are the most common that I see and receive questions about. I hope that this article answers some of your questions and that you can better your training and your total. If you have anymore questions see the FAQ or ask the Q/A staff at EliteFTS.com. Be sure to check out the exercise index and other articles to help with your training questions.

[BigGreen]

Beginner Mistakes, Part III: Have a Plan
By Jim Wendler
EliteFTS.com

Recently I had the opportunity to talk to a group of powerlifters that were preparing for a meet. This meet was about 7 weeks away and I asked them what their current dynamic squat cycle was and what kind of band tension and bar weight that they were using. The group stared at me like I had a third eye and a stalk of unsightly nose hairs. They told me that they just put whatever band on the bar they felt like using and worked up to a weight that they felt was appropriate. Now these guys were not beginners and should have known better. Furthermore, they had a meet in less than two months. I could not understand why they didn’t have their squat training planned out or even a general idea of what kind of weight they used during their training.

Many times I see people read an article and immediately try to apply the newest idea or exercise into their training with little regard to why or how it would work for them. For example, when Westside Barbell began using the Safety Squat Bar during dynamic effort squat training how many people ditched their current routine and jumped on this new trend? I would be guessing that many people started doing this and also started doing Lactic Acid Tolerance training. I believe that both of these methods have merit but only when done at the appropriate time.

I will be the first to admit that many times through a training cycle I have changed things, especially with my squat training. But these changes were not drastic and many times they were due to a nagging injury. I adjusted accordingly and put together a new plan. Before every single workout, I map out a list of exercises, sets and reps and try to stick to it. For example, after my dynamic bench training, I always do some kind of heavy triceps work. I may do 4 board press, 5 board press with bands, or lockouts. I don’t always plan the exact exercise, but I know that I will do something to improve my lockout.

Here are 10 things that will help you plan your workouts and help keep you focused throughout your training cycle.

1. Set a date. Whether it be a meet or a testing day make sure you have a date in which to test your training, your exercise selection and your overall program.
2. Set goals. Write down these goals and have them around so you understand what you are training for. You should also have a list of daily goals for the training session.
3. Write down a general template for your training. For example, if your meet is 16 weeks away you may perform 4 weeks of Safety Bar Squats, 4 weeks of chains and an 8 week cycle using bands.
4. Examine your weak points. Find out where you are weak and pick exercises that you believe can help you.
5. Build on your strengths. Don’t neglect what got you strong in the first place.
6. Keep a record. If you reach your goals or exceed them, a record will allow you to see what you did correctly. On the other hand, if you did not reach your goals, this record will serve as a reminder of what needs to be altered for your next training cycle.
7. Understand your training age. If you’ve been training for 2 or 3 years, you probably don’t need a circa-maximal phase. Don’t attempt training cycles that are above your training level.
8. Be ready to change. I know this goes against what I’m preaching in this article, but sometimes the best plan goes awry. When this happens, look at your goals and try to figure out how you can reach them despite the obstacles in your path. Before my last meet, I managed to slightly injure my pec. In order to get around this and continue training, I began performing all of my maximal effort work with my shirt and my dynamic work with either a one-board or with the floor press.
9. Individualize. If you need more work in your bench shirt then you may need to practice using it every other week.
10. Have patience. Understand that training and knowledge takes time. When beginning a new training style, not everyone will make incredible gains their first cycle or even their first year. Look at your training as a multi-year process and have a clear picture of where you want to be. This will help you to take smaller steps, with less frustration, and allow you to grow. Think of your goals as being a large boulder that needs to broken down. If you try to take a sledgehammer and take violent swings, you’ll do nothing but tire yourself out and the boulder will remain unbroken. Now if you take a hammer and take a methodical approach, you’ll eventually break the boulder down without burning out and without tiring yourself out.

[Huge Presser]

Big Green, much thanks for your help. I love reading elitefits articles.

I'm confident as hell right now and ready to smoke up a big new decline max BP on Sat. Hopin to broke my old max (300 even) but at least 30 lbs!!! Wish me luck!

Once again thanks for putting those up. Quite interesting reads...

(DE squat, 8-21-03)
Squat: 185*3*2, 195*3*2, 205*3*2
GM's: 3*8
Back Ex: 3*12
Quad extensions: 3*8
Glute/hams: 3*8
Calves: 3*10 holds on top

Good luck to everyone.

HP

[Juggernaut]

Yes, Huge, I'm still forbidden to lift weights due to my neck surgery. It's been 71 days, 12 hours and 3 mins since I last lifted but who's counting. Doc gave me clearance to start back doing some serious cardio so I'm doing cardio twice a day five days a week to drop as much fat so that when I see him next time (9/18) I hope he'll say I can go back to lifting. Odd huh, most people complain about having to exercise yet for us it's so much a part of our lives that we can't stand to go without it. Sorry to be so long winded. Excellent work bro.....keep me inspired!

[Huge Presser]

The best wishes from over here, of course. I don't think I would be able to go without lifting for 10 weeks, you've got strength to be able to listen to those who know what's best. Keep us posted when you get back!

HP

[Huge Presser]

Wow, what a day. I've been having some sleeping problems as of late. The fact that I'm back in school again and waking up early has really thrown me off... I don't know how to explain this, but the only thing I've had the will to do is watch TV and lift, I hardly have eaten in the past 4 days. It shows too. Woke up this morning, and realized how small I suddenly looked, in my arms, chest, etc. My pecs were still sore from my workout on Wednesday, my elbow was giving out wierd little pains when I bent it, so I knew it going to be a fucked up workout. Boy it was. Hit the decline max, at the lowest bodyweight I've been since June...

I was saying before how I was going to shoot for 335, but in all honesty, 360 was my goal for today. I figure if I'm benching 320+, my Decline press should be well over 350, if you use the proportion of decline/flat bench I've had since I started doing both. Sadly, here's how it went:

135*5
185*5
225*5...surprisingly heavy
245*3
275*1...felt like 300+ when I lifted it off, but it went up like smoke.
305*1... easy
325*1 easy
340*1 slowin down a bit
350*miss

I couldn't finish my workout after that, my pecs were so sore and I just didn't feel right. I did some pullups and left. What a horrible day. But I deserved it. I'm going to get my act together soon hopefully and we will see if I can make a comeback. I figure if I can get my scrawny ass back up to 160 I should be hittin 320 again soon enough. Four days of rest and we will see.

HP

[cdog]

You need to pump the brakes bro .....You dont want to get overtrained and sick ! If your off for 4 days this will do you some good .And if you dont feel great in 4 days wait longer .Force that food down and supps and youll come back blastin just dont over do it .I can tell you this I overtrain all the time and Im ok with that cause I know thats when I ve gone to the limit and now its time to rest for a week or 2 ,sometimes 2 weeks off relly helps me alot .Anyways you got alot of things going on mentaly also with school starting and all... If was you I would just take that time off and pull it together .You know your strong already so just rest up and youll be fine ...........CDOG

[Huge Presser]

You need to pump the brakes bro .....You dont want to get overtrained and sick ! If your off for 4 days this will do you some good .And if you dont feel great in 4 days wait longer .Force that food down and supps and youll come back blastin just dont over do it .I can tell you this I overtrain all the time and Im ok with that cause I know thats when I ve gone to the limit and now its time to rest for a week or 2 ,sometimes 2 weeks off relly helps me alot .Anyways you got alot of things going on mentaly also with school starting and all... If was you I would just take that time off and pull it together .You know your strong already so just rest up and youll be fine ...........CDOG

Thanks for the support cdog. I know we all have to go through shit workouts sometimes, and it sucks, but in the end you know it's gonna be ok. I really need to get out and go to the store to pick up the food I'm gonna need for this week to start my diet, but I just can't. I feel like I'm gonna throw up all over the place, and I have a nauseating headache. I'm still only weighing in at 158.5... argg this sucks, but there is some good news, I did have a good workout. Here's what I did:

Kneeling squat:
45*5
95*5
135*5 man these things are heavy!
185*3
225*1
245*1
275*1... had about 10 more left in me but I stopped cuz my elbow sucks

Then just for the hell of it:
Regular squat (deep!):
275*1, 325*1, 375*1, all easy. Felt great to hit 2.35x my weight after doing all the other shit already, and with the given conditions I was proud at how fast it went up.
Good mornings: 135*8, 145*8, 165*8... definately getting stronger at these!
Leg press: 730*3*8
Glute/hams: 3*8
Calves: 3*10 holds on top

OK I'm gonna go take a fatass shit and eat. Hopefully I don't have that west nile virus shit that everyone's been coming down with in Colorado. Fuck it I'm gonna take a nap.
Peace and good luck to everyone!!!

HP

[Huge Presser]

My official diet, starts tomorrow:

DIET (UNTIL OCTOBER 15TH, THEN REVAMP)

ON WORKOUT DAYS:

Meal 1… 6:30 am (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
2 scrambled eggs (140,2,14,8)
3 oz ham in eggs (60,1,12,2)
2 whole wheat slices of toast (120,22,4,2)
1 banana (105,27,1,1)
3 cups milk (300,36,24,7.5)
TOTAL: 725, 88, 55, 20.5

Meal 2… 9:00 am (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
1 “Protein Plus” protein bar (290,38,24,5)
1 “Naked Fruit Juice” protein shake (420,54,34,3.5)
1 banana (105,27,1,1)
TOTAL: 815, 119, 59, 9.5

Meal 3… 11:30 am (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
1 chicken breast pita (551,61,41,15)
1 apple (80,21,0,0)
TOTAL: 631,82,41,15)
(On weekends, instead eat 6oz turkey, 4 cups milk, 2 bannas, total: 745,102, 85, 14)

Meal 4… 3:00 pm (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
2 bananas (210,54,2,2)
1 “Red Bull” energy drink (10,3,1,0)
TOTAL: 220, 57, 3, 2

Meal 5… 5:00 (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
Whey protein shake (101,5,18,1)
2 cups milk (200,24,16,5)
Soy protein shake (110,0,24,1)
2 cups OJ (225,48,3,0)
1 boiled egg (70,1,6,4)
TOTAL: 706, 83, 67, 11

Meal 6… 6:00 (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
6oz chicken (240,0,48,4)
OR 6oz steak: (340,0,52,12)
1 cup veggies (50,10,6,0)
1 cup strawberries (20,5,0,0)
2 cups milk (200,24,16,5)
TOTAL (Chicken): 510, 39, 70, 9
TOTAL (Steak): 610, 39, 78, 17

Meal 7… 9:00 (cals,carbs,pro,fat)
Whey protein shake (101,5,18,1)
2 cups milk (200,24,16,5)
1 “Protein Plus” Powerbar (290,38,24,5)
TOTAL: 591, 67, 58, 11

TOTAL FOR THE DAY (Chicken): 4,198, 535, 353, 86
TOTAL FOR THE DAY (Steak): 4,198, 535, 361, 94
TOTAL FOR THE DAY ON WEEKENDS: 4,312, 555, 397-407, 85-93

-With at least one and a half gallons of water per day
-9g of extra amino acid supplementation daily

[BigGreen]

Good to see you've built in some rotating variety, i think a lot of people hit a wall when they don't allot for the fact you get damn sick of the same foods over and over again. What I'll often do is have two or three breakfast protein sources (A,B, and C) and four or five breakfast car sources (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). From there, as with all meals, I'll just build one for Monday along the lines of B1, for tuesday B3, for Wed, C5...so on and so on. That way it's strict but I'm given at least the illusion of some insane variety.

[lilbull]

can you give us some examples of these meals BG? I'm hitting a wall with my diet I need some things to spice it up.

[BigGreen]

can you give us some examples of these meals BG? I'm hitting a wall with my diet I need some things to spice it up.

Tonight or tomorrow I'll be starting my year-long diary project and one of the first posts will be the entirety of all the food that is allowed to pass my lips over the 365 days (every saturday will allow a cheat meal and every other saturday will allow for two or three while bulking...but cheat these days is increasingly meaning columbo yogurt and a burger on a whole wheat bun or homemade pizza using whole wheat crust, low fat cheese and chicken as a topping...so "cheat" is used somewhat loosely).

[cdog]

Hey where you been bra??? Are you taking sometime off? Hope all is well CDOG