Max Effort Upper and Lower Body Days

[Papi93]

I will be working out four times a week. Two days for max effort lifts (strength) and two days for repetition lifts (hypertrophy). I have finished designing my max effort days. Later I will start a thread on my repetition days. Please critique my Monday and Tuesday workouts. Thanks.

Max Effort Upper Body (Monday)
Max Effort Lift - Work up to a max set of 3-5 reps = Bench Press
Supplemental Lift - 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps = Incline DB Press
Horizontal Row - 4 sets of 10-15 reps = Barbell Row
Rear Delt/Upper Back - 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps = Seated DB Cleans
Weighted Abdominal Exercise - 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps = Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches

Max Effort Lower Body (Tuesday)
Max Effort Lift - Work up to a max set of 5 reps = Box Squats
Unilateral Movement - 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps = Single-Leg Squats, Back-Leg Elevated
Hamstring/Posterior Chain Movement - 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps = Good Mornings
Grip Training - 3 sets of timed sets = Thick Bar Holds

[chest6]

I did exclusively box squats for more than 3 months. My normal squat went way down, much less than it was before even. I did 495 when I got to college, and could barely get 455 after not doing a normal squat in 3 months. Keep this in mind. Incorporate goodmornings..they really helped my squat. Don't forget deadlifts

[Papi93]

I did exclusively box squats for more than 3 months. My normal squat went way down, much less than it was before even. I did 495 when I got to college, and could barely get 455 after not doing a normal squat in 3 months. Keep this in mind. Incorporate goodmornings..they really helped my squat. Don't forget deadlifts

Thanks for the info. on the box squats Chest. I guess specificity came in to play for you. That really goes against Louie Simmons theory. I'm not going to compete in powerlifting so I use the box squat to measure squat depth and to ensure proper technique (sitting back in the movement).
Deadlifts and good mornings will be incorporated in my last two days of working out (Thursday and Friday). I still working on those two days. You couldn't have a modified Westside program without squats, bench pressing, deadlifting and good mornings .

[chest6]

Thanks for the info. on the box squats Chest. I guess specificity came in to play for you. That really goes against Louie Simmons theory. I'm not going to compete in powerlifting so I use the box squat to measure squat depth and to ensure proper technique (sitting back in the movement).
Deadlifts and good mornings will be incorporated in my last two days of working out (Thursday and Friday). I still working on those two days. You couldn't have a modified Westside program without squats, bench pressing, deadlifting and good mornings .

nope, sure couldnt. Yup, I read that most of the westside guys trained exclusively off the box except for competions. Well, it worked for awhile I hadn't done a normal before I did 495 in a month or two, I dont know what the difference was. It seemed like my normal squat was always about 120lbs more than my box. I hit 435 off the box, so I figured I could hit 555, but that wasnt the case

[Papi93]

nope, sure couldnt. Yup, I read that most of the westside guys trained exclusively off the box except for competions. Well, it worked for awhile I hadn't done a normal before I did 495 in a month or two, I dont know what the difference was. It seemed like my normal squat was always about 120lbs more than my box. I hit 435 off the box, so I figured I could hit 555, but that wasnt the case

How did you perform your box squats? Just curious.

[Bigpup101]

hey chest, how long did your normal squat stay down, when i switched from box to barbell i too lost significant strength in that exercise but after 2 weeks i went way beyond what i was squatting prior to box squats

[chest6]

hey chest, how long did your normal squat stay down, when i switched from box to barbell i too lost significant strength in that exercise but after 2 weeks i went way beyond what i was squatting prior to box squats

Well it is still down currently, reason being I am cutting and have significantly dropped the calories. Hopefully it will come way back up when I start hitting 4.5-5k clean calories.

How did you perform your box squats? Just curious.

wide stance, sack back etc, touched down, paused a count, hips came forward first. Made sure my knees didnt come inward, and up.

[Papi93]

Well it is still down currently, reason being I am cutting and have significantly dropped the calories. Hopefully it will come way back up when I start hitting 4.5-5k clean calories.


wide stance, sack back etc, touched down, paused a count, hips came forward first. Made sure my knees didnt come inward, and up.

Sack back . You were following Westside's recommendations. When you squat without a box, do you still pause at the bottom or do start the concentric right away?

[chest6]

I start the concentric right away. I did use to do pause squats, but I found those to be stressful on the knee joint.. completely stopping momentum without support such as a box/bench.

[Papi93]

I start the concentric right away. I did use to do pause squats, but I found those to be stressful on the knee joint.. completely stopping momentum without support such as a box/bench.

In powerlifting comps, I think that you need to pause for a moment. With the box squat, you paused for a momentum. This reduces momentum and that's why your numbers are smaller on the box squat. It has a high carryover for powerlifting but not when you have momentum factored into the equation. Your regular squat went down because you violated specificity.

[chest6]

I see what you are saying. I expected this to happen but I think it should return to normal when the cals increase. I am more focused on bb right now, I think my arms and legs are too long to be successful in powerlifting, but then again, it could be said for both.

[Papi93]

hey chest, how long did your normal squat stay down, when i switched from box to barbell i too lost significant strength in that exercise but after 2 weeks i went way beyond what i was squatting prior to box squats

After you plateau on an exercise, switch to a new and similar exercise. When you come back to the original, over time you will be stronger.

[chest6]

After you plateau on an exercise, switch to a new and similar exercise. When you come back to the original, over time you will be stronger.

I noticed this BOTH with tbar rows and bent over rows. The most I could bent over row for 8 was 245 before I stopped doing them and started with tbar rows. By the time I came back to bent over rows, my strength had greatly increased for that exercise.

[Papi93]

I noticed this BOTH with tbar rows and bent over rows. The most I could bent over row for 8 was 245 before I stopped doing them and started with tbar rows. By the time I came back to bent over rows, my strength had greatly increased for that exercise.

It will also challenge your nervous system. You are performing a new exercise so your neuromuscular coordination will be challenged and your muscles will have to work harder (bodybuilders like to call this shocking your muscles).

[chest6]

Yup, right now I have been doing bent over rows and I have taken a break from tbars. I do not plan on coming back stronger for tbars but it will still be a good "shock"