Retiring Deadlift...

[*Narkissos*]

As most of you may know.. i started cutting for Nationals recently. This year i want to pull out all the stops. I usually come in shredded.. but i want to take it to another level this year. I've never hit the stage with striated glutes.. striated everything else.. but glutes have always escaped me.

Ok.. babble babble.

I'll get to the point.

This is the first time i've done deadlifts for a whole year straight. Usually i just cycle 'em in and out of my training cycle.

My back and legs have always been strong points.. but i feel the deadlifts have really improved my lower back

Example: This is me about two months back at 209-212 lbs [offseason]:



Usually when i cut i don't take it to any extremes.
i.e. my caloric intake is moderate (i.e. neither high nor 'low') til the last couple weeks of the prep.. then it goes ultra-restrictive.

This year however i plan on being ultra-restrictive from 14 weeks out till 1 week out.

Usually i see no loss in strength while cutting... but i know i will during this quest for striated glutes

Tonight i did deadlifts.. pulled 505 for 3 reps.

Normally i pull 545 for 3 reps.. and rep out at 505.

I'm at the start of my prep.. and my strength is regressing already.

I don't think the exercise will be as functional (for maintenance at least) if the weight decreases.. as it will.

So i plan on dropping the deadlift for the next 14 weeks.

My question.. the main question:

Will i lose a lot of back musculature if i don't deadlift for that time?

Will hyper-extensions etc. help maintain that musculature?

All Opinions appreciated.. the more experienced (with cutting) the better.

Thanks

Narkissos

[Undecided09]

Can't answer ur question Nark, but a tid bit of info I got from a video is...My fav BBer Johnnie Jackson, whose back is sick as we all know, said that he drops deadlifts precontest as well, take it as you will, but he does the same...

[JohnboyF]

Hey Nark I'm No expert but i do know a bodybuilder in my gym who does not deadlift during precontest just stick to back hyper extensions with weights. He told me to do this, he does them as well take a weight usually 35 does 1 set till fail rest for 25 seconds then Increases the weight goes till fail again. and Repeated for one last set.

Side note ( if your cutting deadlifts what about adding GM's?)

[*Narkissos*]

Side note ( if your cutting deadlifts what about adding GM's?)

GM's don't 'work' for me.

Thanks tho

bump!

[Timm1704]

i wouldnt see any logical reason as to why stopping doing deadlifts, but still doing other exercises for all the muscle groups involved in a deadlift, would result in any loss of size. but, id be wondering the same. pre-contest its all about fine-tuning i imagine, and stopping deadlifts wont likely lead to a less muscular back

[Doc.Sust]

nark,
as you may know, the deadlift is my specialty, i take great pride in it and i am glad you now see how gr8 the lift is for not only strength, but size as well,

14 wks off from the deadlift will not hurt your size, it may hurt you strength if you do nothing for your lower back in that itme though, i know alot of lifters who use alternative methods of traing the deadlift without actually deadlifting in the gym(westside barbell approach) my recomendations are instead of going balls out on regular deads, and since GMorn are not an option the choice would be stiff leg deads off of a 2 inch block or a plate,, weighted hyperextensions(not the best choice but it is better than nothing) glute ham raises if you have acess to that piece of equipment, reverse hyperextension,again if you have access to that equipment,partial rack pulls,

dimmel deadlifts,To perform this exercise, grab a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart. Pull the bar up to a standing position.


At this point, arch your back and get your abs tight. Keep the back as arched as possible, push the glutes out, and keep the knees slightly bent. Lower the bar by pushing your body weight back onto your heals while pushing your glutes out. Try to lower the barbell to a position just past the knees. At this point you should feel a tremendous stretch in the glutes and hamstrings.

Raise by contracting your glutes first. At the top of the movement, contract the glutes as hard as possible. Perform the exercise in a ballistic fashion. You want to drop to the midpoint position and explode back to the starting position. This is best trained with moderate weight for sets of 15-20 reps.

Training Mistakes

• Going too low. Make sure to keep the tension on the hamstrings.

• Not pushing the hips and glutes back. This is also to keep the stress on the hamstrings.

• Rounding the back. Keep your back arched to help keep the stress on the hamstrings.

• Using a slow tempo. This movement is designed to be trained fast. You'll begin with a slow tempo and build the speed up with each additional repetition.

i know you said the gmornings dont work for you, they dont work well for me either, BUT if i had the choice btwn doing them or hyperextensions to maintain my lower back i would pick the good mrnings hands down. they may stink when it coming to helping your deadlift, but may be benefical in maintenance

[JohnboyF]

Wow great Post Doc Sust, I was goning to suggest stiff legged Db Deadlifts.

[Doc.Sust]

Wow great Post Doc Sust, I was goning to suggest stiff legged Db Deadlifts.

thanks, stiffleg DB deadlifts,nahhh, better off doing them with a straightbar, i would think it would be more a pain in the ass to set up the exercise, a guy like nark would have to use a decent amount of weight

[novastepp]

Doc, i like teh recommendation of the Dimmel deadlift. i tried it while reading your post and i think i've got it. but just by chance do you have a pic or a clip just to make sure i've got this form down? thanks anyway.

Nark, good luck on your cut. seeing as though my bodybuilding nowledge isn't what you're looking for here, i would just like to add that i will be doing weighted huperextensions in my 2X a week training split. again, happy cutting!

[Doc.Sust]

let me see if i can find it in the archives, it is just how it is explained, it is like doing a partial dead right below your knees while pushing your ass out and than quickly exploding to lockout. if you feel a slight burn in your glutes and hams you are doing them right

[Doc.Sust]

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=33919&tid=102

[*Narkissos*]

i wouldnt see any logical reason as to why stopping doing deadlifts, but still doing other exercises for all the muscle groups involved in a deadlift, would result in any loss of size. but, id be wondering the same.

Thanks.. i had to re-read the part in bold a couple times over cus swore you were saying that you could see no logical reason why i should drop deadlifts lol.

I get what you meant tho.. and agree somewhat.

I disagree somewhat also (hence the reason i started this thread)

In disagreement i'd have to say that the overload generated by the deadlift is greater, imo, than that of the anxiallary exercises combined.

E.g. I do deadlifts for my lower back; glutes; hams; and traps.. mainly

In substitution i was thinking about doing Stiff-leg deadlifts and hang cleans. They'd cover all of the above muscle groups.. but i think, because net poundage would be lower, net overload would be lower also.

That's why i was thinking that i might lose back mass if i dropped deadlifts... but i wasn't too sure. I'm not too sure still lol.

pre-contest its all about fine-tuning i imagine, and stopping deadlifts wont likely lead to a less muscular back

That's the thing.

My training isn't mainstream

I try to grow all the way up to the show.

Pre-contest i train like if i'm bulking because i've come to realise that training doesn't/shouldn't change.

What is done to grow.. is what should be done to 'maintain'... the only variables manipulated being: diet and cardio.

Nark

[*Narkissos*]

nark,
as you may know, the deadlift is my specialty, i take great pride in it and i am glad you now see how gr8 the lift is for not only strength, but size as well

You and i both Doc .. It's my baby.

14 wks off from the deadlift will not hurt your size, it may hurt you strength if you do nothing for your lower back in that itme though

That's it.. i was looking for alternatives to the movement that would aide in maintaining strength and size.

Some suggested i just up the rep range of the deadlifts.. but i declined. I've had high-repetition/repetitive-stress injuries duing contest preps in the past. The worst of these being a deep tissue quad tear from squatting and cardio. So, in an attempt to avoid injury, increasing the rep range on the exercise is out.

i know alot of lifters who use alternative methods of traing the deadlift without actually deadlifting in the gym(westside barbell approach) my recomendations are instead of going balls out on regular deads, and since GMorn are not an option the choice would be stiff leg deads off of a 2 inch block or a plate

I'm with you there.. that was my exercise of choice

weighted hyperextensions(not the best choice but it is better than nothing)

I get you there. I thought about that exercise.. and discarded it in the same thought. I use to do 'em before i took up deadlifting seriously.. and i haven't done 'em since. Personally i, like you, think Standard Deads; SLDLs; Romanian Deads, are in a league by themselves

glute ham raises if you have acess to that piece of equipment, reverse hyperextension,again if you have access to that equipment,partial rack pulls,

How productive would partials be?

dimmel deadlifts,To perform this exercise, grab a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart. Pull the bar up to a standing position.

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=33919&tid=102

Thanks for the description and the link Doc... They look like Romanian Deads [from the pic i see]. Are they close in execution??

i know you said the gmornings dont work for you, they dont work well for me either, BUT if i had the choice btwn doing them or hyperextensions to maintain my lower back i would pick the good mrnings hands down. they may stink when it coming to helping your deadlift, but may be benefical in maintenance

Hm... how do SLDLs compare to Good Mornings.. maintenance-wise i mean?

My biggest prob with GMs is that they're unnatural to me. With the unnatural feel i can never comfortable hit a 'groove' with the movement.

'hitting a groove' is important for me if i plan to make an exercise a mainstay. You know what i'm saying?

Thanks a lot

Nark

[*Narkissos*]

Wow great Post Doc Sust, I was goning to suggest stiff legged Db Deadlifts.

thanks, stiffleg DB deadlifts,nahhh, better off doing them with a straightbar, i would think it would be more a pain in the ass to set up the exercise, a guy like nark would have to use a decent amount of weight

Agreed Doc.

Thanks for the suggestion tho FaizakaFez.. I honestly appreciate the input.

Nark, good luck on your cut. seeing as though my bodybuilding nowledge isn't what you're looking for here, i would just like to add that i will be doing weighted huperextensions in my 2X a week training split. again, happy cutting!

Thanks Nova.. .and good luck with your cut.


Nark

[Doc.Sust]

Some suggested i just up the rep range of the deadlifts.. but i declined. I've had high-repetition/repetitive-stress injuries duing contest preps in the past. The worst of these being a deep tissue quad tear from squatting and cardio. So, in an attempt to avoid injury, increasing the rep range on the exercise is out.

yeah nark, increasing the rep range is a sure way of increasing the chance of injury, good tip i got when i started to deadlift was not to go ove 6reps for safey. the most i ever pushed it was for 8 reps but for only 1 to 2 wks at a time


I'm with you there.. that was my exercise of choice



I get you there. I thought about that exercise.. and discarded it in the same thought. I use to do 'em before i took up deadlifting seriously.. and i haven't done 'em since. Personally i, like you, think Standard Deads; SLDLs; Romanian Deads, are in a league by themselves

absolutely

How productive would partials be?


very productive for a conventional deadlifter who has trouble locking weights out, if you pull easy from the floor, and get stuck closer to the top on max lifts, the partials would help alot. they also help sumo deadlifters as well. since the sumo lifter actually uses more legs than back during there lift, it is a great exercise ti increase your lower back without having to do the full deadlift movement, this is why i believe it would be a great idead to use to maintain your strength. you will be able to use more weight on these therefore when you go back to regular deads from the floor, the weight will not feel heavy at all, i suggest seting them up in the rack just above knee level. even though you probably using more weight, it will still be less taxing on your body and CNS than the full ROM deads


Thanks for the description and the link Doc... They look like Romanian Deads [from the pic i see]. Are they close in execution??

no not at all, the romanian 's are alot more taxing on the body, these are easier and are done with less reps and more weight and quicker speed. i believe the dimmels hit the glutes more than the romaninans


Hm... how do SLDLs compare to Good Mornings.. maintenance-wise i mean?
if i had to choose btwn the 2, i would say the SLDL's would work much better than the Gmornings because they mimic the pull alot more as opposed the the Gmorns which IMO mimic more of a akward squat. like i said i dont like the gmorns, the SLDL's would be my choice to keep up my strength. now on the flip side, i believe the Gmorns are esier on the body than SLDL's so if you are doing alot of volume already for BBing they may work better for you if you feel the SLDL's are taking away from your BBings movements, only one way to find out this is to try them out for yourself and see how your body responds. 99% of lifting is dependent on how your body reacts, adapts and heals and there are a ton of variables in that scenario depending on supplementation , gear, lifting experience and genetics. it will be different for each individual

My biggest prob with GMs is that they're unnatural to me. With the unnatural feel i can never comfortable hit a 'groove' with the movement.

'hitting a groove' is important for me if i plan to make an exercise a mainstay. You know what i'm saying?i never ever felt comfortable doing them until i spread my legs sumo style and tried a variation of the Good morning. you can litteraly chnage the good morning 20 different ways. for example, adding chains or bands, using an arched back or flat back, letting your knees locked or unlocked. doing them in the rack off of pins for partial movements, close ,medium, and wide stance, high bar or low bar etc etc etc

here is some more info written by louie simmons explaing the variations of good morning and there uses. these lifters swear by the good mornings


DEADLIFT TRAINING-part 3

Louie Simmons


The back has much potential, which is seldom reached. For such
a simple lift, the deadlift can be complicated to train. If one only deadlifts,
progress will stall or injuries are certain. No one is totally built to deadlift. The
lower back can be overtrained if one bends over too much, or it can be
undertrained if the legs are used too much. If sumo deadlifts are done constantly,
the back will become weak while the hips will be overused.

My friend Sakari, from Finland, has surveyed the top 15 deadlifters in
Finland and discovered that more than 60% of the deadlift training for sumo
pullers is special exercises. At Westside we have found the same. Let's look at
some of those exercises.

There are many styles of good mornings to choose from. Matt Smith
does mostly concentric good mornings. He fixes a set of chains hanging from the
power rack, with the loop of the chain 3 feet off the floor. He suspends the bar in
the chains. He ducks under the bar and muscles up the weight. Once your style
is developed, continue to use that style, and as the weight goes up, so does your
squat and deadlift. Matt's best is 860 pounds. A final note: don't swing the weight.
If you do, you may start the load with the bar behind the knees. This is a squat,
not a good morning. Remember, the bar must be in front of the knees to
be a good morning. The concentric good morning builds little muscle mass.

The most common good morning at Westside is the bent-over style
with a 14-inch-cambered bar. First stand up with bar. Sink the chest to round the
back slightly. Fill the abs with air and bend over with the glutes pushed out to the
rear as far as possible. When going from the eccentric phase to the concentric
phase, try to arch the back as you complete the lift. Don't go too low: On EMG
www.westside-barbell.com
testing, the spinal erectors will shut off and the low lumbars will be activated. This
is dangerous.

The next type of good morning is the arched-back style. This is my
favorite. I like the Safety Squat bar for this exercise. I don't wear gear or a belt.
Push the glutes to the rear as far as possible. Very little leg bend is used.
Overarch the back. In the bottom, pause for a split second, push your head into
the pad by picking up your chin, and come up. When I break my arched-back
good morning record, I break my squat record. The camber of the Safety Squat
bar places the center line of the bar well in front of the knees.

Chuck Vogelpohl and many others do a combo squat/good morning.
Just bend over into a good morning, then drop into a parallel squat and return to
the starting position. This can be done with or without a box. Try to keep the reps
to lower than 3 and no more than 6. Whether you wear a belt and/or suit with the
straps down is up to you and your ability. We use many special bars for squats
as well as good mornings. We also sometimes raise the heels by 2 inches; this
puts extra work on the lower back. Raising the toes 1-2 inches puts pressure on
the hamstrings. The legendary Paul Anderson was doing all the varieties of the
good mornings I have talked about.

A training partner of Paul Childress let me in on a little secret to building
some very strong erectors. Place one foot on a 2 x 6 board. Do 3-5 reps in either
the bent-over or arched-back good morning. This will really isolate the spinal
erectors and hamstrings. If it sounds like Westsiders do a lot of good mornings,
we do.
For other sports teams, try doing walking bent-over lunges with a Safety
Squat bar. I've had NFL football players, top soccer players from the U.K.,
professional rugby coaches from the U.K., and MMA fighters do this, and it
kicked their asses in a good way.

www.westside-barbell.com
Very low box squats are also used to build a deadlift by building a strong
lower back and hips by isolating these crucial muscle groups. Some men who
are very flexible will squat off a 6-inch box, although most use a 10-inch box.
Reps of 1-5 works best. A strong squatter will do 60-70% of their contest squat.
Use groove briefs or a suit with the straps down.

Don't forget to use as many different bars as possible to break records.
After doing a max effort workout with a special squat or good morning or even a
box, rack, or regular deadlift, there are very specialized exercises that must be
done. The following describes some of them.

In the 45-degree back raise, work up to a hard set of 3-5 reps. A decent
goal would be 200 pounds for 5 reps. Lock the low back statically and squeeze
the glutes as hard as possible. We use our own C/H/G design, with a 3-foot-wide
pad. After all, a wider base is best. If your base is narrower than the top, it is
unstable, and so is any coach who preaches this style.

Pull-throughs are very productive. They can be done with a Jump-
Stretch band or a low-pulley machine. Do high reps, 10-15. When doing heavy
weight on a low pulley, it is hard to keep your balance because the weight on the
cable may exceed your body weight. Another way to do pull-throughs, the riginal
way, is with a kettle bell. Use a shoulder-width stance. Place both hands on the
kettle bell. Swing it through the legs until the hamstrings and glutes stop the bell.
This sets the stretch reflex into action. Very quickly, swing to the front, to waist
height or higher, and repeat for 6-12 reps depending on the weight. Do 3 or 4
sets. These can be done with one arm, two arms, or alternating hands.

Try some one-arm deadlifts. Sumo style works best. Use straps
or a hook grip. They work muscles you didn't know you had. Reps work
best, 3-5. Herman Gonner has done 727 pounds. Zercher lifts will build every
squat and deadlift muscle in your body, with the exception of your hands.
www.westside-barbell.com

Westside does a lot of grip work with various devices, such as
the Rolling Thunder from Ironmind, the G-Rex Grip from Sorinex, and the
Telegraph Key, and by holding the bell end of a hex dumbbell.

Pay attention to stretching and joint mobility work. Ab work is also
essential. I prefer the stand-up style. Kettle bell swings work the abs well. Some
Westsiders do weighted sit-ups, flat or decline. We also use a device of Pat
Roberts that has helped a lot. It's a wheel with metal foot straps with which you
walk on your hands or do push-ups. We also do a lot of static holds with the
wheel. It not only builds the abs, but it works the upper and lower back. An added
plus for me is that it works my groin and legs.

One other very important machine, the Reverse Hyper machine, will
not only build the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors but also traction the low
back by rotating the sacrum and rehydrating the disks. (The Reverse Hyper
machine has two U.S. patents, a third patent pending, and a U.S. trademark.)
This machine is used at least four times a week. On a strap Pro model, Chuck's
normal weight is 480-520 for 3 sets of 10 reps. On the same day, Chuck will also
do 3 sets on a roller Pro model. The usual weight is 360 for 10 reps. This workout
is done Monday and Friday. On bench days, he performs 2 sets of 15 reps on
just one machine with about 70% of the weight of the heavy day. Also a lot of leg
curls are done with the roller Pro model.

Always rotate a core exercise each week. A good morning, a low
box squat, a rack pull, etc., can be rotated. Switch the special exercises as often
as necessary. One exercise may make the difference between failure and
success. So pick wisely: not the ones you like, but the ones that work.

[~fuelforfire~]

Some suggested i just up the rep range of the deadlifts.. but i declined. I've had high-repetition/repetitive-stress injuries duing contest preps in the past. The worst of these being a deep tissue quad tear from squatting and cardio. So, in an attempt to avoid injury, increasing the rep range on the exercise is out.

yeah nark, increasing the rep range is a sure way of increasing the chance of injury, good tip i got when i started to deadlift was not to go ove 6reps for safey. the most i ever pushed it was for 8 reps but for only 1 to 2 wks at a time


I'm with you there.. that was my exercise of choice



I get you there. I thought about that exercise.. and discarded it in the same thought. I use to do 'em before i took up deadlifting seriously.. and i haven't done 'em since. Personally i, like you, think Standard Deads; SLDLs; Romanian Deads, are in a league by themselves

absolutely

How productive would partials be?


very productive for a conventional deadlifter who has trouble locking weights out, if you pull easy from the floor, and get stuck closer to the top on max lifts, the partials would help alot. they also help sumo deadlifters as well. since the sumo lifter actually uses more legs than back during there lift, it is a great exercise ti increase your lower back without having to do the full deadlift movement, this is why i believe it would be a great idead to use to maintain your strength. you will be able to use more weight on these therefore when you go back to regular deads from the floor, the weight will not feel heavy at all, i suggest seting them up in the rack just above knee level. even though you probably using more weight, it will still be less taxing on your body and CNS than the full ROM deads


Thanks for the description and the link Doc... They look like Romanian Deads [from the pic i see]. Are they close in execution??

no not at all, the romanian 's are alot more taxing on the body, these are easier and are done with less reps and more weight and quicker speed. i believe the dimmels hit the glutes more than the romaninans


Hm... how do SLDLs compare to Good Mornings.. maintenance-wise i mean?
if i had to choose btwn the 2, i would say the SLDL's would work much better than the Gmornings because they mimic the pull alot more as opposed the the Gmorns which IMO mimic more of a akward squat. like i said i dont like the gmorns, the SLDL's would be my choice to keep up my strength. now on the flip side, i believe the Gmorns are esier on the body than SLDL's so if you are doing alot of volume already for BBing they may work better for you if you feel the SLDL's are taking away from your BBings movements, only one way to find out this is to try them out for yourself and see how your body responds. 99% of lifting is dependent on how your body reacts, adapts and heals and there are a ton of variables in that scenario depending on supplementation , gear, lifting experience and genetics. it will be different for each individual

My biggest prob with GMs is that they're unnatural to me. With the unnatural feel i can never comfortable hit a 'groove' with the movement.

'hitting a groove' is important for me if i plan to make an exercise a mainstay. You know what i'm saying?i never ever felt comfortable doing them until i spread my legs sumo style and tried a variation of the Good morning. you can litteraly chnage the good morning 20 different ways. for example, adding chains or bands, using an arched back or flat back, letting your knees locked or unlocked. doing them in the rack off of pins for partial movements, close ,medium, and wide stance, high bar or low bar etc etc etc

here is some more info written by louie simmons explaing the variations of good morning and there uses. these lifters swear by the good mornings


DEADLIFT TRAINING-part 3

Louie Simmons


The back has much potential, which is seldom reached. For such
a simple lift, the deadlift can be complicated to train. If one only deadlifts,
progress will stall or injuries are certain. No one is totally built to deadlift. The
lower back can be overtrained if one bends over too much, or it can be
undertrained if the legs are used too much. If sumo deadlifts are done constantly,
the back will become weak while the hips will be overused.

My friend Sakari, from Finland, has surveyed the top 15 deadlifters in
Finland and discovered that more than 60% of the deadlift training for sumo
pullers is special exercises. At Westside we have found the same. Let's look at
some of those exercises.

There are many styles of good mornings to choose from. Matt Smith
does mostly concentric good mornings. He fixes a set of chains hanging from the
power rack, with the loop of the chain 3 feet off the floor. He suspends the bar in
the chains. He ducks under the bar and muscles up the weight. Once your style
is developed, continue to use that style, and as the weight goes up, so does your
squat and deadlift. Matt's best is 860 pounds. A final note: don't swing the weight.
If you do, you may start the load with the bar behind the knees. This is a squat,
not a good morning. Remember, the bar must be in front of the knees to
be a good morning. The concentric good morning builds little muscle mass.

The most common good morning at Westside is the bent-over style
with a 14-inch-cambered bar. First stand up with bar. Sink the chest to round the
back slightly. Fill the abs with air and bend over with the glutes pushed out to the
rear as far as possible. When going from the eccentric phase to the concentric
phase, try to arch the back as you complete the lift. Don't go too low: On EMG
www.westside-barbell.com
testing, the spinal erectors will shut off and the low lumbars will be activated. This
is dangerous.

The next type of good morning is the arched-back style. This is my
favorite. I like the Safety Squat bar for this exercise. I don't wear gear or a belt.
Push the glutes to the rear as far as possible. Very little leg bend is used.
Overarch the back. In the bottom, pause for a split second, push your head into
the pad by picking up your chin, and come up. When I break my arched-back
good morning record, I break my squat record. The camber of the Safety Squat
bar places the center line of the bar well in front of the knees.

Chuck Vogelpohl and many others do a combo squat/good morning.
Just bend over into a good morning, then drop into a parallel squat and return to
the starting position. This can be done with or without a box. Try to keep the reps
to lower than 3 and no more than 6. Whether you wear a belt and/or suit with the
straps down is up to you and your ability. We use many special bars for squats
as well as good mornings. We also sometimes raise the heels by 2 inches; this
puts extra work on the lower back. Raising the toes 1-2 inches puts pressure on
the hamstrings. The legendary Paul Anderson was doing all the varieties of the
good mornings I have talked about.

A training partner of Paul Childress let me in on a little secret to building
some very strong erectors. Place one foot on a 2 x 6 board. Do 3-5 reps in either
the bent-over or arched-back good morning. This will really isolate the spinal
erectors and hamstrings. If it sounds like Westsiders do a lot of good mornings,
we do.
For other sports teams, try doing walking bent-over lunges with a Safety
Squat bar. I've had NFL football players, top soccer players from the U.K.,
professional rugby coaches from the U.K., and MMA fighters do this, and it
kicked their asses in a good way.

www.westside-barbell.com
Very low box squats are also used to build a deadlift by building a strong
lower back and hips by isolating these crucial muscle groups. Some men who
are very flexible will squat off a 6-inch box, although most use a 10-inch box.
Reps of 1-5 works best. A strong squatter will do 60-70% of their contest squat.
Use groove briefs or a suit with the straps down.

Don't forget to use as many different bars as possible to break records.
After doing a max effort workout with a special squat or good morning or even a
box, rack, or regular deadlift, there are very specialized exercises that must be
done. The following describes some of them.

In the 45-degree back raise, work up to a hard set of 3-5 reps. A decent
goal would be 200 pounds for 5 reps. Lock the low back statically and squeeze
the glutes as hard as possible. We use our own C/H/G design, with a 3-foot-wide
pad. After all, a wider base is best. If your base is narrower than the top, it is
unstable, and so is any coach who preaches this style.

Pull-throughs are very productive. They can be done with a Jump-
Stretch band or a low-pulley machine. Do high reps, 10-15. When doing heavy
weight on a low pulley, it is hard to keep your balance because the weight on the
cable may exceed your body weight. Another way to do pull-throughs, the riginal
way, is with a kettle bell. Use a shoulder-width stance. Place both hands on the
kettle bell. Swing it through the legs until the hamstrings and glutes stop the bell.
This sets the stretch reflex into action. Very quickly, swing to the front, to waist
height or higher, and repeat for 6-12 reps depending on the weight. Do 3 or 4
sets. These can be done with one arm, two arms, or alternating hands.

Try some one-arm deadlifts. Sumo style works best. Use straps
or a hook grip. They work muscles you didn't know you had. Reps work
best, 3-5. Herman Gonner has done 727 pounds. Zercher lifts will build every
squat and deadlift muscle in your body, with the exception of your hands.
www.westside-barbell.com

Westside does a lot of grip work with various devices, such as
the Rolling Thunder from Ironmind, the G-Rex Grip from Sorinex, and the
Telegraph Key, and by holding the bell end of a hex dumbbell.

Pay attention to stretching and joint mobility work. Ab work is also
essential. I prefer the stand-up style. Kettle bell swings work the abs well. Some
Westsiders do weighted sit-ups, flat or decline. We also use a device of Pat
Roberts that has helped a lot. It's a wheel with metal foot straps with which you
walk on your hands or do push-ups. We also do a lot of static holds with the
wheel. It not only builds the abs, but it works the upper and lower back. An added
plus for me is that it works my groin and legs.

One other very important machine, the Reverse Hyper machine, will
not only build the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors but also traction the low
back by rotating the sacrum and rehydrating the disks. (The Reverse Hyper
machine has two U.S. patents, a third patent pending, and a U.S. trademark.)
This machine is used at least four times a week. On a strap Pro model, Chuck's
normal weight is 480-520 for 3 sets of 10 reps. On the same day, Chuck will also
do 3 sets on a roller Pro model. The usual weight is 360 for 10 reps. This workout
is done Monday and Friday. On bench days, he performs 2 sets of 15 reps on
just one machine with about 70% of the weight of the heavy day. Also a lot of leg
curls are done with the roller Pro model.

Always rotate a core exercise each week. A good morning, a low
box squat, a rack pull, etc., can be rotated. Switch the special exercises as often
as necessary. One exercise may make the difference between failure and
success. So pick wisely: not the ones you like, but the ones that work.

this man knows his stuff