Index
Combining strength: premise
In the metallic and aggressive world of powerlifting American, one school above all represents the idea of programming of Force Yankee Style: the method WestSide Barbell by Louie Simmons.
Characterized by an inspirational conjugated style approach Soviet, where the stimuli on the single tender movement come repeated several times during the training micro-cycle, varying intensity, focus and work angles.
It focuses on the strengthening the weak link of the lift through different strategies:
- in a day bombarding our "control unit", that is the Central Nervous System, with high stimuli intensity;
- in another day the technique and explosiveness, through moderate intensity stimuli, performed at the maximum possible speed in concentric, with the help of auxotonic resistances such as rubber bands or chains;
- on yet another day, deficient muscles with very high volume and targeted exercises, through the so-called "repeated efforts".
Let's see together, therefore, how we can apply the WestSide methodologies at a lift that we want to improve and bring to the level of the others.
Max Effort
First, we will plan a day where the focus will be on search for our 1RM or 3RM on a variant of our target lift.
If, for example, we want to improve ours DeadLift, on this day we will work searching for our new ones Personal Best on variants such as DeadLift from blocks, Deficit DeadLift, Snatch Grip DeadLift, Sumo DeadLift.
We can choose a variant for each micro cycle and, usually, the progression never exceeds 4 weeks, although this limit to the WestSide method it was mainly due to the fact of having very heavy athletes with high maximums and the use of Gear equipment from PL.
Therefore, I think you could try a micro cycle from 6 weeks as "shock therapy". If you realize that your DeadLift is slow to start and this is the only real flaw in the lift, you can also set a progression on the DeadLift Deficit by looking for maximums that are ever closer to 1RM.
So starting from a 6RM, go to a 5RM, then 4RM and so on. Or, you can keep the number of reps fixed and try to beat each week.
On this day you must not take prisoners: All In! You have to give everything!
Dynamic Effort
On this day, that must be done at least 48h away from the ME day, we will focus onperform our lift to improve to the maximum possible speed.
We will work on 6 / 8 sets da 2 reps with percentages around 50%-70% of our ceiling using the main movement, therefore not the variants.
If available and highly recommended, we can use rubber bands attached to the bar, so that they have maximum tension at the top of the movement.
To build the progression we can start with the low range of the recommended percentage and progress by adding a 5% a micro loop, holding the same elastic.
Or we can keep the medium range of the percentage e rise with resistance offered by rubber bands. Or again go up to 70% with a rubber band, download at 50% e change elastic, using a harder one or a pair, rebuilding the progression.
I love chains, if available use them having the foresight to always leave them at least 5-6 rings to the ground. The progression and loading pattern is similar to that of the bands.
This day will teach us to speed up and correct any technical gaps, as the rubber bands and chains force us to move on solid tracks to close the lift, don't underestimate them!
Find the correct SetUp, fit in and push hard!
Repetition method
I don't recommend that you dedicate a whole day to it, also because it would be really difficult to fit in with the work on the other CrossFit® Domains and the necessary skills.
However, you cannot give up on training the deficient muscles of your favorite lift. This will allow you to put on meat in the deficient points, to better oxygenate and vascularize the joints stressed only in one direction by the agonist muscles in the lift and also to be able to count on more motor units, in case the movement performed is not exactly "perfect" and in trajectory.
The rewarding work schemes, in this case, are those commuted by BodyBuilding, with an eye to the density factor. Gironde patterns as a 8sets of 8reps with 30 ”of rest of a single joint movement are really effective and excellent for the purpose.
As well as very high repetition patterns, such as a 4 sets of 20 reps. The focus of this work is to aim to keep the muscle under tension as much as possible, without focusing on the training load: we want blood!
If you have muscle-building machines available, don't hesitate to use them.
Remember that the posterior kinetic chain (back, buttocks, hamstrings) and the triceps are never too trained, abound!
Conclusions
As you may have understood, the WestSide method is a versatile tool suitable for all sports.
It only requires commitment and analytical capacity towards yourself: if your movement is behind due to obvious technical deficiencies, don't waste time and work on that.
If, on the other hand, you are stalled and want to overcome this moment, perhaps in the off season, you can try to experiment with these ideas.
I hope I have given you some interesting insights and I would be interested in your feedback if you try to apply the WestSide method. Good workout!
Antonio "Kong" Chiarelli
Graduated in Sports Sciences
Trainer and Personal Trainer FIPE Lv1
Bunker48 StrongMan Senior Coach
Online Coach
Email: antonio.chiarelli@icloud.com
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