Elitefts Articles; Which Ones?

I’m currently using a Westside template (“I Need Some Mass” out of the Training Templates booklet) and I really like it. I like Westside so much I think I just might stick with their templates for good and just adjust it as I go to suit my needs.

I went to elitefts and have been browsing through their articles, but much like this site, there seems to be a butt-ton of articles and if someone doesn’t browse that site often, one could get lost/overwhelmed.

Is there any article recomendations that anyone here knows of from that site, or some good articles here?

I read through Dave Tate’s ‘8 keys’ articles a while ago, and think I should re-read them because they were so long, plus I have a little better idea of what Westside is about than when I read them before.

Just to name a few:

Conjugate Training by Dave Tate

Questioning Training Methodology by James Smith(1/5/06)

Deload to Reload by Jim Wendler(12/09/05)

Classification of the Means by James Smith(10/6/05) (.pdf file)

Less is More by Jason Ferruggia (6/24/05)

Accessory vs Supplemental by Jim Wendler(4/05)

Making the Max Effort Easy by Jim Wendler(4/05)
Methods of Max Effort by Dave Tate (10/21/05)

Methods of Max Effort, Part 1 by Dave Tate (10/6/05)
Push/Pull by Jim Wendler (10/14/05)
How to Bench Like a Stripper by Jim Wendler(7/15/05)
Going Heavy by Jim Wendler(5/05)

And if you need some motivation, read the training logs of the sponsored lifters as well. Pretty impressive numbers those guys through around.

Thanks! I’m currently checking out ‘Deload to Reload’ among others.

The only problem I have with their site (unless I’m mistaken) is that I can’t search for an article or key words.

I also have seen the training logs there. They’re definitley motivational. I also noticed a couple of names from here.

Good stuff.

If you haven’t, read all of Tate’s articles on here, as well.

The articles are separated into sections over there, so it will make it a little easier.

[quote]SWR-1222D wrote:
I’m currently using a Westside template (“I Need Some Mass” out of the Training Templates booklet) and I really like it. I like Westside so much I think I just might stick with their templates for good and just adjust it as I go to suit my needs.

I went to elitefts and have been browsing through their articles, but much like this site, there seems to be a butt-ton of articles and if someone doesn’t browse that site often, one could get lost/overwhelmed.

Is there any article recomendations that anyone here knows of from that site, or some good articles here?

I read through Dave Tate’s ‘8 keys’ articles a while ago, and think I should re-read them because they were so long, plus I have a little better idea of what Westside is about than when I read them before.[/quote]

What kind of gains are you making on that template…

[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
What kind of gains are you making on that template…[/quote]

Well, so far I’m just finishing up the second week.

Unfortunately my ME bench day wasn’t as good today as it was last week. Last week I was able to work up to 315 for 3, then 320 for 2. This week I barely got my third rep of 315, and had to ruin my form to get it.

There may be a lot of factors that came into play, but I’m thinking it was because of my heavy pin presses that I did on my DE bench day. Last week I had the pins about 4 inches from lock-out, then this week I went one notch lower and that put the bar just barely off my chest. I also had a cheat meal earlier today before my workout and wasn’t really feeling into it as much.

On the positive side, my DB rows for 5 sets of 10 went up 15 lbs, but I underestimated what I could do last week because I haven’t done them in a while.

I got 4 more total reps with chin-ups; mil. press and high pulls both went up 10 lbs.

I switched to a sumo-style deadlift and it made the weight feel much lighter and the bar’s range of motion is cut out a lot from the last time I deadlifted, and that was just on the DE day. I can’t wait to switch my first ME squat/dead day exercise to deads so I can see how much this improved my deadlift number.

I also feel much more comfortable doing low box squats and feel like my squat form has improved already.

Most importantly, I’m really enjoying the template and have a much better idea of what Westside is all about. I thought it was much more limited in the exercise selection.

What are the major differences with the I Need Some Mass template from the basic WSBB template?

Westside is great. My bench went from 225lbs to 305lbs, my Deadlift and Squat both went from 315lbs to 505lbs. All this in six weeks with no gear. Not great numbers, but definitely a great improvement.

[quote]buckeye75 wrote:
What are the major differences with the I Need Some Mass template from the basic WSBB template? [/quote]

Well, compared to the “Nuts and Bolts” (NB) template that I see in the Training Templates book, I notice that there are not timed rest periods in the NB routine and there are recomendations to take a shorter rest period between sets.

The Need Some Mass template has a heavy tricep exersise recomendation where you work up to your 3-5 RM on the Bench DE day, where the MB template shows using lighter weights for 8-15 reps.

Shoulder and lat work seems to be about the same on the Bench DE, and Bench ME days.

The ME squat/dead day for the Need Some Mass template shows rep ranges and the MB template just suggests the exersises.

Lighter weight is used for tris on the ME bench day with the Need Some Mass template and the other one shows heavier tricep work on that day.

That’s what I see from quickly looking at the book, but when I looked at the Need Some Mass template, I liked it and didn’t really compare it to anything else.

I just wanted to try a template and start using while I learn more as I’m getting stronger, and then I can adjust as I learn what works best for me.

[quote]Fenris wrote:
Westside is great. My bench went from 225lbs to 305lbs, my Deadlift and Squat both went from 315lbs to 505lbs. All this in six weeks with no gear. Not great numbers, but definitely a great improvement.[/quote]

Impressive.

The best thing to do is just go to an Elite Fitness Seminar. I went to one and it basically showed me EVERYTHING I needed to know. Not to mention that Jim Wendler was the first person to show me how to bench, dead, and squat properly for powerlifting.

Wendler wrote an article entitled a beginner’s guide to EFS. Check it out. It’s in the articles section.

Alan,

While I used Westside (Sept - Jan), I found many of Jim Wendler’s articles to be helpful, especially the ones geared toward RAW lifters. I’d check out some of these, as they apply to RAW and equipped lifters:

How To Bench Like A Stripper!

Cornicopia (sp)

I believe Dave Tate or one of the authors at EliteFts. wrote an article about what articles to read for people new to the westside system and Elitefts. I’ll try to find it and post a link.

I would read all of them…

[quote]Gorilla96 wrote:
I believe Dave Tate or one of the authors at EliteFts. wrote an article about what articles to read for people new to the westside system and Elitefts. I’ll try to find it and post a link.[/quote]

I think you are talking about this one, http://elitefts.com/documents/a_beginners_guide.htm

But I would read them all also, and sign up for the newsletter so you get an update on all the new articles as they come out.

I know this has been said over and over already BUT read them all because what you really need is to get as much information as possible so you can filter it all through your own experience.

You need to find not the best ‘template’ but find what works best for you. You sound like you’ve made great progress so far…so why change it? I know you are not saying that you are going to change it but I am just commenting on it in general because a lot of people tend to be constantly looking for their next program rather than getting the most out of the one that they are currently doing.

Good luck and well done so far.

Hey, great article there (begginer’s guide to efs).

I’m still using a Westside template, and I’m starting to learn how much I need/don’t need as far as overall volume and rest.

The routine I was doing had me doing an ME exercise one day, then a heavy (working to 3RM) tricep exercise on my DE day, so I was lifting a max effort weight one day, then doing something like pin presses the next where I’d be using an even higher weight.

DE leg day seemed like the only time my body got a ‘break’ with heavy weights, so I changed my routine to have a DE exercise with supplemental RE exercises on my ‘DE’ days.

Anyway, long story short, I feel more rested and I’m still getting stronger.

Thanks for the responses. I almost forgot about this thread.

Autoregulatory Training Part 1- DB Hammer…

…Joking

I liked “Methods of Max Effort”, as well as the others that have been metnioned.