Thats great progress. Ive put on over 100 lbs on my squat (i dont know the exact number) in less than a year and im still going. Im sorry i havent responded to this sooner. I might would add in one set of chains on dynamic bench day and maybe a light band or some chains on dynamic squat day. I wouldnt change much more than that. Ive found that I have to pull every now and then in order to increase my deadlift. A few of the westside guys have made this same comment. dont try to add too much extra stuff in too fast. I did this earlier in the year and paid for it. Increase your gpp slowly. Start with the sled once or twice a week and work from there. Remember that Louie and most of the Westside guys have been working on their gpp for a long time. The sled work doesnt take much out of me but i found that i wasnt quite ready for all the extra band work yet.
Everything has pretty much been covered, but for those who were wondering what a typical “Westside training week” looks like, you can go to the Dog Pound and check Goldberg’s thread entitled “My last 6 Weeks”, or my thread entitled “12 Week Meet Preparation for IPA Worlds”. We are both currently using the Westside template and have been posting our training sessions there.
Hey, I wonder if you should have been (a little bit) flamed by power guys like goldberg and steve and others for posting numbers that were done with straps.
nice improvement and all, but for ME 500 with straps is a big 0 deadlift. I never did any westside cycle but do they advocate straps? I doubt it. cause it’s a TOTALLY different ballgame. I can pull ~360 without straps, mainly hampered by flexibility issues. with straps I’m looking at some big numbers.
don’t get me wrong, I’m no expert on powerlifting, thats why I thought I’d let other people tell you about the straps but they didnt and that surprised me.
good inmprovemnt nevertheless
S-MAN
Good point about the straps. I do use straps on a couple of exercises, mainly snatch deadlifts. All he needs to do is start holding a heavy barbell at the end of dynamic and max effort squat deadlift days to increase his grip. I did this for four weeks and now i can hold anything that i can pull.
Yeah, I don’t really do much with straps besides heavy shrugs and snatch grip deads. Sometimes some of the guys will use straps on barbell rows as well, but rarely.
I was just talking to one of the veterans in my powerlifting group today about grip strength; he, along with many others, feel that grip strength is actually more important to one’s bench at times (playing a stabilizing role) than it is their deadlift. In any case, get that grip strong and watch your numbers go up.
Landon,
Excellent Progress!! I’d be really interested in seeing some physique pics…any more specifics on how much muscle you think you gained? Like for instance did you take before and after measurements? (Considering its a strength phase probably not, but I had to ask anyway)
Thats crazy progress…100 lbs on your deads in 8 weeks!!! Nex up is westside for me!
Greek,
Since this wasn’t a physique change, I didn’t not take measurements or pictures.
The funny thing about my previous 1 RM on the deadlift was my 1 RM about 3 weeks before my westside phase. This was while I was still on OVT. So, it might of been more, but I would only guess maybe 10-20lbs more at most. Since the only lifts I tested for my 1RM was the bench and squat since those were the numbers I’d have to base my westside training on.
I’ve talked to some other guys online that train westside, and they said my strength gains in my first westside phase with the squat and dead are pretty likely for fast twitch dominant people (like myself). Just adding + using the strength what you previously had and simply making it more effecient … the first max out is likely to be your best, but obviously varies across the board.
I just recently started working with our olympic sport strength dept, and now I’m able to use their equipment. They have everything I need for westside, since I wasn’t able to do reverse hypers due to the lack of equip where I previously was training, so hopefully my core + legs will strengthen up even more.
I’m shooting for a 305-310lb bench, 525+lb dead, and a 435+lb squat (my max out went up pretty well when I did this at 405), so I think they seem reasonable even more since I’m incorporating some GPP, and adding bands/chains in my workouts now.
Anyways, I’ll take a picture of my upper back one of these days. Since this is the summer, my roomate is gone, and I don’t have access to a digital camera, or a good film camera. Once I get one, I’ll make sure I take one.
Finally, a buddy from my home town didn’t believe my deadlift gain, and I had him load up the bar, and I powered it out for him. I did it regular stance too. As I maxxed out in a sumo style. I think the regular stance seems easier now, even though your distance of travel gets cut pretty good in a sumo stance.
Remember, this lift was with straps. So my lift isn’t really legit, but I’m working on my grip to catch up with my holds.
Landon
Nice…I think if you work on your grip, you will be awesome and you will hit your goals easy.
Landon what did you think of the seminar video you purchased? Was the training info good or did you mainly by it for the exercise descriptions?
How much of the stuff is covered westside articles?
Landon,
where are your numbers at now bro?
Amazing progress!!! Interesting numbers, the deadlift is 95lbs greater than the squat. How common is this? because my deadlift is close to 100lbs over squat too.
I can’t even SPELL straps. <----No fuckin’ way, I guess I can! I’d still never use 'em though. Keep working that grip, it’ll come.