Thx! This was the first time ever doing a box squat. I had trouble getting the box in the right position. I would try to sit back like you are saying and the bar would crash into the rack. So I was trying to find that happy place for the box. The guy I was lifting with kept moving the box for his sets and I wouldn’t move it back until mid set.
I’ll keep those ques in mind.
I’m frigging trashed. I ate like a champ today post workout so hopefully I’ll be ready for bench day tomorrow. I should have moved the bench and OHP days. Bench is more importanter to me than OHP. Alpha is an OHP man so the OHP takes the choice position for pressing in this setup.
That… doesn’t seem right lol. I think the program will have you crushing PR’s too, but 90% + bands for 10x3 EMOM, that seems like it would just crush you (not you personally, but anyone) instead.
Yep it seems crazy. I’m hoping that I’ll get to a point my maxes will take off and that 90% EMOM will be more like a 80-85% even though it will be based off of the initial 1rm estimate. We will see.
That is the plan I’m planning on working. It’s like a peaking to a banded circa max lift if I understand Louie simmons work.
Even as a nine week peak it just seems like so much. You’ll definitely be getting stronger but at some point you have to wonder if the numbers are outpacing your work capacity. It seems likely given that aggressive scenario, but not having any experience actually running the program or DE work, I don’t want to start sounding like I know what I’m talking about so please take this with a grain of salt.
I bet most would see more longevity by lowering band tension as the bar weight climbs into each new percentage bracket, that way you’re not lifting supamax weights for high volume haha.
Alternatively, if one wanted to run the program long term maybe they could increase their DE percentages every 3-4 weeks and then reset with a slight increase (5-20lbs depending on lift) on bar weight. So like, Week 1: 50% plus bands and then Week 4/5: 50%+10lbs plus bands. Then retest your maxes and now a new % to work off.
Lastly, you could always do it as you described and if successful you’d be a friggin monster! Who needs conventions?
Circa max= near max effort bar weight+band resistance.
With 90% bar weight + band weight I would be near 100% or 100+%. Some of the guys that trained westside thinking is 100 up to 105% is acceptable during a training cycle. I think I remember one of them saying up to 102-103% is the sweet spot for circa max pre meet. But it is definitely beyond my expertise or experience level. The free version of the program cuts off at 65% and does not suggest a reset or ramp down, so I’m assuming it builds week to week.
Louie Simmons states the Russians do a 3 week pendulum wave which I assume works up and then back down but not having ever seen a true westside program I’m guessing.
My current thoughts about this is the band tension at the top is the overreach I am shooting for in gains by the end of the program and I could swap a bigger band next cycle and maybe drop the bar weight some to begin.
The band tension at the top varies exercise to exercise due to length of stretch and band size. Roughly with the bands I have…
Bench (+35-50)
Squat (+25-40)
DL (+30-40)
OHP (+???) I do this tomorrow…who knows. Assume a bigger stretch than the squat so (+35-50)
NO no no
Start at 50% after 4 weeks reset to 50% and increase by 5% again for the last 5 weeks.
This is speed work working on technique with a little fatigue as well, it’s EMOM sets.
I can’t remember where I read it, but in my world it makes sense. It’s dynamic effort and should not tax the CNS, you have to be fresh for the ME work on the variation lift.
I don’t have bands so I start a bit higher 55/60 ish and work up to 75ish for the first 4 weeks and end at 80ish on the last workouts, AND that might even be to much.
EDIT: those squats man, you’ve become strong Hog.
I think your first back off set was to much weight, Brian states 80% of the topset, which would have you doing a amrap of 232 pounds for the first an then 2 sets of 10.
@mortdk thanks. And your right. No wonder I got buried. With 260. . Math gets hard when you are fighting for your life in the gym. When I got it for the 5 rep I was like 10 is gonna be impossible, then the 6th I was like nope not doing it.
Yeah that makes more sense. It is not taxing. It really aids my recovery to accessory. I’m usually crushed after ME just in survival mode.
I agree with mortdk. Read some articles about speed work on the westside website and also elites fts, they have DE cycles explained, with and without bands/chains
Felt like hammered crap coming into this one. But once the blood started flowing found a great groove and nailed it. I did boost my sodium intake from yesterday. That helped performance today
Floor press form sucked. Elbows were flared too much. I’ll fix that moving forward but it was a nice day and the end of week 1. Some training footage later…
I agree with Mark about the box squats. Hips back a little more, knees out and Sit lightly on the box. You should be able to lift your feet off the floor and still stay solid up there. Don’t worry, it will get more natural with practice.
I just watched the Dark Horse vid on Ewe Tube. Mort is right about the dynamic effort percentages coming back down to 50% after week 4. It was asked about and Brian cleared it up in the comments section.
You could do your ab stuff in the conditioning warm up. Maybe some band hamstring curls before lower body days. Suitcase Walks with 1 dumbbell for obliques. Or with some difficult handle for grip.
You have access to a track or football field, right? Do some outdoor warm ups.
Jog 1 lap
20 meters (or yards) of walking knee hug stretch
20 m of walking quad stretch
Jog 40 m
20 m of high knees
20 m of butt kicks
turn around
20 m of walking hamstring stretch
20 m walking lunges
Jog 40 m
20 m of leg swings
20 m of hurdle step overs forwards and backwards
turn around
20 m of lateral lunges changing sides
20 m of arm swings and circles
Jog 40 m
20 m of leg swings (yes, again)
20 m of power skips
turn around
3 progressively faster build up runs of 100 m (or yards). Reach your top speed for 10-20 m on your final build up run. If I laid this out correctly then you should be back where you started and ready to hit the weights. This type of warm up will definitely warm you up all over while also allowing you to work on athleticism, hip mobility, and a bit of conditioning.
Well go to Brians website Neversate, there are lots of ideas there.
I don’t mind doing kind of the same stuff, those bear crawls gets the blood flowing and gator walks on press days are good to engage shoulder and chest.
I just finished the trial week, next week it’s deload and then I’m all in, besides some days off during summer holidays.
I love all this stuff man. You’re REALLY getting into Dark Horse! It’s pumping me up just watching these videos lol. My hypertrophy bs cannot end soon enough…
