Just read through that first westside thread. While I can’t really do the whole shebang(bands, chains, etc…), Maybe just keep it simple and rotate low/high bar/front/and box squats with different stances until I stall? Would it be dumb to do a deadlift variation/good morning after a ME squat session? Thats basically what I’ve been doing(with bench/press in between, except that I’ve stuck with low bar every Monday.
i just ran the numbers through a kilo to pound converter.
it says i weigh about 198lbs, squat 467,5, bench 297, deadlift 550. belt only. next saturday ive got a new meet, so im hoping to break these numbers. ran sheiko this year.
^^^ I am really likin’ smolov right now! I picked it cause I had no idea what program I wanted to be on and smolov doesn’t last very long. I thought it would give me time to decide on a long-lasting program for afterwards.
I have a couple weeks left and really have no idea what I’m doing after…
x2 on Westside.
[quote]MightyMouse17 wrote:
I’d love to give westside a try. My setup is a tad like theirs in that I basically do ME and DE days. The unfortunate problem though is I workout at a commercial gym during busy time. I just don’t know if I could make it work or not. There are actually a couple of hardcore gyms around, but none of them are half a mile away and only $200 a year for 24hr access…I dunno, maybe its time to make my schedule work with that. People are always saying how training with stronger people helps. I work around people that do half ass squats and deadlift with terrible form…this makes me want to murder a carebear! lol[/quote]
I lift at a YMCA and use a WS template . all the place needs is a power rack , DB bench , and a place for DLing ; and a set of DB’s to match your strength level . supply your own bands , chains , boxes , and boards as the need arises . a few sets of bands add an incredible amount of variation . people will stare at you …and ask questions…they’re just curious .
use the half-squatters as inspiration for your own betterment . same with the non-DLer’s…and the bro-gang doing forced reps on the bench . ignore the delts/biceps/abs group , as they’ll be gone in a few months anyway .
make it work
[quote]spar4tee wrote:
I don’t have a program[/quote]
Dickbob’s 5x27
[quote]MightyMouse17 wrote:
Just read through that first westside thread. While I can’t really do the whole shebang(bands, chains, etc…), Maybe just keep it simple and rotate low/high bar/front/and box squats with different stances until I stall? Would it be dumb to do a deadlift variation/good morning after a ME squat session? Thats basically what I’ve been doing(with bench/press in between, except that I’ve stuck with low bar every Monday. [/quote]
if I had a rev hyper or GHR , I would be doing them after ME squat/DL ; but I dont so I use SLDL , GM’s , front squats instead . I dont think it’s stupid at all .
the beauty of the WS template is that you find and keep what you think helps , and shit-can what you think doesnt help .
I think the best bench variation I’ve found so far is pin-presses ( dead stop pressing from safety pins) .
I would kill for a reverse hyper…all we have along those lines is an incredibly awkward GHR.
Also, I think it’s an extremely common stance here at T-Nation for lifetime natties to be pro-steroid. As in, hey I don’t use them, but if you choose to, good for you. The only thing I’m NOT a fan of regarding that is people using steroids/GH/etc, then entering tested competitions and doing something to keep it from popping on the test. That’s just dirty in my eyes. If you’re gonna juice, just be honest with yourself and enter untested comps, so it’s an even playing ground.
[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
x2 on Westside.[/quote]
x 3 on Westside (if anal repetitive)
x5 on Wendler (simple, straightforward)
You don’t need a hardcore gym to make Westside work, you need a hardcore attitude. Up until last year I trained at a fitness center, yeah that’s right I said fitness center, and I made great gains. You don’t need bands and chains either. Hell, even at the powerlifters gym I’m at now, I go 5 weeks without using either. There are about 234 different exercises you can use on ME days without bands and chains. Good luck brother
[quote]Chicksan wrote:
You don’t need a hardcore gym to make Westside work, you need a hardcore attitude. Up until last year I trained at a fitness center, yeah that’s right I said fitness center, and I made great gains. You don’t need bands and chains either. Hell, even at the powerlifters gym I’m at now, I go 5 weeks without using either. There are about 234 different exercises you can use on ME days without bands and chains. Good luck brother[/quote]
In all fairness, my gym is called a fitness center as well…it’s a gym on a Marine base, they have a squat rack, power rack, provide chalk, and overall have good equipment. Doesn’t ALWAYS mean the place sucks.
Definitely agree on the attitude part…making what you have work, that can-do attitude, means a lot more than having the nicest toys in the world.
I’d argue that putting a ton of effort into a crumby program will get you way better results than just going through the motions on even the best of programs.
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
I would kill for a reverse hyper…all we have along those lines is an incredibly awkward GHR.
Also, I think it’s an extremely common stance here at T-Nation for lifetime natties to be pro-steroid. As in, hey I don’t use them, but if you choose to, good for you. The only thing I’m NOT a fan of regarding that is people using steroids/GH/etc, then entering tested competitions and doing something to keep it from popping on the test. That’s just dirty in my eyes. If you’re gonna juice, just be honest with yourself and enter untested comps, so it’s an even playing ground. [/quote]
I do believe I’ve come up with a ghetto rev hyper idea . consider this…
piece of plywood cut to fit the inside of power rack , and long enough to span from pin to pin ; 2x4 attached to front and back of ply to prevent ply from bending ; handles bolted thru the ply ; foam & vinyl pad for fore-arms attached in front of handles .
set pins for your height , place your platform in rack on top of pins , bands run from ankles to rack…and away you go .
if the Y where I train at wont provide the real Mccoy in the new facility , I just may build a platform as described and use it in a rack
[quote]Chicksan wrote:
There are about 234 different exercises you can use on ME days without bands and chains. Good luck brother[/quote]
now why did ya go and say that . now I’ll have to come up with a 234 week accumulation block 
I think we should discuss sticking points and the typical weaknesses that create said stickary.
IE:
Halfway through my squat it’s slow as shit. Outta the hole is speedy, the lockout is speedy, but halfway though time seems to stop completely. Like sitting at a damn red light with my dad while he talks about the weather forecast!!
=What being weak? Hamstrings? Core? Just ME in general, ha.
Uhh yeah.
Kthanksbros
[quote]Spock81 wrote:
I think we should discuss sticking points and the typical weaknesses that create said stickary.
IE:
Halfway through my squat it’s slow as shit. Outta the hole is speedy, the lockout is speedy, but halfway though time seems to stop completely. Like sitting at a damn red light with my dad while he talks about the weather forecast!!
=What being weak? Hamstrings? Core? Just ME in general, ha.
Uhh yeah.
Kthanksbros[/quote]
I stall right when I get past parallel (on the way back up). I think it’s due to weak hips and not moving fast enough.
[quote]louiek wrote:
[quote]Spock81 wrote:
I think we should discuss sticking points and the typical weaknesses that create said stickary.
IE:
Halfway through my squat it’s slow as shit. Outta the hole is speedy, the lockout is speedy, but halfway though time seems to stop completely. Like sitting at a damn red light with my dad while he talks about the weather forecast!!
=What being weak? Hamstrings? Core? Just ME in general, ha.
Uhh yeah.
Kthanksbros[/quote]
I stall right when I get past parallel (on the way back up). I think it’s due to weak hips and not moving fast enough.[/quote]
Me too. What are you doing about it? I’ve implemented paused goblet db front squats and about to start paused bb front squats and rdl variations. I’ll often get stuck just as my hamstrings are parallel to the ground. Sometimes a little above or below.
My other thought is maybe on the revearsal, my back is giving. But rdls and paused front squats oughta help that too I hope.
And to Spock, when I did a lot of front squatting I flew through the middle of the squat even faster. I bet a video would tell you what’s giving first and then you’d have a better idea of what to work. I think I need to take a video of my squat myself.
Thanks for the help my friends. Its down to Westside and 5/3/1 with the higher ramping percentages (75,80,85 versus 65, 75, 85.
And my squat slows down in the same place. Isn’t that common for raw squatters? I think front squats help but thats just me.
[quote]Fletch1986 wrote:
[quote]louiek wrote:
[quote]Spock81 wrote:
I think we should discuss sticking points and the typical weaknesses that create said stickary.
IE:
Halfway through my squat it’s slow as shit. Outta the hole is speedy, the lockout is speedy, but halfway though time seems to stop completely. Like sitting at a damn red light with my dad while he talks about the weather forecast!!
=What being weak? Hamstrings? Core? Just ME in general, ha.
Uhh yeah.
Kthanksbros[/quote]
I stall right when I get past parallel (on the way back up). I think it’s due to weak hips and not moving fast enough.[/quote]
Me too. What are you doing about it? I’ve implemented paused goblet db front squats and about to start paused bb front squats and rdl variations. I’ll often get stuck just as my hamstrings are parallel to the ground. Sometimes a little above or below.
My other thought is maybe on the revearsal, my back is giving. But rdls and paused front squats oughta help that too I hope.
And to Spock, when I did a lot of front squatting I flew through the middle of the squat even faster. I bet a video would tell you what’s giving first and then you’d have a better idea of what to work. I think I need to take a video of my squat myself.[/quote]
Personally, when I miss a squat that way, it’s because I didn’t try.
In all honesty guys, I think virtually EVERY raw squatter fails just a little above parallel most of the time. That’s where you lose the momentum from the stretch reflex popping out of the hole…think about it, how many raw squats have you ever seen failed right near lockout? I’m willing to bet just about none. Not saying that it means you don’t have any weak points if you fail just above parallel, but that’s not necessarily the best way to diagnose what your weak points ARE.