Starting Westside

Hey all,

I’ve been lifting for 2 years, 1.5 of which have been powerlifting. I hope to do my first competition (raw, only bench and deadlift) in the 181 weight class.

My best lifts are:
Bench Press 265x1
Conventional Deadlift 345x1
Olympic Squat 280x1

My deadlift and squat are clearly a little low. I injured my lower back playing rugby a few months ago and have worked back up to these weights, which are higher than what I had before. My bench press was just able to get stronger than my deadlift and squat while I built up my lower back again. Now I’m good, with no longer back pain.

I weight 170lbs right now, at a low bodyfat. I’m eating 5 meals a day (3 large solid ones), plus a pint of ice cream before bed every night. Must be 3500-4000 a day. I only started the ice cream a week ago, so I have to give it some time before see the effect. I also started taking NOW Super Enzymes.

I’ve been doing 3 days/week lifting with a deadlift day (+back work), bench day (+tri, delt, and chest work), and squat day (+leg and ab work), doing mostly triples and 5s except when I test obviously. I’ve only ever done conventional deadlifts, flat bench presses, and olympic squats as heavy exercises. I’ve gotten to the point where it takes 5-6 weeks to get a 5 pound increase in my deadlift and squat, and my bench hasn’t moved too much since I worked on my technique. Basically, I’ve hit a plateau and I’ve been getting pretty bored with my program. I work out at my college gym usually, but there’s a more hardcore gym in town that I go to every so often. The guys there suggested I try a Westside program with less volume so I can get used to the 4 days/week.

After reading the EliteFTS Bench Manual and a bunch of articles on EliteFTS about Westside, I came up with this:

Monday: ME Squat/Deadlift

  • DL variation/GM/Box Squat
  • GHR 3x8
  • Abs 3x10

Tuesday: GPP

  • Eric Cressy type recovery workout (6-8 light exercises)

Wednesday: ME Bench

  • Flat/Floor/Incline/2-Board Press
  • Close-Grip Bench Press 3x8 w/ pause on chest
  • Chest-Supported Row 4x8

Thursday: GPP

  • sled dragging (not too intense because of squatting the next day)

Friday: DE Squat

  • Box Jump/Depth Jump to Box Jump/Seated to Box Jump/Broad Jump
  • GM 2x6
  • Abs 3x10

Saturday: DE Bench

  • Speed Bench Press 8x3 @ 50/55/60%, 2x5 @60/65/70%
  • Flat Dumbbell Press 3x8 w/ pause on chest
  • Dumbbell Row 4x8

My ME cycles are based on the beginner cycle from the Bench Manual:
Week 1 - work up to 5 reps
Week 2 - work up to 3 reps
Week 3 - work up to 1 rep
Week 4 - new exercise for 5 reps or deload, and repeat

For jumps, I’m doing 8 sets of 3 jumps, switching jumping exercises every 3-4 weeks.

For speed bench press, I do this, also from the Bench Manual:
Week 1 - 8x3 @ 50%, 2x5 @ 60%
Week 2 - 8x3 @ 55%, 2x5 @ 65%
Week 3 - 8x3 @ 60%, 2x5 @ 70%
Week 4 - restart cycle or deload, I might try bands or chains after several cycles

I do mobility work before my workouts (Eric Cressy type warm-up) and on off days, as well as foam rolling on off days.

After 3-4 months, I plan on adding another exercise for each day. Another posterior chain exercise on Squat/DL days, and a triceps exercise on Bench days. I will eventually do speed box squats as well.

I don’t know if I will stay raw or try out gear. I would like to, but I don’t know anybody who can teach me. Either way, I’m going to wait until I get my bench to 300, squat to 350, and deadlift to 400 before I think too much about it. My goals for my first competition are a 275lb bench and a 405lb deadlift.

There’s all the information I could think of. My questions are:

  1. Does this look like a sensible beginning Westside program?
  2. Does anybody who has done Westside before have any advice or criticism?

Thanks for reading all this!

Looks pretty solid. Just make sure your technique is right when you go to lift at your hardcore gym. I know that a lot of the stuff I did when I did this style of training didn’t help right away because I wasn’t benching or squatting right. As an example, on bench days I did exercises for the lats, upper back, and triceps. Back then I was pretty much all pecs when I benched, so it didn’t help immediately. But eventually I got the hang of using my triceps and lats to bench, and the strength that I built back then has been tremendously helpful going forward.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice Phantom. I go to the hardcore gym every Friday for now, but I’m going to try to go more often next semester, especially on ME days. The guys there are mostly Olympic lifters, but several powerlift or used to and they give me tips.

I still have a way to go with my technique though! Hopefully I’ll be able to report good things in May after my competition.

  1. the basic ideas are there for a Westside split. It is very much cohesive in that way.

  2. I’ve done WSB for years, and started when my numbers were well lower than yours. I think the plan is good, but here’s another one for you… The beginner’s template for WSB that I used is linked below.

Here is the exact same beginner’s program I did when starting out those years ago. I followed this to the letter, substituting exercises for the closest equivalents I could do with my gyms equipment. And, in all honesty, I think you should do the same for the duration of the program. It gives good progress and is a good intro. After that you can apply the same principles and substitute your own lifts. But it gives a break in period for you to “get” westside training. You can sub board presses out for regular bench or floor presses. Reverse hypers you can sub out for weighted 45 degree back raises, GHRs are substituted for “natural” GHRs.

The only additional modification I might make is have you work up to a 3 rep max on all main exercises instead of 1 rep max. Until the test day 9 weeks later.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/9week-training-program.htm

PS–this template is also the reason I don’t like starting strength as a program. :slight_smile:

2a) WSB is a tough system to “get” because it forces the lifter to analyze and really think hard about what he’s doing and what’s weak. The concepts are easy to grasp, you can read them in most Dave Tate articles, but the application is very hard. I’m not saying this to discourage you. Rather I think this is extremely valuable because it makes you really think about your training instead of “mailing it in”. If you think about your training and discover how your body responds, this is a very good way to train and will yield results for years to come. Be proactive, and this will treat you well. Of course, ask for advice when you’re stuck too. :slight_smile:

PS–it’s something you can only understand by experimenting and learning under the bar.

JustinC, too bad you don’t live in Columbus, OH. We could definatly train together and push one another. I am your size and have similar numbers and your post mirrors my situation. I may be just a few months in front of you. Did my first meet in October.

Current lifts are 340/265/450. Just started a beginner WSB template from the exact link Aragorn provided. Follow his advice, although your program looks pretty solid. I used 5/3/1 to get to my current strength levels and now I am looking to move forward.

EliteFTS just posted an article on their site that said you should avoid advanced techniques like bands and chains until you have a base foundation of strength at 1.5xBW bench, 2xBW squat & 2.5xBW deadlift. I was close to all of these so I figured I would run the beginner program for 10 weeks leading into my next meet (FEB, 6th) and see if I can beat my old PR’s. I’m sure I will and when I get the above foundational strength locked up, I’ll be moving on to “advanced techniques”.

Think hard about what Aragorn said, “think about your training” and ask for advice when you’re stuck. I’ve found that the power lifting community is the most willing to help one another and rarely do you get put down or treated like a beginner who has dumb questions. No question is a bad question, so I’ve found.

Hit me up any time. VIETS

[quote]Aragorn wrote:

  1. the basic ideas are there for a Westside split. It is very much cohesive in that way.

  2. I’ve done WSB for years, and started when my numbers were well lower than yours. I think the plan is good, but here’s another one for you… The beginner’s template for WSB that I used is linked below.

Here is the exact same beginner’s program I did when starting out those years ago. I followed this to the letter, substituting exercises for the closest equivalents I could do with my gyms equipment. And, in all honesty, I think you should do the same for the duration of the program. It gives good progress and is a good intro. After that you can apply the same principles and substitute your own lifts. But it gives a break in period for you to “get” westside training. You can sub board presses out for regular bench or floor presses. Reverse hypers you can sub out for weighted 45 degree back raises, GHRs are substituted for “natural” GHRs.

The only additional modification I might make is have you work up to a 3 rep max on all main exercises instead of 1 rep max. Until the test day 9 weeks later.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/9week-training-program.htm

PS–this template is also the reason I don’t like starting strength as a program. :slight_smile:

2a) WSB is a tough system to “get” because it forces the lifter to analyze and really think hard about what he’s doing and what’s weak. The concepts are easy to grasp, you can read them in most Dave Tate articles, but the application is very hard. I’m not saying this to discourage you. Rather I think this is extremely valuable because it makes you really think about your training instead of “mailing it in”. If you think about your training and discover how your body responds, this is a very good way to train and will yield results for years to come. Be proactive, and this will treat you well. Of course, ask for advice when you’re stuck too. :slight_smile:

PS–it’s something you can only understand by experimenting and learning under the bar.[/quote]

Thanks for the in depth reply Aragorn. I think I will try the program. Everything is laid out for me. As I learn about how my body responds, like you said, I will make changes and try new things.

[quote]Viets wrote:
JustinC, too bad you don’t live in Columbus, OH. We could definatly train together and push one another. I am your size and have similar numbers and your post mirrors my situation. I may be just a few months in front of you. Did my first meet in October.

Current lifts are 340/265/450. Just started a beginner WSB template from the exact link Aragorn provided. Follow his advice, although your program looks pretty solid. I used 5/3/1 to get to my current strength levels and now I am looking to move forward.

EliteFTS just posted an article on their site that said you should avoid advanced techniques like bands and chains until you have a base foundation of strength at 1.5xBW bench, 2xBW squat & 2.5xBW deadlift. I was close to all of these so I figured I would run the beginner program for 10 weeks leading into my next meet (FEB, 6th) and see if I can beat my old PR’s. I’m sure I will and when I get the above foundational strength locked up, I’ll be moving on to “advanced techniques”.

Think hard about what Aragorn said, “think about your training” and ask for advice when you’re stuck. I’ve found that the power lifting community is the most willing to help one another and rarely do you get put down or treated like a beginner who has dumb questions. No question is a bad question, so I’ve found.

Hit me up any time. VIETS[/quote]

Man I’m jealous. I can’t wait until my first meet - and my first 400 pull.

I was thinking about using 5/3/1, but I’m addicted to ME lifting and I couldn’t resist trying Westside. Ever since I started my old program, all I thought was “this will get me ready for Westside,” so now that I’m pretty much there, I really want to do Westside! I will definitely give 5/3/1 a try in the future though.

Those goals for foundational strength are helpful as well. EliteFTS has so much free useful information I feel like I’m stealing. T-Nation is obviously great too! But it’s not focused on powerlifting.

I’m reading Louie Simmons’s Book of Methods and one of the things he emphasizes greatly is the conjugate method. The principle of the conjugate method is to use exercises that mimick the classical exercises (bench/squat/dead) and rotate them every week on Max Effort Days. This alows Westsider’s to train to their 1RM and set new records on different lifts while avoiding burn out. Assistance exercises are rotated very often as well if not at the same rate.

I thought that you should stick to a workout for a few solid weeks before switching it up but after reading the first half of Louie Simmons Book of Methods he advocates the opposite.

His book has been a great read and will definetely help anyone who wants to get a better understanding on how to apply Westside principles into your training. Plus it’s entertaining!

i would personally add more leg and back work in, and pausing sets of 8 reps seems like a waste to me

OP if you are starting westside, buy the book, dont just go buy the method everyone else does, and if your competitng in powerlifting, you should be doing a raw program like sheiko, WSSB, or 531, Westside works best for equipped lifters.

EDIT: Im a geared lifter, I use the conjuate method, I am buying the book, and I am getting 531 because my raw lifts need to go up. the conjuate method is almost too much for me as an equipped beginner.

Why is the conjugate method to much for you???

[quote]LilDaDDyDreW wrote:
Why is the conjugate method to much for you???[/quote]

It’s difficult to train your weak points if everything is weak.