STOIT, I highly doubt that there is a single best way for all people to gain muscle. I also don’t think that any “best” way will be proven for a long, long time.
My question for you is that now that you know that Westside helps a lot of people put on size, why don’t you try it for awhile and see what it does for you? That way, you can decide if it is better or worse for hypertrophy for yourself.
Something else that you might want to look into are some of Chad Waterbury’s programs. They share some similarities to Westside, but (some of them) put more emphasis on hypertrophy than strength, though both are increased. If I were going to switch to straight hypertrophy work, I’d try some of Chad’s stuff first, after having learned what I have so far from Westside.
I stated that I thought the Westside success story relative to turning out successful powerlifters has been proven. The jury is still out as to whether it is proven that this style of training is the “best” way to train for hypertrophy.
I have had many conversations with Dave Tate and own several Westside tapes. this does not by any means make me an expert on Westside, far from it. I do know enough to say unequivically that within their realm the Westside guys are really impressive! I do however think that there is a greater issue that lies at the heart of the issue.
There is a heard mentality that affects us all on occasion. We all want the lastest and the fastest. In the pursuit of this we often neglect what really works.
Remember when Cybergenics was all the craze? How about Mentzers one set to failure? More recently time under tension was the panacea for the would be muscle enthusiast.
Its easy to sit back in retrospect and pick apart these former methods but at the time many were all to ready to embrace them (and others) at the cost of not doing what has worked for years. The lastest craze is now Westside. Will this prove to be the “best” way to put on hypertrophy?
Personally, I think its fun to try different programs. Some value can be derived from the three programs mentioned above. Regardless of the end result the journey can be fun. Just entering the gym with a different mission gives training a breath of fresh air. As long as what we know works is not abandoned!
If you are looking for the holy grail of hypertrophy, while I could be wrong, I do not think it will be found at a powerlifting gym! At best I feel it will be a pleasant, and in some ways helpful distraction from the more traditional training (6 to 12 reps)that most (not all) successful seekers of size have sought after for years.
Time will tell. If Westside turns out to be the next mecca of hypertrophy, well then dog gone it I will get on board, at the right time that is.
Until that point you can find me in my gym doing 6 to 12 reps in the traditional manner.
Good luck to you and I wish you and all who try Westside the success you deserve!
I agree with you that it may be just another tool in the belt, but why not try it for a couple of months to find out? I can guarantee that you’ll be stronger at the end of that time, so at least you’ll be able to go back to more weight for 6-12 reps.
That’s all we can ever do to assess a program’s worth to us - trying it.
Just inching past 221 today, trying to hit mid-high 220’s by the end of next week, using one dose/day of MAG-10, 5300 cal/day. Then two weeks after that, another MAG-10 cycle, where I hope to reach mid 230’s. Started at 214. Sick of eating, feel shitting myself. Gas is making my co-workers sick. Can’t sleep, as this MAG-10 seems to wire the hell out of me. Any suggestions? Weights are going up better than ever, but the not sleeping thing is definitely not helping.
