Louie Simmons Shocks Boris Sheiko
In 2016, Boris Sheiko met Louie Simmons for the first time. Here’s how they spent their time together and what they talked about.
The 14-Day Program: An Interview with John Bott
What did your training look like before you began this training? Give us a sample week/template that would be fairly typical of what you did.
Observations of Beginner Powerlifting Mistakes
With five years in the sport of powerlifting, my best total before I came to Westside Barbell was 1685. After training at Westside for a little over three years, my best total is 1950. Here are the big issues to avoid if you want similar progress.
LISTEN: The Conjugate University Podcast
Nate Harvey has adopted the Westside Method of Training to allow his athletes to SFW
LISTEN: Deep Thinking with James Smith
Half of The Thinker's knowledge may go over your head, but you'll feel smarter for listening.
Lessons from West Point (Part 1)
I am living out of a car and sleeping on a couch while coaching at the most historically significant institution of higher learning in the country.
Reprogramming the Overhead Press
The body has the amazing ability to adapt to any stimulus. This can be a bad thing when it comes to training.
Starting a Powerlifting Club
My father once told me that a good teammate is someone who can carry his own weight and some of yours too when you need him to.
1100 Pound Abs
The other day in the gym, the topic of ab training for strength came up. I figured there was nobody better to ask than 1100 pound squatter Matt Wenning.
Problem—Raw Bench Press; Solution—Plyometrics
Speed training in the bench press has become increasingly popular. Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell Club popularized this concept by advocating a speed day in the bench press. Some call it a “dynamic” day, and some call it a “light” day.
The Perfect Program: For Lifters and Coaches Alike
Here’s the deal. All sound programs work and they work well. The best one is your preference. However, there’s a catch to everything and this has more than one.
Westside for Fat Bastards!
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the monsters at the Westside Barbell Club in Ohio.
Five Random Things I’ve Learned at Westside
You see, unless you train at Westside, you don’t know Westside
EliteFTS Spotlight: Matt Wenning
The subject of this week’s EliteFTS Spotlight is Q&A staff member Matt Wenning. Matt is one of only a handful of people to total over 2600 pounds in professional competition.
Chain Training
Initially used for accommodating resistance, chains help take into account the body’s natural strength curve. Many people have become familiar with this concept over the last few years as chains have become increasingly popular.
Six of the Best Ways to Use Bands
Bands are nothing new to most coaches and trainers. They have quickly become one of the most versatile and effective training tools in a coach’s toolbox. Initially, many thought of them only as rehabilitation tools. However, Westside Barbell changed the perception of bands with its innovative techniques for using them for accommodating resistance.
Concurrent Strategies in Strength Training, Part 1
Concurrent training in the iron game was made popular by the Westside Barbell Club and Louie Simmons, who erroneously called it “conjugate.”
Filling in the Holes, Part II
Previously I discussed how adding in various training tools can “fill in the holes” of standard barbell lifting. Kettlebells have gained a stronger and stronger following in the strength training community, but sleds and sandbags are two tools that have yet to gain their recognition.
My Fictional Dinner with Louie Simmons
My brain works like a puppy on crack. It never seems to stop. Unlike Homer Simpson, I can’t seem to get it to stop working for even short periods. What I can do is try to direct my train of thought. Working in my lab, I often have many experiments that involve tasks that I have performed hundreds or thousands
From Paper to Iron Mike: Mike Stuchiner’s Journey to Elite
Mike Stuchiner is a paragon of tenacity. In 1991, the native of Long Island, New York entered his first powerlifting meet. On August 18, 2007, he earned his first elite total at the Cincinnati Pro Am with a 775-lb squat, a 555-lb bench press, and a 620-lb deadlift in the 275-lb weight class.
Rest Intervals and Reps
Everyone seemed pretty fired up about the modified Westside program. I received an overwhelming response to my recent article, “Westside for Skinny Bastards.”
The Ulterior Motive
It seems like yesterday when I first set up the Q&A section on EliteFTS.com. I still remember answering the first question back in the winter of 1998. It was about the dynamic bench press, and I knew this would turn out to be a great thing. What I didn’t know at the time was how great it would become.
How to Break PRs
What I intend to offer you is an example of what has helped me increase my own lifts.
Top 3 Dynamic Squat and Dynamic Bench Cycles
In the spirit of the 4th of July, we are going to focus on explosive (re: dynamic) training. So listed below are the top 3 cycles for the squat and bench.
Going Heavy
For those that don’t know how I train or how I think – it all comes down to one thing; Going Heavy.
Under The Bar: The Iron House Open
I learned more about training during my preparation for this meet than I have any other one in the past. This is because it was one of the worst training cycles I have ever had. We will start with the meet and work backwards.
My Trip to Westside Barbell
This visit would be different than those previous because I was actually going to train on Saturday and Sunday as a bench and squat seminar attendee opposed to just watching the action.
Westside Raw- Is it possible?
I’ve heard every excuse in the book on why you cannot train in the same manner as Westside Barbell.
Preparation for the 2001 IPA Nationals
Here is a training diary and some thoughts on my preparation for the 2001 IPA Nationals.