MATT HAWKINS'
WESTSIDE BARBELL WORKOUT
by Matt Hawkins
WESTSIDE BARBELL WORKOUT OVERVIEW
This program is broken into four main workouts and several auxiliary workouts. The four main workouts are broken down into two dedicated to the bench press and two dedicated to the squat and deadlift. Each of these two groups is broken down into one day for speed and explosive work and one for maximum effort three days after the speed / explosive day. Both the Dynamic and the Contrast methods are needed every week in order to get strong. You can not make maximum gains with one and not the other.
Dynamic Method: To maintain form the squat and bench press are performed on the speed / explosive days. On these speed / explosive or volume days (called volume days because a lot of total volume is done, total volume = weight x reps x sets) you should use compensatory acceleration when performing your box squats or bench presses on this day. Compensatory acceleration simply means that the bar should increase in speed through the up phase of each rep and the bar should be at its fastest at the very top of the lift, just before lockout. Light weights are used on this day (50% to 60% of maximum effort) to maintain good bar speed (each set should be completed in the same time it takes to complete one maximum effort competition lift). Also multiple sets with short rest periods (under 1 min.) are used, all of this is known as the dynamic method. The squats are performed on a box with a height 1" to 2" below parallel and are done for 10 to 12 sets (8 to 10 sets if bands and / or chains are used) of 2 reps. The bench is done for 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps, with no pause on the chest. Both of these workouts are discussed in detail on Friday Morning for squats and Sunday Morning for bench (note these workouts, where you are actually performing the competition lifts, are placed on the weekend because this is where meets are done).
Contrast Method: Usually bands and / or chains and / or weight releasers are added to the bar on the speed / explosive days to offer varying resistance (this is known as the contrast method because of the change in resistance throughout the range of motion of each repetition). The advantage of bands and chains are they add resistance at the top of the lift where it normally gets easier due to mechanical and leverage advantages forcing you to push hard through the entire range of motion. This can really build explosive strength. When using chains you should have two lighter chains, one for each end of the bar, that hang from the bar and hold all the other heavier chains. These heavier chains should be about 5' in length. The heavy chains will hang doubled over from the lighter chain, which means they will hang down about 2.5' from the lighter chain. For the squat adjust the two lighter chains so that only about three links of the heavy chains will be on the floor at the top of the lift (i.e. most of the heavy chain will be on the ground at the bottom of the lift and only the light chains will not be on the ground). For the bench press adjust the two light chains so that about half of the heavy chain is on the ground at the top of the lift, this will prevent the swinging effect the chains can provide when completely off the ground and again most of the heavy chain will be on the ground at the bottom of the lift. The only purpose of the light chains is to adjust the height of the heavy chains. If you have access to a monolift (a special squat rack where you do not have to step back to take the weight out) use it for your Friday Morning squat workout because it will save a lot of energy especially when using chains because they will swing when completely off the ground while you are walking in and out with the weight. As you lift the bar you start to pick the chain off the floor and the weight gets heavier and heavier where the lift normally gets easier forcing you to work hard through the entire range of motion. Some machines try to duplicate this but chains allow you to do this with free weights. Chains can be used or added to many different exercises. Bands are used like chains. They look like large heavy-duty rubber bands and come in different strengths (made by Up-Stretch Inc.). They are place around the bar and the bottom of the squat rack (you can place a bench in your squat rack for benches). They offer varied resistance like the chains but have a totally different feel and also make the bar less stable. Weight releasers (as seen in PLUSA) are placed on the bar and adjusted to fall off at the bottom of the first rep. They allow you to lower more weight for the first rep of each set, this is a good for muscle growth. None of these things (chains, bands, or weight releasers) are limited to use on the dynamic days. They can be used for many of the exercises on the maximum effort days as well as some of the assistance exercises to offer more variations.
Conjugate Method: Three days (72 hours) after the speed explosive day the maximum effort day is performed. On the maximum effort day a main assistance exercise is performed very heavy usually for a 2 weeks in a row (known as a mini-cycle) and is then rotated to a different exercise for a new mini-cycle so that the body is always being stressed in different ways (this is known as the conjugate method). The three main lifts are usually only done heavy at a contest but many different similar exercises are done very heavy that will increase your performance at contest time. If you do exercises that increase your glut, hamstring, lower back and abdominal strength without doing heavy squats your squats will go up. All exercise including all assistance work can and should be rotated occasionally to prevent the body from adapting. The exceptions are reverse hyperextensions, which are too important to ever leave out, and box squats on Friday and bench presses on Sunday which are always done but can be varied (i.e. different grips, different stances, different height boxes, different type of boxes, with or without chains and / or bands and / or weight releasers, and the use of different amounts of chain and / or band and / or weight releaser combinations). Another useful item that can add some variety is a stability ball. The ball used is like a large beach ball but much more durable and can be used with many of the exercises. By sitting or lying on the ball you make the exercise you are doing less stable and thus work on the stabilizing aspect of the muscles. They are used a lot with dumbbell presses. If you have ever had trouble keeping a weight under control the use of a ball will help. The key thing for these days is to experiment and find the exercises that work best for you. Different exercises will work best for different people and the same exercises that work today will not always work in the future. As your body adapts so must you're training.
Assistance Work: The four main workouts (Friday Morning, Sunday Morning, Monday Morning, and Wednesday Morning) should always include the first exercise listed (i.e. box squats on Friday Morning, bench on Sunday Morning, primary squat / deadlift assistance on Monday Morning, and primary bench assistance on Wednesday Morning). Also each of the four main workouts should include a total of about 4 to 6 exercises including the main exercise for that day. You do not and should not do all the assistance exercises listed for a given workout, work your individual weak areas, the exercises you are weakest at, the most often because you are only as strong as your weakest link. For the bench press the triceps are very important and do 70% of the work for bench pressing so work them hard. For the squat and deadlift glut, hamstring, lower back, and abdominal strength are the key muscle groups so work them hard as well so you should always include reverse hyperextensions every squat workout (Friday Morning) and squat assistance workout (Monday Morning). because they really work the lower back, gluts, and hamstrings. You do not have to follow the order the assistance exercises are listed in, instead you should work your weak areas first after the main exercise for that day saving the exercises that work your stronger muscle groups for latter in the workout however, the order listed will more or less be the best order to use for most people. Rotate or change to different assistance exercises when you feel a particular exercise is no longer working for you. By rotating in different exercises you should be doing over 20 different exercises in an eight-week period. When picking the number of reps and sets to do for a given exercise pick what works best for you on that exercise. The number of sets and reps listed for some of the exercises are only there as a guide but you can do as many or as few sets and reps as you feel work best for you. For some it may take 8 sets to work the upper back where as another may be burnt-out after 3 sets. Try to increase the weight and / or the number of sets and / or reps you use throughout the training year but do not be concerned about counting your reps, rather it is best to go by feel or to failure depending on what you feel you need at that time. Trying to get a predetermined number of reps may not push you hard enough or may push you too far. When performing the exercises use grips and stances that makes the assistance work hard. The assistance work is suppose to be hard where as the actual lifts (i.e. squat, bench, & deadlift) are supposed to be easy due to the use of proper form. Also every time you come into the gym, for each and every assistance exercise you should try to break a record. If you can not go up in weight try to do one more rep or one more set than you did last time. Every time you perform an exercise you should be doing more weight, more reps, and / or more sets than you have before. If you can not or you become mentally or physically burnt out with a particular exercise then rotate or switch to a different exercise that will work similar muscle groups in a different manner. Variety is the key to this program. If you know of other exercises or variations of the exercises listed feel free to rotate them in.
Auxiliary Workouts: Do not start with all the workouts in this program rather start with the four main workouts (Friday Morning, Sunday Morning, Monday Morning, and Wednesday Morning) and slowly and steadily increase your workload throughout the training year. This is done by any or all of the following: increase the weight, increase the sets, increase the reps, increase the number of exercises per workout, increase the number of workouts, and / or decrease the rest time between sets and exercises. If you are going to add any of the extra workouts do so slowly and gradually and only if you feel you need more work in a particular area. The auxiliary workouts are treated as active rest days. These workouts use lighter weights (usually about 60% of the weight of the weight used the day before) and are done for fewer sets with less intensity. The main workouts do not have to be performed in the morning but if you were doing more then one workout on a given day the main workout would be done before any auxiliary workout.
Time: The four main workouts should take 70 minutes or less and the other auxiliary workouts should take 15 minutes or less. The main workouts would be broken down as followed; about 15 min of warming up, 15 min of the main lift and 20 to 40 min of other assistance. Keep your rest periods short, often 15 seconds rest between sets and never more than 2 or 3 minutes. Stretching for a few minutes after each workout and on your off days is also important.
The Meet: There is no off season with this training. The same routine is used the week of the contest as well as twelve weeks out from your next meet. If a meet was on Saturday you would do all the normal workouts right up to Wednesday but you may back off slightly on the main exercise (perhaps doing a rep max exercise rather than a max single) and never leave out or skip any of the assistance that you would normally do (In fact you might want to pick up the intensity, i.e. more sets, exercises, weight, etc.). After the meet you would be back in the gym on Sunday going at it with full force. With time and experience you will learn which mini-cycles and assistance exercises work best for you right before a meet. Also most of the members of Westside Barbell try to do a meet about every eight weeks. When you go to a meet you should know all of your attempts before hand. If your training has been going well then perhaps make your second attempt about a 5 lb. meet personal record with your first attempt being something you can confidently get even on a bad day and your third attempt should be something a little over your second attempt. Once you pick your attempts stick to them, only change them if after your first attempt you do not feel as strong as you thought you would, it is easy to get talked into trying more but it is better to get a third attempt with room to spare and come back and get more at your next meet then take a weight well beyond your abilities and not know what you were capable of. Also be sure to take at least one handler to the meet with you who has trained with you and knows how you lift and what you need to be reminded of as far as your form and how to get and keep you focused on your lifts.