Getting used to a new shirt is almost a art form. If you are going to try to get used to it ten try using it on some max effort days for the 2 board press, reverse band press or chain press. I would only suggest using it for as long as it takes to get used to it. Tis could range from one to three weeks if the shirts fits right. If the shirt doesn't fit then send it back to be altered and try it again.

I would need to know what you mean by sprint training. What distances, intensity, volume, ect. This will have an effect on when it would be preformed. Any speed work should always be preformed first in the training protocol. The best way I have found to integrate speed field work is to put the running work before any max effort work and after any speed squat and bench work work.  This way you keep the NS fresh for all the speed and dynamic training. 

Everybody is little different. Louie likes to hold weights in front of him and has done 200 pounds for 6 reps. I like to use bands around the back of my neck and have worked up to 6 reps with a green band. The reps without weights are around 15 to 20 and with weights 6 to 8. We will do two to four workouts a week with one or two without weights and one or two with weights. This is a very important exercise for any sport. I am always amazed at the number of people who can't do one rep with this exercise. Then they wonder why they can run faster or lift more.

Add in Good Mornings. This is perhaps the best exercise for any power lifter or football player. If there is one constant among great strength athletes it is the Goodmorning.

Work on keeping your whole body tight as you begin the lift. Think about flexing every muscle in your body and push your feet through the floor.

Try to stay away from the movement for at least four weeks. We have found through experience that this seems to be the ideal time.

Use the same box for your speed squat workouts all the time. This box should be one inch below. Use the other boxes for max effort work such as safety bar squats, front squats, and cambered bar squats.

Stick to basic multijoint exercises such as Squats, Bench Presses, Barbell Rows, Shoulder presses, ect. Build a solid foundation for about 12 to 24 months first then start a Westside Program.  There a many beginner routines out there just choice one a concentrate on perfecting the technique on each and every exercise you do.

Are you training the box squat with a suit and straps down? If not start doing so and you may find that the bar speed picks up. The suit will allow you to sit back further and keep you in a better grove.

I read all the articles by you and Louie Simmons and decided to give your methods a try(mainly because I was so slow on the bench). Since September I have been(hopefully) training the Westside way. I say hopefully becasue my bench is up 25 lbs w/o a shirt, my deadlift stayed the same and my squat has gone up 60 lbs!

My question revolves around my routine. I would like you to look at the following routine and let me know if I'm on the right track with your methods? Here it is:

Monday - speed Bench no shirt 10 sets x 3 reps @ 52.5% max week 1, 55% max week 2, 57.5% max week 3, 60% max week 4 then repeat.

Make sure to use three different grips all being closer than your meet grip. Eight sets is enough

Tuesday - max squat no suit rotate exercises every 3 weeks and max on triples or singles. Using Good Mornings; Eccentric squats; then Good Morinings; Good Morning squats; Good Mornings again; Heavy Box Squats then repeat.

Add in some pulling exercises about once every eight weeks. Deadlifting off mats or a 100 pound plate would be an excellent choice

Thursday - max bench no shirt rotate exercises every three weeks and max on triples or singles. Using DB presses incline, flat and decline; board presses; DB presses again; floor presses;DB presses again;incline close grip bench then repeat.

Friday - speed squat no suit 10 sets x 3 reps @ 52.5% max week 1, 55% max week 2, 57.5% max week 3, 60% max week 4 then repeat.

Assistance exercises - I do 4 sets of 10 reps for triceps, lats, delts and biceps every workout. I rotate different exercises each week and try to do more weight for that exercise than the previous week.

Abs - I do weighted crunhes, floor crunches, hanging knee ups and I devised a way to do reverse hyperextensions by putting a bench over another bench, tying weights to my ankles and then crawling up on the bench!

I live near Hershey, PA and there are no gyms that support powerlifting in my area(that I know of other than York Barbell, which is 1 hour from me). I don't have much in the way of equipment(squat rack, benches, straight bar, 800lbs of weight, lat machine, chains)and I have limited space. Any advice on what to get next to improve would be appreciated. I enjoy your articles and the Q&A section.  Thanks.

It may be worth your while to drive down to York barbell every so often to take a workout. There is nothing better than having some experienced lifters pick apart you form and training. Mark Chailet and Marvin Teter are both great lifters and are always willing to lend a hand.

This can be due to a number of reasons. I will guess and say your CNS is fried from all the heavy pulling you were doing. 5 sets of 2 at the percent you were training at (close to 80 and 90 percent), is a killer workout. The workload is way to much to try and come back and repeat. Some exercises are harder than others on the CNS and the dead lift is one of the hardest. This is why we only perform it on a limited basis throughout the year. The reason you have this problem with all your lifts is because of the same above reasons. Try adding in some restoration work (sled dragging, saunas, steam, contrast showers) or take a week off. Look back on your training records and see where the decline started, then go back a figure out why. After you do this then learn from your mistake and don't do it again.

A mini cycle can range anywhere between 1 and 3 weeks with a given max effort exercise. This depends on how well you adapt to new movements. if you choose the floor press for example and end up with a 300 pound max on week one, 320 week 2 and miss 300 on week three, then you should of switched movements after two weeks "one mini cycle" For an advanced lifter this may only be one week for a novice lifter this can be as long as 4 to 5 weeks.

Also what would be some good exercises to use on this day.

I am assuming you are referring to the bench press, good movements include: 
Close grip bench press
stability ball dumbbell bench press
dumbbell bench press on Flat, decline or incline bench
Wide grip bench presses

 My last question regards the 60% rule. I am wondering if I should be using this rule for every exercise that I train the day before. For example, if I do arch back good mornings and pulls throughs after I box squat, should I come back and do both of those lifts the next day at 60% of the previous days volume.
If you could clear this up for me it would help greatly.

No, it is best to use this rule with only those movements or muscles you feel you need extra recover on. If you try to do this for all movements you will become very over trained. It is best used with sled work but if you want to try it with other exercises then I would recommend no more than two
movements.

The bar would drift out of the grove. and you would have a hard time keeping your shoulder blades pulled together 

Where would the weight get stuck if the back was the weak link?

The bar would drift toward your face and would feel very heavy on the way down. It would also get stuck right off your chest

Where would the weight get stuck if the chest was the weak link?

About two inches off you chest. It is usually never one thing but combination of many things. Many of the problems you write of can also be form related and bench shirt related. I hope this helps..

Thanks for the info I will pass it along to the Q and A incase anybody else wants to try it out. I encourage anybody who finds something that works to send me an email and I will pass it along. Your solution could be somebody else's answer.

It is best to use shoes with out a heel. The high heels tend to work your quads more than your hips. Your hips are the stronger muscle so you need to learn how to sit back further when you use the wrestling shoes. Before I
came to Westside, I used to wear boots with a high heel. My best squat at the time was 775. This squat fluctuated between 750 and 775 for close to five years. When I started training with Louie T Westside, the first thing I
was told was to move my stance out and get rid of the boots. After 6 months I squatted 740. This was a 35 pound loss. I was not real happy with the progress but did not realize what was happening. For so long I was a quad squatter and my hips became very week. When I moved my stance out and got rid of the heels I took my quads out of the movement. It took so time to get my hips stronger but the net result is a 935 squat. A 150 pound difference. Sometime you have to take a step backwards to move forward but it is worth it in the long run.

You are never SOL in this sport. Have you tried any adductor work at all yet? Some exercises to try would be squeezing a stability ball between your knees and holding for a 4 or 5 second isometric contraction. If you are
beyond that you can also do ultra wide sumo deadlights. Place the collars on the bar first then put the plates on. The will allow for a wider stance. Very low wide box squats would be another good exercise. Sets and reps will
depend on the nature of the injury. If it still is bothering you a lot then perform between 30 to 50 reps. You may also take that up to 70 if you like. If the injury isn't so bad then perform less reps 3-5. The sets are up to
you. Perform what you feel you need.

#1. where can i get information on the above mentioned training journal?

You can get the training Journal by Calling 888-854-8806

#2. i previously submitted a question about the use of bench press weight releasers.  In case my question was lost, I'll ask again.  What weight %'s, rep & set scheme, should be used for weight releasers.  Can you share with
me instructions on the effecitve use of bench press weight releasers as it relates to Westside's training arena.

This depends on what you are trying to accomplish. It you are going for a maximal eccentrics effect then you want to have a total weight of 30% to 40% greater load then your best 1rm. So if you best bench was 300 then I would recommend a weight of 200 pounds with an additional load of 80 pound on each weight releaser. Lower he bar under control then when the weighs are released push the bar back up in a normal fashion. This known as a supramaximal method and should be used with caution because it carries an increased risk while using supramaximal weights. The eccentrics are also associated with great muscle soreness, so do not use the method too much. One workout a month would be the maximum.

The can also be used as a reactive method where the load is released the followed with an explosive reactive lift after the weights are released. For this method load the bar up with 50% of your max 1rm. Then load an
additional 20 to 30 percent weight on the weight releasers. Lower the bar under control then when the weighs are released EXPLODE. I would prescribe this method over the other because it carries a lower injury risk.

Thank you very much for your answers.

Train your hips. Try ultra wide sumo dead lifts and wide low box squats. It may also be you are not staying arched so add in some arch backed good mornings.

Think of the JM press as a close grip bench press toward upper chest with your elbows tucked in. You only lower about 1/2 way down to your chest then press back up.....

I will bet your form needs allot of improvement. Go back through some of the Q and A's about squat form and make sure yours is dead on. If you have any questions give me a call. 

Use it after your max effort and dynamic effort squat days for 4 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Push the weight up a heavy as possible for about 3 to 4 weeks then back off of the weight for another 3 to 4 weeks. By back off use
60% of the heaviest weight. 

  I ALSO ORDERED THE SWISS BALL, FOR WHAT EXERCISES  EXACTLY, AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD I USE.

Swiss ball is great for abdominal sit ups and crunches. You an do these as often as you like. It is also good for dumbbell presses, dumbbell shoulder presses, triceps extensions or what ever else you can think of. There is no
real rule of how often to use it since it is not used for any max effort work. It is used for repetition work and can be rotated the same way you would any other exercise.

 I RECEIVED YOUR "ELITE FITNESS REVIEW" IN THERE YOU TALK ABOUT MED-BALL TRAINING. IS IT WORTH GETTING, AND HOW CAN I GET DETAILED EXERCISES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR IT.

The med balls can help your explosive power if used for the right exercises. We will provide you with any detailed information you like with any of our products. This is part of our company mission "to show you the best way to use our products and to sell only those products we feel work". I don't want any of my clients or customers wasting any time trying to figure out what we already have. Why should you have to make the same mistakes we have?

 I ALSO HAVE A DRAGGING SLED THAT I ORDERED FROM PLUSA. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I USE IT (MAYBE ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY) AND WHAT EXERCISES CAN I DO WITH IT.

If your sled has a chain attached to it, throw it away. It defeats the purpose of many of the sled exercises!  Our sled is built for specific purposes and the other one I see advertised is not designed to fulfill the same goals. If you have the other sled give me a call and I will tell you what has to be done to alter it. If you bought it from Louie before we took it over then you are okay. Sled programming depends on many factors. I need
to know what your goals are for the sled dragging restorative, strength building, work capacity, ect. Give me a call and we will figure this out. 888-854-8806

  I ALSO MADE DURABLE SQUAT BOXES THAT RANGE FROM 14.5" (WHICH IS EXACTLY ONE INCH BELOW PARALLEL FOR ME) AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 9.5" IN 1/2"INCREMENTS. YOU SAID USE THE ONE INCH BELOW PARALLES BOX ON DYNAMIC DAY(FIRDAY) ALWAYS.  NOW ON MAXEFFORT DAY SHOULD I CHANGE HEIGHTS OF THEBOX SQUATS.  AND HOW OFTEN, CONSIDERING THAT 75%OF MY MAXEFFORT DAY CORE EXERCISES IS THE GOOD MORNINGS.

Go down 3 to 4 inches below you squat box height. And do them the other 25% of the time. Use as many different bars as possible. For example: Safety squat bar, cambered Squat Bar, Font Squat Harness, ect

 DAVE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE  SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT OTHER BOOKS TO BUY FROM YOUR COMPANY THAT I CAN IMPROVE MY KNOWLEDGE AND PERFORNCE. I ALREADY ORDERED THE SUPERTRAINING. ALSO DO YOU HAVE ANY TRAINING LOGS BASED ON YOUR SYSTEM SO I CAN KEEP TRACK OF MY EXERCISES AND WORKOUTS.

We are working on a very detailed one right now that will track every known parameter. Work load, volume, intensity, sets, reps, ect. These factor are calculated for every group of exercises we do. I hope to have this complete by March 2000.

  DAVE THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AGAIN. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE BECOME AND LOYAL CUSTOMER AND A FOLLOWER OF YOUR SERVICE. 

Thanks for your loyalty, It great to know we are making a difference in your training.

Start them on a higher box. After a few sets lower the box some. When they get to the breaking point where there form is breaking up take them back to the higher box. Also, build their hips up and stretch their hip flexors.

I have this problem many times with new clients or people in my seminars.  Most of the time it is form related and can be fixed within one workout or one seminar. If it can't be then it is for the reasons discussed already

Check out the Q and A archives and the next posted. I gave a great sample workout awhile back. To answer some of your question. The sled is used in some manor everyday. The weight used should not be too heavy. If it is too
heavy it will over train you real quick. How do you know if it is too heavy? believe me you will know. The distance traveled is about 200 feet per half trip. Drag the sled 200 feet stop rest for 30 sec then return. This would equal one trip. Two trips per exercise is enough for restoration work. For strength building on a specific exercise then you may want to do up to 4 trips increasing the weight each half trip.

The max effort work is best done using sets of three reps working up in weight until you can no longer do three reps (do not miss the third rep, stop doing threes when the weight feel too heavy) then drop the reps to one.
Keep increasing the weight until you max out for one rep. That's it. You only have one max effort exercise per workout, the rest of the movements are accessories and supplemental movements.

Keep your back arched so the barbell stays in line with your heels.

 The second part of my question is concerning the starting portion of my BP(Raw). It is slow coming off my
chest but when I get halfway to lockout it is very easy from there on.  I am considering using more floor presses
and heavy DB presses to try to improve this.  Could you please suggest some other exercises.

Train your lats. Check the Q and A when it is updated. I just answered this question.

You are lucky to have a coach like Paul. He knows what he is doing and is one of the few who practice what he preaches. He is very well versed on all methods of training and has put together a great strength training program. Not a bodybuilding program. His goal is to give you the ability to use all your skills at the highest level possible. Paul also knows the difference between power lifting and football training and is not training you guys as power lifters. If you would like to add more mass then talk to Paul about adjusting some of your variables.  I am sure he will work with you because that is the mark of a great coach like Paul.

PS. At his size he has to know something about mass development. Also have him look over your nutritional program. If you feel like you are looking like shit then your diet could also be the problem. I would be willing to
bet that it is.

To put it bluntley i am starting to look like shit! Now i know powerlifting isnt bodybuilding but it isnt football or throwing either. Are there any suggestions you could give me so i can gain some mass and some definition? i
am currently 6'1" 241 lbs. i take twinlab creatine fizz and zma fuel. i lift 4 times a week and try to eat 4-5 meals a day.

 I FOUND THAT THE CAMBERED BAR ALLOWS ME TO HANDLE ALOT MORE POUNDAGE.

With our bar we are all able to do less weight because the upper back is taken out of the movement. It was designed to make the movement more difficult. I think are bars are made different because it would be a huge
record for me if I could do more with the cambered bar.

I ALSO FOUND THAT THE CAMBERED BAR PUTS MORE OF THE STRESS RIGHT IN THE LOWER BACK AREA
AND NOT ANY ON THE UPPER BACK. THIS I LIKED. I AM ABLE TO GET MORE SPECIFIC WORK BOTH ON THE UPPER AND LOWER AREAS OF THE BACK. AM I ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH MY TRAINING ON THE CAMBERED BAR? I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT I HAVE FOUND WORKS VERY WELL! I MAINLY COMPETE IN HIGHLAND GAMES AND STRONGMAN. I DO SPEED WORK WITH CHAINS ON STANDING OVERHEAD PRESSES ON THE SAME DAY AS SPEED BENCH. THIS HAS HELP GREATLY WITH MY OVERHEAD STRENGTH. I ALSO DO MY LAT PULLDOWNS WITH CHAINS. I HAVE A LAT MACHINE THAT USES PLATES SO I JUST HANG THE CHAINS OFF OF THE ENDS OF THE SLEEVES. I LOVE THE (USE YOUR IMAGINATION)
STYLE TRAINING YA'LL USE. THANKS FOR ALL OF THE GUIDIANCE THAT LOUIE AND ALL OF THE WESTSIDERS PASS ON. I AM ONLY ONE OF THE MANY WHO HAVE MADE INCREDIBLE GAINS DUE TO YA'LL.

Great ideas, I will post them on the Q and A

  I use boards presses and rack lock out altenating them bi weekly and  max bench about once every 6-8 weeks.Other than that I follow a pretty  basic routine basic power moves low reps high weight.My body weight is
 now around 280-290.please recomend something I'm not in a lul yet but  I want to avoid it at all cost.I just started back about 3 mos. ago  and already the bench is going up but like I said Its just that blast  off. I'm really strong in the mid and end.

First off,  Pull out your bench tape and view it again. There are many things you need to change about your program and all of them are addressed in the video. I will help you with a couple major changes.  To begin with
set up a speed day and a max effort day. If these days are on Sunday and Wednesday then come in the gym on Monday and Friday and do some lat work, abs work and leg work. If your weakness is off your chest then the added Lat work should fix the problem.

Very easy answer to this question. YES. The best way I have found is to do heavy triples for and extension movement like a JM Press or Carpet Press after the speed bench day, and perform heavy sets of 6 to 8 on the max effort day for Dumbbell Extensions, Chain Extensions, or Barbell Extensions

2.What type of speed work should be done for deadlifts?

The best speed work for the dead lift is to perform 6 to 8 singles with 50 to 60 percent after doing the speed squat workout. This is best done for two to three weeks with a one or two week break in-between.

3.I am a raw lifter and on the bench press the weight feels heavy and I'm having a hard time getting the weight off my chest, what can I do to correct these prblems?

Lats.....Lats......Lats  Add some rowing into your training plan. Use the same grip as you bench with and concentrate on using your lats not momentum to lift the weight. Also keep your shoulder blades depressed throughout the movement to keep the tension in the lats and out of the rear delts and traps. Start with Barbell
Rows 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps and push it up to 5 sets of 6. Work this up over five workouts then switch to chest supported rows with the same set and rep pattern.

Not much..... Start with 135 for forward and backward dragging as the heaviest weight in the cycle. Keep the heaviest upper body weight at 70 pounds, and the heaviest ankle dragging weight at 45 pounds.

I don't personally think they are important enough to make any real difference, but there are many football strength coaches who disagree with me. My reasoning is hat I view the squat, bench and dead lift as markers of
true strength. If you increase these lifts then you power clean will go up with out ever doing a power clean, if you do power cleans without doing squats then will your squat go up? Another aspect of the power clean as told
by the coaches who utilize the movement is that it is a power building exercise because it can be done explosive. These coaches fail to realize that the squat, bench press and dead lift can also be done explosively. The 
explosiveness of the exercise is in part determined by the weight. If you do a maximal effort power clean, how explosive would it be? 

At Westside we specialize in maximal strength training. We want to get ourselves and our lifters as strong as possible and the power clean does not fit into this plan. At the same time we also do not have to go out and play
football or any other sport. Our sport is the squat, Bench and Dead lift. You need to take out of our program what you feel may benefit your players and integrate it with your total over all program needs and goals.

This is just my opinion on the power clean. As a strength coach it is your job to form your own. I can say that the power clean is one of the most utilized movements in football today, and there has to be a reason for it.
It is your job to determine what that reason is. It could be:

1. Because everybody does it, they feel they must also do it
2. Because the NSCA really pushes the movements throughout their Journal, books, and seminars.
3. Because it really does works and make a difference.
4, Or a number of other reasons

QUESTION: is benching out of the pins result in a better gain of strength. Have you ever heard of X-rep?
Have you ever heard of a full-speed device. its similiar to bands but bungi cords thats add in resistance by lifting in weights of the ground at a certain position?

I have not heard of X-Rep. I have seen the bungee products on the market and we have had some sent to the gym. All of them I have seen are not even close the what the bands can do.  The bands are by far the best way to train "Maximal eccentrics, Dynamic concentric". Keep in mind EFS or Westside Barbell don't receive a dime for jump stretch and have paid full price for every band we use. The reason we push these products so hard is because of the great progress we have seen from them in both our training and the training from other lifters across the country.

You would need to find another system. Louie's system when combining in other aspects of training (olympic lifting, speed trainiing, ect) requires more time then you can give to work effectly. You will not have enough rest
time with some days and to much rest time on other days  to rotate this four day program with the three days you specified.
QUESTION:  With yours and Louie's tutleage, I have been able to cause significant  increases in all three lifts and total(averaging 130lbs each)
in a year and change, most of which was spent studying training rather than training. But by doing so, I have been able to attain more than I or anyone else could imagine or believe drug-free. I now do raw for reps, what I did w/ gear at my first meet. Thank you. Please continue to vanquish the ignorance of the nay-sayers and would-be power prophets. It is the two of you who do this sport justice.

Thank you, it is great to hear of your progress

p.s when are you going to do a seminar in washington state (seattle,tacoma,olympia area)   when you do, I AM THERE.

Don't get to caught up with percentages, It is the bar speed that counts.  The barbell percentage does not change it is the band percent that changes.  The top weight with barbell and bend tension will wav between 80 and 90 percent while the bottom percent will wav between 60 and 70 percent.

We are looking at setting up seminar all over the country.  Nobody has contacted me about coming to the Seattle, washing state yet. If and when we set something up I will let you know by posting on the Q and A and with a personal email.

The best place to start would be Louie's articles in PLUSA and the articles posted by Louie or Myself on the Net. Do not pay to much attention to the other articles by any other author about the Westside system. I have read most of them and they do not have a clear understanding of what is really being done.

The second place to start would be the bench press video revised and the squat workout tape. These are the most recent and probably the most helpful.  The last and probably best thing you could do is come to one of our seminars. For more information please feel free to contact me.

I will make this short. Stretch out your Hip flexors and extensors, hamstrings and glutes. Start with a high box that you can squat down to with a power stance then lower it one inch at a time as your flexibility increases. Train you core with varies types of abdominal exercises including varies hanging leg raises and pull down abdominal movements. Train you lower back with both arching and bending movements.
 

I am in the process of working on something right now, but would like to be closer to Knoxville.

Don't worry about the wide grip stuff if you are having pec pain. Stick with the close grip board presses and get your pec back in shape with high rep bench presses with 30 to 40 percent for a few sets of 20 reps three to four times a week until it begins to feel better

Call me on this one. The are many factors that need to be discussed. If you screw up this phase you will be dead.

2. I live by the beach, I was wondering if pulling the sled in the sand would have a more profound effect or would it be overtraining?

Good question. I bet it would be great, but you would have to lower the weight.

3. In meets, I always seem to have a problem hitting depth in the squat.  I train on a box that is about 2 inches below parallel, and about every third minicycle I'll take a low box squat(about 10 in., I'm 6'2) for a max. whenever the meet rolls around however, I'm always getting red lights. I don't train with any powerlifters, so I can't depend on any one else to correct my form, I have to do it by myself. Any suggestions would help out.

Change federations you are probably already breaking parallel.  If this is not an option try moving your stance in some and include flexibility work for your hip flexors.

Please explain how your feet move out when you are on the box. If you are squatting there is pressure on your feet so they should never move, unless I am  misunderstanding the movement.

  I wear the chuck taylors.  13in is well below parralel I think i am 6"2'.  I am also having a hard time on assistance  exercises because we don't have a reverse hyper machine or a glute ham raise.  Pull throughs are also hard because   the stack only goes to 150.  I usually do Front squats, and partial deadlifts. along with abs, and pull throughs, and back raises.  Should i rotate assistance work on squats, and bench days every week, or change when I stops  working. 

 A good rule to go by is use the same movement for about five workouts then switch the exercise or the loading pattern (sets, reps, weight)

I was also wondering about upper back and lat work how many exercises per training session, what rep range. 

 This is up to what you feel you need. The most I would ever recommend is two lat exercises one type of rowing and one type of pulling. Usually around 5 sets  of 8 to 12 reps

I have one more week of good mornings to due, the arched back, I hit 315 last week.  Should I wear a belt, or will I build more strength without it? 

 Wear the belt only for your top sets or not at all....

 Thank you so much, 

The first thing is realizing that there is a mental block, now get rid of it.  Study some simple metal training techniques such as affirmations and
visualization. The first key thing in coming back from an injury is to get back full range of motion first (without pain). When this is achieved start light with higher reps (30 to 40 per set) on the bench press. After 3 to 4 weeks start back with normal training and lower intensity.

 Will I ever see a 500 bench again?

I tore mine with a 500 bench and post surgery 585. Yes it is very possible but you still need to determine why it happened in the first place and learn from it. I have seen many lifter return from serious injury. It all depends on the training and the mental state of the lifter. If it was easy everybody would be doing it!

What are the chances for a full strength recovery?  I've never taken steriods, but I was on creatine.  Could that have contributed to the injury?

I doubt it, most injuries are a result of over use.

We sell them and so does Westside barbell. The cost is $730.00 shipping included. Hatfield also has one on his site http://www.drsquat.com/

If I can be of any assistance let me know. 888-854-8806

Finding a mini max is not important with repetition movements. Where you fail in a fatigued state under sub maximal loads means nothing to us as strength athletes. The question of failure or not is a great question as far as training goes. The training to failure has been shown to elicited great gain in muscle hypertrophy as well as gains in strength, but the recovery rate is also intended when compared to non fatigued training. We have found that the repetition method (failure) to work best when integrated in with sub maximal lifting not to failure. To be more specific training to failure with a repetition method) with a core exercise such as the squat, bench or dead lift will have a tremendous effect on your ability recovery so this type of training is very limited to only once every third of forth mini cycle, or better yet once every 4 to 5 weeks after your speed sets. This high rep work is only done with the bench press never the squat. This is once again because of the demanding effect it has on the neuromuscular system.

Using the repetition method for a supplemental movement (for us the second movement: either triceps or hamstrings) can be preformed more often but still in a limited fashion. Usually every five to six weeks. Most of the time these movements are done for sets of 5 to 8 and it is saly hard to perform another rep once set in complete.

For the accessories movements, usually extra triceps, biceps, lats, deltoids, abs, or other small isolated movements, you can go to failure more often. These small movements d not require the same energy demand as the supplemental or core movements so their demand on the CNS is less.  In short, everything is fine in moderation.......

 Thank you for your help.

Safety Squat Bar will offer you a greater variety of movements'.

If you are losing strength with a one inch drop it is probably due to not  enough hip work. Try moving your stance out another 3 to 4 inches each foot and add in movements like pull throughs and ultra wide dead lifts. Your problem can also result from lack of flexibility in the hip abductors/ hip adductors , try adding in some low box squats after your sets down to a 3 or 4 inch lower box with a light weight. This problem can also be related to torso strength. Increase your ab work
 

 also we perform clean and jerks and i can't stay tight on those either.

Increase your ab work again. The body's core is responsible for keeping form in these lifts

 as far as the bench press goes i have come up from 160 to 245 since august and i couldn't be happier but i am a little confused i can up 70lbs in about 9 weeks and only 15lbs since then is there a reason for this?

If everybody could put 70pounds on their lifts every 9 weeks imagine how strong we all would be. Progress just does not work that way. As long as you keep going up then you are on the right track

thanks for the great work out it has made me stronger quiker and more agile!!!!

1) Can you clarify this discrepancy please,  and,

2) If the chains are merely draped over the bar, how do you keep them from sliding off on the floor?

Thank you for your time!

The only discrepancy is the way many lifters and coaches are implementing the chains. The only time they are draped over the bar is with the floor press. The rest of the time they are run through a ring that is attached by a smaller chain that is then attached to the bar.

Don't worry about it. If you watch most of the greatest dead lifters ever they all do the same thing. What you need to check is how close you can keep the bar to the midline of your body. if the bar is far away and your hips are still coming up then you need to strengthen your hamstrings.

I really do not know. We use the band with the monolift. The best way to tell is to weight them your self using a scale, several boards, and the
barbell. Put the bar on the safety pins where you would lock the bar out at. Put the scale in the rack and wedge a board between them. See what the bars weighs with the band tension then subtract the bar. Pretty scientific stuff huh. Glad the ss squat bar is working out for you. We use ours with great success by suspending it from the power rack for good mornings.

I am currently completing my graduate nutrition courses in order to obtain my nutrition license, so if you choose to post this long comment feel free to post my e-mail address  (<veggielifter@cs.com>) as well. I enjoy your Q and A. It is best information for lifters that I have seen anywhere. Keep up the good work!

Great advice but I still need my Ribs and Steak. Good luck in obtaining you RD LD.

All training programs are based upon Volume and intensity, I have a problem with the ones that separate the strength. power, hypertrophy, and peak phases. I believe these phase should be coupled together.

 Currently after my 2 sets of flat bench I do 2 sets of 3 board presses followed by 2 sets of 5 board presses, both @ the weight I am using in my
cycle. I follow this with LOTS of tricep work. I plan on trying a Westside style routine after my first meet in April. I am drug free. My question I
guess is should I just be doing heavy weight (2-3 reps) board presses? 
 

The purpose of the training program we use is to combine the dynamic effort, maximum effort and repetition methods of training. You are only using one of these methods. You are short changing your self out of 2/3 of the proven methods of creating muscle tension. If you are going to train the way you are then dump the board presses and cycle the bench presses. If you are training in a peak phase with both the board press and bench press you are creating an ideal environment for over training.

There is so much new info out there for me right now, I guess I am just overwelmed. ANY input wold be greatly appreciated.

Just stick with the basic four day plan.

What do you mean by special exercises. If you mean the restoration work using the sled or certain  feeder movements. Then 3 to 6 hours after the first workout is really ideal. Then again the following day using 60% of the first days weight.

 For example If I was to do some extra tricep work and upper back would it be better to do later on in the day after my first workout or the next day after my max effort lower body workout. Thank you.

It has already had an effect on your training. Almost 100% of the time this is caused from squatting. Trying moving your hands out wider and
wearing the neoprene elbow sleeves when you squat. Icing after will also help the swelling. The best way to ice the area is to freeze water in a
Dixie cup and use it as an ice massage. Peal off the cup and use the ice to apply pressure and massage the area toward the heart.

The problem is that instead of sticking with it and trying to figure out why you got stuck (or where you weak area is), you switched to a different program. Most other training program do not address weak links the same way as the Westside program. Since this new program did not fix the problem then your weakness still exists. Based upon the information given, I don't have the information necessary to give you any help. For instance where does the bar get stuck and what happens at that point. Does it drop straight down or fade forward or backward?

1.   As I understand it, the floor press isn't the same as benching off low supports because the floor press keeps the weight on the lifter, like the box squat.  Am I right?

No, The weight is taken of he lifter when the elbows hit the floor. The board press keep the weight on the lifter. The floor press takes the legs
out of the motion and also minimizes lat involvement. It places great stress on the shoulders, triceps, and chest.

2.   The triceps relax, but should the lats stay contracted?

Everything should really be kept tight. Pause the triceps on the floor and press back up

3.   One of Louie's articles says the floor press will build the bottom part of the bench press.  Does that mean the bar should touch the chest just as the arms contact the floor?

The bar will land differently on everybody. The reason it work the bottom of the bench is because  the stress put on the delts, triceps and chest.

If so, might I need to lay on a couple of 2x12s to do it?

4.   Can I accomplish the same thing on a bench with a 5-gal. bucket under each elbow?  I work out alone.  I have a low rack that fits around my bench and spots it with two long parallel bars; very safe.  The buckets would mimic the floor but keep the spotter.  Also, I would be starting off the bench uprights so my lowering and pressing grooves would stay the same.

Never thought about that "The bucket press" It would not work the same because of reasons presented above but may work for other reasons. Let me know how it works.

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Facts and Fallacies of Fitness: (Siff) $40.00*
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Fundamentals of Special Strength Training in Sport (Verkhoshansky) $30.00*
The Training of the Weightlifter (Roman) $26.00*
A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting (Medvedyev) $30.00*
The Management of the Weightlifter $20.00*
Children and Sports Training (Drabik) $45.00*
Stretching Scientifically (Kurtz) $24.00*
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I get my books from all over the world. In some cases they are from very small publishes or the authors themselves. I spend a great deal of time and money researching and reading new titles. I only sell the ones I feel are they very best. I probably go through 50 books before I find one good one. I am a big believer in continuous education. If the average change in technology doubles every 18 months then training information is equal to or greater than that. Your training success five years from now will be a result of what you read and the people you meet.

Pull through and reverse hyper and kneeling squats. You need to bring up your glutei strength.

The best way to learn the system is to learn everything you can that Louie or myself have written. The squat and bench video will also help you to see the movements.  The seminars are by far the best way to learn the system. Every aspect is covered in detail during the seminar. The best one to attend for your needs and goals is the Westside seminar. We are also starting four new seminars dealing with the squat, bench, increasing work capacity, and program design for athletes. A seminar list is provided at the top of the page:

I guess it is true paradigm shifters get burned at the stake. Five years from now there will be chains in every gym and you will be thought of as a
pioneer. You want tension in the bottom of the lift. For the bench press you may want to order a pair of minibands because the blue band will be to heavy.

We are still experimenting with the supramaximal phase. It looks like two times a year may be it. It is very hard on your CNS and takes a very high level of fitness to do it. It takes up to eight week to push your work capacity up to a high enough level to even begin the phase. Keep in mind the phase weight at the top is between 90 and 100% so you have to be fit.

Louie is a great lifter and has done many great things for the sport but should not be awed by anyone. Let me explain why. When I first came to the gym Louie could not bench for close to three years because of nerve problem in his upper back. This is just one of the injuries he has to contend with on a daily basis. He has learn the hard way how the right way to train is. My point is Louie is no different then any one else except he believes in himself more so than anybody I have ever meet. If you or anyone else can believe as much in yourself as much as he does in himself hen you will accomplish what ever you desire

HERE IS MY PROBLEM. IN MY YOUTH AND MID 30'S I WAS A VERY GOOD BENCHER. 465 @ 200LBS, RAW. I REALIZE TIME & INJURIES TAKE THEIR TOLL BUT I SHOULD BE MUCH STRONGER THAN A 275 BENCHER @ 48 YRS. OLD.

What is the best way to say this: YES, why not?

 I FEAL MY TRIS ARE PRETTY STRONG,& MAY BACK VERY STRONG ( FRONT PULLS FOR REPS W/ 340 LBS.) MY SHOULDERS ARE STRONG ALSO ( I COULD WORK UP TO A 300LB. B.N.P.IN 6 MONTHS ).

You can do a 300lb behind the neck press but only a 275 bench press. My advise stop doing behind the neck presses because they are doing nothing for your bench press.

 I THINK MY PROBLEM LIES IN MY CHEST STRENGHT HOW DO I BUILD CHEST STRENGHT IF WEST SIDES'  PROGRAM DOWN PLAYS CHEST IMPORTANCE? MY PROBLEM IS BOTH FRUSTRATING & EMBARRASSING. I AM VERY DISCIPLINED & WILL FOLLOW YOUR ADVICE
TO THE LETTER. THANK YOU & LOUIE FOR YOUR GUIDIANCE & GENEROUS GIVING OF YOUR TIME. ELI.

If you want more chest strength try cambered bar bench presses using board press boards so that the bar only goes 1/2 to 1 inch lower than normal. Also close grip inclines may help.

Thanks

Simple answer. No, do not change anything

I just finished one for them, all I have to do is edit it then send it out.  I have been asked by many people to start writing more articles and
TESTOSTERONE seemed like another great place to post information. I will continue to do the Q and A because it has been a great help to so many lifters and coaches. Jason is doing a great thing with his site and I commend him on his time and effort to get information to you.
Thanks for the interest.

This is the last week of a recent supramaximal phase I just finished:

Sunday:
Bench Presses: 8 sets of 3 with 275 and a folded mini band (aprox 35 on chest and 100 at top), after sets worked up to single with 425.

Carpet Press (JM style): worked up to heavy triple using 415 then backed it down to 315 for 2 sets of 5.

Dumbbell Extensions (elbows out) supersetted with pushdowns: 4 sets using 60 pound dumbbells and 120 for pushdowns.

Side Raises: 30 pounds for 2 sets of 15

Barbell Rows: worked up to 275 for 2 sets of 6

Reverse Hypers: 2 sets 15 with 300 pounds
 

Sunday Afternoon:

Around the waist dragging, ankle dragging and upper body dragging, light med ball work and abs

Monday:
Suspended Cambered Bar Good Mornings: worked up to max of 550
Safety Squat Bar Lunges: 3 sets of 6 using 115
Glute Ham Raise: 5 sets of 8 with pink band
Reverse Hypers: 4 sets of 8 with 450
Pull down Abs: 6 sets of 8 with 100

Monday early afternoon;
Steam Sauna Shower contrast workout. Cycle hot for 4 minutes and cold for 2.
3 rotations

Monday late afternoon:
Around the waist dragging, ankle dragging and upper body dragging, light med ball work and abs
(I don't want to post every restoration workout but they look like this)
Around the Waist Dragging: 4 trips of 200 feet
Ankle Dragging: 4 Trips of 200 feet
Front Raise Dragging: 3 trips of 200 feet
Rear Raise Dragging: 3 trips of 200 feet
Med Ball Chest Pass: 1 trip 200 feet
Med ball over head throw: 1 trip 200 feet
Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets 8
Side Bends: 3 sets 6
Incline sit ups: 5 sets 20

Tuesday:
Around the waist dragging, ankle dragging and upper body dragging, light med ball work and abs
 

Wednesday:
Close Grip Steep Incline Press: work up to 375 max
Barbell Floor chain extensions: start with 95 pounds with 2 chains a side and work up to 155 with 7 chains each side for 3 to 5 reps
Push Downs: 4 sets 20 reps
Face Pulls: 4 sets 12 reps
Reverse Hypers: 2 sets 300 pounds for 12 reps
Pull down Abs: 6 sets 8 reps with 120
 

Wednesday Afternoon:
Steam Sauna Shower contrast workout. Cycle hot for 4 minutes and cold for 2. 3 rotations

Wednesday Late Afternoon:
same as Monday but added in cable crossovers and dumbbell flies. This is to keep my pec insertions conditioned for the heavy loads. I have torn both pecs and have found these movement to be very beneficial in keeping them fit.

Thursday:
Very light sled work with steam and sauna workout again.

Friday:
Box Squats: 6 sets of 2 with 455 using a choked blue and choked green band. Pull Down Abs: 8 sets of 6 with 120 Reverse Hypers: 4 sets of 8 with 450

Friday Afternoon:
Around the waist dragging, ankle dragging and upper body dragging, light med ball work and abs

Saturday:
Around the waist dragging, ankle dragging and upper body dragging, light med ball work and abs
 

That's just about it. I also keep trac of the total Volume and workload for each section of exercises for example max effort, supplemental, accessory, prehabilation, dynamic effort, restoration, and so on. My plan is devised in four week phases as a guideline. The only for certain are the dynamic work weights and some of the supplemental movements. We usually chose the max effort exercise after we get in the gym. This serves many purposes: 
1.You can't mentally prepare for it. This will help you in a meet when the unexpected happen. 
2. You will apply more effort. For example if you scheduled Good Mornings and get to the gym hating the fact you have to do them, then how much effort will you apply. 
3. If you always choose the exercise you will most always pick what you are good at. This is not the movement you need do.

QUESTION: I know that you aren't a cardiologist but here goes anyway.  I was/am fairly fit.  I obtained a Metz rating of 15.7 on a stress test on January 25th, 1999 after having a heart attack on December 8th 1998.  I want to powerlift again but my doctors advise against me doing so.  I don't believe that this advice is based on the specifics of my situation but is more like "powerlifting is  not recommended for someone who has had a heart attack." Do you know of anyone that I can contact in order to get information on returning to powerlifting after a heart attack?

A:  This type of question is far more serious than almost any other questions that one may encounter in the strength training world, since it is not a matter of the vanity of growing bigger biceps or pecs, or simply lifting more weight to win a medal in the local State championships. Putting it plainly, it may be the difference between life and death.

Dave suggested that my experience might be a great asset in answering this question.  I am sure that he was not really referring to my academic background, research or years of lifting experience, but far more to my experience in having survived a massive heart attack that left me clinically dead for 7 minutes and resulted in quadruple bypass surgery.

I do not know anything of your health and family background, but I exhibited none of the classical cardiac risk factors like family history of heart isease or diabetes, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, high blood cholesterol or LDL ('bad' cholesterol) to HDL ('good' cholesterol) ratio and so forth.

I have been a non-meat eater for most of my adult life, have taken every anti-oxidant and 'health' supplement in the book, did aerobic and anaerobic exercise almost daily since I was a teenager, meditated, never smoked - you name the 'right' things that the doctors and alternative types tell you to do - I did all of them and I suffered a huge cardiac attack with never the slightest warning such as chest or neck pains, breathlessness or dizziness.

In fact, two days before my attack ('infarct') my weightlifting was going so well that I was considering returning to serious national competition
again - all my lifts felt so light - quite the opposite of what characterises an impending cardiac disaster.

Yet, right in the middle of lecturing at my former university to my mechanical engineering students, I felt profoundly dizzy, sat down thinking
that it had something to do with an old inner ear vertigo problem from my skindiving days, then  within minutes I was flat on my back dying from an incredibly painful coronary.  Had my close friend, Dr Marian Seabrook, head of our Campus Health Services, not been there to help me within minutes I would have not been alive to tell the tale.

A few days later, an angiogram showed that four of my coronary arteries were massively blocked and that I had lost 60 percent of my heart function.  I had to undergo what the medical profession called 'semi-emergency' bypass surgery.

Why such a long preamble to answering your question?  That will become clear in a moment when I explain the difference between a minor heart attack and a major one that deprives the heart of blood for more than about 2 minutes.

Something like 30% of all heart attack victims experience this type of major attack without any prior warning signals and a large percentage of them do not survive unless they receive almost immediate medical attention.

Unfortunately, those of us who have this type of attack invariably suffer permanent loss of a large part of the heart due to deprivation of oxygen to the heart muscle.  Very often this death of part of the heart can cause irregularities in the heart beat, even after bypass surgery.  Apparently, the heart, like the brain, does not like being starved of oxygen for even a few minutes and it never regrows to any significant extent.

However, if you had a less severe heart attack involving sharp pain across the chest and other such early warning signals which enabled your doctors to intervene in more leisurely manner, then it is likely that you did not experience major heart damage.  This is a good thing and a bad thing.

The good thing is that you had an early warning and could be stabilised before your heart was seriously damaged. The bad thing is that you may feel quite normal again and that the doctors are just exaggerating the risks. So, you may continue to feel semi-immortal like most athletes and say things to yourself, such as:  "It (sudden death) cannot happen to me", "I feel great - I am sure that I could lift again", "We caught it in time, so I should be able to return to lifting soon."

Your doctors advise against returning to powerlifting because they know that exposure to serious athletic stress, especially the large increases in blood pressure associated with heavy lifting, can precipitate another heart attack or vessel rupture which could be fatal next time.

As you say, they do not base this advice largely on the specifics of your situation, but more on the grounds that "powerlifting is not recommended for someone who has had a heart attack."  They are obviously being conservative for your health, to avoid any risks of litigation if they give the wrong advice and because there are few studies that have observed the progress of cardiac patients who have returned to serious lifting competition.

Now, I do not know the specifics of your situation and it would be foolhardy for anyone to offer mail order advice on answering your question. The most that anyone can do is to paint the picture as it is and advise you to make any decision on the basis of regular medical checkups and your specific clinical picture.

I could inspire you by telling you that I managed to progress from being a really emaciated weakling who could barely walk around a hospital ward to returning to Olympic weightlifting competition after quadruple bypass surgery and that I am once again very fit and strong.

However inspiring and exemplary my case may sound, that does not mean that you should follow exactly what I did. Just as every serious lifter knows, a training program that suits Ed Coan, Louie Simmons or Alexeyev does not necessarily suit you or me. And in the case of cardiac events, individuality of case and response to stress is even more striking.

So, before anyone can advise you about your future in lifting, they need to know many more specifics and work alongside you with careful regular monitoring.

Here are some questions to ask before indulging in any heavy lifting:

1.  What effect did my heart attack have on your cardiac structure and function?
2.  What is my blood pressure at rest, during and after exercise
3.  Have I had a cardiac scan to assess the condition of my coronary arteries?
4.  Are you doing regular cardiovascular exercise?
5.  Have you made all necessary changes to improve your eating habits?
6.  What are my cholesterol and LDL/HDL ratios?
7.  Have you done everything possible to reduce any cardiac risk factors in your life, especially mental stress?
8.  Do you wish to return to serious competition or simply to lifting training?
9.  Do I understand fully the risks associated with heavy lifting?
10.  How important is heavy lifting compared with my possible loss to my loved ones?

There are several more questions that your doctors may raise concerning issues such as your homocysteine levels (a newly identified cardiac risk factor that may be diminished if you take folate supplements), blood magnesium levels, and the possibility of your having some form of diabetes.

Let me share with you some of the information that I decided to implement in returning to weightlifting competition.

First of all, I reasoned that the major cardiac health risk associated with heavy lifting is due to the large or sustained increases in blood pressure, because this may increase the rate of arterial damage and plaque formation, as well as exposing weakened or narrowed arteries to the risk of rupture - especially after bypass surgery in which veins from the legs serve as replacements for arteries which are meant to handle greater pressure.

This increase in blood pressure is largely the result of the Valsalva manoeuvre produced by breath holding against a closed glottis, which also
increases the Intrathoracic Pressure (ITP) and Intra-abdominal Pressure (IAP).  The former pressure tends to compress the heart, forcing it to work harder during breath-holding lifting, so it is important that one tries to minimise increase in ITP.

I also noticed during treadmill stress testing that continued aerobic effort also increased my systolic blood pressure and kept it elevated while I was running, so I considered it a sound idea to be also cautious of sustained endurance work that would keep my BP elevated for too long.

I decided to do my aerobic conditioning in the form of shorter 10-15 minute modules several times a day, with plenty of rest and fluid drinking in between (dehydration tends to make the blood 'thicker' and compels the heart to work harder as a pump).  I then gradually started doing some short hill work and intervals, but never for more than a total of 20 minutes. I avoided training in the heat of day and when the pain of my chest surgery tailed off, I started swimming.

As my cardiac condition and healing of very painful chest and leg surgery (the deep saphenous veins are stripped from your legs to act as bypass grafts for the heart) progressed, I devised my own system of slow, extended range three-dimensional patterns of movement based on my karate training.  I then did this with tension, much like a bodybuilder going through a posing routine, but I took great care not to hold breath while straining.

All the while, I applied the same principles that I used with elite athletes in our "Supertraining" book, because I reasoned that managing a serious cardiac condition was somewhat like training an elite athlete with a vital target ahead!  I followed a principle of gradual progressive fluctuating overload (a la periodisation) and slowly added pushups off the wall, free standing squats over part, then full range, many bodybuilding exercises, part and full range deadlifts and clean pulls, and so forth.

All the time I avoided breath holding, but kept my mouth loosely open and my throat relaxed to avoid increasing ITP too much and, if I was lifting heavier loads, I would hum my held breath out or keep my lungs filled to an extent that was just enough to help support my trunk but not too much to cause my face and veins on my face to bulge or show obvious strain.

As I did with my aerobic training, I also lifted in modules lasting no more than 15-20 minutes at a time, with many sets of 1-3 reps and adequate rest between sets. I was very cautious to avoid using loads that would make me hold my breath and strain for more than about 2-3 seconds per rep.  For a long time I avoided seated or standing overhead work, since exercise against gravity with the smaller muscles of the arms tends to elevate blood pressure more than leg exercise.

I was especially careful of typical powerlifting style of lifting with fairly prolonged shuddering against near maximal loads with plenty of breath
holding.  If I did the powerlifts, I ensured that I concentrated more on power and speed than absolute weight, plus I took a short rest between each rep.  Instead of aiming to increase my 1RM, I chose to increase my 3RM or to try to add just one rep every few weeks to my best 3RM.    When I eventually did 1RMs, I made sure that I avoided strong breath holding and tried to complete the rep as rapidly as possible.

When I eventually returned to competitive Olympic lifting, I chose my lifts to be well within my capabilities and my last attempts were such that I could do two reps with it, so that I knew that I would  be straining unduly.

Now, you are probably on medication to prevent coagulation of your blood or clot formation, with aspirin being a common recommendation, so one needs to be careful about the increased risk of bleeding and bruising. This, of course, is further territory for your doctor's advice.

I then went on a special diet and numerous supplements to enhance my rehabilitation and to reduce the risk of any further untoward cardiac
incidents, but that is another lengthy topic.  If you have not already done so, a good paperback to read is "Dr Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease."

Supplements that are popularly used for heart disease are garlic oil capsules, fish oil, coenyzyme CoQ10, magnesium, vitamin B complex (including folate and B12), lecithin, vitamin E, ginger, various amino acids (like L-carnitine, L-arginine and L-glutamine), hawthorne berry, gotu kola, gingko biloba, capsaicin (hot peppers) and creatine. However, what you take can interact with your cardiac medication, so that it is important to discuss any supplementation with your doctor after you have done some fairly extensive reading yourself.

Should you return to competitive lifting?  Well, I and several others have done so quite comfortably, but each case is highly individual and it is
vital that you and your doctor monitor your condition and the results of any exercise carefully.  Most doctors will approve of a properly administered aerobic exercise program and there are now increasing numbers of doctors who accept a role for controlled moderate resistance training in cardiac rehabilitation.

A sound approach would be to introduce moderate resistance training gradually and "festine lente" (hasten slowly), and adhere at all times to a gradual overload principle that suits your situation optimally.

You may well discover, like I did, that you may return comfortably to near maximal efforts that allow you to remain in the upper 1% of strength for your age group and continue to enrich your body and mind enormously, but that is  me and all I can do is share my experience with you and trust that you will devise a suitable program for you in conjunction with a doctor who really seems to be up to date with the latest research.

Dr Jim Merrill recently wrote an article for Medscape online journal called "A trend toward resistance training in the programs of cardiac rehab patients may speed their return to productive work and recreation."  You could use Medline or PubMed to access this full article.  If you have no luck in locating it, I will gladly send you a copy.

All the best in devising a training and living plan that will enhance and sustain your quality of life for many years to come!  Never underestimate the importance of managing stress effectively in your life, because you may have all the finest surgery and  training in the world, but this can readily be undermined by adverse mental outlook and state.

Mel C Siff   PhD
mcsiff@aol.com

Two board presses and tell your partner to keep his hands off the bar. Develop more speed in the first 4 inches by using bands or chains and use the 2 and 3 board press as your choice max effort exercises.

The sled holds Olympic sized plates. If your plates fit on a barbell then they will fit on the sled.

I have not seen the book yet but have not been impressed with his other stuff. Other people have also told me that is wasn't that good. This is why we do not carry it. I will not carry Junk books because there are already too many of them on the market. The money would be better spent on the books:
1. Super Training
2. Facts and Fallacies of Fitness
3. Science and Practice of Strength Training
 

I am in the process of reviewing books by Ian King that you may also be  interested in. So far I am pretty impressed.....

This is just my position, take it for what's its worth........

There are many coaches and trainers across the world who are very good at what they do and many more who are mot so good at what they do. What needs to be determined is What they really do? Bu this I mean do they actually work with the athletes they write about or do they only work with them one or two times. many times a trainer will say they trained they Elite Athlete and later you find out that they worked with them one time.

The second thing to look at is do they specialize in everything. If they do, it is best to run away as fast as you can. It is impossible to specialize at every component of fitness (dynamic strength, explosive strength, absolute strength, flexibility, rehab, nutrition, speed training, agility, etc) with every sport.  If they say they do then you need to ask how they acquired this great knowledge with every sport? I feel it is best to seek out those who specialize in one aspect of training and integrate to your needs or the needs of your team. You are the only one who knows yourself or your team, so it is your responsibility to integrate what you feel will make the greatest difference.

Thirdly, If they are talking over your head with out explaining the concepts then they are either trying to hide something or make themselves appear as experts. this is the real world where not every coach or athlete are experts in fitness. Things should be explained in a understandable way that can be used. How can you apply a program you do not understand. If you can't understand it or they don't explain it then it will not work for you. At the same time it will also not set you back because you can't use it. So when it comes time to answer the question how did the advise work for you, you cannot say it did not work only "It seemed like it would work great or I received great advice but did not follow it" The reason you answer this way is that you do not want to admit that you did not understand.

Forth, I respect anybody in the industry who is trying to make a difference. These people take much time out of there day to educate people for little or no money. With out them we would all be stuck in the ways of the past. When I give my views of training program it never has anything to do with the individual behind it only the programs.

As far a Charles, Paul they both have very much to offer and have helped a wide variety of athletes. There are goods and bads about any style of training and it is unfair to base your position on a couple of articles they have written,  This is because you need to understand who the article was directed to. If Paul writes an article on abdominal training for the introductory athlete it would not be the same advice he would give for the advanced athlete. Both these coaches know much more than people give them credit for.

At Westside barbell we try to pull in as much information as we can from EVERYBODY not just the experts. Who is the expert anyway "the guys who tells you how to fix the problem or the guy who has had the problem and fixed it" You need to listen to both and come up with the best solution for you. You also need to make a commitment to education , read everything you can find that will help you out (stay away from the bodybuilding books), watch videos (both educational and contest tapes), talk to as many people as you can. If you do all these things then you will always progress. If you are at the same level as you were one year ago and are still doing the same things, maybe you ought to think about switching something.

I hope this helps out.

Summary:

1. Know who you are listening to: What have they done them selves and who have they really coached

2. Are they experts in one field or a "jack of all trades"

3. Are they speaking your language

4. Do they critize other people or their methods?

5.Educate your self, There is an old saying that states "Readers are Leaders"

First, to preface, I have nothing but admiration and respect for Simmons and WSB.

However, these claims about sled dragging are reminiscent of my martial arts days, where certain exercises were claimed to increase
internal power, or improve your Chi, or whatever. 

My question is, when you analyze sled dragging on purely tangible terms, what feature does it have (that other forms of exercise do
not) that allows it to increase "general physical preparedness (gpp)."

If we look at sled dragging from an energetics standpoint, is it that somehow Simmons has found that magical slice of the energy pathway
that no one has yet discovered that now enables these great improvements in gpp?

Or, if we examine dragging from a purely biomechanical point of view, does dragging somehow hit muscles that all of the hundreds of
exercises miss? Or does this activity somehow take advantage of superior length-tension relationships, or better pre-stretch at the
start of the movement?

I'm not against sled dragging by any means- it's a fantastic form of anaerobic work. I'm just a little amazed at the mystical attributes
that are always assigned to it!
 

This is my insight on sled dragging:

The sled dragging came to Westside Barbell from Eskil Thomason "A lifter who came to us from Sweden) He explained to us that there were many great deadlifters from Sweden who also worked as lumberjacks and spent most there day dragging trees out of the woods. Louie took this as a sign that this dragging must have something to do with the dead lifting success. After  implementing into the routines of many Westside members we notice increase in the dead lift up to 60 pounds. We have never been know as great dead lifters and now we had 7 lifters pulling over 750 and one new 800 pound dead lifter. This is all the proof we needed. Louie started prescribing it for other lifters around the world and the same stories about increased dead lifting came back to us. Many of these stories can be found on this list. Many power lifters have tried adding in cycling and running to there program but we have never heard them come back and say that it raised their dead lift. To answer the question what effects does sled dragging have over other forms of GPP, it is really a simple answer " An increased dead lift". This could be due to the increased fitness level, to direct hamstring work, or even the mental discipline it takes to add in extra workouts. For us it really doesn't matter. When we find something that works then we use it until it stops working, the whole time looking for the next thing that will
replace it when it quits working. This is how we have come up with the chains, bands, special max effort exercises, sled dragging, restoration
methods, and some of the other things we have tried. Keep in mind there have been twice as many things we have tried that did not work. I guess my point is we do not have time to over analyze every aspect of what we do. It is much better and faster for us to put it in the program try it out and see what happens. We will leave the analyzing up to the sport scientists who do not have to worry about being prepared for the next contest or event. In our case we have to be ready and better than the last time out. To do this with the group of lifters we have ( not genetic freaks like many believe) we have to come up with new ways of getting stronger that nobody else is doing "This is our edge". We get these ideas from books like Super Training, then we start trying to figure out how to implement some of the methods into our
training (the latest being the Supra-Maximal Phase with bands). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We are trying some crazy things with the bands and squatting right now but I will save that for another time.

ps. We have had lifters who have added in running, cycling and recreational basket ball to their training with very little luck. They actually went back wards by sometimes over 100 pounds on their total. This tells me that the GPP has to be somewhat specific in terms of the sport you are preparing for. This could also be known as SPP depending on the nature of the training.