What exactly is the Louie's "System" and how does it differ from other methods of training?
In Louie's system you don't push up big numbers in the squat, bench or regular deadlift in training. Rather, you use a series of exercises that work the target muscles in a 'whole is greater than the sum of it's  parts' scheme. For instance, most of his lifters NEVER perform regular deadlifts off the floor but perform max lifts in different squatting and pulling movements. His current recommendation for bench pressing calls for only 55% of your 1 repetition max to be performed for 8-10 sets if 3 reps. However, on the second day you generally will work up to one rep maxes on exercises that hit the same muscles you use when benching.
Basically the bench press and squat/deadlift are worked over a 4 day period during a week. Two days are called the dynamic (speed) day and the other days are devoted to the conjugate method (max effort) day. On the dynamic day, a percentage of your one rep max is used to work the bench press or the box squat ( more on this later). This day is dedicated to building bar speed and generating tons of compensatory acceleration-literally generating far more force than is necessary to lift the weight that is on the bar.  These dynamic days allow you to perfect form and technique, as well. The other days are dedicated to simply lifting a ton of weight. A direct quote from Louie in the August issue of PLUSA, "To get very strong, you must lift a very heavy weight on this day. It may take a second and a half or so to complete the lift, but this is how a muscle contracts maximally, which builds strength". You will, for the most part, pick an exercise and work your way up to a maximum effort single. This will be repeated for 3-5 weeks or until you can no longer set a personal record. Then you switch exercises. This stops you from getting burned out by using the sam exercises week after week and keeps you setting PRs (very good for motivation) and keeps you lifting weights that are at or  above 90% without burning out after a few weeks.

Should I use my regular contest grip for my benches?
No. Generally all sets are done with the hands inside the rings. I like  18-26". Louie also recommends using 3 different close grips or 2 closer than your contest grip and  one wider.

Paul Dicks Presses are normally performed on a bench. Lower the bar ,under control, to the chest approximately 1-2" above the nipples . Just as the bar touches the chest let the elbows roll UP and BACK toward the face and the wrists fall back toward the throat. This stops shoulder rotation and places most of the stress on the triceps. Then press the bar up in a STRAIGHT line. The fists should lead. This is pretty hard to picture.
They can also be done on the floor. You lower the bar until the upper arms hit the floor, then let the wrists fall back and proceed as above.

On your close grip bench lockouts how many set/reps did you perform ?
These were done for singles (after warmups) to a max single each session. The first week the movement was only 2". Each week for the next four weeks the bar was lowered 1". In week 5 the lockout was 6 inches. If your cage does not have one inch hole spacing you may have to take some boards to the gym to raise/lower the bench.

I just wanted to ask about the implementation of two things I read of in Louie's old columns in PL USA, namely board and floor press. Is the size of the board varied? What general dimensions are good (length, width etc.)?

 Since I don't get the chance to compete very often do you think I should max out every 8 weeks?
 Yes.

 Should I do this with a shirt?
Yes

Should I max out (in the bench press) on the max effort day?
 No 

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
When you bench make sure you keep your shoulder blades pulled together and drive them into the bench. Pull as much air in your chest as possible and don't breath out until the lift is completed (you can do this only for three reps tops). Try to push your stomach up as high as possible while you bench  as well.  Bring the bar to your lower chest and press in a straight line.

What are some goals for the floor press, illegal grip for 5 reps, board press, etc. for a lifter striving to bench 550-600 in a meet.
This is different for everyone and really should not matter because it is a max effort day. You should only be trying to break your old record. As far as goals go I view them as nothing more than setting limitations, just strive to be as strong as you can.  As far as 550 to 600 bench I can say my best floor press close grip is 500 and my best bench in a meet is 585. I think Louie did 540 floor press with a 600 bench.  The carry over is a bad way to predict your bench.  Example: Kenny Patterson spent one year breaking all his records but could not get a good bench in a meet. He was using the wrong exercises for his weak points. You see if your records keep getting stronger on a lift that works your weak point of your lift then what happens? It no longer is your weak point
something else is.

Are you pulling in place of squat or deadlift or as assistance?
 No, the sled is done after the workout or in another workout by itself.

 How far, how many sets etc.?  of course, I would like guidance within the framework of the Westside program as this is what I follow? 
 The Sled work is best done in a separate workout. I use the sled five days a week for around 30 min per workout. I don't know how you pull the sled but we use it a multiple of ways some for the upper body  and some for the lower body. The conventional way to pull the sled in with a belt around the waist. I do this 2x a week once heavy (5 plates) and once light (2 or 3 plates). Another lower body exercise I do a lot of is to strap another strap through  the sled pulling sled strap and put this strap around my  ankles.
    Then you drag the sled. This is great for the hams, hip flexors and abs. I do this 4 times a week starting heavy and cutting to 60% for each workout. For example my Monday weight is 100 pounds. Tuesday weight is 60. Wed 40 pounds and Friday 25 pounds. I will increase the trips with the lower weight. [each trip is around 40 yards]. I use the double straps for my upper body  work as well except instead of putting it around my ankles I will grab it and walk while doing front raises, rear raises or whatever. Be creative. I will use many different upper body  pulls [around 15] in a week but only do around 4 in a workout] I do the upper body pulls everyday except the day before my speed bench.
     Keep in mind this is what I have worked up into doing. Start by doing 2 sled workout a week with 4 exercises.
    Also remember the sled training is used as restoration so don't kill your self with it. Let it do what it is intended to do and that is to recover faster from you other training.

* 2. Do you feel the tendon/ligament strengthening effect of bench press lockouts is more effective than floor or board presses?
This could be possible, but when doing a rack lockout it is hard to push the bar in the same grove you bench in.

* 3. Would you characterize the performance of a J.M. press as the top half of a Paul Dicks press, or is it different?
The JM press is really a cross between a tricep extension and close grip bench press.

* 4. Why the triceps pushdowns in lieu of barbell/dumbell movements?
I'm not sure of the question?

* 5. Is it advantageous to perform calf/ham/glute raises w/ a static hold at peak contraction?
Yes. You should try to pause at the top and lower yourself in a controlled fashion. The tempo should be around 2 sec. Concentric. 1 sec static and 4 sec. Eccentric.

* 6. Do you personally get any results from the stability ball press w/dumbbells or barbell?
Dumbbell by far are better. I have done them with a barbell and it turned out to be too easy. Plus it is very hard to get the bar out of the rack.

* 7. Do you personally get any results from the nylon supported/hanging dumbbell/barbell presses?
We did these for a while and I don't think it was worth the time setting everything up.

 * 1. For my tricep work, I've been cycling through barbell tri extensions, dumbell tri ext and JM presses (2 weeks of each) on my bench speed day. On my bench max effort day, I've been doing either incline or decline db presses. Do you think this is ok or should I bag the db presses and go with more the direct tri work?
 Your max effort work should be some type of floor press, board press, or other barbell work. The dumbbell work should be done only every third mini-cycle. The tricep exercise your doing should be done after the main max effort exercise.

* 2. I've been using green bands on my bench speed day. Would maxing out with the bands be a good max effort day exercise?  (I haven't invested in chains yet)
The use of chains and/ or bands on the max effort day is always a good idea.

* 3. I thought I read somewhere that Louie Simmons recommended doing one-legged squats...if so could you give me some details (ie. max effort exercise, special exercise, reps, sets, etc).
This is an assistance exercise that is designed to isolate the glutes and hamstrings

* 4. Including warm-up, how long should my work-outs be? I currently run between 75 and 90 minutes, 4 times per week.
60 minutes at the most.

Or is it enough to train with the 50-60% of the meet max? If I max out on the box, should I recalculate the % or stick with the 50-60%?
Stick with the same percent.

Any suggestions for increasing my overhead power?
The push press or dumbbell clean and press.

 We use all different pin settings and grips. Warms are mostly singles or triples. We have found that the board press and floor press work better than the pins. We haven't done pin presses for two years.

 Is bicep work important?
A: Not really, but I do it once a week. Mostly reverse curls because this seems to work where I get sore a lot from squatting.

 If so which day of your basic workout is it done?
 When ever.

 Same question for Lat work.
 Lats are done any where between 2 to 4 times a week. Lats are very important for bench stabilization.

 I just ordered a sled from Louie. Considering that I am a beginner, how would I work in the program with the sled?
At the end of every work out. 

 2) Does the rep work replace the max effort work for that day?
 3) How often do you use a mini cycle of reps?
About every third mini-cycle.

4) For a sticking point in the middle portion of your bench, what is the best work to eliminate this weakness? 
The two board press (use two 2x4 boards) with chains or bands seems to work this best. Make sure to pause on the board and push the bar in a straight line.

5) What are some suggestions to increase strength in the middle part of your back for deadlift?
Good mornings and reverse hypers. If you do these to you cover both aspects of the lower back (arching and bending)

I've tried pause squats with some great success, but once my body adapted, the progress stopped. Can I cycle box squats with pause squats or should I focus on box squats?
Focus on the box squats because they are more effective because they break the eccentric- concentric chain where the pause squat is static with out any release. This release is intended to create an explosive reaction that will create a more powerful squat.

1. Why did he write the same article three different ways? Was his concept ever explained?
2. He mentioned similarities to Louie's program of having no off season. When you do a prep period this is an off season. Would someone be ready to compete after phase 1?
3. His percent range is way off. He mentions 58-64% range. % of what? It is not your true max, he told you to add 25 pounds to your lift. (This brings up another point. Am I to believe I can put 25 pounds on my squat every 8 weeks on this program. What is this a year? 150 or so pounds? ) When you take a percent of a weight you have not lifted yet, is it really the prescribed percent?
4. He mentioned not needing  assistance exercises, because the squat will train the squat muscles. Well, the squat does not fail the squat, muscle fails the squat. If you have a weak lower back then you will fall forward with heavy weights. If you train under his way the only way to increase your lower back strength  is to squat. But because of this weakness you are falling forward so you learn to squat forward. You never fixed the problem only compensated with different form. This will only work only for so long. This is why so many people get sticking points and hurt.
5. Training each lift 3 times a week.  You grow and get stronger while resting and with restoration. He speaks of Olympic lifters who squat six times a week. He fails to mention many off these work outs are intended to help the restoration process, and also fails to mention all the other restoration that goes on (massage, supplements, diet, naps, steams, whirlpools, drugs, etc.). I use 5 workouts a week that are intended only  for restoration purposes.
6. He mentions in phase 1 that reps of 5 and six are to build mass. Most everybody knows this to be false. It takes more reps than this.
7. There are three ways to increase muscle tension.  1. Lifting sub maximal weights at fast speed  2. Lifting maximal weights for 1-3  reps , and 3 . Lifting submaximal weights to failure. His system seem to only use one of these methods (2)
8. He mentions in order to get strong in  the squat you need  " Quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and the lower back"  Then he mentions that leg presses will do little for your squat. Leg presses work your quads, this is the first muscle on his list. Is he saying the quads may not be that important? This is contradicting himself. We have found that it is the hamstrings that do the most not the quads, He also fails to mention the abs. This is the most important muscle in the squat. To prove this have anybody start training their abs very heavy for 3 to 4 times a week and watch their squat jump.
9. As mentioned before this is not a high volume workout. Compare the workload to that of a bodybuilding workout. If anything it is a low volume high intensity workout. I would have to question any program  designed by someone who doesn't know basic strength terms.
10. Who is he anyway and who has he trained?

Some of this may be ranting but it seems to me people are trying to attach Louie's name to their training programs, when there are no similarities. Why do they do this but to try to add credibility to their program. WE all know that creditability is earned not given. A successful training program will bring its own creditability.
There is no such thing as a bad program, and I am sure this may work for some. I am just trying to show some of its short comings.