Strength Training Articles

Strength Training Articles

Latest Posts
Maximizing Your Gains: A Guide to the Bench Press Exercise

Maximizing Your Gains: A Guide to the Bench Press Exercise

Whether an athlete wants to improve their upper body strength, or a powerlifter seeks to improve their competition total, the bench press is an exercise that should be performed regularly. This exercise can be performed in various ways, including special exercise variations that utilize different specialty bars and accommodating resistance setups. 

Tue Mar 04, 2025
The Westside Barbell Speed Bench Training Guide

The Westside Barbell Speed Bench Training Guide

A proper speed bench workout comes down to execution and programming. Execution is most important, considering the intent at which each rep is performed is what separates dynamic effort training from repeated effort training. Additionally, athletes must develop proper form to ensure injury does not occur when training at higher velocities. 

Tue Feb 25, 2025
Powerlifting Exercises: Essential Movements to Improve Strength

Powerlifting Exercises: Essential Movements to Improve Strength

Unlike other approaches to powerlifting, we do not exclude exercises due to a lack of specificity. We understand that the greatest level of training specificity is when the exercise selection and programming directly match the athlete's current needs. There is much more to specificity than the use of competition-relevant equipment. 

Thu Feb 20, 2025
What Does ‘Training to Be As Strong as Necessary’ Really Mean?

What Does ‘Training to Be As Strong as Necessary’ Really Mean?

Note: The following article reflects how we train professional athletes at our facility, rather than...

Wed Feb 19, 2025
The Maximal Effort Method for Jiu-Jitsu: Science, Strength, and Domination

The Maximal Effort Method for Jiu-Jitsu: Science, Strength, and Domination

Why Strength is the Foundation of Grappling Success In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, technique is king—but only...

Fri Feb 14, 2025
Basic Conjugate Training Advice XI

Basic Conjugate Training Advice XI

No training method compares to the Conjugate Method. Lou's approach to training can develop all aspects of strength, speed, and athleticism at a rate that cannot be matched by other training methods. Whether we are training strength or conventional sports athletes, the results remain the same—stronger, faster, and better conditioned. 

Thu Feb 13, 2025
Built to Win: The Westside Barbell Blueprint for Jiu-Jitsu

Built to Win: The Westside Barbell Blueprint for Jiu-Jitsu

Train to Be Ready—Always At Westside Barbell, we don’t train athletes to peak once or...

Thu Feb 06, 2025
How to Organize and Program a Training Day

How to Organize and Program a Training Day

At Westside, we understand that energy levels must be appropriately managed for a training day to be effective. This means that we select and organize exercises in a way that ensures the athlete performing the movements will have adequate energy to execute each exercise properly without missing any sets or reps. 

Thu Jan 30, 2025
Full Body Jiu Jitsu Workout: Dynamic Effort Day

Full Body Jiu Jitsu Workout: Dynamic Effort Day

Introduction to Westside Barbell BJJ Strength Training Strength training is filled with opinions, theories, and...

Wed Jan 29, 2025
Alternative Dynamic Effort Training Waves

Alternative Dynamic Effort Training Waves

The dynamic effort method is one of the three primary training methods featured within the...

Mon Jan 20, 2025
Driven by Westside: Anthony Schlegel

Driven by Westside: Anthony Schlegel

Introduction There’s an energy in Columbus that you can feel in the air—Ohio State is...

Sun Jan 19, 2025
Common Conjugate Mistakes

Common Conjugate Mistakes

High-level sports performance requires an athlete to possess multiple strengths and skills to be successful. Knowing this, it makes sense that the most optimal training method would simultaneously train multiple strengths and abilities. If we want to build an athlete's strengths and skills in the most efficient manner, the Conjugate Method is the logical choice. 

Thu Jan 09, 2025
Strength Training for Beginners: A Westside Barbell Guide

Strength Training for Beginners: A Westside Barbell Guide

Introduction to Strength Training What is Strength Training? When someone asks how to start strength...

Wed Jan 08, 2025
The WSBB Guide to Dynamic Effort Training

The WSBB Guide to Dynamic Effort Training

Executing dynamic effort training to standard will significantly benefit all athletes. They will become more explosive and see substantial improvements in their athletic performance. Don't be misled by an uninformed coach; dynamic effort training is essential for all athletes.

Mon Dec 30, 2024
Basic Conjugate Training Advice X

Basic Conjugate Training Advice X

Lou's work will continue to be adopted on a mass scale. This is because the Conjugate Method is at the peak of effectiveness when fully developing all aspects of athletic performance. From absolute strength to speed training, the Conjugate Method provides a platform for the enlightened strength coach to prepare any athlete for any sport to the highest degree. 

Thu Dec 26, 2024
Conjugate for Wrestling: Max Effort

Conjugate for Wrestling: Max Effort

The maximal effort method is a strength training method used to improve absolute strength. The...

Tue Dec 17, 2024
Starting Conjugate: Standard Powerlifting Competition Strategy

Starting Conjugate: Standard Powerlifting Competition Strategy

For some, this may be considered common sense. However, I wanted to write this article to provide beginner—and intermediate-level lifters with information that could lead to fewer missed attempts and improved totals. Who knows, it may even help some of you "experts" out there. 

Tue Dec 10, 2024
Conjugate for Strongman: Max Effort Upper Exercise Selection

Conjugate for Strongman: Max Effort Upper Exercise Selection

The Conjugate Method not only helps improve strength but also allows athletes to become proficient in a variety of overhead press variations. In a sport like Strongman, where you never know what demands might be placed upon you in the next competition, this style of training only makes sense. 

Fri Nov 29, 2024
Workout Walkthrough: Combined DE 11/15/24

Workout Walkthrough: Combined DE 11/15/24

Overall, a solid training day. It's good to be back to squatting and benching relatively pain-free. 

Thu Nov 21, 2024
Solving Fatigue-Related Issues

Solving Fatigue-Related Issues

Proper management of training fatigue may be the most important aspect of strength training. While many focus on exercise selection, sets, repetitions, and overall program design, none of that matters if training fatigue is not kept in check. Aside from genetics, training fatigue management ultimately decides your response to and success with strength training. 

Tue Nov 12, 2024