WSBB Blog: What is Accommodation?

The human body is a highly intelligent machine that is able to deal with, and quickly adapt to regularly experienced stressors. This process allows people who consistently experience mentally and physically intense situations to adapt to these stressors, eventually becoming accommodated to the situation.

Strength training is no different, when the body regularly experiences the same exercises and physical stressors the training effect will be reduced. This is what is known as the law of accommodation.

Therefore, properly avoiding accommodation becomes the number one priority of a training program. This is why The Westside Barbell Method is focused on constantly attacking weakness and avoiding accommodation.

At Westside we utilize conjugate style periodization. We change our max effort movements weekly, and we wave our dynamic effort movements in three week groups. Doing so allows us to avoid accommodation. This is why the Westside Barbell Method is superior to all other methods.

We do not experience the phenomenon known as a “plateau” at Westside, we aggressively attack weaknesses through our accessory movements and we constantly change the physical stimulus to avoid accommodation entirely.

Furthermore, the use of bands and chains allows for more options when designing and programming exercises. Below, we will cover the basic ways we set ourselves up to avoid accommodation in our max effort and dynamic effort training days.

Max Effort Day

We change max effort exercises weekly. We do this by changing the intensity of the workout (adding bands, chains, extra reps), and the difficulty of the workout (specialty bars, box height, increasing deficit).

We never do the same max effort lift two weeks in a row. Generally training week one will be a deadlift exercise, week two will be a good morning exercise, and week three will be a squat exercise. Then, we run through that order again for the next three weeks changing only the set up of the exercise.

For example, if the last max effort deadlift was deficit deadlifts you would do something like a rack pull versus bands, or a mat deadlift for the next deadlift exercise.

On max effort upper day our three week rotation for max effort is typically a competition grip bench exercise week one, an incline or standing press exercise week two, and a close grip press exercise week three. Once again, we will run through that rotation again, changing the setups of the exercises.

Dynamic Effort Day

Dynamic effort day is a bit different than max effort day. We set up our dynamic effort waves for three weeks, keeping the bar and band/chain tension the same while the percentage used ascends over the course of the three weeks.

For example, we will use a camber bar versus 300lbs of band tension for 5 sets of 5 reps at 75% week one, 5 sets of 5 reps at 80% week two, and 5 sets of 5 reps at 85% week three. Once the three weeks is finished, we will change the bar, and the band or chain resistance (opposite of what was used last wave, tension possibly increased or decreased).

At Westside Barbell we have long understood the importance of avoiding accommodation. This is why conjugate style periodization, and specifically The Westside Barbell Method is the most optimal way to train.

We constantly change the questions we ask our bodies to answer, and by doing so we reduce injury rates while increasing the physical strength and composition of our athletes.

By choosing lesser methods you are wasting your training time, by choosing to follow The Westside Barbell Method you are guaranteeing you are getting the most out of every training session.

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