Strength Training Articles

When you discover a weakness or an issue with a lift, it should be taken as a threat to your success. When under threat, do you address the threat or flee? You most certainly address the danger with every option you have at your disposal. Strength training is no different. 

Wed Jun 29, 2022

No matter the athlete, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to strength training. As a coach, it is vital to have the ability to manipulate the exercise selection and programming to allow an athlete to make consistent gains in strength and power without worrying about gains becoming slow or stagnant.

Mon Jun 27, 2022

When most think of dynamic effort training, they think of two exercises; the squat and the bench press. However, we also utilize the dynamic effort method to increase our ability to generate power in the deadlift, focusing on improving our force production and bar speed the same as we would with the squat or bench press.

Fri Jun 24, 2022

Implementing bodyweight exercises allows you to increase your strength, size, athleticism, and mobility. Movements such as pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, dips, air squats, Hindu squats, and burpees are some of the oldest exercises we have used to increase physical fitness.

Wed Jun 22, 2022

Like the box squat, Anderson squatting will positively impact your rate of force development. Additionally, by eliminating the stretch-shortening cycle and emphasizing the concentric phase, this exercise will greatly improve absolute strength. 

Mon Jun 20, 2022

At Westside, we refer to our dynamic effort squat and deadlift training as DE lower day. A typical DE lower training day will include squats and deadlifts, with squats being the primary focus and deadlifts being performed as the main accessory exercise.

Wed Jun 15, 2022

The sumo deadlift is an exercise that offers powerlifters and athletes various training benefits. By utilizing the sumo deadlift, you will gain strength and muscle mass that will carry over to conventional deadlifts and squats. This occurs due to the complete targeting of the hips and legs the sumo deadlift offers.

Mon Jun 13, 2022

At Westside, we perform max-effort variations of the squat, good morning, deadlift, and bench press to increase absolute strength and improve intermuscular and intramuscular coordination. We dedicate two training days per week to max effort work, max effort upper and lower. To avoid accommodation, we perform a different max effort upper and lower exercise each week. 

Fri Jun 10, 2022

At Westside, we have worked with athletes with many different physical builds to improve their overhead press strength. Whether it's strongman competitors, CrossFit competitors, powerlifters, or Olympic weightlifters, we have helped them develop their overhead press capabilities further.

How do we do this? The use of the overhead press and overhead press variations to avoid accommodation and supply the body with the stimulus it requires to deliver us the training adaptations we seek. 

Wed Jun 08, 2022

Just as max effort training aims to increase the absolute strength of an individual, dynamic effort training is implemented to improve an athlete's ability to generate tremendous amounts of force in as little time as possible. This leads to improved bar speed for the lifter or enhanced sports performance for the athlete. 

Mon Jun 06, 2022

Don't believe that just because your sport doesn't require large amounts of cardiovascular output, you do not need improved conditioning levels. No matter the sport or athlete, we all can benefit from improved conditioning. 

By raising your fitness level, you improve your overall health and your ability to train at higher levels of intensity and volume while recovering faster. For many, a lack of physical conditioning keeps them from reaching the next level in their sport. 

Fri Jun 03, 2022

While it is undoubtedly vital to focus on developing movement skills that allow you to best use your physical structure, it is just as important to increase an athlete's preparedness through the use of intelligent volume and intensity regulation. A significant group of muscles that beginners should immediately focus on is the muscles that support the shoulder joints.

Wed Jun 01, 2022

Instead of achieving maximal motor unit recruitment by performing a lift at 100%, the main exercise is performed for three or five rep top sets that still reach suitable motor unit recruitment levels. 

Essentially, we are losing the ability to achieve the highest level of motor unit recruitment with the reduction in intensity. Still, we are gaining a meaningful boost in recovery and decreasing the likelihood of programming failure or injury in the future. 

Modified max-effort allows a lifter struggling with recovery to be afforded the benefits of high-intensity weight training while reducing the overall impact on recovery associated with an all-out max effort lift. 

Fri May 27, 2022

The successful implementation of max-effort training for football players calls for intelligent programming combined with proper instruction. This means that you are selecting the appropriate exercises, using the correct rep and intensity ranges, and adequately educating athletes on the execution and intent of each exercise. 

Wed May 25, 2022

It doesn't matter if you are a powerlifter, weightlifter, or strongman competitor, the ability to exert a powerful grip is a tremendous benefit. Developing the forearms and improving grip strength allows athletes to deadlift, press, and carry more weight for extended amounts of time. 

Mon May 23, 2022

Over the years, Westside Barbell has utilized the box squat to create some of the strongest, most explosive squatters and deadlifters. Additionally, we have improved many athletes' strength, speed, and explosive power via the box squat. 

Fri May 20, 2022

You must achieve optimal positioning before moving the barbell, no matter the lift. Finding your optimal positioning for any barbell movement lowers your risk of injury and allows you to display higher levels of absolute strength. When you find form and positioning that works best for your body type and leverages, you will lift more weight and feel better moving it. 

Wed May 18, 2022

No matter the sport, maintaining a strong posterior chain is essential. Strong glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles improve sports performance and lower injury rates. There is no doubt about it; an athlete with an adequately developed posterior chain will run faster, jump higher, and experience a reduced risk of back or knee injury throughout their career. 

Mon May 16, 2022

Over the years, Westside Barbell has produced some of the strongest bench pressers in the sport of powerlifting. We have had lifters press over 600lbs raw (George Halbert doing so at 235lbs bwt), along with some of the strongest geared bench pressers in the world, hitting 900-1000lbs+ in competition.

It's safe to say that Lou and Westside Barbell figured out the secret to building a strong bench press many years ago. One big part of the heavy bench press equation is arm strength.

Fri May 13, 2022