Original Westside template

Now I'm not sure how many of you guys know the origin of Westside. I'll pretend that most have no idea.

Westside was run out of a garage, in a couple of different houses, but eventually in Culver City in LA.

You could train there, but you had to use their template. The name came from "peanuts" West, and the fact it was on the West Coast, unlike Louie's place in Columbus Ohio. Louie called his gym Westside as a tribute to the powerlifting pioneers.

Anyway, I'll just give you guys the template for now.

They trained twice a week, Tuesday and Saturday, 4 to 5 hours per session.

Tuesday

Bench press - 12 sets or so, working up to doubles and triples, then 2 x 10 for a pump

Belly toss bench press - 4-6 working sets, up to heavy triples

Incline Bench - 12 sets, with more singles - the bigger guys used upwards of 400lbs (185kg)

High box squats - work up to a heavy set of 10, using 50kg over your contest weight. George Frenn could use 1000lbs for singles, he used this to set up for his historic 853lb squat (wraps,belt)

Low box squats - 4-5 singles with 50kg less than your contest squat

Box deadlifts - several sets of singles

Lat pulls - 3 x 5 as heavy as you could

Tricep pressdowns - 3 x 5 as heavy as you could go

The track guys did overheads, George Woods did 200kg from the racks, in 1968. He won a Silver medal in 1968 and 1972 at the Olympics

No curls, pullups or other "beach" work

Sometimes they would do cleans and high pulls

Saturday - Full contest, everyone maxed out on the 3 lifts, then went home. Problem was, 20-30 guys would show up, it would take from around 12 till 6.00pm

They all then went out together on Saturday nights, thats what they were experts at.

I have lots of literature on these guys, I'll post up more later

I have a couple of the westside dvds they are interesting to watch train. Alot of intensity, scremaing rock music good atmosphere.

No, this is the ORIGINAL Westside from the 60's, this thread has nothing to do with Louie and Westside in Ohio

Oh **** along time ago ... !@#$@#$

Markos,

A while back we had an argument on band and speed work. One of my issues is that 'back in the day' when those things were unheard of guys running these kind of routines were pretty much just as strong. I've noticed your programing of late has gone back to basics.

Is this stuff necessary or just useful?

Also 30 sets of bench most being singles. That's gonna **** some shoulders

Here is my thoughts on bands and chains.

If you have a weakness in the lockout, they are invaluable.

As far as speed work goes, I have used it on PTC lifters with unbelievable results. On others, I have seen little improvement.

OWBBC (original westside barbell club) used boxes for squats, some see this as a gimmick now.

If they had bands would they have used them?

We'll never know, but my guess would be yes.

Belly toss benching is done to provide bar speed - speed work

They were true pioneers, just limited in resources. No one else did box squats, the Russians now all use Belly toss benching, Louie thought they were so awesome he named his gym after them

They did very little regular squatting. They trained for many hours more than the average guy.

They trained with less frequency.

They maxed out every week.

This was not normal behavior then, or now.

Dont confuse these guys with regular lifters from the same era

The pic that rocked the PL community, George Frenn squatting 853lbs

More pics of the OWBBC

Amazing.

There's a lesson there.

Thats my point about any training protocol.

If any one was the best, everybody would be using it.

Arguments about "best" training styles should be labeled "best for now"

Who would train for 5 hours today lol

Science would tell us blah blah blah

These guys flunked science

Training heavy compounds at a high intensity for 5 hours is a feat in itself.

PTC said:

Who would train for 5 hours today lol

Click to expand...

I speak for most of us when I say the 4 extra hours could be better spent looking for porn.

Funny you should say that, these guys were pussy bandits, it destroyed Peanuts life.

He died alone on the beach from an overdose. Homeless and broke.

Its a tragic story.

I've been fascinated by these guys before I turned my garage into a gym, I was heavily influenced by them. Its why I've resisted moving to a bigger place.

Interesting thread

Thanks Markos

Side note look at that bar bend on the 853 squat, its gonna break!!

Its an amazing pic isnt it.

From memory, it was at an IPF meet, I'll have to check.

Ben said:

Training heavy compounds at a high intensity for 5 hours is a feat in itself.

Click to expand...

Many lifters still do this today.
Take a look at many weightlifting cycles all start and stay above 80% with 3-5+ minute rest periods, even when periodised. The Eastern Block Countries will train many times per day too. Even more extreme are the Bulgarians and the Ukrainians sitting at 90%+.. in one word Brutal!

Although you'll rarely see this transposed over to powerlifting which is quite interesting in itself... and something i've been meaning to toy with..

I've had guys do 2 1/2 hours on a Saturday, but it wasnt with the % you mentioned, lots of fluff in between

that bench pic is mad

That's Bill West on the right, anybody recognise the guy on the left?