05.15.04
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Click
here to Ask Joe about training. If you send a
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Congratulations to DeFranco’s
Training client, Brian
Cushing, who recently received his 20th Division
I football scholarship offer! Florida State University
has recently joined the long list of big-time schools
vying for Brian’s services.
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Q: Joe,
If a client came to me and could not do a pull up
or chin up, what guidelines would you recommend for
bringing the lats up to speed?
I'm sure there are numerous
factors that go into this, but let's assume
that's it's merely muscle weakness. I was thinking
of something along the lines of rules of thumb &
set/rep protocols for eccentric training, but I could
be wrong. This is assuming that the client is not
overly fat but simply weak in that area also.
Rob
A: Rob,
Lack of chin-up strength is a common weakness among
many people. I’m sure this wasn’t the
first, nor will it be your last, client who can’t
do a chin-up.
You are correct in assuming that
there is not just one answer to this problem. Below
I have provided you with some general guidelines with
regards to chin-up progressions.
-
Eccentric strength is built first. I have my
athletes perform “negative chins”
first. I either lift them up to the bar or they
use a box to get in the start position with
their chin over the bar. I start with 2-3 sets
of three 10-second lowerings. Once they are
able to perform 3 sets of 3 controlled 20-second
lowerings, I move on to the next progression.
-
Next, I’ll hold both of the athlete’s
ankles and assist them on the concentric portion,
but have them lower themselves under control
for each rep. As a coach/trainer, you’ll
get a feel for when your client is getting stronger.
When you are not assisting too much, it is time
for the next phase.
-
The next phase is to hold onto just one of
your client’s ankles and let the other
leg hang down. This is more difficult for the
client because they now have to lift the added
weight of their non-supported leg
-
At this point your client should be able to
bang out a handful of chins. When they need
assistance, don’t grab their ankles anymore.
Just give them a little boost by pushing up
on their low back with your hand.
*It’s important to know that
you don’t have to stick with traditional set
& rep schemes either. I prefer multiple sets of
low reps for individuals who lack chin-up strength.
This is because traditional set & rep schemes
usually lead to frustration for your client. For example,
3 sets of 8 is a tough goal to achieve for someone
who can’t do 1 chin-up. On the other hand, performing
6-8 sets of 3 reps usually leads to more successful
sets and reps. Start with longer rest intervals between
sets when they first become strong enough to do chins
on their own. As their strength and conditioning increases,
you can gradually decrease the rest between sets.
*Make sure to incorporate some kind
of grip training into your clients program. Increasing
your client’s hand and grip strength can have
a dramatic effective on his chin-up strength!
Be patient & consistent!
Joe D.
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Q: Joe,
I just got done reading your Westside for Skinny Bastards
article on www.t-mag.com.
I must say that it was the best article I’ve
ever read on that site and I’ve been following
T-Mag since issue #1! I literally couldn’t sleep
last night because I was so excited to get to the
gym this morning! Now I have 3 questions:
-
What
kind of rest intervals do you prescribe for max
effort lifts?
-
How
many reps are you shooting for on your upper body
repetition lift?
-
I
would like to incorporate a 2nd lower body day
but I don’t have a sled. Can you give a
sample “repetition” leg day for me?
Although I’m not huge (yet) I will be able
to recover from 2 leg days as I have recently
begun my first cycle.
Thanks bro! Keep turning
your boyz into animals!!!
Rock
A: Rock,
It’s great to see how fired up everyone is about
the Modified Westside Program. The responses that
I have received regarding my recent article have been
overwhelming! I think there’s going to be a
lot of big & strong individuals walking around
this summer.
Anyway, let’s move onto your
questions:
-
There is no set rest interval for the max effort
lift. Generally speaking, my lifting partners
and I just go back and forth through the warm-up
sets. There is probably between 60 & 90
seconds between warm-up sets. When it comes
time for the grand finale, we slow down the
pace a little. Personally, I’m stronger
if I wait between 3-4 minutes between maximal
attempts. Remember, the purpose of max effort
day is to lift the most amount of weight possible.
If this means taking a longer rest, take your
time! You can pick up the pace when you move
on to the supplemental lifts.
-
On your repetition upper body lift you will
choose a weight that you can perform approximately
20-35 reps with on your first set. Stick with
the same weight for all 3 sets. Record the total
number of reps that you performed for all 3
sets. The goal is to perform more reps with
the same weight the following week.
-
Here’s a sample Repetition Lower Body
template:
NOTE: Choose exercises from the
list that you DIDN’T perform on your 1st
lower body day.
-
A. Unilateral Movement
- Perform 3 sets of 15 reps each leg
-
*Choose from the following
list of exercises:
Single leg squats, back leg elevated
Barbell step-ups with knee lift
Barbell reverse lunges
Barbell reverse lunges, front foot elevated
Barbell reverse lunges, front foot elevated
(with knee lift)
Low-pulley split squats, front foot elevated
Walking lunges
“Speed-skater” squats (1 and a
half rep single leg squats)
Barbell step-ups
-
-
-
B. Posterior Chain
/ Hamstring movement – Perform 3-4 sets
of 10-15 reps for TWO of the following exercises:
-
Glute-ham raises
Reverse hyperextensions
Seated or standing good mornings
Pull-throughs
Leg curls
Romanian deadlifts
Stability ball hamstring lifts
-
-
-
C. Weak Point Training
– Perform 1 exercise for 3-5 sets of
a lagging body part
-
(Common areas include –
upper back, external rotators, abs, grip training,
etc.)
Joe D.
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Q: Joe,
In running the forty how should the athlete breathe?
Thanks,
RP
A: RP,
Great question. Breathing may be the most overlooked
component of running the 40-yard dash. Proper breathing
can have a profound effect on your forty time. One
of my college athletes took .12 seconds off of his
forty time this year just by correcting his breathing!
(I was even a little bit shocked how well it worked.)
Anyway, I’ve experimented with
many different breathing patterns and I think I have
found the answer. The breathing pattern I am currently
recommending is relatively simple and it works. There
are speed “experts” out there who will
disagree with my method. Once again, I don’t
care. I’ve experimented with this method for
quite some time and I think it’s the best. Although
it takes some practice, it is very efficient and can
be mastered within days. Once again, this adheres
to the training economy. Here’s how to do it:
Once you’ve set up in your
3-point stance and you’re bringing your off
hand to your hip, take a HUGE breath in.
As you fire out of your stance, perform
the Valsalva maneuver. Basically, you will forcefully
“exhale” without letting any of your air
out.
Hold your breath through the first
10 yards. At approximately the 10-yard mark, exhale
a little of your air. (Make the exhale short &
quick.)
At about the 20-25-yard line, exhale
a little of your air again. (Again, make it short
& quick.)
At about the 30-35-yard line, perform
a “relaxed” exhalation of the rest of
your air. This final exhalation should take you through
the finish. You should be “out of air”
at about the 41-42-yard line.
You must practice this technique
to get it down. The biggest mistake that athletes
make is they release all of their air too soon. For
example, if you run out of air during your final exhalation
at the 35-yard line, you will be slower (as well as
light-headed). The 2 keys to this technique are:
-
Take a big enough breathe at
the start so you have enough air to get you through
the race.
-
Time your exhalations properly.
(I suggest you practice this by performing tempo
runs at first. When you put it all together, it’s
a great feeling!)
Joe D.
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Q: Hi Joe!!
Do you have your clients use more exercises for the
chest if they don't use a bench shirt to increase
their max bench press?
Westside concentrates very
much on lock-out triceps power, but is this that important
for no-shirt bench pressers?
Thank you for your time.
-Robert
A: Robert,
None of my athletes use bench press shirts. The partial
range movements will still increase your raw bench,
but I would throw in full range movements every 2
weeks. Here’s an example of the max effort exercises
I used with 2 of my college football lineman over
the last 8 weeks. I use 2-week mini cycles in which
I alternate between partial range movements and full
range movements.
Weeks 1&2 – 3-board press
Weeks 3&4 – close grip bench (14”
grip)
Weeks 5&6 – rack lockouts
Weeks 7&8 – weight releaser bench
Good luck.
Joe D.
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