12.14.04
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Click
here to Ask Joe about training. If you send a
question, it may appear on the website. Please do
not submit a question if you do not want the question
published. Only your first name will be used for privacy
reasons.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Submit your email address to subscribe to
our free newsletter.
You can receive our weekly email letting you know
when there are new Questions and Answers. We will
also keep you up to date with upcoming events and
new ways to become a better athlete.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Joe,
Love the site! I’ve become
curious about strongman training ever since your article
on t-mag came out. In your pics section, I see that
you only have pictures of football players performing
strongman exercises. The problem is that I’m
a baseball player. I’ve never heard of any baseball
players doing this kind of training. Is it bad for
baseball players or can I incorporate it?
Thanks,
Chris
A: Chris,
Sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words…
The above picture is former University
of Miami 1st baseman and current New York Met, Jim
Burt, Jr. As you can see, he participates in my strongman
training and he is a baseball player – a damn
good one I might ad. He’s also a sick bastard.
This picture was taken at 10:00a.m. on December 3rd
and it was 35-degrees outside!
(Before I go on I’d like to say,
“F-U”, to all of the people who are going
to accuse Jim of being on steroids. I’ve been
training Jim since he was in high school. There isn’t
a more dedicated, harder-working athlete on the planet.
Until you can last one workout with this guy, keep
your comments to yourself. Hopefully this disclaimer
prevents me from getting dozens of unnecessary emails
from jealous people who have never trained ONE DAY
in their life the way that Jim trains EVERY DAY of
his life.)
Anyway, strongman training can definitely
be beneficial to baseball players. Unfortunately,
baseball players who are smart enough to strength-train
usually get convinced that “functional”
training is the best bet for them. When I refer to
“functional”, I’m referring to what
most of the mainstream personal training community
refers to as “functional”. That is, doing
every exercise known to mankind balancing on a stability
ball or wobble board. This is while using insignificant
weights that couldn’t even get an 8-year-old
girl stronger. In my opinion, this type of training
does little to improve athletic performance.
This brings me to the benefits of strongman training.
Strongman training increases hamstring, glute and
low-back strength; builds powerful, Popeye-sized forearms;
develops a rock-solid core and dramatically improves
an athlete’s anaerobic conditioning, just to
name a few. Do you think a baseball player can benefit
from these qualities? Of course they can!
In addition to traditional strength
training, flexibility training, mobility training,
proper nutrition/supplementation and skill work, strongman
training can be a valuable tool for baseball players.
Case closed!
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Hi Joe,
I have a question regarding the:
Westside for Skinny Bastards lifting program. You
say on a lot of the exercises that you should "Work
up to a max set". What exactly do you mean by
“work up to”? Just curious because I would
like to start the program, but I won't do it until
I'm sure what it is.
Oh yeah, another question, how
do you pick your athletes for your program? Do they
contact you or how does it work? Because it seems
like it's pretty selective.
Thanks a lot,
Mads from Denmark
PS: Love your work!
A: “Work up to
a max set” refers to the sets that you will
perform before your max-effort attempt. This will
be different for everyone, depending on your strength
level. The stronger you are, the more sets it will
take you to reach your max attempt. The rule of thumb
is that if you’re a skinny bastard and you don’t
possess great maximal strength, perform AT LEAST 4
warm-up sets before your max attempt. The higher volume
of sets will help you to add muscle mass to your frame.
For example, if you were going to “work up”
to a 3-rep max on the bench press and your goal was
200 lbs., your warm-up would be as follows:
Set #1 - Bar X 5
Set #2 - 95 X 5
Set #3 - 115 X 3
Set #4 - 135 X 3
Set #5 - 165 X 2
Set #6 - 185 X 1
Max attempt set - 200 X 3
As far as your question regarding
“picking athletes” for our program, here’s
my response:
Many facilities solicit the best athletes
in the area to train with them. Their intent is to
use these athletes in various marketing campaigns
in exchange for free training, etc. Most places do
this because they think it will attract more high-level
athletes. I DON’T AGREE with this type of business
model! This type of business model places the company’s
ego above the athlete’s goals. I feel that getting
results with your athletes is the most important part
of the coach-athlete relationship. If you focus all
of your attention on getting results, you don’t
need to solicit athletes. The best athletes will respect
you more and they will find you!
I'm very proud to say that I have NEVER
called an athlete and recruited them to train with
me. I spend my days training athletes,
not calling them. In my spare time
I research more productive ways to get better results.
The high-level athletes that train with me just show
up at my doorstep. This is because of the reputation
that my company has developed. Once an athlete shows
up or calls us inquiring about training, we then interview
them. We explain our training philosophy and get to
know the athlete better. We then make a decision whether
or not the athlete is cut out for our program. The
decision is based on the athlete’s attitude
and work ethic. You DON’T have to be an All-State
or an All-American athlete to train with us. You DO
have to be focused and willing to pay the price, regardless
of your ability level.
And those that say we only accept genetically
gifted athletes – that’s BS! We bust our
ass to get results. We don’t just recruit genetic
freaks and then take credit for their success. Some
athletes arrive to our program as genetic freaks;
others get TURNED into freaks!
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Hi coach!
How can I cycle in some direct biceps
work into a Westside-style routine? Do your athletes
do direct biceps work when doing Westside training?
Keep up the GREAT work with
the website!
All the best,
Andy
A: Andy,I have a confession
to make, “Our athletes train their biceps.”
I know it’s a badge of honor for strength coaches
to say that they don’t allow their athletes
to perform biceps exercises, but I had to confess.
Granted, biceps are NOT a focus in our program, but
we do train them. I’m a big believer in the
mental aspect of training. And for some reason, athletes
of all levels love walking out of the gym with a biceps
pump. I have no problem throwing in some biceps curls
at the end of an upper body workout if it boosts my
athlete’s confidence. An easy way to do this
is to superset them with the last exercise of your
upper body workouts. Here’s a copy of my max-effort
upper body workout from last Monday:
A. Reverse band bench press
(green bands) – worked up to 505
lbs. for 1 rep
B. 4-board press – 4 sets
of 5 reps increasing the weight
C1. Lat pulldowns – 4 sets
of 10 reps
C2. Kneeling scarecrows –
4 sets of 10 reps
D1. Dumbbell shrugs – 3 sets
of 10 reps
D2. Straight bar preacher curls
– 3 sets of 10 reps
You can incorporate another biceps exercise
at the end of your other upper body workout as well.
If 2 exercises a week aren’t enough, take up
bodybuilding.
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Mr. DeFranco,
I just watched the Bergen Catholic vs. Don Bosco state
championship game on MSG. Both teams are loaded with
talent! I know you guys trained the Bergen Catholic
football team this summer and I must commend you.
The one thing that stood out during that game was
that the Bergen players are physical specimens and
they’re damn tough too! The physiques on those
kids had me thinking I was watching a big time college
game. And that Cushing kid is a MONSTER! I commend
you on the win, I’m sure you put in a lot of
work with those kids.
I hope to make it up to new
jersey one day to train with you guys,
Jim T.
A: Jim,
Both teams played a heck of a game as usual. The Bergen-Bosco
rivalry may be one of the best high school football
rivalries in the COUNTRY, not just the state. The
kids are the ones who should be commended for another
great game, not us.
And yes, Brian Cushing is a monster.
He was a man amongst boys this season. That kid busted
his ass in the off-season and it paid off. He was
back in the gym a week after his final game to prepare
for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio,
Texas. This game boasts the top 78 high school football
players in America in an East vs. West All-American
game. The game will be played on January 15th and
it will be aired live on NBC.
On January 15th the whole country will
see what happens when you combine proper training
with superior genetics. Check this kid out!
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
