Louie Simmons Interview

[Darkhorse]

How to apply the westside method specifically for hypertrophy for bodybuilders.

Source found here: Clutch

Earlier in the year, Louie Simmons, renowned strength coach and innovator of the Westside Barbell Method, conducted a radio Q&A about how to apply the westside method specifically for hypertrophy for bodybuilders. In this short audio segment, he covers the variations one would make to the westside method when the goal is primarily muscular growth (increased size) versus strength gains. Interestingly enough, he did mention the benefits of bodybuilders keeping a proper focus on strength gains, and pointed to several bodybuilders that he coached, and the fact that they improved in their competition placings as they got stronger.

Below are my notes from the audio session for those that don't have time to listen right now. The link to the audio segment is below.

- Use the conjugate periodization method
- use many different exercises to avoid accomodation
- don't do anything longer than 3 weeks before changing
- use different exercises
- use different equipment
- Avoid 90% of max work
- Target 70-80% of max for work
- For 70% of max, aim for 5-6 sets x 6 reps
- For 80% of max, aim for 5-6 sets x 4 reps
- Perform slower reps than powerlifters to increase TUT
- Use bands on slow reps, fight through the eccentric for 3 seconds
- Don't use board presses
- Do use floor presses
- Use variety of grips in bench press
- Don't focus on partials due to risk of injury
- Do both heavy load and heavy volume (switch it up)

For the audio program, click here:
http://www.davedepew.com/info/inplay...egmentID=12255

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Originally Posted by ???

Day 1 - Max Effort (ME) squat/deadlift
Squat - Use 80% of max for 5-6 sets of 4 Reps
Glute-ham raises - 4 x 8-10
Cable Crunch - 4 x 8-12
Barbell rows - 4 x 8-10

Day 2- Max Effort (ME) Bench press
Bench Press (incline/decline/flat) Use 80% of max for 5-6 sets of 4 Reps
Floor Press 4 x 5-10
Cable pushdowns - 4 x 8-12
Db side lateral or front raises - 4 x 10-12
Weighted Pull-ups - 4 x 8-10
Alternating db Curl - 3 x 8-10

Day 3- Dynamic Effort (DE) Squat
Box squat Use 70% of your max for 5-6 sets of 6 reps
Barbell rows - 4 x 8-10
Side bends - 4 x 8-12
Bb Shrugs - 4 x 8-12

Day 4- Dynamic Effort (DE) Bench press
Bench Press(incline/decline/flat) 70% of your max for 5-6 sets of 6 reps
Tricep work - as Day 2
Cable pushdowns - 4 x 8-12
Weighted Pull-ups - 4 x 8-10
Alternating db Curl - 3 x 8-10

Disclaimer: I didn't write the above program..Doesn't look very good IMO and does not ENTIRELY reflect the interview aside from the first and second exercises which conform.

[fz1]

This is a great post and thank you for posting it. Ive listened to that interview a few times and this helps provide the missing links.

Is there anyway to but a sholder pressing movement into this routiene i only see side raises

Day 1 where would the deadlift be placed i dont see it in there

In your opinion the program listed would that be the heavy load or the high volume part that he talks about.

Say you deadlifted and did bentover rows day 1 when do day 2 it has you doing pull ups. Does doing something like that effect back recovery?

Is this a mwf program?

Im going to stop here once i heard that radio file ive always wanted to try that program again thanks for posting it. Can you help me fine tune it so i can give it a try. What do you think. Thanks

[Darkhorse]

Got your pm..

A few problems im having are he says not to use the board press but i see it listed on day 2. What can we use in its place.

That program posted may or may not have been exactly what Louie said. Someone else went through the trouble of writing down everything he said in the interview. If I remembered where I found it, it would've been cited as with everything else I do..

For Day Two it says floor presses, which are IMO good to go. I personally perfer lower reps as you might for these. They're an excellent exercise to follow your bench presses. Floor presses increase your anteroir delt and triceps strength to blast through the top half of your bench (sticking points)

Is there anyway to but a sholder pressing movement into this routiene i only see side raises\\

Instead of Floor Presses on ME Bench day, you could substitute standing overhead presses or [I guess] seated DB presses if you choose. If I had to choose, hands down standing military press or an even better option is push presses. ME stands for Max Effort, and OHP's definately qualify.

Keep in mind that all the bench presses and heavy pulls more than work your shoulder girdle. They get indirectly smoked with what he has. The side laterals are more for shoulder prehab than anything else.

In your opinion the program listed would that be the heavy load or the high volume part that he talks about.

I would say high volume. A powerlifter would not be doing something like that..No way. What he did was exchange DE (speed) days with a bodybuilding friendly RE (repetition) days. For powerlifting, Day 3 would feature the box squats for 8 sets of 2 FAST, 45 seconds rest between sets.

However, the first exercise each day will still be pretty heavy. Good undulation.

Say you deadlifted and did bentover rows day 1 when do you hit day 2 cause day 2 has you doing pull ups. Does doing something like that effect back recovery?

I highly advise you NOT to do both. There wouldn't be any point. Instead, keep in the back of your mind the Conjugate Westside approach of switching ME exercises up every 1-3 weeks. For bodybuilders, I'm guessing more like 2-3 weeks. Deadlifts are more lower body IMO, so I would interchange between some from of deadlift and the squat.

So weeks 2-3, your lower ME day would have some type of squat as the main lift, then the next week you could have the deadlift as the first ME lift, then elliminate barbell rows for something else..Maybe the Leg Press or some light A2G squats.

There would be a day of rest between ME Bench and ME Squat, so recovery would be fine.

Is this a mwf program?

Well, it would have the same structure as a traditional Westside format, four days a week. The best recommendation I know is to keep a day off in between your ME Squat/Deadlift day...

Example-

Monday: ME Squat/Deadlift
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: ME Bench
Thursday: DE Squat
Friday: OFF
Saturday: DE Bench
Sunday: OFF

OR if you need more time to recover, you could just do every other day indefinately...

Lots of options. Right now I'm just doing 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off and it's been great. However, my powerlifting routine is a lot different than that...An example is that I have Barbell Rows on ME Bench day, and Weighted Pullups on DE Bench day. This program has a bigtime emphasis on back work..Which is exactly what will make you stronger and bigger!

[Darkhorse]

I just listened to the whole interview and he didn't give an "actual" written in stone program. Just really a bunch of guidelines like in the above "quoted" text. I don't know who wrote the actual program I posted, but 4 days of back work may or may not be too much for most people..

What I currently do is put heavy barbell rows on ME Bench day, and on DE Bench day I have two sets of weighted pullups to failure and 3 x 10 of a different kind of row from ME day..Right now I do chest supported rows. Another option is to just do your heavy rows on ME, and 3-4 sets of 10 weighted pullups or pulldowns on DE day. If you incorperate a form of deadlift on one or two of your Squat days, that'll definately add to your total amount of back work in a week.