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Westside barbell
benchpress
enchpress manual
- COVER PAGE -
BENCH PRESS MANUAL
Louie Simmons
Westside barbell
benchpress manual
by Louie Simmons
Table of Contents
Dedication
9
Introduction
7
Chapter 1:
Westside Strength Methods
10
Chapter 2:
Reactive and Contrast Methods
13
Chapter 3:
Dynamic Effort Method
16
Chapter 4:
Sample Speed Workouts
20
Chapter 5:
Periodization for Dynamic Day
24
Chapter 6:
Maximal Effort Method
28
Chapter 7:
Forty-Five Max Effort Workouts
33
Westside Barbell Bench Press Manual
by Louie Simmons
Chapter 8:
Periodization for Max Effort Day
38
Chapter 9:
Repetition Effort Method
39
Writer: Louie Simmons
Editor: Xxx Xxx
Photographs: Rebecca Corby, GNL Productions
Covers and layout: Lasse Arkela, 4Life.fi
Printer: Xxx
Copyright © Westside Barbell, Louie Simmons 2009
Chapter 10:
Sample Repetition Effort Workouts
45
Chapter 11:
Bench Press Technique
48
Chapter 12:
Raw Bench: The Web
51
Chapter 13:
Eliminating Weaknesses
53
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Except of
the brief quotes used in reviews.
Chapter 14:
Contest Preparation
54
Chapter 15:
Rehabilitation and Pre-habilitation
56
Chapter 16:
Special Training Notes
64
Chapter 17:
Westside Bench Press Statistics
68
Chapter 18:
The Benchers
72
Disclaimer
The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any
manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following
the instructions contained in this material. The activities may be too
strenuous or dangerous for some people. The readers should always
consult a physican before engaging in them.
About the Author
77
Dedication
The original Westside in Culver City, California, was the first gym
to push box squatting. It led the way for American powerlifting,
with Bill “Peanut” West at the helm. Pat Casey was the first to
squat 800 lbs, bench press 600 lbs, and total 2000 lbs and 2100
lbs. George Frenn was spectacular. He squatted 600 lbs with a
leg cast on and then did 854 lbs in track shorts. He also did an
816-lb deadlift at a body weight of 242 lbs.
T
he lifters at Westside always pushed box squatting. One version was the
rocking box squat. Dreamed up by Peanut, this was done on a high box,
two to four inches above parallel. While practicing the box squat, Peanut fell down, injuring himself. While at the hospital, he dreamed of a power
rack that you could walk forward and backward in. The safety pins could protect the lifter if he failed a squat. The bar would be placed on a pin slightly
lower than shoulder height. The lifter would sit on a box and set up in an
erect position with his feet off the floor. A second lifter would wrap his arms
around the lifter and rock the lifter forward, assisting him on the first repetition. When the lifter was rocked forward, he would slam his feet down
on the floor before standing erect. Hence, the rocking box squat was born.
The lifters at Westside sometimes squatted three times a week. They did
high box squats for sets of ten reps, parallel box squats for five reps, and
low box squats for singles. (The low box was really a milk crate 11-inches
high.) Before the four-inch power belts that we use today, Westside was
placing a towel under the Olympic weight belt to provide added pressure.
Before bigger, faster, stronger, Peanut was placing a sponge pad on his chest
for protection and performance. This helped Pat Casey hit the first 600 lbs.
Dedication
He had already squatted 805 lbs in 1966. Len Ingro was doing 500 lbs in 1966 at
a body weight of 165 lbs. These men were doing power rack squats in the 1960s.
They would lower the bar on pins, rest, and return concentrically. They were
years ahead of their time, doing box deadlifts, floor presses, lots of good mornings, and touch system deadlifts. I remember Bill Thurber assisting Bill West in
the deadlift. They referred to rack work as sectional development training like
heavy half dips and belly tosses. Westside was very high on nutrition as well.
I had just left high school to go into the Army. I had Olympic lifted and
had started competing at 14-years-old. A month before my induction into
the Army, I competed in my first powerlifting meet. It was October 1966
in Middletown, Ohio. I competed with Vince Anello, George Crawford,
Milt McKenzie, and the legendary Larry Pacifico. I had never seen men
built like this. They all became world champions. The Olympic lifters that I
competed with were totally underdeveloped compared to them. I was sold.
After going through infantry training and being lucky enough to be stationed
in Berlin, Germany, I started powerlifting full-time. At this time, my only lifting partner was Muscle Power Builder magazine. Joe Weider was into powerlifting in the early years with the help of Armand Tammy, the power editor
of Muscle Power Builder, who ran several training articles about the world
famous Westside Barbell Club in Culver City, California. I couldn’t wait to
get the newest issue to see what was new. They didn’t know it, but they were
my mentors and even imaginary training partners. I owe everything to them.
I tried to push the limits of weight training and science just like they did.
At Westside in Columbus, Ohio, you must be famous and then unfortunately
die to have your picture on the wall. Besides the late Matt Dimmel’s picture,
there are pictures of Bill “Peanut” West, George Frenn, and Pat Casey. As a
lasting memorial to my beginning and my future in powerlifting and especially
to those alive or deceased, I hold the original Westside in the highest esteem
until the day my picture is hung on the wall. Then, we may meet in the cosmos
beyond.
8
Introduction
I wrote this bench press guide for the novice to the most
advanced bencher. As of May 1, 2008, Westside Barbell has five
men breaking over 20 all-time bench world records.
The methods that follow will help any lifter or athlete—
male or female—reach his or her ultimate goal. With 27
lifters benching 700 lbs or more, we have developed a
complex but simple system to take you to stardom.
Westside Strength Methods
Chapter I
Westside Strength
Methods
Maximal Effort Method
This method is superior for both intramuscular and intermuscular coordination. Zatsiorsky has said that the muscles and central nervous system (CNS)
adapt only to the load placed upon them. This simply means that if you want
to lift heavy weights, you must train with heavy weights. The maximal effort
method will bring about the largest strength gains.
At Westside, our maximal effort day is based after the Bulgarian system. Each
week, we max out. It may not be an all-time max, but it is an all out max on
that particular day. We know that training with weight at 90 percent and above
for three weeks will go backward due to muscular and CNS breakdowns. To
avoid this, we switch the major bar exercise each week. This is known as the
conjugate system.
Westside uses the three proven methods of strength training.
They are:
Dynamic Method
This method is used to increase a fast rate of force development and explosive strength. It is impossible to display maximal force in fast movements
against small and intermediate loads. This method will not build or increase
maximal strength. Refer to the Hill equation of muscle contraction because it
will explain the physics for this.
In addition to bands and chains to help eliminate deceleration, the barbell
should be loaded to 40–50 percent of a one rep max (1RM) for the floor
press. Perform the movement using the interval training method. Use three
different grips for three sets each for a total of nine sets of repetitions. Perform a certain amount of work for three repetitions and then rest for roughly
one minute. Lower the bar quickly but under as much control as possible.
Reverse to the concentric phase and accelerate to lockout. Press the bar in
a straight line, which is the shortest distance. This reduces pec and shoulder
injuries. Follow up with 2–4 special exercises. The first exercise should work
the triceps, the second should work the lats, the third should work the upper
back, and the fourth should work the rear and the side delts.
The conjugate system was developed in the old U.S.S.R. at a place known as
the Dynamic Club. In 1972, they tested 70 high-skilled Olympic lifters with
25–40 exercises. Only one lifter was satisfied. The rest wanted more special
exercises. As you can see, this is a mix of Russian and Bulgarian as well as my
own experiences. We have developed over 80 elite lifters.
This workout should occur 72 hours after speed day. At Westside, our speed
day is Sunday, and our max effort day is Wednesday. This gives us ten days to
rest from heavy bending for a contest. Seven days from a contest is speed day.
The weights are light, and the sets are reduced to six sets. The special exercises are reduced as well. This works perfectly for the delayed transformation
of the training load. The weights lifted on max effort day should be done with
little emotion to avoid stress. If you reach a high level of emotion too often,
you’ve reached a training max. If this happens when you’re training, it will
interfere with competition.
Repetition Method
Repetitions are how we control intensity and volume. Westside never performs high reps in the squat, bench, or deadlift. In training, repetitions average around two reps for the squat average, three reps for the bench, and one
rep for the deadlift. The high reps are for lats, triceps, delts, and upper back.
The dynamic method was first used to replace a max effort workout when
needed.
11
Chapter I
Chapter II
Reactive and Contrast
Methods
Repetition method
Reactive methods are intended to develop power and explosive strength by imposing specific demands on the central nervous system. Here are some of the methods used at Westside.
Weight Releasers
When work is done after benching or max effort day, this is called hypotrophy.
Two to four exercises should be performed. The number of exercises or sets
and reps is dependent upon your level of preparedness. Switch exercises when
your mental or physical state tells you to. Introverts can get by with less than
extraverts can. It is Westside’s duty to teach you to train yourself. After ten
months, the lifter should have a firm grasp on the system as it pertains to him
or her.
W
Conjugate System
Chain Benching
The Westside system is the conjugate system in its entirety. The max effort
exercises are changed each week. The reactive methods are changed as often
as we see fit. The small, special exercises are changed often so that the body
never adapts to training. Adjusting the box or pin heights each week will
bring positive results. Illegal wide grip benching, extreme close grip benching,
and incline or decline benching at various angles are all part of the conjugant
system.
Hanging 5/8-inch chains on the
bar causes a contrasting load
between the start of the lift at the
chest and lockout. Perform 1–3
sets with the chains. The loading
and reloading can be adjusted
by changing the length of the
¼-inch chains. This will provide
accommodating resistance.
Bodybuilders who train at different gyms with different equipment use the
conjugant system whether they know it or not. All sports have many plays or
combinations of plays that are much like the conjugant system.
12
eight releasers were developed in the former Soviet Union. By hooking the releasers on the bar and loading weight plates, they provide a
contrast when they release on contact with the floor. For speed work
lower than 80 percent of a 1RM, release 20 percent and raise the remaining
60 percent.
Chapter II
Reactive and Contrast Methods
Band Benching
Foam Training
Attaching bands to the bar produces tension not only at the top but also at
chest level. The bands have accommodating resistance effects and provide
over speed eccentrics. This causes a greater stretch reflex. If your level of preparedness is high, bands are superior to chains. A wide assortment of bands
can be used for these movements.
By placing large, foam blocks under the plates and
lowering the barbell on to the blocks, a certain amount of the total load will
be suspended at the bottom. This will cause the lifter to relax on the eccentric
phase and teaches optimal eccentrics.
Band pressing
Foam training
Future Method
Maximal Isometrics
This method was first used by the Soviets for youth training. Hook a set of
bands over a power rack, which supports the barbell to some degree and
causes the load to be light at the bottom. Westside has found this method to
be most productive for even the most advanced lifters. This teaches acceleration in the concentric phase in addition to optimal eccentrics for a greater
stretch reflex.
Press the bar off of the rack pins, which should be set at a pre-determined
height, into the amount of band tension that the lifter can’t lockout. Adjust the bands to stop the bar where desired. The isometric work will aid in
strength at 15 degrees above and below the static position needed.
Future method
14
15
Dynamic Effort Methods
Chapter III
Dynamic Effort
Method
Use three different grips when performing the nine sets. Perform three sets
with your index finger touching the smooth part of the bar. Move out three
inches for the next three sets, and then perform three sets with your index
finger touching the power ring. This places the majority of the work on the
triceps.
Always try to push the bar straight up, going toward the feet and not over the
face. When the bar travels over the face, it places lots of stress on the rotators
and soft tissue of the pecs. The bar weight is light, but remember Newton’s
second law—force equals mass times acceleration.
This method of training is not used for increasing maximal
strength. It is only used to improve the rate of force development and explosive strength.
L
ight weights are used for approximately 50 percent of a 1RM. Perform nine
sets of three reps in a very explosive manner. A fast eccentric phase will
contribute to a faster concentric phase, and the rest between sets should
be 60 seconds. Because of the light weightbeing used, use bands or chains to
accommodate resistance.
Regardless of a 1RM, always use 50 percent. A 700-lb bencher raw would use
350 lbs without chains or bands. A 500-lb raw bencher would use 250 lbs for
triples. Both weights should move at the same rate of speed—about 0.7–0.8
m/s without bands or chains.
Other Dynamic Methods
The floor press can be used for speed benching as well. Place the chains over
the bar sleeve.
See below for a picture of the floor press.
Always relax the arms on the floor. This will interpret the eccentric concentric
chain and build explosive strength. Bands can also be used on the floor press.
See below for a picture of the floor press with bands.
Accommodating Resistance
This process will increase muscular strength through the entire range of
motion. See below for a picture of someone benching with chains and
benching with bands.
Benching with with bands
Benching with chains and benching with bands
The floor press with bands
17
Chapter III
Dynamic Effort Methods
Speed Work on the Power Rack
Future Method
Band tension in the bottom is essential. The sets and reps remain the same—
nine sets of three repetitions. Use the power rack for speed work. After lowering the bar to a pin at just above the chest, relax the arms for a second. Then,
press explosively to the lockout.
Place bands at the top of the power rack to reduce the load in the bottom.
This teaches acceleration with real bar weight.
Future method
By experimenting with band tension, you can regulate the reduction of bar
weight at the chest. This method was first used in the Soviet training system.
You can also place bands, kettlebells, or chains on the bar to create a different
contrast.
Power rack speed work
Bands or chains should be used for all speed work. Reps and sets remain the
same.
Speed Work with Kettlebells
Replace the bands or chains on the bar
with a moderate sized kettlebell. The
kettlebell will produce a somewhat
unstable and chaotic state. This will
teach you to control the bar, which will
lead to better technique at the bottom
as well as at the top. Each rep must
be held at the lockout. Sets and reps
should be the same as with all speed
work. See for a picture showing work
with kettlebells.
Ballistic Benching
Lower the bar as quickly as
possible. Then, stop it one to
three inches off of the chest
and reverse it to lockout. This
system builds tremendous reversing strength. Remember
to use this only on speedstrength day. This can be
done with chains and bands.
The most difficult method is
to attach a moderate kettlebell to the bar in addition to
weight.
Kettlebells plus weight
This is also considered the submaximal method.
Speed work with kettlebells
18
19
Sample Speed Workouts
Chapter IV
Sample Speed
Workouts
Fred Boldt’s Workout
Jason Fry’s Workout
At a body weight of 194 lbs, Jason Fry has a competition bench of 700 lbs
with a shirt. For his workout, he floor presses 470 lbs without a shirt. Then,
he does nine sets of three reps with 205 lbs of bar weight followed by two
sets of 15 reps with 185 lbs and 80–120 lbs of chains using a three-inch cambered bar. He does one set with a close grip and one set with an extra wide
grip.
Fred also does dumbbell extensions with his elbows out to the sides on a
steep incline with 70 lbs for seven sets of eight reps followed by six sets of
dumbbell rows for 8–12 reps with varied weight for each set. He then does
three sets of high dumbbell shrugs for 12–15 reps, four sets of inverted
dumbbell flies for the rear delts, and some hammer curls.
F
red Boldt, at a body weight of 181 lbs, benches 655 lbs with a bench shirt
in competition. For his workout, he floor presses 475 lbs without a shirt
and performs nine sets of three reps with 205 lbs of bar weight. He does
one set with mini bands, which is equal to 40 lbs at his chest and 85 lbs at
lockout. Then, he does two sets of 20 reps of dumbbell presses on a flat bench
using 100-lb dumbbells. His best with 100 lbs is 34 reps.
Fred performs five sets of ten reps of dumbbell rollback extensions with 60
lbs followed by six sets of chest supported rows with a varied weight. He also
does three sets of hammer curls. Fred always mixes up special
exercises.
Jason Fry
Greg Panora’s Workout
Fred Boldt
Greg Panora has a body weight of 262 lbs. In competition, he bench presses
775 lbs and floor presses 530 lbs. For his workout, he floor presses for nine
sets of three reps with 185 lbs of bar weight and 105 lbs of kettlebells. He
does two sets of decline dumbbell presses for 20 reps with 125 lbs followed
by five sets of barbell rows with 6–8 reps with 275–315 lbs. He does JM
presses for three sets of six reps with 275–365 lbs, three sets of dumbbell
power cleans, five sets of side dumbbell raises, and two sets of dumbbell
shrugs with two sets of reverse curls.
21
Chapter IV
Sample Speed Workouts
George Halbert’s Workout
Greg Pandora
Mike Wolf’s Workout
Mike Wolf has a body weight of 341 lbs. His competition bench is 859 lbs
with a shirt and 600 lbs raw. For his workout, he benches nine sets of three
reps with 275 lbs of bar weight with monster mini bands, which give him 60
lbs at his chest and 130 lbs at lockout. Mike also does two sets of mild incline
bench with 275lbs. For one set, he uses a close grip, and for another set, he
uses a wide grip. He then does three sets of 5-board presses with 200 lbs of
band tension, five sets of low pulley rows using a close grip and a wide grip,
three sets of high dumbbell shrugs, three sets on the rear delt machine, and
three sets of hammer curls.
Mike Wolf
22
George Halbert holds 12 world records plus a 625-lb raw competition bench.
For his workout, he may do nine sets of three reps with 315 lbs using a
cambered bar. He adds mini bands for one set and uses two different grips—a
close grip and a very wide grip. Sometimes, he uses mini bands for two sets of
the first four or five sets and then removes the bands for a set. This contrast
builds tremendous reactive abilities and is called the shock method.
George may do two sets of steep dumbbell inclines with a moderate weight
for him, which is 110–155 lbs for 15 reps per set. This concludes his workout
for the day.
He trains the bench five times a week—once during his speed workout, once
during his max effort workout, and three times during his special exercise
workouts. He usually does his special exercise workouts in between his speed
workouts and his max effort workouts.
All of the workouts discussed are actual workouts. The key is to constantly
change the grips, the contrast methods, and the special exercises. The central
nervous system will never fail. By changing the volume for each muscle, you’ll
seldom overtrain. A reminder—speed work can be performed on the floor
press with rack pins using the future method.
George Halbert
23
Perioidization for Dynamic Day
Chapter V
Periodization for
Dynamic Day
Wave 3
Perform the bench press with chains suspended from the bar. Roughly one
half of the chain weight should be on the floor with the bar in the rack. Perform nine sets of three reps very explosively. After the nine sets, do two sets
of push-ups for 15–25 reps followed by triceps work of your choice. Next,
perform upper back work and rear and side delt work. All workouts can end
with hammer curls.
Wave 4
Do nine sets of three reps off of the power rack with pins. Always relax your
muscle tension after the bar touches the pins. Change grips on each set.
Speed work, or the dynamic method, is performed using submaximal weights with maximal speed. This produces a fast rate
of force development. Remember, force equals mass times acceleration.
After the nine sets of bench work, do two sets of mild incline presses for 15
reps with moderate weight. Work the triceps with your choice of extensions.
Move to upper back work followed by rear and side delt work. If you choose,
end your workout with some hammer curls.
Wave 5
A
t Westside, we use a three-week pendulum phase. This eliminates accommodation, otherwise known as staleness, by changing the training every
three weeks. By doing this, we have a period of delayed transformation in
our training, which leads to constant performance growth. Using this system,
we can make progress year after year. Here are some examples:
Wave 1
Perform nine sets of three reps with 45–50 percent bar weight plus mini
bands. Use three different grips. For the first grip, your index finger should
touch the smooth part of the bar. For the second grip, move out two inches.
For the third grip, your little finger should touch the power ring. Our mini
bands provide 85 lbs at lockout and 40 lbs at the chest. After the speed bench,
do moderate dumbbells and then triceps extensions. Rotate between barbell
extensions and sometimes the JM press or dumbbells rolled back with your
elbows out to the side. Next, do upper back work and rear and side delt work.
Wave 2
Use monster minis for nine sets of three reps with 45–50 percent. Use the
three grips mentioned in wave one. Move on to two sets of 15 reps with a
barbell. Set your grip very close for one set and very wide for the second set.
Next, perform a triceps movement of your choosing followed by upper back
and rear and side delt work.
Perform nine sets of three reps with kettlebells plus bar weight. For example,
a 450-lb raw bencher should use 105 lbs of kettlebells hanging under the bar
with 135–155 lbs of bar weight. This should be followed up with two sets of
20 reps of body weight dips. Move on to a triceps exercise. You can sometimes superset these with light triceps push-downs. Finish up with some upper
back work including lats and rear and side delts and some hammer curls.
Week 6
Perform nine sets of three reps with 40–50 percent bar weight plus chains.
However, this time, double up a light jump stretch band and place it over
the bar. Then, hang two or three sets of 5/8-inch chains through the looped
bands. This will displace more of the chain weight off the floor at all times
and will make the press more unstable because the bands will flex up and
down somewhat.
After the speed bench, do two sets of dumbbell presses while sitting on the
floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Next, do lats and upper back
work. Rotate the exercises as often as it takes so that you’re not bored. Select
one movement from triceps exercises, bar extensions, dumbbells extensions,
and JM presses. Superset these with light push-downs. Next, do some upper
back work including lats and rear and side delts. Add in some shrugs for this
wave and some hammer curls.
25
Chapter V
Perioidization for Dynamic Day
Week 7
Special Notes
Perform nine sets of three reps with roughly 35 percent of your 1RM raw
plus a light band. This band will provide 200 lbs at the top so you’ll be pressing more band weight than bar weight. This is very difficult. Don’t forget to
use three different grips. Move on to upper back and lats and then triceps.
Whenever possible, do two sets of high reps of dumbbell presses at different angles or two sets of the bench with one wide grip and one close grip for
easy sets of 15 reps. Change the angles whenever you like. Follow this up with
upper back work, lats work, two sets of high rep push-ups, dumbbells presses,
wide and close grip benches or dips, triceps work, rear and side delt work, and
hammer curls.
Supersetting the light push-downs or light dumbbell extensions with heavy,
low rep barbell or heavy dumbbell extensions have produced some amazing results. By using the superset system, Travis Bell’s bench went from 630
lbs to 700 lbs in six months at a body weight of 246 lbs. At a body
weight of 308 lbs, Jeff Peci jumped from a stalled 725-lb bench to
an 825-lb bench in roughly six months.
Week 8
You won’t become any faster or stronger after three weeks on
the same cycle because of the biological law of accommodation. This is often considered a general law of biology (V.M.
Zatsiorsky).
Perform nine sets of three reps of floor presses. Drape chains over the bar
sleeve for two or three sets. Make sure that you use the correct percentage. At
Westside, we prefer to do 40 percent of a 1RM in the floor press for speed
benching. Remember to relax the arms on the floor and keep your butt on the
floor. Don’t cheat. Do two sets of high rep push-ups for 25–50 reps. Next,
superset light push-downs with heavy dumbbell or barbell extensions. Then,
perform upper back and lat work, rear and side delt work, and hammer curls.
Week 9
Perform dumbbell floor presses or regular flat dumbbell presses on a bench.
Use a dumbbell about equal to 50 percent of the barbell weight that you use
for speed work. For example, if you use 200 lbs for speed work, use 100-lb
dumbbells. Do eight sets of six reps. When your speed work with the dumbbells is done, use a barbell for the two sets of high rep work. Superset light
dumbbell extensions with heavy barbell extensions. Follow this up with upper
back and lat work, rear and side delt raises, and hammer curls.
Wave 10
Perform nine sets of three reps with a special bar—a three- or five-inch cambered bar, an arch bar, a bow bar, or possibly a one-inch board press or foam
on the chest. Of course, do the two sets of high reps and then follow up with
triceps, upper back and lat work, rear and side delt raises, and some hammer
curls.
26
27
Maximal Effort Method
Chapter VI
Maximal Effort
Method
more exercises to choose from. Today, this system is known as the conjugant
system.
At Westside in 1970, I found the same problem and switched a major exercise
each week. I found it most effective to switch the bar exercise each week. The
Westside conjugant system is a mixture of the Soviet and Bulgarian systems
combined with my 38 years of experimentation.
Here’s a list of maximal effort workouts that should be switched each week.
Max Effort Rack Work
The maximal effort method is superior to all strength building
methods to develop intramuscular and intermuscular coordination. The Bulgarian maximal effort system was the most successful system developed. It used primarily six lifts—the front
and back squat, the power clean, the power snatch, the clean
and jerk, and the full snatch. Because there was only one coach,
one system was taught at the national training camp. The juniors trained with the seniors or with the Bulgarian national
team. If you couldn’t handle the rigors of this system, you were
dismissed. To perform this system, you had to be a model lifter.
This means that you had to be built to succeed in a few chosen training lifts plus be able to handle the high emotional state
needed to constantly handle larger and larger loads.
O
n the other hand, the Russian maximal effort method system developed
a lifter over a long period of time and shaped up his weaknesses. The
Russians found that after three consecutive weeks of weight above 90
percent, the mental and physical stress was too great and the lifters would fail.
To cure this problem, they introduced a period of time that moved the training
every three weeks (i.e. the three-week wave).
For max effort rack work, lower the bar to a particular pin, relax, and press to
lockout. The Westside rack adjusts at each inch so we have about 12 pressing
points to start from. You can eliminate the eccentric phase by crawling under
the bar and pressing to lockout. This rack work yields 24 possibilities for new
records. By using a close grip and a wide grip, you’ve doubled the possibilities to 48. By adding chain weight with wide and close grips, you’ve added 24
more possibilities, bringing the total to 72. By attaching bands with close and
wide grips, 24 more records can be made, bringing the total to 86. By using
different amounts of chains or different band tensions, the possibilities are
endless.
Max effort rack work
Conjugate System
Officially developed in 1972 by the Soviets in a club known as the Dynamo
Club, this early research was conducted with 25–40 exercises. With 70 highlyranked Olympic lifters participating, only one was satisfied. The rest wanted
29
Chapter VI
Floor Presses
Floor presses can be done
using wide or close grips,
chains or bands over the
bar, or with the future
method. They can also be
performed while lying on
foam and with or without a
bench shirt.
Floor press
Board Presses
At the original Westside in Culver City, California, Bill West and George Frenn
were doing board presses in the late 1960s. The board presses played a big
role in bench press history. I did board pressing in the early 1970s with little
success because my triceps were weak. I stopped doing them for years until
Jesse Kellum convinced me to add them again in 1990. Thanks Jesse.
Maximal Effort Method
Board presses can be done with or without a bench shirt. This possibility will
render ten records. Using either a close grip or a wide grip will bring about
ten additional records.
Band Board Presses
There are five band tensions
to use with board presses. If
you use a wide and a close grip
to establish records, you have
the possibility of 50 new records. It’s important to move
heavy weight all the time. The
key is to change the ratio of
bar weight and band tension.
Foam Presses
To build optimal eccentrics,
using foam is a must. This movement also incorporates the future method,
meaning that the weights you handle today, you will lift in the future. Jason
Fry lowered 700 lbs on to the foam blocks in a T-shirt and benched 700
lbs in a meet with Rage X. Tony Bolognone benched 780 lbs in a T-shirt by
lowering the bar on to the foam and benched 785 lbs in a Metal denim shirt
after squatting 1050 lbs.
You can use either a wide or a close grip for foam presses. You can also use
either a bench shirt or a T-shirt with these.
Board presses
Training with Board Presses at Westside
Place either a 2-board or 5-board on the chest. (This is close to ten inches on
the chest.) Lower the bar to the board, relax the arms, and press to lockout.
(You can keep tension in the arms if you want; this is completely up to the
individual.) The more boards that you have, the more the triceps will be
isolated. If your triceps are weak, you may want to start off with 3-boards and
work up to 4- or 5-boards.
30
Foam press
31
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Future Method
Forty-Five Max
Effort Workouts
This system makes it
possible to unload some
of the bar weight in the
bottom of the bench.
This will help develop an
optimal eccentric phase
and teach acceleration in
the concentric phase.
Future method
By attaching a set of bands at the top of a power rack to cradle the bar, the
bar can float at chest level. At Westside, a strong set of bands supports 155
lbs at chest level. Medium bands support 95 lbs, and a light set of bands holds
65 lbs at chest level. This is mostly done without bench shirts, but you can
use one if you want. This creates super-maximal training. Use a close grip or a
wide grip. You can also place boards on the chest. This works well. To create a
greater contrast, attach chains.
Incline/Decline Workouts
Two old favorites at Westside are the incline press and the decline press. We
use different angles, ranging from mild to very steep, and we use both wide
grips and close grips. We use barbells and dumbbells, and we perform these
either lowered off the chest or high off the chest.
When we use barbells, we perform max singles up to six reps, and the workout is for maximal strength. When we use dumbbells, we perform a minimum
of eight reps up to 30 reps, and the workout is for the hypertrophy phase.
Incline/decline workouts
The max effort workout must be changed each week. This will
allow you to lift 100 percent of your potential each week, year
in and year out. It also eliminates accommodation. If you continue to do the same constant stimulus, you will decrease the
positive effects over time.
S
trength is measured in time, not weight. If you perform a special exercise
that takes the same amount of time to complete it as with a classical lift, it
will have a positive effect on the classical lift. This is the conjugant system,
which is a weekly, monthly, and yearly system that combines all special strengths
together.
Here’s a sample six-week max effort workout:
Workout 1: Floor press
Work up to a 1RM. The floor press can be done as follows:
• Pure weight floor press
• Floor press with chains
• Floor press with bands
• Floor press with a close grip
• Floor press with a moderate grip
• Floor press with a wide grip
Only floor press for one week and then move on to a different special exercise. After the floor press, perform triceps work, lat and upper back work, side
and rear delt work, and hammer curls.
32
Chapter VII
Forty-Five Max Effort Workouts
Workout 2:
Band pressing and its variations
• Mini band max
• Monster band max
• Light band max
• Average band max
• Strong band max
Remember, after a max effort band workout, you must switch each week to a
new workout. After a band max effort workout, perform some triceps work,
lat and upper back work, rear and side delt work, and some hammer curls.
Workout 3:
Future method with the bands
In this workout, the bands are connected to the top of a power rack. By
cradling the barbell, the load at the chest will be reduced. This will make it
possible to lift and lockout weights that you will do in the future.
• A light band reduces the weight by 65 lbs at the bottom.
• An average band reduces the weight by 95 lbs at the bottom.
• A strong band reduces the weight by 155 lbs at the bottom.
Again, work your triceps first followed by the lats, upper back, and rear and
side delts. Follow this up with hammer curls.
So far, we have 13 weeks of max effort workouts. Do a different type of
pressing each week.
Workout 4: Power rack
Rack work is as old as it gets, but it’s still very effective. We know that isometric work will radiate 15 degrees up or down. This means that you should use
about five different pins starting at your chest. Work up to a max on five pins.
• At the chest
• Three inches off the chest
• Six inches off the chest
• Nine inches off the chest
• Twelve inches off the chest
• Fifteen inches off the chest
34
I suggest that you do two pins per workout.
They should look like this:
Workout 1: At chest and three inches off the chest
Workout 2: Six inches off the chest and nine inches
off the chest
Workout 3: Twelve inches off the chest and fifteen
inches off the chest
Remember to perform rack work for one week and then move on to other
special exercises. After the rack workout, move on to triceps, lats, upper back,
and rear and side delt work. Then perform hammer curls. When you’re up to
it, do two sets of high rep work dumbbells, push-ups, or wide and close grip
barbell work just like on speed day.
Workout 5: Foam press
Lowering the weight correctly is just as important as raising it. By lowering the barbell and plates on to foam blocks, you’ll learn how to reduce the
eccentric muscle contraction to provide a strong stretch reflex. Optimal eccentrics are essential for reaching your true potential.
Place large, foam blocks at each side of the bar. Lower the barbell on to the
foam until it stops and then press the weight to lockout. This is also considered the future method.
Jason Fry made the same weight off the foam as he did when he broke the
world record 725-lb bench at a body weight of 181 lbs. Tony Bolognone had
the same success. He made 805 lbs on the foam. Then, in competition, he
made 800 lbs at a body weight of 308 lbs and 830 lbs at a body weight of 320
lbs. He set a personal record
with a close grip and a wide
grip.
After your foam press max,
move on to triceps. Work them
as hard as possible, doing either
barbell or dumbbell extensions.
This is up to you. You can also
perform hammer curls if you
want.
So far, we have a least 18 max
effort methods to choose from.
35
Chapter VII
Forty-Five Max Effort Workouts
Workout 6: Board pressing
Workout 8: JM press
We use 5-boards to break records. The 1-board is two inches thick, and the
5-board is ten inches thick. We started with 2- or 3-board presses. George
Halbert brought the 4- and 5-board presses to Westside. These were done raw
for the most part. George also started using 1–boards, but I found that this
doesn’t work for shirt pressing.
We use the JM press on max effort day on a fairly regular basis. We use a close
grip with the index finger on the smooth part of the bar or two inches wider.
If you use a close grip, you have five records to break. Use a wide grip and
you have five more records to break. Put a shirt on and you have five more records to break. I’ll stop now, but that represents 15 possible records to break.
Don’t use more than two different boards per workout, and don’t do board
pressing two weeks in a row. After board pressing, move on to a triceps movement of your choice. Follow this up with lat work, upper back work, rear and
side delt work, and some hammer curls. We are up to 33 possible max effort
workouts.
Lower the bar straight down over the clavicle, stop, and hold the bar four to
five inches above the body. Tilt your hands back toward your head and push
back up with the hands first. This makes it mostly an extension. Then, do triceps because they’re the most important. Next, work the lats and upper back
followed by rear and side delt raises and hammer curls.
I have described 45 variations of max effort exercises. These are limitless.
Only your imagination will limit you and your success.
Workout 7: Incline and decline press
These exercises are as old as they come but just as effective as always. Westside uses mild, moderate, and very steep inclines. We also use a wide, medium,
and very close grip, with the index finger touching the smooth part of the bar.
With a little math, you’ll see that we have nine records to break.
I like the very steep incline with a very close or wide grip. The decline is much
like shirt benching because you normally touch the bar on the upper stomach.
To break personal records, we use a loose grip and a wide grip on the decline.
With the possibility of nine incline records and two decline records, we are
up to 44 possible max effort workouts. Remember, after presses, do a triceps
exercise or two and then lat work, upper back work, rear and side delt work,
and some hammer curls.
36
Decline dumbbell press
37
Chapter IX
Chapter VIII
Periodization for
Max Effort Day
We don’t use periodization for a contest or at any other time
of the year. We plan what we’re going to do at breakfast one
hour before training. Only when we’re close to a contest do we
know what we need. This is smart training. To know what you
need after a contest is fairly smart training. To never know what
you need is ridiculous.
Repetition Effort
Method and GPP Work
By doing high reps, the size of the muscles used increases. This
should in turn make it possible to lift a heavier weight. By raising the volume at different intensity zones, you’ll increase your
muscular mass.
A
t Westside, we don’t do any more than six rep maxes with an extra wide
or very close grip in conventional benching. The higher reps are reserved
for triceps extensions and delt raises to the front, side, and rear as well
as lat work of all kinds, shrugs, and hammer curls. After examining investigations performed by Berger and colleagues in 1963, we found that six reps were
better than two reps or even ten reps. Two reps build maximum strength but
little muscular mass while ten reps build muscle mass but do little for absolute
strength gains. Remember, perform barbell repetition work in sets of six working up to a new max of six reps. For the dumbbell bench, perform 8–30 reps.
Try to constantly change the positions of the repetition work. For example,
try seated, flat, incline, and decline at different angles. Also, switch it up and
go from high reps to low reps. This will automatically change your volume and
intensity.
General Physical Preparedness
General physical preparedness (GPP) is general flexibility endurance, strength
endurance coordination, technical training, and mobility. Benchers do very
little besides bench pressing and bench pressing exercises. This is a mistake.
Many have to lose weight because of health reasons and others have injuries.
Why? Because they have no background in GPP. For the shoulders, try doing
Indian clubs of different weights for one-minute rounds up to five, oneminute rounds.
Chapter IX
Repetition Effort Method and GPP work
Small Workouts
While major workouts should
occur every 72 hours in between
maximal workouts and max effort workouts, small workouts
lasting an average of 30 minutes
can be done every 12–24 hours.
Always plan wisely and train your
weaknesses. If your triceps are
weak, work on your triceps, not
a dominant muscle group. These
workouts aren’t reserved for just
muscle building either. They’re also
a great time to work on flexibility
and mobility. Try including some restoration work such as whirlpools and
massages, chiropractor work, or any GPP work. All of these activities should
be taken into consideration when planning small workouts.
Special Exercises
Tony Ramos performing a lat pull–down.
Concentration curl
Beginner lifters should do two small workouts per week, one upper body
workout, and one lower body workout. Advanced lifters can do four small or
extra workouts a week. At Westside, we don’t schedule our small workouts
but rather do them as we see fit. Caution: Don’t overdo them!
Small Workout Examples
• Do some upper body sled work. Use a second strap for your
hands. Duplicate curls, triceps extensions, overhead pressing, low
rows, upright rows, and external rotation. This also aids in GPP.
• Perform four sets of dumbbell presses. Rotate between flat,
incline, decline, and seated. Use a moderate weight, one that you can
do without warming up. Do 10–15 reps. This should be about ten
reps under your record for one set.
• Try rowing, dumbbell presses, barbell presses, lat pull–downs, and
low pulley pulls.
• Work the rear delts and side delts with shrugs.
• Perform the bench for 15 reps using a moderate weight for one set
with a wide grip and one set with a close grip.
Weighted chins
Arm bar
Perform any workout mentioned above within a time limit of 30 minutes.
Martinez does
heavy board presses with a shirt.
40
41
Chapter IX
Repetition Effort Method and GPP work
Kettlebell Benching
Hang kettlebells under the
bar with jump stretch bands.
This works the stabilizers
like nothing else. Do high
reps up to 25 per set. For
pre-habilitation, do 4–6 sets
of 25 reps. This will build
tremendous endurance in the
arms, chest, and delts.
Kettlebell bench
Sled work is our main GPP work.
At Westside, we do a lot of walking with ankle weights up to 20 lbs for each
leg. George Halbert used this method to rehabilitate himself after ACL
surgery. Using weighted vests and carrying Indian clubs while walking are also
great ways to get in some GPP. Also, try wearing ankle weights of 5–10 lbs
per leg while benching or training the upper body. Don’t be afraid to do a little
extra work such as swimming. It’s great for rehabilitation and even better for
pre-habilitation.
Bench Press Technique Notes
Barbell curls and upright rows
are excellent as well.
Bottoms up kettlebell presses are
great for the stabilizers.
While walking with the sled, use a second strap and do curls, upright rows,
external extension work, triceps extensions, peck/deck stimulations, overhead
pressing, or isometric work. This can be done for long durations because
you’re able to breathe while walking. It’s much better to work the upper body
while walking than it is while sitting on a bench.
42
While bench pressing, you should be able to hold your breath for at least three
reps, if not for five full reps. Put all of the air into your belly first and then
into your chest. Hold it before taking the bar out of the rack and continue
holding it until the lift is complete.
When taking the bar out of the rack, lift yourself up off the bench and pull
your shoulder blades together. The upper back must be arched. This is very
important. Don’t worry about the arch in your lower back because it can
be dangerous. To use the triceps properly, you must learn to stretch the bar
outward to fully utilize the triceps. External rotation is a must for safety and a
successful bench. If you’re having difficulty with this, try using an arch bar.
43
Chapter IX
Chapter X
To touch the weight on your chest, you must have your spotter lift the weight
out over your lower chest or upper belly. If you’re wearing a bench shirt, the
shirt is weakest at the chest and strongest over the collar. Your elbows should
be under the bar at all times. Keep in mind that if you press the bar straight
up, the elbows won’t turn in or out. This means that you won’t have any pec
or rotation injuries. If the bar falls over your face, your elbows must stay underneath the bar to maximize your pressing muscles and avoid injury.
Sample Repetition
Effort Workouts
Repetition Work for Hypertrophy
This is not hypertrophy for bodybuilding but for benching.
Dumbbell pressing is great for increasing the size of the triceps,
delts, chest, upper back, and all of the muscles for bench
pressing.
Workout 1: Press to failure
Perform three sets to failure. We suggest using three different weights.
• 155 lbs for 13 reps, 11 reps, and 9 reps
• 125 lbs for 23 reps, 21 reps, and 19 reps
• 100 lbs for 31 reps, 26 reps, and 22 reps
Rest 5–6 minutes between sets. Only the last repetitions are really beneficial.
These can be done on an incline, seated, decline, or flat bench.
Workout 2:
Dumbbell bench presses for time
An excellent way to build muscle size is to perform dumbbell bench presses
for time or at a certain weight for time. We recommend doing the timed
dumbbell presses on a stability ball. My times are as follows:
• 100 lbs for 2.5 minutes
• 60 lbs for 5 minutes
• 40 lbs for 14 minutes
44
Chapter X
I aimed to raise and lower the dumbbells slowly. Try changing grips throughout the set or changing your arm position. In other words, place your elbows
out to the sides at different angles. Rolling the dumbbells up and down causes
an incline/decline effect.
Workout 3: Kettlebells on the bar
Hang kettlebells under the bar using jump stretch bands. Each set of kettlebells should hang from its own set of bands. This causes an oscillating chaotic
pendulum effect and will build an amazing amount of muscle. All grip styles
work—wide, close, or medium, and you should perform lots of extensions,
upright rows, and curls.
Workout 4: Illegal 6, 8, 10
Sample Repetition Effort Workouts
Workout 5
Push-ups should have a place in your training. If you elevate your feet higher
than your head, the blood will pool into the upper body causing a serious
pump. I’ve done over 100 reps without any weight, 58 reps with 100-lb plates
on my upper body, and up to six reps with a 330-lb man on my back. This
style works like an incline press. However, if you raise the bar when your
hands grasp the bar, it works like a decline, just opposite of what you’re thinking. Use both close and wide grips. You can also raise the feet and place your
hands on foam blocks or use gymnastic rings to make it more difficult.
Note: The workouts above are substitutes for max effort workouts or second
(extra) workouts. The choice is yours.
Workouts must be rotated often.
Bill Seno, a former Best Chest winner and bench press record holder, taught
me illegal wide benching. He told me to bench using a wide grip and an outside the power ring grip for a max of six reps. When that stalled, he had me
go to eight reps. After that, he had me start over with the six reps again.
I mostly stuck to the six rep maxes. I raised my raw bench from 340 lbs to
515 lbs. Although my body weight went from 185 lbs to 205 lbs, this was an
eye opener because my bench went up 5 lbs in a meet. I was never a great
bencher, but Bill’s advice made it possible for me to make a 480-lb raw bench
at a light body weight of 220 lbs. I believe it helped me make the top ten in
2002 with a sixth place ranking in the 220-lb weight class at 54-years-old.
When doing illegal 6’s, 8’s, or 10’s, you must do extra triceps work and very
little front delt work. You probably noticed that I talked very little about front
delt work. I’ve noticed that the lifters who do front delt work have front delt
injuries on a regular basis.
Remember to work the triceps, lats, upper back, and the rear and side delts.
Also, throw in some hammer curls and some wide grip benching.
46
47
Bench Press Technique
Chapter XI
Bench Press
Technique
Second Bench Style
A second bench style is to place the feet out in front and flat on the ground.
You want to raise your head while lowering the bar to the top of your stomach. Your elbows must stay under the bar. If you have difficulty touching,
raise your shoulders off of the bench along with your head. By doing this, the
bar will descend to the press position without the arms bending any further.
When the press signal is given, lower your head back down on the bench. This
engages the lats and upper back and also produces a very powerful start. The
bar travels in a relatively straight line.
Second bench style pros
There are so many styles to use while benching in a bench shirt.
Many people try to duplicate the style that the Japanese use,
but the Japanese have a certain body structure. They have a long
torso and short arms and are very flexible in the spine. They
also have an extreme arch in the lower back.
T
he Japanese tuck their feet up under their glutes. As they lower the bar to
the chest with the maximum allowable grip, they push their heels down to
keep their butt on the bench but barely. This style certainly shortens the
distance to press to lockout. Foremost, this style is for bench specialists only.
It can be very hard on the lower back for a full powerlifter who must deadlift
after.
Benching
Some prefer to hold the head down on the bench while others raise the head
as the bar is lowered to the chest. They watch the bar touch the chest.
Arched back style pros
The bar travels a shorter distance.
Arched back style cons
There’s no leg drive to speak of and less stabilization. The bar can travel left
to right or right to left unevenly, which can produce shoulder injuries. The bar
will travel over the face when the elbows are turned out at lockout. This can
cause severe shoulder and pec injuries. The radical lower back arch can also
cause low back trauma.
Everything mentioned above.
I estimate that about 50 percent of lifters use one method and 50 percent use
the other method. Try both with caution.
Second bench style cons
There are no cons with this style if it is allowed in your federation.
Without a Bench Shirt
The Westside system for raw bench training has the lifter using three grips
while training or performing speed or max effort work. For close grip benching, your index finder should just touch the smooth part of the power bar.
For a medium close grip, the thumbs should extend and touch the smooth
part of the bar. This grip is recommended for weight classes of 275 lbs and
up. For the third grip style, your index finger should be on the power ring.
One exception to the rule is extra wide grip benching, meaning that your
index finger is about one inch outside the power ring.
The triceps are the prime movers while benching. Always try to push the bar
straight up almost toward the feet. This style is the safest. It is perfect for ball
players and throwers, from whom I learned this style. It provides the shortest
distance to press the bar and is very safe because there is little or no shoulder
rotation. This means that you don’t flare the elbows out like a bodybuilder.
This can cause soft tissue tears in the pectorals and rotator cuffs. We treat the
bench press like a lift because that is what it is.
49
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Bench Shirt Tips
Raw Bench:
The Web
Many lifters can get 300 lbs out of a bench shirt. You can be just as smart as
you are strong in today’s powerlifting meets.
Here are three major ways to maximize your bench shirt potential:
1. In a denim or poly shirt, the collar is where the most potential lies. By
pulling the collar down just one inch, you can add 50 or more pounds to your
bench. The further down you pull the collar, the stronger the shirt becomes
but the less manageable to touch the chest.
2. By pulling the material of the arm sleeve downward, you can strengthen
the arm sleeves to the point where 50 or more pounds can be pressed without
lowering the collar. This can be somewhat painful, but the benefits are great.
3. Place the arms in the shirt with your palms up. After the sleeves are pulled
into place and secured over the shoulders, turn the hands over into proper
position to bench. This method can give an additional 50 lbs to your bench.
For example, I watched Fred Boldt bench 585 lbs. Then, he took his shirt off
and put it back on with the palms facing up. Without any other adjustments,
he benched 635 lbs. Proof enough?
With the combination of two or all three of these methods, you can get a
great carryover. If you want to be a top ten bencher in Powerlifting USA, you
must learn how to use a shirt properly. You have to be smarter than the bench
shirt. For those who cry when someone gets 300 lbs out of their shirts when
they’re only getting 50 lbs, I’m sorry my power friends. You’re just not as
smart as they are.
What does it take to bench 400, 500, or 600 lbs raw? There are
many segments to accomplish this task. In European Olympic
lifting, a system known as the Web was introduced to determine
what it takes in special exercises and volume to lift a predetermined weight.
Here are three examples for
a 400-lb, 500-lb, and 600-lb raw bench press.
400-lb Raw Bench
Floor press, 385 lbs
2-board press, 440 lbs
3-board press, 460 lbs
4-board press, 475 lbs
Close grip incline, 315 lbs
Seated press, 225 lbs
100-lb dumbbells, 18 reps
125-lb dumbbells, 10 reps
225 X 20 reps
275 X 15 reps
315 X 10 reps
Mike Wolf benching
50
490 lbs, future method with
average bands hooked at 7 feet high
550 lbs, future method with strong
bands hooked at 7 feet high
Speed bench, 185 lbs with mini
bands Speed bench, 185 lbs with
two sets of 5/8-inch chains
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
500-lb Raw Bench
600-lb Raw Bench
Floor press, 495 lbs max
2-board press, 550 lbs max
3-board press, 560 lbs max
4-board press, 600 lbs max
Close grip incline, 370 lbs max
Seated press, 250 lbs max
Floor press, 585 lbs
2-board press, 625 lbs
3-board press, 675 lbs
4-board press, 705 lbs
Close grip incline, 425 lbs
Seated press, 315 lbs
125-lb dumbbell press, 25 reps
155-lb dumbbells, 14 reps
155-lb dumbbell press, 20 reps
175-lb dumbbell press, 12 reps
225 X 30 reps
315 X 15 reps
405 X 5 reps
315 X 25 reps
405 X 15 reps
495 X 6 reps
520 lbs, future method with average
bands hooked at 7 feet high 580 lbs,
future method with strong bands
hooked at 7 feet high
570 lbs, future method with average
bands hooked at 7 feet high 650 lbs,
future method with strong bands
hooked at 7 feet high
Speed bench, 225 lbs with mini
bands Speed bench, 225 lbs with
three sets of 5/8-inch chains
Speed bench, 270 lbs with mini
bands Speed bench, 270 lbs with
three sets of 5/8-inch chains
If there is one segment of this Web that you can’t complete, that is exactly
the one to work on. Weaknesses are best raised with extensions, raises, and lat
exercises. It’s very important to have adequate speed while doing the dynamic
method. If you have a Tendo unit, the bar should travel at 0.7–0.9 m/s.
Hold max effort attempts at 90
percent and above for singles on all
three lifts. Repetitions over one are
dangerous. Only beginners might
make more attempts at over 90
percent because they can’t produce
muscle tension at the highest level.
Eliminating
Weaknesses
A great bencher must have a strong set of triceps, forearms,
upper back, and lats and have an impressive set of delt muscles.
However, having all of those muscles doesn’t guarantee success.
W
hat if one muscle group is weak? More importantly, how do you know
what muscle group is failing?
Here’s how:
• When the bar shakes on the descent, that’s a sign that you have weak
lats or you don’t know how to use them.
• If you’re weak at your chest, you have a weak upper back and lats.
• If the bar fades over your face, your triceps need work.
• If you can’t lockout heavy benches, your upper back may be weak.
• If your elbows flare out to the sides too quickly, you’re
lacking strong lats.
• If the bar moves to the left, right, or both, your lats are weak.
• If the bar windmills on the eccentric or concentric phase,
your lats are weak.
If you feel unstable, tighten your glutes and legs. Keep your feet out in front
and push with your heels. I’ve seen the most unstable lifters lock their feet
underneath the bench and only have their toes in contact with the floor.
Raw bench web
52
Contest Preparation
Chapter XIV
Contest
Preparation
Our most successful groups wear their bench shirts three weeks from the
meet. Our full meet lifters are more consistent. They use a shirt about once
a mouth during the year and wear a manageable shirt that can give them a
75–100-lb jump from their opener on the third attempt. This approach has
given us 29, 700-lb plus benchers; five men with 25 all-time world records;
and three women, including the impeccable Laura Phelps with a 465-lb bench
at 165 lbs.
With our multi-year training system, we only concern ourselves
with the last four weeks of training. We don’t stop doing special
exercises close to meet time when they’re responsible for 75
percent of our success. We continue to do speed work with
chains or bands up to seven days from the meet. We cut back
from nine sets of two reps to six sets of two reps one weekend
from the meet. The last week is the only time when we reduce
the extensions and lat, upper back, and delt work. We feel that
tapering the volume of our regular benching and special exercises in the last ten days is adequate for a delayed transformation phase.
W
e can constantly perform a special exercise like a floor press or a board
press on our max effort day (Wednesday) with no regard to rest. So, a
slight tapering of volume seems to be all that is necessary for a meeat
cycle.
Max effort day falls on Wednesday, which is ten days from a meet. So, ten days
out is the last time that we handle a maximum load. The Soviet system cuts
out heavy squats ten days out from important contests. I treat the bench with
the same thought. The special arm, delt, and lat work remains the same as
normal.
55
Rehabilitation and Pre-Habilitation
Chapter XV
Rehabilitation and
Pre-habilitation
In this chapter, I’ll discuss my experience in rehabilitation and,
most importantly, pre-habilitation.
Disclaimer
I
’m not a doctor, nor am I a physical therapist. I’m not advising anyone to
follow my advice or that of anyone at Westside Barbell. I’ll only discuss the
upper body injuries that I, along with George Halbert and Tony Ramos, have
experienced while training at Westside.
After having shoulder replacement surgery, I benched 300 lbs in two months
of training. Then, I had a second operation to scope the other shoulder and
repair a torn bicep tendon.
Here’s how I proceeded…
Two days after surgery, I started using just ice. Then, I rotated ice and heat.
My shoulder never really hurt, but my upper and lower arm swelled tremendously, causing great pain. The ice and heat reduced the swelling and pain
considerably. On the third day, I started 200 mg of Voltaren. I took this every
day for one week. This reduced the pain and swelling almost completely.
Seven days after surgery, I started to pull therapy bands across the front of my
body, stretching the side and rear delts. I did high reps of about 50–75 for two
sets twice a day.
In the same rehabilitation workout, I used a band behind my back and tried to
put my right hand in my left pocket. I used the same number of reps (50–75)
for two sets. The last exercise that I did was the bench press using a broom-
stick. At first, I used a close grip for 25 reps. Then, I moved out an inch or
two and did a second set of 25 reps. I continued this procedure until I had
performed 100–150 reps. I then iced down my shoulder and took two, 325mg aspirin.
I followed this procedure almost every day. If I became
too sore, I missed a day. I
always started with the band
work first. I found that as I
continued crossing my arm
in front and behind my body,
I gained an increased range
of motion and felt better. At
this point, I started passing
small plates (2.5 lbs, then 5
lbs, and the 10 lbs) under
the broomstick by placing a
mini band through the plates
and attaching the band to the
broomstick.
Broomstick with kettlebells and mini bands attached
This caused a vibration in the broomstick that transferred into the stabilizers
and is referred to as the oscillating chaotic pendulum effect. I kept adding
weight, making it not only heavier but more difficult. I worked up to 140 lbs
in this manner and then switched to a power bar with kettle bells hanging
from it. With this bar, I continued adding weight as well as kettlebells hanging
off of the stick with mini bands. This made it possible for me to bench 300
lbs in a T-shirt.
I went back to the Cleveland clinic for the second operation. This time I was
having my left shoulder scoped. While I was in surgery, my doctor, Dr. Miniaci, discovered that I had torn the left bicep tendon so he repaired that as
well. After both surgeries, I left the hospital within three hours of recovery.
This time I drove myself three hours back home to Columbus. I didn’t want
to risk a staff infection.
For some reason, the nerve blocker didn’t work, and I was in severe pain.
However, I had little swelling. I took 500-mg Tylenol PM gel tabs, and two
days later, I was back to the band work across the front and back of my body.
Reaching behind the body is most important for stretching the superspinatis.
57
Chapter XV
Rehabilitation and Pre-Habilitation
At this time, I started to place a squat bar on my back. It was painful to pull
my elbows forward, but it had to be done to regain my total range of motion.
I started adding other rehabilitation exercises to the program such as traction
with jump stretch bands. I purchased a chin dip machine, which allowed me
to do assisted dips and chins. Hanging from a bar is very important, but it’s
almost impossible with full body weight. However, it can be done with assistance by using a chin dip machine or by standing on a band attached to the
top of a power rack.
Rotating Ball on Wall
Hold a ball against a wall and rotate in small circles to the left and
then to the right. Slowly make the
circles larger and slowly move up
the wall. This works the rotators.
Also, pull therapy bands apart for
external rotation.
The ball on the wall movement
Band Pulls and
Lat Rope Pulls
You can also use a lat machine
with a rope attachment or a sled
and a second star attachment.
This will rehabilitate the entire
shoulder and upper back.
Chin and dip
Lean over and hang on to
a kettlebell for traction and
internally and externally rotate.
This is a great exercise for prehabilitation.
Band pulls and lat rope pulls
Bottoms Up with Kettlebells
Internal and external rotation
58
Hold the kettlebells by the handles while lying on a bench or on a stability
ball. Place the bell portion upward, which will cause an unstable condition
for the stabilizers. Perform high reps for all rehabilitation or pre-habilitation
work. You should perform no fewer than 20 reps and as high as 70 reps.
59
Chapter XV
Rehabilitation and Pre-Habilitation
Remember, these are experiences at Westside. We don’t advise anyone to follow the methods that have worked for us. That is up to you. Special thanks go
to Tony Ramos for the kettlebell benching.
His idea was to attach the kettlebells to a regular bar with bands to give them
movement. Louie added the idea of using a broomstick or PVC pipe to add
more movement and work all directions.
Pre-habilitation
Louie doing the same exercise with Indian clubs
George Halbert Exercise
George Halbert has performed dozens of exercises for shoulder health, but
one old, reliable exercise in particular worked for me.
George lays face down, uphill, on a mild incline bench so that he has some
momentum. He swings light kettlebells or dumbbells as far above his head as
possible. Then, he lowers them under control straight down and swings them
toward his waist. He performs high reps in each workout for two or three
sets. Like me, George has fully recovered from surgery.
Tony Ramos’ kettlebell idea
60
Kettlebell benching is a
mainstay at Westside. High
reps up to 25 and several sets
are performed for rehabilitation and pre-habilitation.
We perform 5–10 reps with
heavy weights for strength.
After having a shoulder
socket replaced, I did 235 lbs
for 10 reps with a fiber glass
bar and 300 lbs on a power
bar. George has done 430 lbs
using a power bar. Try it for
strength and for rehabilitation
or pre-habilitation.
I feel that many shoulder injuries are misdiagnosed. Sometimes, lifters think
they have a rotator problem when the pain is referred pain from the cervical
or neck, causing shoulder discomfort. The upper back or thoracic area can
also cause pain in the shoulder or arms. These conditions can also result in
weak grip power. Many times, this disk problem can be felt in one side and
then mysteriously move to the other. This happened to me. I felt a pop in my
neck that didn’t hurt but alarmed me to some extent. A week or two passed,
and I started to have pain. It was mild at first but then got very painful. It
lasted for 6–7 months. A week or ten days would go by and the pain would
return but in my shoulder.
This pattern lasted for over ten years until one day my left shoulder almost
completely froze while I was squatting. As strange as it was, my right shoulder
again froze, resulting in a new shoulder socket replacement. Over the years,
I had nerve blocks three times and my MRI showed disc problems that had
been overlooked. The doctors were looking at my shoulder, not the areas that
were causing the pain. It took not just one but several MRIs to diagnose my
problems.
I told the doctors that having my spine adjusted helped me but wasn’t a cure.
This statement meant nothing to them. My doctor sent me to another doctor
who wasn’t a surgeon. He thought I had a circulation problem. So I took the
problem in my own hands. I had a spinal conversion. The answer was decompression.
Common door traction did nothing for me. My newest reverse hyper tilts 15
degrees upward or downward. When suspended with my head down while
swinging my legs under the table, my neck and upper back are immediately
tractioned. I was diagnosed with a disc touching my spinal cord in the neck
and upper back. I was in constant pain until the reverse hyper tractioned my
complete spine.
The other movement that worked for me was to bench press with foam
61
Chapter XV
Rehabilitation and Pre-Habilitation
roller pads under my back. I placed one across my lower back sideways and a
second roller pad along the spine between the shoulder using the therapy bar
plus kettlebells. When I benched, the pads created a contour, which caused
an excessive arch and caused the compression to subside. These two methods
helped me correct my spinal condition, which corrected my acute shoulder
pain as well. When it’s your pain and no one can find a cure, you have to take
matters into your own hands.
See below for a picture of roller pads.
Hitting a speed bag is excellent work for
shoulder mobility and healthy stabilizers.
Louie benches on top of the rollers.
This is the position that the rollers should be in.
Indian Clubs
Indian clubs are very old implements and were used by famous wrestlers like
the great Gama. Time has proven them to be great for complete shoulder
rehabilitation. There are several routines that you can do to help with almost
any rotator problem, and they’re also good for conditioning the upper body.
These clubs, along with foam rollers up to six inches, will keep your delts in
great shape and your spine healthy. A healthy spine promotes flexible hamstrings, and no one wants a hamstring cramp while benching because that
clock is ticking down.
The REBOK Core devise is good for
both rehabilitation and pre-habilitation.
62
63
Special Training Notes
Chapter XVI
Special Training
Notes
Phil Harrington’s tester was the floor press with 200 lbs of chains. His
builders are high rep dumbbell presses. Fred Boldt did 34 reps with 100-lb
dumbbells. Phil’s best bench press was 625 lbs. Is this a coincidence? I think
not. There are many more examples, but it’s up to you to tie the two together.
When you find how to become strong and how to determine what makes you
strong, you’re on your way to breaking many gym records.
Westside Bench Favorites
1. Jason Fry’s raw favorite is the foam press.
His best is the same as his contest best.
2. His shirt favorite is the future method on 2-boards.
It’s just as important to know what makes you strong as it is to
know how strong you are. George Halbert always broke his
meet bench record when he increased his floor press by adding
200 lbs of chains. Louie Simmons knew when his meet bench
was up when either his very steep incline or his J. M. presses
(named after J.M. Blakely) were up.
J
.M. Blakely was a great bencher at Westside. Louie thought that his triceps
were fairly strong until the day he spotted Blakely on J.M. presses. Blakely
worked up to 545 lbs for three reps. His best bench was 675 lbs. Louie calculated that Blakely’s J.M. press was 80 percent of his contest best. Louie had
made a contest best of 570 lbs at the same time and had worked up to 370 lbs
for a 3RM. He calculated that his ratio was 64 percent of his best. Louie pushed
it up to 405 lbs for three reps and later made an official 600-lb bench press at a
body weight of 253 lbs. He was over 50-years-old, and no one else had benched
550 lbs at that time (this was in 1997). The J.M. presses had made it possible
for Louie to bench that amount of weight. He went on to bench 575 lbs at
54-years-old in the 220-lb weight class. He was sixth that year in Powerlifting
USA, making him probably the oldest to be a top ten bencher.
Many at Westside use the 24-inch by 28-inch foam blocks when pressing
heavier weights. Tony Bolognone made 780 lbs off the foam and, shortly
after, benched 780 lbs after squatting 1050 lbs and totaling 2540 lbs at a body
weight of 308 lbs. Jason Fry, a superb bencher with a 683-lb bench at 181 lbs
in 2007, made 700 lbs at a body weight of 194 lbs. Again, the foam blocks are
just another great example of a movement that can be used to calculate your
contest bench. It doesn’t matter if you’re a full powerlifter or a bench specialist. It’s up to you to know what your tester is. But what about the builders?
3. Greg Panora’s favorite is the floor press with chains
or just bar weight.
4. Luke Edward’s raw favorite is the same as Greg’s floor press
with chains or real weight.
5. Mike Wolf likes to do board presses raw from a 2-board
or a 5-board using wide and close grips.
6. George Halbert likes the future method with a cambered bar on
boards where the bar is one inch below the chest raw.
He also likes the floor press for five sets using 5/8-inch chains.
7. Tony Bologona loves the foam press raw, using a close grip and
a competition grip. Like Jason Fry, his best foam press is equal
to his contest best.
8. Dave Hoff likes the 5-board presses raw. Dave also does a lot
of dumbbell presses and triceps extensions.
9. Laura Phelps does a lot of shirt work with mini, monster mini,
and light bands. She also uses the future method with boards
and a close grip.
10. Amy Weisberger prefers either an extra wide or a very close
grip for six rep maxes as well as incline and decline dumbbell
presses. The Bradford press has helped Amy’s shoulder
developments.
65
Chapter XVI
Special Training Notes
All of these lifters switch their max effort exercises each week, but they always
return to what works best before contest time.
Westside Exercise Index
Speed Work Exercises
Use chains
Use bands
Use kettlebells plus weight
Use the power rack
Use floor presses
Use foam blocks
Use dumbbells
Use chains plus bands
Use the future method
Use mild incline
Use mild decline
Max Effort Exercises
Floor presses
Power rack
Close grip
Very wide grip
Kettlebell benches
Future method
Incline
Decline
Seated presses
Foam presses
There are many combinations to choose from for your max effort exercise including chains, bands, kettlebells, band and chains, and chains and kettlebells.
Use your imagination and switch max effort exercises each week.
Repetition Method Exercises
Dumbbell floor presses
Dumbbell flat
Dumbbell decline
Dumbbell seated
Barbell flat
Barbell inclines
Barbell declines
Barbell floor presses
Standing presses
Push presses
Behind head presses
Behind push presses
JM presses
Arch bar presses
Football bar presses
Push-ups with feet on gourd or
elevated
Chains, bands, and kettlebells of
varying weights and resistances
66
Delt Special Exercises
Front plate raises
Front barbell raises
Front dumbbell raises
Front band raises
Upright rows
Face down raises
Side delt raises with bands or dumbbells
Delt work on machine
Inverted raises with dumbbells
Lay on side delt raises
Lat Special Exercises
Lat pull-down with many handles
Dumbbell rows
Barbell rows
T-bar rows
Chest supported rows
Lat work with sled
Low pulley rows
Chin-ups
Arms biceps
Hammer curls
Regular curls
Barbell curls
Reverse barbell curls
Band curls
Preacher curls
Triceps Special Exercises
Dumbbell roll back extensions
Dumbbell elbows out extensions
Dumbbell with bands behind extensions
Dumbbell incline extensions
Dumbbell decline extensions
Dumbbell on floor extensions
Barbell floor extensions
Barbell to nose
Barbell to chin
Barbell to forehead
Barbell to throat
Barbell behind head extension
Push-downs with different handles
Sled work or triceps work
67
Westside Bench Press Statistics
Chapter XVII
700-lb Club
Westside Bench Press
Statistics
Rank Name
Top Ten Benches
Rank Name
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Halbert, George
Fry, Jason
Panora, Greg
Wolfe, Mike
Fry, Jason
Hoff, Dave
Bolognone, Tony
Halbert, George
Halbert, George
Panora, Greg
Total Weight Class
BW
Coefficient
766
725
770
859
700
780
830
766
733
775
198
181
242
342
194
256
322
241
215
262
449.8
448.9
428.65
418.6
415.45
413.55
412.4
411.88
410.3
409.1
198
181
242
SHW*
198
275
SHW*
242
220
275
800-lb Club
Rank Name
1
2
Wolfe, Mike
Bolognone, Tony
Lift
Weight Class
860
830
SHW*
SHW*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Wenning, Matt
Hoff, David
Panora, Greg
Holdsworth, J.L.
Halbert. George
Welch. Drex
Keyes, Paul
Martinez, John
Fletcher, Travis
Smith, Matt
Stafford, John
Fusner, Rob
Brown, Mike
Patterson, Kenny
Fry, Jason
Gutridge, Josh
Vickory, Scott
Argabright, Kevin
Harold, Tim
Blakely, J.M.
Bayles, Joe
Obradovic, Jerry
Mann, Roger
Bell, Travis
Meyers, Jeremiah
Edwards, Luke
Winters, Nick
Lift
Weight Class
785
780
775
775
766
765
55
750
750
749
738
735
735
728
725
725
720
720
715
710
705
705
705
700
700
700
700
308
275
275
308
241
308
308
308
SHW*
SHW*
275
308
308
275
181
SHW*
275
SHW*
SHW*
308
242
275
275
275
275
275
SHW*
*SHW = single heavy weight
69
Chapter XVII
Westside Bench Press Statistics
650-lb Club
Rank Name
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Senter, Marlon
Cole, Zack
Wendler, Jim
Ruggiera, Mike
Lenigar, Matt
Hudak, Zack
Mann, Roger
Richie, Jimmy
Boldt, Fred
Conkley, James
600-lb Club
Lift
675
675
675
675
665
661
660
660
655
650
Weight Class
220
275
275
348
308
275
242
275
181
275
Rank Name
1
2
3
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Kelly, Brian
Ramsey, Will
Burrows, Mark
Vogelpohl, Chuck
Boggia, Bart
Bell, Travis
Edwards, Luke
Harrington, Phil
Beversdorf, Dave
Brock, Todd
Hoff, Aaron
Adams, Jeff
Swanger, Adam
Nutter, Shawn
Johnson, Nate
Ramsey, Will
Tate, Dave
Henry, Andre
Seth
Swauger, Adam
Kelly, Brian
Shortland, Chad
Simmons, Louie
Beach, Tony
Henderson, H.
Forby, Tim
Lift
Weight Class
640
639
635
635
635
630
630
605
625
620
610
605
605
605
605
605
605
605
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
220
308
275
275
308
220
242
198
275
275
275
220
242
242
275
308
308
SHW*
220
220
220
242
275
275
275
308
*SHW = single heavy weight
70
71
The Benchers
Chapter XVIII
The Benchers
Tony Ramos benches 570 lbs.
Amy Weisberger
73
Fred Boldt hits 640 lbs at a body weight of 181 lbs.
Chapter XVIII
Greg Panora
74
Luke Edwards benches 700 lbs at a body weight of 275 lbs.
The Benchers
Tony Bolognone, an 830-lb bencher at 308 lbs.
75
About the author
Louie has made a top ten lift in all four disciplines for a span of
30 years from 1972–2002. His first top ten bench was 480 lbs
in 1980 at a body weight of 200 lbs. He accomplished this inside
a total of 1950 lbs. In January of 1980, Louie was third best
all-time. He was the first to bench over 550 lbs at 50-years-old.
Also, he was the first to bench 600 lbs at over 50-years-old.
At 54 years of age, he made a 575-lb bench, which was ranked
sixth in 2002, at a body weight of 200 lbs. This was the oldest
top ten bench in history. His training methods will and have
stood the test of time.
Louis is an author, inventor, and lecturer. He has authored over
100 strength articles and two books and holds three U.S. patents. He has been the most introverted trainer in the last 60
years and is known throughout the world.
WESTSIDE BARBELL BENCH PRESS MANUAL
During the last decade, Westside has become World famous. Owner
Louie Simmons is famous in all sports dealing with power, strength and
speed. It is known by having over 70 Elite lifters and most of all it´s
benchers. Teams and systems come and go but Westside stays on top
year after year. It now has 65 members who have benched 600 pounds
or more.
This unique book gives the reader a hands-on insight on Westside´s
most effective training methods and how to execute them. It covers all
aspects of bench press training.
Most productive methods
Sample workouts for each day
Periodization examples for Dynamic Day
Bench Press Technique
Eliminating Weaknesses
How to master bench shirt
Training Raw Bench
Preparing for Contest
Rehab and Prehab
In this book, Louie Simmons covers not only the science but also the
practise of bench press. They are combined in a unique way based on
science and back up by the results.