Testimonials
Bill Gillespie
Director of Strength & Conditioning at Liberty University
http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=10867&CoachID=276&TeamID=9
I read my first article about Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell in the mid 80’s. As soon as I read it I knew Louie knew what he was talking about. He was presenting facts in training that were profound and effective. When I first heard of Louie I was working as a college strength coach and competing in drug tested competitions. Many of the lifters I competed against and the strength coaches I knew didn’t show any interest in Louie’s training principles because they said it wouldn’t work for them. I realize just the opposite, it was exactly want I needed as an athlete and a coach. I have continuously studied Louie’s training ideas and have used them for 25 years at every level of coaching from the high school, small college, major college, to the NFL. I have seen nothing but success from using Westside training methods. Personally I have watched my bench press go from a 341 meet best when I had just gotten out of college to my current personal record of 804 all done in drug tested meets and hasn’t been a big difference in body weight. I can truly say I would have never known there was any chance to lift that much if it wasn’t for Louie. Louie’s training methods are cutting edge and the whole iron world has benefited because of what Louie has taught us. I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in either developing their strength and power or wanting to help others then you must learn the Westside methods. I want to personally thank Louie for the difference you have made in my life and the lives of the athletes I have coached.
Bill Gillespie
Michael Srock
Speed/Strength Coach at J. F. Byrnes High School
www.rebeltouchdownclub.com
"The Westside Barbell Training System is the "rock solid" foundation of the J.F. Byrnes High School Speed and Strength Program !! It is the finest training system I have come across in my thirty-seven years of coaching high school athletes !! Our record of 122-10 since 2002 with seven state championships in the past nine years proves that the system works when used CONSISTENTLY and RELENTLESSLY as a sound and sensible year round training program. The basis of our reputation for our extraordinary team speed is our STRENGTH program. I might add, that the only two "machines" used in our training are the Reverse Hyper invented by Louie Simmons and Power Runner!!"
Michael Srock
Dave Castro
CrossFit endorses Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell to help athletes garner explosive power and strength. Although CrossFitters do not seek to specialize in powerlifting, CrossFitters have used Westside concepts to improve their short-duration power output. The Westside programming template can be overlaid on a CrossFit program as similar theories are employed by both, including: 1) frequent maximum effort days; 2) blending technique and speed; 3) importance of power production; and 4) necessity of variance. The CrossFit Powerlifting Trainer Course teaches trainers the lifting technique and programming methodology used by Westside Barbell. CrossFitters can use these techniques to improve their squat, deadlift, bench, and Olympic lifts, as well apply the methodology for strength improvement in all functional movements
Dave Castro
Christopher Doyle
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of Iowa
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/
“Over the past 17 years Louie Simmons has been a resource for our training. We have incorporated the concepts of the Conjugate System, Dynamic Effort and Maximal Effort to the training of our athletes. Recently, we have had 81 of our last 88 senior starters move on to the NFL”
Christopher Doyle
Jon Davis
Owner of DTS Speed and Strength
http://www.dtsperformance.com/trainerfinder/websites/60186/home/index.html
Louie is by far the most intelligent person I have spoken to about training and more importantly the science behind training. We have been using the Westside system since starting our business 5 years ago. I believe if not for the Westside system we would be just another sports training facility giving athletes a sub par service. But we are not! We have grown over the past 5 years and have managed to put other sports training facilities out of business due to the results we achieve with our clients. We have had 4 athletes jump onto a 60" box, 3 standing and 1 jumping over 24" hurdles to a 60" box. This has been accomplished by using the Conjugate System. We train athletes as young as 12 and up to NFL, MLB, UFC, and Olympic hopefuls. Along with this we have helped over 120 athletes receive scholarships, have trained NFL pro bowlers, and have trained over 35 high school and collegiate All Americans, 28 college football players that have played in bowl games, 2010 Gatorade football player of the year, 2010 Maxwell Football Club high school player of the year, 2010 Nike Football Elite 11 MVP, 2 Army All American bowl football players, 6 Under Armour All Americans in football, baseball, and lacrosse, 5 high school baseball players picked in the MLB draft between 2010/2011, 7 Central Florida players of the year, 4 Louisville Slugger All Americans, and many more. Furthermore learning from Louie has helped me consult for colleges and other training facilities.
Jon Davis
Joseph R. Dell’Aquila
He has earned a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics (1987), and has additional degrees in Pure Mathematics (2004) and Humanities/Philosophy (1970). He has published in the top international peer reviewed physics journals as well as in more informal media. His frequent presentations include not only scientific work but also talks on the process of development and achievement. In addition to being a Professor of Physics and the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics at his former University, he was chosen to be the first Director of Faculty Development. The only way to ascertain development or achievement is by establishing criteria for evaluation and assessment of the intended goals. And so, he directed the Self-Study process and wrote the Self-Study Report for his University. Based upon the quality of his work, he was invited to join the largest academic accreditation organization in the United States: he became a Consultant/Evaluator for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, Chicago, Illinois, a position he held for six years. He has had lifelong interests in the science of strength sports and is interested in applying principles of physics and mathematics that can help us to understand and further develop the science and performance of strength sport. When he was able to get back into training after a lay-off lasting decades, he examined all the current methods he could find and decided that Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell not only achieved great results but also had a system that made the most sense from a scientific point of view. By working with Louie Simmons as his mentor in the strength field, he is now using his scientific skills and his knowledge of assessment and evaluation to examine what goes on in the Westside System. Hopefully this will further his own knowledge and make it possible for him to make contributions to Westside and to powerlifting as a whole. His latest interest is neurological activation of muscle fibers.
Joseph R. Dell’Aquila
Coach Rick Scarpulla
914-443-1110
Ultimate Advantage Training Center
Being a speed and strength coach and working with athletes of all levels both male and female from youth through professional levels. As well as Olympic and World Champions myreputation and lively-hood depend on me having the best possible tools available for my athletes. I feel the Westside Methods are the finest training methods available to any athlete or coach. There is a misunderstanding that Westside is only for powerlifting. That could not be further from the truth. Once you understand the philosophies behind Westside you can adapt them to any athlete or program. Westside’s Methods will help you develop into a better athlete. You must carry the skill techniques for your sport and that is learned on the field. Countless hours must be spent learning those skills. That is not what Westside does. The Westside techniques will provide a training program that will help you get faster and stronger so your game skills become more valuable. Most athletes have adequate on field skills it is their athleticism that is weak. Many can’t run well. Others lack some sort of strength some are not agile. All of these areas can be addressed using Westside.I have trained many top athletes from swimmers to skydivers and my programs are based on Westside. While I am the current Head Coach for the USMA Powerlifting Team at West Point I also own and run a top training center in New York. Most of the athletes I work with will never see a lifting platform. In-fact speed is the number one objective to most of my athletes.The Westside methods are geared to develop explosive speed as well as raw power and that is what athletes need. Most athletes I work with are not deficient in on field skill, in-fact that is their strong point. They are usually weak in speed and/or strength both of which can be addressed and fixed through proper use of the Westside conjugate system.I work with many top female athletes. They train the Westside methods as well as their male counterparts. Westside methods are not just for super heavyweight men.I work some of the nations top female athletes pole valuators, soccer, basketball, lacrosse and even USA Skydiving Team members just to name a few. All use the same template which is based purely on the Westside methods. Once you understand the methods developed by Louie Simmons you can use them to fit your needs. You must understand them not just sort of but fully understand them.My high school football players use the Westside program and simply blow their opponents off the field. I have helped numerous athletes get scholarships, win sections and States They’ve won colligate National Championships and even become World Champions and pro athletes. I work with Pro basketball, football and baseball players all using the template based on Westside.It is simple if you want to become the most explosive athlete you can become read, watch and learn the Westside Methods. This is the most efficient way to train to maximize your training time. Learn to use them for your training. There are many avenues in which you can learn them. Once you understand them you will become faster and stronger and a better player regardless of your choice of sport. If you are not doing this you are giving your opponent an advantage. Understanding this has helped me help many athletes to achieve their dreams. Thanks Lou, for everything you’ve done for me and the athletes I work with!
