Absolute Strength for Grapplers
The different grappling sports all have a few things in common; you need to be skilled, strong, tough and possess a high level of endurance. You must do...
The Westside Barbell Blog
A resource for serious lifters and athletes seeking proven strength training methods. The Westside Barbell blog breaks down programming, exercise selection, recovery, and performance strategies built on decades of elite coaching experience of founder Louie Simmons and his dedicated team.
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Westside Barbell Ab Training
In the gym, our focus is to build strong, fast, and resilient athletes. To do this, we must ensure that all major muscle groups are trained regularly. The...
Conditioning for Grapplers
No matter the sport, any athlete will benefit from increased aerobic capacity. In sports like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling, athletes must focus on developing and maintaining a high...
Forearm and Grip Training
In almost any sport, your hands are the first point of contact for the device used to play the sport. Whether you’re a weightlifter gripping a barbell, a...
Incline Bench Press Variations
The incline bench press is one of the most effective upper body exercise variations you can perform to develop the chest, shoulders, and triceps. At Westside, it is...
The Earthquake Bar
If you want to last in any sport, especially strength sports, you must take care of your shoulders. The shoulder is very complex, with many small and large...
Basic Jump Programming
No matter the sport you compete in, all athletes can benefit from increased strength and speed. For many, figuring out the strength part is relatively easy. You need...
Exercise Progression: The Barbell Squat
The law of accommodation states that if an athlete wants to continue progressing in their training, the stimulus must change regularly. Athletes can achieve this in a few...
Starting Conjugate: Basic Press Variations
Building a great bench or overhead press requires an athlete to follow an intelligent training plan that specifically targets the strengths and muscle groups responsible for pressing maximum...
Base Building: Lower Body Main Exercises
For an individual to benefit maximally from a Conjugate-style program, it is a requirement to have a baseline level of strength and fitness established before moving on to...
Starting Conjugate: Do Your Part
When programmed correctly, no training method can compare to the level of efficiency and optimization that a Conjugate Method can afford. No matter how effective a methodology is,...
Starting Conjugate: Dynamic Effort Training Strategies
At Westside, we use dynamic effort training to improve our rate of force development. This is achieved by lifting sub-maximal weights at maximal speed, resulting in improved bar...