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Strength Training Articles
Latest Posts
![Dynamic Effort: Building Your First DE Lower Wave](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/first-lower-wave_c1a585a2-a0b3-4844-b77d-bc9fed637071_{width}x.jpg?v=1655235431)
Dynamic Effort: Building Your First DE Lower Wave
Wed Jun 15, 2022
![3 Recommended Sumo Deadlift Variations](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/3-sumo-variations_dbdccccd-a9e9-457a-a444-089d9128e778_{width}x.jpg?v=1655032757)
3 Recommended Sumo Deadlift Variations
Mon Jun 13, 2022
![Understanding Max Effort](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/understanding-max-effort_235b43d8-bb6a-40cd-8cfd-c19027b9cf1b_{width}x.jpg?v=1654719761)
Understanding Max Effort
Fri Jun 10, 2022
![Conjugate for Strongman: Overhead Press Variations](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/strongman-overhead-press_dd184473-46a5-41e1-acec-c16a592c51a7_{width}x.jpg?v=1654571073)
Conjugate for Strongman: Overhead Press Variations
At Westside, we have worked with athletes with many different physical builds to improve their overhead press strength. Whether it's strongman competitors, CrossFit competitors, powerlifters, or Olympic weightlifters, we have helped them develop their overhead press capabilities further.
How do we do this? The use of the overhead press and overhead press variations to avoid accommodation and supply the body with the stimulus it requires to deliver us the training adaptations we seek.
Wed Jun 08, 2022
![Starting Conjugate: Dynamic Effort](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/starting-conjugate-dynamic_900446e1-527b-4f6a-b6d3-916b6de9a32c_{width}x.jpg?v=1654280085)
Starting Conjugate: Dynamic Effort
Mon Jun 06, 2022
![Conjugate Conditioning](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/Conjugate-Conditioning_{width}x.jpg?v=1654107562)
Conjugate Conditioning
Don't believe that just because your sport doesn't require large amounts of cardiovascular output, you do not need improved conditioning levels. No matter the sport or athlete, we all can benefit from improved conditioning.
By raising your fitness level, you improve your overall health and your ability to train at higher levels of intensity and volume while recovering faster. For many, a lack of physical conditioning keeps them from reaching the next level in their sport.
Fri Jun 03, 2022
![Shoulder Training for Beginners](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/beginner-shoulder-training_{width}x.jpg?v=1653927903)
Shoulder Training for Beginners
Wed Jun 01, 2022
![Modified Max Effort](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/modified-max-effort_a5005944-a294-479e-94a8-38157ffbb059_{width}x.jpg?v=1653673045)
Modified Max Effort
Instead of achieving maximal motor unit recruitment by performing a lift at 100%, the main exercise is performed for three or five rep top sets that still reach suitable motor unit recruitment levels.
Essentially, we are losing the ability to achieve the highest level of motor unit recruitment with the reduction in intensity. Still, we are gaining a meaningful boost in recovery and decreasing the likelihood of programming failure or injury in the future.
Modified max-effort allows a lifter struggling with recovery to be afforded the benefits of high-intensity weight training while reducing the overall impact on recovery associated with an all-out max effort lift.
Fri May 27, 2022
![Conjugate Football: Max Effort Lower](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/football-max-effort-lower_6a552a2c-93e7-46ed-a1d2-7060a7ee37fc_{width}x.jpg?v=1653502082)
Conjugate Football: Max Effort Lower
Wed May 25, 2022
![Grip Strength Development for Strength Athletes](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/grip-strength-development_{width}x.jpg?v=1653316785)
Grip Strength Development for Strength Athletes
Mon May 23, 2022
![Proper Execution of a Box Squat](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/box-squat-execution_{width}x.jpg?v=1653060351)
Proper Execution of a Box Squat
Fri May 20, 2022
![Conventional Deadlift Setup](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/conventional-deadlift-setup_9683dd1b-d21f-4630-bbbf-e25bc14c7e0a_{width}x.jpg?v=1652897064)
Conventional Deadlift Setup
Wed May 18, 2022
![Posterior Development to Improve Athleticism](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/posterior-chain-athlete_{width}x.jpg?v=1652712582)
Posterior Development to Improve Athleticism
No matter the sport, maintaining a strong posterior chain is essential. Strong glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles improve sports performance and lower injury rates. There is no doubt about it; an athlete with an adequately developed posterior chain will run faster, jump higher, and experience a reduced risk of back or knee injury throughout their career.
Mon May 16, 2022
![Westside Arm Training for Bench Press](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/westside-arm-training_540a51e9-a8df-45f1-b220-6c71395786c4_{width}x.jpg?v=1652550881)
Westside Arm Training for Bench Press
Over the years, Westside Barbell has produced some of the strongest bench pressers in the sport of powerlifting. We have had lifters press over 600lbs raw (George Halbert doing so at 235lbs bwt), along with some of the strongest geared bench pressers in the world, hitting 900-1000lbs+ in competition.
It's safe to say that Lou and Westside Barbell figured out the secret to building a strong bench press many years ago. One big part of the heavy bench press equation is arm strength.
Fri May 13, 2022
![Starting Conjugate: Max Effort Walk-Through](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/max-effort-walkthrough_67e715e9-361f-4e81-87b8-55bca72f8b77_{width}x.jpg?v=1652550904)
Starting Conjugate: Max Effort Walk-Through
To ensure that all we have previously discussed is understood, I will use this article as an opportunity to walk you through what would be considered an optimal max effort upper training day for a powerlifter. For the sake of this article, we will say this individual is a powerlifter who struggles with tricep weakness and has issues locking out heavy presses.
Wed May 11, 2022
![Starting Conjugate: How to Begin Rotating Max Effort Exercises](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/rotate-max-effort_{width}x.jpg?v=1652105313)
Starting Conjugate: How to Begin Rotating Max Effort Exercises
Mon May 09, 2022
![Starting Conjugate: Choosing Your First Max Effort Exercises](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/starting-conjugate-max-effort_{width}x.jpg?v=1651847052)
Starting Conjugate: Choosing Your First Max Effort Exercises
Fri May 06, 2022
![The Giant Cambered Bar: King of All Specialty Barbells](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/giant-cambered-bar-advice_f2a77446-c473-43aa-83e0-f97ba8017d59_{width}x.jpg?v=1651677379)
The Giant Cambered Bar: King of All Specialty Barbells
The use of specialty bars for sport-specific training is nothing new. Many years ago, Louie demonstrated to the strength and conditioning world the effectiveness of specialty bars when used to train powerlifters and other athletes.
Today, gyms worldwide are buying specialty bars, accommodating resistance, and specialty machines to give their clients the best training tools. Once again, Louie was right. Formerly, folks criticized Lou and Westside over the use of specialty bars, and now the entire powerlifting world embraces them.
Wed May 04, 2022
![Dynamic Effort Lower Advice for Football Players](http://www.westside-barbell.com/cdn/shop/articles/dynamiclowerfootball_f5513e9e-c6a0-48fc-9228-b45da52ea292_{width}x.jpg?v=1651522004)
Dynamic Effort Lower Advice for Football Players
Mon May 02, 2022
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The Westside Barbell Template For Athletic Development
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