A LEGACY OF
KNOWLEDGE
& POWER
KNOWLEDGE
& POWER
the culture of westside barbell
Westside Barbell is an invitation only training laboratory where only the strongest of mind and body survive. Our goal is simple. To become the best and push every boundary known to man in doing so.
The lineage and achievements of all Westside Barbell athletes who have walked through our chalky doors is of legends. Our gym has broke over 140 world records, won olympic gold, heavyweight world championships, to name but a few of our achievements.
Our education is based on theoretical research and is backed by practical application. We only write about what works, not what might work or what doesn't work. We believe that training information should filter down from the athletes at the the top rather than spew out from the keyboard hero's at the bottom.
Often Imitated
Always Irritated
Westside Barbell is an invitation only training laboratory where only the strongest of mind and body survive. Our goal is simple. To become the best and push every boundary known to man in doing so.
The lineage and achievements of all Westside Barbell athletes who have walked through our chalky doors is of legends. Our gym has broke over 140 world records, won olympic gold, heavyweight world championships, to name but a few of our achievements.
Our education is based on theoretical research and is backed by practical application. We only write about what works, not what might work or what doesn't work. We believe that training information should filter down from the athletes at the the top rather than spew out from the keyboard hero's at the bottom.
Often Imitated
Always Irritated
defined by decades of
Hard work
Commitment
& Sacrifice
Westside Barbell
Culture
This gym not for the timid nor is it for those seeking fame. You must earn your membership through blood, sweat and other peoples tears. Your are held accountable for every word that you say and at any time you must be willing to back it up verbally or physically.
Meet Our Staff & Coaches
The Story Of
WESTSIDE
BARBELL
Westside Barbell was created by world-renowned power lifter
Louie Simmons
Louie is one of only 5 lifters to total Elite in 5 different powerlifting weight classes. He has been a top 10 lifter for 30 years and for the last 37 years Louie Simmons has totaled Elite in various power-lifting organizations. He is one of two lifters over 50 years of age to squat 920 pounds, bench 600 pounds and dead lift 722 pounds and total 2100 pounds, and was ranked 4th nationally in 2000 in the open. Over the many years that Louie has been involved in powerlifting and special strength training, he has gained a vast amount of knowledge on how to produce strength.
Learn From Louie
Through experience and constant, relentless research, his areas of expertise are vast and include but are not limited to the list below;
- The Percent Training Method
- The Conjugate Training Method
- The Dynamic Training Method
- The Maximum Effort Method
- Lifting Technique
- Raising Work Capacity
- Rehabilitation And Restoration
- The Reactive And Contrast Methods
- Special Strength Development
Knowledge
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.
By Burley on May 16, 2022
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.
By Burley on May 13, 2022
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.
By Burley on May 11, 2022
Starting Conjugate: How to Begin Rotating Max Effort Exercises
When it comes to max effort training, the two most important factors are the exercises you're selecting and how you rotate them. Selection matters because the movements must be relative to the sport an athlete is preparing for. Exercise rotation matters because it allows us to consistently get the most out of an exercise.
By Burley on May 09, 2022
Starting Conjugate: Choosing Your First Max Effort Exercises
The goal is to use this series of articles to provide a common-sense roadmap for beginners to use the Conjugate Method correctly. You may be asking yourself, "what is the correct way?"—the Westside Barbell way.
By Burley on May 06, 2022
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.
By Burley on May 04, 2022