The 6 Most Blatantly Misunderstood Components of The Westside Barbell Conjugate System
GREAT NEWS! By downloading this e-book you now have exclusive insight into the world’s most effective powerlifting system that will enable you to get stronger than most people can even comprehend. I'm Jordan Syatt, IPA World Record Powerlifter and WSBB Certified Strength Coach. Having trained and worked directly under Louie Simons, I understand how to use and manipulate his system better than anyone…except for Louie, of course. Louie took me under his wing and taught me the ins and outs of his Conjugate Method. I owe everything to Louie. And now, as my way of saying “thank you,” I'm passing on my knowledge to you absolutely free. Hungry for more? You can apply for a spot in my online coaching program.
A Brief Introduction… An Insider’s View into My Time Training at Westside Barbell Panting, out of breath, every muscle in my body on fire…my first training session at Westside was brutal. I had entered the gym 2-hours earlier, shaking with excitement to meet Louie and to start my training at the world’s strongest gym. Barely several minutes after introducing myself to Louie and the rest of the morning crew, I had the SS Bar loaded on my back and was working my way up to a max squat. I had no clue what I was in for. Moments after hitting a huge all-time personal record, Louie told me to do rack pulls from pin 2. “How much weight should I use and for how many sets & reps?” I asked. “As heavy as possible,” he replied. “And go until it hurts too much.” I forced a smile and hopeful laugh that he was cracking a joke. He wasn’t. I spent 20-minutes in the rack and worked up to 5 x 5 rack pulls as heavy as I could. I was wrecked. After pouring some water on my face, I walked up to Louie and asked “what’s next?” “Belt squats,” he said. “How much weight should I use and for how many sets & reps?” “As heavy as possible,” he repeated. “And go until it hurts too much.” 15-minutes later I was toast. Waddling like a penguin, glutes completely destroyed, I asked Louie again, “what’s next?” “Reverse hypers,” he said. “How much weight should I use and for how many sets & reps?” “As heavy as possible. And go until it hurts too much.”
Louie was testing me. He wanted to see if I was going to give up. I wasn’t. For 2 straight hours I did everything he said and worked harder than I had in my entire life. Finally, drenched in a mix of sweat, chalk, and blood Louie told me I was done. It was time to eat.
That was just my first training session… Like I said, Louie was testing me. Every session thereafter became far more calculated, specific, and purposeful towards targeting my individual weaknesses. In a few short months I added 300lbs to my squat, bench, and deadlift total. But I’m telling you this story for a reason. A very specific reason… If you want to train like the lifters at Westside, you better be willing to work. And I don’t just mean lift heavy. I mean lift heavy, push the pace, improve your work capacity, fuel your body with high quality food, get sufficient sleep, and never ever stop learning. Reaching an Elite level of strength takes far more than following a training program. It requires discipline in all aspects of your life and demands excellence in every form. I wrote this book as a starting point to give you the knowledge and tools necessary to reach your goals, but if you don’t put in the time and effort in all areas of your life…well…let’s just say you won’t make it very far. With that said, let’s get to the good stuff. It’s time to debunk 6 of the most blatantly misunderstood components of the Westside Barbell Conjugate System. Never Minimal. Never Maximal. Always Optimal. -J P.S. If you have any questions, send them to my personal e-mail (
[email protected]) and DON’T FORGET to put “WSBB BOOK” in the subject line so I don’t miss it.
The 6 Most Blatantly Misunderstood Components of The Westside Barbell Conjugate System 1. Louie Is Writing for Geared – NOT Raw – Powerlifters This is the single-most important point to understand about The WSBB Conjugate Method and everything Louie writes about it. Louie is writing for GEARED powerlifters. Note: “Geared” powerlifting is a subset of the sport in which lifters wear supportive equipment (squat suits, bench shirts, etc) that facilitates the handling of heavier loads. “Raw” lifting is lifting with nothing more than a weight belt. Unless explicitly stated, Louie is NOT outlining guidelines for: -
Raw lifting Football training MMA training Bodybuildling Cross Fit Etc…
Plain and simple, Louie coaches geared powerlifting, competes in geared powerlifting, and almost everything he writes is dedicated to geared powerlifting. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. Louie is one of the smartest coaches in the world and he is, in fact, the single best authority on geared powerlifting. But even Louie admits there are major differences between geared & raw powerlifting, and programming must change to accommodate for these variables. That being the case, throughout the remainder of this book I’ll discuss topics specifically pertaining to RAW lifting. I’ll go into detail outlining the most commonly misunderstood components of The WSBB System and how to correct them to improve your RAW lifting performance. Why?
Because pretty much everything ever written on Westside has been dedicated to geared lifting. If you want a complete guide on how to use it as a geared lifter, you can read the single-most comprehensive article ever written on it Click to Read. Plus, I stopped working with geared lifters a long time ago. I now solely coach RAW lifters (including powerlifters, athletes, and general strength enthusiasts) and through using the same principles outlined in this book I incorporate The WSBB Conjugate Method with Elite level success.
Are You Ready to Train Like an Elite Lifter? The lessons herein will teach you how to use The WSBB system better than anyone in the world. You will come to understand the little-known truths of Louie’s methods and how to implement them to get as strong as humanly possible in the shortest amount of time. Intrigued? Keep reading.
2. You Should NOT Go to Failure on Max Effort Lifts I trained at Westside for 4-months and can count on 1-hand how many times I saw someone miss a lift. Seriously. The best lifters in the world pretty much NEVER miss a lift. You know why? Because it’s a waste of time, effort, and energy. Not only does it tax your body and nervous system, it also ingrains bad form & habits…the absolute last thing you want to do when trying to achieve Elite level strength. But, for some reason, many lifters have come to believe Westside preaches training to failure on every Max Effort lift.
THAT IS 100% WRONG!!! Plain and simple, you should NOT be working to failure on max effort lifts. Instead, the majority of your max effort training should be spent handling heavy loads that are challenging to lift but do NOT cause your technique to break down or fail. Of course, when handling near max loads there will be occasions in which you miss a weight. That’s O.K. It’s not the end of the world. But these instances should be extremely rare and few and far between. To give you some perspective, in the past 2-years I’ve missed 8 total lifts. 8. That’s it. And as a result, I’ve managed to say healthy, injury free, and consistently improve my strength to true Elite levels. Your Takeaway: Missing lifts is not only a waste of time…it’s just plain stupid. By all means go and train hard but don’t confuse “hard” with “excessive.” Train hard and train smart.
3. Speed Work Should Take 12-minutes…TOPS! When I trained at Westside, 10 x 1 (10 sets of 1 rep) Dynamic Effort Deadlifts took less than 3-minutes to complete Now when I do Dynamic Effort Deadlifts, 10 x 1 takes less than 2-minutes complete. I’m not kidding. I also do 8 x 2 Dynamic Effort Squats in less than 8-minutes and 9 x 3 Dynamic Effort Bench Press’s in less than 7-minutes. What am I trying to say?
Dynamic Effort Training Should Be INSANELY Hard! Brutally, disgustingly hard. But most lifters royally screw it up. Why? Partially because they don’t understand it. Mostly because they’re lazy, de-conditioned, and don’t want to work very hard. See, dynamic effort training (speed work) is meant to be performed as quickly and explosively as possible with minimal rest between sets. It takes an inordinate amount of time, practice, and dedication to build up the work capacity to do speed work as fast as Elite lifters…but if you aren’t going as fast as humanly possible then you aren’t doing it right.
Here Are My Speed Work Guidelines Speed Squats should take no longer than 10-minutes to complete Speed Bench should take no longer than 10-minutes to complete Speed Deadlifts should take no longer than 6-minutes to complete Important Note: The times listed above are absolute maximums. With dedication and practice you should get to the point where those times are ridiculously easy.
Your Takeaway: Don’t be a lazy lifter. Set the clock for short rest periods (60-seconds at most) and lift as fast as you possibly can. Every session should be treated like a competition in which you try to beat your time from the previous session.
4. Box Squats are NOT Optimal for Raw Lifters I’ve trained and competed successfully in both geared and raw powerlifting. Not to mention I’ve also coached numerous successful lifters in each discipline.
The Truth: Box squats are NOT optimal for raw lifters. While they’re great for geared lifters, the fact of the matter is that emphasizing box squats will ruin a raw lifters’ performance. First and foremost, box squats demand an entirely different technique than free squats. During a box squat the lifter sits markedly backward to load the glutes & hamstrings, maintain an upright torso, and minimize utilization of the quads. And while this technique is perfect for geared lifters, it’s the exact opposite of what a raw lifter wants to do. Raw lifters NEED to use their quads so, instead of sitting excessively backward, they want to sit using more of a straight down approach. Doing so not only allows for a stronger and more efficient squat, it also facilitates the utilization of the stretch reflex. Which brings up my second point: Emphasizing box squats WILL de-train the stretch reflex. There is no denying this. If a raw lifter exclusively box squats and then tries to free squat they will NOT be as strong out of the hole. Don’t believe me? Try solely box squatting for 8-weeks and then re-testing your max free squat. I guarantee it will go down. Keep in mind, I’m not saying box squats are a waste of time. They’re extraordinarily beneficial for geared lifters and function as a great teaching tool for most beginners. They’re also a great variation for raw lifters to use every once a while. That being said, box squat variations should NOT make up the sum and substance of your squat programming. Your Takeaway: Box squats are NOT optimal for raw lifters. The majority of your squatting should be made up of free squat variations that force you to ingrain perfect form, utilize your quads, and train the stretch reflex.
5. You Should NOT Vary Your Exercises Every Day You need to vary your exercises for a variety of reasons, not least of which includes avoiding accommodation, targeting your specific weaknesses, and preventing overuse injuries. But there’s a fine line between intelligently rotating your exercises and switching them every day.
The Truth: Varying your exercises every day could PREVENT you from getting stronger. I know this flies in the face of what Louie often talks about so allow me to explain. First: Train at Westside long enough and you’ll notice the best lifters rotate through a short list of the exact same exercises over and over and over again. While many Westside followers think they’re supposed to drastically change their programs every single day…that’s 100% wrong. The reality is the best lifters train the exact same movements over and over again with slight variations from week-to-week. Second: Westside exercise variations are not elaborate. Contrary to popular belief, their exercise variations are very simple and basic. Tired of dumbbell rows? Switch to barbell rows. Sick of barbell rows? Switch to chest supported rows. Done with chest supported rows? Go back to dumbbell rows. See what I mean? They might switch exercises relatively frequently, but they cycle through the same ones over and over again that have proven to produce the best results. Third: The best lifters understand that if you vary your exercises too frequently you’ll never give your body enough time to get stronger in one specific movement. And while the top .01% of lifters might be able to vary exercises on a weekly basis, the rest of us (you and me) would do better to stick to the same exercises for 3-4 week cycles. This allows your body enough time to gain strength without suffering from accommodation or risking overuse injuries. Your Takeaway: Varying exercises every single training day is not only a waste of your time, it might actually be detrimental to your strength and performance. Rather than switching exercises on a daily basis, stick to the same movements for 3-4 weeks at a time. Train them, practice them, master them. Then, after 3-4 weeks, choose a slightly different variation and repeat the process.
6. Bands & Chains are NOT Essential for RAW Lifters Most Westside devotees think if they don’t have access to bands and/or chains their training will be horribly ineffective. Fortunately, that’s not true. While bands, chains, and other forms of variable resistance training are great tools for geared lifters, they’re almost completely useless for raw lifters.
The Truth: Raw lifters may get WEAKER from overusing bands and chains. Geared lifting is a completely different sport than raw lifting. I can’t stress this enough. The strength curve of each lift is drastically affected by powerlifting gear which has major implications for optimal training practices. While geared lifters may tremendously benefit from high volumes of variable resistance training, raw lifters will more than likely see a decrease in strength and performance. Does this mean raw lifters can’t or shouldn’t use variable resistance methods? Of course not. Bands and chains offer a variety of benefits far beyond the scope of simply changing the strength curve of a given movement. That being said, it’s important to understand they are NOT as beneficial for raw lifters and, as such, they should not make up the sum and substance of your lifting variations. Your Takeaway: Variable resistance training has a time and a place within a welldesigned training program. But if you’re a raw lifter you should NOT emphasize it within your programs. Instead, focusing on straight barbell weight is all you need to reach Elite strength levels.
Do You Want Me to Write Your Training Programs? One of the very first online coaching programs ever created, my personal online coaching program is specifically geared towards strength-focused lifters. I only take 4new clients per month and spots to work with me are not guaranteed. Below I’ve provided my consultation options just in case you’re interested. The Bronze Package
The most basic of the 3 options, the Bronze Package consists of one 60-minute Skype call where we talk about anything and everything fitness. Training, nutrition, lifestyle…you name it. And, if you want, during our Skype call we can create an entire program to fit your individual needs. The Silver Package
Far more intensive than the Bronze Package, the Silver Package consists of one 60minute Skype call in addition to 12-weeks of intensive training programs written by me for your individual needs. Specifically, with this option I will review all aspects of your training goals, history, and performance in order to design the best program for you. We’ll correspond on a weekly basis and track your progress meticulously to ensure that you’re achieving the best results. The Gold Package
My most intensive coaching option, the Gold Package consists of one 60-minute Skype call, 12-weeks of intensive training programs, and a completely individualized nutrition program written by me for your individual needs. With the Gold Package you will get all of the benefits of the silver package in addition to daily e-mail correspondence, an individualized nutrition plan, and lifetime access to my online nutrition course library.
Want to Apply? Shoot me an e-mail to
[email protected] with “QUERY” in the subject line to make sure I don’t miss it. In less than 150 words, write me a brief description of what you’d like to achieve through working with me and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.
Thank You! I said at the very beginning that I wrote this book as a way of saying thank you to Louie. He is truly the most extraordinary human I’ve met and treated me like a son since the very first day we met. But I also want to give a very heartfelt thanks to YOU! If it weren’t for you, I never would have written this book nor would I have been able to share this information. Thank you for downloading it and, most importantly, thank you for taking the time to read it and spread the knowledge. And remember, if you ever have any questions you can always contact me directly via e-mail (
[email protected]) and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Never Minimal. Never Maximal. Always Optimal. -J
