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05.15.04

Congratulations to DeFranco’s Training client, Brian Cushing, who recently received his 20th Division I football scholarship offer! Florida State University has recently joined the long list of big-time schools vying for Brian’s services.

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Q: Joe,
If a client came to me and could not do a pull up or chin up, what guidelines would you recommend for bringing the lats up to speed?

I'm sure there are numerous factors that go into this, but let's assume
that's it's merely muscle weakness. I was thinking of something along the lines of rules of thumb & set/rep protocols for eccentric training, but I could be wrong. This is assuming that the client is not overly fat but simply weak in that area also.

Rob

A: Rob,
Lack of chin-up strength is a common weakness among many people. I’m sure this wasn’t the first, nor will it be your last, client who can’t do a chin-up.

You are correct in assuming that there is not just one answer to this problem. Below I have provided you with some general guidelines with regards to chin-up progressions.

  1. Eccentric strength is built first. I have my athletes perform “negative chins” first. I either lift them up to the bar or they use a box to get in the start position with their chin over the bar. I start with 2-3 sets of three 10-second lowerings. Once they are able to perform 3 sets of 3 controlled 20-second lowerings, I move on to the next progression.

  2. Next, I’ll hold both of the athlete’s ankles and assist them on the concentric portion, but have them lower themselves under control for each rep. As a coach/trainer, you’ll get a feel for when your client is getting stronger. When you are not assisting too much, it is time for the next phase.

  3. The next phase is to hold onto just one of your client’s ankles and let the other leg hang down. This is more difficult for the client because they now have to lift the added weight of their non-supported leg

  4. At this point your client should be able to bang out a handful of chins. When they need assistance, don’t grab their ankles anymore. Just give them a little boost by pushing up on their low back with your hand.

*It’s important to know that you don’t have to stick with traditional set & rep schemes either. I prefer multiple sets of low reps for individuals who lack chin-up strength. This is because traditional set & rep schemes usually lead to frustration for your client. For example, 3 sets of 8 is a tough goal to achieve for someone who can’t do 1 chin-up. On the other hand, performing 6-8 sets of 3 reps usually leads to more successful sets and reps. Start with longer rest intervals between sets when they first become strong enough to do chins on their own. As their strength and conditioning increases, you can gradually decrease the rest between sets.

*Make sure to incorporate some kind of grip training into your clients program. Increasing your client’s hand and grip strength can have a dramatic effective on his chin-up strength!

Be patient & consistent!
Joe D.

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Q: Joe,
I just got done reading your Westside for Skinny Bastards article on www.t-mag.com. I must say that it was the best article I’ve ever read on that site and I’ve been following T-Mag since issue #1! I literally couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited to get to the gym this morning! Now I have 3 questions:

  1. What kind of rest intervals do you prescribe for max effort lifts?
  2. How many reps are you shooting for on your upper body repetition lift?
  3. I would like to incorporate a 2nd lower body day but I don’t have a sled. Can you give a sample “repetition” leg day for me? Although I’m not huge (yet) I will be able to recover from 2 leg days as I have recently begun my first cycle.

Thanks bro! Keep turning your boyz into animals!!!
Rock

A: Rock,
It’s great to see how fired up everyone is about the Modified Westside Program. The responses that I have received regarding my recent article have been overwhelming! I think there’s going to be a lot of big & strong individuals walking around this summer.

Anyway, let’s move onto your questions:

  1. There is no set rest interval for the max effort lift. Generally speaking, my lifting partners and I just go back and forth through the warm-up sets. There is probably between 60 & 90 seconds between warm-up sets. When it comes time for the grand finale, we slow down the pace a little. Personally, I’m stronger if I wait between 3-4 minutes between maximal attempts. Remember, the purpose of max effort day is to lift the most amount of weight possible. If this means taking a longer rest, take your time! You can pick up the pace when you move on to the supplemental lifts.

  2. On your repetition upper body lift you will choose a weight that you can perform approximately 20-35 reps with on your first set. Stick with the same weight for all 3 sets. Record the total number of reps that you performed for all 3 sets. The goal is to perform more reps with the same weight the following week.

  3. Here’s a sample Repetition Lower Body template:

    NOTE: Choose exercises from the list that you DIDN’T perform on your 1st lower body day.

    A. Unilateral Movement - Perform 3 sets of 15 reps each leg
    *Choose from the following list of exercises:
    Single leg squats, back leg elevated
    Barbell step-ups with knee lift
    Barbell reverse lunges
    Barbell reverse lunges, front foot elevated
    Barbell reverse lunges, front foot elevated (with knee lift)
    Low-pulley split squats, front foot elevated
    Walking lunges
    “Speed-skater” squats (1 and a half rep single leg squats)
    Barbell step-ups
     
    B. Posterior Chain / Hamstring movement – Perform 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps for TWO of the following exercises:
    Glute-ham raises
    Reverse hyperextensions
    Seated or standing good mornings
    Pull-throughs
    Leg curls
    Romanian deadlifts
    Stability ball hamstring lifts
     
    C. Weak Point Training – Perform 1 exercise for 3-5 sets of a lagging body part
    (Common areas include – upper back, external rotators, abs, grip training, etc.)

Joe D.

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Q: Joe,
In running the forty how should the athlete breathe?
Thanks,
RP

A: RP,
Great question. Breathing may be the most overlooked component of running the 40-yard dash. Proper breathing can have a profound effect on your forty time. One of my college athletes took .12 seconds off of his forty time this year just by correcting his breathing! (I was even a little bit shocked how well it worked.)

Anyway, I’ve experimented with many different breathing patterns and I think I have found the answer. The breathing pattern I am currently recommending is relatively simple and it works. There are speed “experts” out there who will disagree with my method. Once again, I don’t care. I’ve experimented with this method for quite some time and I think it’s the best. Although it takes some practice, it is very efficient and can be mastered within days. Once again, this adheres to the training economy. Here’s how to do it:

Once you’ve set up in your 3-point stance and you’re bringing your off hand to your hip, take a HUGE breath in.

As you fire out of your stance, perform the Valsalva maneuver. Basically, you will forcefully “exhale” without letting any of your air out.

Hold your breath through the first 10 yards. At approximately the 10-yard mark, exhale a little of your air. (Make the exhale short & quick.)

At about the 20-25-yard line, exhale a little of your air again. (Again, make it short & quick.)

At about the 30-35-yard line, perform a “relaxed” exhalation of the rest of your air. This final exhalation should take you through the finish. You should be “out of air” at about the 41-42-yard line.

You must practice this technique to get it down. The biggest mistake that athletes make is they release all of their air too soon. For example, if you run out of air during your final exhalation at the 35-yard line, you will be slower (as well as light-headed). The 2 keys to this technique are:

  1. Take a big enough breathe at the start so you have enough air to get you through the race.
  2. Time your exhalations properly. (I suggest you practice this by performing tempo runs at first. When you put it all together, it’s a great feeling!)

Joe D.

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Q: Hi Joe!!
Do you have your clients use more exercises for the chest if they don't use a bench shirt to increase their max bench press?

Westside concentrates very much on lock-out triceps power, but is this that important for no-shirt bench pressers?

Thank you for your time.
-Robert

A: Robert,
None of my athletes use bench press shirts. The partial range movements will still increase your raw bench, but I would throw in full range movements every 2 weeks. Here’s an example of the max effort exercises I used with 2 of my college football lineman over the last 8 weeks. I use 2-week mini cycles in which I alternate between partial range movements and full range movements.

Weeks 1&2 – 3-board press
Weeks 3&4 – close grip bench (14” grip)
Weeks 5&6 – rack lockouts
Weeks 7&8 – weight releaser bench

Good luck.
Joe D.

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