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DeFranco's Training NEWS.
PIMP MY GYM!
I want to take this time to give a special thanks to Dave Tate, Jim Wendler & the rest of the EliteFTS staff. These guys came to New Jersey 2 weeks ago and they completely “Pimped My Gym”! My facility now boasts EVERYTHING an athlete would ever need in order to become stronger & more explosive. I always thrive to be the best, and when it comes to improving strength & power, EliteFTS offers the best equipment on the market. I am now confident in saying that there is not a better training facility on the planet for athletes that are looking to get brutally strong & explosive!
Check out the transformation that a portion of my gym went through 2 weeks ago.
BEFORE.
12:30 a.m. Thursday morning, March 22nd
(The gym looked like a bomb hit it and I thought there was no hope.)
AFTER!
10:00 p.m. Friday night, March 23rd
- 3 new Collegiate Power Racks with 3 custom 6X8 oak deadlift platforms
- 3 0-90 Walk up benches with custom logo on head rest
- 10 pairs of 5/8” chains
- Bands – mini, light, average, strong (3 pairs each)
- Board press boards – 2-boards, 3-boards, 4-boards (3 of each)
- Prowler
“DeFranco’s has officially been pimped!”
-Jim “Xzibit” Wendler
Joe D.
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CONGRATULATIONS
Nikki Flores!
Longtime DeFranco's Training client, Nikki Flores, led Marist University's women's basketball team to the SWEET 16 of the NCAA tournament this year for the 1st TIME IN THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY!!
The above picture shows Nikki benching 135 lbs. in the original DeFranco's Training "facility"/dungeon! She was the 1st female athlete in my program to accomplish this strength feat.
Remember this girl’s name. You’re going to hear a lot more from her in the future!
Congrats Nikki,
Joe D.
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DeFranco Energy Bar $ALE extended for another 2 weeks!
The response has been so overwhelming to our SALE that we are extending our discounted prices for another 2 weeks! ACT NOW! This SALE will not last much longer!
Speaking of DeFranco Energy Bars, they are making a BIG hit in Hawaii! Check this guy out…
Paul Tam Sing benches 150 lb. dumbells for 8 reps…Hawaiian style!! It takes 2 DeFranco bars (yet no shoes) to fuel this big Hawaiian!!
*NOTE: We recommend that most “normal” people take the wrapper off of their DeFranco Bar before eating it. But, eating the wrapper seems to be working for this guy; and I aint gonna argue with him! That’s one big, strong mother fuc#er!!
Joe D.
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Nicky Baranello takes 2nd in the NATION!
Nicky (left) out-muscles another poor victim!
In my last update, I announced that our youngest athlete, Nicky Baranello, won the states in the 112 lb. division and he qualified for the Junior Nationals in Iowa. Well, Nicky showed up in Iowa and he didn’t disappoint! Nicky won 5 straight matches before falling to an 8th grader (Nicky is only in 6th grade) in the national championship match. Nicky will most likely be the #1 seed in the nation next year at the Junior Nationals and you better believe that this young athlete will be training his ass off to get himself prepared. Congratulations Nicky!
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Q: Coach,
I have a problem with overstriding during my first 10 yards when I run my 40. I know you advocate taking the fewest steps possible but I have a problem keeping the positive shin angle that you always refer to. Should I just keep practicing my 10s or do you have any drills to help correct my problem? Thanks coach your website is badass.
Ryan
A: Ryan,
I have answered this question many times so I’m assuming that this is a common problem among athletes; therefore, I will address this question one more time.
Although I preach to cover the first 10 yards in the fewest steps possible, it is imperative that you don’t reach your foot out in front of your hip and overstride! This creates a “breaking force’ and it will slow you down. The key to the first 10-yards is to try and maintain a 45-degree forward body lean and cover a lot of ground with each step (while keeping your knee in front of your toe).
Besides practicing your 10-yard sprint technique, I’m going to give you 5 fool-proof drills (3 bodyweight drills & 2 resisted drills) that will help you maintain a great acceleration lean and positive shin angle during the first 10-yards of your 40-yard dash. These 5 drills all adhere to my simplistic approach of improving speed in non-track athletes.
Below are my 3 favorite bodyweight drills…
#1 – Push-up acceleration starts
Basically, you’re going to lie on your stomach and then push yourself up, drive one knee forward and take off into a 10-15 yard sprint. It’s impossible NOT to be in the proper acceleration position when doing this drill. This drill is great for young kids because it will help to imprint the proper acceleration mechanics into their brains!
#2 – Mountain Climbers into sprints
#3 – Jump-back acceleration starts
This drill is done from a standing position. If you’re doing this drill on a football field, start by placing your heels about 1” in front of the goal line. Jump backwards, but keep your upper body in FRONT of the goal line! Your feet should land almost a yard BEHIND the goal line. You can split your feet apart when you land (so your feet land in the same position that they will be in during the start of the 40.) Focus on pushing off of BOTH feet and then take off into a 10-15 yard sprint. The ability to keep your upper body in front of the line as you jump back will create a better acceleration angle and forward body lean when you take off into the sprint.
Below are my 2 favorite resisted exercises for reinforcing a proper body lean and shin angle. Remember that your ability to accelerate requires a tremendous amount of relative strength & explosive power so you will want to eventually overload your muscles for maximal results. The 2 following exercises overload the muscles used during the 10-yard sprint in a very specific manner…
#1 – Forward sled drags
I love heavy, forward sled drags for improving an athlete’s acceleration power. Do NOT try and run with the heavy weight. Just grab the straps of the sled, LEAN FORWARD, and go for a 15-30 yard walk. (We usually perform this exercise during our strength workouts.) I like this one so much because it’s impossible to drag a heavy weight unless you’re in a perfect acceleration position and you maintain a positive shin angle. (Notice the athlete below.)
With almost NO coaching, the athlete will figure out the proper position to be in; otherwise, they will be there all day trying to drag that thing! You can also try incorporating this exercise before running 10-yard sprints. Try performing two or three sets of 15 yard drags, rest 2-3 minutes, and then run a 10-yard sprint. I have had many athletes run their best 10-yard sprint time after doing this. (The 2nd sprint after the sled drags is usually the best.) Many times this will help athletes achieve a greater acceleration lean and a greater stride length.
#2 –Prowler sprints
The Prowler is a relatively new device that we have used with great success! As you can see from the above picture, the Prowler puts the athlete in a great acceleration position. This position was once only achieved by pushing a car or truck, but now we can perform resisted SPRINTS in this position because we can vary the weight on the Prowler. I highly recommend this device for any athlete looking to improve their acceleration power or just get in the best shape of their life!
Simple drills, yet so effective!
Joe D.
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Q: Coach D – I am a basketball player and I was wondering if I should make any changes to your modified Westside program? I know you train a lot of football players but as a basketball player I don’t want to put on any bulk, I want to stay lean but get stronger. My coach doesn’t want me doing westside because he thinks I may get bulky or even fat – both of which would be detrimental to my sport. Can I get your input PLEASEEE?
Tommy D.
A: I feel one of my rants coming on… {deep breathe}
Tommy,
Please bear with me as I want to address a couple of key points regarding your question.
Clarifying my use of the term “Westside” once and for all!
First of all, I want to finally define what “Westside” means to me. Saying that you train “Westside” has become very popular recently and I want to clear something up. It has been said that the only guys that train “Westside” are the guys that actually LIFT AT WESTSIDE BARBELL in Ohio! I agree with this statement 100%! When I originally wrote “Westside for Skinny Bastards”, I did NOT intend to disrespect the lifters of Westside Barbell and I surely wasn’t trying to pose as a “Westside” guy myself. In fact, it was quite the contrary. Basically, I was trying to show the ultimate sign of respect for Louie Simmons and the lifters that actually train there because I learned so much from them. You see, the strength & conditioning field is a very ego-driven, close-minded field. In fact, 98% of the high school, college & pro strength coaches that I’ve talked to regarding “Westside principles” usually have the same reaction; they usually say the same 3 things regarding “Westside” techniques. They are…
- Westside only works for powerlifters
- Westside techniques will decrease your flexibility
- Westside techniques only work if you’re on steroids.
I’ve been in the strength & conditioning field for 10 years now and I have NOT found ANY of the above statements to be true. First of all, I have NEVER taken steroids in my life and I have a strict anti-steroid/anti-drug policy at my gym. And I can tell you first-hand that the exercises/techniques that I have learned from Louie Simmons, Dave Tate and other Westside guys have worked incredibly well for me and my athletes.
As far as “Westside” decreasing flexibility, nothing can be further from the truth! If there are powerlifters that train at Westside that are not that flexible it’s because they don’t need to be that flexible for their sport! This doesn’t mean that the exercises made popular by Westside Barbell will make you stiff and un-athletic! What it means is that, as an athlete, if you want to remain flexible, you must incorporate more flexibility & mobility training into your routine! Plus, athletes are constantly practicing their sport anyway! Unlike powerlifters, basketball players play basketball when they’re not in the weightroom, lacrosse players play lacrosse, baseball players play baseball, etc. Basically, the act of PLAYING YOUR SPORT will help you remain agile & athletic!
Finally, saying that “Westside techniques” only work for powerlifters is ridiculous! Athletes “borrow” techniques from other sports all the time and no one criticizes them. For example, many football players participate in martial arts classes in the off-season to improve their conditioning, flexibility & power; they will also play basketball during the off-season to improve their “agility” & conditioning. Yet, why can’t we “borrow” some exercises & techniques from powerlifters when we’re looking to improve our STRENGTH?! Aren’t powerlifters the best class of athletes to “borrow’ from if we’re trying to improve our strength? Think about it.
Hopefully that clears up some of the misconceptions about “Westside” methods. Now, let me get back to my point regarding me using the term “Westside’ in my Skinny Bastards article. Again, I didn’t use the term because I wanted to fool people into thinking that I trained there. You see, I have studied HUNDREDS of different training methodologies over the course of my life; the bottom line is that the methods that I originally heard about from Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell produced the best results for me and my athletes in the weightroom. Louie may not have invented all of these methods/techniques, but he was the guy that popularized them in this country more than any other coach. For me, the “Westside” techniques that I’m referring to are as follows…
- Incorporating the max-effort method, dynamic-effort method & repeated-effort method into your program to develop muscular tension & strength
- Combining the above 3 methods in a “conjugated” periodization scheme as opposed to the more popular Western method of periodization
- The use and rotation of special exercises to improve strength & weak points
- Accommodating resistance by using bands & chains
Now, I know that there is A LOT more to “Westside” than the above 4 bullet points. In fact, Westside is far from a “program”. It’s the attitude, the atmosphere and the training partners that most guys that train there talk most about. But, to me, the above 4 bullet points have changed the way I design programs and how I will look at strength development forever. And I feel that those 4 things have made a HUGE impact on the way ALL coaches now look at strength training in this country, whether they are “Westside” guys or not.
Sorry for the rant, but I get countless emails every week regarding my modified “Westside” program; so I wanted to finally clarify what I mean when I say “Westside”. To put it simply, I was basically referring to how I modify the max-effort method, dynamic-effort method & repeated-effort method; and I was also referring to how I rotate special exercises and how/when I incorporate bands & chains in the training of my athletes. Since I originally read about all of the above training methods in articles written by Louie Simmons about Westside Barbell, I used the term “Westside” in the title of my article to give credit where credit was do.
“Westside” methods make you fat?
Now, I want to address your coach’s comment regarding “Westside” methods making you bulky and/or fat…
I’m sorry but this may be one of the most ignorant statements I’ve ever heard! Once again, coaches associate the term “Westside” with powerlifters. And most coaches visualize powerlifters as being “bulky”. But let’s forget about powerlifters for a second and let’s look at the specific METHODS that I feel most people are referring to when they speak of a “Westside-based” program; then, I want to figure out how these methods make you fat. Hopefully after reading this, you will realize how these claims are downright comical.
#1 – Max-effort, dynamic-effort, repeated-effort methods
Can someone please enlighten me as to how lifting heavy weights for low reps (max-effort) makes you fat? How about lifting lighter weights at high speeds or performing plyometrics (dynamic-effort); does that make you fat? Or how about the repeated-effort method of lifting sub-maximal weights for higher reps; how does training in this manner make you fat? If anyone has the answer I need to know!
#2 – Rotating special exercises to strengthen weak points
Westside Barbell has definitely popularized many different exercises that weren’t “mainstream” beforehand. Just a few exercises that pop into my head are as follows – box squats, glute-ham raises, reverse hyperextensions, board presses, floor presses, sled dragging, etc. Do these exercises magically make you fat, compared to other, more mainstream exercises???
#3 – Accommodating resistance by using chains & bands
Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell definitely popularized the use of bands & chains in this country. But how on earth can someone say that benching or squatting with chains or bands will make you fatter than benching or squatting without them? Do you see how ridiculous this sounds?
Hopefully breaking these popular “Westside” techniques down and looking at them individually will help you realize how absurd it is when someone says that “Westside techniques will make you bulky & fat.” To sum up this point, I have some ground-breaking news for all the misinformed coaches out there, “THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES YOU FAT IS EATING TOO MUCH! THERE IS NO EXERCISE ON THE PLANET THAT WILL MAKE YOU FAT!”
Too many sets of glute-ham raises or too much food?
Modifying the program for basketball players
To answer your final question regarding modifying my WS4SB program for basketball players; I don’t think you have to modify anything, especially the lower body workouts. I have worked with some basketball players that liked incorporating more incline bench presses and overhead presses on max-effort & repeated-effort upper body days. If you feel that you benefit more from incline presses & overhead presses, throw them in by all means! Remember that the beauty of my modified “Westside” program is that there is so much room for variety. I like to think of it as the best “anti-program’ out there. Try different exercises and find out what works best for YOU!
Sorry for this long rant/answer, but this was LONG overdo! I literally get over 100 different versions of this same question every month; I’m sick of reading about all of the misconceptions regarding “Westside” techniques. I had to put an end to the ignorance! Hopefully this response will save me from having to answer this question and dispel these myths again any time soon.
Joe D.
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Q: Mr. Defranco, I was watching the show WORKOUT on the bravo network and one of the trainers told her client that she wanted her to do light weight and high reps because she needed to lose weight. Hasn’t this been proven wrong or am I wrong?? Does lighter weights performed for higher reps really burn fat better than lifting heavier weights?
Andrew
Spokane, WA
A: Andrew,
I don’t know if I’m more upset by your question or by the fact that you actually watch that show? I’m shocked that they were even discussing reps & weights on one of their episodes; whenever I’m flipping through the channels and I come across that show, all I see are chicks making out with each other. That show shouldn’t be called WORKOUT; it should be called LESBIAN MAKE-OUT SESSION. (This may actually help their ratings.)
Actually, I have a better idea to help the ratings of that show…
The Bravo Network should let me send some of my athletes to L.A. to train with the ‘WORKOUT’ staff in their trendy, penthouse suite “gym” for 1 week. This would be very entertaining and it would really put the ‘WORKOUT’ staff to the test.
I can picture the 1st episode in my head already…
“Hello, ‘WORKOUT’ staff. Meet your new client…”
“His name is Deon Anderson. He enjoys knocking people unconscious on the football field, squatting massive amounts of weight, listening to DMX, barking like a dog while he lifts, and he eats 45 lb. plates.”
Now THAT would make the show much more interesting!
I think I forgot to answer your question.
Joe D.
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