Photo by Danielhedrick
Back in 2002 I learned about the “West Side” system during my ECU days. What I gathered from the research I had, which was basically me ripping through the “Tour De Force” and some other manuals (internet junk wasn’t as prevalent then) was that the “West Side” method was a concurrent program. This means that the method is focused on developing multiple skills sets at the same time AFTER a GPP phase, these are the 3 skill sets developed:
- Max Effort- this is where you go to your max limit on the repetition given. Generally between 1-3’s
- Dynamic Effort- this is utilized for speed and power i.e. speed squat, weighted squat jumps, plyometrics etc…
- Repetition Effort- This is where you’ll focus on a higher reps 8+ to unload the joints a bit and focus on hypertrophy.
*Idalberto Arrandais one of the best squatters I’ve seen. Amazing strength!
After 11 years of training and coaching of I’ve come to the conclusion that for our Coaching philosophy, max effort is divided into two parts:
- Technical Max: This is where you’re going to your tipping point but maintaing good form and positioning. For Weightlifters, during a heavy squat we’d focus on an upright position.
- Absolute Max: This is where your positioning may break a bit but the focus is to lift as heavy as possible.
While these splits are nothing new and have been around for years, I believe that many coaches and trainers need to utilize the “Technical Max” of the “Max effort” a bit more.
Rationale
Whether you’re training a regular client that wants to get fit and strong or an athlete, you need to watch out for their best interest. Is pushing for that extra rep worth risk? You may say yes but what if you have a multi-million dollar athlete, is that extra rep worth it? How will you justify that extra rep if they were to get hurt doing so to the athlete’s agent, Coach, and lawyers??? You probably can’t, in my eyes it’s a needless risk to take. This is why we focus on bar speed and positioning for our athletes and clients, while many of our younger guys may want to push and grind for that last rep, sometimes it’s just not worth it.
Look at Hossein Rezazadeh Squatting 305kg with SPEED. Rezazadeh also believed in limit strength and making sure to move the bar with speed:
While this isn’t exactly what I mean by “Technical Max”, it does show that you don’t always have to grind out your lifts to increase absolute strength.
With all that said, there are times I allow our guys to push for an extra rep, this is usually utilized within a higher volume phase such as 8 or10+ reps. It’s also only AFTER the athlete or client has proven that they have built a strong foundation to handle such intensity.
Train smart,
Team Fusion