Can't seem to update this main part with out getting constant errors. There must be a character length limit or something? I've updated the link below.

This post has been edited by Jason2459 on Jan 30 2007, 12:58 PM

that file doesn't work.

Well, at first I thought it was the digital signature screwing it up. Then I thought maybe it was because of Office 2007 trying to create it in compatability mode. Finally saved it in wordpad and saved as a rtf but no matter what the server side keeps screw up the file and comes back down looking like crap. Seems like html is the only format that it doesn't mess up.

Ok, major problem I'm seeing with the template is your choice of ME bench work.

I'll tell you what...
I read about Westside Barbell probably in 1995 or so in Powerlifting USA. I spent countless hours trying to make sense of all of the percentages and max effort exercises and all of the rhetoric that Louie Simmons spilled.

I latched up with a guy who actually visited Westside on a regular basis and he wrote out a plan for me. Basically the only thing that I was doing that was had a westside flavor was benching by percentages.

I did my best as a teenager in High School to read through Zatsiorsky's "Science and Practice of Strength Training". Quite frankly, I think you have to possess an affinity for that type of shit to begin to understand literature at that level.
A year later or so I visited Westside and, while it was cool and I got to see the work ethic there...I didn't learn a whole hell of alot. Most of the guys there were really cool, Louie especially.

Somehow I eventually began to understand that Westside/Conjugate training is kind of like Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kun Do"

I'm going to revise the template tomorrow. I was putting in vary round about numbers for the reps and sets as I thought someone would give me crap or ask about it anyways. I like your approach to the straight forward.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get the boards to work out at the gym. Hopefully by the summer I'll have found a training partner. I might have a candidate as long as he keeps working out. He used to do some power lifting but switched to BB last year and another negative is that he's been very inconsistent but just started back up again this month.

make up some boards....at one point I did all of the math to determine how many 2x6's you'd need to make a 1-6 board.

The EliteFTS boards are 15" not including the handle. I'd give yourself 4" for a handle if you even want one...I've seen guys work boards without a handle at all.

So:
1 = 19"
2 = 34"
3 = 49"
4 = 64"
5 = 79"
6 = 94"
=========
339" total / 28.25 feet of board

At Home Depot / Lowes have them cut 6 pieces that are 19"
and the rest should be 15".

At home:
Cut out a 4" handle on 6 pieces
Then use screws to screw them together to build up 2-6 boards.


As for a training partner...you have to make due with what you have now. When you're at the gym, just ask someone to hold the board for you. Most people will be happy to help between sets. It sucks, but it's better than not using boards.

Updated the template above.

For what it's worth, I've found also that using your knee wraps to tie thr boards to your chest is actually quite effective if you don't have a second spotter to hold them.

Never thought of the knee wraps. I was going to try and use the weight belt and call somone over to spot once I got up to around the 90% range. I'll try both and see how it goes. I have to stop giving excusing on why I'm not using them. I know I have at least one if not two 8 or 10' 2x6 boards at home. I should be able to make at least a 2 and 3 board to get me started. I'll use them next week starting a fresh three week mini-cycle.


Unstable, thanks for the measurements.

What if you get some velcro and attach it to the bottom of the boards and to your shirt.

That would be awesome.

actually if someone could invent a halfway fucking decent way to hold the boards without a third person, they could make some money.

Knee wraps or even bands will work, but what I noticed is the boards will shift and it will fuck up your reps. Even if you have a total retard holding the boards, sometimes they'll let the board slide and then you are more worried about the boards than your reps.

Another idea with the boards if you don't have a spotter is...Setup in a power rack, set the pins to below where the boards are...like if you are doing a 2 board, that's approximately 4" off the chest...set the pins to 2" below the top of the boards.

Then if you can't get a rep, you can roll it off of the boards to the pins and stand up with a little dignity.

The velcro idea that will had is pretty decent. Should stop it from sliding around. Should patent a little getup where it's a velcro vest you can slide into and attach the boards to them

If your using a PL routing for general strength enhancment, like Unstable said, don't get too worked up over details

For ME days pick one Core exercise, then lift moderately heavy in 1-3 supplement lifts

For DE you can do 2 core exercises, and 1-3 supplementary exercises.

I really didn't think I was going that much into details with the template. It was just that a basic template to go buy after going through the 9 week beginners program.

Btw. Just got my boards put together and will be using the 4board this Thursday for my ME Bench.

You don't own a shirt I assume, so you should consider doing 2 board presses as an ME lift, and save the 4 board for your triceps supplemental. You're bench isn't especially strong, so 4 board pressing won't be AS beneficial for you as 2 boards. Now, if you're benching with a shirt I could see 4-5 board presses as the feature presentation.

No shirt, I'm going to be competing unequipped. I was thinking 4 board as I've been doing some low pin presses recently and wanted to get it higher. Maybe 3 board then?