Techniques, Modalities & Physiology of Strength 2

Question 1

Who made the Westside Barbell program?

Answer 1

powerlifter and strength coach Louie Simmons

Question 2

Westside Barbell program principles borrowed from _____ and _____ weightlifting and adapted to powerlifting.

Answer 2

• Soviet

- Bulgarian

Question 3

What parts of Soviet and Bulgarian weightlifting was adapted for Westside Barbell method?

Answer 3

• block periodization
• training volumes and intensities
• volumes spent on main lifts
• use of accessory lifts

Question 4

Powerlifting:

Answer 4

• different from weightlifting
• individualized sport
• competitors given 4 attempts to lift as much weight as possible for 1 rep in the squat, BP, and deadlift
• total of 9 lifts throughout the day

Question 5

How are powerlifting competitors placed into divisions?

Answer 5

• age
• weight
• experience level
• raw vs equipped powerlifting

Question 6

Powerlifting: back squat:

Answer 6

• many powerlifters adapt a wider stance and have a more pronounced focus on moving the hips posteriorly during the descent phase of the lift
• many powerlifters use a low bar position
• in competitions, lifters only have to squat until the hip crease is below parallel

Question 7

Powerlifting: bench press:

Answer 7

• grip width
• the arch
• bar path

Question 8

Grip width in bench press powerlifting:

Answer 8

• wider grip = more activity in pec major
• narrower grip = more activity in triceps brachii
• inverse relation between grip width and vertical distance in which the bar must travel (less work at wider grip widths)

Question 9

The arch in bench press powerlifting:

Answer 9

• decreases ROM for the athlete to move the bar

- 5 points of contact

Question 10

The bar path in bench press powerlifting:

Answer 10

• elite lifters exhibit a bar path off the chest, towards their shoulders, then straight up
• novice lifters drive the bar straight up initially and then up and back to lock out

Question 11

Powerlifting: deadlift:

Answer 11

• differs from both the squat and bench press in that the concentric portion of the lift occurs immediately, without preceding a eccentric (lowering) phase during which elastic energy can be built up and stored
• can’t make use of the stretch shortening cycle
• sumo vs conventional

Question 12

Workloads of Westside method: maximum effort:

Answer 12

• on the main lift which are trained with a large number of sets (8-12 sets) with very few reps (1-3 reps)
• progressing from light to a very heavy weight (90-100 1RM for the last 3-5 sets)

Question 13

Workloads of Westside method: dynamic effort:

Answer 13

• on the main lifts which are trained with a large number of sets (9-12 sets) and very few reps (1-3 reps)
• utilizing 40-60% of 1RM in addition to 25-30% 1RM load from accommodating resistance

Question 14

Accommodation resistance involves…

Answer 14

increasing the resistance as the movement progresses towards completion by use of chains or anchored bands attached to the barbell

Question 15

Workloads of Westside method: repetition:

Answer 15

• after the main lifts on both max effort and dynamic effort days, accessory exercises are performed with more conventional loads (reps method( mostly utilizing 2-4 sets of 6-10 reps
• after 4th week, max effort work on main movement is replaced by repetition work for restoration

Question 16

In the Westside method, maximum effort and dynamic effort workloads on the main lifts are alternated within ____ hours of each other.

Answer 16

72

Question 17

Accommodating loads with chains of ___ % 1RM may be sufficient for improving force production in trained, but not untrained athletes. This is accompanied with ____ ____ ____.

Answer 17

• > 20%

- reduced barbell velocities

Question 18

The variable resistance provided by the chains may limit their ability to improve ____ _____ in untrained athletes, suggesting that a ____ pre-requisite may be required to identify their efficacy for a particular athlete.

Answer 18

• force production

- strength/stability

Question 19

Short-duration training programmes with bands have been repeatedly shown to improve _____ and _____ in both trained and untrained athletes.

Answer 19

• strength

- power

Question 20

Accommodating resistance: chains:

Answer 20

• coil and deload
• gravity loaded
• F = ma, as mass goes up so does the resistive force
• if released they will accelerate at 9.81 m/s^2
• the line of force is always vertical

Question 21

Accommodating resistance: bands:

Answer 21

• can be used to resist or assist
• elasticity loaded
• F = -kx, force is increased by elastic force
• if released will accelerate faster than 9.81 m/s^2
• line of action is toward the attachment point

Question 22

Why bother with accommodating resistance?

Answer 22

• normally we see a reduction in force during deceleration phase
• accommodating resistance attempts to increase the force required at mechanically efficient positions compared to normal loading

Question 23

Safety considerations for the set up of accommodating resistance:

Answer 23

• path of movement/line of pull
• secure fixture
• swinging
• clear area

Question 24

Triphasic training:

Answer 24

• all dynamic movements are triphasic (eccentric, isometric, concentric)
• emphasize each within training programme at different times

Question 25

Triphasic training says that if athletes can ____ and absorb high amounts of force quickly, then their ____ and ____ ____ will be enhanced.

Answer 25

• decelerate
• RFD
• explosive power

Question 26

French contrast protocol is a combination of…

Answer 26

• traditional multi-joint exercise
• complex training method
• contrast loading scheme

Question 27

French contrast training exercises:

Answer 27

1. Heavy multi-joint strength/total body movement
2. Plyometric movement
3. Weighted/loaded plyometric movement
4. Assisted/plyometric movement