Ever heard of Westside Barbell? Louie Simmons? If you have, you are probably aware of the encyclopedic powerlifting knowledge Louie Simmons has inside his head. The owner of Westside Barbell Club in Colombus, Ohio, he developed a powerlifting training method that has turned out record breaking lifters, and drawn the attention of lifting fans everywhere.
Westside doesn’t just train powerlifters, however. Boxers and other athletes venture into his gym as well. This is where Simmons’ methods can apply to everyday fitness enthusiasts. One method in particular, the Dynamic method, utilizes relatively light weights and resistance bands to increase power through speed development.
The Westside Dynamic method attaches to the floor and the bar on the bench press, for example, and has the lifter knock out high velocity repetitions with about 50 percent of their 1 repetition maximum. The bands increase resistance at the top of the lift and increase the speed of the eccentric (downward) motion. They also apply these resistance bands to the deadlift and back squat for similar results.
Although the Westside Dynamic Effort day uses high volume and low repetitions (8 sets of 3 is common,) these resistance bands can be used as a muscle and strength building tool on their own. With resistance ratings from 10 to over 200 pounds, a resistance band can be used for everything from therapy to maximum strength efforts. Even better, they are light and can be tucked into a suitcase for a great travel workout.
For more information on resistance bands in general, check out our favorites here:
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