Depressed over lift

[lilmikey]

This might be controversial here but so what. Dialog is a good thing.

I think new lifters should only be concerned about putting on as much muscle as they can. They should bulk up by doing more of a bodybuilding routine. After they have done this, then they should start doing more of a Westside routine.

The reason I say this is that I believe that there is a limit in the body as to how many muscle fibers will contract in order to lift a certain amount of weight. This is predetirmined and is set low so that your muscles do not rip themselves apart lifting something. You can train your CNS, which determines the percentage of fibers you contract, to lift (or contract) more through a powerlifting routine but I think that a beginner doesn't have enough muscle to warrant such an approach. The early muscle mass approach will also help them to strengthen their connective tissue which takes longer than muscle fiber to strenthen.

Any other opinions? <gr>

Powerlifters do attain most strength from CNS operation; however, that doesn't mean that they don't build muscle on a powerlifting program. Training correctly as a powerlifting, you will build the same amount or more muscle as a bodybuilder, IMO. It is, again, a factor of diet, as far as muscle growth is concerned. Look at cubanito... he went from like 160 something to 200 and gained only 2 percent body fat! That was on a westside system.

Bodybuilders may have more hypertrophy, but, they lack the density and thickness of a powerlifter in most cases. You can basically stereotype MOST of them as such.

You are right in saying that the more muscle you have, the more muscle the CNS has available to utilize, which therefore possesses the ability to yield more strength.

 

[t3c]

I've been training weside for about 2 months...my deadlift and squat SKYROCKETED but my bench just stays there hmmm

 

[Twitched]

yea t3, sounds the opposite of me.. were you a good bencher naturally?

I think westside works awesome for everything, but it takes time.. but if you have a weakness.. it works immediately. (my weakness bieng bench).