10.04.04

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Q: Hi Joe, this is Dan here.

I love your site and come to it every day. I was just wondering on dynamic days why do you do 8 -10 sets with 2 reps? Why not do 3 or 4 sets for 5 to 6 reps? Will it tire out the body if you do less sets and more reps? I was just wondering because I have read about this and have never really understood it.
Dan

1. lifting a maximal load, a.k.a, the maximal-effort method

2. lifting a sub-maximal load to failure or near failure, a.k.a, the repeated-effort method

3. lifting (or throwing) a sub-maximal load with the highest possible speed, a.k.a, the dynamic-effort method

Two-rep sets are superior to 6-rep sets on dynamic-effort day because this enables you to apply the adequate amount of velocity and force to the bar (assuming you’re training with the proper percentages) with every repetition. Simply put, all 16-20 reps of your workout will be quality reps.

I learned a simple explanation of this from Louie Simmons. He uses the example of throwing a basketball up in the air. When the ball first hits the ground, it bounces the highest. Then, with each subsequent bounce, the ball loses energy and it bounces lower and lower. The same “loss of energy” happens with each repetition of a weightlifting set. Basically, we want our 2 reps on dynamic-effort lower body day to be like the first 2 bounces of the basketball. That is, we want the reps to be powerful and with perfect form! If we performed 5 or 6-rep sets with our dynamic lift, velocity slows down as our form breaks down. This isn’t as effective when you’re trying to develop speed-strength.
Hopefully this simplifies things for you.

Joe D.

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Q: First of all, great site coach! Strength and Conditioning is a passion of mine and here in CT, I wish more of us shared the same passion. Anyways, I had a quick question for you about lifting for football. I play OLB at Central Connecticut. I see most schools are very in tuned to using Olympic lifting as a large part of their strength programs. From your site, I see that you don’t use any Olympic lifts like cleans, snatches or jerks. But I also see that your athletes are ANIMALS! Just curious on your thoughts. Keep up the good work and any info you could give me would be great.

Sincerely,
Brian

A: Brian,
You are correct; I do feel that the Olympic lifts are highly overrated. Yet, you are also correct in that most of our athletes are ANIMALS! How could this be? Aren’t the Olympic lifts the best way to become “explosive” and athletic in the weight room? My answer is an emphatic, “No!”

Below is an excerpt from an article I recently wrote:

~Most people say that they perform the Olympic lifts because they are “explosive”. The truth of the matter is that any lift can be “explosive”! By incorporating the dynamic-effort method with sub-maximal weights into your program, you can turn any lift into an “explosive” lift. For example, if a man who can box squat 500 lbs. were to train with 275 lbs. and focus on compensatory acceleration, the box squat would then become an “explosive” lift. This example can hold true for many other exercises as well. By training with weights that represent 50-60% of your 1RM in a given lift, science has proven that the weight is heavy enough to produce adequate force, yet light enough to produce adequate speed. And we should all know that speed X strength = power.

Another reason that I feel that the Olympic lifts are overrated is that they take a long time to teach and most athletes are horrible at them. After all, Olympic lifting is a sport in and of itself! Olympic weightlifters spend their entire lives practicing these lifts and some of them still never perfect them!

The reason that most non-Olympic weightlifters aren’t great at the Olympic lifts is usually because they aren’t strong enough in the right places. After assessing an athlete’s power clean or power snatch form, I usually conclude that their technique flaws are due to a lack of hamstring, glute and low-back strength. This assessment usually means that I end up prescribing more deadlift variations, reverse hyperextensions, glute-ham raises, pull-throughs, etc. This is called the TRAINING ECONOMY. Getting stronger in the deadlift, reverse hyperextension & glute-ham raise will improve your power clean, but it doesn’t work the other way around. Basically, I choose the exercises that give my athletes the best “bang for their buck”. Another benefit of my “economical” exercises is that they are much less stressful on the writs, elbows and shoulders, compared to the Olympic lifts. ~

Joe D.

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Q: Mr. DeFranco,

I am actually writing to you to get some advice for my son. He is in 8th grade and he’s a really good football and basketball player. He also discovered your website a couple of months ago and he idolizes you. Anyway, I need your advice.

Just recently he has developed a lump below his knee cap and it hurts him very bad when he runs. I brought him to the doctor and the doctor said that it was “growing pains.” The doctor said that he can continue to play, but I can tell he’s in a lot of pain. I might just be a worried mom, but I would love to know if you’ve worked with any young athletes with a similar problem?

Thank you so much for you time. My son and I appreciate it.
Suzanne

A: Suzanne,
It sounds like the “growing pains” that your doctor is referring to is Osgood Schlatter’s Disease. This “disease” affects adolescents and is caused by repeated usage of the knee extensors during rapid growth. Technically speaking, this results in a tearing or avulsion at the epiphysis(a part of a bone whose presence in the bone is an indication that the bone has not completed its growth) of the tibial tuberosity(the point of attachment of the patellar tendon). Basically, doctors call it “growing pains” because it is very common for adolescents to get it when they have a growth spurt. I had a bad case of Osgood Schlatter’s when I was in the 6th grade. In my case, I grew 5 inches from 5th to 6th grade and I was heavily involved in a variety of sports. Symptoms of Osgood Schlatter’s include swelling and pain when running, jumping and kneeling. I know it’s tough for a mom to watch her son in pain, but your son can still play as long as he can stand it. Eventually, it will go away. Make sure your son ice’s his knee after every practice and game. If it gets unbearable, he may have to take some time to rest.

Tell your son I wish him the best of luck!
Joe D.

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Q: Hi coach Defranco,

My question may seem a little stupid, but anyway here it goes:
According to you, what would be the biggest changes to make if somebody trains using the Westside protocol but they don’t want to use powerlifting gear?
Thanks a lot!

Philippe

A: Philippe,

There aren’t many changes that you have to make if you’re competing with no gear. I would, however, incorporate more max-effort lifts which require a full range of motion into your program. Alternate between full-range and partial-range max-effort lifts every 1-2 weeks. For example, your max-effort bench press movements can be the following:

• Weeks 1-2 – rack lockouts
• Weeks 3-4 – close grip bench press
• Weeks 5-6 – board press
• Weeks 7-8 – dumbbell benches on Swiss ball (repetition method to failure)
• Weeks 9-10 – floor press
• Weeks 11-12 – bench press with weight releasers or chains

Use the same format for your max-effort squat/deadlift training.

Good luck!
Joe D.

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