WSB, Tier & WS4SB

[Mladen Jovanovic]

Mark,

I got couple of questions regarding Westside methodology, Joe Kenn's Tier System and DeFranco's Westside for skinny bastads.

So lets start...

1. What is your opinion regarding ME/SE/DE/RE method usage (concurrent) and at which level are they appropriate. What do you think about rotation of ME (>90% 1RM) exercises every 1-2 wks for the purpose of avoiding high-intensity overtraining? What about rotation of assistance movements? At what level are they appropriate?
2. Are you familiar with Kenn's Tier System and his modification of Hard/Medium/Easy? I suppose TIER weak schedule is appropriate for intermediate/advanced athletes
3. I work in soccer and I am interested how would you organize the strength training for novices and intermediate soccer players both during the off-season and in-season?

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

1 and 2: I am unfamiliar with and therefore unqualified to comment on these training topics. I don't get out much, and I would not presume the authority to comment on Westside training methods, Joe Kenn's Tier System, or even DeFranco's Westside for skinny bastads.

3: I just commented on this topic here: http://strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=407

[Mladen Jovanovic]

Thanks Mark. I allways appreciate straight and honest answers.
I tried to 'unify' principles from SS and PP into other forms/methods/periodization methods in this article: http://www.elitefts.com/documents/what_ive_learned.htm

So, I wonder do you have time to read it and maybe comment/critique if I did understood you completely? Thanks again

[Mark Rippetoe]

Without looking too far down into this obviously well-prepared document, the most important problem I see is the substitution of intermediate exercises into the proposed novice program. Your synopsis of the salient points from the novice chapter is dead-ass on the money, but then you proceed to misunderstand the reason for the use of the basic exercises. Front squats are NOT equivalent to back squats, and seated rows, Bulgarian split squats, lunges, and RDLs do not produce the quality of adaptive stress necessary for the characteristic linear progression to occur.

I understand that equipment limitations present an obstacle to the implementation of this method in a team situation. Nonetheless, the program functions predictably only when it is implemented according to the proven method we detail in PPST. As a professional, you are certainly capable of adjusting the program to meet your own needs, but too much adjustment results in a markedly different program with markedly different results. The fact that your altered version works is due to the fact that novices make progress easily. But they have not made the progress possible with the original version of the program.

[Mladen Jovanovic]

Thanks for posting your critiques Mark. I must admit that my 'philosophy' of strength training 'design' is mostly influenced by Joe Kenn's Tier System and M. Boyle's [*Functional]Training. I found your books especially interesting because they allow me to differ between levels of athletes and to plan and expect appropriate progress in strength.
I would be more than happy if you could get 'Coache's strength training playbook' by Joe Kenn or read short overview of Tier system here.

Once again thanks for your time Mark!


* Man I hate this word!