236 pages full of training advice. A collection of information through experimentation of some of the greatest lifters, Olympic sprinters and NFL Players. A must for anyone who wants to reach the top.
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44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By J Dogg
Format:Paperback
I'm writing this to clarify some misinformation in some of the other reviews.
First, this book is NOT written for beginners. It's essentially aimed at competitive powerlifters who wear supportive gear (though it can work for everyone). It is not intended to sculpt a perfect body, so don't look for routines that include leg extensions or calve raises. The goals here are to lift monster numbers in the bench press, squat, and deadlift; nothing more, nothing less.
If you're looking for pictures of how to do a squat, skip this and try "Starting Strength", which is excellent. Simmons doesn't address this because at high levels in any sport, much of the optimum technique depends on body type and personal preference; in fact, he recommends strongly that any serious lifter work with a coach so that individual nuances can be assessed. If, on the other hand, you're looking for verbal descriptions as to how to refine an already strong squat, this could be helpful, provided that you know your basics.
Second, Westside is not a routine. I'm personally skeptical whenever someone says they practice a "modified Westside routine", though there are several floating around on the internet (often created by people who haven't trained with Louie and are not powerlifters). Instead, Westside is probably best described as a general template; one based on a rotation of special exercises with a great deal of attention paid to speed work. The key to making it work is figuring out what your own personal weaknesses are and which exercises address them. In other words, you have to *think* and *experiment* to make this program work for you.
Be warned, many people find that they need to throw out everything they've learned about weight training (usually learned in a bodybuilding context) to effectively practice Westside. This can be disconcerting. Also, the book is not always well-written, needs editing, is dense, is repetitive and much of the information can be found online. However, if you're an intermediate to advanced lifter that is looking to push your numbers; if you're willing to *think* and not be dogmatic--well, this might be perfect for you. In my opinion, Louie Simmons knows more about strength training than anyone else alive, and I personally found that Westside works like magic.
First, this book is NOT written for beginners. It's essentially aimed at competitive powerlifters who wear supportive gear (though it can work for everyone). It is not intended to sculpt a perfect body, so don't look for routines that include leg extensions or calve raises. The goals here are to lift monster numbers in the bench press, squat, and deadlift; nothing more, nothing less.
If you're looking for pictures of how to do a squat, skip this and try "Starting Strength", which is excellent. Simmons doesn't address this because at high levels in any sport, much of the optimum technique depends on body type and personal preference; in fact, he recommends strongly that any serious lifter work with a coach so that individual nuances can be assessed. If, on the other hand, you're looking for verbal descriptions as to how to refine an already strong squat, this could be helpful, provided that you know your basics.
Second, Westside is not a routine. I'm personally skeptical whenever someone says they practice a "modified Westside routine", though there are several floating around on the internet (often created by people who haven't trained with Louie and are not powerlifters). Instead, Westside is probably best described as a general template; one based on a rotation of special exercises with a great deal of attention paid to speed work. The key to making it work is figuring out what your own personal weaknesses are and which exercises address them. In other words, you have to *think* and *experiment* to make this program work for you.
Be warned, many people find that they need to throw out everything they've learned about weight training (usually learned in a bodybuilding context) to effectively practice Westside. This can be disconcerting. Also, the book is not always well-written, needs editing, is dense, is repetitive and much of the information can be found online. However, if you're an intermediate to advanced lifter that is looking to push your numbers; if you're willing to *think* and not be dogmatic--well, this might be perfect for you. In my opinion, Louie Simmons knows more about strength training than anyone else alive, and I personally found that Westside works like magic.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Karl Groves
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Tempting the wrath of all of the Louie worshipers out there, I gotta say I was a tad disappointed in this book. Don't get me wrong, it is an amazing book. My problem is this is basically a collection of all of his articles from Powerlifting USA. At the time I bought this book, you could download all of this material right from the Westside website. Given that, where is the compelling reason to buy this book? All-in-all, the material itself is good, so if you want a hard copy to carry around, read in the train or whatever then buy it.
On a related note, the fact that this is just a collection of articles, I found the book to lack any cohesion or flow at all. Louie's methodologies are basically the practical application of concepts presented by people like Vladimir Zatsiorsky in Science and Practice of Strength Training, Thomas Kurz in Science of Sports Training and Mel Siff in Supertraining. Louie has been able to synthesize the concepts from these varied sources into practical, winning strategies for increasing limit strength. He's clearly been able to soak in the material from these sources, understand them and apply them successfully. I just wish he could communicate them much better than he typically does. Most of his materials are filled with about 30% strong substance, about 30% anecdotal evidence, and 40% boasting about Westside. Westside's numbers speak for themselves. I would have liked it much more if Louie would have taken the time to rewrite this information to that it flowed as a cohesive unit. Barring that, I recommend potential readers pick up 'Science and Practice of Strength Training' instead and then download & read Louie's articles from the Westside-Barbell website.
On a related note, the fact that this is just a collection of articles, I found the book to lack any cohesion or flow at all. Louie's methodologies are basically the practical application of concepts presented by people like Vladimir Zatsiorsky in Science and Practice of Strength Training, Thomas Kurz in Science of Sports Training and Mel Siff in Supertraining. Louie has been able to synthesize the concepts from these varied sources into practical, winning strategies for increasing limit strength. He's clearly been able to soak in the material from these sources, understand them and apply them successfully. I just wish he could communicate them much better than he typically does. Most of his materials are filled with about 30% strong substance, about 30% anecdotal evidence, and 40% boasting about Westside. Westside's numbers speak for themselves. I would have liked it much more if Louie would have taken the time to rewrite this information to that it flowed as a cohesive unit. Barring that, I recommend potential readers pick up 'Science and Practice of Strength Training' instead and then download & read Louie's articles from the Westside-Barbell website.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you've read any of Louie Simmons' articles in Powerlifting USA or on the Westside website, odds are you have some questions. A lot of his ideas have evolved over the years, so one article may not necessarily sync up with another if they're written some time apart. The Book of Methods is basically Westside as of early 2008, as far as I can tell. Extremely thorough, and a lot of the ideas and core concepts are repeated so many times it's damn near impossible to not understand them by the time you finish. 5 stars!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Louie Simmons is the best
The man and his ideas have done more to help me get strong then another. This book is his ideas in a basic, easy to understand format, but you have to bust your ass for it to pay... Read more
Published 8 months ago by tom young
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of useful information
You remember those college lectures that went so fast and had so much information that you had a hard time keeping up? Well, here it is in book form. Read more
Published 11 months ago by paleonow
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best ever
Louise Simmons really out does himself. This book and his others are fantastic. If you can't get strong and powerful you are not following the system. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Thorpeman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book!!
This book rocks, plain and simple!! Now it is written with the powerlifter in mind (Bench, Squat and Dead Lift), but it wouldn't be difficult to apply these ideas to other lifts or... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Cid
5.0 out of 5 stars
inovative
this book was unbelievable. it added new concepts that are just not in the mainstream of american weightlifting. Read more
Published on December 28, 2010 by jack
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Descriptions but Light on the Pictures
Louie Simmons knows his stuff. If you are going to do any strength training at all and you are not using at least a modified version of West Side, you are probably fooling... Read more
Published on February 20, 2009 by Samuel Clements
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