Jason,
I'm getting into the Westside methods after years of bodybuilding methods. I'm pretty comfortable with the layout with the exception of one thing. On your ME days, do you ever add chains or bands, or just straight weight? I know the DE days are based on percentages of weight plus chains/bands but wasn't for sure about ME days. Also, how often do you rotate ME exercises? I usually always progress at least for two weeks before tapering off, but just wanted to hear how someone who is seasoned with these principles approaches this. Thanks for your insight, STAY INTENSE BROTHER!AHHRRRR!!!!!!!
Honestly, on the ME days you can do whatever you want. Sometimes we will do bands, chains, or both, and other times we will use just straight weight. If you have them available, they are nice, but thousands of men have gotten brutally strong without them for a couple hundred years. Would I recommend them? Undoubtedly, yes. But theyre definitely not an end all, thats for sure. If youre going to use them, there are also a assload of different ways you can use both the bands and the chains. Some days we will use stupid amounts of band tension and littlew bar weight. Other days its just the opposite. We might work up to a moderately heavy weight on the bar, and just add a set of chains at a time until everyone is done. Your imagination is the limit as far as that aspect goes. So long as you are straining hard on your ME days, thats all that really matters in the end.
As far as exercise rotation, If youre progressing for two weeks before tapering, then stick with it. Like those unoriginal guys say, if it aint broke.... In all honesty, I think that I could still make gains using 2-3 weeks of the same exercise, but the guys that I train with dont like to do it, so I dont. Any more questions, feel free to ask.
Jason
