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It was late 1969, and the Culver City, CA, Westside boys were writing an article called Conditioned Legs Break Record Squat. Well it's as true today as it was back then. Here at the Columbus Westside Barbell, we have held world records at 181, 220, 242, 275, 308, and SHW in the squat or total. Westside has a variety of leg exercises that we choose from. Everyone knows we box squat all the time, but what do we do to supplement leg strength or to complement our hip strength? First, belt squats.

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When I started competing in power lifting in 2003, I was a svelte — even scrawny — but lean 217 lbs. People thought I was lifting in the 198s because I always looked lighter than I actually weighed. As the years passed, so did the weight classes. By 2005, after fewer than two years of competing, I started to hit what was, for me, some good numbers. My bodyweight climbed to a stouter (and more suiting for my height at 5 feet, 10 inches) bodyweight of about 235 to 237 lbs. My squat went from 705 lbs. to a respectable 925 lbs., bench to 556 lbs.

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The log press is a staple event in most Strongman contests and is a critical event to master in order to obtain top results. It is a movement that must be trained consistently to reach peak performance. Some of the best bench pressers and Olympic lifters have been humbled the first time they attempted a log press. The movement requires precise technique, overhead strength and repetition to hit big numbers. In this article I will go through the basics to explain the log press, and offer some tips on how to improve results.

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All too often, powerlifters trying to make weight sacrifice their strength by dieting away hard-earned muscle along with body fat.

It’s no wonder, considering all the fad diets and cardio programs that somehow make their way into the weight loss programs of elite athletes who depend on strength and power.

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Pain.

Everyone experiences it.

But I seem to experience more pain than the average person.

Yes, there is the blood, sweat, and tears. I feel that pain on a daily basis. Not being able to catch your breath after a set, dropping your last meal on the squat rack, knees aching so bad you can’t sleep—physical pain is nothing I can’t bear.

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Every bodybuilder/strength athlete has been told that during reduced calorie periods such as the precontest phase, they should take Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) multiple times a day to sustain muscle growth and prevent catabolism of muscle. The three BCAA—L-Leucine, L-Valine, and L-Isoleucine—have been heavily researched as a preventative, even therapeutic, measure to combat muscle-wasting diseases. 

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Written by: WBFF Diva Bikini Model Jaylie Nicoll

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General physical preparedness (GPP) is a term that refers to a degree of fitness, which is an extension of absolute strength. Many don't believe in it at all. Here, I am referring to the people who say if you want to be good at the powerlifts, just practice the powerlifts. Of course, this leads others to say that powerlifters are out of shape, and the above-mentioned group is.

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Fred Boldt moved from Buffalo, NY, in October 2001 to Columbus to train at Westside Barbell. His bench press was 400 in the 165-pound class and had been stuck there for a year. After training at Westside for 10 months, Fred pushed his official bench up to 495.