Opt for Maximum Effort Training in Westside Barbell Style

In our earlier blog posts, we have discussed in details about the different exercises that are performed at Westside Barbell as part of the squat training routine. To make things clearer, in today’s post we will be providing a sample of the ideal exercise routine of day 1 (Maximum Effort Training).



Good Mornings with Safety Square Bar- Start warming up with the bar and keep on adding weight. Remember that most of the reps per set should be around three. Once you become tired, you can switch to singles.

Glute Ham Raises- It is recommended to do multiple sets (around five). Repetitions can either be lighter sets to failure or heavy five's.

Reverse Hyper- While using reverse hyper, opt for 4-5 sets of heavy weight sets of five. Alternatively, you can also go for 3 sets of lighter weight sets ranging from 10-15.

Pull Down ABS- For Pull Down ABS, there are no fixed rules with regard to reps or count sets. However, you should aim to do at least 6-8 sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Pre-habitation- Pre-habitation workouts aim to enhance the work capacity and train stabilizing muscles so that injuries can be avoided. These exercises consist of dragging, lat work, reverse curls and all those workouts that are usually considered unnecessary by most people. Pre-habitation exercises will hardly take 20 minutes.

Nutrition- After you complete the exercises on day 1, you can opt for a post-workout meal. It may include fruits, chicken or vegetable sandwich, a glass of milk or protein shakes. Keep yourself well hydrated throughout the squat training session and have at least 2-3 cups of water post workout.

We provided a rough sample of the squat training that should be performed on Day 1. You can always modify this routine according to your preferences and strength.

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Relish Good Health with Opticen

In one of our earlier blog post, we had highlighted the importance of a useful health supplement – AtLarge Nutrition’s Results. Today we will be discussing another fitness supplement that is loaded with a number of beneficial properties.



Opticen is hardly the ordinary and a regular health supplement. Makers of Opticen have performed painstaking research to make it a high quality post-workout supplementation and an impressive meal replacement product. The fact, which makes Opticen special, is that while most PWO (post-workout) supplements are loaded with carbohydrates and proteins, this health supplement also contains fats. Many people have the wrong notion that fats in a PWO supplement weaken the impact of carbohydrate and protein ingestion. In fact, research studies have proved that PWO, which includes fats, is the most effective.

Dietary fats provide support to circulating testosterone levels and makers of Opticen have included it in the product so that it enables the user to relish complete hormonal support. Apart from fats, Opticen protein complex has been loaded with milk and whey protein isolates, isolated casein peptides, instantized egg albumin etc. All these different forms of protein have various absorption rates and this, in turn, helps in the promotion of enhanced net retention. This means that greater amount of amino acids are available for growth of the muscles.

To be more specific, every serving of this beneficial health supplement contains 40g of protein, 8g of fats, 35g of carbohydrates and 26 key minerals and vitamins that makes it an ideal PWO supplement. In fact, Opticen is also ideal for people who lead a busy lifestyle and do not have the time to take a regular meal. Place three scoops of Opticen in the mixer, shake it well and you can get a nutritious, satisfying, tasty and yet healthy meal.

Start living healthy with Opticen!

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Opt for Smart Snacking

Smart snacking is an essential aspect of a wholesome diet. Unfortunately, many people have the wrong notion that all snacks are loaded with calories and consuming them can interfere with one’s diet loss plans. However, fact remains is that there are many snacks that are healthy, fulfilling and at the same time provide loads of energy. We provide information about few such nutritious snacks.



• Whole-grain snacks such as whole-grain pretzels, low fat whole-grain crisp breads are rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber. They satisfy the craving for hunger and make you feel energetic.

• Low fat popcorn is another healthy snack that has loads of fiber and is easy to store.

• All those who are looking for some smart snacking can also opt for low-calorie dairy products such as cottage cheese, plain yogurt etc. These products are good sources of calcium, protein, along with other essential minerals and vitamins. However, stress on the low-fat options. Some yogurts have added sugar, so be careful in choosing them.

• Healthy snacks also include unsalted and roasted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios. All these nuts are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and protein. Walnuts, especially, are an ideal source of omega-3 fatty acids (which are known to enhance brain health and provide prevention against cancer and heart diseases).

• Dark chocolate as a healthy snack may raise few eyebrows, but the fact remains that it is can help one to reduce the blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Apart from the health benefits, dark chocolate is also known to improve the mood and provides a feel-good factor. However, remember that one serving of dark chocolate contains more calories as compared to other snacks described above. So do not go overboard with it and limit yourself to three or four small squares of the chocolate.

It is important to remember that the market is loaded with both healthy and high-calorie snacks. Do a little research about the snack that you are going to include in your diet and get ready to be healthy and fit.

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Powerlifting Supplements

Supplements are great options for gaining lean muscle mass; some of them are specially designed for the powerlifters and aid in the strength-training program. For example, MAXIMUS – it is specifically designed for serious lifters and sports people to help them get HUGE. The Protein Matrix of MAXIMUS includes isolated casein peptides, whey protein concentrate, glutamine peptides, whey protein isolates, instantized egg albumin and milk protein isolates and gives great result with proper strength training programs.



Protein Matrix is one of the best sources of fuel to gain massive growth that most of the bodybuilders and powerlifters need. It provides essential energy nutrition and support muscle growth. This protein shake includes Microlactin, a special protein that helps in exerting powerful ergogenic effects on one’s body. Many powerlifters face the problem of delayed onset muscular soreness. Microlactin can reduce this problem and at the same time improve recovery dramatically.



MAXIMUS is known to have Inulin, a fructan that can produce numerous health benefits including enhanced absorption of specific minerals and enhanced immune function. In addition, it can lower serum triglycerides and promote nitrogen balance.

A single serve of MAXIMUS Protein Matrix mixed in 300ml low-fat milk provides with 43 grams of protein.

The result: Optimal progress in the gym.

Nitrean 4.6 lbs is another powerlifting supplement that can give you an edge over the competition. This supplement won the Men's Health Best Protein Award in 2008 and 2009. One serving of Nitrean provides 24 grams of quality protein and just 1 gram of fat. Better yet, this powerlifting supplement hardly contains any carbohydrates. Nitrean contains isolates, concentrate, and hydrolyzed whey protein, egg proteins, and casein. In fact, this supplement is known to provide the amino acid spike that powerlifters and serious sports people need just after a workout.

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