Dynamic-Effort Day at Westside Barbell Part 4

In Part 4 of the Dynamic-Effort series, Westside Barbell’s Louie Simmons hits the rack for pin pulls against 250 lb. of band tension.

Simmons, 64, is doing 3 reps for 10 sets with 225 lb. loaded on the bar, and he’s going every 30 seconds—at least until he decides that’s too much rest.

The key to the movement is generating speed as fast as possible. Pull quickly and you’ll “outrun” the increasing bad tension at the top. Pull slowly and you’ll be faced with a grinding, difficult lockout.

“Lou’s the first guy in the gym and the last to leave,” narrator Brandon Lilly says of the man who’s been an elite lifter for decades.

“That was hard, but that’s the way it’s gotta be,” Simmons says after his sets. “To master kung fu, the training must be severe.”

Finally, the athletes finish with accessory work including multiple sets on the reverse hyper and the abs.

As for the rep scheme, Simmons goes by feeling rather than number.

“I let my legs count,” he says.

7min 16sec

Additional reading: CrossFit Strength Training by Louie Simmons, published Feb. 1, 2011.

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