Joe DeMarco, Original West Side Barbell

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Sitting on a foam cube and Wendel's method of " freezing " on the box are tools in

one tool box of training movements. However, neither developes the stretch

reflex. Any type of pause dampens the stretch reflex.

" Research by et. al. (1990) examined different delay times in the bench

press and showed that the benefits of prior stretch may endure for as long as 4

seconds, at which point it is suggested that all stored elastic energy is lost.

This could lead one to believe that there is full retention of a stretch reflex

if the amortization phase is 4 seconds or less. However, the stretch reflex

begins to dissolve immediately. Even a short pause will negate the stretch

reflex. Additional research indicates that " delays as short as .02 seconds are

sufficient to dissipate the benefits of prior stretch " , with up to 50% of the

stretch reflex being lost in one second. (Siff and Verkhoshansky, 1998).

Therefore, it can be concluded that the longer the pause, the less powerful the

contraction.? To put it simply, the longer it sits, the heavier it gets. "

http://www.strengthcats.com/KCsquattingarticle.htm

With that said, some type plyometric movement need to be employed in training

the squat to develop the stretch reflex. There are a variety of exercises that

can accomplish this.

As for some of DeMarco's other exercises, Jeff Aguirre (Jeffaguirre3@...) is

your best source. Jeff trains with DeMarco.

Kenny Croxdale

Orange, CA

Re: Joe DeMarco, Original West Side Barbell--Bench

Width For Bench Press

Hi Kenny,

You can't leave it at that! What are the other

innovative ideas that DeMarco had?

I've been lucky enough to train at Westside and spend

a lot of time talking to Louie; he speaks very highly

of the original Westside Barbell.

On the Box Squat Jim Wendler (former Westside lifter)

gets trainees to freeze on the box before exploding up

pushing through the heels (which is pretty much the

way I train my clients).

As of May this year the lifters at Westside were

sitting back quite a way which causes some rocking.

Most of them were also doing their Box Squats sitting

into a foam cube which I felt really took away a lot

of the stretch reflex.

All good stuff.

Regards

Young

London, UK

--- KennyCrox@... wrote:

> Joe DeMarco is one of the original West Side Barbell

> Club members.DeMarco along with Bill " Peanuts " West

> and Frenn were the pioneers of the box squat.

>

> I visited with DeMarco at a club where he trains in

> San Pedro, CA. DeMarco had some interesting thoughts

> on the width of the bench press, as well as other

> training methods.

>

> DeMarco makes an interesting case for increasing the

> width on the bench press. As per DeMarco, doing so

> would provide more support for the shoulders as well

> as increasing the bench press records.

>

> DeMarco also stated that a heavyweight such as

> Kennelly bench pressing on the current bench is

> equivalent to a lighter lifter benching on a 2 X 4

> board. While a bit of an exaggeration, it makes a

> point.

>

> DeMarco said the original West Side Barbell Club

> often trained on a wider bench. Jeff Aguirre, one of

> the lifters DeMarco trains, make just such device.

> It a wide padded board that is placed on regular

> bench press for training.

>

> This method is very similar to the floor bench press

> method advoated by . However,greater poundage

> can be utilized with DeMarco's method because one is

> able to generate more leg drive.

>

> In visiting with DeMarco, I also got a class in box

> squatting. The original West Side Box Squat is a bit

> different from 's version.

>

> The original West Side Box Squat involves sitting

> and then rocking back on the box. One then, rocks

> forward. As one rocks forward, one liff their heels

> in the air. Then the lifter drives their heals into

> the floor as they begins to ascend.

>

> Driving one's heals into the floor really generates

> some force in coming off the box.

>

> DeMarco had some other innovative and thought

> pondering movements.

>

> Kenny Croxdale

> Orange, CA

>

>