ME SOHP/DE Pull-ups

Upper body warm-up

ME Seated Overhead Press:
1x8 45lbs (empty bar)
1x5 65lbs
1x5 95lbs
1x3 115lbs
3x5 105lbs

DE Pull-ups:
6x4 BW to chest

Horizontal Press:
3x8 2x60lbs DB bench

Horizontal Pull:
3x6 2x60lbs DB bent-over row
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You may take notice that this format is quite different from the standard WS4SB format that I've been following. I came to realize that DeFranco's reason for supersetting the shoulder movements is because of his own anatomical shortcoming (he explains in a 2006 "Ask Joe" entry). I'd known this for awhile, but went with it anyway, partially in fear of my own shoulder calamity. But I came to realize that the press is just too valuable to NOT do.

It was also around this time that I figured out that there are four main upper body movements to be trained: vertical press, vertical pull, horizontal press, and horizontal pull. Another thing I found distasteful about the Westside program is that while it works really well for the general athlete, I would lose the "groove" of certain lifts during the cycles where I wouldn't be doing them in any variation. So I took a page from Eric Cressey.. Train ALL the movements, but don't go heavy on all of them.

I have it set up now that there are still two ME days a week, but also two RE days. At the same time, following the ME/RE of any lift will be the dynamic lift of the antagonist movement. Like Westside, it is still conjugated and variations are switched regularly, but this also means that my pull-ups will not falter and I won't lose the technical mastery over the lifts.

When it comes right down to it, I've really just made my program much simpler than it was before. I'm starting to realize that complication isn't going to get me anywhere. All those supersets did very little for my shoulders, but a heavy press could very well remedy that.