In earlier visits I have witnessed the entertaining ball-busting of Dave Tate, goading the walking house Mike Ruggiero between sets, much like matadors stab an enraged bull before entering the arena. I have seen lifters whose photos I had yet to see in Powerlifting USA lifting National record breaking poundages IN TRAINING and women squatting and deadlifting weights that would crumbled the spine of men in most other gyms. In each visit to Westside, I have left humbled, inspired and reeducated on all things to do with strength and lifting.
While visiting the gym for an assignment for Flex Magazine (an article called Westside Rules that ran in the March '08 issue), I met Greg Panora, a rising power star that was one of Louie Simmons new iron warriors. In many ways he was similar to Chuck Vogelpohl, but while Chuck was solitary in nature, Greg had a friendly, outgoing nature, balancing modesty and confidence in a way that reminded my of the Great Coan. Like Coan, once Panora “flipped the switch” the friendliness was replaced with a cold, laser-like focus.
On this particular day, one of the many relocated lifters at Westside Vlad Alhazov, the Russian Colossus, was attempting a world record 1,300-pound squat. Not something you see everyday but something you are more likely to witness at Westside Barbell that just about anywhere else. As many of you may know, that lift took a catastrophic turn, with the soft tissues of Vlad’s leg giving way to the straining barbell and gravity putting both his career and that of his spotters in jeopardy. You can read that story here:
http://www.rxmuscle.com/articles/nutrition/297-iron-subculture-part-2.html
As Alhazov was taken off in an ambulance, his knee and future squatting ambitions torn asunder, I turned to 
Greg, curious to see his reaction to what just happened but somewhat self-consciously not wanting to appear overly "journalistic" in a creepy voyeur manner. After all, I was deeply affected by the tragic accident I had just witnessed and my heavy squat sets are a third of Vlad's attempt.
Greg's response to my unasked question was, “We all know what we are getting into when we start this sport.” It was not said with an air of callousness, merely a warrior-like acceptance that not only is there a chance that elite powerlifters may get hurt, but an acceptance that it WILL happen — its merely a matter of making sure that when this does happen, you come back from it and more importantly, that the fear of this type of injury never keeps you from making progressively more challenging attempts.
Later, over steak and eggs, Greg continued, “The heavier the weights you put up, the more chance there is for an injury, and it sucks, and I hate to watch friends go down, but you know that’s part of it. If you have a problem with that, there’s always golf!”
This speaks to the very core of why Greg Panora is a great powerlifter. Greg goes on, “I just want to win more than anybody else. I’ll do whatever I have to do to win. I will tear muscles off to win. If I’m in the hole with a squat and it starts to get hard, I can always fight through that weight. I just grind it out.”
This bulldog attitude made Greg grind out a best geared total of 2,630 pounds in the 242-class. His best individual lifts are amazing -— 1,060-pound squat, 800-pound bench and 815-pound deadlift. At 28, and just hitting his stride, expect to see Greg regularly upping these numbers!
“When I first I got all the Westside videos, I watched them repeatedly until they broke. Not a single one of them still works. A few years later, when I finished college, had met a girl and had a good job, I called the man, Louie Simmons and gave him my practiced spiel, asking him if I could come and train at Westside.”
Louie immediately replied in the affirmative, “Sure, but only if you want to be the best in the world!” Greg adds, “I was nervous as hell the first time I walked into Westside. You have to understand that Westside is aggressive. If you are in Westside you had better be ready to compete, and I’m not talking about contests, I’m talking about that day -— lots of big dudes with lots of testosterone. It all makes for a hell of an 
aggressive team!”
Now, after years of heavy box squats and cutting-edge instruction from Simmons (the strength world’s most successful coach), Greg is poised are one of the best lifters currently competing.
How does he do it? Greg splits his training between maximal effort, dynamic effort and repeat effort sets. Maximal effort sets are heavy low (one to three) rep sets to get used to contracting under very high tension.
To train the nervous system for explosiveness, Greg uses dynamic effort sets. Dynamic effort sets involve loading the bar to 45-60% of his one-rep max and applying maximal force to the bar.
Repeat effort sets are higher rep sets (six or more) to develop muscle size and strength, using accessory exercises. These are exercises like seated dumbbell presses, bent rows and triceps pushdowns to strengthen assistance muscles.
The training template is based on four main workouts a week; two focusing primarily on the upper body muscles important in benching and two on muscles used in squats and deadlifts. One of each of these is devoted to maximum one-rep effort, while the other, three days later, is a dynamic, speed day.
Greg pushes with extra sessions in order to tolerate greater volume and intensity. His extra workouts may include pulling a weighted sled at various loads and for varying distances, reverse hyperextensions and higher rep assistance exercise sets to flush blood into weak or sore muscle groups, including things like 25-rep triceps pushdowns.
Greg uses bands and chains for accommodating resistance. The jump stretch bands that Greg uses provides up to 200-pounds of resistance. Bands provide additional benefits that chains lack. Whereas one has to decelerate at the top of a squat to slow it, with bands, lifters can drive up with maximal force at the end and not be limited by leverage-gained inertia. The band provides ongoing elastic stretch resistance.
Greg doe
s his deadlifts with 600 pounds (in plates) and 200 pounds of band tension (at the top). He squats with 710 pounds (plates) and 500 pounds of band tension!
Even so, despite bands, chains and monster squat Monoliths, the secret of Westside Barbell’s and Greg’s success is passion. With such passion in the Westside torture chamber, this new champion, Greg Panora will continue to collect trophies and forge his powerlifting legacy!
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