The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban

The following is a 16 week squat program for the intermediate lifter. It is based on a 500 lb. squat in your last meet. The goal of this program is to squat 530 to 540 at the end of the 16 weeks. An improvement of 30 to 40 lbs. would be the maximum you would expect. A 20 lb. improvement would be considered good.

When Mike Lambert asked me to do this article he wanted me to include my drug free lifting experiences. I have found drug free lifting to be a completely different ball game. When I trained with drugs I could plan my training well in advance and pretty much follow that plan. Without drugs the daily and weekly fluctuations in strength are much greater, and it is difficult to follow an exact plan.

Drug free you must be able to adjust our workouts to compensate for these fluctuations. When your strength level is up you should go heavy, and when it is down you will have to back off. The differences I have encountered are too numerous to include in this type of article. If there is enough interest I would be happy to relate them if future articles.

Let's get back to planning our squat workout for the next 16 weeks. Since I am not taking drugs into consideration, you must be able to adjust when necessary.

The bench or box squat will be the key exercise for the first 8 weeks. The bench or box squat is a favorite exercise of some or the all time great squatters. I used this exercise early in my career and had great success with it.

Box squats can be done with boxes or benches of different heights. Touch and go, or dead stop can be used. I recommend tough and go. Box squats isolate the thighs because they are done with a close stance.

For this routine use a close stance on the box regardless of what your normal squat stance is.

High repetitions with very heavy weights are the best way to do box squats. The advantage of box squats over other thigh isolating exercises is that a poundage equal to or greater than a lifter's maximum single can be used for high repetitions.

My use of the box squat is a little different than others. I recommend a rep scheme as follows:

Warmup - 10-8-6-5

Work set - 1 set of 20

The box or bench should be slightly higher than parallel.

The box squats will be done on your heavy day and all squatting equipment will be worn. The final set of 20 must really tax you. When you finish that set you well be unable to do another.

This squat program is a two day per week program, using Monday and Thursday.

FIRST 8 WEEKS

Every Squat Day: Calf Raises - 3 x 15.

Week 1, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 450 x 6, 475 x 5, 500 x 20.

Week 1, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 420 x 4, 430 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 2, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 455 x 6, 480 x 5, 505 x 20.

Week 2, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 420 x 4, 430 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 3, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 460 x 6, 485 x 5, 510 x 20.

Week 3, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 420 x 4, 430 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 4, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 460 x 6, 490 x 5, 515 x 20.

Week 4, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 4, 435 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 5, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 470 x 6, 495 x 5, 520 x 20.

Week 5, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 4, 435 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 6, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 475 x 6, 500 x 5, 525 x 20.

Week 6, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 4, 435 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 7, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 475 x 6, 505 x 5, 530 x 20.

Week 7, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 430 x 4, 440 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

Week 8, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.

Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 475 x 6, 510 x 5, 535 x 20.

Week 8, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 430 x 4, 440 x 4 x 2 sets.

Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.

Leg Curl - 3 x 10.

NOTE:

You have now done 20 reps with the same weight you will single with at the end of the next 8 weeks.

SECOND EIGHT WEEKS

Week 9, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 3, 450 x 3 x 3 sets.

Calf Raise: - 3 x 15.

Week 9, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 455 x 2.

Calf Raise - 3 x 15.

Week 10, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 3, 450 x 3, 460 x 3 x 2 sets.

Calf Raise: - 3 x 15.

Week 10, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2.

Calf Raise - 3 x 15.

Week 11, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 430 x 3, 460 x 3, 470 x 3 x 2 sets.

Calf Raise: - 3 x 15.

Week 11, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 470 x 2.

Calf Raise - 3 x 15.

Week 12, Day 1, Single Week:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 1, 495 x 1, 515 x 1

No More Calf Raises.

Week 12, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2.

Week 13, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 480 x 2 x 2 sets.

Week 13, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2, 470 x 2.

Week 14, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 480 x 2, 490 x 2.

Week 14, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2, 475 x 2.

Week 15, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 485 x 2, 500 x 2.

Week 15, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2, 480 x 2.

Week 16, Day 1:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 490 x 2, 510 x 2.

Week 16, Day 2:

Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2.

You are now ready for a 530 to 540 lb. attempt. I would recommend the following:

135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 3, 440 x 1, 480 x 1, 510 x 1, 540 x 1.

Good Luck!

This article was taken from the September 1978 issue of "Northern Power News", a newsletter that came out of Saskatchewan during that era. It was published and edited monthly by Merv Young. I was fortunate enough to get hold of some issues courtesy of Jake Striefel.

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HOURS:
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20ft ROGUE rig for CALISTHENICS; provides 4 squat/ bench stations & flying pull up bars
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climbing rope, rings, plyo boxes, skip ropes
resistance bands, foam rollers, medicine balls
.. and much more!

INCREASING DEADLIFT POUNDAGES

Glenn Spencer (1978)

In training, the deadlift is the most complex exercise powerlifters have to contend with. Contest time brings great satisfaction if you have trained the deadlift correctly and may mean the difference between placing and winning. The simplest of the three lifts and usually the heaviest poses many problems such as body mechanics, technique, training plans, choice of auxiliary exercises and frequency of training, making the deadlift the most intricate exercise to prepare for.

Body mechanics cannot be altered but can be compensated for by a wise choice of auxiliary exercises and training plans. A short torso, long arms and legs are a definite asset, while short legs and arms are a distinct disadvantage. After a very short training period it will be evident if you have favorable leverage. The short man usually has trouble starting the weight but finishes the lift much easier than the taller man.

Technique, a word often applied to deadlifting, seems out of context. Poor technique and faulty style can only frustrate a lifter. The most important factor in deadlifting is to keep the knees unlocked until the head and shoulders are back. Premature locking of the knees places the weight out front and from this position the lift is difficult to complete. Pulling the bar as close to the legs as possible with a coordinated back and leg effort will produce a higher deadlift.

The deadlift lends itself well to a lifter with good concentration. In the squat and bench the weight is upon the lifter and he is at a psychological disadvantage, while in the deadlift the bar is in a more favorable position and lends itself well to a good psyche.

In planning a good deadlift routine, the first thing to consider is the squat. It is very difficult to improve both lifts simultaneously [drug free]. Restrain from doing high reps in the deadlift as this fatigues the back quickly when combined with a heavy leg routine.

Auxiliary exercises for the deadlift are a must during conditioning periods. The exercises I have found most beneficial are Deadlifts While Standing on Boxes [deficit deads], Good Mornings, Hyperextensions, Ab Work with Weight, Shrugs, and Power Cleans. Good trapezius muscles are an asset but are secondary to spinal erector muscles.

Training can be enjoyable as I believe maximum weights do not have to be handled often.

Training three months before a contest would consist of one month conditioning where lighter reps and more auxiliary exercises are employed.

The second month would find the auxiliary exercises cut down. You would do deadlifts standing on boxes, and a couple of sets of good mornings for a pump.

The third month you would try to improve your maximum lift every nine days. All auxiliary exercises would be eliminated during this period.

This should give you a 30 to 40 pound increase on your best previous deadlift.

The reps and sets I use are as follows.

Warmup -
4 x 5 reps, 1 x 3 reps.
3 x 2 reps or 3 single reps. Heavy sets, usually fixed weights (same weight for all 3 sets).
3 x 3 reps, standing on boxes.

The conditioning period is the easiest to overtrain.

When your back is stiff the morning after a heavy workout you should make your next deadlift workout light. Twice weekly workouts consisting of one heavy and one light workout will produce favorable results.

When doing reps in the deadlift it is very important not to touch the floor with the weight. The weight should be stopped one-half to one inch from the floor and lifted again. It is very important to work the back in both directions. The lowering portion in training can be used to your benefit. The grip is also greatly affected in this manner of deadlifting. Deadlifts done standing on boxes should also be done in this manner.

This method has worked well for me and the fellows I have trained with. Try not to overtrain, condition the back for the exhausting situation that meets put on the powerlifter. Adding endurance to your lifting will produce a finer lifter.

Good lifting with those heavier weights!

Bill West Using the Touch System with Charles Collras

Larry Pacifico Don Reinhoudt

This is a bench routine given to the author by Bill "Peanuts" West in October of 1966.

As long as I can remember I have enjoyed doing the bench press, regardless if my maximum was 135 pounds (which it was at one time) or 400 pounds. All psychologists will tell you that your performance on a task is proportional to your enjoyment of doing that task. This factor will be very important after you have been training a good many years.

A common mistake, which we all make, is to try and copy a training routine which someone else has used successfully. The problem is that as you look at what that person is doing today, you tend to forget that the source of the success was established quite a few routines before.

The best routine I have ever found was given to me by Bill West in October, 1966. The rep routine was:

10, 8, 6, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1 (singles, with the same weight used for each).

This routine would be followed twice a week, with a light bench press routine thrown in, in the middle of the week. The key to this routine rests in finding a poundage that you can do for singles. I would suggest that you start with a poundage at which you can ordinarily do 5 reps. From here, you should add 5 pounds every workout, until you hit a point where you can't advance and still do the five singles with a constant poundage. At this point you should switch to workouts alternated between light and maximum in which you try continuously increasing single attempts. The reps would be as follows, with the single being the maximum:

10, 8, 6, 3, 1, plus one set of 10 reps with a light weight to finish off.

This routine should allow you 6 to 8 workouts in which you would attempt limit poundages. A short layoff, two workouts should follow. Bu following this workout and switching the bench press to the first exercise in your workouts, a 2- to 25 pound improvement would be reasonable.

I strongly feel that when you are training for a heavy bench press, you should not do any other exercises which put pressure on the shoulders, specifically dips, and presses behind the neck. Personally I favor a 28 inch grip, as it seems the grip which hurts the shoulders the least and still gives lockout power. Note:

I believe Mr. Hanee reincarnated under the name Paul Carter at a later date. Speaking of which, if you're a raw bencher looking for some very sound advice on getting bigger numbers, check this three part series out. I still can't believe how much it's helped me, and continues to help me, especially with my setup. Really, after hours of video tutorials and piles of pages on setting up and implementing the upper back in your bench, this did the trick and still does, for me anyhow. Here, go nuts:

http://www.lift-run-bang.com/2011/11/developing-your-raw-bench-part-1.html

http://www.lift-run-bang.com/2011/12/developing-your-raw-bench-part-2.html

http://www.lift-run-bang.com/2011/12/developing-your-raw-bench-part-3.html

Continuing with the article:

Generally, most people don't set themselves solidly enough on the bench. With a solid but sane back arch, proper foot stance and correct use of the upper back musculature, you should be able to bench 20 pounds more than you would with a weak position.

The finest bench press I've ever witnessed was a 550 by Mel Hennessey, at under 250 pounds bodyweight. This lift impressed me so much because it was done in a rigid manner, the position at the chest being so strong that it appeared he could have maintained that position for 10 seconds or more.

Pardon me?

Did someone out there just say pause bench presses?

My hearing ain't really what it used to be.

Ed Coan

Doug Hepburn

Oliver Sacks
"On the Move" by Oliver Sacks
When Oliver Sacks was twelve years old, a perceptive schoolmaster wrote in his report:
“Sacks will go far, if he does not go too far.”
Book:
http://www.oliversacks.com/books-by-oliver-sacks/on-the-move/

Jess Woods

HIGHER SQUAT NUMBERS
by Glenn Spencer (1979)

I believe the squat is the most beneficial exercise that you can do in the weight room. In our gym, the squat is trained seriously by only a few fellows, and not everyone wants a high squat poundage (say What?), but leg and back strength seems to come second to concentration curls and side bends. Leg work should, of course, be done by everyone.

To develop a good squat you don't have to do endless repetitions with a great number of exercises. All you have to do is squat twice a week, once heavy (10 sets, of which 15 of the reps should be fairly heavy), and once lighter (40 lbs. less than your best maximum, as well as doing more reps). Try to practice going deeper than parallel on your lighter day.

The heavy day should consist of doubles, triples, or singles. It is on this day that you should try to improve either the weight used or the reps. It is easier to improve the reps than the weight.

I like using fixed weights. For example:

- 3 to 5 warmups sets, reps not too high (more warmups are needed as you become a stronger squatter)

- 3 heavy work sets (3 singles or 3 deuces)

- 3 sets of 3 reps with the same weight. A 400 lb. squatter might use 335. A weight should be used that you can do for 5 reps and they will be heavy because of the 3 previous heavy sets.

Style, your technique, is almost as important as squatting twice a week. Some fellows have naturally good leverage in this lift. Something should be mentioned about body structure.

Short femur thigh bones with long tibia calf bones and medium spine lengths are perfect for heavy squats, while long thighs are definitely a disadvantage. For the lifter with short thighs it doesn't make too much difference where he places the bar on his back. Other lifters should place the bar as low as legally permitted on the back [rules as of 1979 are being referred to here]. This allows you to take advantage of hip and back drive which makes the big squat.

Squat stance is another factor to consider. A lifter with large hip bones should use a wide stance. For a narrow stance, the feet should be pointing straight ahead and the wider the stance, the more the toes should be pointing out. The thighs should go down in a line with the foot and no twist on the knee.

IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIND THE BEST STYLE SUITED TO YOUR STRUCTURE.

Some of you may wonder why working out three times a week wouldn't be beneficial. Well, with one workout heavy and done properly, even your light day feels poor! The legs, being some of the largest muscles in the body, don't recuperate that fast, IF YOU ARE WORKING HARD ENOUGH ON THE HEAVY DAY.

Assistance exercises are beneficial in working sticking points or bringing underdeveloped body parts of the leg up to par. Experiment and find what works for you!

Remember . . . drop a couple of exercises from your overworked shoulder and arm routines and add squats instead. And always, SQUAT WITH ENTHUSIASM!

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BREAKING STICKING POINTS
And Sample Routines

We now come to what is probably the most complicated of all arm training problems. Complicated, yes, and usually merely touched on by writers in the field. To make the truth known, not one writer in a hundred really knows how to instruct you in breaking your sticking point. Happily, I do. And that I propose to do right now.

To begin with, you must realize that there is a CAUSE behind every sticking point. They do not merely develop. THE BODYBUILDER PRODUCES THEM! And -- only when he removes the cause, will he make improvement again. Therefore, let us deal with causes and then the correction will be self-evident.

Incorrect training, the wrong selection of exercises, the improper sequence in your workout can all produce sticking points. Therefore, if you are suffering from an arm sticking point, your first plan of attack is to make certain that you are following the basic principles as outlined so far. If you are, then let's investigate further.

The energy factor is a real consideration. Unless you are training for an increase in definition, your muscles and for that matter your entire body must feel fresh and strong at the start of each arm workout. Not only your body, but your entire state of mind and overall physical approach must be one of buoyant good feeling. If you are tired, listless, can't extend yourself fully each training day, then you are doing too much exercise and not getting enough rest. The solution is to cut down your routine until you hit the balance between energy and time required for full recuperation.

If you feel strong and full of energy each workout, and still fail to make gains, then the opposite of the above is likely true. You ARE NOT extending yourself enough each workout. You are doing too little work and resting too much. The solution lies in gradually increasing your work load, by using heavier weights, performing more sets, or even frequency of training, until you start registering arm gains again. Do not overdo the step-up in exercise. Take it easy and increase gradually. But if under-work is the cause, you will soon overcome that and your arms will start growing again.

A static training approach can also cause a sticking point. If you do the same exercises week after week, month after month, you grow mentally, if not physically bored by the routine. A change in exercise diet may be all you need to make improvement again.

Or -- if you have been handling the same poundages in exercises, then increasing them, even if you have to grit your teeth and force out the repetitions could be the whole answer.

Also belonging under the "static approach" heading is training on a fixed repetition and poundage schedule. By this I meant that the bodybuilder sets up a chart, and on it he lists the various exercises. On Monday he performs each exercise a certain number of repetitions with a certain weight. Wednesday he may increase the repetitions by one. Friday is the same -- another increase in the repetitions. After he reaches a certain number of repetitions he increases the poundage slightly, drops back to a lower number of repetitions and then little by little works up again. THIS IS DECADENT TRAINING! It doesn't make sense.

It is only right that some days you will feel stronger and others weaker. Learn to recognize your good days as well as your bad ones. On good days, use heavier weights, perform a few more repetitions or even a few more sets. On bad days, take it easy. In other words, learn to adjust your training to your energy level on any specific workout and NOT by any chart you and anyone else may have made up.

Your general aim in bodybuilding should be to use heavier and heavier weights in all exercises. Increase the poundages used whenever you feel you can handle more. Don't try to follow any fixed pattern in this. Don't follow any charts. Use only yourself as a guide. The stronger you get, the more weight you use. The better you fell, even if for only one workout, the heavier your weights. That's the one and only rule concerning weight increases, you are to follow. And more sticking points have come about by bodybuilders trying to conform to a fixed schedule of poundages and repetitions than all other reasons combined. So discard that idea at once.

This same is true of frequency of training. Training 3 times a week on any specific body part seems to fit most bodybuilders best. But -- there have been and will be some who have and will make fine progress training only once a week. Others hit their stride when they train every day. You can't learn this in any book, this one included. You must experiment yourself. But just because one man man trains in one way and achieves success is no criterion that this will work the same for you. It may, and if a test proves that it does, then fine. But if it doesn't, then alter your frequency of training until you hit the one that suits you best.

Temperament in training and basic physical type are also conditions which must be examined. Some bodybuilders, by temperament cannot adhere to basic principles, as such, and still improve. They are the exceptions, but some top level men do belong in this group.

As examples, Steve Reeves bulks up best when he performs a wide variety of exercises. He does not respond to the basic bulk principle of only a few exercises. By nature, he loves excitement -- change of any sort. This can be backed up by the many different jobs he has held in his life up to the present. He has worked in 20 or more different jobs during the past 10 years, many of them radically different from the others, and he thrives on such constant change. Of course, he does follow rather low repetitions and other basic bulk principles in his training, but he performs many different exercises. A sample routine would be one set each, about 8 repetitions a set of the following: Cheat barbell curl; Seated barbell curl; clean curl; Alternate dumbbell curl; Zeller curl; and Shoulder level curl. This would be 6 different exercises for the biceps alone. Then he would do the same thing for the triceps and for the forearms. However, while he has huge variety in such a workout, his energy output is about the same as another man who performs less exercises, each for more sets. So, except for the variety factor, Steve Reeves does not violate the basic principle of bulk training in his arm workouts.

A different type and temperament is Leo Roberts. Leo had only two jobs in his life before he opened his bodybuilding studio on Montreal a few years back. He likes an orderly pattern of life. He enjoys regulation and confusion of any kind is contrary to his make-up. Therefore, it is not unusual for Leo to perform only one arm exercise a routine. Not in power style -- or only 3 to 4 repetitions a set. Rather, he still follows the typical bulk pattern of about 8 repetitions a set and he performs up to 10 sets of an exercise. For a few weeks he may work entirely on his biceps, then for another two weeks entirely on this triceps, and then possibly on his forearms. He feels he can concentrate better this way. He follows a regulated pattern, and this suits him best. Of course, he follows exercises for the rest of his body too, but generally his routine does not contain too much variety, for he prefers less exercises each workout.

Your temperament, therefore, could bring about a sticking point if you train contrary to it. Only you know what your temperament is. But -- you will never reach your best, snap out of a sticking point in training if you don't exercise to conform with your temperament.

Sometimes, to break a sticking point, you must break usual training rules. Generally speaking, rather low repetitions produce bulk on most bodybuilders. However, Reg Park bulks up fast when he performs higher repetitions, about 15 in each exercise. If you have been following all the basic rules and your arms won't grow, then step up the repetitions -- and include such exercises as the Floyd Page curl.

Likewise, if you are training for definition and this does not seem to come, even if you are following all the basic rules, experiment with lower repetitions and include power exercises such as the Jerk and the power press out in your routines. Power and bulk movements generally produce bulk, but if you are of an unusual type, they may give you better definition.

There are other methods you can experiment with in breaking a sticking point too. You can try the super sets method of training, which is slightly contrary to the basic principle for bulk, but which does seem to work remarkably well in many stubborn cases.

To do this you alternate sets of two exercises, such as a biceps and triceps movement. As an example, you would perform one set of the cheat barbell curl, and then immediately following this you would perform a set of the lying triceps curl. Then you go back to the barbell curl, back once more to the triceps curl and so on, alternating between the two until you have performed 3 or more sets of each. Any combination of exercises can be used in this manner and you can follow either the basic principle of bulk or definition, as preferred.

Super Flushing is another method you can use. It is best used for only one part, such as the biceps or the triceps. You select 6 different exercises for the one part and arrange them in any order you like. As an example, let us use the first 6 barbell biceps exercises, which are the Barbell Curl; Seated Barbell Curl; Incline Bench Curl; Standing Incline Bench Curl; Flat Bench Curl; and Over End of Bench Curl. Now, you do one set of exercise No. 1, two sets of Exercise No. 2, three sets of Exercise No. 3, four sets of Exercise No. 4, five sets of Exercise No. 5, and six sets of Exercise No. 6. That completes that particular workout. You use the number of repetitions each set which conforms with the basic principle you are following. Then, the next workout you start off with Exercise No. 2, and do that for one set, No. 3 is performed for 2 sets, Exercise 4 is performed for three sets and so on until you finally perform Exercise No. 1 for six sets. The next workout you start off with Exercise No. 3 for one set and proceed as indicated and follow the evolving pattern. This ever-changing variety often works miracles on stubborn muscles.

Still another method of breaking a sticking point is to perform only one exercise in the following manner. Let us use the dumbbell curl as an example. You start with your limit weight that you can perform 8 repetitions with. You perform a set with this. Then you drop the weight 5 pounds each bell and perform another 8 repetitions without much rest between the first and second sets. Again you decrease the weight by 5 pounds a bell and once again you don't rest more than a minute or so and you perform another 8 repetitions. You continue this until you reach a very light weight and by that time your arms will really be blown up. All these repetitions are contrary to arm growth, I agree, but sometimes this method works when orthodox training procedures don't.

Another method, once again contrary to normal arm training, which sometimes works when other methods fail is COMPOUND EXERCISES. In this, the bodybuilder would start the first part of the compound exercise with the dumbbell curl, both arms together. However, once he has curled the weights to his shoulders he would then press them above his head in the dumbbell press. The weights are then lowered to the shoulders and finally lowered to the thighs again and the entire procedure is followed again. A whole arm routine can be composed of compound exercises and if other methods have failed this practice might succeed in starting growth in your arms again.

Arm training, therefore, while essentially governed by basic rules, does have its many variations. In this chapter I have brought you many of these. I have given you samples of routines, principles to follow and reasons for exceptions of the standard, when they produce results that normal training does not.

I could not deal with every possibility, but have given you enough information that you will at least have some sensible plan to follow to overcome your own problems.

It will take work. study and possibly experimentation if you are a very stubborn case. But -- you CAN have bigger and better arms, never for once doubt this truth. Be confident -- test the tried and proven methods first. And, if they do not produce results, don't give up. Keep plugging away. You'll be amazed at how such an attitude can turn what seems like hopeless failure into a brilliant success.

http://www.frankzane.com/shop/the-mind-in-bodybuilding/

A BODYBUILDER'S DESIGN FOR LIVING
by Frank Zane (1975)

It is becoming increasingly more popular these days to consider physical training an outlet for aggression. This prescription, like castor oil, makes exercise a kind of purgative, some way to rid the body of clogging, hostile emotions.

When I'm working out, I make it a point not to let negative thoughts take command of my body. When negative thoughts catalyze my training efforts, I find that my development lags.

I have trained myself to work out with a positive attitude. I get a better muscle pump and can generate greater power. No energy is diverted to calm the "savage soul" in me.

I keep my attention centered in my body center of gravity. I'm aware of the movement and position of my body. Equilibrium prevails as instinct takes over.

Instinctive training can generate tremendous power. This power is called "ki" in the Aikido philosophy. by putting attention in this moving-instinctive center known as "hara" a fusion of mind and body takes place.

The phenomenal power generated by the process is illustrated by practicing Aikidoists in a pet exercise known as the "unbendable arm":

- The student extends his arm forward, the fingers straight, the elbows slightly bent. He is then instructed to relax his muscles and to concentrate on a point beyond his extended fingertips, a wall, perhaps, or even a position beyond the wall. Someone will then try to bend his arm. If the student has grasped the idea of "mental extension" and does not resist muscularly, his arm will not bend.

This power becomes available because hostile thoughts and negative emotions were supplanted by an instinctive fusion of mind and body. You don't use exercise as a substitute for kicking your neighbor's dog or speeding ninety miles an hour on the highway. Bad moods distract and weaken you.

There is more to bodybuilding than sets, reps, and supplements. I have found that many people who take up bodybuilding are looking for some philosophy to help them make more sense out of life and themselves. However, they can get lost along the way. The carnate form, the body itself, becomes dominant. Like lost hikers they go around in circles in a directionless way consisting of dogged, dull bombing and blitzing at the gym, and stuffing themselves with protein. A full self-awareness is absent.

Ancient philosophies and teachings have handed down some information that demands a closer look. Much of it seems predicated on the idea of a three-centered awareness. These are:

- the head, or mental center
- the heart, or emotional center; and
- the hara, or physical center.

The head is concerned with thinking and logical reasoning the heart with feeling and emotion, and the hara, a Japanese name for the physical center of gravity situated about two inches below the navel, with body position and movement. The hara is also known as the moving-instinctive center because it instinctively knows how to control the carnate body.

See also here:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2012/03/lifting-in-5th-dimension-part-one.html
to Part 11

And here:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2013/05/not-just-pumping-iron-on-psychology-of.html
to Part 27

How is one able to get each of these three centers to do its job properly? First off, the mind as an instrument must be programmed for thought. Anyone knows that it is impossible to think of two things at once, and how hard it is to think steadily of one thing for very long. Often, emotions manage to get in the way. They have a way of perforating your mental program card with venomous dislikes.

You are kidding yourself when you try to drive dislikes from your mind by hard physical training. The mind has to be cleared, and there's a way of doing it. First, the practice of self-observation becomes necessary. What are your likes and dislikes? Why are you angry? Who is to blame?

The biggest problem we have is that we think too highly of ourselves, and when something goes wrong, it is never our fault. We sit on the altar alongside our God and practice self-justification, when instead we should be kneeling, beseeching greater understanding.

Strive for greater mental control. Try sitting in a chair looking at your watch, thinking, "I am sitting here being aware of looking at my watch." See how long you can do this before your attention drifts to other thoughts. When you find your mind drifting after a few seconds, you can realize how badly you must track when you are attempting to do a set of concentration curls or focusing on driving the bar off your chest dynamically on the bench. We never really concentrate because what we are thinking of reminds us of something similar, and this in turn triggers a new thought, and so on and on. Psychologists call this the "flow of associations."

A common Yoga practice is to concentrate on a point between the eyes, and when the mind wanders, bring it back to attention. A fifteen minute session of this every morning will begin to teach you how to concentrate. Although an involuntary inner urging attempts to send you astray you can reject it by telling yourself, "I will succeed," or "I have unlimited ability." Many groups within Eastern cultures practice "chanting," the repetition of positive emotionally charged words over and over again powerful enough to replace useless associations. In this way the main thought prevails and the mind is locked on its objective. Thus, each task is accomplished fully, first one, then the nest. Completion reigns.

The second center is the heart, or emotional center. People take emotions for granted, often going from one negative state to another. Anger, hatred, resentment, jealousy, worry, fear and grief can drag you down. Negativity eats you away like dry rot. It also consumes energy that is deducted from your training efforts. Furthermore, when you express negative emotions you temporarily lose control over yourself, and it becomes easier for the same negative emotion to re-enter your weakened defenses.

Positive emotion means those feelings in the heart such as joy, love, truthfulness and courage. The body responds to them without resistance, and no energy is lost. In fact, an infusion of force results, and this always shows up as smooth progress in one's training efforts.

Try always to stay positive. Don't let anyone or anything bring you down. Don't become attached to things. Don't be ruled by objects. Search for true happiness which is a feeling that comes from within you.

According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Although this is a physical law, it applies to you when you do something for others unselfishly. The dividend of this kind of action is pure bliss. The secret of high positive emotion lies in giving. As a teacher I get a singular thrill out of showing a novice bodybuilder a new twist in his training even though it means a break in my own intense workout. Giving of time is one of the greatest gifts.

The third center is hara, or physical center. Since the body is something we can see and touch, it is essential that we bring it under control. People judge us by our physical appearance because this is what we must first show them. The beginning of any communication you have with anyone, in many cases, depends on how they regard you physically. A perfectly developed and healthy body opens the door to fulfilling contact. Nor should age be of any consequence. With training as a lifelong habit be positively assured that as you get older, you get better.

As a physical culturist who has practiced many different forms of exercise, I continue to feel that weight training is the most effective means of exercise because not only does it build and tone muscle, but gives a comparable improvement to the circulatory system as well.

I will continue to train with weights because I feel bodybuilding is essential to the development of three centered awareness. My efforts to bring intellectual, emotional, and physical functions into balance have helped me to know myself a little better.

How well do you know yourself?

The Author, 1965 Iron Man 2nd Place

BUILDING BENCH PRESSING POWER

by John Kojigian (1966)

At age 18 John Kojigian benched 425 as a light-heavyweight wearing shorts and a T-shirt, a National record at the time, and had done 465 unofficially.

I have always considered the bench press as the finest all-around upper body exercise for building both muscle and power. It has been my favorite ever since I first began training in April of 1963.

Many times I have been asked what I consider to be the 'secret' of bench pressing record poundages. I always say that hard work and consistent workouts are essential but you must also have a goal in mind. Setting a goal enables you to focus all or your enthusiasm and attention on succeeding with that poundage.

Triceps Power

If there is any secret to bench pressing it's probably due to powerful triceps. To my mind, triceps power is the key factor in bench pressing heavy poundages. [Note: I've seen photos of Mr. Kojigian's 425 lb. American record, and his grip is quite close, 22 inches, arms very close to straight up and down at the top, using an elbows flared style off the chest.]

Pat Casey, Bill Seno, Doug Hepburn, etc., are well known for their tremendous triceps strength. I honestly feel that my bench press has increased in direct proportion to my triceps strength. When my triceps power is down, my bench also drops . . . but when my triceps power increases, up goes the bench press.

Perhaps the greatest example of the relationship between triceps power and the bench press was Marvin Eder. His feats of strength, particularly pressing movements, are legendary. Weighing 196 lbs. Eder pressed 355 in strict military form, and benched 495 under official conditions (510 in training), way back in 1953! Famous for his amazing triceps power, Marvin performed a full parallel bar dip with 430 lbs.

The Single Rep System

The most important factor in improving the bench press is the method of training. Single reps with maximum weight works best for me. World heavyweight record holder Pat Casey (he's done 570 lbs. to date) and every other outstanding supine presser I have talked to preferred the single rep training system. This system of training was used by Doug Hepburn, the massive Canadian strongman who, unofficially, hoisted 580 lbs. on the bench several years ago.

Performance

To improve on any lift you must have a thorough understanding of just how the movement should be performed according to your body structure. Here is the exact procedure that I use:

1) Position yourself securely on the bench and make your body rigid and well braced.

2) Grip the bar carefully and firmly. I prefer a rather narrow grip of 22 inches between the thumbs. Once you determine the best hand spacing width for yourself, you can tape the bar so that you get the same grip every time.

3) While remaining thoroughly braced on the bench, remove the weight from the supports quickly, pause slightly at the top so that the weight can be controlled while lowering.

4) Now, lower the bar to the highest position of the chest (about two inches above the nipples in my case) and let it rest at this point for two seconds. Be sure to keep the pecs and triceps fully tensed as though they react as large, powerful coiled springs getting ready to hurtle the weight upward at your command. [Possibly interesting to note that, and pardon my blathering on here, I've seen two lifters demonstrate this, especially the speed of nerve signal involved, both of them standing and using no weight. Standing upright, hands out front, arms locked, very slow lowering and gathering of energy to the 'bar at chest position', a pause, then BOOM! - very, very fast out to the starting position. Ever see a world class Oly lifter split to get under a Jerk? Fast. Fast! Of course when under heavy weight the ascent won't be that actual speed, and the Jerk goes to a 'bone-on-bone' overhead support, but the speed of nerve send and activation is something to think about and definitely train if you're getting stuck just off the chest, as is finding a way to, in your mind, alter the perceived length of time in different areas of the lift.]

5) EXPLODE THE WEIGHT OFF THE CHEST, with a tremendous push of the triceps, pecs and front deltoids. Keep in mind that you are going to 'push it through the ceiling'.

6) As the weight is on the way up, try and exert a 'second effort' explosive push. Many a lift has been lost because the lifter failed to get it through those last three inches. That extra effort will help you succeed with many maximum attempts.

7) Lock the weight securely at the top and hold it before you (or the spotters) replace the barbel on the supports.

Positive Attitude

Another very important factor deals with keeping your attitude positive at all times and KNOWING you are going to make that lift! I can't overemphasize the importance of 'exploding' the weight off the chest. If you find it difficult at first, keep trying, keep practicing. In fact, practice fast, explosive starts with a lighter weight at the conclusion of your heavy reps. [Sure, it was all going on in 1966, and earlier] You will soon develop the ability to get the bar moving fast. And don't forget that 'second effort' on the way up.

Strict Form

You will make faster progress if you always perform this lift in correct form. The reason for this, I believe, is that your muscles strengthen in accordance with the demands placed upon them. If you find it necessary to raise your hips or vigorously bounce the weight off your chest, then you are removing some of the effort from the actual pressing muscle structures. Finding a way to 'cheat' through your sticking point will not fix the weakness in that area of your bench. [Don't run from the sticking point, meet it head on and deal with the problem, availing yourself of the many ways of doing just that.]

The bench press, just as any other lift, becomes easier and more efficient with appropriate practice. In other words, continuous repetition of a proper movement pattern results in the improvement of SKILL. A certain percentage of increasing the amount you can lift is due to this improvement in skill. Correct training form enables you to improve both strength and skill at the same time. This, of course, is not true when you resort to cheating methods.

Training Schedule

Here is the exact training routine that has worked for me, that I have used for the past year, that has enabled me to add almost 150 lbs. to my previous best (my present training poundages are included).
[Don't be silly and feel like you're doing something 'wrong' if you haven't added 150 lbs. to your bench in the last year. 149 is acceptable.]

Bench Press:
[Adjust the weights, volume, and frequency to your own capability]
250 x 15
350 x 6
400 x 3
420 x 1
430 x 1
440 x 1
450 x 1
440 x 1
430 x 1
300 x 12

Incline Dumbbell Press:
105's x 15
125's x 2 sets of 10
115's x 10
105's x 10
95's x 10

Two Hand One Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension:
105 x 15
115 x 10
125 x 10
170 x 3 sets of 8

These three great exercises, listed above, are totally responsible for the strength I have developed on the bench press.

Training Hints

Occasionally I will take a weight like 430 lbs. and perform 6 to 8 single reps with it, resting about two minutes between each rep. I do this about every fourth workout or so. I don't recommend that you try your maximum at every workout because this will bring on staleness quickly. However, if I feel especially strong I sometimes try for a new personal record on such occasions.

I use the bench press routine listed above three times a week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) along with heavy squats, calves, and lat work. On the alternate days it's work on the biceps, abdominals, and shoulders. This six day a week training schedule works best for me, however, you will have to experiment and find what works best for YOU at different times in your lifting life.

Diet

Proper foods, of course, give you the energy and tissue building ingredients necessary to make positive gains. My diet is primarily a high protein one, featuring meat at least twice a day and four to six eggs, cheese and moderate carbohydrates (baked potato, salad, whole wheat bread, and fruit). I drink lots of fresh fruit juices, but no milk. I know this may sound unusual, but I have never particularly liked milk and almost never drink it. Milk is a fine source of protein, and it if agrees with you and you like it, drink it.

I find that I need plenty of rest to recuperate from my heavy training schedule so I get about nine hours sleep every night. Adequate rest is essential if you want to get the most from your workouts, so don't cheat yourself on sleep.

Tommy Kono's Advice

"I don't claim to be an expert on bench pressing, but I'm convinced that the hints outlined in this article will prove helpful to anyone who wishes to improve on this lift. Remember, train hard, never miss a workout if at all possible, and keep a positive attitude at all times while striving for your goal."

David Rigert

Click Pics to ENLARGE

Bob Bednarski

Yuri Vlasov

WEIGHT TRAINING FITNESS ROUTINES
By John P. Jesse (1969)

This is Part 8 of a ten part series written by the author for Muscle Builder magazine in the 1960s.

Both Cureton and Adamson have suggested the possibility of simultaneously developing 1) strength, 2) muscular endurance and, 3) cardio-respiratory efficiency through better use of weight training regimens.

Between 1940 and the mid-1960s, T. K. Cureton (often referred to as "The Father of Physical Fitness") emphasized the importance of designing a well rounded program that included warm-up, aerobic fitness, resistance training, and tapering components.

Bookfinder:
http://goo.gl/VJQtv8

G.T. Adamson, following an article published in "The Physical Educator" (May of 1956) on Circuit Training, went on to collaborate with R.E. Morgan on a book titled "Circuit Training: The First Compete and Authentic Account" in 1957 (first edition).

Further developments along this line are evidenced in the experiments carried out by Burnham and other authorities in the field of circuit training with non-weight lifting athletes and college students.

It is highly doubtful whether the experienced lifter could adapt this concept of training to his own program. Considering his level of strength development, it would necessitate the use of very heavy weights to further increase this level. This factor, alone, would prohibit his carrying out the exercises at a speed or over a sufficient time span that would be required for development of the other two qualities.

It is possible, however, to develop a high degree of muscular endurance and a reasonable level of cardio-respiratory efficiency through use of weight training regimen and calisthenics.

The writer has suggested on many occasions in his work that the use of running routines is the simplest, most effective, time and every saving method of developing cardio-respiratory efficiency and muscular endurance in the legs. Many authorities have pointed out that 1/2 hour of continuous body movement calisthenics or circuit training will accomplish the same objective, and, in addition, develop muscular endurance in the arms, shoulders, back, and abdomen.

Because of the highly specific nature of muscular endurance and in the interests of economy of training time, we have recommended that lifters combine the development of muscular endurance in the arms, shoulders, and back muscles with their skill training routines. This is especially true for the young, relatively inexperienced lifter who must do hundreds of repetitions with light weights in order to develop the skills of lifting. It is equally true for the experienced lifter in the snatch and jerk.

Russian lifters of championship caliber during the competitive season will engage in skill practice with a light bar or broomstick on their off days. [This repetitive honing of the specific and precise movement skills used in Olympic lifting has always struck me as a valuable asset in powerlifting as well. Not to say a powerlifter should spend the majority of his training time practicing technique in the three competitive lifts with an empty barbell. But the development of extremely efficient technique is always an advantage in any sport. Benching, squatting, and deadlifting should, in my opinion, have as strong as groove as walking, or chewing gum while walking. Watch some of the more 'technical' powerlifters of note now as well as in the past, and check out how their form is identical each and every time they perform the three lifts be they warmups or near limit. This is what we're after, and it can be accomplished with consistent appropriate practice and an open mind directed toward finding your own most efficient form. Find that special groove and never lose it, but realize that it may have to be altered as you age and your body 'changes' from your greater lifting experience. You'll know it when you find it. Rock solid and the bar will feel lighter. BOOM!]

Continuing with the original article:

This also assists them in the development of flexibility and agility. 3 sets of 30 to 50 repetitions, using not more than 10 or 12% of maximum weight, will develop muscular endurance in the arms and shoulders and promote increased skill at the same time. In combining these activities, however, correct form should not be sacrificed. The hesitation of one second to fix the weight at the correct starting position will not detract from the continuous overall movement aspect of the exercise.

The programs presented below as examples were developed by the author and incorporate the use of Olympic lifting movements and/or assistance exercises, combined with total body movement calisthenics, running in a gym, or stationary running. [Again, these layouts are directed at the Olympic weightlifter, and are in part being used to develop technical skills. A thinking powerlifter may be able to find a way to adapt the ideas contained herein to his own training. Also, owing to the date of the article, many of our current conditioning/aerobic machines and methods are not listed in the examples. Update at will, experiment, and above all learn to think for yourself once you have enough experience.]

In conjunction with the use of circuit training programs in the gym, they provide an answer to those lifters and coaches who claim that due to weather, place of abode, etc., they cannot engage in a running routine as a means for increasing cardiovascular efficiency.

Two points must be kept in mind while using these programs:

1) If the pulse rate is increased by less than 60% of the range available by running, no training effect on the heart rate will be evidenced. To insure a reasonable increase in the cardio-respiratory efficiency, the heart (pulse) rate should be raised to at least 130 to 140 beats per minute during a long term one-bout work effort, or to a higher rate (160 to 180) during numerous short term work bouts interspersed with interval periods.

2) Capillarization of musculature, a prime requisite for increased muscular endurance, is best improved through use of numerous repetitions, necessitating the use of light weights. The lifter should not use over 10 to 15 percent of his maximum best in performing the exercises set out below.

Programs should be preceded by 10 minutes of light calisthenics, flexibility and stretching exercises. Exercises should be done at a moderate pace, but not sacrificing form on the lifting movements, thus combining skill practice with conditioning. Intervals should be active periods consisting of walking, and deep breathing. Progression is accomplished by increasing repetitions to a maximum of 50 for a set. When this level is reached, additional progression can be made by reducing the rest intervals between sets and/or exercises in the routine. Starting weights can be as low as 5 lb. dumbbells. If these programs are used as a supplement to running or other endurance activities one set only should be used. If they are used as the sole source of endurance training, the athlete should gradually work up to 3 sets.

Note: Active rest periods between sets are set out in parentheses (round brackets). Active rest periods between exercises are set out without parentheses.

Program A: Olympic Lifts and Stationary Running

- the stationary running can be adapted to other similar exercise

1) 2 minutes stationary jogging; 1 minute rest.

2) Olympic Press from Shoulders -

3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets), 2 minute rest.

3) 30 second stationary jog, 15 seconds all out run, 1/4 speed run, 15 seconds jog (2 minutes rest)

4) Olympic Snatch -

3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets), 2 minute rest.

5) Same as number 3 above.

6) Olympic Clean -

5 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets), 2 minute rest.

7) 30 second stationary jog, 15 second all out run, 30 second jog; 2 minutes rest.

8) Straddle Hop with Weights -

3 sets of 50 reps (3 minutes rest between sets); 3 minute rest.

9) 1 minute stationary run at 1/4 speed; 2 minute rest.

10) Jumping Squats, no weight -

3 sets of 20 reps (3 minutes rest between sets).

Note: weights of 5 to 10 lbs. can be held in the hands during stationary runs for progression. An all out run denotes high knee action and vigorous arm movements.

Program B: Olympic Lifts and Running in Gym

1) Run 2 laps around gym; 30 second rest.

2) Olympic Press from Shoulders -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

3) Run 3 laps around gym; 2 minute rest.

4) Olympic Snatch -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

5) Run 4 laps around gym; 2 minute rest.

6) Olympic Clean -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

7) Run 5 laps around gym; 2 minute rest.

8) Jumping Squats, without weights -
3 sets of 20 reps (3 minutes rest between sets); 3 minute rest.

9) Jog 2 laps around gym.

10) 4 wind sprints, 15 to 20 yards in length (10 seconds rest between sprints).

Note: Gym circumference should be at least 50 yards. If not, increase number of laps accordingly. Weights can be held in hands while running for progression.

Program C: Assistance Exercises and Calisthenics

All exercises with weights

1) Straddle Hop, dumbbells in hands -
4 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

2) Seated Press -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

3) Alternate Step-Up to 18" high bench -
3 sets of 30 reps (3 minutes rest between sets); 3 minute rest.

4) Reverse Curls -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

5) 4-Count Squat Thrust -
15 reps per minute - 3 bouts of 1 minute each (2 minute rest between bouts); 2 minute rest.

6) Situps -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

7) Hopping on two Feet, 50 reps; right foot 30 reps; left foot 30 reps (3 minutes rest between sets); 3 minute rest. Sounds a lot like skip rope work, doesn't it.

8) Wide Grip Upright Rowing -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

9) Round Back Good Morning -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

10) Jumping Squats -
3 sets of 25 reps (4 minutes rest between sets).

Program D: Olympic Lifts and Calisthenics

all exercises with weights except number 2.

1) Continuous Clean and Press -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 1 minute rest.

2) Jumping Squats (without weights) -
2 sets of 25 reps (3 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

3) Situps -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

4) Repetitions Olympic Clean -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

5) Round Back Good Morning -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

6) Repetition Olympic Snatch -
3 sets of 30 reps (2 minute rest between sets); 3 minute rest.

7) Olympic Press From Shoulders -
3 sets of 30 reps (2 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

8) Wide Grip High Pull -
3 sets of 30 reps (1.5 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

9) Repetition Reverse Curl -
3 sets of 30 reps (1 minute rest between sets); 2 minute rest.

10) Jumping Squats -
2 sets of 20 reps (4 minute rest between sets).

By now you should be getting the idea behind this all, and thinking about ways to adapt the fundamentals of it to your own lifting training. Better technique on your chosen lifts and a great improvement in conditioning. Hell, sounds like a better life all around!

The idea that a few five rep work sets a week on chosen lifts will eventually lead to superlative technique and a style appropriate to the individual lifter strikes me as something near nonsense. As does the idea that one should never perform the chosen lifts too often for fear of sapping energy from the desired progression of 'strength'. Sure, strength is important and can be developed without all that much regard for the technical aspects of each lift. However, for the lifter desiring to up his numbers, the combination of progressively developing the specific strength required to progress in those lifts ALONG WITH perfecting his own appropriate style in those chosen lifts would seem to be a winning combination.

Or not.
As always, come crunch time you stand alone with the bar no matter who cheers you on or pats you on the back, and must find out for yourself what it takes to succeed in this or any endeavor to the best of your given ability. Stand alone and be proud of yourself and what you have won or lost, because in the end it was you, Charlie, it was you all along.

George Frenn

George Frenn Spotting Phil Grippaldi

http://www.powerliftinguniversity.com/

George Frenn held the official world Squat record at 853 lbs.
One secret of his success is leg conditioning, explained in this article for your benefit.

CONDITIONED LEGS BREAK SQUAT RECORDS
by George Frenn (1972)

When George Frenn talks about squatting you listen. You listen because George is 6', goes about 245, and has a very compelling voice. But that's not the main reason. Your mind focuses on the Frenn utterings because the speaker knows more about the 'simple' act of dropping ass to floor and bouncing back up than maybe anyone who ever hitched himself to a barbell. And your ears stay glued to his voice. Frenn is a very insistent lecturer and his favorite topic, next to how he despises the AAU anti-powerlift gang, is squats, squatting, and squatters -- of which he is the best ever.

853 pounds draped across the shoulders is an iron overcoat you could buried in. It would instantly crush the spine of an ordinary man. You couldn't challenge 95% of all weight men to do anything with this magnitude of resistance. Even the bar resents it and the best alloys curl into an irreversible U under the load. George Fren, whose muscles aren't polished vanadium steel but mere human tissue, doesn't care. He shoulders the awesome mass and the plates sag around his head like earflaps [I'm guessing Dick Tyler wrote this one. If so . . . Thanks, Dick!]. Standing clear of supports, and with four praying spotters at the ready, Frenn drops into a full squat and struggles aloft. The lift with a poundage equivalent to half a Volkswagen is completed without undue stress and scales out to a new undisputed and official world's record.

Even the legendary Paul Anderson never upped 850 under sanctioned conditions. And if his reputed squats of 1200 are to be believed we must remember he weighed 400 lbs. and his chunky 36" thighs don't allow more than a bouncing half-squat, whereas Frenn does the whole number.

The author believes George Frenn's 853 record set December 12, 1970 is the greatest squat ever performed to date. And his influence over the past several years at the Westside (L.A.) Barbell Club has been equally phenomenal. Consider the records and near records set by men of other dimensions under Frenn's tutelage. And none of them can be considered squat specialists either.

- Joe Molloy (165) 547.5
- Bill West (181) 655
- Harold Connolly (220) 705
- Dick Allen (218) 705

For the story behind the story of the great lifting at the Westside Barbell Club we spoke to half a dozen members and got the same reply: "Nothing doing. You want answers, talk to George. We don't encourage competition."

But then they wouldn't let George say a word. No sooner was he letting me in on the secrets of heavy squatting than Bill West threatened to hide his favorite 150-lb. biggies (plates). Frenn was stymied -- his personal code of sportsmanship says everybody should share all their secrets for the growth of the game -- but he winded at me and signaled with his head. "Peek through the window," he seemed to say. "Watch the exercises and listen to me instruct the guys."

Feeling like a barbell sex freak (I mean if I got to be a peeping Tom I'd rather see broads than squat racks), I bid the Westside monstermen adieu but doubled back to stand outside the lone garage window.

Original Location of Westside Barbell Club
- thanks to Mike Knight!

There, for the exclusive benefit of Muscle Builder readers, I recorded the heretofore secret five exercises which Frenn indicated makes the difference between sissy deep-kneebenders and he-man squatters.

Earlier Frenn had rhapsodized that the legs have to be conditioned for heavy squatting in addition to being trained into the bigger weights. He feels the legs have an almost limitless capacity for heavy work but squatting per se can just develop a percentage of that capacity, hence you get blocked at a sticking point and thereafter gains are a slow grind. If the legs are conditioned -- meaning other exercises are done to prepare them for heavier and heavier squatting -- the progress comes much quicker.

A skier, for instance, does special movements to get ready for the slopes and also during his skiing season. Why shouldn't a lifter do particular squat-related exercises to prepare for actual squatting, or even in addition to squatting?

The routine I recorded in my notebook, aside from building amazing thigh power, will produce outstanding legs for the bodybuilder as well, will boost weight gaining, and add a fourth dimension of Herculean strength and size to any physique.

Used periodically in their routines, these exercises shaped up the underpinnings of physique men like Bill Pearl, Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzenegger. All the elite bodybuilders noted for rounded and fully dense thighs have used these movements, at times to the exclusion of regular squats.

But it is the proper combination of the exercises and the right set/rep treatment which turned on the magic power for Frenn and the Monstermen. And as I stood in the hazy California sun peering through a dirty porthole to learn precisely what these movements were, I felt like a Robin Hood of powerlifting. I was going to steal from the strength-rich and give to the strength-poor. Though I would be denounced, maybe demolished, by the members for revealing the secret training regimen, perhaps I would be adored by anyone who added 100 pounds to his limit squat over time. Anyhow, it makes a great story.

Here's the routine: After the club realized I knew too much, Frenn convinced them to let him open up. This way they at least get the credit deservedly theirs. The instructional text is all George's. So, here it is, THE SENSATIONAL SQUAT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF THE WESTSIDE BARBELL CLUB MONSTERMEN AS RELATED BY GEORGE FRENN. Quite a title.

We squat on Tuesday and Saturday only. Tuesday for this routine; Saturday solely for limit attempts. Joe DiMarco gives us the clue to assistance exercises. HE made surprising gains after adding several extra movements. But they were rudimentary and disorganized. I analyzed all the logical combinations of about 10 such exercises, quickly dropped five and organized the following routine with the remainder. I'm proud of the results, which speak for themselves. 15 members gained an accumulative total of 3325 pounds on the squat since we went operational on assistance training.

1) Bench Squat:
We nicknamed this the "high box squat" and it's done with a bench 20 inches high. This is a good height for a six-footer but should be altered accordingly for men of different dimensions. The bench must be at least 14 inches wide as this aids in determining stance and proper positioning is the single most important factor in the exercise. Get the backs of the knees tight up against the bench with the feet in front of it, not off to the sides. From this stance you can learn the true secret of increasing bench squat poundage which is a certain rocking-forward motion at the instant of starting up. First you descend with your hips well to the rear of the bench. Keeping the hips back make contact with the butt and much of the hamstrings. For an instant relax after landing, then rock forward and using this momentum drive erect. We find results are better if the feet are kept fairly straight or at least aligned with the thighbone. Suggested poundage: 100-125 lbs. over your best squat. Sets/Reps: 5 x 5.

2) Low Box Squat:
This approximates the foregoing exercise but we use a box or bench some six inches lower. The rear-to-front rocking routine is once again of great importance, but you also utilize your regular squat stance. Since balance is precarious you must have spotters aiding. Squatting to a bench only 14 or so inches high gets you to an approximately parallel position. You use less weight than when high-bench squatting but more than your full squatting because of the "rebounding" boost. By using a normal squat stance you condition the quadriceps in the way they work during competition. Suggested poundage progression: Squat limit minus 75 pounds to squat limit plus 50 pounds. Sets/Reps: 5 x 5.

3) Good Morning:
This is the latest of the Big Five exercises, added only six months ago to the previous four. Jim Klostergaard started it and he made such nice gains we all jumped in.

At the 2003 Masters Bench Press Championships

Frenn and Chuck Sharp have succeeded with over 500 pounds in this exercise. No one quite knows why Good Mornings -- essentially an offbeat back strengthener -- help squat so much, but they do and that's all that counts. They probably weld back, thigh, and hip strength at the position where that trio of muscle groups must come together to push you through a sticking point. Performance is not simple. With the bar on the shoulders and the feet turned slightly inward, raise the head as if to touch the back of it to the bar. Next, bend a little at the knees. Sticking your behind out, keep the hips back and break at the waist until the upper body is parallel to the ground. Looking at a mirror in front of you teaches style and control, and helps maintain balance. Remember, the bar belongs on the back and shoulders, not at the neck. After light warmups jump 50-75 pounds each set until you can knock out 5 reps with 2/3 of your best squat. 3 x 5 reps is good to shoot for and this will help your deadlift too.

4) Front Squat:

Though a favorite of Olympic lifters (and therefore theoretically detested by us) this is a damn good assistance exercise for PL men because it attacks quad fibers left untouched by any other type of squat; the angle of descent and ascent are so different. It also taxes the back and abs to keep the trunk erect at all times. And cheating, such as the rocking in the bench squat, is impossible. Use a thumbless grip after clearing the supports and allow the bar to sink into the anterior delts (see the second photo up top). For balance maintain a head-up position. You can use a set/rep system identical to back squatting. The main difference is that all sets and limit efforts will be 80-90% off with the same amount of struggle applied. If you drop the back squat until the front and back are equal you should be able to add 50-75 pounds to the rear (depending on your power squat style) the first workout you retry it.

5) Work on the Leg Extension Machine:

Obviously leg extensions are not a power exercise; yet they have a more important purpose -- preventative medicine. Long recommended by physical therapists for patients with weak knees, extensions with 150-200 pounds work even better wonders for powerlifters. They strengthen the ligaments, tendons, sinews and muscle around the knees, thereby cutting down squatting injuries, those terrible calamities which can wipe out a year's progress in a flash.

We also do thigh biceps curls. Thick bulgy thigh biceps help in squat rebound; they shorten the distance between the thigh and calf a tiny bit making it just that much easier to hit the full squat and bounce back up. But more importantly, strong thigh biceps add to an overall stronger, fitter and better prepared leg and that's the entire import of this routine.

Other Tips From Frenn

The previous five exercises serve as a valuable adjunct to your basic squat workout. In general, the best way to make gains is to squat, squat, and squat. Fully squatting, utilizing heavy sets, 3-5 reps, is usually the best. However, nothing BUT squatting to improve your squat may cause problems later on. Variety can extend your lifting life and help you avoid wear and tear injuries. Power competitors should keep in mind the style aspects of squatting even if it means slightly lower poundages. If you don't squat 100% perfect in the gym you can't do it in front of the judges, and constant red lights can make a mighty unhappy lifter.

Calf work can add 1 or 2% to your squat numbers, often the difference in winning a contest.

Even well developed abdominals play a minor, but statistically significant role when we're talking about 600 pounds and over.

Consider the trapezius. Big hunky traps cushion the weight with less pain than little ones and make enduring the load and concentration on the lift easier.

And finally, watch those delicate knees for signs of pain and rebellion. Do plenty of light or freehand reps before hitting the big bars.

So there you have it from the master. Once Frenn was de-muzzled he roared on like Niagara Falls, boasting of his plans to squat like no other man has ever squatted before. Even as I departed, Frenn was still carrying on: "Let me tell you about my system to squat 1,000 pounds," he said with glazed eyes. "Greatest load anyone carried on his back since Atlas!"

Right.

Sure thing.

A thousand pound squat . . .

SPECIAL APPARATUS

If you have been a regular reader of bodybuilding magazines, you will have seen many champions posed in arm routines in which special apparatus such as cables, a wrist roller, lat machine, kettlebells and so on were used. Sometimes whole routines were worked around such pieces of apparatus. No doubt you would like to know if they have any real bodybuilding importance. I will answer that question now . . .

continued

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Andy Bolton approaches his deadlift quickly, all the way, so his shins touch the bar. He can't wait -- the man known as The Jack cannot at this point retract the fait accompli he set free. Like his lifts, his physical dynamics are the purest demonstration of Newtonian physics: a body in motion, stays in motion.

He plants his feet and brings his body upright for an instant, every muscle from his neck to his toes shuddering with energy. Without hesitation he bends slightly and locks on with an alternate grip, right hand first, then the left. His hips drop twice -- a dip, a dip, a snap of a pull and it's done. Fast, explosive, predictable: you could set the atomic clock by his precision. The same every time.

Except this time. This is different. This is the World Powerlifting Congress World Championships/WPO Semi Finals at Lake George, New York, November 4, 2006, and Bolton is girded for Armageddon, attempting to rattle the bones of the sport's greatest legends so loudly that he will echo in eternity. His goal is the imponderable, a theoretically impossible feat of strength. Bolton is attempting to lift 1,003 pounds off the floor to a full, upright, proud and ramrod-straight position.

Think of it. Live muscle and connective tissue that you can tear by stepping in a sidewalk crack, and bone that you can break by falling out of your recliner, all coordinated by the human psyche with its own set of warts and wens -- and this bedlamite called Andy Bolton thinks he can raddle this crazy-quilt of infirmities together enough to pull half a ton of iron off the floor and walk away with all of his limbs still connected.

Bolton, though, comes from no known taxonomic order. At his birth 37 years ago in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England, his family watched with stark amazement as baby Bolton's erumpant form bulged and grew in his crib seemingly before their very eyes. At 11 years old, Bolton's size and concussive athletic power made him one of the fastest 100 meter and 200 meter sprinters for his age in all of England. The more he sprinted, the more his midsection, legs, and lower back developed in strength and muscularity. Alas, as Bolton got bigger, he got slower; it wasn't long before he'd outgrown his sport.

Searching for his fate, he began playing rugby at 13 and made it to the national level before a back injury put him out of the game at age 17. Meanwhile, his growing continued. "I was big. I was strong," he bemusedly recall.

At 18, Bolton -- 6 feet, 230 pounds and fascinated by bodybuilding -- joined a gym and promptly was approached by the owner, who inquired if this was the first time he had tried lifting. "Yes," Bolton replied.

"Look how much weight you have on the bar," suggested the owner. Bolton had been squatting with 500 pounds and deadlifting more than 600.

"I didn't know what I was doing," Bolton ingenuously explains, "nor did I know anything about powerlifting. I only wanted to be a bodybuilder. From then on, I just exhausted one bodypart a day for 8 to 10 sets of 6 to 10 reps, five days a week, but always with the bench, squat, and deadlift, because I thought those were the basics for bodybuilding. Then, I'd add machines, cables and other 'little' movements.

For two years Bolton stayed the course, and in 1990 at age 20 he competed -- once. It was the British Championships, and he took third -- but it was revelatory. "I looked in the mirror and knew there was no way I was going to be Mr. Olympia," sighs Bolton, describing the realization that he was now free to pursue his gut-honest desideratum. "I had a thick waist, I didn't have a good chest, my arms weren't peaked; I've always trained as heavy and explosively as possible, always to an insane max, and I like training that way."

Fate took it from there. Back in the gym, Bolton noticed four guys -- one of whom weighed only about 180 -- all deadlifting 800 pounds, and benching and squatting proportionately. "I scratched my head and wondered why they were so strong and I wasn't," Bolton mused, "so I approached them. All this time, they said, they'd been keeping an eye on me. They could see I was strong, but they were waiting for me to make the move." One was Brian Reynolds, who won the world powerlifting championships in 1992 at age 21. Another was powerlifter Dave Carter. "They took me under their wings -- Bryan Reynolds wrote my first powerlifting workout for me -- and I still train with them today, all these years later," Bolton adds.

That initial workout was even simpler than what he had been doing:

Bench, shoulder, and triceps on Monday
Squats and Deadlifts on Wednesday
Legs, traps and upper back on Thursday.

This time, however, his mentors insisted on a fundamental change. "I was told in the beginning," Bolton recalls, "to concentrate on technique and to not go too heavy, because that would result in faster progress without injuries."

He also cycled his workouts, first with two-week periods of 5 to 8 reps sets, another two weeks of 5 reps, one week of 3 rep sets, then a week of doubles or singles. The result? "Every time I started over with the next six-week cycle I'd be as much as 50 pounds stronger for every powerlifting movement," Bolton asserts. "The weights just flew up."

By 1994 strongman competitions had become the rage, and their TV exposure promised rock-star fame and fortune, plus proficuous release for Bolton's rampant power. So for the next five years he was a car tipper, rock lifter and train puller. He did okay. Twice, he was invited to compete in the World's Strongest Man competitions and twice was a no-show because of injuries. Nonetheless, he emerged as one of the top three strongmen in England.

More important, Bolton's strongman experience enhanced his base of explosive power and endurance. Notes Brian Batcheldor, Bolton's trainer: "When you look at the weights Andy handles, it's nigh impossible. Most people separate them. You couldn't squat with 900 pounds for reps, then on the same day start your pull, but Andy does. And, remember, he's doing 10-12 sets of 5 reps for each of those lifts. That's a lot of training in one workout, but that's the kind of conditioning a powerlifter needs. Some meets go on for five or six hours, and you can see by the guys who are falling by the wayside who's in shape and who isn't. They trained their squat and deadlift on different days; now, they have to pull everything together in one day.

Beginning 16 weeks out, Bolton deadlifts with a barbell elevated on a 1.5 inch board off the floor, which for him puts the bar shin high. "Your legs can't get into it," he says. "You can pull only with your back, but it's a good way to get your back strong." In this position Bolton pulled 905 pounds for 3 reps and 800 for 8.

From 8 weeks on in, he increases his deadlifts each week finishing two weeks out with an 8-set workout that ends with a triple at 750. The last 6 weeks are what he calls "Speed work -- about 70%, but exploding as fast as possible3. It's mostly about seeing how fast I can lift the weight off the ground."

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote, "There is always the one right word; use it . . ." For Andy Bolton that word is "explosive" and, indeed, he uses it, until it reverberates through his conversation as a life force.

"When I'm training," Bolton says, "I pull as fast as possible -- so fast -- and when I lower it to my knees, I just drop it, then grab it and explode up again. Up quick and down fast, up quick and down fast. That builds explosive power." Batcheldor says that, even in a meet -- where Bolton's hands have to follow the bar down per rules -- his max lift comes off the floor at the same speed as he lowers it.

Bolton arrives in town seven to 10 days before a meet and inures himself to a simple constitutional of breakfast at about 9 A.M., followed by quiet time in his room, relaxation, a little TV or a leisurely walk to clear his head. At about 3 or 4 P.M. he'll go to bed for about two hours, then get up, go out to dinner with friends and talk about explosion and the big show. Bolton explains, "We'll talk about what other guys are doing, who's lifting what, but I won't talk much about myself. I'll keep that quiet. There are more people talking about me than me talking about me."

Afterward, he may rent a film to watch on the hotel TV, but he's normally in bed by 10 P.M. He used to sleep four to five hours, but he says he's pretty good now. He gets eight to 10 hours and he needs every minute of it: a powerlifter at this level works harder and lifts heavier in one meet than he does in a week's worth of workouts.

At the meet, Bolton reruns what has been rampaging through his mind for several weeks. "I can feel myself doing it and I've seen myself doing it so many times that I cannot fail. I'm scared of failure. My biggest fear is not doing the weight; it really is. It's a BIG fear. There's no way I cannot do it. If I'm trained, and if I'm ready, there's no way that weight cannot go up. It's crazy. I can just switch on instantly. I shake, I tremble, I get goose bumps -- there's no way you can train someone else to have that feeling. It comes from inside. I'll never give in."

There's a guy, Dave Beattie, a friend of mine, who has been traveling everywhere with me for five years, and before a lift he'll push everyone else away and stand in front of me, and he'll put his head against my head talk to me. He'll just tell me I'm the best, he knows I'm the best, and I'm to show everybody I'm the best. He reminds me that I've lifted well over 900 pounds in 15 different meets, so this is just the next natural progression. There's no way I can fail this way; I've been here a hundred times before. He'll just talk about such things and really get me hyped, and he'll start slapping me around the face a bit.

"When I grab the bar, I'm not even thinking about the weight. Techniques of tightness and power and explosion are going through my mind, but they're automatic, instinctual. They have to be that, rather than cognitive. The main thing that goes through my mind is just holding onto the bar, just tightening my grip so I don't lose it -- no straps -- but the technique seems to come of itself, from years and years and years of doing deadlifts.

"The arms are not really functional with this kind of weight. There's no way you can flex them to help, nor should you, so you just use your arms as hooks. They have to be totally relaxed. It's only from your wrists on down that you flex harder than you ever have in your life, for your grip. Try to bend your arms even on little bit and you'll tear your biceps straight off.

"Through the first few inches of the lift, I feel it in my hamstrings. Once I get it going to my shins and knee level, my lower back is really working; and when I start locking out, it goes to my traps.

"If it comes off the floor up to my knees, nine times our of 10 I'm going to lock it out. My weak part is down at the bottom. If it doesn't move off the floor, I'm not going to do it, but if it moves just slightly, that's when I start to relax a little bit, and I'll smile because I know it's going to go. I know it's working, but it's a big weight so I don't have a luxury; I know I have to fight it all the way to the top, but I know I've got it . . . I know I've got it . . . It's going . . . This one is going."

Bolton's achievement on November 4th, 2006 was certainly pure -- as in purely mind-blowing. And by all indications he's not done yet. Who knows how much further he or one of his fellow powerlifters can take it now that the 1,000 pound milestone has been passed? Powerlifting has always been a sport that celebrates the height of raw human achievement, and while this may have been its brightest moment yet, it's a sure bet there's even greater feats to come.

Bolton's Training Split

Monday:

Bench press, shoulders, triceps.

Tuesday:

Cardio.

Wednesday:

Squats, deadlifts.

Thursday:

Legs, upper back, traps.

Friday:

Cardio.

Saturday:

Cardio.

Sunday:

Rest.

Bolton's Off-Season Workout

Bench presses, squats, and deadlifts are performed for 8 to 10 sets each per workout, through a series of six-week mesocycles composed of 5 to 8 reps per set for 2 weeks, 5 reps per set for two weeks, 3 reps per set for one week, then 2 reps per set for one week.

Bench presses:

Bolton uses different grip widths, and/or boards of varying thickness on his chest, but no bench shirt.

Squats:

For each cycle, his lift varies: e.g., squatting in shorts with or without light knee wraps and a belt; undersuit, wraps and belt; undersuit, squat suit, belts and wraps (straps down; the straps on his suit will be pulled up for only one moderate workout before a meet).

Deadlifts:

The bar is lifted from 1.5 to 6 inch blocks, so his lower back, rather than legs, does most of the work. At 16 weeks out, the end of his off-season, Bolton pulls 905 pounds for 3 reps and 800 for 8 with dead stops and no lifting straps.

Cardio:

On off-days, he uses an exercise bike for 20-30 minutes at 80% max heart rate.

Monday:

Bench press assistance exercises -

Dumbbell front raise, 4-5 sets of 5-10 reps

Dumbbell lateral raise, 4-5 x 5-10.

Triceps assistance exercises -

Pushdown, 10-12 x 5-12 reps.

Wednesday:

Deadlift assistance exercises -

Clean pulls (high pulls), for one cycle with occasional 705-pound singles, 10-12 x 5 reps

Partial deadlifts (for a different cycle), 10-12 x 5 reps.

Thursday:

Leg assistance exercises -

Leg extension, 3-4 x 8-12

Leg press, 3-4 x 8-12

Seated calf raise, 3-4 x 8-12

Leg curl, 5 x 8-18 reps

Dumbbell side bend, very heavy, 5 x 12 reps.

Upper back assistance exercises -

Machine row, 6-7 x 10 reps

Dumbbell row, 220-pound dumbbell, 3 x 12-15 reps

Pulldown, 5 x 10

Shrug, 3-5 x 10.

Biceps assistance exercises -

Seated hammer curl, 5 x 10-12

Dumbbell curl, 4 x 10-12.

Bolton's Pre-Contest Deadlift Program

8 weeks out:

155 x 5

220 x 5

310 x 5

400 x 5

484 x 5

396 x 3 x 3

7 weeks out:

155 x 5

265 x 5

353 x 5

440 x 5

530 x 5

420 x 3 x 3

6 weeks out:

155 x 5

220 x 5

310 x 5

400 x 5

484 x 5

575 x 3

440 x 3 x 3

5 weeks out:

155 x 5

265 x 5

342 x 5

440 x 5

530 x 3

618 x 3

463 x 3 x 3

4 weeks out:

155 x 5

220 x 5

310 x 5

400 x 5

484 x 5

575 x 3

662 x 3

484 x 3 x 3

3 weeks out:

155 x 5

220 x 5

310 x 5

400 x 5

484 x 3

575 x 3

640 x 3

706 x 3

2 weeks out:

155 x 3

265 x 3

353 x 3

440 x 3

530 x 3

596 x 3

662 x 3

750 x 3

- During weeks 8 to 4 deadlifts are performed explosively, no suit.

- Week 3, suit on/straps down.

- Week 2, suit on/straps up.

Bolton's Advice for Beginners

Start with a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule. This program sticks to the basics. You should concentrate on technique. The strength increases will come later -- and faster -- if you have good technique, which means speed, explosiveness, concentration, and coordination. Those will also carry you a lot further than if you try to lift too heavy too soon. For each exercise, start light, with plenty of warmups and pyramid gradually.

A Sample Beginner Routine

Monday:

Bench press, 6-8 sets of 6-12 reps

Dumbbell front raise, 3-4 x 6-12 reps

Dumbbell lateral raise, 3-4 x 6-12

Triceps pushdown, 6-8 x 6-12.

Tuesday:

Cardio.

Wednesday:

Squat, 6-8 x 6-12

Deadlift, 6-8 x 6-12

Clean pull (high pull), 3-4 x 6-12.

Thursday:

Cardio.

Friday:

Leg extension, 3-4 x 6-12

Leg press, 3-4 x 6-12

Standing calf raise, 3-4 x 6-12

Leg curl, 3-4 x 6-12

Pulley or machine row, 3-4 x 6-12

Dumbbell row, 3-4 x 6-12

Pulldown, 3-4 x 6-12

Shrug, 3-4 x 6-10

Hammer curl, 3-4 x 6-12

Dumbbell curl, 3-4 x 6-12.

Saturday:

Cardio.

Sunday:

Rest.

Can the bodybuilder benefit maximally from long term power training? That is, would it do him a world of good to forget those high reps and strict curls, for a while at any rate, and put his back some really heavy deadlifts, prones, and squats?

According to some published courses still on the market, the way to massive muscularity is through heavy lifting, which, so we read, builds thicker, denser muscle. So, why isn't Bill "Peanuts" West Mr. Olympia today? Why is it that the world's greatest lifters sport physiques that are for the most part a complete turn-off, as far as bodybuilders are concerned?

I talked with Bill West the other day, shortly after he made an appearance in the Gold's Classic show in Santa Monica, as a physique contestant. He looked lean and fairly muscular, but for a man of his age (over 40), not all that massive. What happened to all that mass that powerlifters were supposed to have under their skins, I wondered.

It turned out that Bill West, who set powerlift records in both the squat and deadlift a few years ago, is now a "serious bodybuilder." Does he recommend heavy squats, benches and deadlifts for massive muscularity? Well, yes and no.

Says Bill, "The bodybuilders of today are better developed . . . are much bigger, if not quite as strong as those of the late fifties. Which tends to indicate that what they are doing now works out very well.

So what does he think of the idea of incorporating powerlifts with bodybuilding-based training?

"My kidneys . . . and the supporting ligaments and tendons, have been massacred by heavy deadlifts. Some other guys, who were in competition with me in the sixties, have all had similar and worse problems from the constant heavy lifting. It puts a lot of unnatural strain on the muscles and tendons, this persistent heavy training."

So would he say deadlifts are bad for the bodybuilder? Well, not quite. "The deadlift is a good exercise for strengthening the lumbar region, for preparing your back for heavy rows and so on."

Does he practice the deadlift in his regular bodybuilding training?

"No . . . well . . . what I do is this. I have the barbell elevated on boxes, so that the bar reaches about midway up my shins. I grasp the bar with my knuckles facing forward and and the stance I adopt at the start of the movement is something like a gorilla posture. From there, i stand up and hold my shoulders well back. The action from here is to lower the bar to near the starting position, without letting it touch the boxes, and then upright again. Up and down, up and down for about 15 reps without touching the barbell to the boxes.

"The point is to warm up the lower back . . . pump the blood there. You use a light weight. I use about 150 to 200 pounds."

But surely that is not powerlifting!

"No," says Bill West, "it isn't. Powerlifting and bodybuilding aren't the same thing and don't go together. I used to handle over 600 pounds in the deadlift as a powerlifter. But for bodybuilding I use nothing over 200. The bodybuilder would be stupid to fool around with very heavy weights that would certainly injure him after a while when combined with his other bodybuilding exercises , and consequently wreck his bodybuilding progress. He has to decide what he wants to accomplish. Is he a powerlifter or a bodybuilder?

"Man, bodybuilding has come a long way. In the old days some guys would even hurt their back doing very heavy standing triceps presses. Today you can do triceps movements with as much weight as you wish, and still not hurt your back, because there are different types of benches that allow you to isolate the action safely . . ."

So, according to he former powerlifting champion, the deadlift is a fine bodybuilding movement "only if light weights are used for 12 or more repetitions . . . 4 sets maximum. No heavy stuff!"

Says West, "Heavy bench presses are good for building power and mass in the shoulders, triceps and pectorals. On the other hand, I knew this fellow who could easily bench over 400 pounds and yet his arms were nothing over 16 inches at best. His pecs were nothing to write home about either. He got his fantastic strength from tendon and ligament strength.

"You have to understand bodybuilding and powerlifting are two completely different fields. I look at the top bodybuilders of this day and I see they are not concerned with using heavy poundages in their workouts. Some of them are pretty strong, but their strength comes from bodybuilding. In other words, they do not go to the gym specifically to build brute power like the powerlifter does. And I think they're right. Their main intention is to build the kind of body that wins bodybuilding contests. And you don't need ponderous weights for that!"

I also spoke with Ken Waller, who added his piece: "When I first started training I was into football. I needed body strength. I used heavy weights for my curls and bench presses and I really packed on the iron for my squats too. I soon began to fill out, grow big. But when I got into serious bodybuilding I changed my whole attitude to training.

"Sure, I still used heavy weights but that was only because I was strong . . . still am, still use heavy weights in my bodybuilding. I start my incline dumbbell presses with 120's and I have squatted with 600 for reps. But now I am more concerned with shape and definition. And handling really heavy poundages are not that important anymore."

Has he ever done powerlifting as part of his bodybuilding training?

"If by that you mean deadlifts and so on, I have to answer no. I did deadlifts just once and felt so uncomfortable I just gave them up. I do lots of rows, the different varieties, instead.

"Maybe I should define what heavy means to the bodybuilder. We don't count the pounds. We count the reps. If I can manage just 3 reps with a certain poundage,well, that's heavy. If I can go up to 10, that's not so heavy. And 15 is pretty light. And that's how the bodybuilder ought to train. He should constantly push himself to make his muscles work harder and harder . . . it's the only way to grow. But I'm talking about the usual bodybuilding movements like bench presses and incline presses, curls, dumbbell presses . . . not deadlifts!

"Our thing is to train as fast as possible. To get a pump on and grow. We use various methods, depending on what we're trying to achieve at a particular time. Sometimes, we use heavier poundages, with a more relaxed training style. But the accent is always on building muscle, better body development. And not how much weight you can get up in a certain lift, as in the case of the powerlifter. I would say it's fine to try for a maximum poundage once in a while, for the ego. But not as a means of developing larger and better muscles for bodybuilding competition."

Franco Columbu is another former powerlifter who has fixed ideas about bodybuilding. He, too, made the transition from strength and power based training to bodybuilding . . . champion bodybuilder. But you won't catch Franco doing very heavy deadlifts anymore. There was a time when he performed 600 pound deadlifts for reps at shows and in competition. Now he says, "I gave up the movement with heavy weights after I put three vertebrae out. It's not for bodybuilding and certainly can be dangerous . . . even for a powerlifter!" Which is not meant to insinuate that this Mr. Olympia winner doesn't push himself with heavy training. He does. But in a style similar to that outlined by Ken Waller above.

Bill Pearl has said, "Why kill yourself with one movement when you can get great development from another, safer one." And that seems to sum up the whole thing, as far as I'm concerned. Obviously, you can build a great physique without powerlifting. Most champion bodybuilders have done exactly that. So why open yourself up to possible injury with such training methods?

I say, leave powerlifting to the powerlifters.
Decide exactly what it is that you want from your training.

Norbert Schemansky

John Kuc

Larry Scott

CONCENTRATION AND DESIRE:

Twin Keys to Better Performance
by Philip Guenov (1964)

More Here:

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2008/10/psychological-preparation-of.html

"I firmly believe the outcome of a lift is determined before the bar is touched," says three time Olympic medalist Pete George. No one will give Pete much of an argument on that, least of all, Philip Guenov, Bulgarian National Weightlifting coach. Guenov, in an exhaustive study of competitors' pre-pull antics, concluded that the difference between success and failure in an effort lies in the lifter's ability to concentrate intensely on the task before him.

Anyone who has seen Pete George lift can appreciate what we mean. Preparatory to an attempt he would pace back and forth behind the platform in a half-hypnotic state convincing himself that the bar was light . . . light . . . light -- for indeed if he truly believed a heavy poundage was light, then in reality, it was. The depth of his concentration determined how light he thought the bar to be, and consequently, how the effort fared.

Only recently have the mental aspects of lifting been studied more deeply. For years weight men have realized that "getting nervous" prior to an attempt was good if that nervousness could be harnessed in a way to create more power, explosion, and speed during the lift. But the nervous fortitude, itself, was produced -- or not produced -- automatically. Calm individuals remained relatively steady, lifting only within their bodies' normal capacities, not with controlled nervous tension and adrenaline aiding. Those tense by nature became too excited, lost coordination and reflex action, and failed lifts they might otherwise have made.

Now, Guenov's research may allow lifters to control the powers of their nervous energy, regulating it, allowing it to assist, never hinder, them.

Just as a valve determines the amount of pressure within a boiler, from "no steam" to the danger/breaking point, so does mental concentration dictate whether you will operate at peak efficiency or fail miserably. From Guenov's study of elite lifters, let's see how they, and you, can control the mental pressure valves which integrally influence lifting operations.

Lock Out Negatives and Lock in Success

Success with a limit poundage rides on scores of factors [obviously you can adapt and apply what you learn here to all your lifting and to all types of lifting], not the least of which are subconscious inhibitions, motivation, desire, state of competition, lifter's health, personal problems, etc. The overriding consideration, however, is that if the lifter concentrates intensely enough and successfully blots out all negative impulses, these failure factors are negated and a lift or set favorably negotiated.

Very few of Guenov's survey conclusions are absolute; all lifters will not benefit by following them exactly. Here we present general trends plus examples of leading lifters in action. After analyzing your own psychological makeup and motivation, and your many physical traits and characteristics, determine which conclusions to apply to yourself, and which you should follow, avoid, or reverse for optimum assistance.

Concentration being the key, let's explore it. Guenov, in his lecture at the International Coaches Clinic (Paris, Feb. 1964), divides concentration into two "time phases":

- the period from when the lifter steps onto the platform or thereabouts until he is standing over the bar.
- the period from when he is standing over the bar until he commences his pull.

Of the two, 76% of all lifters studied spent more time steaming up for their attempts off the platform than on it (19.6% in the latter case). Instances of equal duration were a negligible 3.8%.

Two Heavyweights Show Contrasting Temperaments

It is interesting to note the variations in mood and concentration time displayed by elite lifters. Yuri Vlasov, a confident, mechanically efficient athlete, is fully mobilized when he is called to lift. He strides energetically to the platform, immediately chalks up and gazes at the bar. He approaches it, squats, grips it, takes a breath, assumes his starting position and pulls. The entire operation averages under 30 seconds and less than 5 seconds is spent directly at the bar prior to pulling.

Compare this with 1960 Olympic bronze medalist Jim Bradford. A ponderous, collected individual, somewhat slow by nature, Bradford needs more time to gear up to peak form. His ritual consists of slowly chalking up, walking deliberately about the bar, sometimes standing and staring at the bar or ceiling . . . then he remains motionless for a long period save the vigorous action of his tongue and facial muscles (and voice) . . . eventually he pulls. His concentration takes a minute of more away from the bar, thirty seconds while at it.

In general, first attempts were shown to require less psyche up time than subsequent efforts, apparently because the lifters were more confident of success. An exception to this, however, occurred when the lifter missed his first attempt, then retook it without a poundage increase. Here his concentration time decreased. Probably because the initial effort's concentration carried through to the second attempt, the lifter being concerned only with eliminating the technical flaws which caused the missed lift.

In the more usual case of increasing poundages on second and third attempt most lifters spent considerably more time readying themselves as the chart below shows.

Poundage Increase/Concentration Time Differences (as compared with prior attempt)

Press - Number of Lifters Studied: 137
More Time Taken: 86
Less Time Taken: 51

Snatch - Number of Lifters Studied: 133
More Time Taken: 86
Less Time Taken: 47

Jerk - Number of Lifters Studied: 87
More Time Taken: 70
Less Time Taken: 17

Minaev vs Berger: A Battle of Mental Preparation

Self confidence and concentration are interwoven. Yevgeny Minaev, Guenov says, was not under excessive pressure from the Soviet team managers to beat his American opponent, Isaac Berger at the Rome Olympics. Berger had been conceded a featherweight first place finish by the experts judging from his awesome training lifts. Minaev was only to snare the silver medal. Self assured that he would have no trouble in this relatively minor endeavor, the Soviet world champion showed remarkable calmness . . . he was the only lifter to succeed with all nine attempts and his concentration periods for all attempts were of equal duration. His firing up was mechanical, stereotyped, regardless of the weight or state of the competition. Minaev went on to win the gold medal.

Berger, on the other hand,was overconfident. He paid no heed to psyching up before his first two snatches and failed both. Frightened now, he spent 80 seconds before his third effort and succeeded. None the wiser for his close call, Guenov adds, he concentrated for his 341 Clean and Jerk efforts only while at the bar -- not before. Berger's forces not being fully generated, he failed.

Minaev's static concentration period is an exception but the survey notes that the better lifters exhibit a lesser range of fluctuation in regard to these periods as compared to their less talented adversaries. That is to say that given several identical lift situations the superior lifter may concentrate on one 50 seconds (maximal) and on another 30 seconds (minimal) -- his fluctuation range is only 20 seconds. The poorer lifter may psyche up for 10 seconds on one (minimal) and 110 seconds on the one following (maximal) -- his range is 100 seconds. From this, one can conclude that experienced, highly trained lifters reach their optimum psyche up point more quickly than others, or perhaps they merely recognize it sooner. Concentrating for overly long periods of time results in real nervousness and the consequent loss of a lift needlessly.

Other Factors and Recommendations Involving Concentration

The lifter's physical condition will tend to affect his concentration. As an example, take the case of two Iron Curtain competitors, Vesselinov and Baroga. Both competed at the last Olympics while injured. It was noted that in all attempts and movements they used markedly shorter concentration spells than when they competed in a healthy state at the European Championships. Also, the better the contestant's training shape and form, the less he will concentrate on the lifts when in competition, the survey found.

Guenov recommends that mental preparation be stepped up in the following instances (relative to those instances in parentheses):

A) when at a distance from the bar (as compared to when at the bar)
B) when the weights are heavier (as compared to lighter)
C) for second and third attempts(as compared to starting lifts)
D) in each quick lift (as compared to the Press)
E) against stronger opponents (as compared to weaker)
F) when in poor form, or injured (as compared to being in top shape)
G) when attempting a decisive weight, a former failure, or a personal record effort (as compared to a lift without as much import)

Lifters are cautioned not to address the bar or start pulling until they feel "ready." When not yet set, they should spend more time psyching up backstage and less on the platform.

Immediately before the lifter is called, he and his coaches should take care to see that no diversions or interruptions interfere with his mental preparation. More important, the athletes should habitually function in a predetermined manner to avoid all distracting outside influences and concentrate only on the best possible way to generate all the forces necessary for a success with the effort lying before them.

It is suggested that coaches try to reduce the psyche up periods of lifters for identical lifts, or lift situations, during training and in meets.

At the conclusion of Guenov's lecture he was questioned by many lifting devotees, several of whom asked what the athletes really thought about as they prepared to pull. He answered that most pondered the weight of the bar and the reasons they wanted to succeed with the attempt, i.e., personal glory, patriotism, for someone else, etc. All lifters appear to develop a true hate and contempt for the weight. Some have been known to spit on the bar after besting it.

While such steps as praying, uttering incantations, and the aforementioned expectorating are extreme, they show the measures some lifters will go to in an effort to mentally prepare their bodies and musculature for the great efforts our sport requires. Every lifter -- whether he be of calm, placid temperament like Stan Stancyzk or a fiery demoniacal competitor like Mahmoud Namdjou -- will benefit by letting his automatically produced nervous tensions work for him.

Properly applied concentration can change you from an also-ran to a high-grade performer faster than all the power training, isometrics and get-strong-quick schemes combined. Study the styles of elite lifters . . . see them in action if you can. Harness the mental lifting giant within you, much more powerful than any one muscle since it controls them all.

Your mind can help you to lift record poundages!

Don Cundy on the right.

The thought has occurred to me that some might question my right to give advice on squat training since my own accomplishments in this lift are not exactly legendary! I would be the first to admit that I am only a fairly good squatter, at this time. But the truth is I was really hopeless not so long ago.

There are some fortunate enough to be born with natural squatting ability and who are destined to become great squatters, regardless of what training programs they follow. I do not belong to this select category and have had to work hard for whatever progress I have made over the years.

It is not difficult to understand why people tend to follow any advice given by the successful powerlifter. They figure that he is the best man to teach since he has put his methods to the test, with success. Now while this might be good thinking in some cases, it is also true that some people are just born great gainers, as I explained above. And the advice they dish out might very well cripple the other lifter's chances. I find harder gainers have had to put much more thought and effort into their training. Most "easy gainers" find things going their way with so little effort on their part that very little attention is paid to the training principles employed.

I am passing on my own training principles, the same which helped me increase my best official squat in 1966 (550 lbs.) to 735 in 1969, in the hope that you might find them useful.

You might recall that I pointed out, in an earlier article on deadlifting [this article was on John Sanchez's American Powerlift Evolution website when it was still available], the importance of considering the WHOLE training program when setting up a workout schedule. Not only do many exercises involve the same muscles, the lifter's general energy level is also affected. For example, most weightmen know that squats and deadlifts work similar muscle groups, particularly the lower back and hips. Because of this, few experienced lifters would consider doing heavy deadlifts the day after heavy squats or vice versa. The muscles involved need more time to recuperate and in the long run most lifters would make little or no progress from such a badly planned schedule.

In an attempt to avoid overly long and taxing workouts, bearing in mind the time required for complete recuperation, many lifters employ split routines so popular with bodybuilders. They perform upper body exercises on one day, and lower body movements the next.

Now while it may be true that split training allows the trainee to space and reduce his workouts, it is also a fact that his energy will still be down from the previous day's workout. The result is a tired, lacking-in-drive feeling. although the muscles being worked that day seem rested.

Bodybuilders tend to use lighter weights and higher repetitions than powerlifters; they do not drain their overall nervous energy to the same degree. Powerlifters are constantly handling limit and near limit poundages. And that is why bodybuilders are able to make great gains on the split method of training, while powerlifters may not do so well on it.

In my experience, and a great majority of the other powerlifters agree with me, trying to lift limit poundages more than once a week, in any particular lift, will retard progress. I find I am unable to lift limit poundages in any one exercise more than once in every eight days.

The problem, or rather the answer to the problem, is to devise a squat program that will give maximum results and at the same time have no adverse effect on your bench press and deadlift training! I have found two different programs that work well for me.

PROGRAM #1

Saturday:

1) heavy bench press

2) heavy seated behind the neck press

3) narrow stance squat

4) heavy lat pulldown

5) heavy curls

6) light power cleans

Monday:

1) high-rep bench press

2) standing dumbbell lateral raise

3) light lat pulldown

4) high-rep curls

Wednesday:

1) heavy squat

2) heavy deadlift

[the order of these is reversed every other week]

3) heavy bench press

PROGRAM #2

Saturday:

1) heavy bench press, followed immediately by heavy narrow grip bench press

2) heavy lat pulldown

3) deep "ballet style" squat

4) heavy seated behind the neck press

5) heavy curl

Wednesday:

1) heavy squat

2) heavy deadlift

[order reversed every other week]

3) medium benches

[working up to about 40 lbs. less than max]

4) standing dumbbell lateral raise

5) light lat pulldown

6) light triceps extension

As you can readily see for yourself, both programs are very similar and #2 is really #1 where Monday's and Wednesday's programs have been combined into a single workout on Wednesday. In both programs the muscles involved in each one of the three powerlifts are worked twice each week, once heavy for low repetitions and once light for fairly high reps [i.e., 6-10 a set].

For the squat in particular I do heavy singles on Wednesday, either before or after heavy deadlifts, alternating every other week. I have found from past experience that if I do heavy deadlifts I cannot do heavy limit squats for about six days afterward, and vice versa. Also, it's obvious that if you do both exercises in the same workout, the one you do first will tire you so that you can't do your very best on the other. To get around this problem, I alternate the squat and deadlift every week so that I go to my absolute limit on each lift every two weeks, and as heavy as I'm able to go on the second lift. An added bonus from doing the squat and deadlift for contest situations, where I so often see men failing or doing poorly on their deadlift attempts because of having been drained on the squat.

When doing heavy limit poundages, warmup are extremely important in order to avoid injury and prepare the body for maximum attempts. I usually start with 135, then to to 315, 405, 500, 585, 655, 710, and then a limit attempt. There is no magic number of warmup sets or reps but a general rule of thumb is to do enough reps to warm the muscles thoroughly and space the poundage of successive sets so that you don't have to take too large a jump from warmup to maximum attempt.

Following my limit attempt, I generally drop the poundage about 100 lbs. and do as many reps as I can, which usually works out to about five.

Saturday is my second squat workout day of the week and, since my legs and back are generally still tired from Wednesday's workout, I concentrate on developing the area just above my knees by doing either narrow stance squats on a block to elevate my heels, or ballet type squats with my toes turned out and back held vertical. Both of these methods of squatting work the knee area heavily, which is my weak point in the squat.

Some of you may wonder why I have included so much other material in an article devoted to training the squat. The reason for this is that when planning a training program for any one of the three powerlifts, ALL the other exercises you plan to do must be considered as well so that the various muscle groups get enough rest, and the lifter is able to keep his overall energy level high for heavy maximum attempt workouts.

Because the squat and deadlift work many of the same muscle groups it's not necessary to do the large numbers of sets and reps. Exercises should be limited to basic power exercises which work large muscle groups. A lot of specialized exercises beyond the basic ones will only fatigue the lifter and retard his progress. Leave "bombing and blitzing" to the bodybuilders.

Chip McCain

Editor's Note:

I've never seen such maturity coupled with such youth. On the occasions when I've spoken to him, I've been very impressed with the planning that goes into his routine, his confidence, his psychological outlook on lifting, his reverence for strength is enormous. When he talks with someone who has broken a world record, or come close, his tone of voice involuntarily changes, and no matter how modest the speaker may be Chip will delve into his achievement, celebrate it though conversation. All the while you can imagine the thought running through Chip's mind: "I will do the same thing, and more." His sophisticated approach to lifting, his determination, holds promise for a tremendous future in the sport.

"Paul Barbee started me in powerlifting. Just like Rick Gaugler. I believe the key to my fast improvement to date was being taught the fundamentals of form and training at such an early age (13). Although our training routines differ for he individual needs of our bodies, Rick and I have almost identical lifting philosophies, and that's due to Barbee's influences six years ago.

Paul Barbee

"I use the cycle training system. The main advantage of it is variation. it constantly changes, to prepare the body and mind for the peak, the day of the meet. I divide a cycle into three parts, preferably spending one month on each for a 12 week peak:

Conditioning -
Quick workouts, light supplementary work, bodyweight down at 202.

Size -
Longer workouts, heavy supplementary work, heavier bodyweight at 208.

Strength -
Quicker workouts again, little supplementary work, bodyweight at 204.

My schedule is:

Monday -
Bench
Incline
Dips
Tri Ext
Curl

Tuesday -
Squat
Leg Ext
Leg Curl
Calf Raise

Thursday -
Bench
Incline
Dips
Tri Ext
Curl

Saturday -
Deadlift
Shrugs
Lat Pull
Leg Curl

On my powerlifts, in general, the farther from the meet the more reps I do. Approaching the meet, I cut down the reps. I have had very little success with training them heavy. I would either peak too soon,go stale, or get injured. The heaviest I go in the SQ and DL is 4 reps, and in the BP 2 reps.

I purposely try to undertrain the powerlifts just a little, and then make up for it with supplementary work. The muscles still get worked, but your mind stays fresh. Also, training at 90% and never getting hurt gives better overall results than training 110% and getting hurt twice a year.

The strategy of my routine changes every meet, so I don't have a consistent training routine as far as sets and reps go. I do have a guideline for each workout though, depending on which stage of the cycle I'm in. It's like writing a term paper. You make an outline (cycle training system), write the words as you go (actual routine), an then get graded when you're through (the meet).

Within my cycle guidelines I sets and reps that feel comfortable with me. Here's an example of how I go about achieving a goal, say, a 400 bench press. A person doing any of the following would probably be capable of a 400 bench:

300 x 10
350 x 5
365 x 4
375 x 3
385 x 2
400 x 1.

I would set one of the preceding as a workout goal (probably a 4, 3, or double). If I doubled 385 I would know I could do 400 for a single. If I wanted a 410 BP the next meet I would pick something instead of a double as a workout goal. The idea is VARIATION.

Don't always plan your strength off the same reps. Your mind will lose its enthusiasm after and while and it won't be a true gauge of your strength anymore. Also, by knowing your max strength off of ALL the rep ranges, you don't have to max in a workout to prove your strength . . . train lighter and save it for the meet.

If I had to pick five powerlifters to comment on:

LAMAR GANT - most flexible
WALTER THOMAS - most casual
LARRY PACIFICO - most stubborn
ROGER ESTEP - biggest 220 at 198
JERRY JONES - best dressed

Seriously, it's hard to pick the five best, there's so many outstanding people powerlifting now.

I used to boast a lot about my goals, etc. I've stopped that, as the year that I boasted the most I bombed out 3 out of 4 times, and this year I kept quiet and did well . . . superstition, I guess. My goals have shifted from poundage goals to titles and records. I enjoy competing one-on-one immensely. My goals for the future are to win the meets I enter and break people's records . . . not numbers.

Big Thanks again to Jake Striefel for giving me access to this great material!

Back Then . . .

More Memories of the Great Old Days

by Ken Leistner (1979)

IronMan, Volume 33, No. 4 has an article on power rack training that I wrote after a period of time spent with Bill March down in York. I don't wish, at this point in time, to go into the various aspects of that mode of training, but rather, I'd like to call attention to photos of Henry Fera which accompany the piece. Henry and I shared a class in Italian II and a number of other interests. He played offensive guard at Tulsa in the mid-Sixties and came in 2nd or 3rd in the Senior Nationals in 1973.

In considering the various ways existing, that lead to the same point, his approach is proof positive that whatever works is correct.

First, I'll briefly mention that big Henry was of the school that one had to be well nourished. His mom owned one of the best and most successful Italian restaurants in the New York area and Henry often served as head waiter. He spent a great deal of this time downing vast quantities of shrimp, lobster, veal, chicken and steak in the back of the kitchen. He wasn't much on taking nutritional supplements, but he did insure that his caloric intake was sufficient to maintain his bodyweight of 285.

While at Tulsa, Henry enjoyed the company of others his size. Actually, at only 6' in height, he was one of the smaller linemen recruited by the Tulsa brain trust. Their philosophy was to get as many huge offensive linemen as possible, get them all benching close to 500, and let them protect a quarterback that could throw accurately up to 70 times per game. They would use short, quick linebackers behind a defensive front that went around six foot four and 275 pounds. They trained hard and ate hard (and occasionally attended classes). In order to insure adequate protein intake, even on nights when campus fare was less than edible, they would drink a gallon of milk each and then hit an all-you-can-eat place to the tune of eight or 10 pounds of food each.

In training the bench, Henry hit if four times a week. He felt that he could do this and grow if he didn't do too many sets (shades of Jim Williams), or too many reps, and got adequate rest and nutrition. He would go up to 500-550, in 4 or 5 sets of triples or doubles, do 2 or 3 sets of flyes, and then finish his bench work with Presses on the power rack. These varied from workout to workout, but he would, in the course of a week, do some from the top of his head to full extension, from a few inches below full lockout, from chin level, and from the full range position. These were also done for just a few sets and, as always, low reps and lots of weight.

He squatted, when we worked out together anyway, similarly. He squatted often, but again, low reps and lots of weight. Most of the fellows at that time would do low reps, but cover 8-12 sets in the process. Henry would get to maximum weights quickly and then cool out until the next session. This went on four days per week. Deadlifts were done only once a week and supplemented with lat pulldowns or rows, these done, as per the rest of it, every workout day.

Here's a dynamite long thread on Zuver's Gym from The Draper's fine site:
http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/204/tp/1/

At the time I was used to a different approach. In fact, two different approaches. Typical of the routines used on the West Coast, and specifically at Zuver's Gym, was the following:

Squats -
done twice weekly
5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2 (adding weight over the sets), then
3 to 8 singles depending on the way it's going (plan on 3 and hit it hard when things are cooking)
3, 3.

Few assistance exercises were done. Once every 3 or 4 workouts, work would be done in the rack, shortening the range of motion to 3/4, 1/2, or 1/4 squats, depending on the weakness of the individual squatter (remember, we were doing pretty much full squats in competition in those days). These partials were done just as the full squats and the emphasis was on using a ton of weight (a half ton anyway. It wasn't that unusual to use 1100 to 1200 for the 1/4 squats.).

Of course, this would wreak havoc on the thoracic vertebrae for two or three days but every lifter probably runs around with Schmurl's nodes anyway (an upward and downward protrusion [pushing into] of a spinal disk's soft tissue into the bony tissue of the adjacent vertebrae).

In all movements, the same uniform was worn as one would wear in competition. This made for numerous delays in the training sessions, depending upon who was lifting, as some of the guys were into very heavy wrapping ("Don't mean to hold you up but I got this new double strength sheet I wanna check out.") -- I was looking at a photo from a real old PLUSA mag this morning of a guy with 8 of the older style knee wraps on each leg training squats. It was part of a little pictorial essay on lifters doing the damnedest (maybe dumbest) things to get that weight up. This pic, online, was in there too:

A young Tony Fitton (1967) doing his best to deadlift a PR.

Okay then!

Deadlifts were usually done once per week, in a similar fashion as the squats. Assistance was done immediately after the full deadlifts and consisted of stiff legged deadlifts on a bench or block, getting a very full range of motion out of the erector spinae group, or partial deads in the rack, again utilizing those positions that were the primary weakness of the particular lifter. -- Not just the position he could handle the greatest weight in.

Benches were done 2 times per week, again, the same set and rep sequence as the squats. Assistance work at Zuver's centered upon dumbbell bench presses and dips. These were both done for triples, 4 to 8 sets. Bob Zuver built special racks which were angled so that the lifter did not have to clean the dumbbells to the shoulders. He would merely grasp them and roll back onto the bench. A partner would help the lifter sit upright an droll back into the rack, thus replacing the dumbbells. Considering that many of the lifters were using in excess of 150 pounders for this, cleaning the bells would have been very foolish. Dips were done on the big dip rack. A 12-foot monstrosity that had varying hand spacing. The dumbbell to be used as additional weight was located beneath the lifter upon a railroad flatcar. When ready to begin, he lifter would hook the weight onto the dip belt and go to it. Inclines, if they were done, were hit once per week.

A typical program for a lifter at Zuver's in the '60s would look something like this:

Monday -
Bench, as above
Dumbbell Bench (palms facing each other when doing these)
Dips
Squats, as above.

Wednesday -
Inclines, 6 to 8 sets of 3 reps
Deadlift, as above, deadlifts in rack, alternate weeks with
Stiff Legged Deadlifts as described above
Heavy Barbell Curls.

Friday -
Same as Monday.

This contrasted well with Bill West's approach. Most of the guys that trained with Bill in his Culver City garage trained twice a week. Usually, it was bench and squat on Tuesdays and all three lifts on Saturdays, trying to total more and more each Saturday heading for each meet.

For those doing assistance work, inclines were sometimes done in place of benches on Tuesdays and especially for the legion of discus and shot men who dropped in, power cleans were also done on Tuesdays.

If partial deads from the rack were to be performed, these would often take the place of full deadlifts on Saturdays, but perhaps for only 1 or 2 weeks before full deads were done again. If the deadlift problem had not been alleviated it was back to the partials for a week or two, and then again the return to full deadlifts.

As far as I can remember no one went more than a few weeks without making their Saturday total. On occasion, lat pulldowns or the like were performed for a few sets, but this was always considered to be part of the accessory work and not even considered to be part of the "real" workout. So these accessories were just that. They in no way interfered with the business of benching (we did that first, remember?), squatting, and deadlifting heavy, heavy weights.

If a reminder need be given, West, Frenn, Thurber, Ingro (part of Zuver's team, but he trained at West's garage), Breaker, etc., Etc., ETC. were the main men of their day.

The simplicity of the approach should not be lost in light of the super swift, modern day so-called scientific perspectives of many armchair experts.

This game still comes down to taking a vary massive weight and moving it in one of three prescribed manners.

It really is that simple.

-- There's more to this article, but it's centered around Ken Leistner commenting on Bill Starr's "No Deadlift Deadlift Routine" ideas, as well as many other things. Coming up.

Lamar Gant Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBU43km7Qdg

Many articles written about me are not based on facts. They say I am having back problems or I am burning out. These statements are not true. I have no back problems at all and am healthier than ever. After winning 10 world titles in powerlifting and being only 28, I am not burned out and plan to break some world records soon. I could break a world record any day, but I'll prove it at the coming Senior Nationals.

When my lifting totals are up or down it has nothing to do with drugs. During an average year I take four to six months off training, which can affect my totals. Usually, my time off from training averages about eight weeks here an there which amounts to about five months each year. I am willing to take a drug test any time of the year, plus I am in favor of drug testing at the Senior Nationals. I have never used steroids before, and just lifting naturally I have never peaked with any of the lifts. I know I can be stronger than ever and, as I said, I intend to prove it.

Fear has never entered my mind during competition. I am not afraid of anyone. I like competition because it motivates me to train harder. People from the past, like Precious McKenzie or Joe Bradley, and more recently Claude Handsor, and other good lifters have been great motivators. Also, I would like to congratulate Claude Handsor on his win at the Senior Nationals and his victory at the World Championships. Claude is a true sportsman and I will enjoy competing against him again this summer.

People say my long arms or having scoliosis are the reasons why I am so strong. Once a lifter approached me at a meet and said, "I wish I had long arms like yours so I could be stronger in the deadlift." I do not use excuses for anything. I believe my knowledge and training are the reasons why I am so strong. People always want explanations for my heavy deadlifts. What about my past official world record squat and bench presses? Long arms do not help there. I am the only lifter in powerlifting history who has held an official world record in every one of the lifts and the total. Just trying to move the deadlift off the ground is the hardest part for me. Not many lifters can even slightly budge the weight I deadlift.

Some people have the impression that I am a vegetarian or fruitarian. This is not true; I eat a well balanced diet with meat included, although it is true that my consumption of protein is far less than most lifters. Most of my diet consists of a large portion of fruits and vegetables. I am not fanatical about any diet principles, I eat what I fell like eating and take supplements.

On December 14th at the Rocky Mountain Powerlifting meet in Colorado, I achieved a 1460 qualifying total for the 1986 Senior Nationals. This total was 94 pounds higher than the total that won the 132 pound class in the November, 1985 World Championships held in Finland. My bench was 300, squat 510, and the deadlift was 650. I had the power to lift up to 40 pounds more on both the squat and the deadlift, buy my main objective is to stay healthy.

During the Senior Nationals last summer some officials, friends, and myself thought that I had at least one god bench press, maybe more. After I got disqualified for my bench presses, everyone was booing for a long time and about one third of the audience got up and left. I do not have bad feelings about the past Senior Nationals, I just feel motivated to train more consistently and break some world records.

Great Article here on Gant and Joe Bradley, by Marty Gallagher:
http://startingstrength.com/article/gant_bradley

"The power intelligentsia (a contradiction in terms if there ever was one) dismissively labeled Lamar a “genetic freak,” and ergo, his Old School training methods therefore have zero relevance for normal individuals. This was and still is shortsighted and ridiculous – we have no lessons to learn from one of the greatest lifters in history? So we should take our training and strength cues from whom? Men that could not carry Lamar’s proverbial gym bag? How Lamar trained was simple and direct: hit each lift once a week using straight-line periodization."

Sample Lamar Gant deadlift routine from PLUSA:
http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/files/Lamar%20Gant's%20Deadlift%20Routine.pdf

The first two paragraphs are worth reading over a few times.

As always I'm late to the party! Just found out about these and can't say how excited I am about getting one. The number of uses are, well, like most good things . . . endless!

Check it out, and be sure to watch the video up to the point where there's some full swings followed by full-force tosses. They're made of a material that can withstand being thrown (not only that but landing too, ah-yep, and of course can take a beating when banged together). Outstanding! Think of what you could do with these. I know I'll be using one for overhead carries on my daily walk . . . some one side carries when that gets tiring enough . . . definitely some hard throws in the secluded areas along the way. And hey, if like today some irresponsible dimwit along the trail decides to let their sadly untrained dog off-leash and it jumps teeth-bared at me to chest height, I guess you could say . . . you could say, but I won't.

http://sorinex.com/cmb-or-center-mass-bells/

Here's a special treat, thanks to an original photo in the mail from Jan Dellinger!

Doug Hepburn at Muscle Beach, one arm deadlift with 415 on the bar.

Thanks, Jan!

Billie Starr.
A rose is a rose, I suppose.

Ken Leistner, 573 Deadlift
Click Pics to ENLARGE

I'd like to go back to something touched upon in the Volume 2, #8 issue of Powerlifting USA.

- I really had no choice but to post the cover of that issue.
The photo on the front is priceless!

YEAH!

Okay, continuing with the original article:

Bill Starr, for all practical purposes, never did deadlifts and his thoughts were noted. He had other thoughts, just as interesting, regarding the other two lifts. Bill was into heavy squatting, but not for the (often) heartbreaking singles. He would squat twice a week (this for the powerlifts, not the Olympic lifts), once moderately for 5 sets of 5 reps. The other squat day was 3 sets of 5 followed by an all out 5 sets of 3 reps. One has to go HEAVY on these triples. If, after three weeks or so one's legs and hips are shot, back off to 5 sets of 5 for both workouts, both days moderate, and cycle up again.

For the bench, many people, myself being one of them, had told Bill that they would plateau severely between meets. In my own case, the bench always came easy and I never cared for the lift, liking overhead work a lot more. Consequently, if I didn't have a meet or an impromptu $50 on the line, backroom contest coming up, I'd have trouble staying with heavy benching. (Hey, we do exist - especially us oldtimers who found that as the pecs grew, the snatch was harder to position overhead and the rack in the clean would become a juggling act after the bar would hit and bounce six inches in front. Of course, few pursue both types of lifting now, bodybuilding is sort of in, so I don't really expect too many readers to be hesitant to go for the gladiator pecs. ("Hell, man, if your bench don't move, you'll be hit come beach season.")

The following may help. Bill suggested heavy benches, for triples, once a week. Other exercises to be done, all once a week, were wide grip overhead presses (so that 'wide grip' is not misunderstood, use your benching grip when pressing overhead), inclines at 45 to 60 degrees, overhead lockouts in the power rack (from approximately three inches from top position), and dips.

The following is an attempt to present a very workable program following some of Bill's suggestions:

Monday --
Squat - 5 sets of 5 reps
Bench - 3 sets of 5, 5 sets of 3 ( max for three)
Power Clean - 5 sets of 5 to 3 reps
Clean Grip High Pull - same as Cleans
Press Lockouts (as explained above) - 5 x 5.

Tuesday --
Wide Grip Overhead Press (as explained above) - 5 x 5
Partial Squat in Rack - 5 x 5
Shrugs - 5 x 5
Good Mornings - 5 x 5-6
Curl - 4 x 6.

Thursday --
Inclines (as explained above) - 3 x 5, 5 x 3
Power Clean - 2 x 5, 5 x 3
Clean Grip High Pull - 5 x 5 to 3 reps
Dip - 5 x 5

Friday --
Squats (go for it) - 3 x 5, all out for 5 sets of 3, go to singles once a month
Light Benches - 5 x 5 at 60%
Shrugs - 5 x 5
Good Mornings - 5 x 5
Curls - 4 x 6.

As a quick sidelight, a brief word about injuries. If you've already blown it and haven't avoided it, perhaps some suggestions will be helpful. I decided to break my 11 year hiatus and lift in an Olympic lifting meet (no power meets fit into the current schedule) on March 3rd. On February 14 I received my Valentine's gift in the form of a moderately severe injury. Having thoroughly warmed up, and having done two exercises previously, I was shocked when on my first set of snatch pulls, with a moderate weight, I felt what I first thought was my biceps tendon snap in the right arm. Closer inspection and palpation [a method of feeling with the fingers or hands during a physical examination. The health care provider touches and feels your body to examine the size, consistency, texture, location, and tenderness of an organ or body part.]indicated that the involved muscle was the brachioradialis and the problem was at the origin of the humerus. There was too much pain and edema [swelling] to determine whether I had in fact torn the muscle, suffered a minor pull (to distinguish it from a completely torn muscle), or pulled the origin off of the bone. I showered, packed it in ice and headed for the clinic. Although most authorities would advise keeping the injury "cold" (treating with ice) the first 40 hours, I felt, from past experience, that immediate ultrasound would be positive at this point. I took 10 minutes of ultrasound, having it on "medcolation" at the trigger point of the muscle for at least half that time, iced it again, got adjusted (I won't go into it here, but unless the vertebral segments are properly aligned, healing, like all health processes, will be hindered), and iced the injury the entire night.

I kept ice packs on the arm all day and night Friday (literally, I would take perhaps a 20 minute respite from the cold therapy every three hours). I doubled my mineral intake, increased my protein intake by 30% (and proportionately increased those supplements necessary for proper assimilation of that protein and mineral influx). Saturday, I iced the injury once more and headed for the Boys Club where I did moderate to light squats (top set was 5 with 350), light clean position deadlifts (no straps in order to test the arm) with a triple at 407, moderate overhead jerk supports in the rack (top triple at 305), and form work with a broomstick.

Iced again Saturday night and Sunday. On Sunday evening, Feb. 17, the pain was all but gone. I was able to do some Snatch and Clean form work with my wife's Olympic bar (doesn't every married couple have a Mav-Rik bar in the bedroom? Aren't there others who are told that no vacuuming was done because "I didn't want to move the bumper plates out of the living room. I have to deadlift tomorrow and you told me not to do any heavy work the day before my heavy deadlifts. I did make dinner though.") And I suspect that I'll be able to lift moderately less than a week after the injury.

I'd have to rate the injury as moderately severe (and I've got the experience to rank injures. Between football and a checkered past of brawling as much as any other Polack from New York's Lower East Side, I've had every finger, the left wrist, and an arm broken; in excess of 10 major concussions, gunshot wounds, loss of the medial meniscus in both knees, a few broken noses and other assorted infirmities that are of no interest now). Proper nutrition, chiropractic care, and sensible treatment has insured that I will be able to lift in this meet at full capacity. Hopefully, some of these tips might prove helpful to others.

On Cardiovascular Conditioning

I was really horrified at what was to me the obvious lack of cardiovascular conditioning/reserve displayed by most of the lifters at the Heart of America. That's not meant to be taken as a random or indiscriminate slam at the guys who were obviously athletes, but a number of lifters looked like many of the fellows from "my day". Just big, fat men who seemed to fall into powerlifting due to an inability to succeed at other events, or more accurately, those who have gravitated toward the lifts as a means of utilizing their size and strength and lack of cardiorespiratory ability. I was sort of shocked when lifters would come off stage, panting heavily, and about whipped after performing two squats onstage. I too have been through the tension of a meet, warmups, psyching for a big lift, long delays, and perhaps a bit to much speed (rotary nystagmus was really the order of the day - [those uncontrollable eye movements that come with the territory], but there was little excuse for the way some of the guys were laboring. It's interesting that many of the better lifters also look very fit. (Wadie and Cash stick in my mind.)

Bigger and bigger lifts are what it's all about, but a little overall health benefits would be truly worth it. Some of those lifters looked ILL! One unnamed for obvious reasons lifter sat in the rear of the gymnasium, literally gasping for breath prior to changing into his warmup gear. Even an untrained eye could determine that this man was large framed, and would be at any time "heavy" for his height, but he was carrying a minimum of 30-35% bodyfat, and when you're relating this to men who weight upwards of 275 pounds, you're talking about an awful lot of fat, regardless of height.

Throw some speed, Maxibolin and Deca Durabolin, and perhaps diuretics into the picture (at least for some cutting to 242) and the blood/urine workup would no doubt be a trip. Like any other sport (remember, my football background includes speed before games going back to junior high, the stakes, at least among the local bookies, were that high!), the win at any cost syndrome has really taken over.

. . . "In the old days . . ." Well, I won't pretend guys wrapped in bed sheets just for the sheer comfort of it, but there was a certain spirit of camaraderie, which still exists of course among many of the top lifters (hell, they even see each other, travel together, etc., often enough to foster some type of mutual respect), that permeated to all levels of the game.

My first meet took place at the Venice Beach Pavilion. I walked in and Peanuts West said, "You're lifting today," not "Are you lifting today?" Well, it was Saturday and I was due to train so I forked up an entry fee, got my workout stuff out of the trunk of the old Ford, weighed in, and lifted. I was officially unattached, but had trained at Zuver's

- here's some more on Zuver's Gym you might like (Thanks, Laree!):
http://davedraper.com/blog/2012/02/22/leistner-on-zuvers/
http://davedraper.com/blog/2012/09/18/zuvers-hall-of-fame-gym-big-barrel-lift/

but had trained at Zuver's long enough to so that I was, at least for the purpose of drawing lines between the active participants, one of "Zuver's Boys." I knew very few of the lifters at this point in time. I was still newly arrived from New York and, as mentioned previously, had spent a few weeks at Pearl's old place.
http://www.billpearl.com/
I was introduced as a football player from the East, and that was that. The guys from Zuver's, notably Jim Waters, Witting, Willie Kindred, and Bob himself were quite helpful, but so were Dick Moos (I think this was his first West Coast contest as it was Hank Breakers). John Kanter (one of the first meets he lifted at weighing 235, there was no 220 class then. His wife told me that he was eating very large meals, very often, consisting of everything in sight, and one of the keys was copious amounts of papaya juices after every meal. For what it's worth, one of the Arizona lifters at one time told me that Kanter, at least at one point in his training . . . 1968 . . . did few full squats, but rather, did many, many partial and just above parallel squats. Of course, parallel than was also different than it is now. Again, this was not straight from Kanter, but it sounded true to me. Also, many lifters were really intimidated by him. He had been, from what I could gather, a very good football player while in Pennsylvania and a fine physique man . . . he was Mr. Arizona in the early sixties. He was nice towards me, but again, some of the lifters really got spooked by him), and Bill West.

John Kanter

John Kanter in 2011, receiving a CBS Pay It Forward Award:
http://www.cbs5az.com/story/14821849/back-yard-trainers-generosity-rewarded-4-22-2011

I had never seen George Frenn lift, and had heard little about him, other than his renowned prowess with the hammer throw and his ability to lift some big weights. He helped coach Bull Thurber through his benches (with Peanuts) but generally hung out in the audience, talking with everyone, during the lighter classes. He eventually appeared backstage, ready to warm up, then it began. 'C'mon George, you got it, George. You're great George!" Over and Over. "Easy lift, George." Of course it was Frenn himself bellowing out this encouragement.

He had a tape cassette that was blasting out some sort of jazz, and he just started howling at the moon! Man, he just kept getting higher and higher, working himself up to a fever pitch. It was impressive. West's encouragement was almost a toning down in comparison to Frenn's own admonitions to himself. This was all new to me. I'd seen guys run their heads into lockers prior to football games, sometimes drawing blood, but I usually chalked it up to too many black beauties. I thought that warmup rooms were dens of quiet concentration. It was great!

Finally, George had to go out on stage to take his last warmup for the squat (there weren't enough weights backstage). Wearing his sweats, he just kept bellowing to himself that the lift was "easy, George, it's easy," set, stepped back and went down an up effortlessly. He did close to 700 that day in the same manner. Minimal ace bandages on the knees, old shorts and a Cal State Long Beach T-shirt were his only aids.

He was a trip . . . I was told that he got racked up in a car accident once . . . nothing too serious, on his way to Peanuts' garage one Saturday morning. He came staggering in, bleeding a bit, scraped up, and began changing. Someone inquired about the mess. "Oh yeah, cracked the car up. Do I look hurt?""Yeah . . . look, George, let's get you checked out at the hospital or something. I'll talk to the cops when they come for the car." George just agreed and kept changing. "Look, I'm really beat up from that accident, and I'll get checked and all. I mean I could be hurt, but I gotta lift first, okay?" Yeah, he took his workout first . . . true single-minded dedication.

Bill Thurber performed his benches in a very unique way. Maximum legal grip, but the bar traveled in an absolutely straight line. He spent many hours perfecting this . . . again, the bar did not travel toward the head while ascending and he kept his elbows well back.

A making weight story about Bill March, who could eat more than anyone . . . except Ernie Ladd. For one National Championships, perhaps 1968, Bill, as usual sucked down to 198, losing 15 lbs. in perhaps the 36 hours preceding the meet. Cramps caused him to drop out during the Snatch, so he got a full case of Pepsi-Cola and some food and by the time he hit the scales the next morning he was 218 . . . think he could ingest? I also saw him drink 3-4 quarts of milk prior to a workout (he was loading protein powder into cans during this one hour period. I guess the 'hard work' made him thirsty), and then down a quart of orange juice, a quart of milk and a quart of Pepsi during a moderately hard workout.

Hideaki Inaba, Deadlifter

In 1982, Hideaki Inaba won his 9th World Championship title, the same number of world titles as America's Larry Pacifico. This is quite an accomplishment, but now he has a new goal: to win his 10th World Championship title. Since the beginning of powerlifting history no one has won 10 championships, but that is what he is after in 1983.

In the Fall of 1982, Inaba's condition was very good. At the Japanese World Team selection meet in September he squatted 233 kilograms at a bodyweight of 53 kilos (513 at 116). On October 3rd at the meet in South Africa he made 237.5 kilos (523), and again on October 17th, at the Japan Cup, he succeeded with 237.5 kilos in the squat. Two days before leaving for the World Championships in Munich, he squatted 245 kilos easily (540).

Inaba thought that Joe Cunha might be competing for the United States in Germany (his world record is 242.5 kilos - 534, and he felt good because he can usually do 5-10 kilos more at a meet than he does in training practice. However, when I went to Narita International Airport to see Inaba and his teammates off to Germany, he told me that he had just been stricken with fever and vomiting and had not been able to eat anything. He understood that at this year's World Championships there would be drug testing, so couldn't take any medicine for his ailment.

After the championships I had an international telephone call from Mr. Inaba and he told me that he had won the competition with 225/110/217.5 (496/242/479). He said that the victory was wonderful, but his sickness was still not completely well, and that Chuck Dunbar had been his biggest competitor. On November 13th I met Inaba back in Japan and he talked about the meet. He felt sorry that his condition wasn't the best. Even though he felt that he did not do well, he still wants to win the 10th World Championship. He told me several times, "I will . . . I will . . . I will make the 10th World Championship." Dunbar and Cunha are both very strong, but Inaba will never give up.

In the coming year he plans to total 580 (1278). Powerlifting is the joy of his life. It gives him much happiness and through powerlifting he can make lots of friends all over the world. He loves powerlifting deeply inside of his heart. He showed me a picture taken with Pacifico with nine fingers showing (for each World Championship) and one with Ken Leistner and John Gamble, his new friend He really enjoys powerlifting deeply.

Training Year Schedule:

Dec-Jan-Feb -- Long Layoff

Mar- April -- Power Training

May -- Japanese Nationals

June-Jul-Aug -- Bodybuilding

Sept-Oct -- Power Training

Nov -- World Championships

His goal in doing all this schedule is to win a World Championship. After the World Championships each year he takes a three month long layoff. During that time he never even holds a barbell. During those three months, his muscles get kind of loose, out of condition, but the rest is the secret of his winning nine World Championships. Because of the rest period, he does not set any World Records in the Japanese National Championships, because after two months (March and April) of practice, he is not in condition yet. But after the Japanese Nationals he trains continuously for the World Championships.

Training Week Schedule:

Sunday - at his home,

light assistance work with his family.

Monday - at the gym

heavy benches, 10-15 sets

light squats and deadlifts, 5 sets.

Wednesday - at the gym

heavy squats, 10-15 sets

light benches and deadlifts, 5 sets

Friday - at the gym

heavy deadlifts, 10 sets

light benches, 10 sets

light squats, 5 sets.

Two to three years ago, he only lifted weights at home, but now he trains at Kadaira training center, squat, bench, and deadlift 3 times per week, heavy day 10-15 sets. On Sunday he spends time with his wife and kids, and does assistance work with them. Except for Sundays, he doesn't do any assistance work, just straight powerlifts. When he starts his training, he does light weight repetitions, many repetitions, but when the competition gets close he does heavy maximum singles. When he practices, it lasts about two hours.

He changes his workout according to his condition. He will do 10 sets on a light day, and 15 sets when he wants to work hard.

Regarding his nutrition, he likes traditional Japanese food. He doesn't like Western food, hardly eating it at all. In the morning he eats soybean paste soup, Japanese style cabbage pickle, and rice. For lunch at work, he eats at the cafeteria, the same as his coworkers. For dinner he eats at home, and his favorite is raw fish (sashimi), and sushi. He likes a lot of raw fish. He doesn't like steaks, like Western lifters. When we went to South Africa I heard nightly in the bedroom, "Oh, I want to eat sashimi," or, "I want to east Japanese style soup!" I think it strange, as a powerlifter, for Inaba not to like meat dishes. After his victory in Munich they looked all over the place to eat sashimi in a Japanese restaurant. He does not eat protein powder or supplements at all. He wants enough of what he wants, that's his diet plan.

His usual bodyweight is 54 kilos (119). He is thinking of going up to the 56 kilos class (123) after winning his 10th World title, but that is not sure yet.

Heavy Squat Workout:

(at the start of a cycle)

265 (lbs.) x 2 sets of 8 reps

310 x 2 x 6 reps

350 x 2 x 4

395 x 2 x 3

330 x 2 x 5

290 x 2 x 7

(in the middle of a cycle)

310 x 2 x 6

350 x 2 x 4

395 x 2 x 3

440 x 2 singles

460 x 2 singles

374 x 1 x 4

330 x 1 x 4

285 x 1 x 8

(before competition)

265 x 2 x 8

310 x 1 x 6

350 x 1 x 4

395 x 1 x 3

440 x 1 x 1

465 x 1 x 1

485 x 1 x 1

505-540 x 1 x 1

285 x 1 x 8

Heavy Bench Workout:

(at the start of a cycle)

135 x 2 x 10 reps

175 x 2 x 8

200 x 2 x 6

155 x 2 x 6

135 x 2 x 10

(in the middle of a cycle)

135 x 2 x 10

175 x 2 x 8

220 x 2 x 4

245 x 2 x 1

200 x 1 x 6

175 x 1 x 8

155 x 1 x 10

135 x 1 x 10

(before competition)

135 x 2 x 10

175 x 2 x 8

220 x 1 x 3

245 x 1 x 1

255 x 1 x 1

260-265 x 1 x 1

220 x 1 x 5

200 x 1 x 8

175 x 1 x 10

155 x 1 x 10

135 x 1 x 10

Heavy Deadlift Workout:

(start of cycle)

330 x 5 sets of 4 reps

(middle of cycle)

330 x 2 x 4

400 x 2 x 3

440 x 2 x 2

375 x 2 x 4

305 x 1 x 4

(before competition)

330 x 1 x 4

375 x 1 x 3

420 x 1 x 2

460 x 1 x 1

475-505 x 1 x 1

415 x 1 x 3

375 x 1 x 4

330 x 1 x 4

Intermediate Squat Program - John Kuc (1984)

Increasing Deadlift Poundage - Glenn Spencer (1978)

Training the Bench - Bill West to Harvey Hanee

Higher Squat Numbers - Glenn Spencer (1979)

Massive Arms for You, Part 12 - Joe Weider (1956)

A Bodybuilder's Design for Living - Frank Zane (1975)

Building Bench Pressing Power - John Kojigian (1966)

Four Fitness Routines for Weightlifters - John P. Jesse (1969)

Conditioned Legs Break Squat Records - George Frenn (1972)

Massive Arms for You, Part 13 - Joe Weider (1956)

Andy Bolton and the Deadlift - Julian Schmidt (2007)

Bodybuilding: Heavy or Light? - Bill West and Rick Wayne (1977)

Concentration and Desire in Lifting - Philip Guenov (1964)

How I Train for Squatting Power - Don Cundy

Chip McCain on His Training - (1979)

How We Trained at Zuver's - Ken Leistner (from PLUSA, March 1979)

Setting the Record Straight - Lamar Gant (1986)

Sorinex Center Mass Bells!

More of That Ken Leistner PLUSA Article from 1979

Inaba: His Training and Future Plans - Susumu Yoshida (1983)