Combination Work for Mighty Arms - John C. Grimek (1960)

August 6, 2017, 3:53 pm

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Originally Published in This Issue (December 1960)

ARTICLE COURTESY OF LIAM TWEED

Combination Work for Mighty Arms

by John C. Grimek (1960) 

Ever since I began answering problems relating to training, I noticed that the one problem that the bodybuilder never loses any interest in is the arms. Questions relating to this part of the body are always plentiful. It seems everyone is interested in acquiring a pair of bigger and stronger arms. In fact, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the desire to obtain stronger and mightier arms has been responsible to many fellows taking up weight training when young. 

On the other hand, the seasoned men, many of whom have used weights for years, still continue to place emphasis on the movements that work the arms. And though a large percentage of these men have achieved heavier and stronger arms, there are always a few failures or dissatisfied participants who can't seem to make the grade . . . and in the bodybuilding field there are always a few of these.

Those who have failed in their quest to obtain stronger and bigger arms invariably feel that they are not doing the right exercises or, perhaps, not following the right training method. Others are enveloped with the thought that there must be some kind of secret involved and feel that those who possess such knowledge refuse to reveal it or share it with others. 

This, of course, is erroneous at least where Strength & Health magazine is concerned. Strength & Health has always featured the best training programs of all the outstanding men in the bodybuilding and weightlifting field. These men have, as past issues of this magazine will prove, revealed their most inner training secrets. I know this to be a fact, judging from the large number of letters I get from those who have improved by the sensible advice we offer in these pages . . . and that is proof enough for us! 

For the record, however, I personally will concede the point that there is a kind of secret involved, but tit's not a closed secret as those who failed to register improvement might think. This secret is nothing more than selecting for use the right exercises that will activate the muscles which you are trying to develop . . . and then training sensibly and with some degree of regularity. This, however, doesn't mean that you should overtrain or start using excessive sets of each exercise, which is what some inexperienced fellows are apt to do when they reach the stage of arrested improvement. And often, even after they follow a stepped-up version of their training program in hopes of overcoming their sticking point, they are more disgusted when they fail in their efforts. So obviously multiple sets are not the answer. 

Another common error many bodybuilders make in trying to develop bigger arms is to follow an arm specializing program long before their muscles are capable of handling it. On top of that they tend to direct all their efforts towards developing only the biceps part of the arm, ignoring the obvious fact that the triceps make up the largest part of the arms and should not be neglected if maximum size is desired.

Combination training for developing the arms consists of a variety of exercises, including several movements for the shoulders and forearms which tie in directly with arm development. It is very possible that the combination of arm, shoulder and forearm exercises proposed here might solve any arm developing problem you might have.

As a matter of interest, when I first mentioned (some twenty years ago) theimportance of combining forearm and shoulder training for combining maximum arm development, I was besieged with hundreds of letters for more details. Almost everyone accepted this theory, but one self-styled authority (who has since given up participating in the iron game) inferred that this was merely a personal and untried theory. He ignored the results that I had obtained from its use, and years later when many others began to use this method of training and got good results, others sought to claim the credit for this success.

The credit, I'm inclined to think, is due to the manner in which the fellows do their training, which includes more exercises and a greater variety for arm development. Of course, the real credit should go to the late Alan Calvert who hinted about this in his book Super Strength, published in the early 1920s.

 Here:

http://crasseux.com/books/super_strength.pdf 

In those days bodybuilders had their problems, too, and I was among that lot.  

An Early Photo of John Grimek

Unfortunately, there was no one to turn to for training advice then, and those who possessed such knowledge were either too busy or else guarded the secret and sold you a training course. This left the confused bodybuilder all the more confused and to search for the answers to the best of his ability. 

When I first reached my sticking point I was determined to learn the reasons. My arms at this time measured 15.25 inches and refused to grow no matter which method of training or exercises I employed. This left me with no alternative but to figure things out from the bottom. 

I started by getting a complete anatomical book (hint, hint) with the purpose of acquainting myself with how the muscles worked, and the best way to work them. From this study I was able to deduce the type of work needed to exercise the muscles and then use them to advantage in my training. 

I remember the big surprise I got when my arms increased to 16.5 inches within six weeks of this training. But, I also remember that the next half inch took me almost twice as long to gain, and after that it was even a slower grind. But muscles tend to grow faster when they are first trained properly, then begin to slow down and show improvement very gradually. So don't expect to show improvement as you do at first. Many things are involved in the process and all individuals vary in this connection. So be contented to make progress however slow . . . just so some progress is being made.

There are other factors which have helped the American bodybuilder to develop larger and more impressive arms. Fellows today aren't afraid to train hard, as they were some years ago. In the past most fellows who trained with weights were afraid of developing their muscles to the extent of becoming musclebound, a mythical condition that had plagued all those who ever touched a barbell. But in all the years that weight training and weightlifting have been known, never once was there any proof that sensible weight training has had any adverse effects upon the body or the muscles. And in recent years everyone is familiar with the knowledge how many a star athlete became a better athlete because he employed weight training. 

Of course the modern approach to body developing is to include an ample supply of high grade protein along with properly directed exercises. This combination has resulted in better physiques and huskier looking arms, especially when training for the forearms and deltoids were included in an arm training program.

Though I am not impressed by measurements, I feel a word about measurements might be proper here. Measurements are important to any novice who is following a weight training program. They can indicate his physical progress. But to the more experienced man whose measurements have improved, measurements are useless. Moreover, it's always difficult to determine which measurements are honest and those which are exaggerated. Most of the measurements today are grossly exaggerated and have no factual basis, and so must be taken as such. 

The bodybuilder should strive for an appealing combination of muscular bulk and shape . . . letting the girth part take care of itself. But if you want to take an honest set of measurements, try taking them as son as you get out of bed in the morning. There will be considerable difference from those taken at this time and those you take after a workout . . . as you will learn. 

In preparation for the 1949 Mr. USA contest I followed a training program for my arms similar to what I am revealing here, using this program after my regular training. I managed to acquire massive arms for this event and did win the competition. 

 Bert Goodrich, John Grimek (Mr. USA 1949)

However, I do not know what they measured at this time, but probably as large as they ever were. I didn't experience any trouble in bulking them up. But a glance at the photos used here will show that my deltoids and forearms also got heavier. I also admit I trained vigorously at this time, but I knew my capacity and avoided any overtraining. This is the point which most bodybuilders are unable to determine for themselves, consequently they are apt to do too much or not enough, and this can hinder progress.

The key to super arm development, in my opinion, is to exercise the entire arm assembly: the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms. Keep in mind, of course, that the biceps are not only fastened in the crook of the arm, but the tendons run deep and long into the forearms. And the same thing happens at the shoulder where they insert and attach to the scapulae. 

The triceps also has a similar long-range attachment, which pointedly proves the necessity of working the forearm and deltoid muscles with as much gusto as you would the biceps or triceps. If you have any doubts, consult any good anatomical chart and trace these muscles (anatomy book, second hint). Seek out their starting place and follow it to where they merge and you'll have a clearer idea of how they function and how then can be exercised to advantage.

Below is a training program that should prove effective for arm development: 

Combination Arm Routine

(Performed after regular training for the rest of the body has been completed)

Two Hands Curl 8-10 reps

Two Hands Press 8-10

Two Hands DB Lateral Raise 10-12

Two Hands Alternate DB Curl 8-10

Two Hands Alternate DB Press 8-10

Two Hands Barbell Row 8-10

Alternate DB Forward Raise 10-12

Barbell Wrist Curl 10-12

One Arm Concentration Curl 6-8

Incline Bench Barbell Curl 6-8

One Arm Press 6-8

Wrist Roller - 3 times each way.

If you work hard on each of these exercises with appropriate weight, there is no need to repeat any of them in 'set' form. Of course there are other exercises that are equally as good, some of which you may want to substitute for those I have listed. But don't keep adding more and more exercises to those already listed unless you are capable of doing them without exhausting yourself. One plan is to use them alternately thereby breaking up the monotony.

Use a poundage in each exercise that will tax and put a little strain on the muscles by the time you complete the required amount of repetitions. But avoid a weight that causes you to strain from the start. 

Exercise 9, 10, and 11 (the three done for 6-8 reps) are best done with heavier weights to work the muscles for more power. They also help to force a thorough contraction, but only when enough repetitions have been done previously.

The One Arm Press does not have to be done in strict military fashion; instead, allow the body to bend towards one side as the weight is pushed up. When limit poundages are used it affects the shoulders AND triceps very strongly.

Repeat the windup on the wrist roller as many times as you feel you can, but try to concentrate on accomplishing three repetitions each way - winding it away from you, and then winding it towards you. Be sure the action comes from your wrists and not from your body or shoulders, otherwise the exercise loses its effectiveness. 

If you find this group of exercises too much for you to do when you first begin, include only those which you feel are important to you. Then add the others as you feel the need and ability to handle additional training. In this way you can be assured of steady progress and show better arm development than you ever dreamed possible. 

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The Case for Running - John McCallum (1967)

August 10, 2017, 6:32 pm

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Originally Published in This Issue (December 1967) 

Harry Williams, Jr. was born in England. He lived with his parents in a neat little cottage on the outskirts of London. He was five years old when World War Two broke out.

Harry's father enlisted in the Royal Navy the following day. He took the very excellent basic training that the British Navy gives to its recruits, kissed his wife and son goodbye, and went to convoy duty in the North Atlantic.

One cold night, early in 1941, his ship took a German torpedo below the waterline. She sank in eight minutes. The wing escort went back in the morning and found twenty-one survivors. Harry's father wasn't one of them.

Harry's mother was a small, dark-haired woman who wore glasses and argued with her husband only once in their married life. She insisted the baby be christened Harry, Jr. "That way," she said, "he's more likely to take after his father."

When the bombing started, she shipped Harry, Jr. off to live with her sister in the country and went to work in a shipyard. She stopped going to the air-raid shelter after they notified her of her husband's death.

Six months later a Junkers 88 laid a stick of bombs down the street and Harry, Jr. was an orphan.

Young Harry stayed with his aunt. When the was ended they moved to Canada. A Canadian rancher married the aunt and adopted Harry. The moved into central British Columbia, and Harry started his new life as a shy little boy surrounded by rolling green hills and more cattle than he had known existed.

Harry's adopted father was a big man who had done hard out-door work most of his life and who placed a lot of stress on physical toughness. He could shove a loaded grain sack overhead and felt sorry for anyone who couldn't. Strength, he figured, came from fresh air, hard work, and lots of good food. He had more sense than some weightlifters.

After six years on a wartime austerity diet, young Harry was a skinny little boy. He was short for his age, with a look of intense and brittle thinness about him.

Harry's new father was a sensitive man. He felt his son's appearance reflected his ability as a provider. He decided little Harry was going to fatten up. 

His methods were simple, direct, and successful. He put Harry on a program of progressive calisthenics and pushed steaks into him 'til even the cattle got nervous.

Milk, he figured, also had to be good. "It fattens calves," he said. "It should fatten up people."

So Harry did his exercises, ate enough meat for two grown men, and drank milk 'til he made sloshing noises when he walked, And gained weight.

When Harry was fourteen his father bought him a set of weights. They hammered together a bench and a squat rack and Harry started out to be a muscleman. There was no fancy equipment so Harry stuck close to the basic exercises and gradually increased the weight. He pressed and squatted and dead-lifted, ate meat, drank milk, and grew. He didn't know it, but he'd stumbled on to the secret of bulking up. At sixteen he was stronger than a fully grown man. At eighteen he weighed 220 and looked heftier than his father's cattle.

Harry got married when he was twenty-three and moved down to the coast. He wasn't trying to gain weight anymore, but he still liked training. He took short, heavy workouts three times a week. He stuck to the milk and the basic exercises, and gradually, pound by pound, his weight climbed upwards.

Harry was thirty-two when he decided to trim down. He came in to talk to me about it one day.

I was reading the paper when he walked in. "Good grief Harry," I said. "You get any bigger and I'll have to get the doorway widened." 

He smiled and sat down. The chair creaked.

"How's it going, Harry?" I said. "You still training?" 

"Yeah," he said. "I do a little." 

"Power stuff?" 

"Yeah." 

"You oughta branch out a bit," I said. "You're getting in a rut." 

He nodded. "I was thinking that." He shifted about in the chair.

"Don't thrash around," I said. "I can't afford new furniture." 

He grinned. "It's my weight that I was thinking about."

"Harry," I said. "Don't tell me you're finally getting concerned."

"Not me," he said. "It's my wife. She says I look like a fat slob."

"What do you weigh?"

"Two fifty-one."

"Well," I said. "She's got a point."

"What the hey," he said. "I never planned on being a jockey."

"Jockey?" I said. "Harry, you could gain ten pounds and pass for a horse."

He didn't answer.

"Anyway," I said. "It's not good for your health to pack around that much fat."

"I guess not," he said. "I can notice it."

"You can?"

"Yeah, I got no endurance at all."

"That's not good."

"I know," he said. "If I ran up a flight of stairs I wouldn't be able to walk back down again."

"Harry," I said. "I don't like to worry you, but you better get in better shape than that. One of these days they'll be packing you down the stairs.?

He shrugged. "I'm not worried about that, but I'd like to get in better shape." He looked down at his stomach. "I'd like to look a little better, too."

"Good."

"I'm not really well defined," he said. "Am I?"

I thought he was kidding. "Harry," I said. "Let's be honest with each other. The average whale's got more definition than you got."

He laughed. "I'm strong, though."

"Sure," I said. "I know you're strong. But you could be just as strong and still look a heck of a lot better."

He looked interested. "I could?"

"Of course," I said. "And you could have a lot of endurance, too. It'd be better for your health."

He pursed his lips. "All I really wanted to do was trim my gut a bit."

"You can do that," I said. "And improve your health, definition, and endurance at the same time."

"That sounds tough," he said.

"Not really," I said. "It isn't easy, but you can do it if you want to."

"I dunno," he said. "I've tried starving before. I just got weaker."

"I'm not talking about starving," I said. "I mean modernizing your program."

"What's the secret?"

"There's no secret," I said. "Just work a few new wrinkles into your training."

"Like what?"

"Like a definition diet," I said. "And running."

He looked at me like I'd flipped. "Running?"

"Yeah. Running."

"Johnny Boy," he said. "You're putting me on."

"I'm not. A little running'd be the best thing in the world for you. It'd improve your health and endurance terrifically. And," I added, "it'd improve your appearance. You'd get rid of that big gut and show some muscle."

"But running, Johnny," he said. "That's not for weightlifters."

"Sure it is," I said. Running and weightlifting go together like ham and eggs. It's just that some lifters haven't accepted it yet."

We argued for another twenty minutes. He had every excuse in the book and then some, but I finally talked him into trying it.

We met at the track the next night. Harry wore lifting boots, a York sweat suit, and a long face.

"I hope nobody sees us. They'll think I'm some kind of a nut galloping around."

"They'll think you're King Farouk galloping around," I said. "I hope the S.P.C.A. don't see us. They'll move you down to the horse track."

We started jogging around the track. Harry complained every foot of the way. After 200 feet he quit complaining and just concentrated on breathing.

Halfway around he slowed up.

"Keep going!" I said. "You're not even warm yet."

We finished the lap. Harry staggered off the track and collapsed on the grass.

"e on," I said. "You can't be beat up already."

"Go away," he gasped. "Somebody'll bury me in the morning."

He rested for ten minutes and we tried it again. He only made half a lap the second time. He weaved off the track and flopped on the grass again.

"Man," he said. "I don't look exactly like a track star, do I?"

"Track star?" I said. "You look like a sick walrus. You're in horrible shape."

He sat up and wiped sweat off his face. "I think you're right," he said. "What do I do?"

I put Harry on a definition diet and told him how to build up his running. He stayed on his regular weight program but he followed the diet faithfully and he ran three evenings a week. After two weeks he could run a lap without much trouble and at the end of three months he was knocking off two miles at a good clip.

His health and endurance improved beyond belief. He looked different and felt different.

His appearance changed, too. He looked like a new man. He lost 28 pounds of pure fat. His waist came down from 41 to 34, and his hips from 45 to 41-1/2. The only other loss was some fat off his face and the top part of his thighs. His other measurements and lifts all improved, his calves went up a full inch, and for the first time in his life he showed some definition.

"What do you think now?" I asked him.

"Man," he said. "This is the greatest."

"You're convinced?"

"I'm convinced."

Running can do as much or more for you. Coupled with a definition diet it'll make a tremendous change in the way you look and feel. If you're carrying excess flab, if your waist and hips aren't as trim as you'd like them, then running and a sensible diet can be the answer to your prayers.

Start doing a little jogging around on your off days just to get used to it. Next month we'll go into running in detail.

Running - John McCallum (1968)

August 10, 2017, 6:45 pm

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Originally Published in This Issue (January 1968)

Running
by John McCallum (1967)

Vancouver is the third largest city in Canada. It’s nestled on the west coast about 25 miles north of the American border, with the blue Pacific on one side of it and snow capped mountains on the other. “Where else,” the natives say, “can you lie on the beach all morning and ski in the mountains half an hour later?”

The northern tip of the city consists of 1000 square acres of sylvan beauty. It’s called Stanley Park, and it draws people like a magnet. On a Sunday afternoon you can see everything from a busload of nuns feeding the monkeys to 300 hippies holding a love-in.

If you’re really lucky you might see, jogging along the 11 mile path that circles the park, a broad and bulky gentleman who is perhaps the best built, probably the best conditioned and certainly the most modest man of all time. His name is Maurice Jones. He stands about 5’8”, varies his weight at will between 205 and 235, and packs more pure muscle than any six people you’ll ever meet.

Maury, as he’s called, is a truly modest man. Getting his shirt off is like pulling teeth. Getting him in front of a camera is tougher than getting your old lady in front of a firing squad.

Maury is the finished product of sensible weight training. He’s a trained athlete in every sense of the term. His muscles are enormous, yet he carries himself with the grace and agility of a cat. He’s an all-around strongman, not a one lift specialist. He performs as well on a reverse curl as he does on a squat or a deadlift. He has superb health and unbelievable endurance. Someone once said that Maury can lift anything not nailed down. They should have added that he can also run up the side of a mountain with it. 

Maury’s in his middle fifties now, but he has the health, the strength, and the physique of a 21 year old superman. He has reached and maintained this level of physical excellence through the wise use of heavy weight training, a sensible diet, and mile after countless mile of outdoor running. 

Running plays a big part in Maury’s program. I asked him once if he thought so much running might hinder his bodybuilding progress.

“Not a bit,” he said. “It helps.”

Let me explain one thing first. This material is not for the beginner. It’s for the man who’s been training at least a year and has made a fair change in his level of bulk and power. It’s also for the man over forty regardless of his condition. If you’re in either of those groups, running could be the most important thing you’ll ever do.

To summarize, then:

If you’re a beginner, leave running alone for now. Carry on with basic bulk and power routines. If you’re an advanced trainee with some size, or if you’re over forty years old, work the following into your training. It’ll revolutionize the way you look and feel.

There’s an old saying that nothing is perfect. It’s true of most things and it’s true with weight training. Weights provide the quickest and best means to improve yourself physically. There’s no denying it. You can convert yourself from a scrawny bag of bones to an absolute superman by training sensibly with heavy weights. Weight training is so superior to every other form of exercise that comparisons become ridiculous. But weight training, good as it is, is not perfect and we might as well be honest and admit it.

Weight training, as most of us practice it, has three flaws. Generally speaking, and unless you work specifically for it, weight training

a.) doesn’t provide enough stimulation for your heart,

b.) doesn’t necessarily ensure crisp definition, and
c.) doesn’t, as a rule, build outstanding endurance.

While the plaster is still falling, I’ll explain what I mean by that.

a.) Weightlifting is not harmful to your heart. Quite the opposite, in fact. Heavy training strengthens your heart just as it strengthens all the other muscles in your body. Weightlifters have hearts far healthier than the general populace. 

But standard weight training, while good for your heart, doesn’t provide quite enough stimulation. Your heart is best stimulated and strengthened by light exercise of a rhythmical nature carried on uninterrupted for at least half an hour. Exercise of that type provides the cardio-vascular stimulation necessary for really outstanding heart health.

b.) Weight training doesn’t usually build really sharp definition unless you train deliberately for it. You can, if you wish, alter your training routines and go all out for definition. If you work hard enough you’ll probably end up fairly well defined. The trouble is, you’ll also end up so weak and dragged out it’s debatable if it’s worth it. Physique contestants who have to train deliberately for definition are a pretty weary bunch by the time the contest rolls around.

c.) Weightlifters, as a group, have far more endurance than the average man. But, here again, weight training doesn’t generally build the kind of endurance you could and should have. Like definition, you can go on a program of very high reps and build endurance, but it usually wipes out your musclebuilding progress. Endurance is developed by very high reps. You can’t do both effectively in your weight workouts.

The solution to these three problems is to supplement your weight training with exercise of an extended, rhythmical nature. This will strengthen your heart, improve your health, sharpen your definition, and increase your endurance without you having to make any alterations in your weight training or do anything to hinder your bodybuilding and strength training progress.

The best supplementary exercise, far and away the best, is light progressive running. Running will work wonders for you. It’ll improve your physique tremendously. It’ll put the finishing touches to your appearance, giving you that polished look. It isn’t generally known, but most of the top lifters include some running in their training. Bob Gajda is an ardent runner, Bill Pearl runs quarter mile sprints and Reg Park is known for his sprinting ability. The American, Russian and European weightlifting teams all run as a part of their training. 

I mentioned Maury Jones. Maury was, and still is, an avid runner. In his younger days he used to load barbell plates into a pack sack and run up the steep mountain trails around his home. 

If you’ve never done any running, start gradually. Use a roughly measured distance of about a quarter mile. Run at a nice easy pace. Don’t try for any speed records yet. If you can’t make a quarter mile, then keep practicing till you can. As soon as you can run one full quarter mile without collapsing, start building it up as follows.

Run one nice easy quarter-mile. Now, without stopping, walk the next quarter and get your breath back. Don’t dawdle. Walk along at a good pace.

When you finish walking the quarter, immediately run the next one. Don’t rest between laps. Jog around easy for the full lap and then walk another one.

Alternate the laps, running one and walking one, without any rest in between. Keep moving from the time you start till you finish the workout. 

Gradually build up the number of laps until you can do at least ten, five running and five walking, without stopping. When you can do that, you’re ready for the next advance.

Instead of running one lap, run a lap and a quarter for your first set. Then walk the remaining three-quarters of a lap to complete the circuit. Now drop back to the one lap running and one lap walking for the rest of the workout.

As soon as you can, do a lap and a quarter running and three-quarters of a lap walking for your second set, and then the third, then the fourth, and so on. When you can run a lap and a quarter for all your sets, do as follows:

Start running a lap and a half and walking a half lap for your first set. Then try it for your second set, then the third set and so on, until you’re running a lap and a half and walking half a lap for the whole workout.

For your next advance, build your running time to a lap and three quarters and reduce the walking to one-quarter lap.

Next, move it up to two full laps running and go back to a full lap walking. Then move it up as before. Two and one-quarter laps running and three-quarters of a lap walking, two and a half laps running and half a lap walking, and so on. Build it up to three laps running and carry on as before. Then go to four laps, five laps, and so on. Deep at it until you can eight laps, or about two miles, at a nice steady pace.

As you increase the running and decrease the walking time, you can gradually reduce the number of sets. When you reach eight full laps running you should be down to one set only. Run the eight laps, walk one to cool off, and that’s it for the day.

Run at least two, and preferably three, days per week. If you’re lifting three days a week, run on the alternate days. You can run anytime of the day, early morning or midnight if you prefer, it doesn’t really matter. The whole thing will take less than an hour and you’ll never spend time more wisely.

Next month we'll discuss the definition diet. 

Squat and Deadlift for Basic Body Power - Doug Hepburn (1954)

August 12, 2017, 3:33 pm

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Doug Hepburn, One Arm Deadlift

Original Photo Courtesy of Jan Dellinger

Overall Body Power: Key to Weightlifting Success

by Doug Hepburn, as told to Charles A. Smith (1954)

Article Courtesy of LIAM TWEED. 

Just after I had won the world's heavyweight lifting championship in Stockholm last August, a famous American authority approached me, and among other things, asked me what I thought was the most important factor in lifting success. My reply consisted of two words: 

BODY POWER. 

His expression clearly showed that he did not agree with me, so I went on to explain why I thought the development of sheer strength was important. 

Above and Below: Doug Hepburn

So far as I am concerned, the success or failure of a lifter depends solely on the amount of basic body power he is able to develop. Don't misunderstand me, I agree that technical lifting skill is important too, but I feel both I and Paul Anderson have proven that given enough basic body power any man, even with a crude style, can and WILL defeat a less strong yet more skilled opponent.

If you ask why John Davis managed to to so long without being beaten in International and National competitions, when there were men who had more basic body power than he . . . the answer is simple. It is because John Davis was that very rare combination of power and science. 

Davis realized early in his career that strength development shared at least equal importance with lifting skill, and used the Squat and Deadlift (I am informed) extensively. And I state without hesitation that if John had not used these two fundamental exercises he would never have raised the world total to the magnificent heights of 1063-1/4 pounds.

In the final analysis, lifting success depends on the power of the entire back and thighs; so the deep knee bend and the two hands or one hand deadlift are vitally essential to a lifter if he wants to get as strong as possible in these muscle areas. Even the bodybuilder has to rely on these movements for maximum muscularity development of legs and back, and as components of any weight gaining schedule. So no matter how you look at it, the facts are plain. Any serious lifter or bodybuilder who desires to perform at higher levels in the World of Weights must practice the Squat and Deadlift.

While this is not a bodybuilding article, but concerned only with the use of the squat, deadlift, and one arm deadlift for developing Olympic lifting strength, the physique contest entrant can use the information contained herein with great benefit. He will find that the act of supporting heavy poundages across the shoulders, or holding them in his hands, will not only build up the back and legs, but thicken the shoulder muscles and pack the grip with POWER.

Most readers know that I have always used the deep knee bend, a.k.a. the Squat. And whenever I had time I also specialized on the dead lift.

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2009/08/squat-doug-hepburn.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2009/07/deadlift-doug-hepburn.html 

Hepburn Deadlift booklet courtesy of Reuben Weaver.

My experience has been that one helped the other. If I increase my training poundage in the squat, the next time I went to the deadlift I found that it had improved too. The reason for this is not hard to figure out. Both movements influence the same muscle groups, and largest and most powerful in the human body.

In the squat, because of body angle strain comes on the back when a certain stage of recovering from the low position is reached - therefore any degree of strength gained through deadlifting is also power gained for the squat.

In the deadlift, the thighs have to handle a heavy poundage at the start when they are in "parallel position" - therefore the power built up with squatting is also power gained for deadlifting.

More proof in favor of these two body power builders and the way they improve your quick lifts can be provided through my own experiences. With little technique in cleaning and jerking I officially made many formidable lifts, in spite of my handicap and inability to properly assume and hold the most desirable lifting positions.

 

I had to rely on the power I gained from squats and deadlifts. I can go even further and instance men like Maurice Jones, Louis Abele, and Steve Stanko, who were all men of great strength and who all used these wonderful basic power movements.

Let's get on to some practical instruction. To get the utmost benefit from the two movements, they must be used in a position that closely resembles that of the quick (or other) lift you are attempting to improve. Suppose you are using the deep knee bend to pack your clean with power. Your feet should be placed in the same position used for cleaning, and the movement performed with as much 'snap' and speed as possible. You should aim to develop the same forceful drive and explosive power used in the clean.

You can, of course, place a thick board under your heels and drop down into a deeper position, thus working the muscles over a more complete range. This will also enable you to keep better balance, put more work on the thighs and less on the lower back; however, my personal recommendation is that you try and perform the squat as you do the clean: flat footed.

A system of progressive repetitions is best because it will enable you to use the maximum amount of weight suitable for developing great power. Start off with 5 sets of 3 reps, gradually adding a rep when you are able, until you are performing 5 sets of 5 reps. Then add 10 pounds, drop back down to 5 x 3, and work up to 5 x 5 again.

Here are tips for keeping your balance. Always face a wall when squatting and never look down at the floor when coming up with the weight, otherwise there is a tendency to tilt forward and a bad lower back strain will result. Keep your gaze fixed on an eye level spot on the wall, and remember that the position of your head controls your balance. Make sure you perform the exercise correctly.

There is a definite connection between strength in snatching and cleaning, and dead lift power, and I believe the latter can be used by the Olympic man to increase his quick lifts. This does not mean that just because a man can dead lift 700 pounds he should be able to clean 400. Some men are outstanding in the dead lift, just as others are outstanding in the clean, but it is hard to strike a proportion between two. However, it is worthy of note that both John Davis and Charles Rigoulot lifter great dead lift poundages, and both were outstanding cleaners. Others who share these abilities are Hermann Goerner and Paul Anderson.

Charles Rigoulot

Ernest Cadine 

1893 - 1978

In my opinion, the main advantage to dead lifting for Olympic Power development isPSYCHOLOGICAL, in that it develops not only physical strength but MENTAL POWER . . . a contempt for the heaviest poundages. You will have to agree that if you handle 500 or more pounds in the two hands dead lift, a 300 pound barbell is going to feel relatively light in your hands when pulling it off the floor at the commencement of the clean. [The one hand deadlift is also very effective in making a two handed lift feel 'light' in comparison.]

And herein lies the secret of using the two hands dead lift for cleaning and snatching strength. It is easy for you to grasp the important connection between the clean and the dead lift: when you observe that the hand placements of each are almost identical. For this purpose we are speaking of the two hands dead lift should be performed with your regular cleaning grip, the feet in the same position as in the clean, and pulled up with as much explosive force and at the same speed in the initial stages.

Position at the bar should be the same as the clean . . . back flat, shins up to the bar, eyes looking forward and head up. You can use the hook grip if this causes no discomfort, but it will be found that he actual practice of the exercise will strengthen the hands and fingers, a vital necessity when cleaning heavy poundages. It has been said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So if you can't hold a weight, you can't lift it. If you grip is weak, your back and thighs cannot be put to effective use.

 Rigoulot 

One common mistake in dead lifting is to perform the exercise with the legs practically straight. Not only does this throw too much strain on the lower back, but it will not build muscular coordination. Remember that you are training for maximum muscular efficiency, therefore you must make sure not to use any movement that will defeat this purpose. In the clean the legs and back coordinate to tear the weight off the floor and the dead lift must be used in exactly the same manner . . . a drive with both legs and the back muscles.

Start off with 5 sets of 5 reps and gradually work up to 5 sets of 8, increasing the weight at this point and dropping down to 5 sets of 5 again. Start off the floor, just as in the first stages of the clean. Or, alternately, you can lower the bar to just above the ground, never letting the stress off the lower back, grip, and legs. In the last repetition of each set shrug the shoulders as high as you can before lowering the weight to the ground. 

It is not advisable use both he squat and the dead lift in the same workout. And it must always be remembered that these movements are not meant to take the place of any lift, but are assistance exercises. So first go through with your Olympic lift training routine, then use either the squat or the deadlift. 

You can alternate the squat and deadlift workout for workout, or else spend a definite period of not less than a week on each. If you prolong the use of either movement, train with it until you show signs of slowing up in poundage, the switch to the other exercise. Both the dead lift and the squat are extremely strenuous, and since your legs and back will already have had a good workout with the Olympic lifts, you will readily see why both should not be used in the same training period. Staleness can result if they are.

It isn't necessary to keep to the ordinary squat or dead lift. Vary both exercise forms, performing half squats, quarter squats, bench squats, and front squats. Vary the dead lift forms too, using the snatch grip spacing, clean hand spacing, taking the weight off of boxes to shorten the range of motion, or deadlifting while standing on a block to extend the range of motion. 

You are certain of one thing from the practice of using the squat and dead lift as Olympic lift assistance exercises - MORE POWER. If you already have the style, there's only one way you can increase your individual lifts and total, and that is by becoming stronger. Both the dead lift and the deep knee bend (and their variations) can give you that strength.

   

  

  

Trimming Down - John McCallum (1968)

August 13, 2017, 5:50 pm

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Originally Published in This Issue (February 1968)

Trimming Down

by John McCallum (1968) 

If you're training hard and eating well it's easy to slip on a few pounds of excess fat. The trouble is that fat's an insidious substance. It creeps up so gradually you're never really aware of it. One day, though, you may find you've accumulated enough blubber to mar the physique you're working so hard to perfect. 

At this point, the smart thing to do is trim off the excess lard, get into fairly hard condition, and then start bulking up again. This is the procedure followed by a lot of physique champions.

Some trainees are reluctant to trim down even on a temporary basis. I've know men who'd pack around fifty pounds of pure fat just to look bulky. My daughter's boyfriend was like that.

I started Marvin on weights a couple of years ago on a bet. It was a mistake. He got to like it. Marvin's training methods are as simple as he is. He went from a skinny nut to a bulky nut in nothing flat by squatting three times a week and eating everything that didn't bite back.

Marvin avoids work like the bubonic plague. His only other recreation is the beach. He walks around with his chest stuck out, eats hamburgers, and kicks sand in everyone's face.

A few months ago I talked him into trimming down.

He'd been to a show with my daughter. They walked in and he flopped on the coach. She bustled around in the kitchen and brought him back a plateful of sandwiches and a king-size Coke.

He bit off half a sandwich and washed it down with Coke. I put down the book I was reading and gave him a cold look.

"You know, Marvin," I said. "There's a lot of restaurants in town."

He pushed the other half of the sandwich into his mouth and licked his fingers. "Who needs them, Dad?" He swished Coke through his teeth and swallowed like the last of the water going down the bathtub drain. 

"Marvin," I said. "It seems to me that when you take my little girl out for an evening the least you could do is feed her in a nice restaurant once in a while."

"Man," he said. "You know that cafe society ain't my bag."

"Eh?"

"I'm the domestic type," he said. "A stay-at-home."

"Stay-at-home?" I snarled. "I wish to goodness you'd stay at your own home once in a while."

"Leave him alone, Daddy," my daughter snapped. "Marv likes home cooking."

"Home cooking!" I said. "You could parbroil slops for a Hudson Bay dog team and that nut'd eat it."

Marvin ate another sandwich with an air of studied indifference.

"Did you have anything to eat at the show?" I asked him.

"Of course not."

"Marvin!" my daughter said.

"Some popcorn," he admitted. "Just to take up the slack."

"How much?"

"How much what?"

"How much popcorn?"

"Three boxes," he said. "And a chocolate bar."

I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling.

"And a Coke," he added.

"Marvin," I shouted. "You ate enough junk in that show to last you six months. You need that snack like another hole in your head."

He looked pained. "Man," he said. "I'm a lifter, like. You know, the body beautiful."

"You're a fat slob." I said.

He opened his mouth to protest but I cut him off. "Furthermore, I'm getting sick of watching you sit here and feed your face every night. My grocery bill looks like a ransom note."

He picked up another sandwich and bit into it. "Try not to think about it, Dad."

I gritted my teeth at him. "Marvin," I said. "I'm thinking of one thing only. You got to go on a diet."

He dropped the sandwich and blinked at me. "Dad," he said. "You're putting me on."

"I mean it."

"But a diet, Dad? Like why?"

I knew this would be the tough part. I sat back and racked my brains like mad. "Mo," I said to my daughter. "Do you mind leaving the room for a minute? Marvin and I are going to have a little masculine talk."

She gave me a searching look. "You can talk in front of me."

"Mo," I said. "You know that dance you're going to next week?"

She nodded.

"Well," I said. "If you aren't out of here in two minutes you ain't going."

She got up. "I'm going."

"Good," I said. "I knew you'd listen to reason."

She left the room. I went over and sat on the couch beside Marvin. He looked nervous.

"Marvin," I said in my most fatherly tone. "You could be a very handsome young man, you know."

"I'm already handsome," he said.

I closed my eyes for a moment. "I don't mean facially, Marvin. I mean physically."

He gave me a blank stare.

"Yessir," I said. "You could have a real appealing physique with very little effort. And," I added, "it'd be well worth your while."

"It would?" he said. "Why?"

I winked at him and nudged him with my elbow. "The girls, Marvin," I said. "Girls."

His mouth fell open. "Girls?"

"Right," I said. I gave him a risque leer. "You know how the girls go for a muscleman."

He shook his head.

"Well they do," I said. "They to right outta their skulls."

He looked interested.

"Yessir," I said. "Only they don't like guys to be fat. They like the Mr. America type. You know - slim waist, lotsa definition, the whole bit."

He started to speak but I nailed it down before he could argue. "And, Marvin," I said. "With a little work at it you could have them pounding on your door."

He closed his mouth again.

"All you'd need to do," I said, "is trim down a few pounds. Cut a few inches off your gut. You're plenty big enough. All you need to do is sharpen up a bit."

He mulled it over. "What would I have to do?"

"Just follow a special diet," I said. "A definition diet."

"Definition diet?"

"Right. Follow it for two or three months and you'll be fighting the girls off."

His eyes opened wide. "Tell me about it."

"I'll do better than that, Marvin," I said. "I'll write it out for you." I went into the kitchen and brought back a pencil and paper. "Here." I wrote down a list of  foods. "The trick is to not eat anything on this list. You can eat all you want of anything else, but nothing that's on this list."

He studied the paper. "Nothing on the list, eh?"

"Right."

"But anything else I want?"

"Right. Anything."

"That shouldn't be too tough."

"It's not," I said. It's easy. And a couple of months from now the girls will be lined up for blocks just to get a look at you."

He folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket. "I'll make it easy for them," he said.

Three days later Marvin walked in eating a Popsicle. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Marvin," I screamed. "What's that?"

He blinked and stepped back. "It's a Popsicle, Dad."

"I know what it is," I said. "What are you doing eating it?"

"Man," he said. "Popsicles ain't on the list."

"What are you talking about?" I said. "I put candy down."

He broke into a triumphant grin. "But these ain't candy." He held it up like an exhibit. "You see, Dad, what they . . ."

I snatched it out of his hand and heaved it in the fireplace so hard it splattered on the hearth. "I know how they make them," I yelled. "They're candy and don't eat them."

During the next ten days I caught Marvin eating a bag of potato chips, a package of donuts, and an handful of chocolate eclairs because I hadn't put them on the list. I kept hounding him. Finally he got the idea and started dieting properly. He stayed on the diet two months.

He lost 21 pounds of pure fat while his muscles increased slightly. His waistline dropped from a soft 36 to a hard 31-1/2. His small waist and new definition made him look terrific and even I had to admit it.

"Marvin," I said. "You look really good."

"That's true, Dad." He flexed his abdominals and bounced his pecs.

"Marvin," I said. "Will you quit rippling when I'm talking to you?"

He spread his lats and admired himself in the mirror. "Amazing what Mother Nature can do," he murmured, "when she really strains."

I was beginning to think I'd made another mistake.

"Well," he said. "I'm off to the beach."

"Okay, Marvin," I said. "Have a nice time."

"Man," he gloated. "I will. Wait'll the girls see all this."

I let him get to the doorway. "Marvin!"

He looked back.

"Marvin," I said, "if I catch you running around on my little girl I'm going to punch your head in."

The definition diet is the modern way to trim off fat but stay big at the same time. You can lose fat and increase your muscle size while you're doing it. It's quick, effective, and painless. You can trim down to Mr. America condition and never know you're dieting.

Every trainee should trim down to moderately defined shape once or twice during the building up process. Hold your defined condition for a month or two and then start bulking up again from your new base. That way you'll stay fairly hard all the time, you'll avoid any skin stretching problems, and you'll end up with a much, much better build.

Keep up your running as outlined in the last issue. Next month I'll detail the definition diet for you. 

 

The Unheralded Genius of John Bosley Ziegler, MD - Jan Dellinger (2017)

August 17, 2017, 5:32 pm

≫ Next: Isometrics, the Isotron & Dr. John Ziegler - William "Bill" March (2017)

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The Unheralded Genius of John Bosley Ziegler, MD

By Jan Dellinger (2017)

      

    Understand straightaway that the mission of this article is to publicly rectify  the grievous injustice to the lasting legacy and good name of Dr. John Ziegler by calling attention to the overwhelmingly positive contributions the man made to medicine and society at-large. In other words, facts about the doctor which have never seen the light of day "on the record" thanks to what appears to be a chronic conspiratorial effort to conceal this side of him on the part of mainstream media outlets, the "sporting"press in general, and all manner of shock-jock commentators, in and out of the ether, who chase after loud controversial headlines  solely to garner ratings and "followers" in the truest sense of the word.

   

     Sadly, 34 years after his passing, a Goggle search of this fine medical man produces two pieces of information: a very cursory  recitation of his actual medical training, and the single overshadowing summation of his professional achievement--his connection to the steroid Dianabol and its introduction into athletics. Of course, the picture portrayed  is one of professional disgrace and disrespect. And to reiterate, perpetrated by "journalists" and "reporters"either too lazy or too invested in a one-dimensional agenda to even attempt to provide anything resembling balance and context to their crusade against John Ziegler.

    And to put a fine point on the opinion expressed above, after much research on my part, I was only able to find TWO articles in any source which had a broadly positive and comprehensive  take on Dr. Ziegler. The first was in the October, 1965 issue of Strength & Health magazine, and was authored by then-staff writer Terry Todd. Frankly, if one cares to peruse a more fully rounded view of all facets of Dr. Ziegler, this piece would be enlightening reading.

     The other laudatory piece concerning Dr. Ziegler was authored by another York Barbell employee and competitive lifter, the late Bill Starr. I apologize for not being able to offer the precise issue of Ironmind's "Milo" in which this piece appeared, but seemingly it was published  just before or just after the turn of the century. Clearly, Starr had immense respect for Dr. Ziegler, labeling him a "pure scientist" and "humanitarian" while touting his mind-boggling inventiveness, scientific curiosity,  powers of observation and creativity as they were applied to a wide range of life, including strength training. Considering Starr's esteemed reputation as a former lifter, writer and commentator, need I say that his feature on Ziegler should be required reading, if for no other reason than the sake of Iron Game history and to yield truthful balance.

     Let's be clear here, no one is denying Dr. Ziegler's association with Dianabol, or his subsequent disavowal of it, but what we will demonstrate herein is that the man was about much more than performance enhancing  pharmaceuticals. Specific concentration will be spent on Bill Starr's Ziegler assessments of "pure scientist" and "humanitarian"...and how he combined the two objectives.

     Oh, by the way, in the event you are confused by my usage of the pronoun "we" in the preceding paragraph, while my name is on the byline of this article, readers should also understand that it is very much a joint effort made possible by the thoughts, impressions, interaction and contributions passed along by Bill March, Bill Starr, Dick Smith and  Bill St. John, the former bodybuilder. In fact, massive amounts of this feature were made possible by St. John's enduring affinity for Dr. Ziegler and his work.

     Referring back to Starr's Milo article on Ziegler in which he roundly praised the doctor's boundless fertile mind as it pertained to medical science, considerable ink was devoted to his creation and progressive refinement of the Isotron, which by all standards, represented the capstone of his innovations. What is the Isotron? For lack of a better general description, it is (yes, it is still around!) an electronic muscle stimulator (EMS). Of course, a TENS unit also meets that criteria, so recognize that calibrate and grade matter in terms of performance. Suffice it  to say that TENS units, or the typical EMS units in current use, are lesser-grade pea-shooters compared to the Isotron in terms of rehabilitative results. And please do not fall prey to the smug notion that anything made today in the Age of Technology automatically is superior to a device which came to fruition in 1959, which the Isotron did!

 Click to Enlarge

    So, how did the "Father" of the Isotron explain his creation to other professional entities? In correspondence dated January 19th, 1974 to the Casualty and Surety Division of the Aetna Life and Casualty Company, Dr. Ziegler offered the following, "Treatment by the Isotron involves repetitive, rhythmic and sustaining application of electronic impulses where the intensity of such impulses and the time interval between them varies with the overall condition of the patient and his existing illness, disease or injury. Each of the foregoing elements  may be regarded as a separate modality, but since they are used in combination, as the patient's condition and response warrant, no specific type of improvement  can generally be attributed to any single element comprising the treatment pattern.  However, the single element can be used to indicate and measure patient improvement.  Thus, there is a stamp of progress if the patient can accept a greater impulse; if this time between successive impulses can be lessened; if the hold period can be lengthened, etc.

     "The primary function of the Isotron is to improve circulation and to increase muscle strength, size and tone. In short, what the deficiencies of the patient prevent him from doing to better his condition, the Isotron (selectively applied)does for him until he progresses  to a point where his circulation and muscles become  normal or so improved that he can respond to other and more common means of physical therapy."

           Ziegler's three-and-half-page letter to Aetna contains some other enlightening snippets. The patient about whom they were conversing was a long-time sufferer of cerebral palsy, and had been under the doctor's therapeutic supervision for more than a year as of that writing. Explaining his course of treatment, Ziegler noted having to correct abnormalities like faulty gait, faulty posture, sense of balance, a lack of overall body control, etc. A portion of his treatment focus was to enhance the neuromuscular connection of specific general areas of the body, as well as the body as a whole.

     For instance, improving the neural connection and tone of the shoulders and neck fortified head carriage, and overall sense of balance; arms and hands enabled the patient to break falls which were inevitable with this impairment by increasing his strength and dexterity to grasp object as compensation, or returning to an upright standing position when he did hit the ground. Also, electronic emphasis on his abdomen and lower back provided relief from back and pelvic pain stemming from long weakened and atrophied muscles.

    Likewise, the patient originally exhibited serious skin discoloration in his lower extremities, which vanished over time with the enhanced circulation provided by Isotron treatments.

     And then there was this clincher: Ziegler pointed out that this patient had been afflicted with cerebral palsy for several decades by that point, during the course of which he had spent vast amounts of time and money, "subjecting himself to every type of treatment, surgery, medication and therapy suggested by members of both the American and foreign medical communities" with no improvement.

     "...The patient has stated that the course of action (author's note--the Isotron) now being pursued has resulted in positive and visible improvement in his condition for the first time in several decades." The patient's testimonial also remarked experiencing steadily stronger impulses to his motor nerves, lessened involuntary muscle action and greater muscular control.      

    In retrospect, there were a couple of other Ziegler remarks in this letter, beyond the patient in question, which rate a mention. For instance, he pointed out to Aetna his level of experience administering Isotron treatments to others, citing his 15 prior years of favorable results using it solely in regard to sports-related therapy involving bodybuilders, weightlifters and injuries sustained by other participants in heavy and lighter kinds of athletics. Yes, this would include subjects from York Barbell and outside lifters--Pickett, March, Suggs, Starr, St. John, Knipp, Gourgott and many others.

      However, it is my intent to confine this article to the Isotron's priority application in Ziegler's opinion, medical rehabilitation. Plans for a second Ziegler feature focusing on the athletic application of the Isotron are already floating around in "our" heads.

    Perhaps it would be prudent to step back and establish Dr. Ziegler's  path to this penetrating medical focus. Prior to opening up his practice in Olney, MD in 1954, part of his extensive medical training included a two year residency in neurological medicine at Tulane University. This particular medical specialty centers on the diagnosis and treatment ( surgical and nonsurgical) of over 600 diseases, conditions and disorders involving the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the coverings, blood vessels and "effector" tissues (muscles).

   

    A subset of neurology is neuromuscular medicine, which junctures at the cross roads of other specialties involving physical medicine and rehabilitation. Some of the more notorious and potentially catastrophic maladies in this category would be ALS, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy or similar conditions which devastate the function of the brain and spinal cord. The aim of treatment for those afflicted with the aforementioned  is to broadly reduce symptoms, provide as much improvement or relief as possible and optimize quality of life.  So, the former Marine, who had some personal experience with a broken body, brought his considerable talents and tenacity to bear on these progressively debilitating scourges plaguing mankind.

     Additionally, focusing on the rejuvenation of handicapped, seriously injured and structurally or biochemically impaired persons  was also a good career move for Ziegler when he began practicing as outbreaks of poliomyelitis--also known as infantile paralysis--were happening worldwide. Typically, this infectious disease attacked the legs, head, neck and diaphragm muscles, frequently resulting in paralysis, which could be either temporary or permanent. And even among those in whom the symptoms abated in their youth, there was also a substantial risk that symptoms would return with a vengeance between the ages of 35-60. This condition was referred to as post-polio syndrome. Characteristically,  sufferers experienced extreme muscular weakness, pain and fatigue, which slowly and progressively worsened until "treatment" was coping with the decline in the form of leg braces and power wheelchairs.

    The medical community responded by researching a variety of avenues. Folks like Jonas Salk went the vaccine route, and thankfully were successful, while others like Ziegler took a different tact in dealing with these kinds of problems. So, he took wing initially with a galvanic stimulator--muscle stimulation via electricity predates Dr. Ziegler-- and a dry cell battery, and within five years after opening his practice, through trial and error, he had developed a productive, operational and effective model of the Isotron. And, much like Salk he was getting positive results in many, many cases, so much so that Dr. Ziegler and his device were drawing a great deal of positive word-of-mouth among his peers and beyond.

    Before continuing on with superlatives, understand that of the legions of patients with neuromuscular difficulties who were treated by Dr. Ziegler, miraculous results did not extend totally across-the-board, meaning that there were some who received little or no benefit from treatments with the Isotron. Seemingly, there is a point-of-no-return where nerves and muscles have been atrophied and damaged for too long to have any hope of the slightest rehabilitation.     

    The good news was that of those legions of severe cases Ziegler treated, his "batting average" in terms of acquiring encouraging to near-miraculous results was so astounding, that he and his Isotron got noticed in quarters large and small. Based on the "suitcase" full of laudatory correspondence to Ziegler which St. John made available for this article, the Isotron's heyday was between roughly 1961 and the mid-1970s. Frankly, there are w-a-y too many glowing testimonials from patients, referring physicians and other sources to print in totality.

    However, there are a few specific individuals and cases from back then I will take the trouble to spotlight. Supporting  Bill Starr's contention that Ziegler was a humanitarian, as well as the epitome of a pure scientist, the good doctor's talents and medical expertise were  routinely made available to  ordinary folks of extremely limited  means when it came  to paying for services rendered. Then again, compensation can come in many forms. Dr. Ziegler's long-time gardener/handy fix-it man did not start out as such. Actually, he had been suffering from such severe and chronic lower back pain that surgery had been performed with no reversal of his condition. In fact, it worsened to the point where the man was confined to a wheelchair. So, he came to Dr. Ziegler in search of any relief whatsoever.

      Gradually and progressively Dr. Ziegler gave this man continuing Isotron treatments, and slowly but surely restored his body in steps until he no longer needed the wheelchair, could stand and move about in a fully functioning manner. Overjoyed at his unbelievable  rejuvenation, the man humbly admitted that he could not begin to remunerate Ziegler (a fact Doc already knew) for his healing. Not wishing to deplete his esteem, Ziegler suggested that the man repay him by cutting his grass, painting and doing other odd jobs around the Ziegler residence. Per Starr, this was not uncommon for Ziegler.

     Predictably, the news of Ziegler's pioneering results-producing therapy reached the elites of the region. Unequivocally, Dr. Ziegler's highest profile patient was President John F. Kennedy. Yes, you read that right!  The back miseries of the 35th President of the United States were well documented. Ziegler and his Isotron were part of the medical team which sought to lessen President Kennedy's pain on a regular basis.

     This reveal begs a couple of ancillary but noteworthy points. The first, Dr. Ziegler developed a suitcase model of the Isotron which went with him to the White House when he attended to President Kennedy.

    Secondarily, but not insignificantly, from time to time, part of the media "character assassination" of Dr. Ziegler included  the implied insinuation  he was a kooky practitioner of bizarre science. EVERYBODY knows that visitors to the White House, and even more so those who have direct contact with the sitting president, are SCRUTINIZED stringently. Hence, a copy of Ziegler's White House security clearance on W.R. Grace letterhead is provided to put that scurrilous insinuation to rest.

Click to Enlarge

     Oh, and what better testimonial to  the safety and potential effectiveness of the Isotron than the fact that it was employed as a therapy for POTUS!

    SIDEBAR NOTE: Attorney General Robert Kennedy did come to visit Dr.  Ziegler at least once. One afternoon,Bill March recalls arriving at Ziegler's for a scheduled Isotron treatment, and almost immediately upon entering the doctor's home encountered the Secret Service, Attorney General Kennedy and a few very top-level military commanders. Quick pleasantries were exchanged, and then Bill prepared for his Isotron workout.    

     And while on the matter of anecdotal points of historical interest, recognize that aside from Dr. Ziegler himself, there were only two other individuals he felt possessed  the required knowledge and understanding regarding all aspects of the Isotron to qualify as competent "operators" and administer treatments to other individuals.   Those two Ziegler students were York Barbell's Dick Smith and Bill St. John.

    Fortunately, the Isotron has been neither moth-balled or sent to the scrap heap since Ziegler's passing in 1983 as St. John has functioned as the gatekeeper of this ingenius device. Quietly, he has from time to time, continued in Ziegler's footsteps of providing relief from pain and restoration/maintenance of physical function gratis to a very small group of sufferers who have come his way. Characteristically, these folks are beset by lasting  injuries or conditions so insidious that a standard prognosis would have had them in a wheelchair long ago.

     Looking at two cases-in-point who vociferously declare that the only thing keeping them out of a wheelchair is continued access to the Isotron. One of whom is a decorated Marine veteran (Navy Cross) of the Vietnam War named Rich Gresko. On March 11, 1970, Lance Corporal Gresko and his men became involved in a night ambush, during which he literally threw his body on an exploding enemy grenade and lived...although horribly wounded as one would expect.

      Incidentally, for readers who admire accounts of heroism  while under fire in combat, check out Leathernecks. com  to fathom the full measure of Rich's bravery. Bottom line, despite taking the brunt of the grenade's percussion and shrapnel  throughout his body, Gresko had enough presence of mind to keep firing his M-14 rifle while resolutely crawling around and directing his men to the relative safety of the camp perimeter.   Talk about a legitimately tough guy...then and now! Note, too that this was the second time within the space of a month that Rich had been wounded in combat.

      

     Of course, absorbing the full effects of a grenade detonation devastates the human body, as Rich sustained grievous injuries to his chest, abdomen, right shoulder, neck and legs. In point of fact, the razor sharp fragments of the grenade had so ripped his body from waist to ankles that his left leg was nearly severed by the blast.  Of course, at the first stop of what would prove to be an endless tour of medical facilities and veterans hospitals, doctors, figuring it was beyond being useful, wanted to amputate it, but Rich talked them out of it.

    Needless to say, countless surgeries and medical procedures followed for years thereafter, and the unimaginable scarring of his legs and abdomen are only the visible signs of what Rich has had to endure. And, yes, there is the considerable residual physical pain and mental anguish which are constant companions. This modest, genial  former Marine even differentiates the pain into "good" and "bad" categories. It is in  this latter area where Rich feels the Isotron exerts its greatest influence in his particular case. Naturally, as one ages, the chronic nature of injuries like Rich's only worsen. In fact, in 1990, he was forced to discontinue his occupation as a construction boilermaker due to the lasting complications.

     However, thanks to fairly regular St. John-administered treatment with the Isotron, he is able to walk and do some of the odd jobs around his house, and engage in pool exercises as a supplement. More specifically, he feels the Isotron treatments stimulate the inner workings of multiple muscle groups and nerves which feed them simultaneously  to accomplish the degree of rejuvenation he currently enjoys. Per Rich, this improved degree of rejuvenation in terms of increased mobility and sense of strength--along with the critically relevant lessening of physical pain--lasts for eight to nine days after a single treatment! Understandably, Rich feels a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bill, as well as to the profound thinking  former Marine, Dr. John Ziegler, who developed the therapeutic godsend.

    Of course, wives always have a good grasp of most situations, and Rich's Katey is no exception as exemplified in a few off-the- cuff remarks she made about Isotron therapy, and especially as it applied to Rich's situation. In her view there is nothing frightening or outlandish about electric muscle stimulation, or as she put it, "electricity is natural." She went on to remark, and she should know more so than anyone else as she spends more time with him, Rich has experienced clear improvement  in terms of mobility and nerve reaction.

       Moving onto another individual who readily admits that semi-regular to intermittent treatments on the Isotron have allowed her to cope in a significant way with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis--meaning she is convinced they have kept her out of a wheelchair. Incidentally, this lady lives in very close proximity to Bill St. John. I'm referring specifically to his wife, Rita Doughty St. John!

     Rita was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 41 when her neurologist began the standard course of action, gradually preparing her for the wheelchair at some point down the road. However, at age 43 she met Bill and the Isotron. For virtually the entire following year, twice weekly treatments on the machine allowed her to resume normal activities, including aerobics in the form of daily six or seven-mile walks.

     After that year of twice weekly Isotron sessions, Rita returned to her neurologist who marveled at her mobility, asking, " Aren't you on a cane? I thought you'd be in a wheelchair by now." And Rita readily acknowledged that if it hadn't been for the Isotron, by now, after 20 years of living with MS, her hands would be clawed and she'd be unable to stand or walk, much less pursue her  current aerobic passion, spin bike classes.

    Life-altering symptoms of this affliction also intrude in other less obvious ways. Periodic "fog" sprees regarding the brain, as well as one's available energy level, are also quite common among MS sufferers. In regard to fatigue, periods of extreme bone-tiredness are experienced, even though one had done nothing physical.  Likewise, a state of unexplained disorientation or confusion can  also occur. Rita has managed to generally sidestep these ravages as well thanks to the Isotron. 

 

    Sure, there is a limited amount of pain that comes and goes, but if she thinks her symptoms are beginning to flare, a couple of Isotron treatments have so far kept them at bay. According to Rita, the secret is to head them off at their first appearance.  In fact, in recent times, she has seldom required any treatments. Small wonder that Rita contends that Isotron treatments are, "The best thing I ever did. It is capable of helping so many people."   

      "Sounds too good to be true," is what I'd bet a lot of readers are thinking by now. I'm also sure this thought has likewise popped into the minds of most readers: Assuming I am not  aggrandizing the capabilities of the Isotron, why has this marvelously hope-inspiring device in the on-going medical struggle against crippling diseases and conditions remained in obscurity? 

    Per St. John, Dr. Ziegler was extremely (and justifiably) cautious when it came to sharing, much less turning over the rights to proprietary information about the Isotron with outside commercial interests. And there was no shortage of substantial interests and offers. However, the good doctor was  insistent that his creation be used for its intended purpose--rehabilitation of the seriously injured and afflicted from all socio-economic stratas.  Despite being shown astronomical sums from a few high visibility sources, none gained Ziegler's trust sufficiently  to abandon his high ethical standard.

    Actually, a September,1966 Idaho plane crash might have scuttled the  most viable opportunity for the Isotron to have been embraced medically in conformance with Ziegler's  vision.  Two of the men who were killed  on this ill-fated flight--which was returning from an elk hunting trip--were Dean Markham and George Skakel, Jr., both of which had close ties to Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and possessed considerable interest  with regard to  making the Isotron more commercially available.

     Judging from the extensive paper trail Bill St. John has passed on to me, it's clear that Ziegler and Markham shared a strong personal and professional relationship.  The latter was a major A-list contact, being a bona fide "power player" in the Kennedy White House thanks to his close personal friendship with the Attorney General--Harvard buddies, class of 1948, and godfather to Robert and Ethel's eighth child, Christopher George, among other ties.

    In 1961, Markham was brought into the upper echelons of the Kennedy White House, officially denoted as a "Special Projects Director". Because he earned degrees in social psychology and possessed a bit of a background in police work, Markham directed, advised, consulted, organized and oversaw umpteen committees, councils, commissions, panels, and  government out-reaches focusing on youth and narcotics (the popular word for illicit street "drugs" at the time), delinquency and related areas. Culturally, the "war on drugs" hit full stride in the Kennedy years.

    Beyond  this, Markham also worked with the Justice Department, Treasury, Health, Education & Welfare and the Budget Bureau. But there is no doubt, he was tightly connected with the inner White House circle, and not coincidentally, all of his correspondence with Dr. Ziegler was on White House letterhead.

    Similarly, there is no question that Markham was  spreading a lot of positive word-of-mouth regarding the Isotron and its benefits/ possibilities among other branches of our government, like the military. Hence, around 1963, Ziegler was receiving exploratory letters of interest from the Department of the Navy, who seemed interested from a therapy standpoint, and the Marines, who expressed interest from a physical readiness standpoint.

   In time, the cautious and conservative Dr. Ziegler offered guarded responses, and multiple demonstrations were held with the aforementioned parties. Actually, a couple of the York lifters, and most often Bill St. John, served as the subject for these high profile demonstrations.

    Circa 1962-'63, Markham was, in a friendly way, attempting to steer Ziegler in a commercial direction with the Isotron by connecting him with NYC lawyers Tom Hayes and George Skalel, Jr, the latter being Ethel Kennedy's brother. However, in April of '63, the former advised Hayes to shelve "incorporation proceedings for the Isotron Research Corporation of Dr. John Ziegler" as the latter had enlisted a local Olney, MD attorney to spearhead a similar effort.  Perhaps this explains the "ISOTRONICS, INC. of Olney, MD" reference in one of the military correspondences to Ziegler.

    Of course, the very cordial Markham-Ziegler relationship, and its insider influence dimension, went away with that Idaho plane crash in 1966. However, by that point, Ziegler's Isotron had a "life" of its own, albeit an "underground" one. Which could explain why, according to Ziegler's correspondence, government interest in it seemed to register a bit of a rekindling again in 1973-'74, with overtures coming from the Veterans' Administration. 

    Additionally, on the trademark registration front, it seemed Ziegler was also more proactive in that time frame, but only to a point. A February, 1974 letter to Ziegler from Virginia Beach physician Dr. Robert Brewer, references the "Isotron Mark VIII". Per Bill St. John, this designation is indicative of an advanced version from a prior generation of the unit. Over the years, Ziegler sought to reflect  on his creation and make refinements when he felt upgrading was prudent.

     So, what hybrid feature or technological  uniqueness from the mind of Dr. Ziegler allowed the Isotron to gain what some would view as a near-panacea reputation?  Only Ziegler knew for sure. However, the "best guess" of former Olympic lifter-bodybuilder, eye surgeon and accomplished critical thinker in his own right, the late  Dr. John Gourgott, is  that Ziegler had arrived at the perfect signal output and/or  wave form. What does that mean? Only Gourgott knew!

    This exhaustive historical look at the Isotron only centers on one dimension of its past, the medical application. Recall that Dr. Ziegler stated in his aforementioned letter to Aetna Casualty that he also had quite a backlog of experience with its athletic applications as well. We'll explore that in a future article, along with the Doctor's thoughts on pure strength training and advanced bodybuilding training. 

            

        

   

    

   

     

    

         

    

  

Isometrics, the Isotron & Dr. John Ziegler - William "Bill" March (2017)

September 6, 2017, 1:53 pm

≫ Next: Bob Bednarski: From 950 to 1100 in Four Months - Steve Stanko (1966)

≪ Previous: The Unheralded Genius of John Bosley Ziegler, MD - Jan Dellinger (2017)

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Upon learning there was something of a concerted (and long over due) effort in the works to revisit and resurrect the public legacy of Dr. John Ziegler, which has been so callously and unjustly trashed over the past few decades, my participation was mandatory. The Dr. Ziegler I rubbed shoulders with during my competitive lifting heyday was 180 degrees opposite of the one so negatively portrayed by writers.

Moreover, due to my deep abiding respect for the doctor and his memory, which has only grown since his passing, and because my name has been so historically linked to his, I feel compelled to recount on-the-record my cherished association with Dr. Ziegler.

Thanks to performing well enough to impress Bob Hoffman as a last minute replacement for Dave Ashman at a public lifting demonstration, I was invited to train at the York Barbell gym on Ridge Avenue during the latter part of 1959. Roughly three months thereafter, when I went in for a Monday workout, I was instructed to go upstairs for a meeting with John Grimek, John Terpak and Bob Hoffman.

The trio informed me that York Barbell was working with a doctor located in Olney, MD who was looking for subjects to test out a new form of strength acquisition, and they were wondering if I would be interested. To be perfectly honest, in those days I would have eaten horseflop had I been convinced it would have made me stronger. So, of course, I told the threesome that I would be interested.

Soon a meeting was set up between Dr. Ziegler and myself at his home in Olney. During this initial visit, we mostly talked about weight training in general, but it was clear that one of Dr. Zielger's priorities was my ability to follow his instructions consistently and without deviation.

Of course, on this occasion he also dictated the actual course plan of action regarding the isometric regimen. In a nutshell, I was told to perform one press, one squat and one pull position in a power rack every day from Mondays through Thursdays, rest Fridays, and total out at Saturday training sessions. Of course, those rack positions varied from day to day—low, middle, high/lockout-- per each individual movement, and the three Olympic lifts were practiced only on Saturdays.

So, every week day morning Dick Smith, who I had asked to function as my trainer, and I drove to Dr. Zielger's in Olney where I did a 12 second static hold in one press, one pull and one squat position on the power rack in Doc's personal home gym. Yes, that was it. Essentially, we drove the 110 miles to the Ziegler home and office every day so I could receive 36 total seconds of exercise! Luckily, the Saturday sessions could be carried out at the York gym.

While I gave my best available effort daily to these static holds, I, frankly, did not like them, being very skeptical of their effectiveness or carry over to the actual Olympic lifts. So, after a few weeks of my skepticism, Dr. Ziegler came up with a version of isometric contraction which encompassed moving maximum poundages for very short distances off pins and held for time. Actually, I also referred to this revised form of isometrics as my “overload power system”.

Still, in the early stages of this isometric experiment I never thought it was going to work. Never! Then a fairly sudden 20-pound gain in my Olympic lift total prompted my attitude to turn a corner. In retrospect, other factors may have also contributed to some degree, and those “other factors” will be addressed during the course of this article.

Getting back to my overload power system, my standard training pattern was to work in 6-8 week blocs (I think today the commonly used term is “cycles”) which usually culminated in a lifting contest, although I would total out pretty close to my limit on those Saturday sessions in-between contests.

Actually, my workouts were planned a year in advance. For example, if a rack workout or a total session fell on Christmas day , I was doing that workout on Christmas day! Meticulous records of my workouts were logged daily. Unfortunately, those records fell by the wayside with the passage of time. Otherwise, I would be sharing them.

One more point I would like to make regarding the overload power system in the power rack: I never plateaued in terms of being able to get stronger from cycle to cycle. Put another way, I never hit poundages in any of the positions beyond which I could not progress.

My consistent approach was pretty simple: I would start a new 6-8 week training stretch conservatively with regard to rack poundages, ramping them up as best I could over the course of that time frame, at the end of which was typically a contest. Upon resuming training after the contest, I would drop back the rack poundages in the various positions by 40-50% and start ramping them up again over the next 6-8 weeks of training, and then enter another contest. As I said, I NEVER failed to surpass the rack poundages I had topped out at in the cycle before. 

For the sake of the curious, my best poundages (with a 6 second hold) were as follows: low pull/deadlift (from mid-shin to below the knees) 615; middle pull (above knees) 645; top pull (above waist, arms bent & on toes) 380; low press (shoulders to nose) 505; middle press (eye level to top of head) 470; lockout press (top of head to lockout) 750, and 1/4 squat, 1750. Eventually, my low squat position was done outside of a power rack, taking 405 or so off of a squat rack, sitting in the bottom position for 5 or 6 seconds and then standing up. 

Two other perhaps subtle points which also contributed to my overall success as a lifter were: Even on those Saturdays when I was just totalling out in the York Gym, the motivation was always high due to the presence of so many other accomplished lifters, in addition to the big influx of spectators who came to watch the Saturday workouts. You can't appreciate the quality of that York gym aura back then unless you were a part of it. 

One final ancillary observation associated with my power rack training: As I denoted, Dr. Ziegler had me start out at 12 second contractions per position. Over time, he began to suspect this duration was too long for maximum exertion, so progressively contraction times were lowered to six seconds, and this did seem to foster better results.

Dr. Ziegler's seemingly boundless inquisitiveness about muscular contraction and the operation of the human body also brought the Isotron electronic muscle stimulator into our relationship, and fairly early on. The version of the Isotron the doctor had when I first began going to him reminded me of a cross between one of those old, huge Philco radios with the big dials (you have to be of a certain age to know what I am talking about!), and some sort of sci-fi round thing! And, yes, there was regular mixing of isometric rack workouts and Isotron workouts. If an Isotron workout followed a rack session, it was most often on Mondays and Wednesdays.

However, this is not to imply that changing situations or circumstances could not have altered the timing or blending of the voluntary and involuntary contractions. If in Doc's discretion, I could benefit from an Isotron workout on a Thursday or my typical rest day, Friday, I took one. Likewise, there was the rare occasion when he advised me to cease the rack work for a brief period and rely only on Isotron treatments. At one point I had incurred a nagging injury to one of my thighs and was told to soft-pedal the rack work for the week. However, to hasten the healing, Doc administered repeated ultra sound treatments with some kind of liquid medication, in addition to treatments on the Isotron, and the injury disappeared within a few days. In fact, he told me to do my normal Saturday workout at the end of that week. And I did... with positive results and no recurrence of the injury.

Keeping in mind that considerable of the acquired trust accumulated in my relationship with Dr. Ziegler was based on my willingness to explicitly follow his recommendations. And because he liked to tinker with variables, very occasionally, his recommendations could be significant departures. For example, there was one four or five month period when he had me abstain from all isometric rack work whatsoever. During that period I received only Isotron treatments on the weekdays and would do my usual Saturday total session

Without question, the usage and development of the Isotron for athletic purposes was an offshoot of his initial interest in isometric training for strength. And its been pointed out as well, that he also found eye-opening medical uses for it.

But my personal experiences with it were quite positive. At the bottom line of getting stronger is coaxing the body's nerves and muscles to produce stronger and progressively more powerful contractions. Forcefully pursued, the type of short range and hold rack work I did encourages that scenario. Of course, the next upward step in that picture would be to eclipse the body's limitations by the use of involuntary muscle contractions, which is what the Isotron did.

But beyond that, the Isotron gave tremendous analytical feedback as to the on-going operational quality of the body's recovery mechanisms, both individual muscles and the system as a whole. The process of getting stronger goes nowhere with inefficient recovery.

In my opinion, Dr. Ziegler was the ultimate in an athletic trainer back then, and could still very probably more than hold his own against the elite athletic trainers of today...if not show them a couple of things!

Moving on to the topic most readers hoped I would address candidly, but assumed that I would not...in that aforementioned meeting which took place in the offices at York Barbell, in addition to the mention of testing “a new form of exercise” there was also mention of “pills” being part of the picture as well. No specifics, just a reference to “pills”.

Yes, on those early trips to Dr. Ziegler's I was given a Dianabol pill along with the 36 seconds of exercise. Candidly, I never took more than 10 milligrams a day...EVER...and there were periods during which I took nothing. Yet, I continued to follow my rack training, and/or augmentation with the Isotron, but still registered progress in terms of getting stronger.

Sure, some of my comparatively meteoric surge in the lifting world can rightly be attributed to Dianabol, but to totally disregard and deride the clear role that rack work and even the Isotron played in my ultimate success is categorically wrong and myopic. I can assert that with confidence because there were up-and-coming young lifters at the time who sought out and received my continuing guidance on rack training...and who were not on any steroid...who made progress strength-wise. Sam Bigler would be a case-in-point.

Looking back, it is ironic that my name has become attached to a lingering image problem involving athletics. From the moment I became involved with weightlifting, it was obvious to me that the sport needed all of the positive PR that it could get. Hence, I made it my business to give free time and knowledge about lifting or general weight training to literally anyone who seemed interested in resistance exercise. Similarly, on Saturdays I would often attend lifting contests in which I was not competing in order to be fan-friendly and a good representative of the York Barbell Club.

My involvement in all of this lifting-related activity was what it was, and I harbor no regrets. Further, I would like to point out regarding the Dianabol issue that its usage at the time was neither illegal or even frowned upon by authorities. And I was engaged in its usage under the auspices of a licensed practicing physician of considerable credentials, who took the necessary medical precautions to monitor my on-going health. To reiterate, it was what it was!

One aspect of Dr. Ziegler's motivation for working with lifters like myself,Bob Bednarski, Bill St. John and others that seems to have been lost in the shuffle was the accumulation of physical data which yielded insights that he could employ to better understand and treat seriously impaired or injured medical patients. The refinement of the Isotron over time would be a fine example. Early on Ziegler searched for improved conducting solutions to lessen or prevent skin irritation or shock. He figured it out, but along the way determined that rain-induced mineral buildup in his well water was the cause, and that substituting distilled water in the conducting solution solved the problem and improved the quality of the contractions!Discoveries of that nature.

I also wish it be known that my athletic activities back in the 1960s were not confined to just competitive weightlifting. In terms of a time commitment, I played considerably more basketball at the local YMCA than I spent working out. While it was not publicized in S&H, my usual post workout tendency was to go to the Y for an hour or two of pick-up basketball.

In the same vein, for several years I also played on a local semi-pro football team in the fall. As much as I was into lifting, I did not turn my sporting life over completely to lifting. At my peak, this pursued combination of strength training and athletics allowed me the ability to perform a standing high jump of 5 feet, as well as be able to dunk a basketball at a bodyweight of 205.

A final word about my relationship with Dr. John Ziegler: My contemporary Bill Starr looked upon him as an exemplary scientific researcher, and that the doctor was. Like Starr, I also viewed Dr. Ziegler as an exemplary human being,eccentricities and all.

The bottom line is that decades ago I put my lifting and athletic careers, not to mention my health and welfare, in Doc's extraordinarily capable hands, and I was lastingly the better for it. I had supreme trust in any recommendation he forwarded, and was very secure in the knowledge that he would never do anything to harm me. And because of my good fortune to be a recipient of his superlative guidance and knowledge, it is a fact that I went places and met people I never would have otherwise.

Bob Bednarski: From 950 to 1100 in Four Months - Steve Stanko (1966)

September 9, 2017, 2:57 pm

≫ Next: The Three Cornerstones of Geezer Weightlifting - Matt Foreman (2014)

≪ Previous: Isometrics, the Isotron & Dr. John Ziegler - William "Bill" March (2017)

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Thanks to Liam Tweed for making this article available to lifters everywhere.

Bob Bednarski

Is it possible for a lifter of high caliber to be able to increase his official total by 150 pounds in just a few short months? Well, impossible as it may seem, this feat was accomplished by 21 year old Bob Bednarski of Woonsacket, Rhode Island. Here in detail is his own story of the system and method he used to accomplish this incredible improvement.

Bob's story starts at the 1965 Senior Nationals held in Los Angeles this past June. Bob weighed in at 198 pounds and had great hopes of placing second behind Bill March, and even giving Bill a good run for his money. But as it turned out, he only made his starting lifts and was able to place only fourth with a 950 total (310, 275, and 365).

What was the cause of this poor showing? This was the question Bob asked himself over and over again. After long and serious contemplation Bob and his coach, Joe Mills -

 http://connecticutweightlifting.com/head-coach-gary-valentine/coach-joe-mills/  

 - decided that there was no single answer to why Bob hadn't made better progress and performed better at the Senior Nationals. The problem seemed to be in the whole system and attitude of training used up until the Seniors. True, for a long time he had made satisfactory progress on his old system of training, but his momentum seemed to stop in the area of a 950 total.

The first thing decided was that he could no longer continue lifting as a middleweight as he was too thin at 198 pounds considering his 6'1" height. Although gaining weight was always difficult for Bob, there was no other choice but to move into the heavyweight class. To start his weight moving upward Bob almost doubled his protein and carbohydrate intake. To accomplish this the daily milk consumption was increased by one to two quarts and at least six pounds of lean meat was eaten per week. In addition, various other foods were eaten in generous amounts. This increased amount of food did not cause a sudden weight increase, but rather a steady increase of about one pound per week. By putting weight on slowly, the added bodyweight would be mainly muscle and, therefore, Bob's strength would have a chance to increase accordingly.

This took care of the diet portion of his weight gaining program, but Bob knew that he must also employ weight gaining exercises. Since Bob has always had trouble recovering from heavy squat cleans and since he knew squats were good for gaining weight, he decided to double the amount of squats he had previously been doing. Also, an effort was made to perform the squats very strictly so as to accustom his body to being straight and stiff in the low squat clean position. He also included power cleans with heavy weights to build up his back muscles and to increase both his first and second pull.

This combination of diet and exercise would increase Bob's power, but this was only half the battle. Power is of no use unless it's used correctly. What good is a crane or bulldozer if you don't know how to use them. Likewise, what's the use of developing body power if you don't have the style and form to benefit from this increase in strength. With this in mind, Bob decided that in addition to training for strength, he would also have to work very hard at correcting all minor as well as major faults that were entangled in his form.

According to Bob, he had plenty of faults to overcome. Bob describes his faults and how he corrected them as follows: 

"In the press I had a great tendency to press the weight forward. Therefore, to complete the lift the bar would have to follow a curved course making my layback seem excessive. I worked on my press by driving the bar up as close to my face as possible. I used weights that I could manage for 3 to 5 repetitions. I also discovered that lowering the bar very slowly and close to the face benefited me greatly. I soon found that my backbend was greatly reduced.

"In the snatch I found that I had three basic faults. First, I found that I was raising my hips too soon, thereby loosing much of the speed and momentum necessary to get the weight off the floor. Secondly, I found that after the bar was in motion I couldn't get the full benefit of my pull because the bar was forward which prevented me from raising on my toes and finishing the pull. My third fault was that upon finishing the pull I had a habit of jumping up and backwards in the air. I worked on these three faults, correcting one at a time by doing sets of supervises snatches using the heaviest weights I could handle for 3 to 5 repetitions. I found that by drilling with a light weight I was only doing a controlled lift and as soon as I increased the weight my old faults would return.

"In the clean I discovered that after pulling the weight up it would drop on my shoulders as much as eight inches. The jar of the weight dropping on me would cause me to hunch forward and loose the solidness needed to raise from a deep squat clean. After experimenting with different methods to correct this fault, I found that by pulling with my shoulders back and head tilted up I could get more speed off the ground, keep the weight close to my body, and catch the weight with very little drop in the bar. My jerk was always strong as I have done 20 pounds more than my best clean so I have not yet had to specialize on this part of the lift.

"The last, and perhaps the most important method I used to increase my lifting, was training with a partner. We would watch and study each other's form and help each other as much as possible. We would do anything, including yelling at each other, that would help the other lifter put his very best into each lift. This, along with a deep desire, may be one of the greatest secrets to improving in lifting.

"Using this method of training I found that for every pound of bodyweight that I gained, my total would increase 10 pounds." 

On October 16, about four months after the Senior Nationals, Bob entered a contest in Boston and made 360, 326.5, and 417 for a 1103.5 total - a 150 pound improvement! Bob's current bodyweight is around 225 and his best lifts to date are: press, 381; snatch, 340; clean and jerk, 441; jerk, 460; power clean, 375; squat, 550; and front squat, 460.

What are Bob's future plans? Here's what he has to say about the future: 

"I am hoping for a 242 pound class as I believe that I would be able to make records which would last a long time. However, if this class is not established I believe that within three to five years, at a bodyweight of 250 or so, I will press 420, snatch 390, and clean and jerk 500 for a total of 1310. This represents an increase of five pounds on my total for every pound of muscular bodyweight gained, or about half of the progress I am now getting for every pound gain.?

Here is an outline of Bob's present training schedule: 

Monday, Morning:

Squat - 325 x 5, 375 x 5,  425 x 5, 475 x 3, 500 x 2, 525 x 1.

Monday, Evening: 

Press - 225 x 5, 255 x 3, 285 x 3, 305 x 2, 325 x 1, 340 x 1.

Clean and Jerk - 355 x 2, 375 x 1, 400 x 1, 400 x 1, 415 x 1, 400 x 1.   

Wednesday, Morning: 

Squat - 305 x 5, 350 x 5, 400 x 5, 450 x 3, 475  2, 500 x 1.

Wednesday, Evening:

Snatch - 225 x 5, 255 x 3, 285 x 2, 305 x 1, 315 x 1, 325 x 1.

Clean and Jerk - 355 x 2, 375 x 1, 400 x 1, 400 x 1, 415 x 1, 415 x 1.

Saturday, Evening: 

Squat - 350 x 5, 375 x 5, 400 x 5, 450 x 3, 475 x 2, 500 x 1, 525 x 1.

Snatch - 225 x 5, 255 x 3, 285 x 2, 305 x 1, 315 x 1, 315 x 1, 315 x 1.

Sunday: 

Try limit on the three Olympic lifts or do two or three assistance exercises such as power cleans, bench presses, or Continental and Jerks.

   

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The Three Cornerstones of Geezer Weightlifting - Matt Foreman (2014)

September 9, 2017, 10:17 pm

≫ Next: The Definition Diet - John McCallum (1968)

≪ Previous: Bob Bednarski: From 950 to 1100 in Four Months - Steve Stanko (1966)

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https://shop.catalystathletics.com/collections/books/products/olympic-weightlifting-for-masters

Articles by Matt Foreman at Catalyst Athletics: 

https://www.catalystathletics.com/articles/author/4/Matt-Foreman

 

[Note: This is a very small excerpt from the book above. I can't recommend it highly enough!]

THE THREE CORNERSTONES OF GEEZER WEIGHTLIFTING

by Matt Foreman

1) Thou Shalt Be Forced to Train Differently When You're Older

Seriously, I just can't believe how many people never seem to figure this out. To my way of thinking, this one is so elementary and obvious that I almost hesitate to write about it. It's the weightlifting version of common sense. But there are a lot of people out there (and I know I'm stepping on some toes with this) who just won't accept the facts. Here's what I mean:

 - When you are young, your body is in a certain condition and capable of certain things. 

 - When you are old, your body is in a different condition and it's no longer capable of the same things. 

 - Because this is true, you have to train differently when you're old. You have no choice. 

And despite how clear and indisputable those concepts are, the O-Lifting graveyard is still littered with casualties who could have had exciting masters careers if they just would have accepted the truth. Instead of acceptance, they made a decision to live like superhuman terminators of power, and they kept training in their 30s and 40s the same way they used to in their 20s. Actually, I should correct that sentence. They TRIED to keep training in their 30s and 40s the same way they used to train in their 20s, and their bodies went kaplooey. Injuries forced them out of the sport, and it was their own damn fault. 

I think this mindset comes partially from all the hyper-inspirational media advertising we get bombarded with on a daily basis. We see these NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE advertising slogans from Nike or Reebok or whoever, accompanied by a photo of a leper with no hands paddling a kayak down a raging river. Commercials come on TV with dramatic piano music playing in the background where we see a 20-second documentary of somebody who got hit by a train an diagnosed with eight types of cancer, and then went on to win the New York Marathon. You feel like a lazy turd compared to these people. In other words, the world we live in today tries to convince all of us that we can overcome any obstacle. They want us to believe the rules of normal limitations don't apply to us. And by the way, you need to buy the new Jordans to accomplish these things. 

This stuff is awesome, admittedly. Little bits of motivation are great fuel for our lives, and I'm not dissing them. Hell, some of you might have decided to try masters weightlifting because of how excited you got from watching that leper in the kayak. In that case . . . excellent! 

However, the flip side of this phenomenon is that many people reject the idea that they have any limits at all. That can get you into scary territory. You see, there's a sensitive balance between courage and stupidity. Being a competitive athlete in your older years is courageous. Refusing to accept the facts of basic biology is stupid. I really, really hope you understand this. I might sound like I'm overdoing the world's most obvious facts, but I realize some of you are hard chargers who don't want to back off. You're stubborn, which is a good thing. But it can get you in some trouble if you don't blend it with intelligence.

Age WILL put limitations on you. It won't limit your spirit or determination, but it will limit the amount of strength and power your muscles can generate. It will limit your ability to recover quickly from hard workouts. It will limit the elasticity of your tendons and ligaments. And because of this, you simply have to smarten up and concede, at some point, that you'll have to train differently as your birthdays pile up. Ignore this rule at thy peril.

2) Thou Shalt Be Forced to Back Off When You're Older 

Obviously this is a continuation of cornerstone #1. We first establish that you're going to have to do things differently when you're older. From there, we establish that "doing things differently" means you're going to have to do LESS. It's like the Ten Commandments in the Bible, where they tell you not to commit adultery . . . and then later they tell you not to covet your neighbor's wife. You get ten rules for living your life, and two of them are about sexual indiscretions. Likewise, the Three Cornerstones of Geezer Weightlifting have some overlap too. #1 basically bleeds into #2.

Backing off, brothers and sisters. That's all we're talking about here. If you want to make it through the long haul in O-Lifting, you'll have to learn to pull back on a lot of things. Volume, intensity, frequency . . . all of it. And as we mentioned already, this is a challenge to your pride and enthusiasm.

When you're older, your athletic life means a lot more to you than it does when you're young. You understand that you're very lucky to even still be healthy enough to lift weights in your old age. You treasure your training because it's one of the best parts of your day. The thought of losing it scares the crap out of you. Because it means so much, you want to enjoy it to the fullest. That means you want to train hard and often.

You won't make it as a masters weightlifter if you don't find a way to pull back on how hard and often you train. You could train hard six days a week when you were a kid? Gotcha. You might have to train moderately two of three days a week when you're old. You don't believe me? Fine, keep going full blast and see how long you last. You probably won't break down right away, but it'll happen eventually. As sure as God made little red apples, you'll break down. When you're young, it takes a lot of self-discipline to train hard all the time. When you're old, it takes as lot of self-discipline to stay OUT of the gym when you need to. 

3) Thou Shalt Be Forced to Pay More Attention to Nutrition and Taking Care of Your Body When You're Older.  

Can you believe some of the things you got away with when you were a kid? Did any of you party a lot when you were young, maybe in your college years or whatever? Remember when you could hit the bar until 2 a.m., get hammered drunk off your ass, crawl home and get four hours of sleep . . . and then train like a maniac the next day? Does that ring a bell? 

I know some of you might come from very strict backgrounds where you didn't really have any wild days. If you're a Mormon, the wild phase of your life might have been the years when you stayed out until 11:30 p.m., drank caffeinated soda, and skipped family home evening once a month. If that's your story, it's cool.

But for those of you (like me) who went full-tilt boogie back in the day, isn't it crazy to think how resilient your body was back then? You could defile yourself in a variety of creative ways, and you would still be feeling great and ready to rock by noon the next day. And that's just talking about the drinking and lack of sleep. We haven't even looked at nutrition yet.

Remember when you could eat anything you wanted, with almost no consequences? I'm talking about the days when your dinner could be a box of greasy tacos and burritos from Taco Bell, with some chocolate Ding Dongs for dessert, and it wouldn't change anything about you. You wouldn't get fat and flabby, and your stomach could digest that garbage without a hitch. Now it's different, right? When you're old, try going out and stringing together a bunch of Taco Bell and Ding Dong dinners. You spend the rest of the night having a turbulent relationship with your toilet, and the extra fat and sugar hits your ass like a cottage cheese cannonball. 

Things hurt a lot more when you're old too. Now we understand why our dads grunted like rhinos when they got up from their recliners. Their bodies were achy, and now yours is too. It wasn't like that when you were a kid. If you got hurt, it only lasted for a short time. If you had an injury, it went away pretty quickly unless it was a broken bone or something like that. Now, injuries stick around for a nice long visit. A muscle pull that would have been gone in three days when your were 22 will bug you for three weeks when you're 50.

You can't get away from this. And if it makes you feel any better, you can't get away from it even if you don't lift weights. As we've mentioned, most of the decrepit old farts limping around the world didn't get that way from hard training. They got that way from doing nothing. So if you're going to be in pain anyway, you might as well get strong and have some big muscles along the way. However, you'll have to clean things up if you want to make your weightlifting last. Diet, hydration, injury prevention, taking care of your body . . . those things will have to become a much bigger part of your life. If you address them intelligently, you'll probably feel a lot better. We'll cover them later, after we talk about what you need to do with the barbell . . . 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Overview of Olympic Weightlifting

Section One: Addressing Prior Notions of Age in Weightlifting

Masters Weightlifting Questions and Facts

Masters World Records: The Facts About What's Physically Possible

Basic Physiology: A Necessary Concession

Different Bodies, Common Decisions

Section Two: Physical Assessment, Prior Training, and Injury History

Training Background

Injury and Physical History

A Change in Your Mentality

Section Three: Coaching and Lifting

Is Coaching Necessary at Your Age? 

Learning Olympic Weightlifting Technique

Squat

Pull

Overhead

Learning the Snatch

Learning the Clean

Learning the Jerk

Summatijon

Section Four: Programming and Training

The Three Cornerstones of Geezer Weightlifting

Programming Phase One: Proper Warm-up and Preparation

Programming Phase Two: Exercise Selection

Programming Phase Three: Workout Exercise Order

Programming Phase Four: Weekly Structure

Programming Phase Five: Training Analysis of Elite Masters Lifters

Programming Phase Six: Sample Training Programs

Programming Phase Seven: Weekly Loading and Weight Selection

Programming Phase Eight: Post-Workout Stretching

Section Five: Pain Management and Injury Prevention

Nutrition

Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Therapeutic Exercises and Prehab

Massage Therapy and Chiropractic

NSAIDs and Painkillers

Supportive Equipment

Section Six: Resolution and Attitude

Training Program for 2012 American Masters Championship

Training Program for 2008 American Open 

Training Program for 2009 Garden State Games 

Also by Matt Foreman: 

https://shop.catalystathletics.com/collections/books/products/bones-of-iron

Bones of Iron is a collection of articles by Matt Foreman that appeared in the Performance Menu journal between 2008 and 2011 along with a few new pieces of material.

Foreman's background in Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting and coaching multiple sports gives him unique perspective and insights into a wide array of elements not only of strength training and competition, but all athletic pursuits and life itself.

The chapters are rife with as much humor as helpful training information, and Foreman covers topics ranging from practical guidelines for designing training programs to personal experiences with training and competition.

The Definition Diet - John McCallum (1968)

September 17, 2017, 3:24 pm

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Originally Published in This Issue (March 1968) 

Last summer a friend and I toured most of the States by car. My friend's name is Andy. He's not a lifter. Andy never lifts anything heavier than a knife and fork if he can help it. His hobby is eating.

We loaded up with Chinese food in Frisco and drove to L.A. It took us two days. Most people drive it in a day but Andy can't pass up a hamburger stand.

We stayed in Long Beach as the guests of some very nice people with a burning passion for roast beef sliced thick and baked potatoes smothered in sour cream. This is Andy's idea of a holiday. We went to Marineland one day, but Andy got hungry watching them feed the whale so we left and went downtown for pizza and beer.

We pointed the car east and ate our way through the central states. By the time we hit Mississippi I looked like King Farouk. Andy was never happier. He still thinks hush puppies and deep-fried catfish are a tourist attraction.

Andy becomes very philosophical and sympathetic towards his fellow man when he's well fed. We came out of a cafe in Alabama. There was an appliance store across the street with a sign in the window that read "Color Television."

Andy took the toothpick out of his mouth and looked suitably shocked. "Look at that," he said. "Even the TV's segregated."

We drove north through mountains of buttered yams and Kentucky fried chicken. We ran out of time in Indiana and headed home through the northern states. I'd gained 22 pounds and my belt was cutting me in half. Andy'd never had a better time in his life.

As soon as we got home I waddled into the gym and took a good look at myself in a full length mirror. The next day I started the definition diet. Three weeks later the flab was gone and I looked human again.

If you've been bulking up steadily, the chances are good that you've added some excess fat. Ninety-nine men out of a hundred accumulate a little lard during the building up process. It's a normal thing and nothing to worry about. The only problem is what to do about it.

As I explained last month, you can get rid of fat two ways. One, the old fashioned way, is to start a program of very high reps and follow a low calorie diet. You simply stave off the fat. The trouble with this method is that you also starve off a lot of muscle. It's not a satisfactory way to trim down.

The best way to trim down, the modern way, is to vary your training slightly and adopt very specialized eating habits. I call it the definition diet. It's a new concept in nutrition and we're going to talk more about it. Before we do, though, let's take a quick look at the route towards a championship physique.

It used to be thought that the best method of bodybuilding was simply to bulk up thirty pounds or so above what you hoped to eventually weigh in muscular condition, and then trim down once and for good. This concept proved faulty in two respects.

The first flaw was that some men simply couldn't bulk up that much without becoming pure fat men. The second flaw was that some of the men who did bulk up enough never succeeded in trimming down properly afterwards. They'd accumulated too much extra flab and they'd carried it too long. For a complex combination of physiological and psychological reasons they never did reach the appearance they wanted.

It's not known that the best way to build up is in a series of jumps. You don't just zoom up to your top body weight. Your increases should be in gradually ascending plateaus rather than in a straight climb.

Let's make that simpler.

If you want a herculean physique, you do it like this:

Keep increasing your body weight with bulk and power exercises until you start looking too soft and weight begins to accumulate on your waist and hips. At this point you should stop gaining weight for a while. Train back down ten pounds or so, or until you look hard again. You don't have to look like an anatomy chart, but get into fairly solid condition.

Now hold this reduced body weight for a month of two and work hard on your showy muscles, such as arms, pecs, deltoids and so on. After a couple of months you start bulking up again from your new base.

Never let your body accumulate too much fat. It's too hard and time consuming working it off again. Keep careful watch on your condition. As soon as your waist gets to the point where it's spoiling your appearance, work off the flab, sharpen your overall appearance, and then start bulking up again.

If you train this way, bulking up and then trimming down periodically, you'll make better progress in the long run and you'll end up with a much better physique. Your aim should be for a herculean body, not a fat one. Don't confuse muscle with blubber. You'll notice that even the big bodybuilders, like Park and Pearl, maintain some definition. Not as much, perhaps, as smaller men, but still enough to emphasize their muscular development.  

Let's assume that you've bulked up to the point where your general appearance is smooth rather than defined, and your waist and hips are getting just a little too big for good proportions. If you've been training properly, most of you should be at this point by now.

What you're going to do is trim the extra weight off your waist and hips and cut your body weight until you look hard and solid all over. You won't reach a highly defined state, just looking solid is good enough at this point. You'll hold this solid look for about two months and then start bulking up again.

The key point to remember is that you don't want to lose weight all over. You certainly don't want to lose any muscle. All you want to do is trim your waist and hips. Any loss of fat off your arms and legs should be compensated for by increased muscle in those areas. The end result should be that your muscular measurements remain the same or increase slightly while your waist and hips reduce drastically.

If you do this properly, you can look for a revolutionary change in your appearance. You'll take on a polished, highly trained look. If you train hard and diet conscientiously your appearance will change practically from day to day. You'll improve more in two or three months than you would in two or three years of normal training. Do this several times and you'll own an outstanding physique.

Remember - this isn't the end of your bulking up. You'll start highly advanced bulk and power training again after you harden up. Each time you trim down to a solid condition you'll start up again from a greatly improved base. Each time you bulk up you'll be able to carry a lot more body weight without looking sloppy.

The hardening process, as I said earlier, will be accomplished by an altered training routine and the definition diet. We'll start with the diet.

The secret of the diet is this - eliminate carbohydrates. Not reduce them. Eliminate them. Eliminate them completely.

There are several diets around - the Air Force diet, the drinking man's diet, etc. - based on the idea of reducing your carbohydrate intake to 55 or 60 grams per day. I'm not talking about that. I mean eliminate carbohydrates completely while you're on the diet.

You don't cut calories. You don't even count them. You don't restrict the amount of food you eat. You simply don't eat any carbohydrates at all.

So much for what you don't eat. Let's talk now about what you do eat.

You can eat beef. All you want. Steaks, roasts, hamburger, boiled, fried, chipped, dried, corned, raw if you like it that way, short ribs, sweetbreads, tongue, tripe. Any kind of beef you like and as much as you want.

You can eat pork. Chops roast, sausage, ham, bacon, spareribs. Eat all you want.

You can eat poultry. Chicken, turkey, goose, pheasant, duck. Fry it, roast it, any way you like it.

You can eat most seafood. Salmon, fresh or canned. Catfish, codfish, flounder, halibut, haddock, pickerel, mackerel, tuna, herring, perch, shad, sturgeon. trout. Clams, lobster, crab, shrimp, mussels. Squid, if you can gag it down.

You can eat lamb if you want. Or veal if you like it. Butter, eggs, bulk cheese. Frog legs if they appeal to you. Caviar, if you can afford it.

You can rabbit, mutton, unsaturated oils, and black tea or coffee.

As you can see, the foods without carbohydrates, with the exception of the tea and coffee, are mostly protein and highly nutritious. They're also fairly high in calories. You'll stay well nourished on the definition diet. Your energy level will stay high and there'll be none of the discomforts that go with a straight low calorie diet.

Some people find the diet a bit monotonous after a while. That's something you'll just have to put up with. Actually, if you're imaginative enough, the diet can be quite varied and very satisfying.

Let me give you some sample menus:

Breakfast - Ham or bacon: All you want. Eggs: As many as you like, boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, it doesn't matter.

Lunch - Alaska black cod: Boiled. Pour melted butter over it and eat all you want. Black tea.

Supper - Steamed clams: Drink the nectar and eat as many as you like. Steak: The biggest one you can afford with a side order of spareribs. Bulk cheese. Black coffee.

Remember that condiments and sauces are classed here as carbohydrates.

Don't eat between meals. Eat enough at mealtime and you won't have to.

You don't have to eat the most expensive cuts of meat. The cheaper cuts re just as good. Play around with various combinations of food. You should be able to come up with enough interesting meals to keep boredom from setting in.

Take protein, vitamin-mineral, some form of wheat germ oil, and supplements. Get the best quality you can afford. You'll find enough variety in the supplements listed in this magazine to fill the bill quite nicely.

Don't fudge on the supplements. They're very important. Take the protein in the recommended amounts. Take the vitamin-mineral and the oil in three times the recommended amounts.

The carbohydrate free diet, like running, is a new wrinkle among weight trainees. It's now widely known yet. Don't waste any time getting on the bandwagon. Start the diet tomorrow and see the results for yourself.

Next month we'll discuss the type of training you need to really sharpen you up.  
 





 

Excerpt From "The 70s Big LP by Justin Lascek (2015)

September 17, 2017, 5:24 pm

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http://70sbig.com/books/the-70s-big-lp/

http://70sbig.com/

I know what you’re thinking: “What kind of a stupid asshole puts himself on a cover like that?”

The answer is an asshole who wants to get you stronger. Jacked. Thick. TIGHT!

When I first started planning this  book in 2011, I considered it an arm training program. But as I experimented and wrote, it became clear that it’s a legitimate program…that just so happens to make impressive arms.

The 70’s Big LP is a…

• Linear Strength Progression– This is another option for novices to get stronger and bigger. The inclusion of things like rows, chin-ups, and curls will prevent the “big legs, small arms” body so many guys get from only squatting.

• Transition from Bodybuilding to Strength Training– This program is a good transition from bodybuilding because it includes a bit of vanity training, but not at the expense of strength training. Bodybuilding guys can even use this as a mass gaining program; the decrease in training frequency and overall volume combined with hard eating cannot be denied.
• Transition to Intermediate Programming– Each exercise in this program has several set/rep schemes to keep you progressing for a long time. Some of them breach into the realm of intermediate programming. There’s a gray area between novice and intermediate programming, and The 70’s Big LP connects the two.

Let's get down to business. Here is the basic program:

Monday -
Press | Squat | Weighted Chin-up | Biceps

Wednesday -
Bench | Deadlift | Barbell Row | Triceps

Friday -
Weighted Dips | Front Squat | Weighted Pull-up | RDL | Biceps

Not much to it, huh? Before you consider your money wasted, allow me to explain the template.

Each session begins fresh with strength training - a pressing movement - followed by high rep back-off sets for growth. Then there's a big movement, like a squat or deadlift, to keep the systemic stress high. Then there's an arm pulling movement - chin-ups, pull-ups, or rows - for growing musculature and improving upper body strength. Lastly, there's arm specific training that focuses on the biceps and triceps because a book about bigger arms wouldn't be complete without them.

To make it all work better than a normal linear progression there are peculiarities ch type of exercise. The following sections will expand on each. The end of the chapter will show a table with it all put together.


The Pressing Movements

Each day starts with a pressing movement so that the lifter is fresh to pour his full rage and intensity into getting stronger in a classic upper body strength exercise. Some linear progressions put the squat or deadlift first, but that will detract from our FOCUSED GOAL OF UPPER BODY DEVELOPMENT.

Initially, the set and rep scheme will follow a standard "three sets of five repetitions" - which means the work sets after the warmup consist of 3 sets of 5 reps at the same weight - yet will evolve to allow further progression. If you have not exhausted a linear progression - whether it's your first attempt or you're running another progression after a layoff, sport season, deployment, or injury - then use "three sets of five reps" with incremental loading until it stalls. Consistent, small increases in weight are the key to linear progressions. Since the bench press and press use less weight than larger movements like the squat and deadlift, aim to add five or fewer pounds each session.

People often ask how many times they should reset when using the same work set poundages for three sets of five reps. In standard linear progressions you'd reset several times, but we don't want to waste too much time resetting in The 70s Big LP. If the bench is increasing, yet the press is stalled, simply reset the press and continue the bench's linear progression. By accumulating bench and press sessions over time - even if the weight isn't steadily increasing - you will still establish a foundation of musculature. If bot lifts are consistently stalling at the same time, and you have completed two or three legitimate resets, as discussed in Chapter 1 - Important Concepts, then you are a candidate for the set/rep schemes in this section.

However, the 70s Big LP incorporates weighted pull-ups, chin-ups, and barbell rows. If you haven't been doing these movements and your presses have stalled, see how the presses progress after adding these exercises in. Simply reset with the standard "three sets of five" approach as you add the upper body pulling exercises in and see if they help you push past your previous stall. If they do not, move to the next section . . .


This very small excerpt is taken from page 13 of the book, which is 52 pages in length. There's so much more in here, so much applicable info for use in building a better upper body (and of course BIG ARMS) while you're building basic body strength and overall muscle. 

Highly recommended. 
CHECK IT OUT!   
  

The Isotron as a Bodybuilding Tool - Bill St. John (2017)

September 18, 2017, 5:06 pm

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Bill St. John

The Isotron as a Bodybuilding Tool

By Bill St. John (2017)

The 1965 Strength & Health Picnic was a seminal moment in my career as a competitive bodybuilder because on this occasion Val Vasilef pointed out Dr. John Ziegler to me. My curiosity regarding the doctor began when Val, who was also my training partner and good friend, had made previous mentions that Ziegler, " had a machine which grew muscles!" So, on the basis of that "thought seed", I had attempted to read all I could about the doctor offered in the pages of Strength & Health magazine.

Actually, good fortune struck twice at the aforementioned picnic as there was an after-party at Bob Hoffman's house, and thanks to my close ties with Val I also got invited to this shindig. There were a number of Iron Game notables present, including the Raders and Dr. Ziegler among them.

Holding "court" at one of the social circles was Dr. Ziegler, talking in his inimitably unapologetic and animated way about a variety of mind-bending topics, including time travel. While listening to him expound, my first impression was, "Wow! this guy is out there" eccentric.

Funny thing, though, the longer I listened, the more I sensed his genuineness, so that by the end of his oratory, I was ready to sign up for extended time travel. Of course, the Ziegler creation I was more interested in was his Isotron, or as Val described it, the "machine which grew muscles."

And fueling this personal curiosity all the more was a revealing conversation Bob Hoffman and I had on the way to my car when leaving for home. Sensing my growing interest, Bob spoke effusively and very descriptively while praising Dr. Ziegler, and especially his Isotron. One statement the major domo of Olympic weightlifting made to me then which I never forgot was, " Bill, Ziegler's machine is just unbelievable!"

Think about the implications of that endorsement for a minute: here was the number one advocate of barbell-dumbbell (weight) training talking up this machine so glowingly to a dyed-in-the-wool weight guy! Quite progressive of Bob, all things considered!

Before continuing on, I want to put a finer point on the doctor's personality, thought processes, and especially his genuineness, which was mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago. As my association and rapport with Dr. Ziegler reached a level of extreme mutual trust over time, he would occasionally reveal pieces of himself and his innate complexity, such as his limitations with the ordinary, while juxtaposing his familiarity with the extraordinary. For instance, he once remarked, " I can't make coffee or fix the toaster, but I am involved in electronic medicine." 

John Ziegler 

Perhaps it should also be mentioned that Dr. Ziegler's unique look at the world was also shaped in part by weekly Thursday night "discussion groups" which assembled at his residence featuring exceptionally forward-thinking scientific minds and Mensa-level professionals from a wide variety of fields. Suffice it to say that these back-and-forths centered on topics far above standard newspaper editorials, radio call-in shows or even Sunday morning political talk shows.

Back to my gradual journey toward a relationship with Dr. Ziegler. In the spring-summer of 1966, I shared a car ride to a major lifting event in Newport News, VA with Bill March and Sam Bigler. It goes without saying that since I knew of March's working relationship with the doctor, I picked his brain for every shred or detail of information that encompassed that working relationship, but with special focus on the Isotron application.

Some months went by, and again thanks to being friendly with Val, who Dr. Ziegler liked personally, I got invited along for the ride to his Olney, MD residence in March of 1967. This was a Sunday, but this was not a quiet day at the Ziegler residence with W.R. Grace bigwigs visiting, Doc's L-lysine dispensing machine spitting out tablets at a loud and frantic rate, neighbors also stopping by, etc. When the uproar died down a bit and Val and I got a bit of face time with the doctor, as politely as I could I asked Ziegler if I could experience the Isotron? Whereupon,he asked his assistant Andy Turnbull if they had any conducting solution left. When the affirmative answer came back, he interrupted the show-and-tell of his gun and Civil War memorabilia collection long enough to pad and wire up my right femur. Then he turned up the current for a few seconds, cut if off and then went back to expounding on his Civil War artifacts.

Was the experience all that I had hoped it would be? While even at that point in my life I recognized that sometimes the reality of things did not live up to their hype. However, in this case that few seconds of sensation got my attention. I thought my thigh bone was going to snap! Nevertheless, and perhaps in defiance of common sense, my fascination with the Isotron peaked even more.

Perhaps this would be the appropriate point to mention that intense electrical muscle stimulation (especially via the Isotron) is not for everyone. While Bill March, Russ Knipp, Ernie Pickett, and eventually myself thrived on it, guys like Lou Riecke and Bill Starr did not like being involuntarily contracted. Pickett once offered a very plausible anecdotal defense to explain their dislike: "In war time, if the enemy had the Isotron, all a soldier taken prisoner would give them would be his name, rank, serial number...and the current position of the 7th Fleet!"

Before moving on, there is one point of history I would like to offer regarding my initial Isotron sampling: the model Dr. Ziegler used on me that day was the suitcase model he took with him to the White House when treating President Kennedy.

After that March, 1967 Sunday visit, I wrote Dr. Ziegler a personal letter, which resulted in an actual dinner invitation on April 2, 1967.Dick Smith was also a dinner companion that day.

Apparently, I was growing on the doctor as around that time, I found out later, he asked Tom Suggs for his assessment of me. So, in late May of 1967, Dr. Ziegler began administering Isotron treatments to me. Of course, I would do everything in my power to ingratiate myself with the Ziegler, including his wife Lillian, who was a very highly regarded physician in her own right. Hence, whenever I was invited to their home in Olney, I would stop at New Jersey fruit stands along the way and bring them tomatoes, berries or what have you.

By January of 1968, Ziegler's personal interest in me was blossoming. In fact, he took my family up on an invitation to stay at our home, and simultaneously assess my bodybuilding progress at the Mr. East Coast Contest which was held at the Philadelphia YMCA. Ziegler and my parents really hit it off. My mother, in particular, really liked him.

Ironically, while I won the physique contest, Dr. Ziegler only saw a fraction of it as he and Joe Mills, the famed New England Olympic lifting coach, found a local watering hole to their liking.

Not withstanding that incident, thanks to Ziegler's guidance and Isotron treatments, things were really starting to come together for me as the 1968 Mr. America approached. Earlier in the year, Dr. Ziegler prompted me to clamp down on my diet, stressing that I consume more eggs, in particular.

Subsequently, I dropped from 208 to 188 over a couple of months. It was sheer agony to me, plus I thought I lost everything else with it. However, my own mother offered this approving comment, "Well, you finally lost those love handles." Aside from this being a necessary reverse step to build toward a better physique, in retrospect, this was also probably a partial Ziegler test to see if I would continue to do what he instructed.

Clearly, all of the Ziegler-inspired assistance was working as even Val Vasilef began commenting on the physical transformation I was undergoing. My overall muscular hardness was off-the-charts. Even in casual clothes, my musculature looked like it was alive but solid as granite. I began getting admiring stares much in the way Val got them.

Perhaps the ultimate compliment I ever received was from the great Tommy Kono, who took me aside at a major national contest in 1972 to say, "Bill, you look like the strongest guy up there in the line-up."

Honestly, prior to the 1968 Mr. America Contest I had no business competing in a national level physique contest. Again, clearly, Ziegler's expert guidance made all the difference as I took sixth place overall at this contest. I have already mentioned the nutritional side of things, but my pre-contest training regimen consisted of two-a-day workouts (upper body session at one, lower body at the other) daily, along with two full-body Isotron treatments daily. This was the regimen in the final 12 day run-up to the event. Of course, I had to build up to that volume of combined workouts and Isotron treatments over the course of a few weeks, nor could one keep that schedule up endlessly either. But unquestionably, the intense Isotron sessions imparted a degree of muscular separation and hardness that no combination of diet and voluminous exercise had given me before.

My physical improvement, as well as the Isotron's reputation was pulsating through the lifting world by this time, even among non-York affiliated lifters. I think it was at the 1970 Nationals that the very fine West Coast lifter Dan Cantore came to my hotel room, noting my progress and asking questions about Ziegler's machine.

Taking the merits of the Isotron in another direction, the conventional wisdom holds that it is nearly impossible to promote strength/power gains and muscular endurance in the human body simultaneously. My experience with the Isotron says otherwise as the combination of fast paced, high volume bodybuilding workouts six days per week and fairly regular Isotron treatments imparted both in fine measure. While working out once with the late Dr. John Gourgott, himself a fine bodybuilder and Olympic lifter, a curling challenge was issued: Barbell curls for reps with 150 pounds, back against the wall. I cranked out 10 reps at which point Gourgott remarked that my last rep was performed with as much control and rate of elevation as my first rep. Oh, and by the way, 400-pound full squats for 20 or so reps was also a routine thing for me.

Still, had it not been for Dr. Ziegler's uncanny medical expertise my personal moment of glory at the '68 Mr. America would not have happened. If this story sounds familiar, Bill Starr referenced it in his classic training book “The Strongest Shall Survive”, but it bears repeating in any discussion of Dr. Ziegler's medical rehab skills.

Six weeks out from the '68 Mr. America, I badly injured my ankle (on a Wednesday) at my Philadelphia Naval Shipyards job. That same day, the Navy doctors determined via X-rays that I had chipped a bone in my instep and had ligament tearing. So, they put me on crutches (which I needed desperately) and told me to come back in 6 weeks.

Being desperate, I hobbled to the car, barely able to drive, got home and called Dr. Ziegler; advised him of the siutation and was instructed to “get down here!” At that point, driving a car was no small feat as the edema, discoloration from ankle to knee and overall pain had reached an excruciating apex, which was aggravated all the more when depressing the clutch to shift gears.

Immediately, Dr. Ziegler got diuretics and blood thinners in me and performed some ultra sound treatments, which then gave way to Isotron treatments. In a nutshell, he worked on my ankle intensely, primarily with the Isotron—10 individual treatments total-- from that Thursday evening when I arrived through the following Monday when I went home in no pain, with no swelling or discoloration, no need for crutches, and with full mobility restored.

In fact, I felt so back-to-normal that I naively visited the Navy doctors bright and early Tuesday morning to report my progress, as well as my desire to return to work, figuring they would be keenly interested as to how my speedy recovery came about. As I said, I naively thought that. Their immediate reaction was to disavow any responsibility for me since I had received treatment from another physician. Not only did I go back to work, but that Tuesday night I full squatted 400 pounds for reps at the Philadelphia Athletic Club.

Most likely, a lot of lifters would have thanked Dr. Ziegler for the astounding ankle recovery, as well as the startling physical transformation and kept in touch. Learning more about the range of capabilities that the Isotron possessed became a unflagging quest for me. Perhaps the “ aha “ moment was when Dr. Ziegler informed me that he was using the negative-pulse feature of the Isotron—which was a different modality than he employed for pure muscle stimulation-- to heal my ankle. Suddenly, it dawned on me that the machine had a range of functions and uses, so my inquisitiveness was maximally stirred.

Massively helpful, too, was the fact that the doctor did not interact with me as though I were just a dumb bodybuilder, but more like something of an understudy in the Isotron curriculum. It goes without saying that the quality and quantity of information about not only the Isotron, but many other medical-topics he imparted over time was head-spinning.

Of course, this close rapport also provided me the opportunity to serve as his primary test subject when he gave Isotron demonstrations to movers-and-shakers. Typically, it was educational to see the reactions of these power types when watching me take some serious stimulation. Very frequently, the doctors and administrators, such as those from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), just could not wrap their heads around the whole process.

Moreover, it could be equally educational to take in Dr. Ziegler's reactions to these educated eggheads. For example, when the folks from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) did not appear to be warming up to the Isotron demonstration as Doc thought they should, midway through he started berating them with this sarcastic bromide: “Aren't you the same guys who spent $6,000 on a mattress last year!”

These examples notwithstanding, the brilliance of the Isotron could not be kept “under a rock.” Due to the fact that Dr. Ziegler was located near the country's seat of federal power, and he had friends in high places, word of mouth about his creation reached the local professional sporting world rather quickly. During one of my numerous visits to Doc's, someone from the Washington Redskins brought over their quarterback Sonny Jurgenson, who was suffered from elbow and shoulder miseries enough to adversely affect his on-field play.

Jurgenson, who because of his lengthy football career, had been through the athletic training mill and was,hence, skeptical in general, took one look at the Isotron and sort of disparagingly remarked, “One of those muscle jumpers, huh?” Nevertheless, he took a treatment on the machine. The following day his attitude had changed toward the unit as he called Dr. Ziegler to thank him and report that his shoulder and elbow were feeling much better.

Even big names from professional non-contact sports came to Ziegler because of the WOM about the Isotron. Golfer Deane Beman was not as physically powerful as his main rivals Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino. In brief, his “short game” was on par with theirs, but his driving was where he came up short. A period of time on the Isotron, and the sporting press was commenting on how he was suddenly breathing down the necks of Nicklaus and Trevino. In fact, there was an article in our local “Philadelphia Evening Bulletin” at the time showcasing Beman and his improvement. However, at the request of Dr. Ziegler there was no mention of him or the Isotron in the article.

Admittedly, in an effort to express the versatility and effectiveness of the Isotron, I have hopscotched somewhat from the theme of this article: basically, the Isotron as a pure muscle building tool. All I can tell you is that I was a veteran bodybuilder who would have NEVER risen above regional caliber had it not been for Dr. Ziegler's remarkable counsel and assess to his Isotron. Granted, I never won an overall Mr. America or Mr. USA title, but if you check the record, beginning in 1968, I never placed out of the top five or six at these events, and on a couple of occasions was second overall at the Mr. USA.

The bottom line is that my metamorphosis as a bodybuilder began at that 1965 Strength Health Picnic, which I mentioned at the outset. I really miss those S&H Picnics. And I'll finish waxing nostalgic with another obvious admission: I also really miss my friend Dr. John Ziegler.


Note: This is the third in a series of related articles on Doctor John Ziegler.

Part One: 
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-unheralded-genius-of-john-bosley_17.html

Part Two: 
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2017/09/isometrics-isotron-dr-john-ziegler.html  

Sergio Oliva, Part One - Norman Zale (1975)

September 21, 2017, 10:48 pm

≫ Next: The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge - Dan John (2017)

≪ Previous: The Isotron as a Bodybuilding Tool - Bill St. John (2017)

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Liam, gracious gentleman and Iron Brother that he is, has provided SO MANY great things lately to put on this blog that I'm going to forego Mr. Zale's intro to Oliva and head straight to the heart of this article. I really want to get to a lot of the others. Thanks Liam!

Sergio Oliva - A Legendary Superman

by Norman Zale (1975) 

Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed

Previous to coming to the U.S., Sergio had been a member of the Cuban National Weightlifting team. His training in those days was much more strenuous than that of other members of the team. Like other Olympic lifters, the three Olympic lifts plus squats and pulls were practiced three days a week in sets of one to five reps, but because he was also interested in bodybuilding Sergio would perform the usual bodybuilding exercises in sets of 15 to 20 reps on his "off" days.

Upon arriving in Chicago after seeking political asylum in the U.S., he came to know Bob Gajda at the Division St. YMCA. When Bob got transferred two miles away to the Duncan YMCA, it was only natural that Sergio would switch his training headquarters to Duncan.

It was here that Gajda transformed a whole YMCA into a weight training club. With his wit and charm he was able to induce the YMCA officials to enlarge Duncan's weight training facilities to the largest in the world. The bodybuilding area at Duncan measures 50' x 90' and is loaded with all numerous Olympic sets, heavy duty equipment, two platforms, power racks, etc. With tons of equipment and publicity, many national lifting and physique champs such as Russ Knipp, Mike Huszka, Alan Ball, Phil Grippaldi, Joe Puleo, Larry Scott, Chuck Sipes, John Tristam, and Hank Zarco began to train at and put on exhibitionsa at the Duncan YMCA.

Surrounded by all this talent, Sergio trained harder than ever. He was bitten by the bodybuilding bug and though challenged many times to train with the lifters he never accepted, but worked twice as hard with his bodybuilding routines, seeming to forget that he was once an Olympic lifter of international caliber.

Though Gajda and Oliva were the best of friends, Sergio could not be induced to follow Bob's example for long and train according to the PHA (peripheral heart action) or sequence-circuit style of training. Oliva preferred training in the conventional pump system and usually included many supersets.

It was after Sergio won the 1966 Mr. America contest (Gajda placed first, Oliva received second place and the Most Muscular award) that he decided to greatly intensify his training. We couldn't bring you all the exercises and routines used by Oliva, as he has in his long lifting life used most of the known exercises in various routines.

On Monday and Thursday Oliva trains chest, back, shoulders, and calves. He begins his chest work with bench presses, 135 lbs. on the bar, and he goes at the iron like a hungry vulture after meat. He pumps out 50 fast reps, never fully locking out his arms, except on the 25th and 40th rep. After this first grueling warmup set he hops up to the dipping bars and, using bodyweight only, pumps out 20 fast dips, going deep and low but again not locking out the arms at the completion of each rep. Now he is in his element, it's him against the iron. He performs six more sets of benches, adding weight for each set and cutting back on the reps until he is in the area of 6 reps with 325, pausing only long enough to do another set of 20 dips and add more weight to the bar.

When he reaches his goal for this day the procedure is reversed. The weight of the bar is decreased and the reps are increased, but on the way down he does dips with a heavy dumbbell strapped around his waist for sets of 10. The man with the gigantic chest completes 12 sets of bench presses, 7 on the way up and 5 on the way down, and an equal number of sets of dips. He will vary the amount of reps and weight used from workout to workout, but always does about 12 sets and works up to and beyond 300 lbs. in strict, fast reps.

Next for chest is bent arm laterals. Sergio grabs a pair of moderately heavy bells and lies back on a flat bench, positioning himself so that his hips and legs arch down below the level of the bench with his chest stretched to the utmost. The first set is done for 25 reps with four more sets of 15 to follow with heavier dumbbells. Each rep is performed with a wide fling of the arms so that the pecs are stretched maximally. At the completion of each rep the bells are touched over the chest so that the inner pecs receive full stimulation. Between sets of flyes, Oliva performs sets of 15 reps of wide grip chins behind the neck, using bodyweight only and never completely stretching out his arms at the bottom of each chin.

At this point Sergio begins loading plates on one end of a bar which has a hinge attached to the floor at the other end. Bending over from the waist he takes a wide grip on the crossbar and slowly pulls the bar to his chest, lowering it moderately slowly and spreading his lats with each rep. The procedure is completed 15 reps for a warmup. He then goes to the lat machine, kneels down on the floor, sets the selector pin and with a wide grip pulls the bar down behind his neck for 15 reps. He adds weight to the pivot bar for another set of reps and immediately goes to the lat machine for another set of pulldowns. After his initial warmup sets are completed he proceeds to do 5 sets of 10-15 reps in each of these exercises.

Next, he goes to a decline bench and sets a 100 lb. dumbbell on the floor at the head end. Lying back on the bench, he grabs the inside, underside of the plates and performs 15 reps of pullovers with his elbows slightly unlocked. Four more sets of 15 reps are performed, and after each set of decline pullovers he does a set of V-handle pullups, arching well back, and pulling his chest up to the bar and stretching way down at the end of each rep. Sergio finishes his lat work by doing pulls to the chest on the lat machine, 5 sets of 10 reps. He attaches two handles to the lat machine cable, places one in each hand, kneels on the floor and proceeds to pull the handles from the overhead position straight down to his chest, spreading his broad lats with each of the 5 sets of 10 reps.

Now, with just shoulder work to do, he starts moving into the home stretch of today's workout. He places a pair of squat stands on either side of a flat bench and flips a 135 lb. loaded Olympic bar on them. Sitting down in front of the bar and using a slightly wider than shoulder width grip, he hoists the bar off the rack and pumps out 15 fast presses behind the neck, never quite extending his arms all the way or locking out the elbows. He adds 10 lbs. to the bar and does 10 reps, then continues adding an additional 5 or 10 lbs. to each of the next 8 sets, keeping the reps between 5 and 10, performing a total of 10 sets. He supersets the first 5 sets with alternate front lateral raises, 20 reps per set, and the last 5 sets with side lateral raises, also 20 reps a set. In each of these dumbbell lateral exercises the bells are only raised to parallel with the floor and the weights are kept light for a deep pumping effect.

10 sets of 20 reps of seated calf raises are done on a modified vertical leg press machine, supersetted with one legged calf raises while standing on a high block to finish off his Monday/Thursday workout.


Tuesdays and Friday workouts are not as long as the previous day's sessions. Legs, calves, and abdominals are on the schedule. He begins his leg work by doing 3 fast sets of 20 reps of leg extensions as a warmup. Squats will consume the major part of today's activity and as Sergio goes about the task of setting up the squat racks you can see that he is psyching himself up for another bone-crushing, teeth-straining session.

With 135 lbs. on the bar, he clasps it with hands wide apart, steps forward, tucks his head under the bar and lets it come to rest on his trapezius. He straightens up, takes two steps backward, plants his feet on the wooden gym floor and proceeds to pump out 50 fast reps. With his chest heaving like wheat in a shifting breeze [oh hell yeah, that's a nice one!], the big man replaces the bar on the racks and immediately walks to the leg curl machine. He sets the weight at the appropriate poundage and does 20 leg curls. Very shortly after, as soon as his breathing has returned to normal, 25-lb. plates are added to the bar and he does 25 reps, followed immediately by another set of leg curls, this doing only 15 reps with additional weight added. Back to the squat rack where the 25s are replaced by 45s, for 15 reps pumped out in non-stop non-lock fashion and then over to the leg curls for another set of 10 reps. And so it goes through another seven sets of squats, increasing the poundage with each set until 405 lbs. is on the bar and 10 back breaking, man-killing reps are completed. Between each set of squats 10 leg curls are done with increasing poundage. So, 20 sets total of squats and leg curls. [Are you longing to lift yet?]

Now Sergio moves to the leg press. 300 lbs. for 15 reps are pushed out smoothly and effortlessly and he rises, sets himself under the calf machine, points his toes slightly outward and does 20 heel raises, keeping the knees perfectly straight and stretching the heels to within inches inches off the floor with each downward thrust. Alternating between leg press and calf machine, he does a total of five sets each, adding weight for each set, working to 500 lbs. for 10 reps on the leg press and 315 for 20 on the calf work.

Oliva now sits down on the leg extension machine again, forces out 15 reps and then goes to the seated calf, and does 20 calf raises. Weight is added to the leg extensions and he does 10 more reps, and the calf machine, where he repeats for another 20 reps. The procedure continues until a total of five sets of each exercise are completed, 1 set of 15 and 4 sets of 10 on the leg extensions and a straight 20 reps on all the seated calf sets.

Blessed by Nature with extremely small hips and a waist which has no more fat on it than the amount of fat on the back of the average man's hand [don't you hate this guy!], Sergio still does sufficient waist work to keep his abdominals looking sharp, though not extremely well-defined until before a contest. His waist training usually consists of two exercises, situps and leg raises done on the abdominal board.

Setting the slant board at the desired height and holding his hands clasped behind his head, the big man with the tiny waist does 30 crunch situps, stopping on the way down before his back touches the board. He supersets these by turning around on the slant and doing 30 reps of leg raises, stopping on the way down before his legs touch the board. It's a tense, continuous situation for three to five supersets, depending on the available time, and the height of the board is adjusted according to his desires at the particular time.

I think it'd be a good idea to leave the arm sessions to a separate post here. And include all three workout examples in regular simplified format.

Next . . .     

  




  

The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge - Dan John (2017)

September 22, 2017, 6:49 pm

≫ Next: Sergio Oliva, Part Two - Norman Zale (1975)

≪ Previous: Sergio Oliva, Part One - Norman Zale (1975)

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https://www.dragondoor.com/eb93/?apid=4c55c0e2e2b81

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SKVD4B/ref=la_B0026DJ2AI_1_11/131-5854419-3663156?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506125588&sr=1-11

The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge: 

A Fundamental Guide to Training for Strength and Power

by Dan John (2017) 

 - As always, Dan John's insights and approaches can be applied to all forms of strength training, strength sports, and life as a whole. Highly recommended. Check it out, the you of the future will be thankful for it! 

A small excerpt from very early in the book:

What is the HKC?

The longer I am involved in the Dragon Door kettlebell community, the more I take away from the simple concept of "Hardstyle." Understanding Hardstyle was a bit of a journey for me. 

From my education background, I know that "both/and" answers tend to be a bit more elegant and encompassing. But, in coaching we face "either/or" answers all the time - either we win or we are out of the playoffs. So, when it came to something like Hardstyle, I really wanted someone to just tell me,m "This is it!"

At first, complex things are rarely that simple. But later, complex things are that simple! 

Yes, Hardstyle is from the Martial Arts tradition of "Force meets Force." 

And it blends the softer movements of the restorative movements of Tai Chi.

And it teaches us to understand tension and relaxation.

And, yes, Hardstyle includes the Yin-Yang relationship between the ballistic movements and the grinding movements. (Ballistics are the snatch and swing: Examples of grinds are squats and presses.)

Learning to turn on extreme tension has value for planks and perhaps the powerlifts (squat, bench press, and deadlifts). Becoming as loose as possible has great application in restorative work, flexibility, and mobility training.

But, the ability to snap into high tension from relaxation is the master quality of sports.

It's called many things: from stretch-reflex to "bow and arrow," but the ability to apply the right amount of tension and relaxation at the appropriate moments is the secret to elite performance.

I can explain this by simply snapping my fingers. With the right tension in my thumb and middle finger along with the appropriate release, I will make a nice little popping sound. If I totally relax, no noise comes from my palm. If I totally tense, nothing happens! 

The Hardstyle Kettlebell Three - the swing, goblet squat, and get-up - are the gateway to understanding this crucial concept in fitness and performance. Athletes who snap, win. Those of us who can still pop up, leap into the fray, and bound into the office do better in life, living and everything else. 

If you are interested in living longer, knowing how to roll on the ground will save your life in some situations, while leaping away will be the survival key to other life or death moments. Sometimes, you might just need to duck down - in that moment you will be glad to have been doing squats in your training.

The HKC Three introduce us to the concepts of elite performance. Frankly, I think anybody who trains on  regular basis is pretty elite since most people don't do any exercise at all. So, if you are training, then you are elite! Sometimes juggling life and training is a feat worthy of a superhero.

While we have named this method Hardstyle, it also goes by other names. When I was first introduced to throwing, the concept of "Bow and Arrow" was the standard method of teaching the finish of the throw. For the discus, shot and javelin we were told to drive our hips and chest into the direction of the throw and then let the "bowstring" - the energy in the body - snap the arrow/implement off into the sector. If one had the patience to let the implement stay back until releasing the bowstring, then amazing things happened. 

Forty plus years later, I still can't think of a better way to teach the throws. We have tried to "science it up" with phrases like "pre-stretch" and "lateral chains" among many others, but the image of the bow and arrow is practically perfect "in every way" (with a nod to Mary Poppins). The body releases the elastic energy built up during the momentum-gathering phase (turn, glide or run up) and transfers it to the throw.

When done correctly, throwing, kicking and punching almost seem effortless when compared to the results. It's like simply pulling then releasing a rubber band that snaps over several rows of school desks to hit your best friend's earlobe.

Teaching the feeling of melding tension and relaxation is the cornerstone of the Hardstyle kettlebell method. And, we have a secret to teaching it. And like most secrets in life such as "buy low, sell high," it is sadly obvious. It is a painful truth much like Chris Jami quoted, "Never hide things from hjardcore thinkers. They get more aggravated, more provoked by confusion than the most painful truths." 

The secret is no secret. It is a painful truth.

With the kettlebell swing, the hinge is the "bow" and the finish is the "arrow." When I first started doing swings correctly - please make sure you understand that, I said "correctly" - I immediately noticed an improvement in my throws. My first article about kettlebells noted this "What the Heck Effect" as I added nearly seventy feet to my javelin throw. 

In all honesty, I wasn't much of a javelin thrower, but the difference astounded me! Suddenly, instead of trying to "huck and chuck" the javelin, my inner Spartan was snapping it off.

That's the power of the kettlebell swing. Performed correctly, the swing mimics the key to athletic success. However, there is another layer to sports performance. It took me three years to understand it, but the journey was worthwhile.

Doctor Stu McGill is a legendary back researcher and all around good guy. He understands athletics and athletes because he studies them - he is also unique because he listens to them. He never rushes to judgement on corrections, regressions and progressions. Instead, he takes his time to make sure the answer actually fits the question.

I have sat in his lectures on many occasions, but only recently grasped his insight of the "hammer and stone." When he studies athletes, especially after they begin to struggle, he has observed that they often maintain high levels of power, hypertrophy and strength. Yet, their performance still begins to lag. 

It took me a while to appreciate his insights about performance. The "hammer" is the explosive drive off of the ground, the hit, or the punch. The "stone" is the athlete's body. As we age, we might not lose our hammer, but we lose our stone!

Now, some caveats - keeping the stone is not necessarily maintaining six-pack abs, lean body mass and toned, tight and tanned buttocks. Instead it is the ability to hold together "in one piece," as I say in one of my three key principles of training:

1. The body is one piece.

2. There are three kinds of strength training: putting weights overhead, picking them up off the ground, and/or carrying them for time or distance.

3. All training is complementary.

Stone training is the connecting point of three concepts crucial to performance. Performance is the moment they call your name, turn on the spotlight, and the maestro taps the baton. You might be the best in your gym or garage, but performance happens on the stage. A good set of stones are crucial in more ways than one when it comes to performance!

I've identified three types of stone training . . .


 - Okay . . . you're now at the top of page four of the book.
There's one hundred and forty more pages, each equally illuminating, and hey,
Get One, get some light on the path, and as always . . . 

Enjoy your lifting! 

 

  

 

Sergio Oliva, Part Two - Norman Zale (1975)

September 23, 2017, 3:33 pm

≫ Next: The Mysterious Hise Shrug, Part One - Fred R. Howell (1986)

≪ Previous: The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge - Dan John (2017)

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Continued From Here:

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2017/09/sergio-oliva-norman-zale-1975.html 

Wednesday/Saturday - Arms

So as not to be repetitious, it might be well to point out that here that Sergio does all of his triceps work in "non-lockout" fashion; keeping tension on them and not locking out the elbows. 

Triceps work begins with pulley triceps pressdowns. Kneeling in front of a lat pulley, with a 45-degree handle attached, he begins an hour and fifteen minutes of concentrated arm work. Arms held tight at the sides, he extends them until they reach the 3/4 position. No pause, and he bends the arms and 'straightens' them again, over and over until he has completed 25-30 reps for his first warmup set. A couple deep breaths are taken, weight is added, and 15 reps are done. A few more deep breaths, weight added, and another 10 reps. Weight is added for each of the next 3 sets of 10. 

Without hesitation he goes into French curls (overhead triceps extensions), using 135 lbs. for 10 reps. 10 pounds are added to the bar and four more super-strict sets of French curls are performed with less than a minute between sets. 

Next comes an Oliva favorite, a series of four different triceps exercises, each done for 5 sets of 10-15 reps apiece, one arm at a time, all done without pause until all 20 sets with each arm are completed. 

With his back to a wall pulley, he grasps the bottom handle with his right hand. Standing upright, bracing his right arm against the side of his head, he proceeds to perform one arm overhead triceps curls for 15 reps. After the last rep he immediately switches the handle to his left hand and performs 15 reps for that side. With no pause or break in the rhythm he keeps alternating arms until he has completed 5 sets of 10-15 reps with each arm.

Next, with his left arm stretched out to the side and holding onto the pulley machine for support, he grasps one of the high handles with his right hand and stretches it out to the right side so he appears to be crucified. From this starting position the right upper arm is kept parallel to the ground and the forearm is bent so that the hand comes in back of the neck - a one arm tricep curl out to the side rather than overhead - and then straightened to the crucifix position again. This is repeated for 10-15 reps, then the handle is switched to the other arm and the same is done. 5 sets of 10-15 reps. 

Facing the wall pulley, and bending from the waist with the left hand on the leg leg for support, Sergio grabs the bottom handle with his right hand. Pressing the right arm to side, he extends the arm to the rear in a fast, jerky-type motion, bends the arm and repeats for 10-15 reps, switches the handle to the left hand and keeps going without a break until 5 sets of 10-15 reps have been completed with each arm.

For his last triceps exercise for the day, Oliva usually does one arm triceps pressdowns. Some days he may do dips between triceps exercises as well. 

Now he is ready to perform his biceps workout. 

First, 15 reps of barbell curls with an Olympic bar, 25 reps with 105 lbs.,. then 135 x 15. Four more sets follow, each set means an increase in weight, but the reps stay at between 10 and 15.

Next for biceps is spider bench curls. He uses full range of motion in these. 10 sets of 10 reps. 

Last exercise is curls on the biceps machine. Again, 10 x 10. 

Workout Routine

Monday/Thursday - Chest | Back | Shoulders | Calves

Chest: 

Bench Press - 1 x 50, 12 x 6 - 15 superset with 

Dips - 13 x 10 - 20.

Bent Arm Laterals - 1 x 25, 4 x 15 superset with

Wide Grip Chins Behind Neck - 5 x 15.

Back:

Pivot Bar Row - 1 x 15, 5 x 10 - 15 superset with

Lat Pulldown Behind Neck - 1 x 15, 5 x 10 - 15

Decline Dumbbell Pullover - 5 x 15 superset with 

V-Handle Pullup - 5 x 15

Lat Pulldown to Chest, using handles - 5 x 10.

Shoulders: 

Press Behind Neck - 1 x 15, 9 x 5 - 10 superset with

Alternate DB Forward Raise - first 5 sets x 20

Side Lateral Raise - last 5 sets by 20.

Calves: 

Seated Calf Raise - 10 x 20 superset with

One Leg Calf Raise - 10 x 20.

Tuesday/Friday - Legs | Calves | Abs

Legs: 

Squat - 1 x 50, 1 x 25, 8 x 10 superset with 

Leg Curl - 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 8 x 10

Leg Press - 5 x 10 - 15 superset with

Standing Calf Raise - 5 x 20

Leg Extension - 1 x 15, 4 x 10 superset with 

Seated Calf Raise - 5 x 20.

Abs: 

Crunch Situps - 3 - 5 x 30 superset with 

Leg Raise - 3 - 5 x 30.

Wednesday/Saturday - Arms

Triceps: 

V-Handle Pulley Pressdown - 1 x 35, 5 x 10 - 15

French Press - 5 x 10

Pulley One Arm Overhead Triceps Extension - 5 x 10 - 15

Pulley One Arm Crucifix Triceps Extension - 5 x 10 - 15

Pulley One Arm Kickback - 5 x 10 - 15

Pulley One Arm Pressdown - 5 x 10 - 15.

Biceps: 

Barbell Curl - 1 x 25, 5 x 10 - 15

Spider Bench Curl with EZ Bar - 10 x 10 

Curls on Curling Machine - 10 x 10.

 

  

 

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The Mysterious Hise Shrug, Part One - Fred R. Howell (1986)

September 24, 2017, 4:52 pm

≫ Next: The Mysterious Hise Shrug, Part Two- Fred R. Howell (1986)

≪ Previous: Sergio Oliva, Part Two - Norman Zale (1975)

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Joseph Curtis Hise

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2010/01/jc-hise-pioneer-of-powerlifting-fred.html

More on the Hise Shrug Here: 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2012/01/more-about-hise-shrug-js-van-wye.html

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2008/09/senescence-and-hise-effect-arnold.html

These Three Will Give You a Nice Sample of Hise's Writing.

From Roger Eells'"Vim" Magazine (1940-1941): 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-every-greenhorn-should-know-part.html

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-every-greenhorn-should-know-part.html

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-every-greenhorn-should-know-part-3.html

The Author, Fred R. Howell

Article Courtesy of LIAM TWEED

It was mentioned briefly in a few issues of Iron Man back in 1948 and 1949. 

  - Note: these articles might be useful -

The Iron Man magazine: 

Vol 8, No 2 - "Cartilage Mass Theory of Growth" - Joseph Curtis Hise

Vol 8, No 3 - "Cartilage Mass Theory of Development" - Joseph Curtis Hise  

Later it was borrowed by a leading barbell company and put in their bulk gaining bulletin. Harry 'Bosco' Paschall thought enough of it as a power builder to include 'the exercise' in his book "Development of Strength."  

http://superstrengthtraining.com/development-of-strength-harry-paschall

Yet, in the past few years it has faded out of sight, a hidden gem put far on the back shelf again. 

THE HISE SHRUG, which doesn't even seem like an exercise at all has the magic to turn a hard gainer into a barbell success and the power to put muscle and measurements onto a broomstick.

Before we go on and tell you what it has done for others who had given up ever gaining muscle or bodyweight, it might be a good idea to explain just what this mysterious exercise is and how it is done. In order to do 'the exercise' you need a solid, safe power rack capable of supporting plenty of weight. The height should be at a point where you only have to lift the bar up an inch to be fully off the racks. Standing firm and tall, lean very slightly forward so your toes grip the floor. As you breathe in, shrug your shoulders up by the power of the trapezius and then exhale as you relax. The barbell will travel from a 1/2 inch to an inch or more according to the amount of weight on the bar. 

But before we go into the mechanics and technicalities of the shrug let us first journey to Independence, Missouri and visit with one of the original guinea pigs of the Hise Shrug, Dr. George W. Kelling, D.C. 

Note - A quote from Jim Douglass: "I was always sort of a guinea pig for his (J.C. Hise's) ideas, and as Dr. G. W. Kelling once said, 'People may think he is crazy, but when he is right, he is so right.'”

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2008/09/jim-douglass-by-fred-howell-jim.html 

Doc had been using weights for over two years and had gained a grand total of three pounds! Doc, at the time was a musician and had irregular sleeping hours. Plus, as Doc said, "Worry was my hobby!" 

He became acquainted with Joe Hise thru the pages of Iron Man and Joe soon had him doing the shrug. At a height of 6 feet and weighing about 155 pounds, Doc was an ideal candidate for shrug experimentation. 

Note - Hise, as was true of Roger Eels, had a tendency to use the harder gainers as his guinea pigs. He knew what applying his ideas had accomplished on his own body and was interested is helping those who were not 'ideal' candidates for gaining strength and bulk. In his articles and in developing his methods, the genetic superiors were not the object of determining success or failure of his new developments. We should remember, looking back from our time in history, that his ideas were new, individual, and were not simply plagiarized versions of what came before him. A close reading of even just those three articles from "Vim" will give you some indication of his 'standalone' thinking, and a look at how he incorporated more than just the lifting of weights in his published writings. It is so, so very easy for us today to take for granted the mountain of training knowledge that's available to us. This was not the case in Hise's day.

At first because he just didn't know how much it was possible for anyone to use in the shrug, Doc Kelling took it easy and used 135 pounds working up to 150. In all fairness to Doc, little was known about how much to use on the bar, and it was such a strange exercise there was nothing in print about it.

Hise learned of the poundage in a letter from George (Kelling) and had a fit! He wrote back to George saying he should be using at least 300 pounds for 20 reps. Hise went on to say, "This exercise can be a real exercise if you use the proper weight and that means as much as you're capable of handling at the moment."

As Doc explained, "My best gains were from using 400 pounds and working up to 650. I did one set of 25 reps with 400 pounds. Then one set of 25 to 27 with 450, 25 to 27 with 500, 25 with 550 to 575, and a final set with 600 to 650 for 25 reps.

Later, when his strength increased, Doc started with 500 pounds, then 600, 700, 800 pounds for reps and finally worked up to doing 10 reps with 905 and 5 with 950. As Doc said, "The extra heavy weight was mostly an ego thing to prove that a 6 foot tall, 174 pound skinny guy could at least in one exercise lift a heavy weight like the big boys! If I could stand up with it, I could shrug it! This used to drive the heavyweights crazy for they just couldn't understand where I hid all that power!"

His reward for all that hard work with the Hise Shrug was a 22 pound gain in bodyweight, 3.75 inches on his chest, a thigh gain of 1.5 inches and a .5 inch gain on his calf in just nine weeks. Doc worked out twice a week. Besides the Hise Shrug, he did breathing pullovers for 20 reps; slide lift deadlifts, 4 x 20 off a knee high bench using 80 to 120 pounds; 3 x 10 with 80 pounds in the upright rowing; the reverse curl using 90 pounds for 3 x 10 and a neck exercise for 3 x 20.  

Now a chiropractor with a full time practice and a health studio, Dr. Kelling has had some remarkable results using the Hise Shrug in his work. As he explained, "One case I will never forget was a baseball and football player 15 years of age. He was about 6'4" tall and weighed 210 pounds. He was a very good athlete but he had no stamina. He could play about half a game and then would run out of steam. Along with very low energy he had asthma to add to his troubles.

"We really had a problem with him and he wasn't too thrilled with exercise. He thought he got plenty of exercise playing the two sports and didn't need more burning up his low energy. The one break we had was that he wanted to play a full game so bad he was willing to try anything!

"So we started him doing 4 sets of Hise Shrugs, and pullovers for 4 sets of 20 reps. He worked up to using 350 to 400 for 20 reps and his asthma became low key, then said goodbye. To our joy and his surprise, he could now play the entire game of baseball and football with energy to spare. In just two summers, four months each, his vertical jump went from 17" to 27.5" via trunk extensions.

"Then I will long remember a young lad 15 years old that was 6'3" tall, weighed 140 pounds, and was an extreme introvert. Before he came to us he wanted to quit high school. He jut would not socialize and had a bad inferiority complex.

"The school principal and coach sent him to me. I started him on the Magic Circle shrugs with an empty circle. I guess the one we use tips the scale at about 85 pounds. I had him do 4 sets of 20 reps. 

 Photo From this article by Carl Miller on using the Magic Circle for Olympic Lift Training:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2010/01/magic-circle-carl-miller.html

"In three months he was using 300 pounds for 4 sets of 20 reps and in six months had progressed to using 400, doing 4 x 20. This type of work helped the glands normalize themselves and by the time he had reached 400 pounds, the young man had a different personality.

"Today he is a high school teacher and has an outgoing personality. He coaches the debating team plus the girls' softball team and is married to a great person.

"This is one of my greatest shoulder shrug successes. How much did he gain in pounds and inches? I don't know and couldn't care less. It wasn't important. His life changed and he enjoyed high school. He never cared to become a bodybuilder or get into the barbell game in any way, but just wanted to be a normal kid!

- Note - And isn't this interesting, this view of lifting as yet another way of helping others do more important things, the view that lifting is a useful tool, something of an 'accessory' and a supplemental action adding to our lives. We have traveled so far from this perception of what we do with the bar. The belief that a certain level of strength or a specific body size, type, and quality will in itself have great impact on our lives. And it's sold to us everywhere, we who don't quite yet see what it is that truly draws others to us, that quality beyond, inside, that doesn't necessarily come with the gaining of muscles and might. Interesting, isn't it. From what little I have been able to learn about J.C. Hise I see a man who, yes, enjoyed building himself up physically (as well as intellectually), enjoyed it immensely. But I also perceive a person who knew that, just that building up, that alone, was not the answer to a well lived life of fulfillment. Hence, his strong desire to share what he learned, and the need to see others change themselves in and out with what little he could offer in that regard. There are still many people in the lifting game (or is it called a business now) who reflect these very same qualities, and I recommend that you seek them out, harvest what they have to offer, see the wheat and scrap the chaff.

Part Two will continue from here.

The Mysterious Hise Shrug, Part Two- Fred R. Howell (1986)

September 29, 2017, 4:43 pm

≫ Next: P.H.A. for Definition - John McCallum (1968)

≪ Previous: The Mysterious Hise Shrug, Part One - Fred R. Howell (1986)

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The Author, Fred Howell

Part One is Here: 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2017/09/the-mysterious-hise-shrug-fred-r-howell.html

 George Kelling: 

 "I feel the shoulder shrug can help because everyone  can do it. Even those sitting in a wheel chair. You can use hand pressure downward on their shoulders. Any combination for circulatory improvement. The blood is moved by thoracic suction and it will help the lower limbs. Many of my patients who could not stand or walk have used this as a great start on exercise.

"The shoulder shrug can give you the confidence of a powerlifter. It can stimulate the body muscles, glands and circulation without full exercises, if you, for some reason, can't do them.

"You may not look like a Mr. Winner and few exercisers do, but you will fell like a winner and have less joint problems as you get older. But correct performance is a must, for without it you can't expect the fine results you can get from the exercise.

"Everyone can use better posture and that's one thing the Hise Shrug can help you maintain. When I had perfect posture, I was immediately 20% stronger. If I got careless and lost it, I went back to normal strength. Hise used to say that Grimek had perfect natural posture and could gain muscle throwing spit balls." 

Today at 61 years of age, Dr. Kelling is hale and healthy. Spinal X-rays show him to be free of arthritis and other trauma to his spine from all his heavy exercise. He always wondered how it would affect him in later years and now he has the answer. It didn't harm him at all as he has advanced in age.

All good things, must, they tell me, come to an end, so it's time to leave 9559 Winner Road and head west to Monticello, Utah and visit with James E. Douglass, a long time friend of Joe Hise. He is a typical harder gainer who had to struggle to gain muscle, strength, and some bodyweight. 

Jim is a wonderful man, and he will happily introduce you to two new ways of doing the shrug if we can coax him out of his garden or away from his shrug machine long enough to talk with ut.

When we arrive, Jim is busy exercising with his secret shrug machine, with Ebenezer the cat and Buster his dog-pal as his training companions. Jim had polio of the throat, neck, shoulders and left arm as a teenager. In desperation he turned to exercise to regain his health. You can read his full story in the March 1982 issue of Iron Man. Here: 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2008/09/jim-douglass-by-fred-howell-jim.html 

Once he regained his breath and glad for the rest, Jim was ready to tackle my questions about his shrug history and inventions. In reply to my questions about how he met Joe Hise he replied, "Like so many others I first read about Hise in the pages of the old Strongman magazine. We corresponded for about five years and then finally met when Hise came to pay me a visit. I hadn't been making much progress and in his first letter to me he cut down my exercise routine to 10 basic exercises and I began to gain weight and muscle. 

Joe Roark's IronHistory forum has several pages of letters from Mr. Douglass to Joe R. 

https://www.ironhistory.com/  

"When Hise first wrote me about the shoulder shrug, I tried it with a barbell bar as he had been doing. When I worked up to fairly heavy weights, I decided the movement using a bar just wasn't worth the torture. I had invented the Magic Circle when looking for a method to do squats and expand the upper chest to deeper dimensions. A friend had made a device to do squats because he didn't like the heavy bar across his shoulders. I didn't like his contraption, so I experimented with my own ideas. 

Note - Note those two words used in that one paragraph: invented and experimented. 

First I made one of pipe and then evolved to a flat steel circle with a harness just like the one for sale now by Peary Rader in Iron Man.

"One day I tried using my Magic Circle for shrugs and it worked great. Gone was the discomfort of the bar across the shoulders and my chest was free to really expand. Also, the guys and gals that try the magic circle at my home gym live it for it's so easy to use. You can really 'stand tall' in a circle!

"To keep my interest high I like some variety, and with this in mind I tried other methods of doing the shrug. The squat harness worked fine, but I wondered if the further out the weight was suspended from the shoulder joints, the less weight you would have to use.

"I tried dumbbells, but they tended to slip out of my grip when doing high reps or using extra heavy weight, and in addition they rubbed against my legs. I got to thinking about the old time Irish laborers who years ago pushed a wheelbarrow all day and the stories about how rugged they were. They had to breathe as they pushed huge loads around during the work day. For those of you who have never tried pushing a wheelbarrow with 500 or 600 pounds of concrete, bricks, or rocks, try it sometime. It will give you an idea of what strength and power it took to run it all day. What power they must have had in their legs, back, hands and shoulders!

"So I made a pipe frame with hinges at one end and one inch diameter handles on the other. A bar was fastened across just in front of where one gripped the handles. This frame was fastened by the hinges to another frame with four legs which supported the handles. The handles could be made closer together if you wanted, but I made it so any size person could use it, wide or narrow shouldered. At this height the weight could be shrugged as high as necessary.

"This was very similar to gripping the handles of a wheelbarrow except that all the weight was on the cross bar just in front of where my hands gripped the handles. I find this is just right for me. It is really no better for results than the magic circle or barbell, but it is easier and handy to use. I enjoy training outdoors, but there is no reason why you couldn't set up my shrug machine indoors on a platform.

"It's a lot of fun to just walk outdoors during my regular workout or whenever the mood strikes me and use my shrug machine. Now I have the choice of shrug methods and never need to become bored"

The shoulder shrug originally came from the puff and pant squat. Charles Tiffin, a pal of Harry "Bosco" Paschall, was working with it at the Eells gym in Columbus, Ohio.

The True Story of Roger Eells, by Harry Paschall, here:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2011/04/true-story-of-roger-eells-harry-b.html

Tiffin used light weights and went as high as 150 reps while 'breathing up' the weight being shrugged. He was called a genius by Hise and both Tiffing and Eels gained and lost large amounts of bodyweight using the shrug.

When J.C. heard about it from friend Eells, he began to experiment with it using heavy weights and see if it would cause an increase in bodyweight the same as the puff and pant squats. Some self-made experts jumped in later and suggested Hise was looking for an easy squat without the squat part of the exercise, which just wasn't true.

As Hise said, "When on a shoulder shrug program don't worry about breathing with your squats. Do a few sets of squats with heavy weights for 5 reps and about 5 sets. Let the breathing when you breathe and shrug the bar up take care of the chest expansion. Also, to get the gain in chest expansion be sure to do some light stretching pullovers."

Yet there were times when Hise would do the 20 rep squat and then take the same poundage and do 60 reps in the shrug. But for the most part he seemed to favor the squat for leg power in low reps and his shrug to give you a super chest expansion.

The equipment used during the shrug is very important for both your safety and in getting maximum results from your efforts. Dr. Kelling mentioned to me he felt the cambered bar was a great help to him when doing the shrug. Cambered bars have been out of style for a long time except those used for deep bench presses. I have no idea if those would be good for squats.

But no matter what bar you may use, straight or cambered, you will need to pad the bar. Do not put too much padding, towels or whatever you may use for it will push your neck forward and far out of line. This will nullify any gains you will get from this breathing shrug exercise.

Do not go to the other extreme and try to do the exercise with little or no padding for with the bar hitting into your vertebrae the only thing you will be able to think about is the discomfort the bar is causing you. Dr. Kelling showed me a one inch thick vinyl foam type of pad he wraps around the bars in his gym for this purpose. It has a lot of give to it, yet it is stronger than soft foam rubber you can buy in a local store.

Shop around and you may find something even better. Kneeling pads used by gardeners, if thick enough and the right size, might make an ideal bar cover and can be cut down to proper size.

Those of you who are lucky enough to have a magic circle will avoid this problem entirely. I myself during the formative years used a straight bar, for I needed to use that bar for deadlifts, too! If I may add a few words about my own use of the Hise shrug before we talk about the best type of rack to use.

I stared to use the Hise shrug when I picked it up from the bulletin I mentioned before and found it gave me a better appetite. As a kid with asthma and arthritis  -

more on Mr. Howell's history here:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2012/09/my-search-for-strength-and-health-fred.html

 - I needed all the help in that department that I could get for I would much rather skip a meal and eat what we call junk food today. With the use of the shrug all this changed and meals were important for I was hungry! Later when reading back issues of Iron Man, I found out from Dr. J.S. Van Wye this exercise that wasn't an exercise was the Hise Shrug.

Here's that article by J.S. Van Wye:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2012/01/more-about-hise-shrug-js-van-wye.html

As the poundage climbs you will need a good strong power rack. Do not use a normal squat stand. Using regular squat stands makes it hard to place the weight back into the supports. If, for some reason you must use regular squat stands, be sure to have a training partner standing by when you do the exercise. Be sure to check out just how much weight those stands are capable of handling. Remember we are talking about 500 pounds or more and safety should be your first priority.

Shrugging with a heavy poundage, Dr. Kelling almost had a serious accident when his rack pulled away from the wall and collapsed. Doc had the good fortune to have help close at hand and was able to unload the bar. His solution to this problem was to dig a large pit in his garage. At the bottom of the trench were graduated steps, so no matter what your height, by using the right step all you had to lift the bar was up an inch and you were ready to shrug. Here Doc, his brother Bud, Frank Regan and the late Foster Mays and his wife June were the guinea pigs working out the best way to do the Hise shrug for best results.

We all can't rush out and dig a pit in our garage [the dang wife came home after dark and drove her car into that pit in the garage], but we can make sure we have solid. strong equipment to use. If at all possible, make sure all you have to do is lift that bar an inch or so and you are ready to shrug. Having to step back with such a heavy poundage is not only dangerous, but wastes a lot of energy!

The poundage you should use when first doing the Hise shrug should be light and easy. It will feel strange at first and you need to build up your coordination so you can breathe in as you shrug and out as you relax.

I personally feel after watching many people do this exercise, that any poundage up to 675 pounds will build a large rib cage. You can in time learn to handle this weight with ease and it's not so heavy that your mind must fully concentrate on holding the weight. Also, as the weight goes beyond 675 it will compress the chest and there will be a loss of rib cage expansion. It may be fine for body power and strength, but you will not be able to expand the chest enough to gain size in the rib cage. Of course, this problem only occurs when using a barbell bar on your shoulders.

Weights over 700 pounds might cause a sore neck area if you don't have thick trapezius muscle padding, for the barbell descending quickly as you relax after shrugging upwards can act just like a hammer on your vertebrae. I will leave it up to our mathematician readers to calculate the amount of force a 700 lb. barbell would generate, but by feel I would say it is considerable.

The number of times per week will best be gauged by your own personal energy level and reaction to exercise. Dr. Kelling worked out twice and sometimes three times a week. Hise told me, "For maximum strength twice a week is best. If you're looking to gain weight and the time and energy, three times a week might be best for gaining bulk." I myself found, like Hise, that because of my great interest in strength, twice a week was best for me.

Nutrition, as you know if you're a steady reader of Iron Man, is an important factor to consider. I have seen many men fail to get results from the shrug and other exercises because they insist on eating junk food and refuse to eat enough nutritious food. If you have a small appetite, eat six small meals a day. No one says you must eat till you fall off the chair, but you can't eat like a tiny sixty year old female and expect to gain strength and muscle from your efforts.

Hise believed in lots of meat, but in 1938 it wasn't as full of hormones and drugs as it is today [1986]. I much prefer chicken, turkey and fish such as tuna as my protein sources. As added benefit will be a lot cleaner arteries and better health in later years. A full range of vitamins and minerals should put all the odds in your favor so that this exercise will work for you.

You may add the Hise shrug to your present routine or use this type of exercise course. The good part about this shrug is that it will blend into any type of routine. A good course for example would be:

after a warmup ,
do the squat 5-8 reps for 4 sets.
Hise shrug, 25 reps for 2 sets, Pullover 15 reps after each set of Hise shrugs.
Barbell press, 10 reps for 2 sets.
A set of leg raises would complete the routine.

If you have the time and energy, go to 3 sets for the exercises listed as 2 sets.

Kelling, because he was such a tough nut to gain, used only the Hise shrug in some of his routines. But it is better to have a fully rounded exercise routine for we all look for a full coating of muscle. This exercise is not designed to make anyone a flabby hulk, but to increase your chest measurement, gain weight for those who need it and that is controlled in part by your food intake. By cutting her food intake, June Mays found she could lose weight by using the Hise shrug. The exercises will, of course, trigger muscle growth but only if there is adequate nutrition. There is no mystery to the Hise shrug as long as it is done correctly, and then it will give you results far beyond your expectations.

       

P.H.A. for Definition - John McCallum (1968)

September 30, 2017, 2:37 pm

≫ Next: Kirk Karwoski Interview - Tim Henriques (2014)

≪ Previous: The Mysterious Hise Shrug, Part Two- Fred R. Howell (1986)

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Originally Published in This Issue (April 1968) 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-philosophy-of-sequence-training-bob.html 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2014/02/setting-up-specialized-pha-program-bob.html 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2009/04/advanced-pha-bob-gajda.html

About forty years ago, in a little town on the west coast, there was a large, rambling, frame building surrounded by a high board fence. The place looked like a concentration camp, but was actually a factory and storage warehouse where barrels were produced and sold at considerable profit. The owner was a pinched, balding little man who looked like Ebeneezer Scrooge and was known locally as "Old Stickyplaster."

"Old Stickyplaster" ran his business like a nineteenth century mine owner. He paid wages a rat pack couldn't live on and he expected the labors of Hercules in return. He looked on trade unions as a Bolshevik plot and figured Samuel Gompers was in league with the devil.

Old Sticky considered himself a religious man. He plastered the walls of his warehouse with placards announcing the saving grace of hard work. Any worker whose stomach was empty or whose children needed medical care could console himself by reading of the virtues of thrift.

One Sunday, with a great deal of fanfare. Old Sticky donated a large stained glass window to the church. On Monday, he quietly cut the wages at the factory three cents an hour to pay for it. Shortly after, a quiet middle aged man began conferring with the workers on their way home, and two weeks later he walked into Old Sticky's office and announced that the factory was unionized and the men ready to negotiate. Old Sticky leaped to his feet and denounced collective bargaining at the top of his lungs. Three days later there was a picket line around the factory.

Shortly after, two large gentlemen in black overcoats were seen leaving Old Sticky's house late one evening. The next morning the union business agent was found in a vacant lot with severe concussion and two broken legs. It was a week before he could talk, but as soon as he could he made several phone calls. At three o'clock the next morning an explosion blew the front half of the factory across the street and several waxed bags full of gasoline let go with a roar in the warehouse. By daylight the place was flat and Old Sticky was out of business.

The lot grew weeds for several years until a retail food chain built a store on it. The building changed hands several times and underwent various renovations with each change of ownership. Finally it was converted into a small commercial gym. In place of angry workmen, it is now frequented by numerous large and muscular gentlemen actively engaged in getting even larger.

One of these was a chubby man with a gut like a washtub and hair like an unmade bed who never strayed more than ten feet from the squat rack during his whole workout and thought the abdominal board was something you rested on.

One day the chubby man finished his workout and shower. He wrapped himself in a large bath towel with PLAZA HOTEL printed on it and waddled into the gym owner's office.

The gym owner was putting new laces in his lifting boots. "That's a stunning outfit," he said.

"Thank you." The chubby man young sat down. "Just a little something I picked up."

"You realize," the gym owner said, "that if a couple of old ladies happen to wander in and see you like that I'll lose my gym?"

"Don't worry" said the chubby young man. "If the front door opens I'll dash for the locker room."

"That's very comforting," the gym owner said. "Don't forget to take the towel with you. And don't trip," he added as an afterthought.

"Never mind the towel," said the chubby young man. "I got a real problem."

"Indeed?" said the gym owner. "And what is it?"

"It's this definition thing," the chubby young man said. "I'm running a bit and I'm on the definition diet, but I ain't trimming down fast enough."

"So?"

"So I need help. Or maybe a magic wand. There ain't one laying around, is there?"

"Well, as a matter of fact," the gym owner said, "there is."

The chubby young man blinked his eyes. "You're kidding."

"No."

"A magic wand?"

"Well, not exactly a magic wand," the gym owner said. "But something almost as good."

The chubby young man looked interested. "What is it?"

"P.H.A."

"Right. What the devil is that? A new political party?"

"No," the gym owner said. "It's a new training system."

"PHA?"

"Sure," the gym owner said. "It means Peripheral Heart Action."

"That's nice," said the chubby young man. "And what does that mean?"

"I'll tell you some other time," the gym owner said. "Just take my word now that it's the ideal training system for definition."

The chubby young man looked interested again.

"There's lots of pros and cons about PHA," he gym owner said. "But one thing's for sure. It'll bring out the definition faster than any other training method known."

"Good," said the chubby young man.

"There's other good points about it, too," the gym owner said. "It'll improve your health, increase your endurance, and strengthen your heart like nothing on earth."

"And take off fat?" asked the chubby young man.

"And take off fat," the gym owner agreed.

"How does it do all that?"

"It's pretty complicated," he gym owner said. "I'll tell you in detail some other time. Right now I'll just skim it quickly and give you a program to work on."

The chubby young man shifted around in his chair. "Lay it on me."

The gym owner blinked. "Pardon?"

"Gimme the program."

"Oh." The gym owner straightened up. "Well, to start with you can forget about pumping while you're on this program. You don't pump. And you can forget about multiple sets in the ordinary sense of the term."

"The idea," he continued, "is to increase your circulation enormously without congesting your muscles. You pump blood through your muscles rather than just into them."

"No pumping," said the chubby young man. "That's odd."

"I know," the gym owner said. "And I'll explain why some other time. Just take my word for it."

"Now," he said. "You don't do your exercises in sets the way you usually do. You do them in groups. Five exercises to a group. You do a set of exercise one, then a set of exercise two, then a set of exercise three, and so on until you've done one set of every exercise in the group. Then you go back and do a second set of exercise one, a second set of exercise two, and so on right through the group again. Then you go back and do a third set of each exercise in the group."

"Now," he said, "when you finish the first group of exercises, you go and do the same thing with the second group, and then the same thing with the third group."

"Do you understand?" he asked.

The chubby young man ran a hand over his eyes. "Not quite," he said. "Do you mind running through it again?"

"Here," the gym owner said. "I'll write it out for you." He took a pencil and paper and scribbled for a while. "Now," he said. "Look at this."

"Your first group of exercises will be squats, sit-ups, concentration curls, side bends, and a resistance exercise for your neck, in that order.

"You do a set of squats, 10 reps. Then a set of sit-ups, 25 reps. Then a set of concentration curls, 10 reps. Then a set of side bends, 25 reps. Then a set of resistance exercises for your neck, 10 reps.

"Then," he said, "you go back and do a second set of them all in the same order, and then a third set in the same order. That completes the first group.

"Now," he said, "you go on to the second group. You do bench presses, 10 reps. Leg raises, 25 reps. Chins behind neck, 10 reps. Seated twists, 25 reps. And donkey calf raises, 15 reps. Do one set of each in that order and then go back and do a second set of each, and then a third set of each.

"That finishes the second group," he said. "Now you go on to the third group.

"You do stiff-legged dead lifts, 10 reps. Cuddle sit-ups, 25 reps. Press behind neck, 10 reps. Bent forward twists, 25 reps. And French presses, 10 reps. One set of each, then a second set of each, and then a third set of each.

"That finishes the workout," he said. "And how does it grab you?"

"It's different," said the chubby young man. "But I don't quite understand it."

"You don't have to understand it," the gym owner said. "Just do it. I'll explain the reasons why when I've got more time."

"You think it'll work, though?"

"I know it'll work," the gym owner said. "You'll shape up real fast."

"Good," said the chubby young man. "Anything else I should know about it?"

"A few things," said the gym owner. "First of all, you should warm up well before you start. Spend at least five minutes doing light repetition snatches and running on the spot. Then do a warm-up set of every exercise in every exercise in group one with about half your exercising weight.

"Also," he said, "wear a full track suit during your workout. You've got to keep warm all the way through."

"I ain't got a track suit," said the chubby young man.

"Then get one," said the gym owner. He looked at the PLAZA HOTEL towel. "Only buy it, won't you?

"Now," he continued. "The key to this program is to keep moving all the way through it. Don't sit down and rest between exercises. As soon as you finish an exercise walk back and forth for a few seconds and then go right into the next exercise. Just pause long enough to do let you do the next exercise. You should be puffing very slightly right through the whole workout.

"Don't forget that," he said. "It's very important. Finish an exercise, walk around till your breathing rate drops a little, and then do the next exercise. Don't sit down and rest at any time. Keep moving."

The chubby young man blinked his eyes again. "That sounds a little rough," he said.

"Not really. You won't have any congestion to slow you down like you do when you're pumping. You can do it all right."

"I'll try," said the chubby young man.

"And don't drop the other stuff," said the gym owner. "Stay on the definition diet and run two or three days a week."

"I will."

"Good," said the gym owner. "And remember, this is just a break-in program to PHA training. Stay on it for a month or so and I'll give you something a little more advanced."

"Okay," said the chubby young man. "I'll give it the works."

He got up and grabbed his towel just in time. He hitched it higher and walked out and the gym owner went back to lacing his lifting boots.

 Note: Here's few more articles on Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) training, by Bob Gajda:

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-philosophy-of-sequence-training-bob.html 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2014/02/setting-up-specialized-pha-program-bob.html 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2009/04/advanced-pha-bob-gajda.html 

 



  

Kirk Karwoski Interview - Tim Henriques (2014)

October 2, 2017, 5:28 pm

≫ Next: Anabolics and Amphetamines - Bill Starr (1971)

≪ Previous: P.H.A. for Definition - John McCallum (1968)

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Note: This is a very small excerpt from "All About Powerlifting" by Tim Henriques.

Great Book! Well Worth the Purchase.

http://allaboutpowerlifting.com/the-book/

http://allaboutpowerlifting.com/buy-the-book/

Here's over an hour of Mark Rippetoe interviewing Kirk Karwoski:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z_flO51K24 

https://startingstrength.com/

If Norb Schemansky came back a little later down the timeline and chose Powerlifting I think he'd be Kirk Karwoski. Meat and Potatoes. Straight ahead, hard work, no buts about it and no whining. 

Cut the crap and LIFT that WEIGHT . . .

Kirk Karwoski has won multiple National and World Powerlifting titles. He is the first man in the IPF to squat more than 1,000 pounds, and he is likely most famous for his video of him squatting 1,000 for 2 reps in training for that competition. 

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo1tU1YqPp0 

This interview was conducted in person with Kirk. I asked him questions and wrote down his answers. This is what he had to say:

Tim Henriques: Provide us with a brief history of yourself.

Kirk Karwoski: I was born in 1966 in Penn State University, the result of too much alcohol and a missing condom. Currently, I am a mechanic working on hydraulic machines, and I live in Maryland.

TH: What are your best lifts?

KK: In 1995 I hit a 1,003 pound squat in competition; it was with the USPF, which at the time was part of the IPF. That was the first 1,000 pound squat done officially in the IPF to their standards and tested. I was in the 275 pound weight class. That was with an old school single ply squat suit and knee wraps. My best bench ever was 578 in a meet, in an old single ply bench shirt. I deadlifted 777; both of those lifts were also at 257.

In the gym I hit a 1,005 for 1, and I am probably most famous for my 1,000 x 2 squat that I did in prep for the 1,003 one in competition. I also hit 645 x 8 raw, no belt, smoked it, and I did 800 x 5 raw with just a belt. After I retired I came back and hit a competition squat with the AAU. I was 242, and I squatted 826, which was an All-Time best lift. I am very proud of that 826 raw squat because I felt it helped give raw lifting a push to prominence. I wish I had hit a max raw squat in my prime; there is no doubt in my mind I would have hit 903 to depth, raw, with just a belt.

826 Raw Squat with no wraps, just a belt, and walked out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdNuBNaoe10

I deadlifted 800 a few times in the gym but never did it in a meet.

826 raw deadlift in training:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3NI9mW7jWs

I also did a curl competition, it was a standing strict curl (not against the wall) with an EZ Bar, and I got 220 which I believe was a National Record at the time.

EH: List some of the titles that you have won.

KK: I won Teenage Nationals 3 times and Open Nationals 7 times. I won Junior Worlds in '89, I believe, and then lost Open Worlds the next year by 5 pounds; then I won IPF Worlds. I was 6 time IPF World Champion. This was back when there was pretty much just one National and one World Championships for everybody, not one per federation like there is today. I retired in 1995.

EH: When did you start training; when did you first compete; what were your first competition lifts?

KK: At age 8 I saw the Incredible Hulk on TV and instantly realized that was the answer to all my problems. I fell in love with muscles and lifting, but I didn't get a barbell set until I was 12. I did a little bench press competition when I was very young; it was your bodyweight for reps. I think I got like 148 pounds for 10-11 reps or something. My first real competition I was 14-15 years old, I was a light 165er, and I hit a 420 Squat, 300 Bench, and 400 Deadlift. I did a 450 deadlift but didn't wait for the down command; then I tried to pull 47 5 to go for the win and I missed it.

TH: How much weight did you lift the first times you tried the squat?

KK: Pretty much the first time I really tried to squat I hit 300 pounds. It was in high school and I had to squat that to get my name on the wall. I trained at home - it is tougher to practice the squat with minimal equipment - the coaches didn't think I could do it but I did. I weighed about 150 at that point.

At my house I used to take my Dad's bad-weather tires, tie them together, lay a board on them, and that was my bench press. Of course, you didn't use collars; you just went until you failed, tilted the weight until one side unloaded, then it flipped over, you got up, rested a bit, and did it all over again.

I did a lot of track in high school and I really think that helped me as an athlete. I did the shot up and discus but I sucked at them, I was better at rug. I could do a sub 11 second 100 M sprint, sub 23 second 200 M, and sub 55 second 400 M. I ran a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash after practice wearing everything but shoulder pads.

When I graduated high school I was about 200 pounds, I could squat and deadlift 600 pounds and bench 400. I could also do a 325 clean and jerk, a 245 snatch, and a 245 clean and press.

EH: What was your first training program like?

KK: I just did the workout the coaches gave us in high school; the main things to do were the powerlifts and the Olympic lifts. I think I still have copies of those handouts lying around somewhere.

EH: How much were you squatting when you first hit a plateau in the exercise? How long did you plateau there? What did you do to get past that plateau?

KK: I hit a big plateau trying to get an 800 pound squat in a meet; that took me like 2 years. I finally hit like 8 - it was weird, there was a power failure, the lights were out, I still did my squat, it took me like 10 seconds to complete the lift, and then I just blacked out. This was at Nationals. I had bombed out before trying to get that squat; initially I wasn't a super consistent lifter.

For me the plateau forced me to examine myself. I refined my technique and started to train smarter. I may be a big shaved ape I am not stupid and this isn't rocket science. It forced me to become a better lifter. I also gained some weight and that weight gain helped me to feel more stable in the bottom of the squat.

TH: Give a history of the progress you have made in the squat.

KK: Around 1985 when I was a teen I was squatting 625ish raw. In the late '80s I was stuck with that 800 plateau. In 1990 I hit the 1,003.

TH: What do you feel is key to being successful in the squat?

KK: In every rep, you must duplicate your form. It must become automatic and the form must be perfect. For me it is actually painful to squat 245 with perfect for because it is so light, but you have to make every rep the same. Don't be sloppy with something and then think "I'll tighten up my form once the weight gets heavy." Every rep is a chance to practice perfect form.

EH: What do you feel the best way to train for the squat is for a normal powerlifter (routine, days per week, exercises, sets, reps, rest, etc.)?

KK: I think the periodization plan of working something hard once a week works really well. I think the newer ideas incorporating Prilepin's chart and stuff can be good too, but I had a lot of success with basic linear periodization and overload every week.

In the ideal world my training would look like this:
Monday: Squat
Tuesday: Close-grip Bench and Arms
Thursday: Deads and Back
Saturday: Chest and Shoulders.

I would train hard as shit for about 90 minutes or so. I would be sore as hell. If there was a meet 15 weeks away, I would be sore all the time for those 15 weeks. I really think if you go and beat yourself up hard once a week in each area, I don't think you need more than that. Even the arm day above was a bonus, but when I did it I felt I was more muscular, I was stronger, I got so psychologically hard that I could handle that extra weight and the close-grip bench really helped out. I always believed that pain and strength were the same thing. The more hurt I was, the stronger I was.

For a while I had pretty good results just training twice a week when that was all that I had time to do. It would go like this:

Day 1: Squat and Bench
Day 2: Squat light (usually warm-up sets to get loose), Bench, and Deadlift.

My specific plan would go something like this. I would work up to a heavy set of 8 reps, raw no belt, over 4 weeks. Then I put on the belt, dropped to 5 reps and worked up to a heavy set of 5. Going up about 10-20 pounds a week, again for 4 weeks. The you go suit on, wraps on, straps down for the triples, and then suit on all the way, each one of those for 3-4 weeks. When you add some gear (like the belt, suit, etc.) you make bigger jumps. For me for example, if I worked up to 645 x 8 then I would go 705 x 5 with a belt as an easy first week and then progress from there.

EH: What do you think of training with a high frequency (3+ times per week in the squat? Have you done this, what were your results, and do you believe in it or not?

KK: I never tried this. I have a hard time imagining it working. I could barely climb a flight of stairs the next day - how was I going to squat 800 pounds again? I always had very physically demanding jobs. I don't think that would have worked well with those jobs and the extra labor I had to do.

EH: What do you think of training with a medium frequency (2 times per week) in the squat? Have you done this, what were your results, and do you believe in it or not?

KK: I did a second squat a week for a while with just warm-ups; it was okay but in the ideal world I preferred just training it hard once a week.

EH: What do you think of training with a low frequency (1 time per week or less) in the squat?

KK: This is what always worked the best for me and this was the most popular method of training when I was competing; it was what most of the top guys were doing.

EH: What are your favorite assistance exercises for the squat?

KK: Honestly, squats are the best thing. I liked front squats and would do those in high school; I would also do step-ups then. I remember loading up 4 plates, putting it in front squat position and performing a step-up on a bench or whatever. But as I got bigger front squats just choked me out.

Leg presses are okay but I don't think they are worth the effort. We had only so many plates in our gym; lugging them from the squat rack to the leg press, loading them up - it was more cardio than anything. Same thing for hacks. I don't think boxes or bands and chains are necessary; that shit just overcomplicates it. It is a squat; move the bar in a straight line in the right way - that is what you need to learn how to do. It isn't that hard.

EH: What are your thoughts on training until failure on the competition lifts?

KK: Every week I had a plan. I would post up on the fridge what I was supposed to lift that week. Let's say it is 800 x 5. That is my mission, that is what I am doing. When I do that, I come home, circle it, and then the next date and rep goal goes on the sheet. Once I had that goal, I would do everything I could to meet it - if I failed going for 800 x 5 so be it, although there was hell to pay for myself and anyone around me if I didn't hit that goal. I was not afraid of failure, but if I hit that goal rep I could stop; I wouldn't go for extra reps just because I was successful with the set of 5. But once that weight and reps were on the plan, you just do it, no question.

EH: What injuries have you faced and how have you overcome them?

KK: When I was competing I had lots of minor injuries - strains, tears, etc. You just deal with them, work around them, etc. I never had any surgery. Since retiring I have gotten a bit banged up from stupid shit; my bicep pulled off the bone flipping a tire, I had surgery on my knee because it got infected, and now I am just trying to put it together so I can still play and throw around some weights when I want to.

EH: How important do you feel that nutrition is to powerlifting performance?

KK: After 1993 I learned how important nutrition was. Before that I would eat anything just to put on weight. I would drink 4 gallons of milk a day. I would spread peanut butter on cheese and wrap it up like a burrito, anything to get the calories in. Then I had a bodybuilder friend of mine asked if he could tighten me up so I did it. I felt a lot better, so much stronger because I had so much more muscle after a year or so. I thought about doing a bodybuilding show but the one I was interested in was to close to National and I am not into beauty pageants anyway. I wanted to go set some World Records.

Initially I think he had me on 1.2 gr of protein per pound, 2 gr of carbs per pound and .25 gr of fat per pound, each day. Gradually we moved up to 2 gr of protein per pound. There was a period when I was pretty ripped for being 250-275 pounds.

EH: What do you usually do with your body weight and nutrition to prepare for a powerlifting competition (drip 10 pounds, stay the same, consume high carbs, etc.)?

KK: I would usually walk around 10-15 pounds heavier than I competed (290 for the 275 pound weight class). Then I would take out a few meals each day for a week and a half before the meet and that was all I had to do to make weight.

Once I was 256 the day before I was trying to make 242 and that was tougher. I had to flush all that out with tons and tons of water, but I made it just barely.

EH: How important do you feel that supplementation is to powerlifting performance? 

KK: I am not a supplement guy really. I think the vitamin packs are good. I used some Met-Rx stuff. The supps are tough to trust; you don't know what you're getting - at least if you use the same thing all the time then you have a standard. Honestly I think if you just eat 2 cans of tuna a day you will be fine. 

EH: What are your thoughts on powerlifting (gear) equipment in powerlifting? How do you incorporate gear into your training? Are you sponsored by any equipment manufacturers and if so, who are they? 

KK: I was sponsored by Titan back in the day and they treated me well, but I am not a fan of the gear. Get rid of it and go raw - keep the belt and wrist wraps, knee wraps maybe but I don't care about that. I could go either way with those. 

EH: How do you feel about the effectiveness of drug tests for catching those who use steroids? 

KK: I think drug testing is a good thing; it helps create a level playing field. If all of the athletes have to meet a certain standard and they know what that standard is, it helps keep everything the same, as long as those standards are being applied to everyone. I knew all the protocols when it came to drug testing. I could teach a class on that. It is important that testers follow those standards. I also think it helps build credibility and it is necessary if we want to get powerlifting into the Olympics.

EH: What do you think the key to unification of powerlifting is? 

KK: Unification won't happen, unfortunately. There are to many petty, meathead, test-laden, ego-trippin' people running things to allow that to happen.

Powerlifting really isn't a good spectator sport. The squat racks and the bench press are very intrusive; they get in the way of the viewer. You have all these spotters around; the audience is wondering what is happening. If we could fix all of that and go raw then I think it could possibly get into the Olympic, which it should be. It deserves that recognition. One of my biggest regrets is that I don't have and Olympic Gold Medal to show off - plus then I could do an underwear commercial saying, "I squatted 1,000 pounds in Hanes briefs" and I wouldn't have to work and I could hang out and drink beer all the time and that would be pretty cool, too. 

EH: What is your thought about the importance of having workout partners or teammates in helping you train for powerlifting? 

KK: Training partners are very important; being around the right group of people means everything. Back in the early '90s at the MAC (Maryland Athletic Club), man, we had an awesome environment. You get those guys together - I don't want to get all sappy, but most will say that was the best time of their lives. 

EH: What is your thought about keeping a training journal while powerlifting? 

KK: I had a journal. I also had a sheet of paper on the fridge. I do think it is important to write stuff down and to make sure you know what you are lifting that week.

EH: What books, websites, or coaches do you suggest or follow in your lifting, and what would you suggest other lifters do to learn more about lifting?

KK: There weren't any books that I really followed; the Internet wasn't around back then. My coach was Marty Gallagher (author of the Purposeful Primitive). 

https://www.dragondoor.com/b37/

 

https://breakingmuscle.com/coaches/marty-gallagher 

 

https://startingstrength.com/author/marty-gallagher 

 

 

Everybody knows Marty; he helped turn me into an athlete who studied the lifts, he helped me refine by technique, he was AWESOME. 

 

 

 Three Part Interview with Marty Gallagher:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siaDQdpQPRQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxjibbKJ8UE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIe_7ODKycQ

Marty's Classic 1996 "Ban All Equipment" Article: 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2013/10/marty-gallaghers-ban-all-equipment.html

 

EH: What do you attribute your personal success in powerlifting to?

KK: Being too stupid to know when to quit, but seriously being determined. I just knew, I mean I knew in my core, powerlifting was my thing. I love it. 

EH: What do you feel is crucial to being successful in powerlifting both in and out of the gym? 

KK: Consistency. Powerlifting is demanding both mentally and physically. After Worlds I would usually take a full month off just so I didn't have to think about it. It was exhausting getting ready for Nationals, and then Worlds a few months later. 

And sometimes having bigger balls than brains helps, too.

EH: What advice would you give to someone who was just beginning to take up powerlifting? 

KK: Get strong; you don't need any gear or equipment at this stage. I think that really helped me in the long run. I think a 3 x bodyweight squat and deadlift and a 2 x bodyweight bench is a good standard before you use anything. I did all of that with a $10 belt and that was it. 

EH: What advice would you give to an intermediate-level powerlifter looking to improve his/her total? 

KK: Videotape and watch your lifts, work on consistency - that is the key. Stick with the basics, don't overcomplicate it.

EH: What advice would you give to an advanced-level powerlifter looking to improve his/her total? 

KK: Basic tweaks are still very helpful at this stage. Find a coach; you may have to pay them for their knowledge, but if they up your squat by 70 pounds I would say that is worth something. 

EH: Are there any changes that you would make to powerlifting if you had the power to do so? 

KK: Gear is wrecking the sport but on the other hand it is also the only thing bringing monetary value to the sport . . .  I am not sure what I would really do. Really, it is the sloppy judging and bullshit lifts that bother me the most. I see all these 3/4 squats posted, hundreds of people congratulating the lifter. I can barely get on Facebook anymore without getting super pissed. Last time I checked a squat was when your hip had to be below your knee. What is so hard about that? Walking the bar out is crucial and now that is gone with the monolift. I could teach a full-day seminar on just how to walk it out; with the big weights that is super important. If you can set it up, you ride. 

I don't really know the answer. I do know that powerlifting should be in the Olympics and I would support whatever will make that happen.

EH: Do you have anything else that you would like to say to powerlifters and people interested in powerlifting? 

KK: If you embrace it and love it, powerlifting will beat the shit out of you, but it will treat you well. My favorite quote which I think helps put the sport in perspective is this: 

"Just don't fuck it up for 20 seconds." 

Can you do that? If you can do that, you can be successful in powerlifting. 

Okay . . . great interview from an excellent book on Powerlifting. 

Here's the Table of Contents: 

1) What is Powerlifting

2) The History of Powerlifting

3) The Squat, and

 - Interview with Kirk Karwoski

4) Increasing the Squat, and 

 - Interview with Wade Hooper

5) The Bench Press, and 

 - Interview with Jennifer Thompson

6) Increasing the Bench Press, and 

 - Interview with Paul Bossi

7) The Deadlift, and 

 - Interview with Vince Anello

8) Increasing the Deadlift, and 

 - Interview with Sioux-z Hartwig Gary

9) Powerlifting Program Design

10) Powerlifting for Other Athletes

11) Conditioning and Supplemental Training for Powerlifters

12) General Nutrition Information

13) Changing Your Bodyweight

14) Powerlifting Competition

15) How to Warmu-up for a Maximal Attempt

16) Weight Selection

17) Powerlifting Gear

18) Powerlifting Federations, and

 - Interview with a Meet Director

19) The Strict Curl

Appendixes: 

Frequently Asked Questions About Powerlifting

Newbie Mistake Checklist

Recommended Reading for Powerlifting

Powerlifting Related Websites

Raw Powerlifting - Female Classification Standards

Raw Powerlifting - Male Classification Standards

Lifter Classification Information

Tim Henriques' Powerlifting Career Summary

You Know You're a Powerlifter When

The Future . . . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

     

Anabolics and Amphetamines - Bill Starr (1971)

October 3, 2017, 5:21 pm

≫ Next: Variation (a.k.a. That's a Lotta Lifting) - Bill Starr

≪ Previous: Kirk Karwoski Interview - Tim Henriques (2014)

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Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed

1971:

The climate in this sport of weightlifting is a curious thing to observe. At the present time there is a small hurricane right on top of the sport and at the center of the vortex stands the lifter, perplexed and confused. A step in either direction will prove disastrous, or at least this is what he is informed. The hurricane is the use of drugs in weightlifting. Now, in order to clarify a bit when I refer to drugs in this article I well be speaking specifically about the two classes of drugs that come under the heading amphetamines and anabolics. There are other drugs that have infiltrated the sports world, and not just weightlifting, but these will be dealt with in a later article. These two mentioned are sufficient for an article of this length.

First, lets look at anabolics. These come under a variety of brand names. There are, for example, Dianabol, Winstrol, Anavar, Nenavar, Durabolin, and Methyltestosterone just to open with a few of the most common. Almost every drug manufacturer has an anabolic on his list. The antagonists say that these were developed for sick and debilitated people and should not be used by healthy individuals such as athletes. Some go so far as to say that it is immoral to use anabolics. It should be considered cheating and any drug user should be banned. Yet, anabolics are being used by just about everyone in the sport. I seriously doubt if there were over two lifters at this years Senior Nationals who were not using anabolics in one form or another. The policy has been to deny their use for fear the AAU would pounce on the statement and revoke the athlete's amateur standing. So if you ask a top lifter if he uses  anabolics he will in all likelihood say, "No, but I have a friend who got great results from their use."

Anabolics have been regularly used by some lifters in this country since 1960, but at that time their use was guarded like a military secret. Those who did know took a tremendous jump in total and moved out ahead of their opponents. You can chart any lifter in this country and tell almost to the month when he started using anabolics. Generally the lifter moved up a weight class and at the same time his total started to climb. I will not mention names as it isn't my purpose to turn this into a witch hunt, but the only immorality in my mind on the entire subject of anabolics is in keeping it secret. For years, many lifters who were winning national honors and making world trips were doing so primarily because they knew of anabolics and the rest of the lifting world didn't. To me this is taking unfair advantage of an opponent. If I have the same variables from which to work as my opponent then I cannot complain. I see no immorality in the use of anabolics, but this is strictly my personal viewpoint and does not reflect the views of my employer or the AAU. But I have a right to my personal view as I believe it is also he view of the majority of lifters in this country. Let me clarify why I feel this way. After reading all the literature that I could lay my hands on for four months and talking to all the lifters who admitted to using anabolics, I came to the conclusion that they were as safe as any other drug if used in perspective and not abused. I have since talked to hundreds of lifters on the subject and the only ones who have run into any problems whatsoever are those who have used them in excess.

If problems arise, it's generally because the athlete is ill informed. He may have heard that a so-called pill can do thus and so he proceeds to procure same. I ran into one fellow from Virginia who was taking Syndrox and thinking it was an anabolic. Can you imagine taking three Syndrox pills a day for three weeks. Syndrox is a genuine pep pill that keeps you very alert for 6-8 hours. Taking anabolics uninformed is not the way to proceed. One must consult a reliable physician and stay in touch with the doctor while you are using the drugs. The risk of side effects is nil if this is done. The doctor knows what to look for should you be allergic to the drug, which is a possibility. One should not even consider using anabolics until he's out of his teens. I don't have space to develop the whys and wherefores in this piece but believe me on this point and ask your physician why if you are curious. Don't get greedy and abuse their use. If you eat too much vitamin D you would have problems. You can overdose anything from table salt to water, but this does not in any stretch of the imagination make any of these products harmful. The same applies for anabolics. There is as much evidence in at this stage of the game to show that you will live longer if you use anabolics than if you do not. The opponents of their use like to point out the ill effects. They fail to show that anabolics are given to old people to prolong their lives and some are safe enough to give infants. Students in college who are discouraged and depressed are often given anabolics. Only the negative has been publicized and this is not being honest. There are dangers and, again, your physician can spell out exactly what these are. There are also powerfully positive effects that should be considered. I saw one lifter's hand heal so rapidly after taking 14 stitches that even the doctor was amazed. I saw another elderly gentleman, not in our sport, go from a sick, sick bed to activity in a matter of weeks through anabolic usage. So when I hear some knucklehead condemning the use of the drug and saying the athletes will die early because of their use I know that they are not well informed.

And I hold to the moral precept that an individual has the right to do what he wants with his own body so long as he is not adversely affecting his neighbor's. 

Which brings me to the use of amphetamines . . .

continued . . .