Columbu's Back Training - Gene Mozee

July 15, 2019, 7:57 pm

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Franco Columbu is one of the most amazing bodybuilders the sport has ever seen. Not only is he the best-built short man of all time -- the only man under 5'5" ever to win the Mr. Olympia -- but he won powerlifting and weightlifting championships in Europe as well. He also competed as a boxer, fighting one year as an amateur and two as a professional, earning a record of 44 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws, including 25 knockouts, and becoming the Italian boxing champion. 

Columbu's strength is legendary. He bench pressed 480 and squatted 575 at 180 pounds. Once a a special strength display at a physique contest I saw deadlift 700 for 3 reps. The breadth of his back was exceeded only by the enormity of its power. 

Here, in his own words, is what Franco had to say about upper-back training. 

- Gene Mozee

Having trained in gyms all over the world, I've seen hundreds of guys who look very good from the front but terrible from the back. This appalling two-dimensional look often occurs because you can't see your back while training it. When working the pecs, delts, abs, legs and arms, you see those muscles bulging and blowing up right in front of your eyes. That makes you blast the areas even harder as you try to pump them to the maximum. It's more difficult to focus your attention and full concentration on the back because you can't see the striations rippling through the muscles as they pump up -- out of sight, out of mind. That can easily result in less enthusiasm for back training. 

Unless you have a special double mirror that enables you to view your back as you work it, there's just no way to evaluate the merits of your exercises and training techniques. My trick is to have photos taken of my back every three weeks in the same poses and under the same lighting conditions. That way I can see if I'm making progress.

My idea of a great back is one in which the lats start from the lower attachments near the hips and curve up in a sweep to the shoulder girdle like the wings of a manta ray. Very few bodybuilders develop the lower lat area at the bottom, and as a result most exhibit high lat development, in which their lats seem to start midway up the back. While many of them do have impressive backs, not all of the muscle has been developed, and in my opinion that is a flaw. It also indicates a weakness that can prevent bodybuilders from realizing the full power potential of their back. 

Complete back development should also include ridges of muscle that start at the spine and bulge outward in a thick mass across the total expanse of the back. Reg Park, Bill Pearl, and my former training partner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, all possess lats that are long, wide and thick, with fabulous muscle density and incredible power. Marvin Eder, a legendary bodybuilder of the 1950s, displayed one of the greatest examples of complete back development. His fabulous wings started at his hips, curving wide and thick to blend with sensational deltoids and combining with deep rippling cuts that resembled a swarm of snakes swimming in a sea of vascular striations. Not bad writing for an English-second language guy here, eh. No worries. What a back! Eder had the power to go with all that muscle, having cleaned and standing pressed 365 pounds at a bodyweight of 196 (at the time it exceeded the world record by 47 pounds). 

Now, I want to talk about what you can do to put some impressive slabs of muscle on your back, specifically your upper back. First, however, I want to mention the importance of proper attitude. I've observed that many fellows are bewildered by the fact that while others are able to make spectacular gains with a certain training routine, nothing happens for them. From watching different men train at the various gyms where I've worked out, I'd say the problem lies in the mind. Many guys merely go through the exercises without involving their minds.

If you want to get the most benefit from your workouts, you must concentrate on each repetition. Visualize the muscles becoming larger and stronger. Stick to good exercise style, doing a full-range movement on each and every repetition, feeling the exercise from start to finish. Keep your mind on the job, and your muscles will grow.

The following program is designed to build a powerful and rugged back, featuring wide, sweeping lats that taper dramatically to the waist. It will also develop deep ridges of muscle that will add depth and thickness, making your back look 100% more impressive! 

Here are the exercises: 

Wide Grip Chins. These prepare the back for the heavy work to follow. They're great for adding width to your upper back and shoulders, and they give the outer portion of the lats a great pump. Using a wide grip, pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Lower slowly and give your lats a good stretch on the way down. Do 6 sets of 10-15 reps, resting no more than 45-60 seconds between sets. 

Heavy V-Bar Rows. This exercise adds depth and thickness to the whole back, and it's great for the lower lats as well. You use a special gripping device and load one end of the bar with several heavy barbell plates [T-bar row]. Stand on a 4-inch block so you get a full stretch when you lower the bar. Pull up the bar until the plates touch your chest. Lower and repeat for 10 reps. Keep your back flat in the bentover position throughout the exercise. If you don't have a V-Bar handle, grip the end of the bar, next to the inside plates, with both hands. Use as much weight as you can handle, but always let your back muscles do the work. 4 sets will gorge your back with blood for a good growth pump.

Seated Cable Rows. These add thickness to your upper back, and they're terrific for bringing out the teres major muscles, which really helps in widening the back. Lean slightly forward at the start, then straighten your back as you pull the cable handles to your chest, Return to the starting position -- being sure to get a full stretch -- and repeat for 10 reps. Pile on the poundage for 4 sets.

One Arm Dumbbell Rows. This exercise is excellent for adding a full sweep to the lats, especially the lower portion. Grasp a heavy dumbbell in your right hand while bending forward at the waist. Place your left hand on a bench for greater stability. Hold the dumbbell at arm's length -- not touching the floor -- over your left foot. Pull the dumbbell upward until it touches the right side of your waist. Lower slowly, getting a full stretch, and repeat for 10 reps. Now switch to the other hand for 10 reps.This exercise should be supersetted with the next for 3 sets . . . 

Close Grip Chins. This is a great movement for making your lats look fully developed in front poses. It also builder the serratus anterior muscles, which makes for a more polished appearance. Using a triangular shaped handle, pull your body up until your chest touches your hands. Lower slowly until your arms are straight. Continue for 3 sets of 10, supersetting with one arm dumbbell rows. Be sure to pull your body up in a smooth motion by the strength and force of your lats only. Don't turn it into an arm movement. Use your lats all the way. 

This upper back program works the entire area thoroughly from every angle, bringing new growth. Here is the complete routine: 

Wide Grip Chins, 6 x 10-15

T-Bar Rows, 4 x 10

Seated Cable Rows, 4 x 10

Superset

    One Arm Cable Rows, 3 x 10

    Close Grip Chins, 3 x 10

Beginners should stay with a basic program, performing just one exercise for upper back and one for lower back, for at least six months, as follows: 

Bentover Rows (or lat pulldowns), 3 x 10

Stiff Legged Deadlifts, 3 x 10

Once you have at least six months of steady training under your belt you can move up to the following upper back workout: 

Wide Grip Chins, 3 x 10

Bentover Rows, 3 x 10-15

Lat Pulldowns, 3 x 10-15

10 Back Training Tips 

1) When specializing on the upper back, train it first in your workout, when your energy and recuperative powers are greatest. 

2) Use a split system for best results. I've found that working my back three times a week and the other bodyparts twice is very effective for fast gains.

3) Use the rapid-set system: Rest as little as possible between sets to keep your muscles warm and fully pumped. Keep reducing the rest period between sets until you're pausing only 30-60 seconds on most exercises and not stopping at all between the supersetted exercises. 

4) Stay with this program for at least two months to get the full benefit. 

5) Concentrate completely on each rep and make sure you feel the movement every inch of the way. Try to forcibly stretch your lats on both the ascending and descending parts of every repetition. 

6) Constantly try to add more weight to each exercise to force the muscles to work to the maximum, but always use good form and do full-range movements. 

7) Don't skip workouts -- for any reason -- unless you are ill. Hit and miss training results in zero progress. 

8) If possible, train with a partner. It isn't necessary, of course, but the friendly competition and greater enthusiasm really help you to train with maximum intensity. 

9) Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night to promote growth and allow you to fully recuperate from your training. Also, make sure your diet contains adequate high-energy and high-protein foods. You need the proper fuel to power your workouts and facilitate muscle growth, so don't skip meals. 

10) ENJOY YOUR LIFTING! 

---

Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Three - Jim Halliday

July 16, 2019, 9:27 pm

≫ Next: MA Strength - Chinese Weightlifting Technique & Mastery (2018)

≪ Previous: Columbu's Back Training - Gene Mozee

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Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed. 

The Two Hands Snatch is probably the most important lift in this whole series, from every angle. 

To perform it correctly gives the satisfaction that comes from doing something that calls for perfect coordination and poetry of motion. A ballet dancer performing an intricate movement, a diver from the high board, a gymnast in a complicated routine, all get this same feeling of rhythm both physically and mentally. 

This lift also, in my opinion, is one that gives the body a complete workout in itself. It is actually a schedule on its own, probably no other movement in physical culture exercises the whole of the body and calls for the same coordination, power and style as does the Two Hands Snatch. 

From a spectator's point of view it does what we are always attempting to do. It dispels forever the idea that weightlifters are slow and muscle-bound. It is truly an athletic experience. 

Britishers have always been comparatively proficient on this lift. It is the only one of the three Olympics that one of our own has held a world record on. Ron Walker held the heavyweight record for some years with 297 pounds, and in 1948 Julian Creus held the bantamweight record for a short spell.  

Julian Creus.

Helluva Photo! 

To me it has always been a "natural" lift. Even in pre-war days I held the middleweight record with 215.75 when my Press was around 185 and my Clean & Jerk never exceeded 275. 

I have held records on this lift doing either the squat or split style and am convinced that if I had practiced the squat style continuously I would have broken Shaw's record as a lightweight some time ago. 

It has always been my opinion that the squat is a "natural" movement. It does not suit everyone, in fact I go so far as to say that only a minor percentage of lifters can employ this style satisfactorily, but it is an established fact that it has more and greater potentialities than has the fore and aft (split) style, and greater poundages can be elevated. Admittedly it is not quite as safe unless the style has been absolutely perfected. 

I have often been asked why I changed over, because originally I commenced doing the say (it was on this style I broke the record in 1939) and the truth is, that being able to do both I like a change, and, more importantly still, even thought the squat holds greater possibilities for me, I prefer the fore and aft because of the actual nature of the movement! In my opinion it is not only nicer to execute, and when lifting for pleasure, surely the way that gives the most pleasure is the best way.

For the beginner I can only advise that he spends considerable time, in the very first instance, on style. Forget poundages, forget repetition work, and concentrate on STYLE at this point. 

Try the squat, try variations of the fore and aft with experiments, and later on you will find it has paid a big dividend. Once you become "set" in any particular technique it is hard to change. Surely it is best to develop one style, the one you find most suitable, the one you like, and then persevere on those lines. 

More important still, and this is commonsense born of experience -- if you develop a certain technique to the point where it is automatic then you can concentrate your mental and physical energies into actual pulling and not have any diversions.

It is useless to imagine that it helps to lift a heavy weight by thinking throughout the movement, "head up,""chest out,""split," at the appropriate times. This is simply nonsense. All these things should have been thought out beforehand -- long beforehand. When you grasp that bar, no matter what feat you are to accomplish, all you should be thinking about is the POWER you put into the pull, or press, or whatever else you are doing. You cannot afford to think of anything else, and if the weight is really heavy you have not the time or opportunity! 

Note: One of the greatest feelings, one of the greatest aspects of lifting heavyin low reps (and a one, and-a two, an-a three) is THE SENSE OF IMMEDIACY created. There's no humming and hawing and thinking and babbling crap in your head when under a heavy bar or when getting a heavy load moving. It's a self-imposed Zen event, Baby, and you can put it on yourself whenever you want it. So there, high and mighty "spiritual" types. We got your game, got your number and it's all there. Shove some "devotee" under a heavy  bar, back him out and shout SQUAT! Mystical, eh. Sexual? You bet yer puckered red-eye. But that's something we just don't mention much, do we. 

The article continues . . . 

Okay then. . . 

As I mentioned previously, in your original training you must practice style (technique), you must use poundages that allow you to concentrate on the different points whilst actually performing. Only by doing so can you develop a style that becomes so automatic, so set in the groove, so dependable and confident that eventually you can rely on natural instincts to perform this same style and concentrate solely on POWER. 

Power is the key to big poundages. After your initial training the development of power should be your main aim, but more on this later, now we must be content with performance and primary training. 

It is essential, even in the very first instance, before you even think about technique or anything, that you have the correct "approach" to the bar. By this I do not mean the way you walk up to it, but your mental attitude towards it.

Do not be overawed by any poundage. If the weight is heavy you must not be intimidated. Actually the heavier the weight the more self-instilled confidence you need. CONFIDENCE is the keyword, and confidence as far as weightlifting is concerned can be self-promoted. You have to convince yourself that whatever it is you have to do, you can do it; you have to beware of developing the previously mentions "5 pound complex" . . . even in preliminary training this is most important. 

A few pointers on style and some idea of procedure will not come amiss at this stage. 

First, remember that there are certain basic principles that must be adhered to. No two persons are alike either in structure, temperament or any of the other things that MAKE A MAN WHAT HE IS.Therefore a man must arrange his training, develop his technique to suit his own personal make-up, but as I said, certain principles do apply. 

The commencing position on the Snatch is most important because it is the commencing position that sets up how the lift will be completed! If you commence with a rounded back and almost straight legs, then it is impossible to pull the weight in a correct line. You "swing" it forward; at the conclusion the weight is still forward. Result: you lose it. 

Stand with the shins about 1 inch from the bar. Bend over and grasp the bar, then center the eyes on a spot on the floor about 3 feet in front of the bar. Now lower the buttocks slightly until the thighs are parallel to the floor. This is the strongest commencing position. 

From here the initial pull is with the legs. A vigorous thrusting movement to impart impetus to the bar. When the first movement is completed, without pause continue to pull strongly. As the bar reaches midway, concentrate on pushing your hips through, and, still pulling strongly, split under the weight. Allow the head to follow the body until the weight reaches arms' length, then, looking straight ahead, push the head forward vigorously to ensure a good lock.  

I am not a believer in "hang" snatching for beginners. It is impossible to drop the weights into the correct position every time, so to ensure always commencing correctly do all your attempts from the floor. 

For the first while I said it was important to concentrate on style. The first few weeks to a month should suffice for now. When this has been completed, then you  can start to consider schedules and poundages. In the meantime style is the thing and single repetitions with a moderately heavy weight are the best medium for training to accomplish this. 

In the next article I propose to deal with some power-promoting assistance exercises on the Snatch and attempt to give some advice to the advanced performer. 

Sexual. How 'bout that.        

 

       

MA Strength - Chinese Weightlifting Technique & Mastery (2018)

July 16, 2019, 10:23 pm

≫ Next: Forced Reps, Form and Cheating - Bob Green

≪ Previous: Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Three - Jim Halliday

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https://store.chineseweightlifting.com/equipment/media/chinese-weightlifting-book/

312 pages.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES 10
LIST OF FIGURES 12

Introduction 16

Chapter 1: History and Development of Weightlifting in China
Weightlifting in Ancient China 21
Weightlifting in Recent Centuries 24
Contemporary Weightlifting 2

Chapter 2: Chinese Weightlifting Philosophy: 3 Principles and 5 Words
3 Gravity Principles 35
Analysis of Weightlifting Techniques 38
5 Words 45
Close 45
Fast 48
Low 49
Timing 50
Stable 50
Conclusion 51

Chapter 3: Power, Strength, and Speed in Weightlifting
Power and its Components 53
The Role of Strength on the Barbell’s Height and Speed 54
Lifting Speed on the Barbell’s Height and Speed 55
Comparison of Strength and Speed 56
Conclusion 60

Chapter 4: Weightlifting Coaching Methods
Goal of Coaching 62
Best Practices for Coaching 62
Methods for Communicating Theoretical Concepts 64

Methods for Teaching Technique 65

Demonstration and Explanation Decomposition Method Repetition Teaching Method Transformative Method Verbal Commands Kinesthetic Method 72
Methods to Correct Mistakes 73
Methods for Preventing Injury 73
Conclusion 75

Chapter 5: Weightlifting Training Principles
Adaptation 77
Characteristics of Adaptation 79
The Goal of Weightlifting Training 81
Best Practices for Weightlifting Training 83
Conclusion 86

Chapter 6: Athletic training
Goal of General Athletic Training 88
Best Practices for General Athletic Training 88
Methods for General Athletic Training 90
Goal of Specialized Athletic Training 93
Best Practices for Specialized Training 93
Specialized Training Methods 97
Conclusion 99

Chapter 7: Technical Training
Goals of Technical Training 102
Best Practices Weightlifting Technical Training 104
Movement Structure of Weightlifting Movements 106
Snatch and Clean 108
Start Position 108
Deadlifting the Barbell 115
Knee-Extension Stage 116
Knee-Hip Extension Stage 116
Pre-extension Stage: 117
Extension 118
Low Squat Support 119
Catching the Barbell 121
Recovery 124
Dropping the Barbell and Breathing Method 125
The Jerk 125
Start Position 126
Jerk Dip and Brake 128
Extension 131
Catching the Barbell 132
Recovery 136
Dropping the Barbell and Breathing Method 136
Phases of Technical Training 137
Conclusion 138

Chapter 8: Psychological Training
Factors that Affect an Athlete’s Mental State and their Effects 141
Goals of Psychological Training 141
Best Practices for Psychological Training 143
Psychological Training Methods 144
Simulation Training 144
Training to Increase the Lifting Success Rate 146
Self-talk 147
Visualization 149
Relaxation training 151
Concentration training: 152
Training Willpower: 153

Conclusion 154

Chapter 9: Tactical Training
Goal of Tactical Training 156
Best Practices for Tactical Training 156
Tactical Training Methods 157
Body Weight Adjustment 157
Attempt Selection 161
Conclusion 164

Chapter 10: Recovery Training
Goals of Recovery Training 166
Best Practices for Recovery Training 166
Recovery Methods 167
Recovery During the Training Process 167
Recovery Outside of the Training Process 169
Psychological Recovery Methods 173
Conclusion 173

Chapter 11: Intellectual Training
Goal of Intellectual Training 175
Best Practices for Intellectual Training 175
Methods of Intellectual Training 177
Conclusion 177
Chapter 12: Mentality Training 179
Goal of Mentality Education 179
Best Practices for Mentality Education 179
Mentality Training Methods 180
Conclusion 181

Chapter 13: Exercise Load
Physical Indicators of Weightlifting Load 183
Biological Indicators of Weightlifting Load 185
Psychological Indicators of Weightlifting Load 187

Arranging Exercise Load 190
Common Situations in Arranging Exercise Load 193
Conclusion 195

Chapter 14: Strength Training Theories and Methods
Classifications of Strength 197
Factors Influencing Strength 199
Neural Factors 199
Physical Factors 200
Best Practices for Strength Training 203
Methods for Building Maximum Strength 206
Repetition Method 206
Intensity Method 208
Bulgarian Method 209
Eccentric Method 210
Isometric Method 212
Electromotor Stimulation (EMS) Method 213
Best Practices for Power 214
Power Method 215
Starting Force Method 215
Reactive Strength Method 216
Bodybuilding 218
Conclusion 219

Chapter 15: The Training Plan and Training Diary
Best Practices for a Training Plan 221
Long-Term Training Plan 221
Annual Training Plan 225
Phase Training Plan 227
Weekly Training Plan 228
Daily Training Plan 230
Training Diary 236

Assessing Training 237
Conclusion 239

Chapter 16: Athlete Assessment
How to Build an Assessment Model 242
Observation and Gathering Evidence 242
Selecting Assessment Indicators and Determining Standards 243
Testing Indicators and Modeling 247
Adjusting Training 248
Conclusion 250

Chapter 17: Youth Training
Goals of Youth Training 252
Stages of Youth Training 252
Special Considerations When Training Youth 256
Strength Training 256
Mentality, Tactical, and Psychological Training 257
Exercise Load and Recovery 258
Training Program 258
Conclusion 262

Chapter 18: Women’s Weightlifting
History 264
Special Considerations when Training Women 265
Athletic Training 265
Technical Training 267
Psychological Training 267
Exercise Load 269
Training and Competition during Menstrual Period 272
Conclusion 276

Chapter 19: Selection Methods for Weightlifting
Selection Stage 1 278
Structural Makeup 279

Physical Functionality 286
Psychological Quality 286
Physical Qualities 288
Selection Stage 2 290
Selection Stage 3 291
Conclusion 292
Chapter 20: Sports Injuries 294
Types of Injuries 294
Reasons for Injuries 295
Conclusion 298

Bibliography 300
About the Authors 312

     

 

Forced Reps, Form and Cheating - Bob Green

July 17, 2019, 10:20 pm

≫ Next: Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Four - Jim Halliday

≪ Previous: MA Strength - Chinese Weightlifting Technique & Mastery (2018)

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"Comrades, let's do morning exercises!" 

(1952)

"I wanna get big!" the young man exuded within seconds of sitting down in front of my desk When folks came into my gym I always asked them, naturally, what their goals were and then would go on to explain how we could on to explain how we could go about it . . . using the facilities of the club, diet, etc. This was a typical kid of 18 who had done a little lifting at school and at home, but now he had seen some muscular marvels on TV and wanted to emulate them.

The trouble was . . . he wanted to emulate them at all costs! How many of us felt the same way at 18 or 19? The hero-worship still burning in our veins. Of course, in our day it was a Steve Reeves movie or a cover shot of John Grimek that spurred us on. Today there are more muscle mags, more information but ironically more confusion. 

The kid went on, "Look, Mr. Green, I've got all the stuff -- syringes, Deca-Durabolin, Dianabol, and thousands of tablets of every supplement you can get!" 

Yikes! 

I asked him how long he'd been training. "A year," he replied. "With all this and training in a good gym I just know I can look like those guys in another year." 

"Whoa now, hold on a minute," I answered. "How tall are you and what do you weigh now?" 

The young man beamed, "I'm six feet tall and weigh 165 . . . up from 158," was his reply. "I wanna go up to 250!" 

Keeping a straight face and popping off with a diatribe of humor and facts is not one of my better suits. I asked him if you like to suit up and take a workout. First of all, so I could check him out and what he'd been doing and second, so he could check me out; to see if I hadn't been cramming Eucalyptus leaves down my throat and hanging by branches all my life. After all, I could've been a Koala bear or some sort of gorilla in disguise. 

The kid vanished without a further word. Moments later he reappeared in a workout suit that looked like something out of a rummage sale held by Peter Pan. Oh well, you can't size people up by their appearance. Those that try are simply fools. Salesmen are pretty good at it, but even they blow it sometimes. I asked him to tell me what his present routine was, and to give it a shot in the gym. I would observe and make suggestions. 

Enthusiasm and sincerity were not the kid's problems.

Misguided concepts and sloppy style were. Coupled with a distorted feeling that if he lifted certain poundages in his training . . . ones he'd read so-and-so used in such-and-such magazine . . . he'd make it like a bandit! 

He huffed and puffed, jerked and screamed, bent like a twig under his curls . . . and ended up missing half the muscles he wanted to work. If I'd have hooked him up to a generator he would've provided enough electricity to light up the gym for 24 hours! 

But build any muscle . . . no. 

When he was done tearing down his joints, getting at some muscle and actually lifting some pretty decent poundages, I, well, I had a little chat with him. First I pointed out a "little" guy, Ron, whomping himself on our long pulley row. As soon as he was done with the rows he went right over to the chinning bar and whomped out rep after rep until he could only 

whomped? 

could only hang there . . . the guy couldn't do another rep so he hung, stretched the lats and dislocated his scapula for more width and that last little drop of work.

The kid was impressed. "Yeah, I was noticing him during my workout. He's huge. But I'm stronger." 

Not so. 

I went on to tell him that the young guy he was observing was training for the development of size, shape and deep muscularity. You know, the density bit. Furthermore, the bodybuilder in question did lift heavy as well, when the cycle and/ore mood dictated itself. 

"Those aren't just puffy muscles. That guy you're watching has won powerlifting meets in his weight class. Sometimes he still enters 'em, but right now his main goal is that attainment of hard muscular bulk . . . period."

When I mentioned some of Ron's best lifts I thought the kid's jaw would hit the floor. Just then Dr. Carlin Venus came in. 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/06/carlin-venus-interview-bob-green.html 

You talk about good timing. Carlin was around 53 at the time and just getting back into training after a 12 year layoff. Carlin warmed up . . . walked over to a press machine and started doing reps with 400 pounds . . . with one arm! Before the kid could justify his case, I beat him to it and told him to just wait and watch. 

Carlin was just "checking himself out." He then went over to the pulleys and began a long, but unusual workout with light to moderate weights for reps. Lots of reps! 

I went on to try and explain to the kid that he was only getting 4 reps of less per set in his own workout. Sometimes he would only do 3 or 4 reps while at other times he'd try maybe 6 reps, but still only get 3 or 4 really "good" ones. The rest were heave-tossed, jerked, strangled, wobbled up or thrown. Style was definitely lacking. Form was generally non-existent. Concentration? His only level of visual imagery was more suited for a lifter: his mind's eye view was to get that barbell or dumbbell up over his head or other parts of his anatomy before returning it to its original resting place. 

Next came a show-and-tell trick I learned from Don Howorth. I was having trouble with my lat development at the time; my upper back was coming along fine, but no V-shape was imparted by the lats. No wonder! i came from the ol' heave & toss school. Get it up at all costs and stay up with the big guys. Of course, I was impetuous, high string, pretty strong for my age and size and had just come from the Muscle Beach area.

I hate to digress, but I must make a point and to chronicle history as accurately as I can . . . to get the point across to the reader that this isn't just another "Billy Big Body" from Waco, Burbank writing about it. Au contraire. I was from Hard Gainer City High. Former captain of the team. 

Oh yeah! Me, too. Heave & Toss . . . Heave & Toss.

Something had brought me to Vince's Gym. Not that everybody training in the Santa Monica area was just pushing iron. No, no. There were some stylists. Some of the world's best. It's just that there were so many weightlifters as well as bodybuilders. And I loved lifting weights: power lifting, stunts, the Olympic lifts . . . and naturally I wanted to build a body. Trouble was . . . One thing at a time! 

Too many sets gets you way ahead of yourself. Mentally, your out of the moment per set . . . thinking about the next one coming up. Too much weight (for you. To hell with the other guys). We're talkin' training here. To develop your physique. 

Thought I forgot about the Howorth bit , eh? Don't skip over stuff. It's those damnable little details that seem so simplistic at the time. Add 'em all up. Then those little details can total major efforts. 

Read Bob Kennedy's Hardcore Bodybuilding, Beef It, and other books for a lot of those "little details." Not one guy's opinion alone. A compendium of observation of all the modern greats, a touch of the aesthetic and the research and development a Harvard Law Prof would put into his doctor's thesis. You need plenty of books for reference . . . but you still gotta GO OUT AND DO! 

Okay, Howorth and lats. 

Anyway, he catches me in the giy doing sets of Bentover Rows. My God! I was doing 5 sets working up to the last two with 250. I was strong in the pulling stuff. Draper taught me that: correct a weakness and then make it strong. Or maybe I should say "correct a weakness and then make it strong," emphasizing the "then." 

Of course I had . . . corrected the weakness. Then made it somewhat stronger. Trouble was, I kept on trying just to make it stronger . . . not better. "Better" here meant more lats . . . width and fill in the middle. Yeah, I had the two top cases: no width and no middle or lower back depth. Narrow, shallow. A narrow shallow guy with good biceps and these trapular things whipping into my rhomboids. Fine, fine, fine. 

Yippee! 

"Let me show you what you're doing," said Don. "The first part -- you're raising your upper body upward. Going out of the parallel to floor position. Working your lumbars. Then you're squinching your shoulder blades up and together and pulling midway with your upper back. See? But there's no lat action!" 

He was right. I was using the Bentover BB Row as a pulling exercise, but only thickening the upper back and getting some lower back from the initial raising of my upper body from the bent over position; no matter how slight -- it was like the first third of a good morning or hyperextension. 

Moreover, because I was pulling a lot of weight up, I'd go faster, only getting the benefits of the last third of the exercise (barely). Super Speed reps have a purpose: for strength, power, moving bigger weights, but not for filling in the blanks! 

Don's solution. First he went and got the 110-lb. barbell from Vince's barbell rack. 

"But what about the Olympic set?" I asked. 

Don turned toward me in mid-stride and only gave me a look that resembled a kind smirk. I knew I was going to get a real lesson. 

We went over to Vince's Spider Curl bench, because it was the right height for me -- about waist high. 

"Get into position, bend forward and place your head on the edge of the bench. Brace it there and keep it there. It'll cut down on your cheating. Grab the barbell with a collar-to-collar grip the first two sets. Pull the weight up to your lower chest and pull it up with a gradual even speed. Feel it! Lower it a bit slower and think about stretching and flaring the lats (almost a slow negative rep).

"On the last set use a medium grip and pull the weight to mid-stomach. That'll hit more middle and lower lat. You'll get mic-back throughout due to the style. The main thing is . . . you'll get more lats and upper back/mid back fill-in. Oh, and do 6 sets of front chins at the beginning of your back workout." 

Thanks, Don! 

The point was that I was bypassing the very areas I wanted to hit. Vince later showed me how I was using almost all arms in the Seated Long Pulley Row. Very little back action there, too. There are various ways of cheating. Cheating yourself of gains at times. Oh yes . . . later on I added more weight each set to the head-braced bentover rows. Howorth taught me, but it was nifty that he had me only do 3 or 4 sets of that exercise. Not too many sets. You don't need too many if you do a bodybuilding exercise right.

I hope you're getting the point. "Feel" the exercise and use the best form possible while mentally thinking about -- visualizing -- the area as it is being worked. 

Don't just load the damn bars, machines, dumbbells up and go helter skelter. Cheating has a purpose: you do that on your last 2 or 3 reps, as forced reps . . . but you fight the weight down with as much control as possible.

I could say the same thing about nutrition. I will in a future article. Don't just take in copious amounts of supplements and hope for the best. Get stuff that is highly absorbable, balanced and so forth. The shotgun method was for the old days. Today we have much better products.  

A final remark re: diet. It seems the pendulum has swung back and forth again on the protein question. First, it was you needed more. Recently, it was you need less No, it's more often. The last one is what I believe to be the closest. Quality and timing are the most important. 

Use your diet for the main source of proteins and use the supplements for just the -- supplementing. Protein powders are fine, provided they are used as a supplement; to use in place of one or two meals per day if you're trying to lose weight, or in addition to regular meals to make up for skipped meals on busy days. 

I must add that to build muscle if you are skinny, and this is from over 20 years of observation . . . if you're not gaining chances are you're not eating enough. Even though you think you are.      

 

Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Four - Jim Halliday

July 20, 2019, 12:31 pm

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Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed.

When doing the assistance exercises scheduled in this series it is not in your interest to make them easier. You are not trying to establish a high standard of poundages, but endeavoring to strengthen weak points in your makeup (hey, so similar to the previous bodybuilding article by Bob Green!) and to develop power. It is essential that you do the exercises laid down, even if the poundages you handle do not reach your expectations. 

For instance, in each of the following exercises the work can be made much easier by departing from the positions laid down, thus increasing the possibilities of using higher poundages, but by doing so you defeat the original object of the movements. This, in each case, is the development of pulling power. You will realize also that the accent is on increasing power in what has come to be known as the second pull.

This term, in my opinion, is very misleading if taken literally. There is no such thing as a definite second pull, it is only a changing-over of the muscle groups in action and actually is a continuation of the original movement. To deliberately try to enforce a second pull gives cause for a break in the continuity of the movement. A certain "rhythm" is lost, speed diminishes, and a broken action ensues which, common sense tells us, cannot be helpful to a successful lift.  

The first assistance exercise for the Snatch is the Snatch Off Blocks. To do this movement you place the plates of the barbell to be used on two blocks or boxes of an appropriate height for what you are working on. 

Note: Blocks and/or boxes of different heights are great to have in your gym. You can sit on 'em! No. Put yer beer on 'em? No! Of course, different heights create different start points for various lifting movements. For this particular assistance exercise, the author uses boxes at a height that "allows you to maintain a perfectly erect position; i.e., your legs and arms must be straight." This is a high start point he's using.   

From this position you wrench the bar into movement and at the appropriate time split or squat under it in the usual way. It is possible to make this movement easier by bending the knees prior to commencing to pull, but this makes the exercise absolutely useless for what we are trying to achieve in this particular instance. 

You will find that a deep split or squat must be employed owing to the constricted nature of the pull, but the comparatively light weight allows the recovery to be made safely. 

Exercise Two is a firm favorite of mine. It is to this movement that I attribute my success on the Snatch. Grasp the bar in the usual style as for an orthodox Snatch. Now you simply do a two-hands Snatch without foot or knee movement at all. This means that you simply pull the weight to arms' length overhead. At the conclusion of the pull you can simplify the movement by allowing the wrists to turn and completing the action with a press-out. This you must avoid! You actually must pull to the full extent, only allowing the wrists to turn at the last possible moment. After the initial pull the legs must be kept braced, no bending of the knees whatsoever. 

You will realize that, done correctly over a period of time, this movement will work wonders with your pulling power, and also serve the purpose of training you to pull to the fullest extent, a habit I hope to write more about later. 

Such a good movement is this, that I calculate it increased my Snatch 20 lbs. in one year, even at a time when I considered I was approaching my peak. In the recent past I have worked on a single attempt schedule with these and have done 10 singles with 190 -- all correctly performed! 

For the start, however, I advise you to try about half your Snatch poundage and do a few groups (consecutive reps. Damnable Brits and their antiquated grammar!) until such time as you become more proficient. Then use the singles schedule and progress with the miniature disc system. This also applies to the first assistance exercise. 

As I said previously, after seeing the world's best in action I am convinced that power is the key to high poundages. Of course, the champion must also have the other attributes that make a successful lifter . . . speed, coordination, timing, and of course, match temperament. But of all these things power is the most important, and as the others are, shall we say "gifts of nature," I am convinced that, once the rudiments of style have been mastered, training for power is the essential thing.

As far as actual training on the Snatch itself is concerned the man who has completed his primary training can do no better than follow the same advice as I gave on the Press. Use your commencing poundages merely as a form of warming up and conserve your energies for the handling of big poundages. Of course, every man varies in his capabilities in training. 

For instance, the "solid" type of lifter can approach his match poundages often in training, at times even eclipsing his best, whilst others, like myself, seldom get with 20-30 lbs. of maximum. This is due to the fact that such lifters depend upon vast resources of nervous energy and a competition temperament to assist them in matches. Yet the same advice applies. Find your training maximum, and work up to it easily, then concentrate on single attempts on or around this figure. 

Perhaps an example of my training schedule will help as an illustration. My top Snatch is 260 (done in squat style), but my most consistent big poundages have been made in the split style. We will take my best poundage in the split style (253) and use my schedule on this method.

The most I have ever done in training has been 242 and I have only been successful with this poundage twice! I usually finish about 230 and my schedule runs like this: 

180 x 4
195 x 3
210 x 2
220 x 2 
230 - as many single reps as possible up to about 10-12. 
If I do not reach 230 I remain at 220 doing singles as denoted above. 

To illustrate my point about your match temperament it will interest you to hear this. On my final workout in Finland prior to the last Olympics I found it impossible to do 220! In my warming up immediately prior to the contest I failed at 198! Yet I not only commenced at 225, but succeeded fairly easily with 248, my best ever at lightweight. 

There is no doubt that the ability to rise to the occasion is a big asset, but you must have the power to do what you set out to do. Temperament is only the mental capacity to assist you in reaching your physical limit. Here I must admit that power itself is insufficient to make a world-beater. How often have we given examples of this in the past, but I still think it 80% of the battle. 

Even if you are an experienced lifter, even if you think your former training has been hard enough to enable you to reach the peak of your strength, you must still concentrate on building power. Heavy snatches, single reps with heavy weights, assistance movements to overcome your weak points . . . only by doing so can you hope to reach your maximum on this, the finest lift of all, the Snatch.          

    

Thigh Training - Reg Park (1955)

July 20, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Thanks to Liam Tweed! 

Oops. 

For the majority, the thighs are a relatively easy section of the body to develop, but whilst it will mainly interest those of you who find thigh development difficult this article will also serve as a form of variety in exercise for the more fortunate ones.

You will have gathered from my previous articles that I am a great advocate for the squat or deep knee bend as a power building and weight gaining exercise, but it is also the finest exercise for thigh development, because there are so many forms of squat which be performed by the trainee. Most important of which is the: 

No. 1. Full Squat. Take at least one good deep breath before going into the full squat position, and breathe out as you return to the starting position. Do not round the back but keep it flat and hold the head upright throughout. Try not to go down too fast, but get just a slight rebound and then recover to commencing position. Don't be afraid to work hard and increase the weigh as soon as the repetitions feel easy. Wear weightlifting boots with heels on when squatting. 

No 2. Half and Quarter Squats. These are performed in exactly the same way as the full squat but since you do not go as low you are able to handle heavier weights. For example, I have in the past performed repetition quarter squats with 1,000 lbs., whereas my be squat is 550. These two variations and in particular the quarter squat are used more for power building than for thigh development since a full range of movement is not involved. 

No. 3. Bench Squat. This was at one time my own favorite thigh exercise but now I prefer the full squat, however, it is one which I feel is partly responsible for my present standard of thigh development. More weight can be used in this type of squat than in the orthodox deep knee bends. The upper and outer sweep of the thighs are vigorously influenced, imparting great power to them and a pleasing display of impressive development. Marvin Eder, sensational young body-builder of New York City can use well over 600 lbs. 

Take the barbell off the racks just as if you were performing regular squats. A very strong bench or box should be directly behind you, and the height of this bench should be about 18 inches, or such a height that when seated on it your upper thighs are level or parallel to the floor. Squat down to the bench FEELING your way down CAREFULLY and as soon as your buttocks touch the bench return AT ONCE to upright position. Do not look down. Look up and straight ahead. Try not to lean forward too much and try to keep the back as straight - perpendicular - as you can manage without losing your balance. 

The first time you try this exercise you may find it hard to use a heavy poundage; in fact, a commencing poundage of approximately what you use in the regular squat will be just right. As you get used to the movement, you will find that your exercising poundages will increase rapidly. It is also wise to have a training partner watch you until you are used to working with this exercise, for there is a certain amount of danger of losing your balance. The position of the movement is clearly illustrated. Breathe in as you sit down and out as you rise from the bench or box. Again, wear weightlifting boots with heels. 

No. 4. Front Squat. This exercise is exactly the same as the regular full squat, the only difference being that the bar is held in front of the neck. At first you may experience pain in the wrist and forearm but in time this will leave you. Remember to keep the elbows high and the head upright. Start light, and add weight once you get used to the movement. 

No. 5. Alternate Lunge. This exercise cultivates speed, power and flexibility in the hips and legs, and will build coordination. Start the exercise as shown in the silhouette of the illustration. Now lunge forward, dipping deeply as in the drawing, and then returning the foot that is forward to the starting position and immediately lunging forward with the other foot. Continue this alternate forward lunging until 10 repetitions have been performed with each leg. Do not use a heavy weight in this movement until you are thoroughly versed and used to its method of performance and can confidently keep your balance. Make certain that the back is always erect.  

Lifters can also utilize this exercise for improving their recovery on split cleans, and can perform it either as shown or in the front squat bar position. 

No. 6. Straddle Lift with Harness. The power of the legs, hips and lower back so greatly exceeds that of the hands and forearms that it it necessary to use a harness for this next exercise. All you need for this is a suitable length of rope hitched over the shoulders as shown in the illustration. With such an arrangement it is possible to use hundreds of pounds in the movement and to tap a rich source of all round power. Start as in drawing. Straighten the thighs until you are completely erect as shown in the silhouette. Lower to the floor and repeat. 

No. 7. Thigh Curl. Too many body-builders tend to neglect the biceps of the thigh -- that great sweeping curve of muscle that makes the rear of the leg round and firm. Commence the exercise as shown, curling one foot at a time. While lowering the foot to the original position commence to curl the other foot, making each repetition alternate. 

Well, there you have seven excellent thigh exercises -- or eight, if you include both the quarter and half squats, which are, again, more for power than for bodybuilding. However, I do feel that these partial types of squats should be performed periodically to help overcome any mental limits you may have. 

For the beginner -- I would suggest 3 sets of 10 on the full squat. Leg curls can also be performed. 

For the intermediate -- 3 x 10 of either the bench squat of front squat, plus 3 x 10 on the stradle lift. 

For the advanced -- 3 x 10 full squat, plus 3 x 5 alternate lunges and 3 x 8 leg curls. 

For the very advanced -- 4-5 sets of 5 full squat, plus 3 x 5 lunges with bar held in front. For variety perform front squats and/or half, quarter, and front squats.        

    

Make It Harder, Not Easier - Bill Starr

July 21, 2019, 5:04 pm

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At some point in your strength program you have to become more aggressive and lean on the top-end numbers. If you continue to train with comfortable poundages for too long, you'll get lazy and your progress will come to a halt. The body seeks equilibrium, complacency. In fact, it would prefer to stay out of the gym altogether. Given a choice, it would much rather lie on a couch and have cold liquids and junk foods stuffed into it than sweat and strain in a hot gym. 

To add to the problem of inherent indolence is the fact that there is, sadly, a trend in training philosophies that actually promotes making things easier. Use machines rather than free weights, since machines put less stress on the body. Other trendy but easier techniques include abbreviated workouts, split routines that barely raise as sweat, doing nothing but partial squats instead of full squats, and of course putting absolutely nothing really challenging on the bar. How about performing seated presses over standing ones or clean and presses? Are the latter movements better? No, but they're easier. The same goes for using Smith-type machines instead of free weights, or hang cleans instead of full cleans. When I ask people why they do hang cleans instead of the full-range movement, they usually reply that it's safer. Horse Fritters. People do hang cleans because they're easier to do -- and also easier to teach -- than full cleans. 

I have a beef with today's mania for the Trap Bar. Proponents say it makes the movements easier than when they use an Olympic bar. That's it's main selling point, but to me it's not a plus but a negative. Any time you make a lift easier to perform, other than when you're perfecting your technique on it, you're going to get less out of it. Many, many sets of huge, powerful traps were built before this device came along. What's more, I can still make any trainee's traps so sore he can't sit down without pain, and all I need is an Olympic bar and lots of weight. 

Another pet peeve of mine is the various apparatuses that are manufactured solely to ease workout pain. My favorite is the plastic cushion for the shoulders so the bar won't hurt your back when you squat. Another one is gloves. Since when are calluses are major problem -- unless you happen to be a surgeon? Wraps and other supportive equipment are in this category too -- anything to keep you from feeling any hurtful sensations while training. 

Nevertheless, my biggest gripe is the "all-you" insanity that permeates the training halls of this country today. 

Whenever I hear the cry "All You!" I can be 100% certain most of the lift is being done by the spotter, not the lifter. I believe I know how this nonsense made its way into strength training. It's supposed to be a form of forced reps. Now, forced reps do have a place in strength training, but only for advanced lifters, in which case you must do them with heavy weights and use two spotters, who must time their movements precisely.

That's not what's going on, however. What they're doing with the all-you goofiness is not really forced reps at all but rather trainees being assisted through the most difficult part of the lift. I compare it to helping runners go the final few yards in a race by carrying them across the finish line. After all, they were very tired. 

Perhaps even more ludicrous than the practice of making the lift easier for their partners is the interaction between lifters and spotters following and all-you attempt. The lifter will turn and ask, "How much did you take off the bar?" The invariable answer is, "Only about a pound," with the added note, "I barely touched it." Why not a gram? 

Am I the only person who thinks this practice is totally stupid and counterproductive? To add to the absurdity, people who have been all-youed always count the assisted reps, having been convinced by their partners that they could have done them even if the partners hadn't touched the bar. 

I finally came to the conclusion that the logic behind the all-you practice is, You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. In other words, if I help you through the most difficult portion of a lift, then I can count on you to help me. While it's nice to have a reliable spotter in case you do fail, he or she isn't helping you get stronger by nudging the bar through the sticking point. In fact, he's hurting your progress. How am I going to learn to grind through the tough part of the lift is someone always helps me? It's called the sticking point for good reason: It's the weakest part of the lift. Instead of helping me lift the bar, better to push down on it -- which is what I generally do when I spot people who are accustomed to being all-youed. Of course, they only ask me to spot them one time, and that's fine with me.

All-youing is most common on the bench press and incline, but it also occurs during curling, overhead pressing and squats. The behind-the-lifter, hands-under-the-armpits form of spotting for squats also drives me up a wall. I see people do that sort of thing even if the lifter is inside a power rack or in a staircase rack.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of spotting, especially for lifts such as the bench press and incline, where the bar is over your face, but I believe having a spotter hug you and help you through the difficult part of the squat limits your progress. If I have people squatting inside a power rack or staircase rack, where they're protected, I discourage them from using any spotters. A great many of my athletes prefer to squat without spotters. If they miss, they're covered, and they believe it forces them to put out more when they know they're not going to be helped. 

The only time I ever use the behind-the-lifter spot is when there's no one else in the gym and no power or staircase rack. I've also noticed that people who use that type of spot never go very low. It's a good thing, because if they did get stuck in the deep position they'd be out of luck, for one person can't do much to save them. They'd have to dump the bar. So either squat inside a rack or use two spotters. You can have someone hug you later. 

Weight training isn't a team sport, and those who try to make it into one only limit themselves. In the final analysis you are alone with the bar. The only gains you make come from your efforts, not from those you train with. I believe that many people employ the all-you assistance on almost every single exercise so they'll never fail. In reality they don't succeed, since the spotter does most of the work. In their minds, however, at least they don't miss. 

I encourage pushing to failure. I believe in the concept of getting your misses up. How else can you really know exactly what your limits are on any lift? Failing is part of the overall process. Lifting without failing is like skating without falling. There's nothing wrong in failing. In fact, it's necessary. In most cases the failure serves to motivate you. You become irritated at missing a certain poundage and work harder so you won't miss it again. When my athletes miss a max attempt, they dwell on it for weeks until I let them take a crack at it again. In the meantime they're strengthening the weak area that revealed itself with the failure. Seldom do they ever miss the second time around, and in the process they move to a higher strength level. It also builds a more aggressive attitude, which I want to promote in my athletes. 

Fear of failure is also one of the reasons so many programs don't include singles. Some experts suggest that singles are risky, but I don't find that to be the case if lifters have been taught proper form. Certainly, the Olympic lifts are riskier than any weight-training exercise, and Olympic lifters thrive on singles. Instead of singles, coaches encourage high reps. They use them to test the relative strength of their athletes as well. That practice actually came out of professional football and has filtered down to colleges and high school. Take a given weight and do as many reps as possible. Proponents of high-rep testing say it's safer than trying a max single, but I find that the exact opposite is true. Typically, the lift of choice is the bench press. Once lifters tire, they revert to sloppy form in order to run the reps higher. They rebound the bar off their chest, bridge and/or twist -- anything to gain one more rep. That's much more stressful to the shoulder girdle than trying a max single. 

Another common practice that protects lifters from facing the horrors of failure is the conversion chart, which enables them to convert reps done on a certain lift to a max single. I've always hated that idea, for everyone who has ever lifted anything heavy understands there's a world of difference physically and, more importantly, mentally. It takes a certain amount of courage to deal with 400, and it fosters weakness to convert a light poundage to a calculated heavy one. 

When I first arrived at Johns Hopkins, the football coach, who left soon afterward, showed me the results of his off-season strength program from the year before. I was impressed because there were a half dozen players squatting more than 500. My job was going to be easier than I expected, I thought. When i did get the football team in the weight room, however, I discovered that only one player could even manage 315, and he wasn't going low enough. Then I found out the former coach had used a conversion chart. 

Why? It's easier, for one thing, but the primary reason so many use it, I believe, is because it boosts the numbers, even if they are artificial. I fully understand, for I'm in the same boat, but if you're serious about getting stronger, for whatever reason, then you need to include singles in your routine. You may not want to do them often, but the singles will help you break through the numbers barrier, and numbers are what strength training is all about. 
BIGGER NUMBERS. 

If, for example, the most you ever handle on the bench press is 275 x 5, and you decide to try 290 or 300, the odds are you'll fail. The reason for that is partly psychological, but there's also a physiological aspect.

Lifting a maximum single opens up totally new synapses in the nervous system and forces the tendons and ligaments to work harder. The true sources of strength are the tendons and ligaments, so you must stress them positively in order to make them stronger. 

Note: I've never been able to understand anyone who doesn't like the feeling of doing singles.They're so matter of fact, straight to the point, clean, pure, compressed and lacking in excess baggage.The shining diamonds of the rep kingdom. Consider also that Chuck Sipes may have been J.C. Hise reincarnate. I mean, a guy like Hise, with that much inquisitive lust for life, hey, throw his soul a rope down under and I guarantee he'll grab on and pull himself back up. And the same rope may have pulled him back under once the buggers down there realized he was missing. Anyone who's ever had the wind moving through the trees late at night call out to "grab that knife and do it" can easily see that. I figure. Without a doubt. No room for doubt with singles. It's truly all you.

Another advantage of doing singles is that they help hone technique. Doing 10's and even 5's or 3's allows a certain margin of error in form, but that's not the case for a max single. The line has to be very precise. Miss the groove even slightly, and you'll miss the lift. 

Note: How beautiful is that! Your wholebeing is either in that moment or that same moment sends you packing back in time, a beaten man. Being beaten can't be a possibility or an option with singles. There's no8 to maybe 10 here. It's ONE. In more ways than one.   

By the same token, max and near-max singles(the fine family of Singles . . . Max, Near-Max, CousinOn-the-Minute, Uncle Rest-Pause . . . the lot of 'em) can help you locate your weak point. With a lighter poundage you can slide through your weak point, but not with a max single. Quite a few of my athletes power their squats out of a deep bottom position. Their starts are so powerful that they seldom have to worry about grinding through the middle range. Their hips and glutes elevate the bar so forcefully that they only have to be concerned with the start and finish -- that is, until the bar is loaded to a heavy single and the weakness shows itself. That's a Good Thing. You want your weaknesses to show themselves. 

Singles influence the numbers barrier in another way also. Some numbers, such as 300 and 400 are formidable. Many shy away from singles because they are fearful of dealing with big numbers. These men should not become investment bankers. If you include singles in your routine on a regular basis, though, you can slip right up to and over those numbers. Move your max to 285, then go back and work that lift until you can do the saame 285 for 3 reps. Then single out again. This time you will manage 295. Do the same thing again, work, work, work and get a triple with 295. The next time you go for a max, you'll vault right over the 300 barrier. 

Whenever I bring up the subject of singles, I'm invariably asked,"But are they safe?" Yes, if you satisfy two conditions. You have to learn good form on the lift, and establish a solid foundation. Those conditions apply to any lower reps, even triples. Nothing is really more important to people interested in gaining strength than perfecting technique on all the exercises. And I mean all of them, even small muscle movements like pullovers and dips. If you've been working out consistently for six weeks or more, your base will be sound enough for you to do some singles. 

Singles serve the strength athlete in much the same manner as sprints serve the runner. They trigger different responses in the body and make it stronger. You may only want to single once a month, and that's fine. Many people like to spend adequate time firming up their base and increasing the workload on a lift before trying to max out for a personal record. That's a good idea. Singles are fun, no, wait, SINGLES ARE FUN, since they allow you to set PRs, so people will sometimes do them to frequently, but here I am talking about a max single. Four weeks between max singles is often enough to get the desired effect.

Besides adding singles to your program, continue to incorporate newer, more demanding exercises as well. Once you've mastered the power clean, try doing full cleans. Do clean and presses instead of seated presses or presses from the rack. Try front squats. They're tough, but they work the legs and hips quite differently from the way back squats work it. Keep challenging your body, and it will grow stronger. 

Baby it and you'll forever remain weak.       

365 Days of Brutality - Jamie Lewis

July 23, 2019, 7:27 pm

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https://www.chaosandpain.com/365-days-of-brutality-e-book/

You gotta get this book.
I shit you not. 

GET IT! 

True strength is feared, reviled, marginalized, and demonized. Self-reliance is lambasted as exclusionary and sociopathy. Self improvement in the modern era has become the disgusting field of "self help," which is naught but excuse-making and pseudoscience. True self improvement is considered at best to be self-indulgent and at worst to be self-destructive solipsism, when it is in fact neither.

This book is not designed for me to "help me, help you" -- this book is designed for you to grab your balls or ovaries, head to the gym, and smash some iron in a manner inspired by the greats. In a way that allows you to look at the dickheads in your gym who are punching a clock like Soviet factory workers while utilizing some garbage program created for long dead, half starved Russian field hands and laugh, because you will succeed where they failed on your own merit. 

And you will do so by training hard, enjoying it as you do so, and doing it with the goddamn volume turned up to 11.   

To wrap up . . . 

This is not your sport. It's the sport of the people who came before you. People who didn't define themselves by a particular weightlifting discipline but instead just lifted 

and busted their asses

and HAD FUN DOING IT. 

GET THIS BOOK.  

---

Harder, Not Easier - Bill Starr

July 24, 2019, 10:38 pm

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Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed. 

Harder, Not Easier

Between Coach Starr's nudist colony ab article and the previous "harder" one there's probably a joke here that could be made. About something. I'm certain. 

Okay, to the article . . . 

But first, I have to say that finding your weak spot in a lift is a real and important part of progress. Real important! Today, I chose to low bar bottom squat from a deep position in the rack. Triples, just keep adding plates, then singles when triples were a no go. Now, I set the catchers at a position low enough that I had to duck walk a little under the stinkin' bar to set up right. Sorry, Bar, I loves ya! Talk about unconditional. That new bar-a mine waits, just waits there in the rack so patiently. Never pees in the house neither! One day I may reward him with a walk in the park. Inman. Inman mile? A guy was tellin' me the spiritual leader of his mosque had been practicing that thing. Imam's Inman Mile, I guess, and wish him the best with it. Carrying on with not-the-article:

I got up to a weight where, around 10 inches out of the bottom, I found myself losing the center of gravity and falling, not falling but I had to check myself to stop from going back and dumping. What do it mean, I wondered out loud. It's okay, I was lifting at home, so talking to yourself is fine, not a concern, no reason to be worried about dementia, hallucinations, nonexistent beings roaming around your home or any of that fun stuff. 

Yes. What I figure is, well -- at the point where I started tilting "back" -- my back was compensating for weakness in the other involved muscles. I did somewhere around 15 sets by that time, so these "other involved muscles" - hips, quads, whatever, maybe hamstrings 'cause I did some leg curls to warm up my uncooperative knee first. By the way, if you're having a knee issue that's not a real issue, just a temporary minor deal, you might wanna try doing some progressively heavier one-leg seated leg curls. That's been working like magic for me the last few months. 

Anyhow, where was I . . . hallucinations, one man conversations, vapor-like spirits of nonexistent people gaily roaming around the room and . . . Yes! Losing the proper center of gravity at that one point coming up from real deep in the squat. I moved the catchers up to the point where the gall durn glitch was happening, got under the bar, approximating as closely as I could the exact same positioning I had at that point when coming up from a lower dead stop."Voila!" as the ghost of Pepé Le Pew says in that animated way he has. Same weight, a higher position, and I couldn't bloody budge the thing. So now I know what to work on, where to start from next time I do dead start squats. And yes, cumulative fatigue on a lift can show you which section of your body tires first. Then, you can jab a big whack-a jib in there and, no, wait, you can work on that section and improve it. Silly.  

"Got up to a weight where . . ."For sure! It's not got up to a weight that  . . . it's pretty easy to understand and see that a poundage is a place, a space in time, the enclave we seek to dominate, enslave, and make our own for eternity. Yeah, right. To hear the lamentations of their women, eh. Call it The Little Conan That Could and The Wood of Bill Starr.  

I was reading this novel last night. The lead character handles the cooling module on a Tense Separator. Something like a time machine, basically. Tense! Past, Present, Future. Sure, why not. Folks are going back and forth in time, right? This guy, he's got yer special privileges 'cause he does some fine work for the outfit running the deal. So, at this point in the story he's got 35 different hims in various time-places. Thing is, there's only one conscience and his hims all behave differently in the 35 different time-tenses. It's driving him a wee bit crazy. I mean, you know, over thousands of years you can rightly imagine your behaviors would be different in different time settings. He's gone through the multitude of "rights" and wrongs" - fell for 'em all at least twice each. Oh yeah, the guy's also designing a sweet sorta portal, virtual "window" that allows him to view his 35 hims (34?) in real time. Real time? Beautiful stuff. 

This viewing makes him straight out sick of himselves a lot. Well, yeah. Seeing your various selves either do shit all over the place at one time's likely as disgusting as seeing  yourselves spread so much "sweetness" at great expense and energy all over the place that you ruin your life. The life of that time, anyhow. 

So, he's looking through this portal and seeing himself as an asshole at times.
I can identify with that right about now, and right about here

I bet you can see me as one too.  

Ooops, outta time. 

Will get to the article tomorrow.

    

Combining Bodybuilding and Olympic Lifting, Part One - Charles Coster (1953)

June 22, 2019, 1:48 pm

≫ Next: Mass Insanity - C.S. Sloan

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Originally Published in This Issue (July 1953) 

Rare! Thanks to LIAM TWEED.

An increasing number of people are becoming interested in the possibilities of combined Olympic training and body-building nowadays, and the Editor, Reg Park, has asked me to write a special two-part article upon the subject. 

Is it possible or practical for an Olympic lifter to practice body-building routines in his training that would favorably influence his Olympic weightlifting total?

Is if possible for people primarily concerned with bodybuilding to include the three Olympic lifts in their training beneficially? 

The answer in my opinion is definitely - YES, and I feel that there is a very large and interesting field for experimentation here, with the possibility of rich rewards as the incentive to work for.

Obviously, the professional of full-time body-builder would have better chances of success than anyone else, since extra weight-training means greater demands on the time and energy of the individual, and we must never forget that really first class food is very important. 

Note: Following the Second World War, food rationing in Great Britain lasted until midnight on July 4th, 1954, when restrictions on meat and bacon were finally ended. 

From the amateur's point of view opportunities for athletic endeavor are of necessity limited by the necessity to work for one's living, and the time and energy available for training are in most cases considerably less.

A modified, streamlined, economically planned system of DUAL weight-training must therefore be devised and planned if the best possible results are to be achieved. 

Over-expenditure of energy in wasteful and unnecessary duplication of certain movements is the first thing that will have to be eliminated . . . otherwise the program will prove to be too exhausting, and failure may result. 

I have often felt that body-builders could benefit themselves by practicing fast, leg-moving movements like the Snatch and Two Hands Clean to the Shoulders. Heavy poundages need not necessarily be used all the time, but by performing very fast sets of repetitions from the Full Hang, the Half Hang, and the Upright or Dead Hang position, a wonderful sense of well being, stimulation and exhilaration can be obtained. 

Most muscle-making routines are performed with the person's body immobilized whilst certain specialized movements are made. This has a tendency to make some musclemen a trifle "stodgy" or stiff in their movements. Lithe, elastic, graceful and free deportment are vital aspects of complete physical development, and let's face facts, so few people have them. 

Note: apply those qualities to the mind, and the numbers narrow even more. Yes. Stodgy thought. Ofttimes dodgy. Mental dullards going toe-to-toe with the entire universe and seeing it as a noble human struggle. Anyhoo . . . 

It is good to possess a fine physique and it gives one a sense of satisfaction to have certain "measurements" . . . but the body-builder should "feel" as good as he "looks" . . . and there is no better way of acquiring a sense of glowing well being than by the use of fast repetition snatching and cleaning with suitable poundages. 

Just give it a try, if you are a 100% body-builder, and you will be amazed at the things it does to your lungs and stamina.

This type of training can be worked in with your heavy leg session of you like. Use these leg-splitting movements "in between" each set of Deep Knee Bends . . . or whatever leg work you happen to be doing . . . and you will be amazed at the amount of "ache" you will experience as a consequence. 

Many years ago Bob Hoffman took a poll of opinion among American lifters for the Best Lift of All. 

The Two Hands Snatch won easily, and the reasons given were the same as those I have set forth in this article. Additionally, it was selected as the Most Health-Giving Lift, since most of them agreed that it had a beneficial effect upon the entire system.

Providing plenty of respiration is available if "light" poundages are used. It is possible for a tired and dejected man to re-energize and greatly stimulate himself in a very short space of time by performing repetition Snatch movements. 

Note: Experiment with alternating split and squat snatches rep-for-rep with lighter weights. Or not. 

Its effect seems to stimulate the entire body, and when this stage is reached of course - it is reflected in the mind also. 

I know these things to be true from actual experience, and on numerable occasions in the past I have nullified the effects of a long day's toil by performing 10 sets of 5 snatches . . . and felt myself rejuvenated in next to no time. 

The method of snatching can be made from many "angles," and all of them are beneficial. The very wide, moderate, or very narrow hand spacings can all be employed, and as already stated, the various hang positions can also all be used. 

The Dead Hang is not often seen nowadays, but it calls for great speed and timing in the arms and legs and is a most valuable method of lifting. 

When a Dead Hang Clean or Snatch is attempted, the lifter (or body-builder) must stand in the "erect" position at the commencement. [Not from the floor. Begin the movement in the standing erect position.] From here, the bar is pulled upwards as high as possible before a violent and lightning fast leg split (or squat) is made. 

The object of dead hang lifting is to improve speed and timing . . . and the ideal to work for in the Snatch is to be able to "lock"the elbows overhead before the feet come in contact with the platform . . . which is quite a difficult feat, I can tell you! 

Repetition Squat Snatches for the body-builder make a strenuous muscle-building exercise for the entire back area. Not everyone can fall into the squat position of course, but those who find it difficult can practice repetition movements in the Half Squat position. 

Combined Exercises 

One of the best combined body-building and Olympic lifting exercises I ever heard of was used by the great John Grimek some years ago. 

It calls for good balance, flexibility and control throughout the entire movement, and this is something that may take a little time.

However, the movement is so valuable that it is well worth persevering with until competence has been achieved. 

First of all the bar (make it light to start with) is taken to arms' length overhead. From the position the legs are bent until the body is in the full deep knee bend position. With the weight still held on locked arms overhead, the legs are straightened out until the complete return journey has been accomplished. 

Note: Overhead Squat into a full, deep squat position. If difficulty is encountered in bending the legs completely, check your shoes. Olympic lifting shoes make a huge difference. 

The amount of muscular ache that occurs in the back and lumbar regions is considerable and the shoulders are also strongly affected. 

Grimek, I am told, could perform repetition presses whilst in the act of raising and lowering his body . . . and if you haven't tried anything like this already, you have a few surprises in store I can tell you. 

Note: The Stotts Press is similar to what's described, although the bar is pressed while in the low snatch position, not while going up and down. 

Olympic lifters who use the Squat technique sometimes perform a movement somewhat similar to this for strengthening and confidence purposes.

Using the very wide hand spacing in the overhead position . . . they make "half leg bends and occasionally full depth squats with heavier weights than they can hope to handle in actual competition. Work of this type is terrific for the thighs and back, and the amount of contraction that takes place is something to experience. 

There's a full 1966 article on using the Overhead Squat to improve The Snatch
by Charles Coster, here:
https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2013/11/use-overhead-squat-to-build-snatch.html

Some years ago there was an American middleweight (rejoicing in the name of Bob Hope) who made considerable progress with his physique development and lifting ability by the extensive use of this particular weight exercise. 

He persevered with such good effect that on one occasion he succeeded in holding 340 pounds aloft whilst he made a full deep knee bend, and the feat was considered so meritorious and unusual that he was mentioned in Ripley's "Believe It Or Not." 

Unusual methods of approach, ingenuity and perseverance surely deserve rich rewards, and just as I recommend that all body-builders include some fast leg work in their schedule I also advocate that the Olympic lifting specialist should launch out in other forms of weight training and strengthening procedures in order to enlarge and speed up his Olympic weight lifting possibilities.

The "risk" of combining bodybuilding exercises with his Olympic lifting preparation may in reality be a shortcut to the thing he wants more than anything else - increased Olympic poundages. 

As I have done my best to point out in recent articles

Here:

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/03/power-training-part-one-charles-coster.html

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/03/basic-power-part-two-charles-coster-1955.html

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/03/basic-power-part-three-charles-coster.html

there is a considerable amount of evidence on hand which goes to show that SHEER STRENGTH can do more to win world titles than any other factor. 

It must be obvious to many that the exclusive use of just the three Olympic lifts by themselves is not necessarily any guarantee that the person concerned will gain the "ultimate" in physical power of which he is capable. 

And it should be noted . . . that unless he does succeed in bringing his fundamental basic power to the greatest possible pitch of development - he is unnecessarily handicapping his Olympic lifting gains. 

When I allow my mind to range back over a long period of time, there are numerous lifters I can remember who possessed polished styles and plenty of speed . . . and yet year after year they turned in the same approximate total.

Occasionally people would say, "I wonder why so-and-so doesn't press more weight?" The answer to this was quite clear really. "So-and-So" was already pressing his maximum in relation to the amount of muscle and tendon at his command. The reason he could not make progress with his Press past a certain point was possibly due to the fact that the lifter was not persevering with the best type of work to develop the muscles of the body for PRESSING. 

There are athletes I can remember who regularly thrilled us with their Snatch and Clean & Jerk techniques . . . but with small variations their poundages remained stationary for some mysterious reason.

However mystified others were, it seemed quite clear that the problem could only be solved by an increase in the lifter's Fundamental Basic Power. It was crystal clear to me that certain lifters were already getting the absolute limit they could possibly hope to achieve from the flashing scientific styles, and it another 20 or 30 pounds was to be added to their peak Olympic lifts there was only one medium that could possibly help them, and that was TO GAIN A 20% INCREASE IN BASIC MUSCULAR POWER AT ALL COSTS. 

I feel convinced this is where the great knowledge of body-building experts could help the Olympic enthusiast a great deal. Unlike the competitive lifer . . . the science of modern body-building has been built around hundreds and hundreds of searching experiments during recent years, and the knowledge that has accrued is most remarkable.

It is said from time to time that there is nothing new in the world of weight training. This may be true, but believe me, plenty of things have been "re-discovered" nad improved upon during recent years, and it is now possible to concentrate upon any part of the human frame when special "effects" are required.

John Carl Grimek took part in International weightlifting events on more than one occasion, but he had to reduce to the 181-lb. division each time and did not record the lifts he might otherwise have done. It is not generally known, but this great body-builder pressed more than 300 pounds at his normal bodyweight on many occasions, and during the war he recorded a Continental Press of 340 pounds. 

This Monarch of Muscledom conducted innumerable strength experiments during his lifting career, and his shoulder and arm strength amply illustrate the importance of grit, perseverance and the developing of basic body power to increase the Olympic lifts . . . providing one does not get into a fatal rut with unimaginative training habits. 

If one happened to talk about the Deep Knee Bend, the Dead Lift, or the Press on Back a few years ago in relation to Olympic training one was looked upon as an imbecile.

Today, there are many outstanding top-flight Olympic athletes who have at one time or other used these movements . . . and many are still doing so.

The incline board, and the supine bench are proving remarkable methods for building superior shoulder strength, both with barbells and dumbbells. 

The D.K.B. and the Dead Lift have been analyzed and "experimented" with exhaustively, and there are many, many different ways they can now be used.   

The world's most remarkable Olympic lifter at the present time is Tommy Kono, who incidentally is the living embodiment of basic muscular power.   

At 155 pounds Kono once made 35 deep knee bends with 365. Early this year, during a visit to London, Tommy performed a "front" squat for 2 reps with 420. 

Tommy Kono, like Dave Sheppard and Stan Stanczyk, combines Olympic training and body-building . . . and as you will have observed, his Olympic progress is not at a standstill by any means. 

Rowing motion exercises, both with wide and narrow hand spacing, and from both the bent over and upright positions form very useful "foundation" work for the competitive lifter . . . and there are countless other body-building movements that can surely help the Olympic specialist to get past certain sticking points. 

If you pulling power is insufficient in certain areas . . . it is possible to devise special weight-lifting exercises to strength the weak spot. 

If your Press "sticks" because of possible deltoid or triceps deficiency . . . who is better placed to tell you how to surmount the weakness than your editor, Reg Park? 

It is a curious thing, but a goodly proportion of the present day Olympic World champions rank among the world's most muscular physiques. 

It looks very much as though "the hard way" may in the long run be "the shortest cut." So remember Tommy Kono and 

Make up your mind to develop sufficient Muscular Power to do the things you so much desire. 

Part Two Continues From Here . . . 

       

   

     

        

  

Mass Insanity - C.S. Sloan

July 28, 2019, 4:54 pm

≫ Next: Hook Dreams - Wade Johnson

≪ Previous: Combining Bodybuilding and Olympic Lifting, Part One - Charles Coster (1953)

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Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed. 

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Strength-Workouts-Maximizing-Power/dp/1885219806

C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength:

Essays on Lifting, Zen Combat, Philosophy, Asian Cinema, and the Arts 

http://cssloanstrength.blogspot.com/

Stuck in a rut? 

Need something different from the run-of-the-mill training program you've been doing for the past several months? 

Sometimes in order to keep the gains coming -- or to bust out of the rut you're stuck in -- you have to get a little crazy.

Enter mass insanity. 

On the following pages, I'm going to outline several training programs that I guarantee you haven't been doing lately. In fact, it could be that you've never attempted -- or even thought of attempting them.  

I'm including four different plans. Variety is a crucial component of making continuous gains, so you don't want to perform any of these gems for more than three workouts in a row. 

The Number of the Beast: 666

Here's one that I got from Shawn Phillips, who wrote about it years ago in the now defunct MM2K. 

Note: I know it well! The article by Phillips had three squat routines included. Here: 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2014/12/three-squat-routines-from-hell-shawn.html

The premise is simple: Perform six sets of six reps of a particular exercise. To make things really tough, you take six seconds to perform the negative (lowering) portion of the exercise, and six seconds to execute the positive (lifting) portion. 

Below is an example of an arms workout that incorporates this brand of hellish training. 

Barbell Curl: Begin with 3 progressively heavier warmup sets of 6 reps. For your work sets pick a weight that would normally get you to failure at about the 12th rep. Use that weight for all 6 sets of 6 reps -- and don't forget the Six-Up/Six-Down cadence. 

Lying Triceps Extension: Use either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells on this exercise. Once again, perform 3 progressively heavier warmup sets before you do your 6 x 6 work sets.

When you first attempt this workout you might be more than just a little sore afterward. That's okay -- you're exposing your muscles and nervous system to a stimulus they're not accustomed to.     

Vince Gironda's 8 sets of 8

This is one that Vince Gironda used successfully when training advanced lifters. He didn't recommend it for anyone who didn't have at least two years of consistent training under his belt. More hellish -- not to mention crazy -- than even the first workout above, it's sure to shock any muscles out of a hypertrophy slump.

Pick 3 to 4 exercises for each muscle group, and perform 8 sets of 8 reps on each. Yep, that's right: You'll be doing between 24 and 32 sets for each muscle group. For each exercise use a weight that you could normally get close to 20 reps with. If you pick a weight that is too heavy, there's no way you'll be able to get 8 sets of 8 done properly. As the final kicker, rest only 20-30 seconds between sets. 

You'll want to use a split routine when training with this approach. Below is a typical split, one of many possibilities: 

Monday: Chest and Back

Wide-Grip Dips

Bench Presses

Incline DB Presses

Incline Flyes

Bentover Rows

Wide-Grip Pulldowns

One-Arm DB Rows

Tuesday: Legs

Squats

Leg Presses

Leg Extensions

Leg Curls

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

Donkey Calf Raises

Seated Calf Raises

Standing Calf Raises

Wednesday - Off

Thursday: Shoulders and Arms

Overhead Presses

Seated Behind-The-Neck-Presses

Seated Lateral Raises

Standing Front Raises

Barbell Curls

Lying Extensions

DB Curls

Rope Pushdowns

Cable Curls

Dumbbell Kickbacks

Friday: Off

Saturday: Begin the Cycle Again

Despite the enormous volume, each workout should be finished within an hour due to the short rests between all sets and exercises. As with our first program, you are probably going to be sore the day after a workout. Do not take extra days off because of the soreness. Your body will adapt -- and grow bigger as a result.

Big Gains From HIGH Sets and Low Reps 

I have long been a fan of high set/low rep training plans. They're the best when it comes to gaining a lot of strength and muscle mass. Programs that use such schemes as 8 sets of 5, or 10 sets of 3 are among the most effective you'll ever find for achieving that goal. All of the lifters I train get good results with them. 

Every so often, however, I like to have my trainees do something a little bit different -- and a bit more extreme. For a coup weeks at a time I have them perform REALLY HIGH SETS combined with a really low number of reps. 

For that kind of training want to keep your reps at three or less while performing a minimum of 15 sets. The more sets you do, the fewer reps per set. 

When performing sets of 3 reps, do 15 to 20 sets.

For doubles do 20 to 30 sets. 

And for singles do 30 to 50 sets. 

You still need to train heavy -- despite the number of sets. I recommend you use between 75 and 85% of your one-rep maximum on all sets. For example, if you're doing bench presses and have a max of 300, you need to use between 225 and 255 pounds.

Below is an example of a training split using these kinds of workouts. 

Monday:

Bench Press - 25 sets of 2 reps

Barbell Curl - 15 x 3 reps 

Tuesday: 

Squats - 35 x 1

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 

Overhead Press - 25 x 2 reps

Weighted Dips - 15 x 3

Friday: 

Deadlifts - 40 singles

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Cycle Begins Again

If you continue with this program for another week, change exercises or change the number of sets and reps you do on each exercise. At the most, use this approach for 3 weeks before switching to a more conventional form of training.  

  

One Exercise to Failure

Before you start thinking that I'm trying to rehash HIT, I assure you I'm not. For this piece of insanity you do one exercise until you hit failure, not one set.

Pick a compound movement for a muscle group. (Any of the exercises listed for the high sets/low reps layout will work just fine). After a few warmup sets pick a heavy weight that causes you to reach failure somewhere between the 6th and 8th rep. After completing the first set, rest 3-4 minutes, and then once again take exercise to failure. Rest a few more minutes, and repeat. 

Here's the crazy part: Do that one exercise until you can't get a single repetition with the weight on your final set. Depending on how much muscular endurance you have, that could take between 6 and 15 sets. 

Below is a sample training split to use with this approach: 

Monday: Chest and Arms

DB Bench Presses

Barbell Curls

Lying DB Extensions

Tuesday: Legs

Squats

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

Donkey Calf Raises

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Back and Shoulders

Wide-Grip Chins

Overhead Presses

Friday: Off

Saturday: Cycle Begins Again (or change to another program)

If you decide to continue with this method for another cycle, rotate to a different set of exercises for each training day. When you're training so intensely, it's very easy to overwork a particular movement pattern to the point of building up damage, something you want to avoid at all costs. 

Closing Thoughts

When following any of these programs, make sure you're getting plenty of sleep -- and rest -- to help you recover and grow. Nutrition is, as always, very important. You can't train like this when you're on a calorie-restricted diet. You want to eat plenty of calories -- protein, good carbs, fat. 

And remember . . . 

Sometimes insanity ain't such a bad thing.   

  

   

Hook Dreams - Wade Johnson

July 28, 2019, 6:38 pm

≫ Next: Chins vs Pulldowns

≪ Previous: Mass Insanity - C.S. Sloan

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Many years ago when I started powerlifting, I never thought about my grip in the deadlift. I always had great grip strength and never lost a pull due to a failing grip. However, as the years rolled along I realized that I was built more for squat and bench press, and that my short arms would hinder me somewhat. I started investigating what I could do to achieve my deadlifting goals.  

Because my grip was a strong point, I initially resisted any change. There were training, form and other issues, but one of the thing I did that really allowed me to train better and to get my weight moving up was the hook grip. Because I dabbled in Olympic lifting, I knew of it, but my grip was far stronger using a double overhand than relying on my Olympic form.

It wasn't until I read an article written by Brad Gillingham that I realized the hook grip could solve my problems. So, I went about it like everyone else does and tried it at 135. Not too bad. Neither was 225, but then -- damnation -- 315 hurt like a sumbitch. I squashed the idea and went back to conventional grip.

I played with the grip for about 18 months. I did singles and got to where I was closing in on PR weights. At a meet in 2005 I did my deadlift warmup at 315 and 455 with the hook grip. It felt so much better, and I decided to go with it. I haven't looked back since. 

There were a few issues that led me to the hook grip. I would torque the crap out of my biceps and forearms. I had bouts of tendinitis and didn't want to further injure my biceps. The bigger issue for me was pulling my hips of of alignment. No matter how good my form, it wasn't by lower back but my hips that bothered me. 

Using the hook grip helped. I had no more biceps and forearm issues. No more hip issues. I shortened my stroke and improved my form.

Hook Grip Tips

Here are a few quick tips for those of you interested in giving the hook a whirl. 

Start slow. This grip hurts and you will initially feel like your thumbs will pop off. It takes some time for that sensation to stop and, even then, it will occasionally hurt and even be sore. 

Start light. This grip is not for the faint of heart. Use warmups to get the grip started and then go back to your conventional alternating grip at first. THIS WILL TAKE TIME! 

Use athletic tape. I have even used it in meets -- just be sure to check the rules and talk with the meet director to be sure it's okay come meet day. In training, make sure you don't cover the knuckle. It will affect how you close your hands if it's over the thumb knuckle and too tight. Leave yourself a courtesy tab so you can get the tape off when you are done. 

Start with singles. Reps are really hard on your hands. I suggest doing singles at first. As time goes on, your thumbs will toughen up and you'll be able to deal with it. 

Give Hook a Chance

I am not a great deadlifter, but I have pulled 672 in a full meet, gearless and beltless conventional. Then I pulled 700 sumo with a suit and loose belt. These were numbers I had only dreamed of pulling. 

Give the hook grip a try. I hope it does for you what it has done for me. 

Until next time . . . 

Lift Heavy

Train Smart and

Eat More Pizza!     

   

Chins vs Pulldowns

July 30, 2019, 10:01 pm

≫ Next: Harder, Not Easier - Bill Starr

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The inclusion of some form of chins, lat pulldowns, or both, is considered de rigueur for any properly designing bodybuilding back workout. The usual rationale is twofold. The primary benefit is often referred to as a back-widening effect. The exercises are also recommended because they work the upper back muscles, although thickening those muscles is the primary function of rows. 

While it would appear that doing lat pulldowns, which involves an overhead pulley machine, or chins from an overhead bar doesn't require much skill, many bodybuilders still insist on doing them incorrectly. 

A common mistake with chins, or pullups, for example, is not doing the full range of motion, which usually results from an attempt to hang weight around the waist to add resistance. This fact was bluntly pointed out back in 1968 by Vince Gironda, who was then the premier trainer of champion bodybuilders. I recall his saying that he'd observed only one bodybuilder who was capable of doing chins properly. That man was Don Howorth, who won the '67 IFBB Mr. America title. Not coincidentally, Howorth was renowned for the breadth of his shoulders and back. 

According to Gironda, the proper execution of chins required touching the lower portion of the pectorals, or chest, to the bar. In that position the upper arms were pulled down and back, which is the fully contracted position of the lats. The back was also forced into an arched position at the top of the movement, which fully contracted the upper-back muscle structure. Doing chins in that style, said Vince, constituted a complete back exercise.  

 

    The problem with doing such "full" chins is that if you weigh more than 125 pounds, you're lifting quite a load to go up that high and touch your lower chest to the bar. Even people who are strong in other upper-body exercises will find that chins done in this manner represent a formidable challenge.

With the advent of certain types of chinning machines (assisted), such as those manufactured by Nautilus and Cybex, however, the problem of doing complete chinning movements was solved. The machine allows you to rest your lower body on either a foot bar or a mobile platform. That redistributes the weight, making you "lighter" and thus able to do a full movement, as in touching your lower chest to the bar and arching your back. 

Note: It's easy to figure out a way to achieve the same effect without an assisted chin machine. 

While chins are without a doubt a superior back exercise, especially if you do them as prescribed by Gironda, many bodybuilders avoid them, preferring to do lat pulldowns. A frequent explanation is that the pulley exercise allows more control.

With both chins and pulldowns you can use various grips. Even so, the adage that wide grip chins build wide backs just isn't true. As Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones repeatedly pointed out throughout a 25-year period, a wider grip leads to a decreased range of exercise movement. The widest grip you should use should be no greater than shoulder width, or with upper arms in a parallel position. 

Although many exercise texts show the proper position for front pulldowns to include an erect torso, my observations of many champion bodybuilders who have great backs are that the majority lean back, arching their backs as they pull the bar down. Thus, they mimic the style suggested by Gironda for proper chins. 

The final consideration in relation to pullups and pulldowns is muscle action. While the movements appear similar, studies show that they work the muscles differently. For example, electromyographic comparison of chins and pulldowns shows distinct differences between pullups and pulldowns during both the concentric and eccentric portions. Both phases were slower during pulldowns than they were for pullups. Peak muscle contraction time was also shorter for pulldowns. These findings appear to lend some credence to the notion that pulldowns allow greater muscle control than pullups.

Does that mean pulldowns are for bodybuilding purposes superior to chins? 

That depends on how you do the exercises. If you can't do the complete style of chins advocated by Gironda and others, you'll probably get more benefit from doing pulldowns.   

Harder, Not Easier - Bill Starr

August 3, 2019, 2:51 pm

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Article Courtesy of Liam Tweed. 

B.A.W.L.A Records
September 1st, 1930.
Courtesy of Michael Murphy  
Click to ENLARGE.

The current trend in strength training and the fitness world is to come up with some new piece of equipment or a training system that isn't demanding but that enables a person to get stronger or become more fit. 

Easy is in; difficult is out.

Modern fitness facilities reflect the trend. They're no longer places where die-hard lifters and bodybuilders sweat buckets in their quest for greater strength and finer physiques. They've become social clubs where attire is more important than how much effort you put into a routine. Using heavy weights is frowned on, as are sweating and making noise as you work out.

Which is why you rarely see anyone in those state-of-the-art facilities who's strong or in great shape. People prefer the word toning to training and believe in short, condensed sessions, as they're very busy. 

Even if you do join a gym for the purpose of packing muscular bodyweight or increasing your strength by a large margin, your task is going to be difficult due to a lack of equipment. Ever see any power racks or lifting platforms in the newer gyms? I doubt it. There are probably a dozen training centers in the county I live in, and not one of them has a power rack or a lifting platform. So athletes who would like to get stronger in order to be more proficient in their chosen sport or are aspiring Olympic lifters are out of luck in Harford County, Maryland. As they are almost everywhere else in the country.

The last thing an owner of a gym wants is a group of men and women who are serious about getting stronger. They stay way too long taking up space that five others could be using. Of course, the reason the proprietors give for not having any equipment for heavy training is that doing the Olympic and power lifts is risky and light weights are much safer and not as stressful to the body. Plus, the machines are a great deal easier than having to learn how to do a movement with a free weight.

I can determine the true nature of any gym just by checking out its squatting stations. If there are power racks or staircase squat racks, I give the place a B rating. Should it, by some miracle, have a platform, it gets an A. If I see a row of Smith machines instead of squat racks, though, I know that this is the home of mullets: trainees who seldom miss workouts yet never make any appreciable gains in either size or strength. They come to these modern fitness centers to visit, ogle the female members in skintight leotards and maybe get lucky and score an invitation to a party. Trying to improve his strength on some exercise is the last thing on a mullet's mind. 

The current attitude of the majority of Americans is that fast is better than prolonged, whether you're talking about making money, getting promotions, gaining salvation or staying in shape. Writing a letter is old-fashioned, and sending a fax is slowly but steadily falling into the same category. No one wants to put forth much effort anymore.  

When I come across one of the programs on TV selling some new gadget, I stay with it because I'm fascinated by the ideas they come up with to try and get viewers to believe what they're saying is true and buy their product. Some are downright silly. My favorite lately is the apparatus designed to let someone do crunches. That is, instead of not buying the flimsy piece of junk and doing crunches on the floor. The selling point is that the apparatus will let you perform crunches and be completely comfortable while doing it. One happy customer, a real person, proclaimed that he loved the apparatus because he could now do crunches without any aches in his neck. Right -- nothing should ache or give you discomfort while you train. That would be ridiculous. 

After my hip surgery the only ab exercise I could do for some time was crunches. Because I was still weak, I managed only a couple of dozen the first time I did them, and my neck gave out before my abs. Someone in tune with the times would have immediately ordered one of those crunch machines, but I chose another approach. I did some dynamic tension exercises to strengthen my neck, and I slowly increased my reps. Within two months I was doing 600 crunches, and only the last 50 bothered my neck -- but nothing to the degree of grinding out of the bottom of a max squat or bringing a heavy deadlift through the sticking point. Getting stronger always involves discomfort. It's the only way to move your body to a higher level. Yet that's not what the massed want to hear.
The preference for the quick and easy over the long and difficult is the primary reason we see so many grossly fat people waddling around malls and supermarkets -- everywhere in fact. Sure, they're overeating, but that's been going on for quite some time. The recent spurt of obesity in nearly all age groups is a direct result of inactivity. Moreover, if changes aren't made soon for youngsters growing up in our do-less environment, a great many parents are going to be burying their offspring. 

But enough about mullets and the lazy part of our population. No matter what they're told, they aren't going to change. My message is for those who are seriously trying to alter their physiques for the better or want to get considerably stronger, and it's for those who profess a genuine desire to gain strength and build a more balanced physique but still take the easy way out when it comes to doing the hard stuff.

Working the lower back is a prime example of what I'm talking about. The single best exercise for strengthening the lumbars is the good morning. It also happens to be one of the most demanding exercises in all of strength training. Good mornings, which are often called tomorrow mornings by my athletes due to the lingering soreness they cause, are an integral part of my athletes' programs -- females as well as males. As soon as they've learned the basic exercises and established a firm enough foundation, I insert good mornings into their routines. That's because without the specific lower-back work, they won't make nearly the gains on the pulling exercises or squats as when they do good mornings religiously and with weight that's in proportion to their squats. 

Although athletes hate good mornings with a passion, they do them because I'm in charge. Plus, they feel the results right away and know they're beneficial. As soon as they complete their sports eligibility, of course, the majority of them drop the exercise, contending that they're no longer interested in getting stronger. They just want to maintain a fit body. What they fail to understand is that strong lumbars are critical for success in any physical activity and that if they want to continue to play recreational sports and stay reasonably strong, they must work their lower backs directly and diligently. As they grow older, keeping the lumbars strong becomes essential to leading a healthy life.

Then there are those who keep good mornings in their routines but use such puny poundages that it becomes an almost useless exercise. When the hyperextension machines came on the scene, they became instant substitutes for good mornings in nearly every collegiate program in the country. The machines looked sharp, and both athletes and coaches loved them -- athletes because anything was better than good mornings and coaches because they no longer had to listen to complaints about the dreaded exercise.

I liked the hyper machines, yet they're not as demanding as good mornings, and there's the rub. Take a step back in the difficulty department, and you'll soon find that many of your lifts are regressing rather than progressing.   

I also use almost-straight legged deadlifts in my routine, but only as an alternative for my advanced athletes to give them more variety. At first the athletes think they caught a break. Then I inform them how much weight they're going to be using: 3/4 of their best squat for 10 reps.  Plus, they're not allowed to skip the good mornings. Rather, they do them twice as often as the deads. So there's no moving from difficult to easy. It's difficult to be difficult, and that's how it must be if someone wants to get stronger or even maintain existing strength. Shift to an easier movement, and strength will be lost, guaranteed. It's just how the body functions.

Many trainees do partial squats rather than going deep. They contend that full squats hurt their knees while partials do not. That's bullshit. Half and quarter squats put a much greater amount of stress on the knee joints than the full movement. It's been proven in a great many studies. The best exercise for stabilizing the knees is the squat, done in a full-range movement. The real reason so many prefer partial squats is that they're easier, pure and simple.

Cheating on an exercise is another example of how so many take the easier course. It's easier to accomplish a higher number on the bench press much more readily and with less effort if you rebound the bar off your chest followed by an exaggerated bridge to get it through the sticking point. To use strict, correct form is much tougher and brings about slower gains - in the beginning, that is. Over the long haul using perfect technique will result in a much higher lift with the added bonus of lowering the risk of injury to the elbows and shoulders.

Taking the less demanding route is why so many prefer to do seated presses with the bar or dumbbells rather than cleaning them and pressing from a standing position. It's also why some do shrugs with dumbbells rather than loading up a bar with a score of plates in the power rack. Heavy shrugs are very hard; dumbbells are not. It's evident when athletes want to do flat-bench dumbbell presses and have teammates hand them the weights. That's the easy way. The hard way is to learn to clean the dumbbells, then lie back and do the presses. To really test athletes' determination, have them sit up with the weights when they've finished the set and place them on the floor. That's what I mean by making a movement more difficult. Rest assured, however: The athlete who did the exercise without any assistance is going to get a great deal more out of it than someone who asks for help.

Even when rubber bumper plates are available, I have my athletes lower the bar to the floor under control rather than dropping it. Why? It's not to keep from damaging the bar or plates but to do a bit of extra work by lowering the bar. Before the bumps came along in the late '60s, lifters had to lower the weights back to the platform, even after a heavy clean, press, snatch or jerk. If a bar was dropped during competition, the lift was disqualified. Platforms, unless engineered to handle a huge amount of stress, couldn't handle heavy chunks of iron being rained down on them repeatedly. Gym owners would go berserk when someone lost control and dumped a weight. I've trained at a number of gyms that were on the second floor and was told that if I dropped even one attempt, my workout was over. A small thing, perhaps, to lower a bar under control, but that additional effort adds up in the long run. It builds a different kind of strength from what you use to elevate a weight. 

Having a wide range of machines and all the other usual equipment in a gym isn't always the blessing many believe it to be. A gym with only the bare essentials may seem to be a handicap, yet it can be a positive if you're willing to go the extra mile. When I started weight training, the first three weight rooms I trained in had no squat rack. I believed squats were necessary if I wanted to grow and get stronger, so I cleaned the weight, flipped it over to my back, squatted and then flipped it back to my shoulders and lowered it to the floor - certainly harder than taking a weight off the rack and squatting it. The combo exercise did a great deal in helping me build a solid foundation so that when I did finally find a well-equipped gym, I was much better prepared.

Steve Stanko told me that he had to do the same thing, then did me one better. There was only a flat bench in the small room where he trained in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, before moving to York, Pennsylvania. So in order to do bench presses, he had to lie on the bench and pull the bar from the floor up over his head and place it on his chest (pullover). After he finished his set, he would lower the bar as carefully as he could back to the floor. He credited that movement with his exceptional upper-body strength. If you know the history of physical culture, you know that Steve was one of the greatest Olympic lifters and bodybuilders America ever produced. He was the first athlete in the world to total 1,000 on the three Olympic lifts - the press, snatch, and clean & jerk - as well as a Mr. America winner.

Those who train alone have a tendency, over time, to opt for doing an easier exercise for some bodypart. They might substitute hang cleans for full power cleans. While I also use hang cleans in some of my athletes' routines, it's mostly for variety, and I never have them do the shorter version exclusively. Hang cleans serve a purpose but aren't nearly as beneficial as the full-range movement. Full power cleans require a higher degree of coordination, timing, and overall quickness than hang cleans, which means they have more relevance to an athlete in any sport.

If you're training alone, constantly monitor your program to make sure you're not cutting corners on some of the more demanding exercises. Or you might still be doing all the hard stuff but less of it so that your overall workload numbers are slowly becoming lower and lower.

The reason anyone trying to gain size and strength needs to be constantly making workouts harder and harder is that the human body is always seeking a state of complacency. The mind, however, is in charge, and dedicated athletes won't let the physical self succumb to the ever-present urge to take it easy. 

Back to the chubby segment of our population. The reason so many are in the sad state they are is simply that they lack willpower. To stay fit and healthy requires a resolve that cannot be shaken no matter what obstacles are placed in your path.

That means, when you decide to change an exercise in your routine, that replacement movement must be as difficult as or more difficult than the one being dropped, such as replacing deadlifts with heavy clean or snatch high pulls, weighted dips with overhead presses and so on. Not only do the exercises have to be noticed, but workload as well. If you allow your workload to slip backward, gains are going to come less often. That's yet another reason I encourage all serious strength athletes to keep a journal of their workouts. Most think they can remember exactly what they did the previous week or month, but few can. Very few. Even my sharpest premed athletes at Hopkins couldn't tell me how many sets or reps they did the week before or the specific numbers they used on all their sets. 

Recording each workout means all you have to do is look back through the pages and decide where you currently stand in regard to your past performances. From that record you can determine your workloads and selection of exercises for a certain period of time and make adjustments accordingly.

Those who have been training for a long time, including me, tend to stay with the same routine month after month, year after year. I've pretty much used the same weekly routine for the past five years. The practice can end up placing you in a rut. Yet as the Baltimore novelist Laura Lippman wrote in By a Spider's Thread, "Ruts weren't ruts if you varied them." 

So that's what I do. Not so much my selection of exercises, as I've found a sufficient number that serve my needs and don't put undue stress on my old, tired joints, but rather I vary my workload on different days. At each workout I target one muscle group - sometimes a large one, other times a smaller group - and jar it out of its complacency. Yesterday I decided to increase the load for my legs, so I did more reps on the squats and added another set to my calf raises. Today on my walk my quads and calves checked in. I plan to abuse my upper body at today's workout and so on and so forth. 

My point is, not all the groups need to be jacked up at the same time. It's the amount of work an athlete does during a week that counts. There are many very simple ways to alter a workout to make it more demanding. Here are a few ideas.

Move at a faster pace than usual. That changes how your muscular, respiratory and nervous systems react to the stimulation. I can make myself sore by bomb-blitzing through a session rather than taking my good old time as I usually do.

Do the exercises more deliberately, using perform form on each rep. One summer I coaches a high school football player. Just before training camp he said he wanted to enter a bench press contest being held at the local fitness center. I said he needed to stop rebounding the bar and learn to pause the bar on his chest if he wanted to have his lifts passed. He agreed to have me show him what I needed to do; I had him do every rep on every set with a 3-second hold on his chest. The following day his pecs, triceps and front deltoids were sore to the touch.  

Pausing is a great way to make an exercise more difficult, and I use it regularly. Want to make your legs scream for mercy without piling on more weight? Pause at the bottom of the squat and stay there for 2 to 3 seconds before recovering. Need something to get your deadlift to move? Pause the bar at mid-thigh and hold it in that position for 2 to 3 seconds, then ease it back to the floor. Pausing on any of the basic movements not only increases strength in the target muscles but also helps you hone technique. But you must maintain an absolutely perfect position while pausing. Otherwise the strength gains won't transfer when you're doing the full-range movement.

There are some other very simple ways to make an exercise harder, such as elevating the situp board to a higher angle when doing situps or leg raises. All it takes is desire and a bit of imagination. If you've gone flat with regular deadlifts, shift to Sumo style, or do them using the smaller 25-lb plates rather than 45s (deficit). Change is usually a good idea, as long as you make sure the new movement or movements are as taxing as the ones you leave behind.

I also believe it's useful to have at least one exercise in your routine that you dislike. Doing that exercise consistently lets your body know that you're in charge of the situation and that complaining isn't going to change things one bit. Once your body figures that out, all will be well. While you'll still dislike that exercise, there will be less grumbling.

If you train hard, you should be just a little bit sore after every session. Not the deep soreness that borders on a ding but rather the kind that tells you that you put forth lots of effort at the workout.

There's a direct correlation between the difficulty of your workouts and the results that you derived from them. When someone starts picking up bad habits, the Methodists call it "backsliding." It's the same in strength training and is as harmful to your physical welfare as it is to your spiritual state. If your workload is lower now than it was a year ago and your routine contains more of the easier exercises, you're backsliding. The numbers don't lie. 

     

              





















  

Asymmetric Training - Brian Mangravite

August 4, 2019, 3:15 pm

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Some friends of mine recently started work on an addition to their house. The architect said they needed some steel support beams. I was hanging around the day the guy came to drop off this steel, so, being the kind of guy I am (the kind who likes to lift steel, that is), I volunteered to help out. 

A couple of the beams were about six feet long and I figured they just couldn't be more than about a hundred pounds or so. The guy making the delivery (he looked like a cross between a lumberjack and a Hell's Angel) casually slid one onto one beefy shoulder and walked off with it. 

So, real cool like, I walk over and take the other one onto my right shoulder. 

Well, I tell ya it felt like it felt more like a small economy car than a lousy six-foot beam. My left arm is flailing around trying to counterbalance this beam (my left arm weighs a tad less than a hundred pounds so it didn't make a real effective counterweight) and I'm feeling every muscle in my back in a whole new way.

Arnold once said the average person doesn't know a muscle exists unless it hurts, just as your grandmother doesn't know she's got a biceps unless she strains it. Suddenly I was in a position to vouch for all kinds of muscles on my right along the spinal cord - I could feel every one of them. 

Most people think the spinal erectae, the so-called "lower back" muscles, exist just at the waist. I know better, and I still find myself thinking that way. To learn how wrong you are just look at a picture of Franco Columbu in his prime doing a back double biceps. Those muscles form a ridge either side of his spine from his butt all the way up to his shoulder blades.   

As I casually strolled away from the flatbed truck with that steel beam on my shoulder that's what I was feeling - one half of the group known as the spinal erectae muscles. And I was feeling them all the way from my butt up to my shoulder blades. 

Now the Paul Bunyan clone over there was having no problem with that piddly little beam. Probably he lifts weight like that every day. Well so do I! The difference is that he lifts it on one shoulder and has to balance it there. I lift it under controlled circumstances with equal stress balanced perfectly on a bar that I grip evenly on both sides. Or in the form of two dumbbells of equal weight. How eccentric of me. 

Anyhow, what this is leading up to is a lesson in what you could call "functional strength". The Hell's Angel with the beam on his shoulder has a great deal of functional strength. His muscles may not have looked like much but when it got right down to using them, that didn't matter a darn. Think about it, folks. You lift weights and it shows. But then when it comes time to use those muscles if you don't measure up that can be pretty embarrassing. 

Bulging biceps don't count for much when you're carrying steel beams. Of splitting wood. Of digging a ditch. Doing preacher curls doesn't exactly prepare you for the outside world, know what I mean? Fact of the matter is, darn few of the movements you more than likely do in the gym correspond to any normal daily activity. The more isolated the movement is, the less analogous it will be to any practical function. 

I'm not suggesting you give up isolation movements. I'm not giving them up so why should you? But I learned something from my impromptu training session with Paul Bunyan. 

I've started doing a lot more asymmetric training. 

In other words, I perform uneven training. 

Sounds really stupid, doesn't it?    

Well, hear me out. 

How many times during the day are both your arms or both your legs doing the same motion at the same time? Not often, I'll bet. At work or play, both halves of your body are putting forth effort but almost never in the same way to the same degree at the same time. And yet that's just what we do in the gym. We force each limb to mirror the other. That's why I had trouble with the beam. In fact, it would probably have been easier for me to carry one on each shoulder than to do one at a time.     

Some athletes might be afraid that asymmetric training will result in an asymmetric build. Just the opposite is true, and I'll tell you why. 

When you lift a bar, one side can dominate and take on a disproportionate amount of the stress in the movement causing certain muscles to grow faster. The result of this is an imbalance in your build. If, in training, the stress placed on either side is exactly the same, it will be almost impossible for muscles to grow unevenly. That should cure any sort of lack of symmetry problem.

How do you train asymmetrically? Use one heavy dumbbell and train one side at a time. Use your imagination. 

A lively translation of postwar stories from 
Taeko Kono, a Japanese master of the unsettling.  

Done using your imagination for now? 

Me too!
Let's continue . . . 

Virtually any upper body exercise done with two hands can be done with one. For example, right after the Hell's Angel and I did (Jim) beams together, I started doing one-armed dumbbell presses. I'd do as many as I could with my left, pass it to my right, rep out, pass it back to my left, and continue in that fashion. It's turned out to be highly effective super-setting one side with the other until failure. It brings into play muscles no amount of two-handed overhead pressing ever did before, stabilizers in the legs, hips, lower abdominals, obliques, and throughout the entire back. It's a fast workout too. You might think doing one side at a time means it would require twice as long to complete your sets. It probably would if you weren't super-setting every movement. But you are, and because of that you actually finish a body part in less time.

For the shoulders try doing one-arm overhead presses, one-arm upright rows, one-arm laterals, or (you might like this one) one-arm shrugs. 

Bodbulgers and lifters have been doing one-arm bent rows for years, bracing the free arm on a bench, but what about one-arm pulldowns, one-arm cable rows, or one-arm T-Bar rows.

Arms can obviously be trained one at a time but normally the exercises are done seated, often with the arm braced in position. Try doing standing curls one arm at a time to bring into action all manner of stabilizers. Or one-arm French presses. Or one-arm pressdowns.

Want power? Try one-arm power cleans. Or one-arm deadlifts. You might want to use a strap on those last ones. By the way, normally, when you lift something one-handed, you brace your free hand on one leg to help in the movement. Don't do that. Do, to as great a degree as possible, a normal deadlift. But use only one hand. I can promise you pain in places you never heard of. 

Asymmetric training may look a little weird. It may feel different from anything you've tried before. It may cause you some aches in strange places. But I think once you've tried it you'll be hooked.    

   

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The Squat: The First 25 Years - Randall Strossen

August 4, 2019, 6:27 pm

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“You should wake up each day with the sense of just having been born and all that matters 

are the decisions you are going to make that day.”

 - J.C. Hise

Joseph Curtis Hise

For a truly in depth look at the life of J.C. Hise

treat yourself to some time here:

https://www.ironhistory.com/

https://www.ironmind-store.com/SUPER-SQUATS/productinfo/1200/

http://www.ironmind.com/

This article, from an issue of Powerlifting USA, is courtesy of Liam Tweed. 

The Squat is the key exercise for gaining muscular bodyweight and building basic power. It's also a great tool for increasing athletic ability and stimulating the cardiovascular system. Competitive powerlifters, who love-hate this lift, know that big squats are probably the key to victory in their sport. Where did the squat come from and who produced some of the early top performances in the lift? 

Even though man has been exercising with weightless deep knee bends for thousands of years and early weight trainers used to squat up on their toes with light weights, the heavy flat-footed squat is basically a product of the 20th century. As is common in kraftsport, the lift has decidedly Germanic roots: it's early history is one of Moerke, Steinborn and Klein.

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/08/karl-moerke-david-p-willoughby.html

In 1920 Karl Moerke, the reigning World Weightlifting Champion, and Hermann Goerner, often called the world's strongest man, in his day, staged a contest between themselves to see who was the world's strongest amateur lifter. The contest included a lift to be selected by each man. Goerner selected the deadlift and in what might have marked its debut as a competitive lift. Moerke selected the squat and did 528.75 pounds. Moerke was a rotund fellow, usually weighing around 240 a 5' 2" and probably due to his physique, was sometimes criticized for his squatting style on the basis of lack of depth or gaining an unfair advantage by bouncing out of the bottom position. Nevertheless, Moerke is said to have ultimately squatted 650 in somewhat loose style.

Loose style then, of course would probably look lily-white today, however. For starters, the lift was actually known as the "deep knee bend" back then because lifters went very low and often ended up nearly sitting on their heels. Talk to people who were heaving iron back in the 1920s and 1930s and they might say something like, "I never did any of those squats; I only did deep knee bends," where to them a squat means something ending at parallel. These people might view a squat and a floor press as, respectively, half-baked versions of the deep knee bend and the bench press. All the big squats up to the mid 1960s or so were done under conditions that might be described as "lifetime pure/raw meat", as no drugs or support gear were involved.

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2009/03/henry-steinborn-bob-schmidt.html

Another German, Henry "Milo" Steinborn, brought the lift with him when he immigrated to the United States in the early 1920s. Steinborn's reputation as a strongman preceded him and many were awed by his marvelous 210 pound physique and by the feats of strength he demonstrated while training at Sig Klein's gym in New York. Steinborn performed what was to become one of the most historic lifts in Iron Game history. Beginning in 1921, Milo gave demonstrations where he up-ended a 550 odd pound barbell, and by rocking it back and forth across his shoulders, got it in position for doing some squats.

Check the Depth there for a better understanding of a Deep Knee Bend

back in the older days. 

Although the exact poundage reported varies, as does the number of reps, on at least one occasion Milo is said to have performed 5 reps with 551 pounds before returning the barbell to the platform. All accounts agree that it was a remarkable demonstration of all around strength and athletic ability, and one observer, Mark H. Berry, was said to be out of his seat applauding what he considered to be the greatest feat of strength in history.

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/03/talk-on-training-essentials-by-mark-h.html

Mark Berry played no insignificant role in the history of the squat, or for that matter, the history of bodybuilding and competitive lifting, because he was the first one to fully appreciate the unmatched ability of the squat to build bulk and power. Mark Berry, as editor of The Arena and Strength, changed the Iron Game forever by going on to broadcast the message: squat heavy and get big and strong. The truth never changes.

Perhaps because the Depression era surrounding Berry and his magazine had left a lot of young men smaller and weaker than they would choose, Mark Berry had a ready audience for his lessons on how to squat for size, and his article "Found - A Growing Exercise" - published in 1933, was such a fundamental catalyst for the bulk and power seekers that old-time iron floggers still talk about it with great respect. Even though Berry successfully used the squat to pack around 50 pounds of muscle on his own slight frame, it was the dramatic success of his pupils that really sparked what Peary Rader, the founder of IronMan, would later call "the great deep knee bench craze" of the 1930s.

Undoubtedly, there was one student of Berry's who more than any other man initially demonstrated the wonders of heavy squatting and for his efforts is often referred to as the pioneer powerlifter: Joseph Curtis Hise.

           

Search this blog for plenty more on J.C. Hise, Pardner. 

J.C. Hise.
The depth of the squat could be altered by placing planks of wood in the pit.
This photo and the top one of Hise courtesy of Joe Roark.
I keep tellin' ya.
If you like the history of the Iron Game, Joe's site is simply the best.
What the hell is the holdup!
Get over there, register, and ENJOY yourself.

https://www.ironhistory.com/

Okay. 

Are you back now? 

Quite a site, ain't it! 

Continuing . . . 

It's hard to put Hise's prominence in his day in terms that make sense to a contemporary reader, but it's a safe bet that there is no one person today who enjoys anywhere close to the devotion of Hise's followers during his time. 

Hise, plain and simple, was the MASTER when it came to building bulk and power. 

J.C. was first put on the muscle map when Mark Berry described a reader of his who. after following Mark's heavy squat program, had gained 29 pounds of muscle in one month. Mark Berry was so honest that he refused to name this man or give more details until he could get independent verification of these claims. In fact, Hise had done exactly as reported so it was, in Hise's words, "news with a bang"and soon every underdeveloped, underpowered barbell man in the country was doing heavy breathing squats and all were gaining size and strength at unbelievable rates.

Hise would gain from around 180 pound to nearly 300, with the power to squat around 600 and deadlift 700 way back in the 1930s. Hise might have had the strongest legs and back in the world then, but since he wasn't a weightlifter (Olympic-style, that is), and since powerlifting hadn't yet emerged as an official sport, Hise was labeled an "exerciser." 

As Mark Berry left the Iron Game, another of his pupils, Peary Rader, would carry forward the call to squat - with very hard breathing and very heavy weights, please - for tremendous results.    

Note: Damn It! I really don't save pictures and scans much anymore. Had a good one of Peary Rader with his shirt off when he was at his heavier weight. Not big on tanning, no sir, but you could see that he was big on working hard with the weights, for sure. But yeah, any of these guys' names, just search for 'em here and you'll find deeper info from articles and book excerpts. Or don't. No worries! 

Continuing . . . 

It's no accident that the squat had allowed Peary to transform his own body from that of a weakling to a regional Olympic lifting champion, so he was speaking from experience when he recommended it as the master exercise. It's also no accident that Peary would later play an instrumental role in formalizing powerlifting as an official sport. 

The heavy breathing squat advocates continued to trumpet their message though the 1930s, with some alternatives such as the bodyweight breathing squats of Roger Eells complementing the basic approach. By now, even Bob Hoffman, who had initially opposed the squat for his weightlifters, had been won over to its benefits and the top Olympic-style lifters like John Davis and Louis Abele (are ya searching those names and subject headings), both weighing around the 220 mark, were cranking out honest sets of 20 reps with around 400 pounds, and both were knocking out reps with weights over 500, the classic benchmark for a Hercules.

The Canadian superman Maurice Jones had also squatted 550 at 230 by then, and the English powerhouse Bert Assirati had done 550 x 10 at 260 (how exactly is this last guy related to Charles A. Smith. Trivia question). 

If you don't think these are worthy feats, even today, go natural and get under the squat bar naked. Now knock off your own set of 20 reps with 400, or a few with 550 or so. 

Next installment, we'll continue tracing the history of the squat by seeing how top performances advanced in the 1950s, and follow progress through the first few years of powerlifting as an official sport. 

Dead-On Size and Strength - Bill Starr

August 7, 2019, 9:49 pm

≫ Next: Triceps - Gunnar Sikk

≪ Previous: The Squat: The First 25 Years - Randall Strossen

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Time, eh . . . 
Days crawl by while the years fly away.
No worries here AT ALL about that.
Here's two photos of yer humble blog author . . .
The first is around the time I started this site-thing, around 2008
The second is the beginning of this year.
A little over a decade.
11 years more and 40 pounds less. But hey, 
there were a few of the wee tragic losses other than weight that last year or so. 
No problem. Weight can be put back on if that's what you're after.  
I feel good. Real good now. I'm likin' it for however long it lasts.
And real grateful I can still Enjoy My Lifting!  

Good Grief.

60-fucking-6 and some. 

And here, well, it's a poem I wrote somewhere in there about aging.

Or is it about tin cans?
What-and-which-ever . . . maybe both, who knows!
Click it to Enlarge, which is what we're after as we age.
Ya get bigger in some ways and smaller in others. 

Okay, enough-a all that. 
We thank Liam Tweed for sharing this article! 

Dead-On Size and Strength: 
The Case for Doing Deadlifts and Getting the Most Out of Them
by Bill Starr

An earlier photo of Doug Hepburn.
Hep Lite! 

Mention deadlifts, and most people involved in some sort of strength training will immediately think of the sport of powerlifting. Those who train with weights in order to become more proficient in other sports, including Olympic weightlifting,typically shun them. The prevailing opinion is that the slower pulling movement is not nearly as beneficial as one of the dynamic exercises, such as power cleans, power snatches, clean- and snatch-grip high pulls or full snatches and cleans. While I agree that explosive lifts have more carryover value for any athlete, that doesn't necessarily mean a static exercise is without value in the quest for greater strength. 

I happen to believe that the deadlift is a very useful exercise for anyone who wants to improve overall strength. After the full squat it's the very best core exercise in all of weight training. Deadlifts work the core muscles very completely and with a great amount of weight, making them an excellent choice for anyone trying to improve strength in the hips, legs and back. It's the exercise where you can lift the most weight, and that places it in a unique position. True, in many powerlifting meets today, a few contestants bench press and squat with more weight than they deadlift, but that's primarily because of all the support garb they wear. Let them do the three lifts in T-shirts, shorts and shoes, as every competitor did in that sport in the beginning, and the deadlift would be where the greatest amount of weight is lifted. 

While I don't put deadlifts in beginning programs for younger athletes - and that includes college athletes - I do teach them how to do the exercise. In fact, I teach everyone I start on a strength routine, male and female, even senior citizens, how to deadlift a weight properly. I do so because it's important to know how to lift a heavy object off the floor correctly. It's something every person has to do countless times throughout his or her lifetime: a heavy bag of groceries, a case of books or motor oil, a lawn mower or a rolled up rug. Lifting a heavy anything off the floor accounts for a large portion of back injuries, which is why knowing how to perform the movement in the right way can prevent a lot of pain and suffering. 

Another reason I teach the deadlift to everyone interested in becoming stronger is that all pulling exercises that start with the bar on the floor begin with a deadlift. So even if you don't plan to include the exercise in your strength program, it is most helpful to know how to do it correctly.

The deadlift is also an excellent exercise for older athletes and those who are unable, for whatever reason, to do any dynamic exercises. 

continued tomorrow . . .          

Triceps - Gunnar Sikk

August 11, 2019, 6:51 pm

≫ Next: Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Five- Jim Halliday

≪ Previous: Dead-On Size and Strength - Bill Starr

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Whether it's punching, pushing or shoving, supporting our bodies for prolonged periods, or pushing downwards, the triceps are of paramount importance in day-to-day functioning. Or, put another way . . . without triceps we'd be lousy fighters and lovers, and sliced bread wouldn't have been invented. And that's just in the real world. Let's take a look at triceps in the world of bodybuilding. 

Note: I can't resist including the full title of this article: 

"TRASH THOSE TRICEPS AND TRIGGER GROWTH!" 

Much better. 

Continuing . . . 


Thick triceps are to an upper body what wide tires are to a race car. They impart a powerful and serious look when viewed from the front. Almost mean. 

When seen from the side, well developed triceps have the cosmetic role of balancing out the pec thickness, making the waist appear smaller, and also the nifty effect of making your head appear dwarfed, like someone removed it, shrank it down and then put it back on.

When viewed from the rear, thick triceps contribute to giving more V-taper, even out the cantaloupe shape of the delts, and make the back appear thicker and more visually interesting. Hey, and that's just in the relaxed position! Once you start flexing, all your side views are framed by the triceps. They count for 2/3 of the upper arm girth. When built to the max the final effect looks wicked. Sergio Oliva never really has chiseled biceps, but his triceps were so monstrous they made his arm look like a battleship. You could have landed helicopters on his arms. So the point's clear: triceps are definitely the lucky horseshoe of upper body development. I've outlined six triceps-trasher routines that have been specifically designed to suit your particular requirements.

Triceps That Need Pure Mass

Bodybuilders in this category typically have one of the following: peaky biceps that need to be balanced out with more triceps size, very large deltoids sitting on a wide shoulder frame, or an upper arm that when flexed reveals the biceps-triceps relationship to be somewhere around 50% for each muscle. If any of these sound like you, or if you have your head set on building more basic triceps size, follow this dandy of a triceps destroyer for a few two month runs and reap the rewards.

1) Lying Triceps Extensions supersetted with Close Grip Low Rib Press.  

Making sure to keep the elbows parallel and pointing to the ceiling, lower a straight bar behind your head while you lie on a bench. Use a 14-inch grip, and you'll get better isolation if you use a thumbless grip (your thumbs are on the same side of the bar as your fingers are). After you perform the correct number of reps you immediately bring the bar over to your chest, pause the bar as it's resting on your chest, narrow the grip to about 8 inches, and then slam out the desired reps from a position low on the rib cage, keeping your elbows flared outwards. Here's the set/rep scheme: 

Lying Extensions - 15 reps
Close Grip Presses - 15 reps

Lying Extensions - 12 reps
Close Grip Presses - 12 reps

Lying Extensions - 10 reps
Close Grip Presses - 12 reps

Lying Extensions - 8 reps
Close Grip Presses - 12 reps

Lying Extensions - 8 reps
Close Grip Presses - 12 reps

Lying Extensions - 20 reps
Close Grip Presses - 25 reps.

You'll notice that no matter how fatigued you get in the lying extensions, you can always have something left for the close grips presses, as it's a power-type movement. Next, move on to . . . 

2) Seated French Press

Using a barbell again, with a 14 inch grip you press the bar overhead and lower it to the base of the neck. Be careful not to flare the elbows way out to the sides like 95% of people who do this movement. Again, use a false grip, lower the bar slowly and raise it to just below lockout. Sets and reps are as follows: 

Warmup set - 15 reps
2nd set - 12 reps
3rd - 10
4th - 10 (heavy)
5th - 15 reps. 

It's absolutely imperative to keep the motion fluid, never jerky and rushed; otherwise, you'll multiply the joint stress and that could spell trouble over time. So make the exercise go up and down like a smoothly functioning piston. 

3) Dips on Narrow Parallel Bars

To execute this exercise correctly, take a grip that stays close to your body and have your feet held slightly forward. As you descend, let the elbows roll out wide and somewhat away from your body. When you push up, squeeze down hard on the heel of your palms and push the elbows back in. Doing dips in this fashion creates maximum contraction on the inner triceps head, and that's where much triceps size is realized. Do not lock out completely at the tops. 

5 sets of 10-12 reps. 

4) Bench Dips

Place two benches of equal height parallel to each other, and several feet apart. Next, put your open hands behind your back so they rest on the one bench, and rest your straight legs on the top of the other bench. Start to dip downward until your glutes almost hit the floor. Get a full stretch. Too many people perform this movement as a half stroke. You'll find you may be pretty strong in this position, so add weight by putting plates on your lap and fire away. 

4 sets of 12-15 reps. 


Triceps That Need Outside Development

Physiques in this group can be immediately spotted. After their deltoids finish curving into the arm, a straight line can be seen right down to the elbow on the outside of the upper arm. We're looking for that little triangular portion of the triceps that blips out and creates instant beauty, size, and completeness to the upper body. If you don't have that blip, don't flip; try this trip: 

1) Behind the Neck Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Similar to the barbell extensions you do when seated, except that you do them with a dumbbell. To hold it correctly, the palms should be flat against the inside portion of the dumbbell against the plate. Do this movement slowly and deliberately. 

5 sets of 10-12 reps.

2) Behind the Neck Cable Extensions 

Not all gyms have this piece of equipment, but you can improvise. Starting with a V-shaped short bar, you begin so that the bar is brought to a point that is well behind your head. Make sure you use a cable-pulley setup that will allow a full stroke of action. You then extend the bar fully so that it ends up somewhere out in front of your eyes, making sure that the thumbs are up toward the ceiling. Brace yourself firmly, otherwise you'll shift around too much and lose the desired effect. Ideally, your lower back will do most of the bracing. Here's the sets/reps: 

1st set - 15 reps
2nd - 12
3rd - 12
4th - 15
5th - 20

3) Special Lying Triceps Extensions

This is done by using a dumbbell and instead of lowering it behind your head, you lower it to the opposite deltoid of your body - between your neck and shoulder. To do this movement properly, it's important that your elbow point straight up to the ceiling and remain braced. Always do this movement slowly and deliberately. 

5 sets of 14 reps with no rest between arms, just keep going back and forth between arms like a machine. 
A smart machine, that is. 

Note: The desire to control the minds of men by seeing the brain as an advanced computer has been going on for quite a while now. Right back to the earlier binary, on-off experiments in the 1930s, through to the extended and in many ways still undisclosed programs of MK Ultra, continuing to move into the digital era of connectivity leading to behavioral modification and finally, now, behavioral prediction through the widespread use of data exhaust collection. Big bucks in this ugly game! I watched a very long, very good documentary, The Minds of Men, the other night and day. It can make for a great drinking game. Every time you notice yourself shuddering in disgust, well, you has to take a belt. Anyhow, once it gets past the first 45 minutes of its run-time of just under four hours, you begin to see it's something of a video reference page, whether you're drink-gaming or not. I was not familiar with a lot of the earlier books and journal articles these gov- and corporate- sponsored ya-hoos and monsters put out. Nor was I aware of just how depraved the experimentation became. Whoa Daddy! No need for anything as silly as "consent" from subjects, my friends, we is in charge here! People in falsely labeled experiments, wandering around various hospitals with electrodes implanted in their brains and a handful of whackjob docs diddling around with them via switchboxes etc. So, what we see is massively invasive experimentation on pretty large numbers of unsuspecting people who gave no consent and in many cases had no ailments to begin with, fully condoned by both North American governments for the sake of "improving" society. Garsh, I thought I were watchin' one-a them Nazi nutjob or Japanese army McScientist concentration camp doctor docs. Ooops, wrong nations, eh. You can get the damn video online. Remember, the references are where the real weird stuff and brain-based psychic savaging can be found. I was a little drunk in the later sections, and more than a little disappointed, though, considering the doc was put out in 2018 after more than three years of research and info gathering on the part of its creators. Really thought they would've taken the leap from "then" and followed government/corporate's (is there a difference there?) progression in their little control experiments. But hey, the doc-makers give you credit for being able to put together a full historical picture of how we got from there to here, still centering the focus on the partial MK exposures. Tough to top those assholes (CIA, now known as, give-it-a-name) and their "work" - although I've always been very fond of Bernays and the whole wave of snakes that crawled out after that particular era. God, nowadays the progression is so intense and rapid it's hard not to see Goebbels as a childlike naivete manipulating the people with near-nursery rhyme techniques. But hey . . . you know what they say. Live and Learn, eh. Gettin' better at it all by the decade, ain't we! 

Continuing with the article . . . 

4) One Arm Cable Pressdowns

Grab hold of a one-arm cable handle, rotate the palm so that it's facing up, bring your elbow tight into the body and slam the think down! Remember to keep the elbow close to the body throughout the movement. Don't let that elbow float away like a helium-filled balloon. At the bottom portion of the movement, squeeze the triceps and make weird faces; it's okay - you're going for that blip. 

5 sets of 14 reps.

5) One Arm Dumbbell Kickbacks
(if you're not completely shot)

Bend over so that your torso is parallel to the ground, bring the elbow up to your side, and start to kick the weight back in a fluid and uniform manner. Make sure that you don't whack someone with that dumbbell, because you're in a position that's easy to get whacked back. Here's the master plan: 

5 x 12 reps, isotension at the top portion of the movement during the last set only. Trust me, those exercises will, over time, give you that blip big-time. 


Triceps That Need Lower Development 

If your triceps are generally attached slightly short of the elbow, there's really not much you c an do, but you can still thicken it down there. Enough to notice less of that gap. If you feel you just need general thickness down there, this one will do it. 

1) Weighted Dips

Perform your basic dipping motion on the bars but only come up 60% of the way and then go back down again. Use a heavy enough weight to ensure this concept takes place. 

5 x 8-12 reps.

2) One Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

While seated, press a dumbbell overhead with one arm, lower it behind your head and try to avoid the dreaded elbow flare that spells exercise ineffectiveness! However, in this instance and for this particular purpose, you come up to just slightly past your head, that is, nowhere near the completed, locked out portion of the movement.  

5 x 12 reps. 

3) Triceps Pressdowns Using a Rope

Snap a rope on the overhead cable machine and start pressing down, keeping the elbows at your sides, hands close together, and on the upward portion of the pressdowns come only up to the bottom of your pectoral line; then ram it back down again. Yes, short stroking is permitted here, so go to town.  

5 x 14 reps, mini-pause at the bottom for all the sets. 

Stick these three exercises into your other preferred movements and they'll definitely blow out the bottom portion. Hey, ever heard of Esiclene?  


Triceps That Need Inner Development

Few bodybuilders are astute enough to know if their inner development even needs work at all. For those of you who do, you've come to the right place, because the following routine makes that inner triceps so big, it'll look like you're carrying bowling balls underneath your armpits.

1) Standing French Press

Using a straight bar, do the French Press as previously described, except that you perform it standing. Only when you're in serious trouble of not getting the reps out can you bring the slightest of leg action into it. 

4 x 10 reps.

2) Close Grip Bench Press

Using a 16-inch grip on an Olympic bar, lower to your mid-chest, keeping the arms close to the sides. Think heavy and good form as you work away on this one.  

1st set - 15 reps
2nd - 12
3rd - 10
4th - 8
5th -8

3) Triceps Pushdowns

Using a straight bar attachment, start the movement with the bar at your chin area, press smoothly until bottom lockout, and return upwards. Think heavy and purity of motion. Don't attempt to slam the bar down with the aid of your upper torso by jumping on top of the downward motion. Quite uncool. Make it pure if you want a massive inner triceps. 

5 x 12, followed quickly by a pump set of 25. 


Triceps That Need Upper Mass

Quite often I see bodybuilders with nice triceps, but nothing really exciting is visually on them. It's usually the case that their upper triceps need mass to really give that pulled off the bone look to the muscles. This one is sure to make those upper shirtsleeves bunch up like a bushel of bananas. 

1) Dips

Using no weight, dip down to slightly below halfway and come completely up while at the same time exerting a mini-pause/flex at the top portion. 

5 x 12 reps. 

2) One Arm Cable Pushdowns

Making sure your palms are facing down towards the ground, perform one arm cable pushdowns slowly and deliberately, making sure you come up all the way at that top of the motion as though you couldn't possibly come up an higher.

5 sets of 12 reps, back and forth between arms without rest. 

3) One Arm Dumbbell Extensions

Perform these as previously described, except that you come up all the way to the top, and don't go much lower than your ear on the down portion of the movement. Go heavy but keep the style strict. Sets and reps are: 

4 x 10, plus one pump set of 15. 

4) Dumbbell Kickbacks

Again, done as previously outlined, except that for every rep of every set you briefly hold the dumbbell at the top portion of the movement. 

4 x 10 reps. 

Take your time on this one, as rushing through will prove fruitless; you also may have to use a lighter weight to allow for all those isotension reps. 


Triceps That Need That Chiseled Look

Unlike other muscles of the body that are typically rounded and swoop this way and that, the triceps have all these weird angles on them because they're always so busy receiving stress from all sorts of directions. Consequently, they need to receive a multitude of exercise variety. If you feel you have good enough size, and even development, but require more of a 3-dimensional look, here's the blueprint for you.

1) EZ-Bar French Press

Resting your fleshy outside palm on the inner bends of the cambered bar, perform French presses as mentioned but with a very exaggerated range of motion while leaning on an incline board set at a 60-degree angle. 

4 x 12 reps. 

2) 3-Phase Dips

Three parts exist to this exercise. First you dip with the hands very close to the body for the first set. On the next set you flare the grip slightly away from the body (which is more easily done if your dipping bars are shaped like a V instead of parallel), and on the third set you move even further away from the proximity of the body. 

3 x 20 reps, not weighted. 

3) Reverse Grip Bench Press

Use a shoulder width curl grip (palms toward your face as you grab the bar). Experiment with several different hand spacings within the desired width range until it feels comfortable. It will feel awkward at first, but you'll soon settle into the groove. 

5 x 8, and make it a point to go heavy with good exercise form. 

Get a spotter for this movement. 

4) One Arm Cable Pressdowns

Do this one as mentioned earlier. It's such an effective shaper that it must be used. 

4 x 12. 

5) Lying Pulley Triceps Extensions

While placing your elbows on a specially shaped V-type mini bench, you start the cable pull from a point behind your head until full extension out in front. At the fully extended position, make a deliberate attempt at separating the palms away from each other as you hold onto the rope. The tension from such an arrangement will cause you to manage a very small amount of deliberate hand flaring, but the effect on the triceps will give some serious shaping benefit. 

5 x 12-14 reps. 


Closing Commentary

As you've noticed, I've deliberately left out biceps movements, and how to schedule these exercises into your other muscle groups. That depends entirely on what your needs are. Say, for example, you're really missing a portion of triceps development; that will determine your plan of attack. Work them first in your workout, and then you can place your biceps, back, or shoulders next, depending on how you usually like to arrange it. 

If, however, you simply need a bit more size on one of the areas I've outlined, just discard your previous triceps exercises and slip in the ones that suit your desired goal. Then train them along with your biceps or any other muscle group of your preference. You see, it really depends on how badly you need a certain portion of your triceps to grow. Severity determines the muscle priority; it's that straightforward. Check your triceps from a very honest state of mind, from all angles, and then decide.   





     

      























  

Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Five- Jim Halliday

August 12, 2019, 7:03 pm

≫ Next: An Easy Way to Bulk Up - Mike Brown

≪ Previous: Triceps - Gunnar Sikk

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Chuck Sipes

Courtesy of Liam Tweed. 

The Clean & Jerk is perhaps the lift that holds most attraction for the newcomer. It is the lift on which the most poundage can be elevated, and it is a natural thing for the would-be lifter to wish to lift the heaviest weight in the shortest possible time, via the easiest way! 

Natural, but not good, especially if the would-be lifter is in his early teens. I feel sure that if such an aspirant spent three months in conditioning work and training on the Press and Snatch, he would then approach the last lift of the three not only with more confidence, but also with more hope of success. Make no mistake, this lift is work; apart from actual performance I mean. The actual training, done correctly, is extremely severe, and in all probability, some lifters I know, who neglect the lift under some pretext or other, only do so because of its severity. 

Then, too, it is usually done in its natural order after the Press and Snatch, when quite a lot of energy has been depleted. It is a mistake to neglect this lift. As I said, you can only succeed through hard work. The Clean & Jerk not only gives you this hard work, but proficiency, and this feat gives you an advantage. You are good on the lift that it is possible to improve on the most. You have the additional advantage of being good on the last competition lift, with the chances of assessing what has occurred on the foregoing lifts, and do not lose sight of the fact that the handling of heavy poundages promotes the confidence which is essential to the newcomer. 

After the suggested period of initiation never neglect this lift again in training. It is the most important power-building movement of any you care to mention. It builds strength, stamina, confidence, and has an all-round effect on building the body. This, apart from the satisfaction of hoisting heavy poundages overhead. 

We proceed now to the point where the preliminaries have been accomplished. Again it is important that you commence training correctly. It is also important that you develop a correct style in the very first instance. I said of the Snatch that the squat style suited very few people. It is even more true of the clean. I do not recommend this style to anyone, and the fact that I have seen Kono, George, and all the other good squatters will not change my opinion, because I have also seen the world's best men on the fore-and-aft. There is a good argument for the Squat Snatch, but absolutely none for the Clean. 

As with all lifts there are again certain basic principles that must apply. The spacing of the grip is your own selection, but one cannot very very much from approximate shoulder width. The wider the grip (within reason) assists in the Jerk, and similarly the narrower aids the Clean.

Bend over and grasp the bar, ensuring an even grip. Some people like the dive, but I would like to say that the set-up style is definitely the best and is used by 98% of the best lifters. Once you grasp the bar you must waste no time over preliminaries. Sit down, lowering the thighs until parallel to the ground. Keep the eyes fixed on a point immediately in front. Do not look down as in the Snatch. Now, the same vicious pull with the legs, and as the bar gets to the waist, the concentration on getting the hips through. When commencing to split do not discontinue to pull, but keep pulling even when the bar has reached maximum height. By doing so you keep the bar from slowing and ensure it feels "light" at the shoulders, thus making the latter parts of the lift easier. Once the bar feels safe at the shoulders do not waste effort in holding the weight in the split position, but recover immediately and adopt the jerking stance. Elbows should already be slightly raised from completing the Clean, the body erect, eyes to the front, and feet about 12-14 inches apart. 

Dip the knees slightly and, without pause, immediately re-straighten them, at the same time thrusting the weight away from the shoulders. This should be a concerted effort. All the body should move in one action to get the bar moving in an upward direction and should be sufficient to carry the weight at least to the top of the head. From here the arms should still continue to push strongly, and the usual split technique employed, although the split itself should not be as deep as the Clean. As the bar reaches its zenith the head should be pushed through to ensure a good lock.

The main points about good performance on this lift are: 

Although the initial pull is vicious it must not be ragged. It is better to commence fairly slow and increase the speed as the pull progresses. It is essential to keep pulling until the weight meets the chest.

Immediate recovery from the split. When dipping to Jerk do not allow the body to lean forward. Keeping the elbows raised offsets this. Timing of the rebound from the dip is most important. Correctly done you can obtain assistance from the bar itself. As the bar is checked at the completion of the dip the bar bends, then straightens. At this stage the weights are actually traveling in an upward direction. By correct timing you can use this to advantage in an even faster start for the commencement of the Jerk. 

As I said previously, the fact that training on this lift is usually done after the Press and Snatch may be responsible for the apparent neglect of this lift. I have adopted a schedule that overcomes this difficulty to some extent. Say you practice, or intend to practice, four evenings a week; as it is agreed you can do, and need to do, more pressing than anything, why not press and snatch one day; press and jerk the next, and so on? By so doing you certainly can concentrate more on each individual feat in turn and also "even" the amount of work out better. 

Before compiling any sort of a schedule on this lift it is essential you find your "strong point." If you can jerk more than you clean you need to practice on the clean, and vice versa. 

To assist in learning correct technique I advise the following schedules: 

For a man who can jerk more than he cleans, whose maximum is 150 pounds: 

 - 4 Cleans with 100 and Jerk the final attempt   
 - 3 Cleans with 110 and Jerk the final attempt
 - 2 Cleans with 120 and 1 Jerk
 - 2 Cleans with 130 and 1 Jerk
 - 2 Cleans with 140 and 1 Jerk
 - 3 single Cleans with 140.  

Each Clean should be lowered to the ground, but the next attempt made without releasing the grip on the bar, until each group has been completed. 

For a man who can clean more than he jerks, whose maximum is 150 pounds: 

 - 3 Cleans and 2 Jerks 100 pounds
 - 2 Cleans and 2 Jerks 110
 - 2 Cleans and 2 Jerks 120
 - 2 Cleans and 2 Jerks 130
 - 2 Cleans and 2 Jerks 140

Then return to 130 pounds and do a few single Jerks, paying attention to technique. In the groups a similar procedure of lowering the bar to the floor must be followed as in the previous schedule.

An Easy Way to Bulk Up - Mike Brown

August 12, 2019, 10:15 pm

≫ Next: Specializing on Stubborn Muscles - John Grimek (1959)

≪ Previous: Training on the Olympic Lifts, Part Five- Jim Halliday

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There are only two basic factors involved in gaining muscular bodyweight. Those two factors are food absorption and heavy exercise with weights. The theory is that if your body doesn't have problems, if you lift weights and eat well, you will grow. The results - or lack of them - that you get often make the theory appear worthless. 

You can stuff yourself with protein, endure marathon workout sessions, and get nowhere. Steroid uses find that as soon as they get off the stuff their muscles start to shrink. 

The frustrations seem endless. 

One day I happened to be sitting next to a rather husky individual in a hotel. This fellow was somewhat unusual in that at a height of 6 feet and a bodyweight of 255 pounds, he had no leg development to speak of. All his weight appeared to be in his arms, shoulders, and chest. He was solid. 

One of the things I have learned through the years is that if you want "real" bodybuilding advice, you don't go to the contest winners. All of them are on steroids. You go to the considerably better than average, like this fellow. 

I asked him how he did it, and what words of advice he could offer me.

"Easy," he said. "Drink raw milk." 

I explained to me that his suggestion hardly ever worked for me or anyone else. Approximately 70% of the people in our society simply cannot digest milk or milk products. The net effect is that the body uses energy attempting to process the milk and receives almost no benefit. the resulting loss of energy causes a tired, sluggish feeling. You gain no weight.

Aha, I thought to myself, answer that one. I was sure that he was just another of those rare, fortunate individuals who had a digestive track that could convert old newspaper into muscle tissue. Was I surprised! 

What he knew has been right in front of us for decades. In fact, I suspect this ws the system that Irvin Johnson, who later changed his name to Rheo H. Blair, used to put 10-15 pounds a month on teenage boys back in the 1950s. If you've ever tried to follow Blair's system you'll notice that he simply alludes to supplements (some of which he peddled) and no one has ever been able to duplicate what he did by following his directions. 

"No problem," he said. "If you have trouble digesting milk or milk products just to to almost any health food store and get some Lactaid tablets. Take them with your milk." 

This was too simple. However, I never pass any piece of bodybuilding information on without trying it. I could hardly wait to see why it wouldn't work.

Every night for a month I took one Lactaid tablet with a small glass of raw milk before going to bed. During the day I ate the way I almost always do - just two or three moderate meals. I had no intention of overloading my digestive system. My adrenal glands and kidneys were in bad enough shape as it was from years of stress. Plus, in my 40's, I am in the age bracket where digestive organs start to deteriorate anyway.

The first two weeks I appeared to gain two pounds. I say "appeared" because a person's normal bodyweight will fluctuate that much on a day-to-day basis anyway.

Two weeks after my first weigh-in I planned on weighing myself again. My arms, chest, and shoulders felt somewhat thicker. I attributed that to wishful thinking on my part. I thought I might have gained another couple of pounds. 

Next time you're in the supermarket pick up a 4-pound package of hamburger. Observe the amount of meat involved. That is how much meat I gained in two weeks - 4 pounds. 

This was not an isolated incident. My 19-year old son followed the same program, substituting kefir for raw milk. I could literally see him growing before my eyes. My 15- and 17-year old sons followed the exact same diet and workout program, without the Lactiad tablets. In the same month the 15 year old gained a pound a week.      

Our workout routine was fairly simple. We used heavy weights, low reps, and avoided overwork or exhaustion, both of which interfere with digestion. 

On Mondays and Thursdays all four of us would do 8 to 10 sets of bench presses. We would warm up, increase the weight in 20-lb increments and do 6 reps per set. When we couldn't get 6 reps with a weight we would then add 10 more pounds and go to a set or two of forced reps or reps with extra breaths between them. We would then drop weight each set and go for reps. The last set would be 20 reps. At the end of the benching we would do a couple of sets of dips without weight, go for maximum reps and a pump and then go home. 

On Tuesdays and Fridays we would do 5 sets of 6 reps of upright rows, chinups, and dumbbell laterals. We did not attempt to strain ourselves on any of these three exercises.

Wednesdays we would do 3 or 4 sets of squats, 10 to 20 reps, with a moderate weight. The idea was to stimulate growth, not make nervous wrecks out of ourselves. 

Every day, at the beginning of the workout, we did a couple sets of situps and a light set of hyperextensions. Hopefully that would help us warm up, prevent injury, stimulate the digestive organs, and help keep some of the fat under control.

In order to make sure all the milk protein being taken in was used for tissue building and not converted to energy (for milk, a very inefficient process), my 19-year old and I took several teaspoons of dessicated liver misced in a quart of half unsweetened grape juice and water every day. Our strength went up as rapidly as our bodyweights did. For example, my ability to do 6 reps in the bench increased by 30 pounds in 30 days. 

Of course, now that we have a good system of gaining weight that works, I'll have to tamper with it. An electrical engineer informed me that his Lakhovsky Multiple Wave Oscillator may have been responsible for increasing his chinup ability from 6 to 18 reps in 3 months. Mechanical engineer Larry Pendell developed a device to add oxygen to water - which means I'll have to try adding oxygenated water to the grape juice and dessicated liver. 

The possibilities are considerable.