Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Supplementary Exercises - By Jim Duggan

Strength and Health was one of my favorite magazines during my early lifting days.  By the time I joined Bruno’s in 1983, the best days of S&H- as well as American weightlifting- were certainly in the rear view mirror.  Nevertheless, York’s flagship magazine was still capable of putting out quality issues that were devoured by the many long-time readers who couldn’t get enough of the old York gang.  Larry was most definitely a “York Barbell Man,” and it should come as no surprise that there was a stack of old muscle magazines lying around his office area.  Every once in a while, I would close the gym for Larry when he wanted to get away early.  During those times when I watched the gym, I would look through the old issues.  One that caught my eye was the September 1984 edition of S&H.  

     As always, there were many quality articles in that particular edition.  There was an article devoted to the passing of the great John Davis, who had passed away during the Summer of 1984.  Bob Hoffman’s editorial addressed the issue of “devalued gold medals” from the recent Los Angeles Olympics, since those games were boycotted by Russia and the Eastern Bloc.  Of course, there was the monthly Kilo Conversion Chart, which seemed to be in EVERY issue of the magazine. There was an article devoted to the training regimen of former NY Jet great Joe Klecko, who was just recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The “Iron Grapevine” described Jan Dellinger’s visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp that Summer.  For many years, Jan was the heart and soul of York Barbell, and his expertise on all things related to Muscletown is unsurpassed.  He is also one of the true, great gentlemen of the Iron Game, who happens to still be active in the sort today.  When I read his portion of this magazine, I was a bit envious.  During his visit to the Steelers’ camp, he was able to hang our with Jon Kolb, the legendary Offensive Tackle and World’s Strongest Man participant, who happens to be one of my favorite strength athletes.  But that’s another story.

     On page 56, there was a regular feature written by Michael Yessis devoted to Soviet Training.  Dr. Yessis is a renowned strength coach, trainer, and author.  For many years he was the “go to guy” when it came to how the Soviets trained their lifters and athletes.  Anyway, this month’s article discussed “Supplementary Exercises.”  In previous articles, I’ve written about “assistance exercises” for the various powerlifts.  I’ve always believed in the effectiveness of proper assistance movements as a way to build strength for the three lifts.  While each lifter has to select what exercises are best for him/her, there should be no doubt that some sort of supplementary movement should be used.  They are unequaled in overcoming weak points.  

     In this particular article, Dr. Yessis recounts a visit with Soviet coaches, and how they provided him with a list containing 64 supplementary exercises that their coaches utilized.  You read that right- 64 movements!  Naturally, different movements were used in different phases of their training.  General physical preparation (GPP) and specialized physical preparation (SPP) were the two phases of a lifter’s training that were described.  Naturally, some movements were devoted to GPP, while others devoted to SPP.  What was interesting was that a number of movements were used for BOTH phases of training.  

     I am definitely NOT going to describe all 64 movements.  But I will discuss some of the more popular movements.  These are exercises that have proven their worth over the course of many years.  Additionally, you do not have to be a champion Olympic weightlifter to benefit from doing these exercises.  Anybody who is interested in getting stronger can benefit from using some of these exercises.  Hopefully, these movements are familiar to everyone reading this.

     Hyperextensions are a common exercise used by the Soviets “back in the day.”  What’s important to note is that they are still a fantastic exercise.  I have used them at various times in the course of my own workouts.  They can be used as a warm-up as well as an assistance exercise.  High reps at the beginning of your training session will thoroughly warm up the muscles of your lower back.  Of course you can add resistance by a plate or dumbbell behind your head.  

     There is one salient point in the original article that I would like to emphasize.  “Technique receives receives a great deal of emphasis in the Soviet system.  They believe that correct technique will lead to proper development of the muscles.”  Do your exercise properly, and don’t be in a rush to add weight to the detriment of proper form.  You’ll not only increase your muscular development, but you’ll reduce the chance of injuries.

     Hip Belt Squats are another exercise described back in 1984.  By standing on boxes and having the weights hung from a belt around their waist, a great deal of strength was built for their lifters.  Naturally, today there are specially made Hip-Belts that can be easily purchased.  They place no undue stress on the lower back, and can be used by those who have difficulty doing regular back squats.  Overhead Squats and Lunges are also mentioned, but I’m not sure about their efficacy.  If you have the flexibility and are able to do overhead squats then perhaps they can be utilized.  I’ve never been able to do them, and I feel that there are other movements ( Hip-Belt Squats, Hammer Leg Press, Weighted Step-Up) that are safer and more effective.  Lunges seem to be have gained a resurgence in popularity.  And while they may be effective in developing a greater range of motion, I’m not sold on their effectiveness as a strength builder.  But as in anything else insofar as it relates to lifting, you must do what works for you.

     Good Mornings are mentioned as both a warm-up and as a part of a main workout routine.  I can think of few- if any- exercises that are more effective at building lower-back strength and development.  I’ve always liked doing Good Mornings, and they have played a large part in my workouts over the years.  Again, I would like to emphasize that Good Mornings are not for everyone.  If you can do them safely without injuring your back, then break into them slowly, and always use proper form.  If they are not for you, then do something that agrees with you.  Nobody knows you like you know yourself.  Never do an exercise that can cause pain or injury.  

     Parallel Bar Dips are also mentioned.  I can’t think of a more effective way to build upper-body strength than dips.  You’ll not only increase your Bench Press, but you will build all-around power in your shoulders, arms, and chest. I’ve always liked doing dips.  When I was competing, I never did Incline Presses, but I did do plenty of dips.  They are a fantastic movement. The key, of course, is to do the exercise properly.  Slow, controlled reps with NO bouncing at the bottom should be the aim of anyone doing this great movement.  In other words, don’t follow the YouTube warriors who hang weights off their waists and bounce up and down in half-repetitions.  Your shoulders will thank you as you get older.  Incidentally, the original article claimed that former World and Olympic champion Yuri Vlasov supposedly performed dips with 100kg of additional weight.  

     The last supplementary exercise is one that I have never really used, but I mention it because it was supposedly a favorite of the late, great Vasily Alexeyev.  The French Dumbbell Curl was believed to prevent elbow injuries.  According to Soviet coaches, he used them with high repetitions. I was not aware of Alexeyev doing these, but since he trained primarily by himself, who’s to know?  If you want to give them a try, I would recommend that you don’t try to go too heavy.  

     Supplementary exercises played a vital role in the training of Soviet weightlifters, and the large variety of movements was responsible for a large part of their success.  Of course, there were other factors which contributed to their success on the lifting platform, which I will not discuss here.  But for someone who is determined to get stronger, assistance movements are vital to not only increasing your lifts, but in building all-around strength.  The movements I listed in this article are still popular here in the United States nearly forty years after the original article appeared. 





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Wednesday, February 28, 2024

THE MEANS OF WEIGHT TRAINING SUCCESS - LAYOFFS - BY DAVID SEDUNARY

Your success and making your body as good as possible, so that it better serves your needs is within your reach. It is yours to attain, providing you follow the means to success and the selection of exercises as follows. 

LAYOFFS.


A person who endeavors to build their body to a stage that they are genetically able to do so, must understand how muscles are developed, if he or she wants to continue without a week’s rest. One needs layoffs in training on a regular basis, if these layoffs are not planned and instigated, injuries may occur, and mental staleness will set in. When mental staleness or injuries sets in, a person tends to give up and become a lazy person so to speak and all training is forsaken. Your muscle fibers and mind need a chance to recuperate and rest, which will enable the muscle fibers to break down and rebuild with adequate stimulation, nutrition, and rest.


Some weight training enthusiasts are willing to follow advice from so called experts whether in the gym or online, if you are making gains on full body movements twice a week, you can get twice as many gains on four times a week. This sort of approach and madness leads to staleness and overtraining downright lunacy. Instead of sticking to twice a week and resting a week or two every 8 to 10 weeks, the trainee is encouraged to ingest anabolic steroids or other chemicals to aid recovery so that they can train more often. If you have been reading my articles so far on weight training success and you want to build strength and a fine physique you will need to take regular layoffs.


As funny or unorthodox as it may seem, the days you rest before you train again are a form of a short lay off. If you were to train hard, attempting to increase the weight used very slightly or the reps on a full body workout of the legs, back, chest, shoulders, and arms, you breakdown the muscle fibers of the muscles being trained. Therefore you need three to four days rest of no weight training before you do it again. This breakdown of muscles fibers is needed to make your training effective and productive.


Gains in size and strength will occur only if the muscle fibers are overloaded in correct form and focus broken down and repaired to get larger with adequate rest and recuperation between workouts. The fibers are given sufficient time to rebuild. Just recently I trained a young person in full body workouts once every 4 days. His second workout was not as productive as his first, he used the same weight but his reps in good form were down, and he looked tired. I asked what he did for his rest days, and he said he worked his back and shoulders on one of his rest days. This splitting the body parts and training them when he should have been resting resulted in overtraining and lack of recovery to train hard again. His muscle fibers had not had time to breathe and rest.



MY EXPERIENCE, BOB TO THE RESCUE.

Scheduling layoffs is different for everyone, depending upon your   circumstances of life. There are many factors which can contribute to when you are due to have a rest from your training, one cannot keep gaining indefinitely, it is not possible. I speak of my own experience last September I moved to a seaside town 400 kilometers from my home of Broken Hill. From October 2023 until January 2024 I was extremely busy manually building new fences and, lifting carrying and pushing in my yard. Renovating it so to speak. I was getting tired and worn out, I continued to weight train once every fourth day, and do cardio to a lesser degree. Coach Bob Whelan could tell I was wearing down and suggested I take two weeks rest from all activity, therefore weight training and cardio. I said to Bob maybe one week Bob, Bob said raising his voice two weeks David, you need it. It is great to have a coach and friend such as Bob Whelan who can observe and offer suggestions to help. 


As Bob suggested I took two weeks off and took my Fox terrier dog Tan for a walk every day for 30 minutes. Layoffs soften your body as Peary Rader once wrote and told me, Peary said “your body needs it David, time to rest and recover. Well the results are amazing; I have gained 3 pounds in bodyweight and am stronger in all lifts after six weeks since my layoff.


We can do one of two things:


 1. Continue to push and to workout, and thus go stale and stay stale, until you lay off training out of necessity or

 2. Layoff and thus recuperate adequately, so that when you commence training it becomes an upward climb. I have found the period between start and peak or layoff time is about 8 weeks. It is rarely less than six weeks, and I know of no person in the weight training game who can train for more than 12 weeks before a rest is designated. So the range is six to twelve weeks. You will know by experience, and after some alert observations by yourself when it is time to take a break.


 Train hard and consistently right up to the point just prior to hitting those pre staleness workouts. You need never, never again, ever go stale.

After a designated lay off you will experience the rewards I have achieved.

During the layoff one should exercise, do not do exercise which breaks down the muscle fibers. I would suggest doing exercise such as swimming, walking, hiking, bike riding, Layoffs are also a suitable time to read and learn of ways to improve, mentally, physically, and spiritually. There is one point I wish to raise is if you are a younger person and wish to gain size and strength or an underweight person, I suggest no exercise on rest days or during a layoff, just rest, sleep and eat naturally of course. Only weight training needs to be done.


During a layoff do not eat ponderously, control your intake of starches and fats, these can cause you to gain excess flab. Live on lean meats, fish, lots of fresh raw vegetables, fruits, and poultry dishes. Control your diet, exercise gently and enjoy yourself.






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Saturday, February 24, 2024

Come See a Great Strength Training Clinic - Syosset, NY - By Jamie LaBelle

Contact Jamie LaBelle for more information.   jcoach4134@gmail.com




 

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Training Atmosphere - By Jim Duggan

By the time I joined Bruno’s Health Club in the Summer of 1983, I had been lifting consistently for several years.  Each month, I would purchase the various muscle magazines.  My favorites were the York publications, Muscular Development and Strength and Health.  I had a particular reason for reading Muscular Development:  Each month, it would have a feature dedicated to powerlifting.  Usually results or highlights of the big contests- the Senior Nationals, World Championship- or sometimes even a feature about one or more of the better known lifters of the day.  Usually at the bottom of the page, there would appear an advertisement for “Powerlifting USA,” the monthly magazine devoted exclusively to the sport of powerlifting.  Try as I might, I could never find it in the newsstands or bookstores.  Much like Peary Rader’s “Ironman,” it was nowhere to be found.

Three years later, I was competing in drug-free powerlifting contests, and at the 1986 NY State Championships, I was able to find copies of PL/USA for sale!  A famous lifter, who also sold lifting equipment and supplies, was selling copies at a table where he was hawking his goods.  Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to read through the magazine.  But more importantly, I cut out an ad and mailed in my subscription.  A couple weeks later, PL/USA began arriving in the mail every month, and it would continue for over twenty years.  

     Powerlifting USA didn’t have the history or depth of the classic muscle magazines of the time, but it did have what I coveted:  complete coverage of the powerlifting scene.  The Table of Contents was like a menu of good reading.  Contest coverage, upcoming events, The Workout of the Month, Interviews with the biggest names in the sport, For the Record ( a listing of national and state records), and one of my favorites, Dr. Ken Leistner’s monthly column, “More From Dr. Ken.”  

     I confess that the first thing I would turn to would be the contest results section.  I always wanted to see the coverage of meets that I participated in, but I would also go to the Upcoming Events section, in order to see if there were any contests coming up that I would like to enter.  When I had time, I would then turn to Dr. Ken’s column.  His articles were usually substantial and contained a lot of useful information.  There was always a lot to digest and I always took my time reading his monthly article.  Little did I know at the time that I would someday get to meet Dr. Ken and train at his famous training facility.  But since Iron Island Gym didn’t open until 1992, I had a few years to wait, and so I had to settle for his monthly column.  

    Occasionally, an article from another author would catch my eye, and offer useful information.  It was from an article in 1981 where I found the Finnish Deadlift Routine, a program that I use to this day.  I also remember reading about the Russian Squat Program that I also tried.  I’ve lost count of the total number of routines that I experimented with over the years, but suffice it to say that I got my money’s worth over the years.

    Back in the Fall of 1982, the was an article title “Training Atmosphere,” written by a gentleman named Don Pfeiffer.  It was part of a series of articles under the “Startin’ Out” section, dedicated to beginning lifters.  As I was looking through some old back issues, this article caught my eye.  We all want to train in an atmosphere conducive to progress and improvement.  In the opening paragraph of the article, you can readily grasp the main point:  “The right training atmosphere can make all the difference in the world.  It can help you realize your potential much faster.”  

     Mr. Pfeiffer also offers a definition of training atmosphere, so that there can be no doubt:  “Proper training atmosphere can be defined as the conditions that are necessary so that one can reach his/her potential in the least amount of time.”  He goes on to briefly describe various types of gyms and training facilities.  He even makes references to “Toner” and “Pumper” type gyms, and advises the reader to avoid those types of places.  At the end of the article, he lists the conditions that are necessary to maintain a positive training atmosphere.

     “There must be no horseplay or clowning around when you train.”  When I trained at Bruno’s, there were a lot of fun times.  The list of characters who trained there was long and distinguished.  Topping the list, of course, was Larry himself.  There were a lot of laughs, and a lot of funny stories came out of that place.  Unfortunately, I cannot repeat most of them, but when it came time to train, everybody got serious.  

     “Train hard.  There is no substitute for hard work, and it is contagious.”  I can’t speak for everybody, but I get inspired when I see someone lifting hard.  I remember seeing some old training tapes of Dr. Ken training cadets at West Point.  If you can’t get motivated in the presence of people lifting hard and heavy, then perhaps it’s time to take up tennis or golf.

     “Enthusiasm.  The more you enjoy your workouts, the more you’ll benefit from them.”  Like hard work, enthusiasm is contagious.  Who would want to train in an atmosphere where the vast majority of trainees sleepwalk through their workouts.  Naturally, we’re not always going to be “on” each and every workout, but you should look forward to- and enjoy- each and every training session.  At some point in life, you will come to appreciate the time spent “hoisting the steel.”

     “Be helpful.  If you show genuine concern for a fellow lifter, he will reciprocate.”  If you train in a place where there is a lifter just starting out, it makes sense to help him/her as much as possible.  Follow the Golden Rule.  More importantly, it’s important to give back to the sport.  We’ve all been carried on the shoulders of others who have come before us.  Nobody who has lifted for any length of time can truthfully claim that he did it all on his own.  We’ve all had training partners, mentors, coaches, and others who have been there for us.  Be there for others.

     “Heavy Lifting.”  I saved the best for last.  “ If you want to be strong, you must lift heavy weights.  There is a great psychological benefit from watching others handle heavy weights.  The sights and sounds of heavy lifting can spur you on to greater lifting achievements.”  I can think of no better atmosphere to be surrounded by than in the presence of strong lifters hoisting massive poundages.  It doesn’t have to turn into a lifting contest in the gym, but the sight and sound of someone moving huge poundages can only help to make you work harder, dig deeper, and fight for every rep.  

     Years ago, at one of the York Strongman Contest I competed in, before the Truck Pull event, I remember meeting two powerlifting legends who were being honored at the Hall of Fame.  I had the pleasure of speaking to them, and they were actually cheering for me as I pulled a truck for time over the prescribed distance.  It’s hard to describe just how inspiring that was to be in the presence of two former world champions.  

     I’m not saying that you have to train with world champions, but as Mr. Pfeiffer stated in this article from over forty years ago, if you train in a serious, enthusiastic environment with people who are willing to train hard, lift heavy, and help others then you have indeed found the ideal lifting atmosphere.





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Thursday, January 18, 2024

THE MEANS TO WEIGHT TRAINING SUCCESS - THE SET–REP SCHEME AND SELECTING THE PROPER POUNDAGES - BY DAVID SEDUNARY

Your success and making your body as good as possible, so that it better serves your needs is within your reach. It is yours to attain providing you follow the means to success and the selection of sets and reps and proper poundage. 


It is important to pick the right exercises, but what is needed is the right use of the right exercises. Therefore picking a suitable set and rep scheme is the secret of your success. Arthur Jones once said it only takes one shot to kill an elephant, so therefore he advocated 1 set to failure. A lot of trainees who have had years of experience lifting weights can use the one set to failure with satisfactory results. What is failure is it when your goal is 8 reps, and you get to 8 compete the rep and attempt to move it and the bar edges forward an inch in good form and focus and you are unable to move any more.


 I believe one must first know what set and rep scheme works for them, and this takes time to work out and experiment. Are you suited and can gain from high reps, low reps, and multiple sets? Having trained and spoken to many people who weight train 6 to 8 reps is about perfect for general strength and development. I preferred 15 to 20 reps for deadlifts and squats one set and for the rest of the exercises it was 6 to 8 reps. Calves and abdominals 15 to 20 reps as the calves being so far from the heart needed more reps to encourage blood flow to that muscular area. 


The main reason I preferred higher reps for squats and deadlifts was the heart and lungs had to work extra hard and this suited me greatly for improving my metabolic and endurance conditioning for Australian Rules Football. The result being I rarely suffered injuries. I have always preferred and advocated for people whom I trained to perform 2 to 3 sets per exercise. One warmup set, and two hard work sets. Or one warmup set, and one work set or hard set. Do not wear yourself out warming up, the aim of the warmup sets is to recruit the muscle fibers for one all-out effort.


During my twenties and thirties I had success using the 5x5 five sets of exercise, Reg Park used this 5x5 system often. One can use the same weight each set, and complete five sets with that weight or progressively use more weight each set of five, your lasts set is an all-out effort of five. With this system of 5x5 I only used three exercises per workout, Workout 1# deadlift, dips and dumb bell rows, Workout 2# squats, press behind neck and barbell curls simple, short, and effective. Whatever rep and set range you use; you need to ask yourself did that rep or set range satisfactorily work my body to ensure I get results. Not just a pump but actual results, if we are honest with ourselves, we will know.


Now that I am 72 years young, I vary between normal speed reps of one set to failure and slow speed reps or 8 x 8. Please let me explain the above in further detail. Normal speed is taking 2 seconds on the positive part of the rep under control, and focus with a 1 second hold, and 4 seconds on the negative part of the rep, with a 1 second hold before you start to positive part of the rep.   For example in the seated machine chest press, one takes approximately 2 seconds to push the weight away from the body, hold the weight for 1 second and lower the weight back to the chest taking 4 seconds under control and focus. My goal is 10 reps before I increase weight.


The 8x 8 speed using the seated shoulder press machine for example, I take 8 seconds to raise the weight above my head under control and focus, hold for 1 second at the top and lower in 8 seconds, hold for the count of 1 second and raise again in 8 seconds. With this version of rep cadence obviously I use less weight. My goal is 5 reps before I increase weight. These two versions of reps and speed of reps was an excellent suggestion from coach Bob Whelan, and it works fine, never had an injury.


SELECTING THE PROPER POUNDAGES.

Just last week in the gym I train at; a young bloke came up to me while I was doing standing barbell curls using 55 pounds for a set of 9 reps and said, “that weight looks hard for you even though it is only light.”  I said to him “It may appear light to you, but it feels heavy to me.” What is important is not the weight used, but the weight you select to use for the exercise that works the targeted muscles, without cheating or throwing the weight about. Therefore using excellent form and focus.


After a planned lay off a week, whenever I came back to training, I always started my weight at 70 % of my final workout weight. I would gradually increase so over two to three weeks I was back where I was before or maybe a bit heavier. I noticed the two weeks when I was using lighter weights with perfect form, I looked bigger and felt stronger. I said to myself is the rest, giving my body a chance to rejuvenate and grow or is it the lighter weight used enabling me to use better form, focus and target the muscles with intensity. Now I realise it was the latter, use a weight that you can lower in 4 seconds, rest a second at the bottom, get it up in a controlled 2 second rest 1 second at the top and lower in 4 seconds.


One of the great experts in weight training was George F Jowett whom I read a lot about. Jowett had an ultra / rugged, muscled shapely body and was athletic to back it up. One of the main things Jowett taught when working with students who wanted to build muscles using weights was: DON’T LET YOUR DESIRE TO LIFT MORE GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR NEED TO LIFT CORRECTLY. One would be wise to learn from Jowett’s teachings.


 I can recall from the very first issues of Stuart Mc Roberts hard gainer magazine , Stuart wrote numerous times that after several years of hard consistent training a drug free lifter of 5 feet 9 inches in height with a muscular bodyweight of 182 pounds  with a 7 inch wrist, should aim for a 300 pound bench press for 1 rep  a 400 pound squat for 1 rep and a 500 pound deadlift  for 1 rep .To achieve these poundage’s in good form is impressive lifting in my eyes.


If you were able to achieve the above at the same bodyweight or even 8 pounds heavier you would be barbell curling 120 to 130 pounds for reps ,   standing barbell pressing 150 pounds for reps , or pressing  66 pound dumb bells overhead with each hand for reps , bench pressing 220 pounds for reps, deadlifting 250 pounds for reps,  dumb bell rowing with 120 pounds in each hand for reps, Using 170 pounds on the lat machine pulldown machine for reps. This is all drug free lifting, for a man who trains twice a week, has a family, and works at a full-time job. Compete against yourself, no one else, remember you will always be as good as most and better than some. Be better than you were yesterday, not as good as or better than someone else.

Stick to the above, continually attempt to lift more weight in good form and focus, and you will need to buy bigger clothes.



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Sunday, January 14, 2024

The Most Valuable Tool In The Training Arsenal - By Jim Duggan

Over the years, there have been many articles written about the importance of keeping a training notebook.  I’ve even mentioned it a few times myself.  If you’re serious about your workouts, then it only makes sense that you should keep a training notebook, journal, diary, whatever name you want to apply to the written records of your workouts.  

     I’ve been recording my workouts from the time I was a teenager.  Fortunately, at that time, most articles and books devoted to lifting encouraged people to log their workouts.  I’m glad that I followed the prevailing advice of that particular time.  I’ve benefitted greatly from keeping track of my workouts.  Being able to look back and review training sessions has proven to be an invaluable asset not just for me, but for countless lifters over the years.  Probably the only disadvantage is the accumulation of all these notebooks!  They take up a couple of large cardboard boxes, and while non-lifters may classify these books as clutter, I can’t help but think what will happen to all these books when my time on Earth has passed?  I’ve considered contacting my local congressman and inquiring if the Library of Congress would be interested.  Perhaps I should start my own library of lifting, I certainly have enough material between my books, magazines, and training notebooks.  Enough speculation, this article is about training notebooks.

     There is one important point that I would like to make.  The title for this article came from my good friend Steve Weiner.  A couple of weeks ago, on New Year’s Day, I texted him a picture of my most recent training logs.  One from 2023, and the new one for the new year 2024.  Kind of like saying good-bye to the old, while welcoming in the new.  Only there were no celebrations, no confetti, and Guy Lombardo definitely was not playing Auld Lang Syne ( for you younger readers google Guy Lombardo to find out about his association with New Year’s Eve).  Anyway, when I texted the attached picture to Steve, his response was classic: “ The Most Valuable Tool in the Training Arsenal.”  Truer words were never spoken!  Luckily Steve, like me, was taught at a young age to record his workouts, and agrees with me about the importance of maintaining a written record of lifting sessions completed.  I think many readers will agree with Steve’s assessment of training notebooks and their importance.

     As you can see by the picture, I prefer to use a daily planner.  I just like to keep things organized by date.  The are many other effective- and cheaper- alternatives.  The most basic approach would be simply using a notebook that you can purchase from any office supply store.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, that’s for sure.

     When I trained at Bruno’s, Larry used to use a simple spiral notebook.  There was one member of Bruno’s who took it a little further.  This guy was an older lifter, about ten years older than Larry, and he was a competitive powerlifter for a while.  He was well known because he used to bring his own, personal Olympic bar to the gym.  He drove a van, and would have the bar in the back of is van and bring it into the gym and use it.  Nobody understood exactly why he did that, since his personal bar was the same, exact bar as the ones used in Bruno’s ( York ).  This guy liked to draw attention to himself, and I guess that was reflected in his approach to his workouts.  In addition to his own personal bar, he would bring his training notebook with him, and carry it from exercise to exercise.  His training journal was a large, blue loose-leaf notebook, like the ones we dreaded in high school.  He would make a big show of sitting down after every set, opening up his notebook, putting on a pair of reading glasses, then jotting down his most recent set.  He would then place the book down with great care then proceed with his next set.  It seemed like a carefully choreographed show, to say the least, and we used to get a kick out of it.  I mean, he could have simply just remembered his poundages, or at least remembered the warm-up sets without writing them down.  What a rip!

     This brings me to an important point.  Just what SHOULD you write down in your training journal?  My answer to that is that there is no wrong answer.  Obviously, you will enter your exercises, poundages, sets, reps.  That’s self-explanatory.  You can also comment on the relative ease or difficulty of each individual set.  For example, Bench Press 315, 3 Sets of 10.  First set easy, last two hard.  Or all three sets easy, time to add weight.  You get the point.  

     Some guys like to record the reps that they didn’t make.  I never liked that approach.  I’ve always felt that a training notebook should only reward those reps which are completed satisfactorily.  Missed reps don’t deserve to be recorded.  Obviously there will be those who adamantly disagree with me, and that’s fine.  

     There was a time, when I was trying to gain muscular weight, like most young lifters.  During this time, I would also record my meals that were eaten that day.  Additionally, I would also write down those supplements that were consumed during the course of the day.  Needless to say Desiccated Liver used to appear regularly back then!  Seriously, if you are trying to gain or lose weight, keeping track of your meals and your caloric intake can be of great assistance in making sure you reach your goals.  

     I have heard of some lifter who even take the time to record their resting heartrate upon waking up in the morning.  Their reasoning for this is that since an elevated resting heartrate is a sign of over-training, it makes sense to keep track of this important marker.  Again, it is a matter of individual preference.

     As for recording your weight, if you are trying to add or drop some weight then it wouldn’t hurt to track your bodyweight.  However, if you are going to do so, I wouldn’t do it every single day, since there will inevitably be variations.  Maybe weigh yourself two or three times per week?  And obviously make sure you utilize the same scale for each informal weigh-in.  Using a bathroom scale one day, then using a Toledo gym scale another day is a good way to drive yourself crazy.

     Many Olympic weightlifters used to record the total amount of tonnage lifted in each individual training session.  The theory being that it is easy to measure your progress by comparing total tonnage from workout to workout.  I even tried doing something like this a few times.  It works well with the lifts.  But when it gets to assistance movements, especially dumbbell exercises, then it gets increasingly more difficult to get an accurate picture of your progress when tonnage is the only yardstick.  

     The most important part of utilizing a training notebook is that it allows you to look back and compare yourself at various phases of your training.  If you are preparing for a contest, then you can look back at old journals and compare your progress.  When I was competing, I felt it was very important to “check the numbers” at various times throughout a training cycle.  It is especially important for drug-free lifters because of the inevitable days when the weights “feel heavy.”  Those doldrum days when you just don’t have it can be compared to similar workouts for the purpose of getting yourself out of a rut.

     If you are serious about your lifting, then do yourself a big favor and make sure that you take advantage of the most valuable tool in the training arsenal.  You’ll be glad that you did.





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Sunday, December 24, 2023

THE MEANS OF WEIGHT TRAINING SUCCESS - SELECTION OF EXERCISES - BY DAVID SEDUNARY

Your success and making your body as good as possible, so that it better serves your needs is within your reach. It is yours to attain providing you follow the means to success and the selection of exercises as follows. 

YOUR SELECTION OF EXERCISES.

The meat of your program is the selection of exercises you select and organize into your workout program. If you are tall and have long legs and find it very difficult to perform barbell squats, you may be better suited to trap bar deadlifts. The trap bar deadlift is a fine exercise and will work the legs, gluts, lower and upper back. I once trained a hard gaining footballer who was six feet six inches in height, who found it difficult to squat. I changed him to trap bar deadlifts, overhead press, lat machine pulldowns, bench press using dumb bells, and curls all for on hard set. and he progressed. This exercise selection was productive for him, it took time to find the right selection of exercises. Once it was found, his effort improved greatly as he was making gains in strength and size. There will be exercises that work you hard, but unfortunately do not give you the results you are looking for. 


To determine what exercises to use and exercises which work the major muscle groups first break down your body into the following muscle groups:

Arms --Barbell curls, dumb bell curls, alternate dumbbell curls standing dumb bells incline dumbbell curls there are lots of varieties one can use to build and strengthen the arms. My arms grew most when I did not curl just dumb bell row and press. Triceps make up most of the size of the arms, but triceps can be worked indirectly from all types of pressing movements. Triceps push downs or extensions are not basic exercises, they are shaping exercises.

Shoulders---Overhead presses using Barbells or dumbbells whether standing or sitting build and strengthen shoulders. I preferred the seated press behind neck, it never injured my shoulders, there are seated shoulder press machines which mimic this movement of behind the neck press.


Chest--- For chest expansion light barbell or dumb bell pullovers. For chest development and strength building bench press barbell or dumbbells, flat, incline or decline. I also enjoyed and got benefit from weighted dips, the dips strengthened and built chest, shoulders, and triceps. Primary basic upper body builder dips done with great form and focus. Research and view Marvin Eder and you will fully understand the value of dips.


Upper Back ---- Barbell cleans, Dumbbell rows, barbell rows ensuring to keep a strong and fixed in position lower back. Lat machine pulldowns, machine rows. I had remarkable success using the dumb bell row, it was a good arm builder for me, as well as building and strengthening my latissimus dorsi muscles and trapezius muscles to a lesser degree.


Lower Back ---- Stiff legged deadlift, Deadlifts good mornings, barbell cleans and hyper extensions. I used hyper extensions at times to strengthen and rehab my lower back after injury from football and it worked fine.


Thigh Quadricep and Hip Area -----Squats, back or front squats. Trap bar deadlifts from a parallel position.

Calves ---- Calve raises standing or sitting, using a machine or one leg at a time using a dumb bell is quite effective.

Abdominals--- Sit ups and leg raises. Side raises with heavy dumb bells for the side obliques.

Select one exercise from each muscle group, the exercises listed are basic compound exercises which have a rebound effect upon other smaller muscles.

Or another straightforward way to determine what exercises to use to work the whole body is as follows:

Pick one basic exercise which benefits you for vertical push, and vertical pull.

Pick one exercise for horizontal push and horizontal pull.

Pick one compound exercise such as the deadlift and squat done on alternative days.

 A curling exercise.

Add 1 abdominal exercise, 1 grip or forearm movement and a calve movement. And if you play contact sport add 1 neck strengthening movement. Having a strong neck can be the difference between becoming a paraplegic or not.

A smart trainer will use one basic exercise for each major muscle and train hard on it at each workout. I see at times in the gym where I train, some trainees are using 4 exercises to work their back for instance. They use dumb bell rows, lat machine pulldowns, machine rows and shrugs. All for 3 sets each giving them a total of 12 sets, too much work for my likening. If they concentrated and performed, lat machine pulldowns for 2 work sets and machine seated rows for 2 sets, using total concentration, good form and focus with lots of effort, they would gain and benefit. That is a total of four work sets plenty for the non-drug using trainees. Or if they still find it hard to gain size and strength just perform one basic movement for the upper back at each workout performed twice a week.

 DRUG FREE WE ALL SHOULD BE.













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Friday, December 15, 2023

A Man of Iron Speaks - By Jim Duggan

Last month, I wrote about an article which first appeared in the June 1972 issue of Strength and Health magazine.  As I had mentioned, there were numerous quality articles in that particular edition of Bob Hoffman’s flagship magazine.  To underscore that point, this month I am going to write about another article which caught my attention.  The article is about the former Soviet weightlifter and coach Rudolph Plukfelder.  His name may or may not be instantly recognizable to many readers, but his most famous pupil, David Rigert, is one of the best known- as well as one of the very best- weightlifters of all time.

    “A Man of Iron Speaks” is the title of the article, and it was reprinted and translated from a Soviet magazine at the time.  If the title doesn’t grab you, then the opening words of the article should: “Weightlifting is a sport in which man pits his strength against iron.”  I can’t think of a better way to describe the process of lifting weights.  Whether your goal is weightlifting, powerlifting, or simply to get stronger, these words will resonate with you.  Unlike team sports, when you lift weights, it is simply you versus the weight.  Whether that weight be a barbell, kettlebell, stone, or anvil, there is nobody there to help you.  It is a struggle against the force of gravity, according to the article.  

     “Man’s muscles must be made of iron if he is to win over real iron.”  I believe this to be true.  However, I also believe that you must have a will that is made of iron, as well.  Your mind must be focused and you must possess determination as well as courage to conquer a heavy weight.  

     I have always believed that the sport of lifting is one where you compete against yourself.  Your opponent is your potential.  So in addition to the poundage to be lifted, you must also compete against what you are capable of doing.  You do not have to be a competitive weightlifter to feel this way.  Any person who has “hoisted the steel” knows this feeling.  

     “When an athlete is hoisting a weight, it is best if he is calm and in complete control of himself.”  This stands in stark contrast to what you see in a typical commercial gym.  How many times have you seen someone attempt a heavy poundage and he is surrounded by his retinue of “gym bros” and other assorted useless hangers-on?  Since when is lifting weights a team effort?  What good does it do to have a bunch of guys screaming at the tops of their lungs?  If you need an entourage to succeed, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate what your goals are and how you’re going to achieve them.

     Then there are the ranting, screaming lunatics.  I’ve seen this particular type of “lifter” in contests many times.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone carry on like a crazed maniac, only to miss a lift.  I’ve seen guys break blocks of chalk on their heads ( this must get expensive at some point), have their handlers punch them in the face, and carry on like a mad banshee.  A famous football coach once said that emotion can only take you so far.  Truer words were never spoken.  If you have to depend on emotions, then you are doomed to fail.  

     “When a weightlifter trains his body, he also trains his spirit.  And the main psychological struggle is fought not during the actual competition itself.”  I interpret this to mean, that the hard work should be during the workouts themselves.  It’s like any athlete who trains for a competition.  The hardest part should be the training.  So that the actual contest should seem easy, and therefore lead to a positive mindset.

     “All beginners should recognize one thing:  There is a very wide gap between desire and achievement.  One has to have strong willpower to train day-in and day-out, month after month, and year after year.”  Everybody who lifts weights has an desire to get either bigger or stronger.  While everybody may have the desire, how many have the will to work brutally hard?  I remember one day, years ago at Iron Island, there was a young guy who approached Dr. Ken and asked him to spot him on his squats.  He told Dr. Ken that he wanted to go “to failure.”  I happened to be near the power rack, and Ken asked me to help spot him.  I kind of knew what to expect.  The kid did about nine or ten squats before trying to give up the set.  I say “trying to give up the set” because Dr. Ken was not letting him quit.  He told him that he had to reach twenty at the very least.  When he finally made rep number 20, Doc had him stand with the barbell on his shoulders.  At this point Doc asked me to move the safety pins from the low position to about the halfway point.  He then had the kid do partial squats, one at a time until he did another ten half-reps.  The kid could barely move, but he received an education in hard work.  Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever saw him at Iron Island after that.  

     There will be times when your workouts will be monotonous, exhaustive, even a drag at times.  But is the act of pushing through and staying consistent that will lead to progress.  Most of the time, results will not be immediately visible and, naturally, many people will not have the patience to wait.  

     “From the point of view of psychology, there is no limit to man’s strength and energy.  The trick is to develop them.”  I think that this type of thinking only comes from years of training.  Constantly setting goals, working towards those goals, and achieving them will only strengthen your ability to set further goals.  But it is important to set reasonable goals, especially if you are a beginner.  

     “To win over your opponent is a great feeling, but to win over yourself is even greater satisfaction.”  I mentioned before that when you lift weights competitively your opponent is your potential.  Yes, it’s nice to win a trophy, but to reach new personal bests is much more satisfying.  Many years ago, when I was relatively new to the sport, I competed in a local meet against a former world champion powerlifter.  Naturally, if you looked at the numbers from that contest, I got throttled.  But I achieved new PRs in all three lifts, and achieved my elite ranking for my weight class.  So, while I may not have won my weight class, I did win over myself.

     On the other hand, there are guys who pick and choose what contests they enter.  They only enter those meets where it is assured that they will come out on top.  They may win some cheap awards, but in the big picture they are losers.  If you’re lifting puny weights against minimal competition- or no competition at all- and win a trophy or a medal, then what have you really won?  You may fool people into believing you are a champion, buy you can’t fool yourself.  At least not for long, anyway.

     “Weightlifting means health, and it will add years of life and that it will improve your willpower.”  It would be great if this were an absolute fact.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.  But one thing is for certain, if you lift weights, and you do it the right way- the drug free way- and you combine it with proper nutrition then you have a better chance at improving your life than someone who does not.  

     I’ve included many references to competitive lifting, but the fact of the matter is that you do not have to enter contests to benefit from advice various lifting coaches.  Getting stronger is an intensely personal endeavor and however you pit your strength against the iron, the goal is to come out on top.




York Barbell Co.
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Monday, November 13, 2023

Priority Training - or Training Your Weak Areas - By Jim Duggan

I love looking through back issues of the classic muscle magazines.  Today’s muscle magazines, at least those that are still around, have absolutely NO appeal to me.  Pumping, steroids, split routines, and other silly ideas are everywhere today.  Even if there are few, if any, actual magazines around, there is no shortage of foolishness being disseminated online and via various video channels.  I certainly don’t want to see a tiktok tough guy bragging about the drugs he uses, or some yo-yo bouncing a barbell off his chest and claiming a new world record in the Bench Press.  

     But the old magazines from the earliest days up until the seventies sure do offer a lot of useful information for anyone who is interested in getting stronger.  I can’t mention all of the good magazines from year past, but three that I thoroughly enjoy are Peary Rader’s Ironman, and Bob Hoffman’s Muscular Development and Strength and Health.  I could look through these old issues forever and never get bored.  And, no matter how often I may have perused a particular issue, there always seems to be some new idea or training tip from which to learn.

     The June 1972 issue of Strength and Health is one such magazine.  If you are a dedicated fan of Olympic weightlifting, the cover alone, which was Gennadi Ivanchenko snatching 325 Lbs, was worth the price of the magazine ( which incidentally was 75 cents!).  But the Table of Contents featured some real quality articles by some of the great Iron Game authors of the time.  Bill Pearl, John McCallum, Hugh Cassidy are but a few of the contributors that month.  But the article I’m going to write about was written by the legendary Tommy Kono.  

      Tommy Kono’s ABCs of Weightlifting this month focused on priority training.  When I refer to “priority training,” I am definitely not talking about the silly training principle of the same name that was supposedly created by a huckster who called himself the master blaster.  The article which appeared in S&H was written by one of the greatest weightlifters of all time, who was not only a great lifter but also a prolific author and coach.  The list of people who have learned and been influenced by Mr. Kono is long and prestigious.  But when it comes to training your weak areas, you do not have to be an Olympic champion, in fact, you don’t have to be an Olympic weightlifter at all.  Anybody who hoists the steel and desires t get stronger can benefit from the wisdom the Mr. Kono shared over fifty years ago.

     One of the first valid points brought up in the article is the fact that “Too many lifters try to improve their totals without ever trying to correct their weaknesses.”  In a way, it’s human nature to want to concentrate on your strong points.  If you’re a gifted squatter, but not as proficient in the deadlift, naturally you’re going to do that which gives you the most pleasure.  Or, in the case of an Olympic weightlifter, if you have plenty of power but your technique is lacking, then it would be fruitless to spend time building strength at the expense of your technique work.  

     “The modern day lifter cannot be a specialist in one lift, or be good in two of the three lifts and expect to become a world champion.”  How many times have you seen someone show up at a contest and have one really impressive lift, while his/her other lifts are weak.  Granted, today there are any number of “single lift” contests in which to compete, but if you want to be a complete lifter, then you must dedicate yourself to becoming good on all three lifts, and have no weaknesses.  

     Mr. Kono made an interesting observation about the state of American weightlifters.  Keep in mind that this was written in 1972, when American weightlifting was in the midst of a downward spiral that would see the USA lose prestige in a sport in which it once dominated.  He felt that American lifters lacked a certain “wholeness” that only comes from being proficient in all three lifts and having developed both power and technique.

     “A champion is a champion because he works on his weak areas rather than specialize on his strong point(s).  A champion keeps improving because he is willing to work on the exercises he dislikes intensely for he knows that it is necessary.”  This quotation should be written in bold, capital letters on the walls of every gym.  

    Doing set after set of heavy squats is no fun, and it is certainly not as pleasant as doing lots of bench presses.  But if your squat is weak, then you had better dedicate yourself to the unpleasant task of bringing up your weak point if you expect to succeed.  Naturally, this way of thinking is not limited to lifters.  If your goal to gain mass and develop a muscular physique, then you must not allow yourself to focus on your strong points to the exclusion of those bodyparts which do not respond so easily.  

     “Many times even a very short, intensified specialization program can bring a lift right up simply because you put your mind to it.”  Truer words were never spoken.  If you ever want to achieve a certain goal- whether it is a certain poundage or other athletic goal- you have to be dedicated, and focused.  Part of this focus is the fact that you have to be honest in the first place.  If you are looking to improve your total, you have to make an honest appraisal of your strong points as well as your weak points.  Once you have decided what to focus on, then you must put in the necessary work to make the improvement that you are seeking.  

     I remember years ago, Larry “Bruno” Licandro was looking to improve his bench press.  He was honest with himself and decided that he had to dedicate extra time and effort on his weak lift.  He developed a program of heavy rack work, focusing on the initial push off the chest, which was where he would usually get stuck ( incidentally, I had the opposite problem, I was strong off the chest, but would lose a lift on the lockout).  By being honest with himself, and dedicating himself to improving his weak point, he was able to add a substantial amount to what had been a weak area for him.

     “One of the secrets to becoming an outstanding athlete is to recognize your weak point and correct it by mapping out a program to erase this weakness.  You must ‘Plan the work and work the plan’ as one success axiom goes.  To be a champion you must be a tough-minded , hard-headed realist.  Know your priorities!”

     This final paragraph by Mr. Kono sums it up very well.  To get bigger and stronger , you must have all those qualities listed above.  You have to be tough and hard-headed ( Larry certainly was hard-headed, but I’ll save that for another article), especially if you plan on doing it without the use of steroids or other PEDs.  I’ve always felt that lifters- and other athletes- who accomplished great things are some of the mentally tough people you will meet.  Not many people are willing to work, sacrifice, and deal with the ups and downs that come with trying to build great strength.  Likewise, there is a unique satisfaction that comes with working for and achieving a lifting goal.  Whether it is a specific poundage ( like a 400 Lb Bench Press), or a repetition goal ( 315 Lbs for twenty reps in the Squat), being mentally tough means being brutally honest about your weak points and dedicating yourself to overcoming them.





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