I have always been a hard gainer, found it exceedingly difficult to gain size, but fortunately the strength was there but not always the size. From 1980 through till the year 2000 I operated a gym in the back yard of my home.
The gym was a shed 16 feet by 20 feet in size lined and filled with a power rack, benches, plenty of plates, dumb bells, bars, a boxing bag, skipping ropes, dip and chin bars, lat pulldown machine, heavy bags to carry and use for farmers walk, and odd bars and devices to strengthen one’s hands and grip. I taught weight training and my father taught boxing, it was old style, it brought results, and the people who attended loved it.
Those who trained, trained no more than three times a week and most only twice a week. The basics were used, and all were instructed to use correct form and focus at all times. I tolerated no talking throughout the workout only hard work and concentration.
Anyone under eighteen paid $3-50 and an adult paid $5 a workout and I was always there to offer instruction. My main source of information was Peary Rader’s Iron Man Magazine, not only for training information, but also the weight training equipment Peary offered in the back of his magazine.
I was having problems gaining size and terrible frustrated, so in August 1985 I decided to write to Peary Rader for help. Peary wrote back in September 1985 (letter enclosed) I explained to him I was working hard, but the gains were not forthcoming. Peary thanked me for my letter and explained to me I was doing too much and needed to take, a two-week break, reduce my workout from three days a week to two, reduce the number of exercises I was doing and perform one hard set on the basic movements.
Take two weeks off said Peary Rader, and you will come back strong, your body will soften and respond better for growth after rest. Concentrate he said on the high rep squat, aim for ten reps, the first ten reps are warmups take 5 to 6 deep breaths between squats and do number 11, repeat, and do twelve until you get 20 reps.
Keep the squat your last exercise.
The other exercises will be the Bench press for ten reps, then do ten reps of a rowing exercise, Peary suggested a curl and a behind neck press. Only do one set for each exercise, and see if that is enough, he said. Train twice a week, drink two quarts of whole milk a day and eat well, you may get a bit soft around the waist, but do not worry about that said Peary.
It was only a small program, but Peary Radar gained near one hundred pounds in a year on it, he went years with no gains at all on a mainstream program that promised the world.
So, I took my rest for two weeks, got my mind positive into believing Less is More, and done exactly what Peary Rader suggested. I ate three large meals a day and added to two quarts of milk a day with one cup of skimmed milk powder and cocoa for taste to the milk.
I gained ten pounds in bodyweight in 3 months and my squat went to 280 pounds for twenty tough repetitions in good style., bench press was 250 pounds for six reps, behind neck press 140 pounds for 8 reps, Dumb bell rows 122 pounds for 8 reps, and curls 120 pounds for 6 reps.
At 34 years young my body weight went from 178 pounds to 188 pounds, with a 36-inch waist.
So as Peary said you will accumulate a bit of softness around the waist.
After that experience Less is More for me and has been since 1985 when I wrote to Peary for advice, and he responded in his honest and knowledgeable style
So, after 37 years I still use Peary’s advice Less is More it is hard to get through to people today who want to train four and six days a week a week using split programs. They last 6 months and never train again,
Weight training is for life, I am into my 55 year of weight training and still love it. Started when I was 15 am now seventy. I train once every 5-day one hard set to failure on each exercise, use good form, and focus strongly on a horizontal push exercise, a horizontal pull, vertical push. Vertical pull, a compound exercise, and a curl that is it. I never get injured.
I am going to stick with Less is More.
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