NaturalStrength.com is an online think-tank, dedicated to truthful drug-free strength training information, (weight training, weightlifting, olympic lifting, powerlifting, competitive strongman, bodybuilding, physical culture & iron game). Good articles about weight training, strength research, the harmful effects of steroids, the mental aspects of training, and iron game - physical culture history are always wanted. Email articles to the editor: bobwhelan@naturalstrength.com
Friday, August 17, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
DEADLIFT: NO EXCUSES! - By Alfred Page
Like many trainees, I began strength training in the 'conventional' manner, recieving all or most of my instruction through the media hype magazines. I was very niaive to say the least and made some serious training errors like multiple exercises, poor form and silly 'no-carb' diets. I have trained with abbreviated methods now for over a year. I train less but harder, sleep more and eat a lot more good food instead of too many needless supplements. As a result I 'GROW MORE'.
However I feel far and away my biggest mistake was not training the Deadlift seriously and progressively. Previously I had convinced myself the exercise wasn't for me because it hurt my back and knees where i have slight limitations. In fact the honest truth was that I was using poor form and the exercise was just too damn hard! I wanted an excuse! After careful observation of my body and progression and lengthy study of hardgainer texts and 'NaturalStrength.com' related materials I began to seriously train the Deadlift. After four months of serious application and hard work (using now correct form) I have progressed in both size and strength. I can confidently state that in order to progress in muscle and might one must use (health permitting) the major lower body exercises. Avoiding these exercises is pitiful if you are not restricted by health issues. My 'weak mindedness' kept me trapped in a weak body. I use the 'Trap Bar' deadlift due to genuine structural limitations. The exercise is by no means 'easier' as it incorporates the same musculature of both the squat and deadlift simultaneously and I think it is excellent. Currently I train upper body (weighted Dips, OverHead barbell press, chins) on wednesday and lower body (TrapBar deadlift,a partial modified straddle lift and crunches) on Saturdays. I do 2x8 reps each and add the 'breathing pull-over' after deadlifts. My long term goals by the age of 25 are Deadlift 400 lbs x 1, Dip + 100 lbs x 6, Bench 300 lbs x 1 and Overhead press bodyweight x 1. I am a way off but averaging 0.5kg closer per week or two.
Important Reminder
Always use impeccably good form and correct technique. If deadlifting for the first time, use only the bar until you master the technique, then add weight slowly. Here is a brief outline of good form: 1. Back straight, arms straight, feet shoulder-width apart facing forward. 2. Keeping the shoulders back, breathe in and bend at the knees first followed by the hips (feel the weight through the heels). 3. Shrug the shoulders vertically against the bar, squeeze slowly off the ground pushing with the legs (through the heels) and pulling with the back. 4. While ascending, keep the shoulders pulled back, breathe out and imagine pushing your heels through the floor.
NOTE: Keep the back flat throughout - not arched or rounded. For more in-depth information on deadlifting form, check-out 'The Insider's Tell All Handbook on Weight Training Technique' by Stuart McRobert at CS Publishing. Better still, get instruction from a professional strength coach or expert.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
However I feel far and away my biggest mistake was not training the Deadlift seriously and progressively. Previously I had convinced myself the exercise wasn't for me because it hurt my back and knees where i have slight limitations. In fact the honest truth was that I was using poor form and the exercise was just too damn hard! I wanted an excuse! After careful observation of my body and progression and lengthy study of hardgainer texts and 'NaturalStrength.com' related materials I began to seriously train the Deadlift. After four months of serious application and hard work (using now correct form) I have progressed in both size and strength. I can confidently state that in order to progress in muscle and might one must use (health permitting) the major lower body exercises. Avoiding these exercises is pitiful if you are not restricted by health issues. My 'weak mindedness' kept me trapped in a weak body. I use the 'Trap Bar' deadlift due to genuine structural limitations. The exercise is by no means 'easier' as it incorporates the same musculature of both the squat and deadlift simultaneously and I think it is excellent. Currently I train upper body (weighted Dips, OverHead barbell press, chins) on wednesday and lower body (TrapBar deadlift,a partial modified straddle lift and crunches) on Saturdays. I do 2x8 reps each and add the 'breathing pull-over' after deadlifts. My long term goals by the age of 25 are Deadlift 400 lbs x 1, Dip + 100 lbs x 6, Bench 300 lbs x 1 and Overhead press bodyweight x 1. I am a way off but averaging 0.5kg closer per week or two.
Important Reminder
Always use impeccably good form and correct technique. If deadlifting for the first time, use only the bar until you master the technique, then add weight slowly. Here is a brief outline of good form: 1. Back straight, arms straight, feet shoulder-width apart facing forward. 2. Keeping the shoulders back, breathe in and bend at the knees first followed by the hips (feel the weight through the heels). 3. Shrug the shoulders vertically against the bar, squeeze slowly off the ground pushing with the legs (through the heels) and pulling with the back. 4. While ascending, keep the shoulders pulled back, breathe out and imagine pushing your heels through the floor.
NOTE: Keep the back flat throughout - not arched or rounded. For more in-depth information on deadlifting form, check-out 'The Insider's Tell All Handbook on Weight Training Technique' by Stuart McRobert at CS Publishing. Better still, get instruction from a professional strength coach or expert.
Physical Culture Books.com
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The Parallel Bar Dip - By Alfred Page
The Dip is a hugely productive exercise. As an upper-body exercise and in particular a 'chest' exercise, it is often overlooked in program design in favour of the more common 'Bench Press'. The Bench Press is a productive exercise, but a fixation can often develop. This is usually geared around the infamous question- ''How much do you Bench?''. Trainees can then become obssessed about increasing their poundages, disregarding good form, (so they can answer and gain more respect.) When were you last asked- ''How much can you Dip?''. The Dip is performed on parallel bars, by holding the body upright on locked arms (feet suspended in the air), then lowering and raising the body by bending at the elbows. It incorporates a wide range of musculature including the pectorals, triceps, deltoids and, unlike the Bench, requires a good deal of back strength aswell. Like Chins, the Dip is not simply a 'bodyweight' exercise. It should be performed progressively. In this fashion, a belt with a length a chain-link attatched is used. The chain-link is fed through the centre of weight plates and is then hung around the waist, hanging between the legs. This provides additional resistance to the trainee's body-weight.
Rates of Progression
To begin with, if you cannot perform repetitions using only bodyweight, then perform negatives. Work up until you can perform 2-3 sets of 8+ reps, using bodyweight and in good form. Then add small increments as often as possible. Set goals of bodyweight+10lbs, then +15lbs, 20lbs and so on. Marvin Eder was a lengendary strength trainee during the 1950's and 60's. In 1953, 200lbs bodyweight, he was credited with a 435lbs Dip. Thats a total of 635lbs! Eder was not genetically typical and these poundages are unrealistic for most trainees. Still, if you progress to bodyweight+100lbs, you will be astounded with the gains you make. For genetically typical trainees a really outstanding achievement would be bodyweight+'150lbs'. If you have stagnated with the bench press or never seriously trained the Dip before, then add it to you're current program as a chest exercise. It truely is an excellent exercise. Just look at the muscular development of Gymnasts who perform work or compete on the Parallel bars or Pommel Horse. These athletes spend hours training in a position similar to the Dip. Although any exercise done in poor form is potentially harmful, with the Dip you have the added safety incentive of not being underneath a loaded barbell, as you would in the Bench or Overhead Press.
Summary of correct Form:
1. Choose bars which are approximately 22" apart. Depending on preferance or size etc you may prefer slightly wider bars. 2. Position yourself on bars with arms locked out and 'knuckles out' grip. 3. Bend the legs. Keep the elbows in the same plain as the wrists. Inhale. 4.Keep the chest out and the shoulders pulled back. 5. Lower to a comfortable position. Distribute stress over all of the involved musculature. DO NOT overstretch. 6. Press up and exhale. 7. Pause at the top on locked arms, do not let the shoulders slump. Repeat. Caution! Do not over stretch or descend too far into the bottom position. This will wreak havov on the joints, shoulder external rotators and solar plexus. Never descend on a deflated chest and always remember to keep elbows in the same plain as the wrists- NOT flared out to the sides. If you currently suffer from shoulder problems or have in the past, consult a physician or knowledgable strength coach before performing the dip. Reminder As with all exercises- correct form and technique should always take priority over poundages. If an exercise isn't done in good form it doesn't matter how much weight you use. Dipping with only bodyweight in good form, is far more impressive than dipping with additional poundage but descending only 3" and with flared elbows!
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
Rates of Progression
To begin with, if you cannot perform repetitions using only bodyweight, then perform negatives. Work up until you can perform 2-3 sets of 8+ reps, using bodyweight and in good form. Then add small increments as often as possible. Set goals of bodyweight+10lbs, then +15lbs, 20lbs and so on. Marvin Eder was a lengendary strength trainee during the 1950's and 60's. In 1953, 200lbs bodyweight, he was credited with a 435lbs Dip. Thats a total of 635lbs! Eder was not genetically typical and these poundages are unrealistic for most trainees. Still, if you progress to bodyweight+100lbs, you will be astounded with the gains you make. For genetically typical trainees a really outstanding achievement would be bodyweight+'150lbs'. If you have stagnated with the bench press or never seriously trained the Dip before, then add it to you're current program as a chest exercise. It truely is an excellent exercise. Just look at the muscular development of Gymnasts who perform work or compete on the Parallel bars or Pommel Horse. These athletes spend hours training in a position similar to the Dip. Although any exercise done in poor form is potentially harmful, with the Dip you have the added safety incentive of not being underneath a loaded barbell, as you would in the Bench or Overhead Press.
Summary of correct Form:
1. Choose bars which are approximately 22" apart. Depending on preferance or size etc you may prefer slightly wider bars. 2. Position yourself on bars with arms locked out and 'knuckles out' grip. 3. Bend the legs. Keep the elbows in the same plain as the wrists. Inhale. 4.Keep the chest out and the shoulders pulled back. 5. Lower to a comfortable position. Distribute stress over all of the involved musculature. DO NOT overstretch. 6. Press up and exhale. 7. Pause at the top on locked arms, do not let the shoulders slump. Repeat. Caution! Do not over stretch or descend too far into the bottom position. This will wreak havov on the joints, shoulder external rotators and solar plexus. Never descend on a deflated chest and always remember to keep elbows in the same plain as the wrists- NOT flared out to the sides. If you currently suffer from shoulder problems or have in the past, consult a physician or knowledgable strength coach before performing the dip. Reminder As with all exercises- correct form and technique should always take priority over poundages. If an exercise isn't done in good form it doesn't matter how much weight you use. Dipping with only bodyweight in good form, is far more impressive than dipping with additional poundage but descending only 3" and with flared elbows!
Physical Culture Books.com
What inroad are you traveling? - By Ron Sowers
Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on March 25, 2004
I would like to discuss some issues, issues that when considered might very well explain points such as strength and size gains, and their relationships.
The title "What inroad are you traveling?" is in reference to WHICH of the body's systems are being stressed during a workout or even a particular set during a workout.
We know from the G.A.S. theory, that our bodies adapt to the stress applied to them, and they adapt in a specific manner. If we train for endurance, the systems in the body that are stressed during that training will supercompensate and we will benefit by those increases in the form of more endurance. We also know that if we train for strength, the systems that are involved in strength will supercompenstate and we will benefit by those increases in the form of more strength. What I want to speak of, are more specific parts of our training.
Training to failure -Was it really muscular failure?
We speak of "muscular failure" all the time. But if we really analyze some of our sets that are taken to failure, we will notice that is wasn't the muscles that were the weak link. It's very hard to perform deadlifts to "muscular failure". Cardio failure... yes, volitional failure... yes, but to continue the exercise until the muscles have failed is almost, if not completely, impossible. It's easy to do a one arm dumbbell curl to failure, our cardiovascular system can easily handle the effort, as can our CNS. Thus we are able to push the exercise until the biceps fail.However, when performing one of the big compound exercises, such as deadlifts or even squats, it's more likely that WE failed, as in our mind or CNS, or even our cardiorespitory systems, rather than the muscles.
What does this mean then?
Going back to the G.A.S. model, we can logically say that the systems stressed the most, will be the ones stimulated the most. So these systems will be the ones that will supercompensate the most. (given proper recovery measures)
MOST IMPORTANT POINT ON THIS:
This could explain strength without size: If one is adding reps to their squats and is not adding size, obviously the strength of the muscle fibers was not the weak link. Something else must have been. It could be that the CNS is not adapted to putting out that level of effort. A big exercise takes a lot of output in the form of neural transmitters and electrical current from the nervous system. It may have to adapt to increase it's output. Our cardio might be the lacking system, in which case, it will have to increase. I think this is very important! Knowing that the systems that are stressed the most, must also be stimulated the most, we can logically extrapolate that IF we are increasing in strength, and not size, then SOMETHING beside the muscle fibers MUST be what is increasing! Also, this could also explain strength before size: If a different system, other than the muscle fibers is the weak link, then this system would have to increase to a level where the muscles themselves would now be the weak link, then and ONLY then could we expect to see hypertrophic gains. When this other system, whether it be the mind (learning to train hard and bear the pain), the CNS (being able to actually fire the muscles intensely enough) or the cardio (being fit enough to endure the metabolic by-products) has finally adapted enough, then the entire individual is now capable of putting enough stress on the muscles that they must now supercompensate.
Specific training requirements.
We also must consider that HOW we train can also determine which system is receiving the most inroad or stress. If one trains with very low reps, explosive output, all the mainstays of power lifting, the system receiving the most stress will be the CNS and PNS. The weak link, so to speak, will be how many fibers and how quickly those fibers can be recruited.
On the other side of the coin, if we train with super high reps, the cardio systems will be the ones stressed the most as the length of the set will be determined by how efficient the body is at clearing waste products and restoring energy substrates.
Now also, even though one system is the most stressed, that does not mean other systems are not stressed at all. As we know, even training with low reps or super high reps, the muscles do get SOME stimulation, they are just not the one stressed the most, or in the best way for hypertrophy.
What can we do?
1) We need to train in a known way that causes the muscles to be the weak link. They must endure the most torture (so to speak) rather than the nervous system or the cardio systems.
2) We also might HAVE TO endure the time it takes for these other systems to come up to par, so that we CAN train our muscles hard enough to illicite an adaptation.
3) And, (this one we all know too well) We need to supply the muscles with proper substrates and rest.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
I would like to discuss some issues, issues that when considered might very well explain points such as strength and size gains, and their relationships.
The title "What inroad are you traveling?" is in reference to WHICH of the body's systems are being stressed during a workout or even a particular set during a workout.
We know from the G.A.S. theory, that our bodies adapt to the stress applied to them, and they adapt in a specific manner. If we train for endurance, the systems in the body that are stressed during that training will supercompensate and we will benefit by those increases in the form of more endurance. We also know that if we train for strength, the systems that are involved in strength will supercompenstate and we will benefit by those increases in the form of more strength. What I want to speak of, are more specific parts of our training.
Training to failure -Was it really muscular failure?
We speak of "muscular failure" all the time. But if we really analyze some of our sets that are taken to failure, we will notice that is wasn't the muscles that were the weak link. It's very hard to perform deadlifts to "muscular failure". Cardio failure... yes, volitional failure... yes, but to continue the exercise until the muscles have failed is almost, if not completely, impossible. It's easy to do a one arm dumbbell curl to failure, our cardiovascular system can easily handle the effort, as can our CNS. Thus we are able to push the exercise until the biceps fail.However, when performing one of the big compound exercises, such as deadlifts or even squats, it's more likely that WE failed, as in our mind or CNS, or even our cardiorespitory systems, rather than the muscles.
What does this mean then?
Going back to the G.A.S. model, we can logically say that the systems stressed the most, will be the ones stimulated the most. So these systems will be the ones that will supercompensate the most. (given proper recovery measures)
MOST IMPORTANT POINT ON THIS:
This could explain strength without size: If one is adding reps to their squats and is not adding size, obviously the strength of the muscle fibers was not the weak link. Something else must have been. It could be that the CNS is not adapted to putting out that level of effort. A big exercise takes a lot of output in the form of neural transmitters and electrical current from the nervous system. It may have to adapt to increase it's output. Our cardio might be the lacking system, in which case, it will have to increase. I think this is very important! Knowing that the systems that are stressed the most, must also be stimulated the most, we can logically extrapolate that IF we are increasing in strength, and not size, then SOMETHING beside the muscle fibers MUST be what is increasing! Also, this could also explain strength before size: If a different system, other than the muscle fibers is the weak link, then this system would have to increase to a level where the muscles themselves would now be the weak link, then and ONLY then could we expect to see hypertrophic gains. When this other system, whether it be the mind (learning to train hard and bear the pain), the CNS (being able to actually fire the muscles intensely enough) or the cardio (being fit enough to endure the metabolic by-products) has finally adapted enough, then the entire individual is now capable of putting enough stress on the muscles that they must now supercompensate.
Specific training requirements.
We also must consider that HOW we train can also determine which system is receiving the most inroad or stress. If one trains with very low reps, explosive output, all the mainstays of power lifting, the system receiving the most stress will be the CNS and PNS. The weak link, so to speak, will be how many fibers and how quickly those fibers can be recruited.
On the other side of the coin, if we train with super high reps, the cardio systems will be the ones stressed the most as the length of the set will be determined by how efficient the body is at clearing waste products and restoring energy substrates.
Now also, even though one system is the most stressed, that does not mean other systems are not stressed at all. As we know, even training with low reps or super high reps, the muscles do get SOME stimulation, they are just not the one stressed the most, or in the best way for hypertrophy.
What can we do?
1) We need to train in a known way that causes the muscles to be the weak link. They must endure the most torture (so to speak) rather than the nervous system or the cardio systems.
2) We also might HAVE TO endure the time it takes for these other systems to come up to par, so that we CAN train our muscles hard enough to illicite an adaptation.
3) And, (this one we all know too well) We need to supply the muscles with proper substrates and rest.
Physical Culture Books.com
Sunday, July 29, 2012
PRIORITY NUMBER ONE - By Alfred Page
Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on March 27, 2004
The reason many of us train is to increase our muscle size. Well, forget that while you read the following. For muscles to grow, they must become stronger. This means you must lift more weight. You must train for strength. Every time you lift weights and workout, provided the body is subjected to sufficient stimulus, muscle fibres become damaged. These muscle fibres (given ample recovery) repair themselves and adapt so they become fractionally stronger. Enough to cope with that stress in the future. Once this happens you must add a fraction or almost unnoticeable amount more weight to the bar. Do this again and again and your muscles will constantly be repairing themselves stronger than before to handle more weight. You can eat more, rest more, weigh more and train harder, but in the long run - if you are still not lifting more and becoming stronger, then you will not grow. This is the law of progression. Progress is human nature, always striving to be better, to improve.
Abbreviated training is almost an "underground" style compared to conventional training. If you do train in the conventional manner and are lacking results, or have been using the same weight for a long time, then consider this: Pick just one compound exercise for each major area of the body ie. back, chest, legs, arms. If all you did were these exercises and you added 1/2 pound every week or two for 1-2 years, imagine how much more weight you would be lifting! Your muscles would have to be bigger for you to be lifting that much more! This is the simplicity of abbreviated training. Every trainee has their own personal level of strength. You don't only grow if you are lifting massive weights. If you can only squat 125 lbs. then that is your level of strength. By lifting that weight and adding to it slowly your body will still grow. Do not concern yourself with how much someone else is lifting. Your body is your priority. You are who matters most. Natural and Drug-free trainees who bench with 300 lbs. and squat 400 lbs. didn't just wake up one morning with such incredible strength. It was accumulated pound by pound through years of hard work. It is the same as if you put a dollar bill into the bank every day for a year. It would soon add up to a lot of money! Add a little bit of weight to the bar as often as possible and eventually you will be the one lifting those big weights. Lastly, if you are NOT lifting in good form then I urge you- do not bother lifting at all. Not only can you seriously injure yourself, but you will be wasting your time. Squatting 150 lbs. in perfect controlled form and a full range of movement will build far more muscle and strength than would squatting 350 lbs. on raised heels, with a rounded back and half the range of movement.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
The reason many of us train is to increase our muscle size. Well, forget that while you read the following. For muscles to grow, they must become stronger. This means you must lift more weight. You must train for strength. Every time you lift weights and workout, provided the body is subjected to sufficient stimulus, muscle fibres become damaged. These muscle fibres (given ample recovery) repair themselves and adapt so they become fractionally stronger. Enough to cope with that stress in the future. Once this happens you must add a fraction or almost unnoticeable amount more weight to the bar. Do this again and again and your muscles will constantly be repairing themselves stronger than before to handle more weight. You can eat more, rest more, weigh more and train harder, but in the long run - if you are still not lifting more and becoming stronger, then you will not grow. This is the law of progression. Progress is human nature, always striving to be better, to improve.
Abbreviated training is almost an "underground" style compared to conventional training. If you do train in the conventional manner and are lacking results, or have been using the same weight for a long time, then consider this: Pick just one compound exercise for each major area of the body ie. back, chest, legs, arms. If all you did were these exercises and you added 1/2 pound every week or two for 1-2 years, imagine how much more weight you would be lifting! Your muscles would have to be bigger for you to be lifting that much more! This is the simplicity of abbreviated training. Every trainee has their own personal level of strength. You don't only grow if you are lifting massive weights. If you can only squat 125 lbs. then that is your level of strength. By lifting that weight and adding to it slowly your body will still grow. Do not concern yourself with how much someone else is lifting. Your body is your priority. You are who matters most. Natural and Drug-free trainees who bench with 300 lbs. and squat 400 lbs. didn't just wake up one morning with such incredible strength. It was accumulated pound by pound through years of hard work. It is the same as if you put a dollar bill into the bank every day for a year. It would soon add up to a lot of money! Add a little bit of weight to the bar as often as possible and eventually you will be the one lifting those big weights. Lastly, if you are NOT lifting in good form then I urge you- do not bother lifting at all. Not only can you seriously injure yourself, but you will be wasting your time. Squatting 150 lbs. in perfect controlled form and a full range of movement will build far more muscle and strength than would squatting 350 lbs. on raised heels, with a rounded back and half the range of movement.
Physical Culture Books.com
Friday, July 27, 2012
Message From Drew Israel - Training Update
Hey Bob, I hope you are well. I was just thinking about when I trained at a much slower speed. I always kept comprehensive records on my training. My strength is always very strong so this carefully has been taken into account. What Im going to say certainly has no malice I always like to see people thrive in there training. For DREW ISRAEL I found SLOW TRAINING to be great for injury pervention as well as keeping someone strong. I did find at faster speeds my strength increased faster. Now most things being relative my strength did improve somewhat over two years. I had to make sure the variables were stable. And it could be said almost any sane routine will get me stronger. Im lucky that comes easy.
But no doubt slow training made me smaller and slightly weaker. I traind this way two years. No one can truly say what the magic speed is. For me, when I use barbells and dumbells I do not count and just push as fast as I can and lower the weight slower. When I train with machines I use a slightly fluctuating 4 sec positive & 4 sec neg with nothing written in stone. I have never been as strong as I am now. But I'm more effecient now and I do two movements twice per week anything longer and strength gains really slow down. So pick a speed and bust you're ass and don't use sloppy form and strength gains will come.
You can contact Drew at drewisrael@verizon.net
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
But no doubt slow training made me smaller and slightly weaker. I traind this way two years. No one can truly say what the magic speed is. For me, when I use barbells and dumbells I do not count and just push as fast as I can and lower the weight slower. When I train with machines I use a slightly fluctuating 4 sec positive & 4 sec neg with nothing written in stone. I have never been as strong as I am now. But I'm more effecient now and I do two movements twice per week anything longer and strength gains really slow down. So pick a speed and bust you're ass and don't use sloppy form and strength gains will come.
You can contact Drew at drewisrael@verizon.net
Physical Culture Books.com
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Early Morning (Insanity?) Training - By Jim Duggan
Originally Posted on NaturalStrength.com on December 16, 2004
In the Fall of 2003, I had the good (?) fortune of being detailed to the FDNY Training Academy to be an instructor for a period of about one year. Probationary Firefighter School needed Lieutenants to teach the next generation of firefighters, and my number was up. Although the experience was a rewarding one, I had some concern about whether I would be able to find time to train. About a month into my "sentence," I was at the gym discussing the difficulty in finding time to train with a friend of mine, when she suggested that I come to the gym before it "officially" opens. I have been training at Iron Island Gym, in Oceanside, New York, since it opened in 1992, and it always opened at 5:00 A.M.- too late for my new schedule. However, the gym's owner, Ralph Raiola, had graciously allowed members to come in earlier than that to train. That sounded like a good idea to me. On the morning of my first early workout, I awoke at 3:30 A.M.(you read it right-oh-dark-thirty-for you military types.) I had expected the place to be empty, but there were actually about eight or so other people training by the time I got there at 4:15. You've probably heard the expression "Misery loves company"- well, truer words were never spoken. It didn't take long to adapt to the new schedule I was being forced to follow. I have followed this routine for the past year or so. I train six days per week. I lift weights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I do cardio work- namely, thirty minutes on the Stairmaster Gauntlet machine. My Strength Training routine looks like this:
Monday
Squat-4-5 Sets of 12,8,6,3,3 reps. Performed in a power rack, with the pins set at parallel-two second pause between each rep. I start with 350 lbs., and finish with a triple with about 430-440 lbs. Seated DB Press-3 Sets of 10,6,3 reps. I start with 85 lb. dumbbells for a set of ten, and finish with a pair of 100-105 lbs. for a triple. My goal is to do ten reps with 100 lbs. Bent-over Barbell Row-3 Sets of 10,6,3 reps. I start with 245 lbs., and finish with 305-315 lbs. for a triple. Sit-ups- 3-4 Sets of 50 reps.
Wednesday
Incline Press- 3 Sets of 10,6,3 reps. Performed in a power rack, starting at the bottom position, a la Brooks Kubik. I start with 235 lbs., and finish with a triple with 275 lbs. My goal is to triple 315 lbs. Weighted Chin-ups- 3 Sets of maximum reps. Seated Calf- 3 Sets of 15-20 reps. Sit-ups-same as Monday.
Friday
Deadlift (conventional, trap-bar, snatch-grip) 3 Sets of 6,3,3, reps. I usually finish with a triple with 525-535 lbs. Seated DB Press- 3 Sets of 10-12 reps ( lighter weight, more reps than Monday) Dumbbell Row-3 Sets of 10-12 reps. I recently started doing these-I start with 120 lbs., and finish with 140 lbs. Sit-ups- same as Monday.
Wy workouts generally last about an hour and fifteen minutes or so. My detail to the Fire Academy will be ending shortly and I will be returning to my unit (Ladder Company 165, in St. Albans, Queens), however, I will continue to train early in the morning-just not THAT early. Afterall, training does not always have to be crazy.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
In the Fall of 2003, I had the good (?) fortune of being detailed to the FDNY Training Academy to be an instructor for a period of about one year. Probationary Firefighter School needed Lieutenants to teach the next generation of firefighters, and my number was up. Although the experience was a rewarding one, I had some concern about whether I would be able to find time to train. About a month into my "sentence," I was at the gym discussing the difficulty in finding time to train with a friend of mine, when she suggested that I come to the gym before it "officially" opens. I have been training at Iron Island Gym, in Oceanside, New York, since it opened in 1992, and it always opened at 5:00 A.M.- too late for my new schedule. However, the gym's owner, Ralph Raiola, had graciously allowed members to come in earlier than that to train. That sounded like a good idea to me. On the morning of my first early workout, I awoke at 3:30 A.M.(you read it right-oh-dark-thirty-for you military types.) I had expected the place to be empty, but there were actually about eight or so other people training by the time I got there at 4:15. You've probably heard the expression "Misery loves company"- well, truer words were never spoken. It didn't take long to adapt to the new schedule I was being forced to follow. I have followed this routine for the past year or so. I train six days per week. I lift weights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I do cardio work- namely, thirty minutes on the Stairmaster Gauntlet machine. My Strength Training routine looks like this:
Monday
Squat-4-5 Sets of 12,8,6,3,3 reps. Performed in a power rack, with the pins set at parallel-two second pause between each rep. I start with 350 lbs., and finish with a triple with about 430-440 lbs. Seated DB Press-3 Sets of 10,6,3 reps. I start with 85 lb. dumbbells for a set of ten, and finish with a pair of 100-105 lbs. for a triple. My goal is to do ten reps with 100 lbs. Bent-over Barbell Row-3 Sets of 10,6,3 reps. I start with 245 lbs., and finish with 305-315 lbs. for a triple. Sit-ups- 3-4 Sets of 50 reps.
Wednesday
Incline Press- 3 Sets of 10,6,3 reps. Performed in a power rack, starting at the bottom position, a la Brooks Kubik. I start with 235 lbs., and finish with a triple with 275 lbs. My goal is to triple 315 lbs. Weighted Chin-ups- 3 Sets of maximum reps. Seated Calf- 3 Sets of 15-20 reps. Sit-ups-same as Monday.
Friday
Deadlift (conventional, trap-bar, snatch-grip) 3 Sets of 6,3,3, reps. I usually finish with a triple with 525-535 lbs. Seated DB Press- 3 Sets of 10-12 reps ( lighter weight, more reps than Monday) Dumbbell Row-3 Sets of 10-12 reps. I recently started doing these-I start with 120 lbs., and finish with 140 lbs. Sit-ups- same as Monday.
Wy workouts generally last about an hour and fifteen minutes or so. My detail to the Fire Academy will be ending shortly and I will be returning to my unit (Ladder Company 165, in St. Albans, Queens), however, I will continue to train early in the morning-just not THAT early. Afterall, training does not always have to be crazy.
Physical Culture Books.com
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Don’t Short Circuit Your Training - By Jim Bryan
One of the biggest problems I see is Over Thinking Things. Much of the time this leads to Analysis Paralysis. This is where you spend more time thinking about doing something, than you actually spend doing it. How much does it matter about the speed of a rep? Does it matter more then actually going to the gym and having a workout? How much does it matter what “Camp” you’re from? Is that more important then getting to the gym? About “Camps.” How important is it really to identify yourself as a “Volume Trainee”, a “Power Lifter”, an “Olympic Lifter”, A “HIT Trainee?” Who are you training for? Yourself or the approval of someone else? Training isn’t really all that complicated. Some would have you think that it is, so they can sell you on Their Method. So much information and so little time. Might as well use that time by going to the gym.
When you go to most discussion boards you have the group looking for the “One best way to train” and the one’s that just like to argue that “Their way is the one true way.” Ever wonder if the same one’s that “Know the One best Way” are just as confused as you? Many are and will argue for something else down the line. You also have the most Dogmatic types that will continue to argue long after their arguments are invalid. They are also confused and need to be in the gym, instead of cruising the “Boards” so they can argue for their way, “The one best way.”
There is NO one best way! People have different goals. What works for you is what keeps you going to the gym and enjoying the trip there. Different ways of training have different levels of safety. Educate yourself, form an opinion and then follow through. The simplest way to Strength Train is to pick a group of exercises Starting with the legs and working to the upper body. Go up in weight when things get easy. Machines or Free Weights? What do you have? If you have both, try both. Try to be in and out within an hour. Like “One set Training?” Then do it. Want to use “more than one set?” Then do that. Don’t fret and worry if someone is going to disapprove. It’s your workout! Go to the gym two or three days a week. You can add some cardio if you want. Cut down your rest periods and you may not need much cardio. Do it for yourself, because you want to. Live long……..be strong!
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
When you go to most discussion boards you have the group looking for the “One best way to train” and the one’s that just like to argue that “Their way is the one true way.” Ever wonder if the same one’s that “Know the One best Way” are just as confused as you? Many are and will argue for something else down the line. You also have the most Dogmatic types that will continue to argue long after their arguments are invalid. They are also confused and need to be in the gym, instead of cruising the “Boards” so they can argue for their way, “The one best way.”
There is NO one best way! People have different goals. What works for you is what keeps you going to the gym and enjoying the trip there. Different ways of training have different levels of safety. Educate yourself, form an opinion and then follow through. The simplest way to Strength Train is to pick a group of exercises Starting with the legs and working to the upper body. Go up in weight when things get easy. Machines or Free Weights? What do you have? If you have both, try both. Try to be in and out within an hour. Like “One set Training?” Then do it. Want to use “more than one set?” Then do that. Don’t fret and worry if someone is going to disapprove. It’s your workout! Go to the gym two or three days a week. You can add some cardio if you want. Cut down your rest periods and you may not need much cardio. Do it for yourself, because you want to. Live long……..be strong!
Physical Culture Books.com
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Perception of the Chin-up - By Alfred Page
Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on April 2, 2005
Many trainees will always choose the Pulldown over the chin as an upper body pulling movement. This is often because they can either handle greater poundages or they just find it easier to perform as their bodyweight may exceed current strength levels. The chin, perfofmed correctly and intensively, is an extremely productive upperbody exercise and like its counterpart- the Parallel Bar Dip- a true measure of strength. It wil develope strength and size across the whole of the back musculature, as well as the arms and grip.
I would like to offer an alternative view on how you percieve and perform the chin. A friend recently imitated a paratrooper whom we live with, using so much weight on his pulldowns, that he would pull the whole gym over with each rep, causing all the other trainees to stagger around and fall over. I imagined myself in a similar position performing chins and using the bar to pull the whole gym ceiling down towards me. I actually tried this stategy the following workout and was amazed as I added 2 extra reps to my previous best total. In the start position of each rep, arms hanging and knees bent, I focused and concentrated on the bar and imagined I was performing a pulldown instead of a chin. So, rather than pulling your body 'up' to the bar, remain hanging and pull the bar 'down' to you. I found this method effective and think it may act as a sort of reverse psychology, therefore allowing you to work harder at the exercise which will stimulate better results.
Additional Point
Please remember that as a base- your bodyweight provides the resistance when perfofming both chins and dips. As you slowly gain muscular bodyweight then this also constitutes additional poundage/resistance increases to the exercise. Do not become disheartened if you struggle to add reps or resistance (ie strapping weight to the body via a belt and chain) as you become heavier because in the case of a 'bodyweight' exercise an extra poumd on the scales is the same as adding an extra pound on the bar. The more you weigh, the more you are lifting- even if you are doing the same number of repetitions.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
Many trainees will always choose the Pulldown over the chin as an upper body pulling movement. This is often because they can either handle greater poundages or they just find it easier to perform as their bodyweight may exceed current strength levels. The chin, perfofmed correctly and intensively, is an extremely productive upperbody exercise and like its counterpart- the Parallel Bar Dip- a true measure of strength. It wil develope strength and size across the whole of the back musculature, as well as the arms and grip.
I would like to offer an alternative view on how you percieve and perform the chin. A friend recently imitated a paratrooper whom we live with, using so much weight on his pulldowns, that he would pull the whole gym over with each rep, causing all the other trainees to stagger around and fall over. I imagined myself in a similar position performing chins and using the bar to pull the whole gym ceiling down towards me. I actually tried this stategy the following workout and was amazed as I added 2 extra reps to my previous best total. In the start position of each rep, arms hanging and knees bent, I focused and concentrated on the bar and imagined I was performing a pulldown instead of a chin. So, rather than pulling your body 'up' to the bar, remain hanging and pull the bar 'down' to you. I found this method effective and think it may act as a sort of reverse psychology, therefore allowing you to work harder at the exercise which will stimulate better results.
Additional Point
Please remember that as a base- your bodyweight provides the resistance when perfofming both chins and dips. As you slowly gain muscular bodyweight then this also constitutes additional poundage/resistance increases to the exercise. Do not become disheartened if you struggle to add reps or resistance (ie strapping weight to the body via a belt and chain) as you become heavier because in the case of a 'bodyweight' exercise an extra poumd on the scales is the same as adding an extra pound on the bar. The more you weigh, the more you are lifting- even if you are doing the same number of repetitions.
Physical Culture Books.com
Be Careful What You Wish For at WST - By Ken Dowman
Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on January 18, 2006
On the same day I wrote my article "Training with the Human Wall and Max Bob" I had a training session at 5:00pm. The workout began with some new movements, the free weight bench press and some barbell curls with a two inch thick bar. We then did a set of pull-downs, Hammer Row, military press, and 20 rep squats. After the squats, Bob informed me he had a treat for me, the Farmers Walk! I stated in the article, "I hope that one day I will be able to attempt the farmers walk around D.C., but that will come with time." The time had arrived and I had no idea what I was asking for.
Lifting the 2 Atomic Athletic handles totaling a weight of 110 pounds (each) up the stairs was a workout in itself. I was under the impression that once we walked up the stairs the weight would be decreased but Bob told me that the weight never changes on the Farmers Walk so if you ask for it, you must be ready. I want to make it clear that Bob makes sure you are strong enough and in good enough condition before you attempt the exercise. That is why I trained almost five months to attempt the walk! I thought to myself there is no way in hell I can walk with these things in both hands around the block. Bob carried one up the stairs with ease and when we were outside I told Bob I thought they were too heavy. Bob said no way and that it didn't matter how many times I put the weights down, just as long I made it around the full city block (with 220 pounds!) I mentally prepared for what lied ahead, I picked up the handles, and the fun began. As soon as I began, there was a curiosity amongst the general public. One lady asked, "What the hell are you doing?" Bob informed her as I was breathing too hard to explain.
Every time I put the weights down Bob would come over with the bucket of chalk and words of encouragement. The chalk saved my hands and I put it on THICK at every stop. People in cars stopped and asked Bob what was going on and a homeless woman asked me for change. What the hell was she thinking? My body was on fire and I was in no mood to get hassled. It took just under 30 minutes for me to walk around the block and I had to stop a total of ten times. Ten was much lower than what I initally thought, I was thinking more in the twenty range. Bob let me rest outside the door for a couple of minutes before we carried the weights back down the stairs. Bob made sure I noted the amount of times I dropped the weight and next time we will shoot for single digits.
I am hoping that in the upcoming weeks I will have the ability to complete a full one hour workout and then complete the Farmers Walk. But then again, with Max Bob be careful what you wish for!
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
On the same day I wrote my article "Training with the Human Wall and Max Bob" I had a training session at 5:00pm. The workout began with some new movements, the free weight bench press and some barbell curls with a two inch thick bar. We then did a set of pull-downs, Hammer Row, military press, and 20 rep squats. After the squats, Bob informed me he had a treat for me, the Farmers Walk! I stated in the article, "I hope that one day I will be able to attempt the farmers walk around D.C., but that will come with time." The time had arrived and I had no idea what I was asking for.
Lifting the 2 Atomic Athletic handles totaling a weight of 110 pounds (each) up the stairs was a workout in itself. I was under the impression that once we walked up the stairs the weight would be decreased but Bob told me that the weight never changes on the Farmers Walk so if you ask for it, you must be ready. I want to make it clear that Bob makes sure you are strong enough and in good enough condition before you attempt the exercise. That is why I trained almost five months to attempt the walk! I thought to myself there is no way in hell I can walk with these things in both hands around the block. Bob carried one up the stairs with ease and when we were outside I told Bob I thought they were too heavy. Bob said no way and that it didn't matter how many times I put the weights down, just as long I made it around the full city block (with 220 pounds!) I mentally prepared for what lied ahead, I picked up the handles, and the fun began. As soon as I began, there was a curiosity amongst the general public. One lady asked, "What the hell are you doing?" Bob informed her as I was breathing too hard to explain.
Every time I put the weights down Bob would come over with the bucket of chalk and words of encouragement. The chalk saved my hands and I put it on THICK at every stop. People in cars stopped and asked Bob what was going on and a homeless woman asked me for change. What the hell was she thinking? My body was on fire and I was in no mood to get hassled. It took just under 30 minutes for me to walk around the block and I had to stop a total of ten times. Ten was much lower than what I initally thought, I was thinking more in the twenty range. Bob let me rest outside the door for a couple of minutes before we carried the weights back down the stairs. Bob made sure I noted the amount of times I dropped the weight and next time we will shoot for single digits.
I am hoping that in the upcoming weeks I will have the ability to complete a full one hour workout and then complete the Farmers Walk. But then again, with Max Bob be careful what you wish for!
Physical Culture Books.com
Training with the Human Wall and Max Bob - By Ken Dowman
Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on January 10, 2006
During my senior year of high school I weighed 130 pounds and was roughly 6' 0" tall. I was weak and I was unable to pitch for the varsity squad. I had everything but the strength to compete. I thought it was unfair because all my peers grew while I stayed the same size. If I was going to gain some size I would have to do it the hard way and earn it! Luckily, I began working at a warehouse in Claymont, DE where I became good friends with the owner, Ed Keene. Ed was in his mid 50's and had more knowledge than most personal trainers when it came to strength training.
I asked Ed for some advice on how to gain strength and size. It was here where I was introduced to people such as Bob Whelan, Dr. Ken, and Stuart McRobert. Ed provided me with a workout routine, meal plan, trap bar, training videos, etc. I was able to gain 20 pounds in a relatively short amount of time but I was far from what I wanted to achieve. Soon enough, summer was over and I was off to begin my college career.
When I was a freshman at Pace University located in downtown Manhattan, I e-mailed Bob Whelan asking for any gyms he knew of in the New York City area. His e-mail back was simple- "Drew Israel-phone number." I was new to lifting and never heard of Drew Israel, so I searched Bob's website and sure enough I was able to view a picture and read some articles about "The Human Wall." I gave Drew a call and we set up our first session for a Saturday morning. When I arrived at Drew's apartment I was astonished by his size. Never have I seen someone so big and so strong! What else should I have expected from the 200 pound dumbbells in the driveway? The apartment was filled wall to wall with machines and there was barely enough room for his bed.
Before the workout Drew asked me if I had any medical conditions. I told him I suffered from asthma and kyphosis of the back. Drew made sure I had an inhaler and I told him my back is OK, just as long as I don't "overdue it," like anyone else for that matter. The first exercise was the squat in the Bear made my Powernetics. Drew didn't specify the reps, but I assumed twenty. Man was I wrong. After twenty I was tired, but Drew insisted ten more. I didn't think I could but I took my time and completed ten more. After thirty Drew yells out, "Five more, come on Kenny, you can do it!" Soon enough I kept going in increments of five and after fifty Drew let me rest. It was more of a collapse on the floor and I started seeing stars, and the banana I ate not too long ago was creeping its way up from my stomach. The set was painful but laying on the floor I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Drew told me I was in the machine for about 15 minutes, but it seemed like an hour. I did some sets on the Med-Ex Chest Press, Med-Ex Military Press, Med-Ex Pull Down, and the Dominator, made by powernetics. The workout lasted about 45 minutes and sure enough my banana came right up and into Drew's toilet. Drew let me rest and put my feet up on one of the machines and after about ten minutes, I made my way back home, as my legs continued shaking from the squats.
I was able to make significant gains whenever I visited Drew, even if it was just for a months time. Drew introduced me to slow training which was never easy. I'll never forget the burning in my legs from the Med-Ex Leg Press. We would watch videos of training at Ken Leistner's house and WST, Bob Whelan's gym in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, I trained at Drew's on an "off and on basis." Working and going to class took up most of my time and I was never able to gain consistency in my training.
Hanging out with Drew was always a fun time. Watching him left hundreds of pounds in a slow cadence was always amazing to me, and hearing how much he ate the previous night for dinner was always a good story. I plan to move back to New York City and when I do, I'll be sure to give Drew a call for a workout and for a bite to eat.
After living in New York City for five years I decided to try something new, so I took a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and moved with my beautiful fiance, Denea to Washington D.C. A couple of weeks living in D.C. passed and an incident on the metro changed me forever. When my fiancé and I were getting off the train, some drunk skinny punk made a rude comment toward Denea. I was hesitant and the door closed. I felt weak and I felt if I was stronger there would have been no hesitation and I would have ripped him off the train and made him apologize. It had been awhile since I trained with Drew and I was in need of getting on the right track. The next day I rang Maximum Bob and the rest is history.
Bob asked me if I was familiar with his style of training and I told him he recommended me a few years ago to his buddy Drew Israel. We set up our first session and I was pumped! It had been awhile since the last time I trained and I was eager to get strong, get healthy, and gain size.
It was a muggy day in August when I first met Bob, and I didn't know what to expect. Drew had mentioned Bob before, and told me his workouts were brutal and that he was a no nonsense type of guy. I figured if I just worked hard and kept my mouth shut I would be OK, and my assumption was correct. Bob was waiting for me outside and lead me downstairs to his awesome and unique gym. When I met Bob the first thing I noticed was the thickness of his lower body. His legs look like tree trunks but Bob has squatted 380 pounds for 20 reps (back when he weighed 181) so what else should have I expected? His chest and back are massive, the signs of true strength.
As you walk downstairs you are greeted with sand bags of various sizes, farmers walk implements, a weight stacked grip machine/ wrist roller, granite stones, and a Mega-Hex bar loaded with 450 plus pounds. His walls are covered with olde timer memoribillia and motivational material. He has stacks of old Strength and Health Magazines from the 1930's to the 1960's (with almost every issue) for his students to read. His place is as much a museum as a gym! He even has some old globe barbells and dumbells! We headed into Bob's office and I sat on the Tru-Bench machine while he explained his training philosophy and the importance of showing up on time for workouts and gave me a full hour orientation.
Bob explained to me that all sets are done to failure, and that after the first set of all movements are completed, a second set of the same movements are completed again to failure. I wasn't sure if I would complete my first workout, but it was worth a try.
Bob had me start with the Hammer Chest Press and then on to pullovers. My upper body was already tired and I knew I was far off from true training shape. With little rest it was on to chins and Bob helped me perform many of the reps. I was able to take a longer breather before the next group of exercises. I drank some water and was ready for the next movement. The Natilus plate loaded military press. I love this machine, the movement is very smooth and hits the shoulders very hard!
After military presses came calf raises. About half way through Bob mutters "Veal Parmesan!" I thought he was just hungry but Bob later explained to me he was referring to my calves being cooked, (cooked calf flesh!) like veal! He was right as my calves were on fire! Bob let me take a little breather before twenty rep squats. After ten reps I was really hurting, and Bob took mercy on me and encouraged me to get fifteen. There wasn't much time left in my workout (as I had to do a lot of resting in my first workout) but Bob had me repeat the chest Press and military Press. I thought to myself, how will I ever finish a work out? But Bob told me not to worry, that it would take time, and before I would know it, an hour workout would be nothing.
I couldn't wait to go back and Bob set up a training program where I could go to WST at twice every 10 days. Bob was very patient and encouraging when it came to helping me finish the workouts. His goal was NOT to make me puke but gradually improve my workouts and get me stronger. Bob's goal was to gradually improve my conditioning so I could complete all the volume of the WST one hour workout without feeling sick. Bob stressed the importance of eating some "good carbs" two hours before the work out and emphasized what I should be eating in between my training sessions. Since I wanted to GAIN more size, Bob recommended tuna, 1% milk, chicken breasts, meat, fruits and vegetables, salads, and more 1% milk.
I have trained with Bob for roughly five months, and have found consistency in my training. Bob sticks to the basics and every work out consists of vertical and horizontal pushing and pulling, at least one major leg movement and some ab work, some neck work, some calf and grip work and "if time" some odd object stuff ...all done in a one hour time frame. My conditioning has improved to the point that I now need a lot less rest between sets than I did a few months ago. I can complete the full volume of the one hour workout now. Although I'm wiped out and tired at the end, I never feel sick anymore as my conditioning has greatly improved.
I eat more than I ever did before, and after a workout I can easily eat a turkey plate and then some at the BBQ place next door. My body weight has increased from 165 to 190 and I am beginning to gain the strength I always wanted to when I first started training a few years ago. I hope that one day I will be able to attempt the farmers walk around D.C., but that will come with time.
Training with Max Bob has been an experience I will never forget. Not only is the training fun, but Bob is a real life example of how proper training and nutrition can lead to many benefits. I was shocked when Bob told me he was 51 years young. (Bob looks at least 15 years younger.) Bob has energy that most people in their 20's do not have.
Training with Drew and Bob has taught me a great deal about true strength and the importance of effort. One of my favorite signs at WST states "No Wimps Allowed" with the word "Toners" underneath. This is why I enjoy training with Bob. I cant imagine if I went to Bob and said "I want to tone or just get cut." I want to get big and strong and Bob has given me the tools and encouragement I need. One day I hope Drew, Bob, and I can train all together, go out for a great meal, and listen to Bob's philosophy about (right wing) politics.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
During my senior year of high school I weighed 130 pounds and was roughly 6' 0" tall. I was weak and I was unable to pitch for the varsity squad. I had everything but the strength to compete. I thought it was unfair because all my peers grew while I stayed the same size. If I was going to gain some size I would have to do it the hard way and earn it! Luckily, I began working at a warehouse in Claymont, DE where I became good friends with the owner, Ed Keene. Ed was in his mid 50's and had more knowledge than most personal trainers when it came to strength training.
I asked Ed for some advice on how to gain strength and size. It was here where I was introduced to people such as Bob Whelan, Dr. Ken, and Stuart McRobert. Ed provided me with a workout routine, meal plan, trap bar, training videos, etc. I was able to gain 20 pounds in a relatively short amount of time but I was far from what I wanted to achieve. Soon enough, summer was over and I was off to begin my college career.
When I was a freshman at Pace University located in downtown Manhattan, I e-mailed Bob Whelan asking for any gyms he knew of in the New York City area. His e-mail back was simple- "Drew Israel-phone number." I was new to lifting and never heard of Drew Israel, so I searched Bob's website and sure enough I was able to view a picture and read some articles about "The Human Wall." I gave Drew a call and we set up our first session for a Saturday morning. When I arrived at Drew's apartment I was astonished by his size. Never have I seen someone so big and so strong! What else should I have expected from the 200 pound dumbbells in the driveway? The apartment was filled wall to wall with machines and there was barely enough room for his bed.
Before the workout Drew asked me if I had any medical conditions. I told him I suffered from asthma and kyphosis of the back. Drew made sure I had an inhaler and I told him my back is OK, just as long as I don't "overdue it," like anyone else for that matter. The first exercise was the squat in the Bear made my Powernetics. Drew didn't specify the reps, but I assumed twenty. Man was I wrong. After twenty I was tired, but Drew insisted ten more. I didn't think I could but I took my time and completed ten more. After thirty Drew yells out, "Five more, come on Kenny, you can do it!" Soon enough I kept going in increments of five and after fifty Drew let me rest. It was more of a collapse on the floor and I started seeing stars, and the banana I ate not too long ago was creeping its way up from my stomach. The set was painful but laying on the floor I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Drew told me I was in the machine for about 15 minutes, but it seemed like an hour. I did some sets on the Med-Ex Chest Press, Med-Ex Military Press, Med-Ex Pull Down, and the Dominator, made by powernetics. The workout lasted about 45 minutes and sure enough my banana came right up and into Drew's toilet. Drew let me rest and put my feet up on one of the machines and after about ten minutes, I made my way back home, as my legs continued shaking from the squats.
I was able to make significant gains whenever I visited Drew, even if it was just for a months time. Drew introduced me to slow training which was never easy. I'll never forget the burning in my legs from the Med-Ex Leg Press. We would watch videos of training at Ken Leistner's house and WST, Bob Whelan's gym in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, I trained at Drew's on an "off and on basis." Working and going to class took up most of my time and I was never able to gain consistency in my training.
Hanging out with Drew was always a fun time. Watching him left hundreds of pounds in a slow cadence was always amazing to me, and hearing how much he ate the previous night for dinner was always a good story. I plan to move back to New York City and when I do, I'll be sure to give Drew a call for a workout and for a bite to eat.
After living in New York City for five years I decided to try something new, so I took a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and moved with my beautiful fiance, Denea to Washington D.C. A couple of weeks living in D.C. passed and an incident on the metro changed me forever. When my fiancé and I were getting off the train, some drunk skinny punk made a rude comment toward Denea. I was hesitant and the door closed. I felt weak and I felt if I was stronger there would have been no hesitation and I would have ripped him off the train and made him apologize. It had been awhile since I trained with Drew and I was in need of getting on the right track. The next day I rang Maximum Bob and the rest is history.
Bob asked me if I was familiar with his style of training and I told him he recommended me a few years ago to his buddy Drew Israel. We set up our first session and I was pumped! It had been awhile since the last time I trained and I was eager to get strong, get healthy, and gain size.
It was a muggy day in August when I first met Bob, and I didn't know what to expect. Drew had mentioned Bob before, and told me his workouts were brutal and that he was a no nonsense type of guy. I figured if I just worked hard and kept my mouth shut I would be OK, and my assumption was correct. Bob was waiting for me outside and lead me downstairs to his awesome and unique gym. When I met Bob the first thing I noticed was the thickness of his lower body. His legs look like tree trunks but Bob has squatted 380 pounds for 20 reps (back when he weighed 181) so what else should have I expected? His chest and back are massive, the signs of true strength.
As you walk downstairs you are greeted with sand bags of various sizes, farmers walk implements, a weight stacked grip machine/ wrist roller, granite stones, and a Mega-Hex bar loaded with 450 plus pounds. His walls are covered with olde timer memoribillia and motivational material. He has stacks of old Strength and Health Magazines from the 1930's to the 1960's (with almost every issue) for his students to read. His place is as much a museum as a gym! He even has some old globe barbells and dumbells! We headed into Bob's office and I sat on the Tru-Bench machine while he explained his training philosophy and the importance of showing up on time for workouts and gave me a full hour orientation.
Bob explained to me that all sets are done to failure, and that after the first set of all movements are completed, a second set of the same movements are completed again to failure. I wasn't sure if I would complete my first workout, but it was worth a try.
Bob had me start with the Hammer Chest Press and then on to pullovers. My upper body was already tired and I knew I was far off from true training shape. With little rest it was on to chins and Bob helped me perform many of the reps. I was able to take a longer breather before the next group of exercises. I drank some water and was ready for the next movement. The Natilus plate loaded military press. I love this machine, the movement is very smooth and hits the shoulders very hard!
After military presses came calf raises. About half way through Bob mutters "Veal Parmesan!" I thought he was just hungry but Bob later explained to me he was referring to my calves being cooked, (cooked calf flesh!) like veal! He was right as my calves were on fire! Bob let me take a little breather before twenty rep squats. After ten reps I was really hurting, and Bob took mercy on me and encouraged me to get fifteen. There wasn't much time left in my workout (as I had to do a lot of resting in my first workout) but Bob had me repeat the chest Press and military Press. I thought to myself, how will I ever finish a work out? But Bob told me not to worry, that it would take time, and before I would know it, an hour workout would be nothing.
I couldn't wait to go back and Bob set up a training program where I could go to WST at twice every 10 days. Bob was very patient and encouraging when it came to helping me finish the workouts. His goal was NOT to make me puke but gradually improve my workouts and get me stronger. Bob's goal was to gradually improve my conditioning so I could complete all the volume of the WST one hour workout without feeling sick. Bob stressed the importance of eating some "good carbs" two hours before the work out and emphasized what I should be eating in between my training sessions. Since I wanted to GAIN more size, Bob recommended tuna, 1% milk, chicken breasts, meat, fruits and vegetables, salads, and more 1% milk.
I have trained with Bob for roughly five months, and have found consistency in my training. Bob sticks to the basics and every work out consists of vertical and horizontal pushing and pulling, at least one major leg movement and some ab work, some neck work, some calf and grip work and "if time" some odd object stuff ...all done in a one hour time frame. My conditioning has improved to the point that I now need a lot less rest between sets than I did a few months ago. I can complete the full volume of the one hour workout now. Although I'm wiped out and tired at the end, I never feel sick anymore as my conditioning has greatly improved.
I eat more than I ever did before, and after a workout I can easily eat a turkey plate and then some at the BBQ place next door. My body weight has increased from 165 to 190 and I am beginning to gain the strength I always wanted to when I first started training a few years ago. I hope that one day I will be able to attempt the farmers walk around D.C., but that will come with time.
Training with Max Bob has been an experience I will never forget. Not only is the training fun, but Bob is a real life example of how proper training and nutrition can lead to many benefits. I was shocked when Bob told me he was 51 years young. (Bob looks at least 15 years younger.) Bob has energy that most people in their 20's do not have.
Training with Drew and Bob has taught me a great deal about true strength and the importance of effort. One of my favorite signs at WST states "No Wimps Allowed" with the word "Toners" underneath. This is why I enjoy training with Bob. I cant imagine if I went to Bob and said "I want to tone or just get cut." I want to get big and strong and Bob has given me the tools and encouragement I need. One day I hope Drew, Bob, and I can train all together, go out for a great meal, and listen to Bob's philosophy about (right wing) politics.
Physical Culture Books.com
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The Old Rusty Bar - By Keith Wassung
The old rusty bar lay across a blue tarp on the chilly October ground. Also occupying the space was a hockey stick, three pairs of roller skates and several miscellaneous golf clubs. The old rusty bar was just one of many items that were being sold at the 12th annual St Casmir’s Parish rummage sale. The bar was seven feet long, forty-five pounds and made of elevated temperature drawn alloy steel. Though covered with rust and corrosion, the bar was as strong as the day it was forged, which was sixty years earlier in a foundry in southeastern Pennsylvania. The men who crafted the bar were devoted to producing the finest lifting devices in the world. In an earlier life, these craftsman would have been making broadswords and battle shields for samurai warriors and elite gladiators.
The bar sat on a wooden rack in a warehouse until one day a man and his son entered the warehouse looking to make a purchase. John, who was 14 years old spotted the bar and said “Dad, this one.” John was weak and frail looking and could barely lift the bar from the racks. His father paid for the bar and for the 150lbs of black plates to go along with it. The bar and plates were loaded into their truck and driven to their home two hours away. John set the weight up in the basement of their home. Three days a week, he would sojourn to his basement gym and exercise with the weights. Even though he could barely lift the bar by itself, he insisted on at least having two the smallest plates on the bar when training. At first, he struggled to even stand erect with the bar and the small plates.
As the days and months passed, he began to slowly add more plates to the bar. He was soon lifting the bar to his chest, then overhead. His exercise regime was crude, but effective. His body responded with hard muscular growth. He collected exercise and anatomy charts from a physical culture magazine and attached them to the walls of his basement gym. Soon awards and local newspaper clippings honoring young John’s athletic achievements joined the charts and pictures.
One day John did not appear for one of his routine workouts. A week passed, then a month and still the bar remained untouched on the sheet of plywood that served as his lifting platform. Two and one half years later, he returned to the basement. He was taller, but much lighter in bodyweight and muscle mass. He walked with a noticeable limp and the last two fingers on his right hand were missing. His absence and his injuries were the result of serving his country. He began training with the weights again. Ever so slowly, he began to rebuild his body. The process was slow and painstaking. He taught himself how to use a hook grip with his right hand in order to properly secure the bar. Lower body training was slow and deliberate. His body responded by rebuilding the strength and size that it had once proudly bore. In less than a year, he was able to surpass his pre-war lifts and his limp became imperceptible. Shortly thereafter, he again left home, this time to take a job offer on the other side of the country. He left the bar and his weights behind, promising himself that he would return home for the equipment as soon as he was settled into his new residence. He never returned to retrieve the bar and it along with the rest of the equipment sat in the basement for six more years.
John’s parents sold the equipment to Charles Pinkerton, a young engineer who lived in a nearby town. Charles had been bitten by the iron bug while serving in the war in Europe and he was anxious to continue to continue his training. Less than a month after purchasing the equipment, Charles was notified by his company that he had received a promotion and would be transferred to France in order to supervise a major engineering project. The company shipped all of the Pinkerton’s household goods to France the following week. They quickly discovered that the house that had been rented for them was much smaller than they expected and almost half of their belongings had to be placed in storage for the duration of their stay. Charles was disappointed in not having sufficient space to use his weights, but was elated to find a excellent weight training gymnasium less than five blocks from their home. He quickly made friends with the owner who offered to store the bar and the weights in the gym. Charles worked hard on the engineering project and worked even harder in the gym. The project was finished early and under budget, resulting in another promotion for Charles and a transfer back to the United States. One week before he was to leave, Charles went down to the gym to retrieve his weights and to thank the owner and bid farewell to his fellow lifters. He was surprised to see a small gathering of about 20 people at the gym and was told that an American weightlifting champion was visiting the gym to give a demonstration. Charles worked his way to the front of the small crowd and gasped when he saw one of the most powerful looking men that he had ever seen in his life. The man, using Charles’s bar, was performing some powerful clean and jerks. The weight on the bar eventually reached 425lbs and the champion cleaned it to his chest and jerked it overhead with power to spare. The lift was greeted with thunderous applause from the crowd, however; the lifter was just warming up for an ever-bigger feat. He walked over to a ponderous set of railroad wheels joined by a thick axle. Applying a thick coating of chalk to his hands, the lifter approached the bar and prepared himself to conquer it.
The man next to Charles whispered to him “Only a few men in the world have ever lifted this weight” The railroad wheels were hauled to his chest and powerfully sent to arms length, not once, but three consecutive times. The ovation that the champion received was deafening. Charles was fortunate to shake the champion’s hand before he said his farewells and collected his equipment for the trip back home. Charles and his family moved to Albany, New York, which was the headquarters of the company that he was employed by. His promotion to a senior project coordinator allowed him to buy a nice home for his family, which included a small, but well equipped home gym in his garage. His new job necessitated a great deal of travel, but he trained whenever he could. His oldest son David, who had become quite a proficient lifter in his own right, frequently joined him. David has also developed a burning desire to be a pilot. He applied to both the Air Force and Naval Academies, but lacked the necessary connections to receive an appointment. Nonetheless, he was happy to receive a ROTC scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Not only was Notre Dame an excellent academic institution, but David’s Uncle Henry and Aunt Jean lived on a farm near South Bend and so David could always count on a home cooked meal at their house.
David arrived on campus in the summer of 1960 a week before classes were to commence. He endured the tedious but necessary pre-registration rituals and was assigned to a dormitory room. After settling in, he changed into his training clothes and left the dorm in search of the school’s gymnasium. His search led him to a building behind the main building with the large gold dome. He opened the door and walked into the gymnasium. The area was packed with barbells, dumbbells and solid, study benches of all types. The walls were lined with mirrors that were covered with anatomy charts, lifting photos and press clippings. In the center of the wall was a large sign that read “Only one man in 20,000 can press their own bodyweight-are you a man” As he ventured to the mirror to take a closer look at the clippings, he was startled by a booming voice saying “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY GYM” David whirled around to face a massive man dressed in gray work pants and a sleeveless denim shirt. The man had a huge barrel chest and a bull neck. Though he was in his 70’s, the massive muscles in his upper arm and forearms stood out in bold relief. David stared at the man, and nervously answered “I was looking for a place to lift weights”
The man glared at David for several seconds. David then said “Sir, would it be ok if I train in this gym” The man replied “ The gym opens at 7am and closes promptly at 4:30, membership is five dollars” David reached into his pocket for his wallet but the man stopped him and said “Hang onto your money, I will let you train today and then I will decide if I will allow you to continue” The man turned and walked over to a small desk in the corner of the gym and began reading a thick textbook.
David spent several minutes performing calisthenics in preparation for his training. He removed an empty bar from the rack and placed it in the middle of an empty space on the floor. He loaded two 45lb plates onto each side enjoying the rhythmic clink of the plate as they slid onto the bar. He took a breath and reached down and grabbed the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. Mindful of that fact that the man at the desk was closely watching him, David performed five power cleans with the loaded bar. He was careful to set the bar down gently between each rep to avoid arousing the temper of the elderly man. He added a twenty-five pound plate to each side and secured the ends with a pair of spin-lock collars. He cleaned the weight three times and then power jerked it for a solid double. He then added an assortment of smaller plates to the bar to bring the total weight up to 230lbs. He approached the bar and just as he was squatting down to grip the bar, he noticed that the large man was standing off to his left and behind him in close observance. David grasped the bar and heard the man, in a commanding voice growl “GRIP THAT BAR AS IF YOU WERE TRYING TO CHOKE YOUR ENEMY TO DEATH” David squeezed the bar tightly and performed a picture perfect clean, followed by a precise jerk to lock the weight triumphantly over his head. David could not help but keep the bar extended for a couple of extra seconds. He set the bar down gently and turned to see that the man was already walking back to his desk without any type of comment. He continued his workout by doing squats, pullovers, presses and chin-ups. For his last exercise, he loaded a bar to 175lbs and performed variable grip barbell rows, a move that his father had taught him. The exercise was a barbell row, with the initial grip being very wide. Four repetitions were performed with the wide grip and then David set the bar down and brought both hands in about six inches and then continued to perform 3-4 reps for each grip width until his hands were less than a foot apart.
As soon as he was finished with his last set, he carefully returned all of his equipment to its proper storage place. Taking a deep breath, he approached the desk where the watchful man was sitting and said “Sir, I want to thank you for letting me train in your gym today” The man grunted a nearly inaudible “your welcome” and then he reached into his desk and pulled out a notebook and a pencil. As he opened the notebook, he looked up at David and said “What’s your name, and where are you from”? David supplied this information and the man wrote it down in his notebook. The man then said “I have never seen you before, so you must be a freshman” David nodded his head and the man said “ I will take that five dollars now” David reached into his pocket and handed the man a five dollar bill. He placed the bill into his pocket and then returned to reading his book. David excused himself and left the gym. He would find out later that the man who ran the gym has been a student at the school and was now a priest. His strength was legendary and at one time he had been considered as one of the strongest men in the world. He ran the gym with an iron fist, but he was also very generous with his time and his resources. David would learn more from this strongman-priest then he did from any of his instructors the entire time he was in school.
In his junior year of school, David was notified that he had been promoted to the top ranking ROTC officer at the university. It was an incredible honor, but it also meant increased responsibilities and duties. The increase, combined with his increasingly difficult academic load meant that he we unable to get to the gym to train as often as he liked. To solve this problem, he visited his parents at Christmas and brought back his Dad’s treasured Olympic bar and an assortment of weights with him. Uncle Henry had an available utility shed and David was able to set up a crude gym in the there. He would often visit his aunt and uncle on weekends, train with the weights and then stay for dinner.
David graduated with honors from Notre Dame in the spring of 1964. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Air Force and moved to Texas to begin his flight training. Ten months later, he received orders to a squadron in Vietnam that was part of Operation Rolling Thunder. Lt. Pinkerton flew numerous missions and received both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Commendation medal. One warm fall afternoon, while flying a sortie into route package six-alpha, David’s plane was hit by a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft artillery, sending the bomber into a crash landing. His body was shipped home for burial with military honors the following week.
Several months later, Uncle Henry gathered up the weights that were still sitting neatly in the utility shed and donated them to a local high school, but the bar remained in the shed for nearly twenty-five years, when it was donated to the church for its annual rummage sale. The old rusty bar had a good run but it appeared to be ending. The sale would end at noon and all of the unsold merchandise would end up in at the nearby landfill. Earlier in the day, two teenagers had taken at a look at the bar and had expressed some interest in it. However, they decided against it in lieu of a brand new shiny bar that was available at their local discount store.
At twenty minutes to noon, a young man, whose body was just beginning to show the results of resistance training, lifted the hockey sticks and skates off the bar. He picked up the bar and carefully examined it, in the same way that a jeweler would evaluate a precious stone. The young man turned to Father Everett, who was in charge of collecting the money for the merchandise, and politely asked ‘Excuse me sir, what is the price of this bar”? The Padre walked over to where the teenager was kneeling and looked at the old rusty bar. He said “Well, its kind of rusty, so lets say five dollars” The young man reached into his pockets, knowing that he had less than fifty cents on him, but somehow hoping that he might have the necessary cash to make the purchase. He stood up and said to Father Everett “Wait right here, I will be back in just a minute with the money” He then sprinted off to find his grandfather. He spotted him on the other side of the church. The white haired man was haggling with another elderly man over some mallard duck decoys. “Grandpa, I need to borrow five dollars, I can pay you back next week” His grandfather replied “What are you planning to buy” “It’s a really cool lifting bar,” he said. His grandfather said, “Well, why don’t you show me this bar” The young man led his grandfather over to the blue tarp. He squatted down, picked up the bar, and turned to show it to his grandfather. “The man reached out and touched the bar with his fingertips. “It will take some elbow grease to get this rust off; we should stop at the hardware store on the way home and get some naval jelly.” “Grandpa, does that mean you will loan me the five dollars” His grandfather smiled and said, “No, I won’t loan you the money, but I will give it to you.” He turned to Father Everett who had walked up the edge of the tarp and said I want to buy this bar for my grandson” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He selected a crisp five-dollar bill and handed it to the priest, who could not help but notice the missing fingers on the grandfather’s right hand.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
The bar sat on a wooden rack in a warehouse until one day a man and his son entered the warehouse looking to make a purchase. John, who was 14 years old spotted the bar and said “Dad, this one.” John was weak and frail looking and could barely lift the bar from the racks. His father paid for the bar and for the 150lbs of black plates to go along with it. The bar and plates were loaded into their truck and driven to their home two hours away. John set the weight up in the basement of their home. Three days a week, he would sojourn to his basement gym and exercise with the weights. Even though he could barely lift the bar by itself, he insisted on at least having two the smallest plates on the bar when training. At first, he struggled to even stand erect with the bar and the small plates.
As the days and months passed, he began to slowly add more plates to the bar. He was soon lifting the bar to his chest, then overhead. His exercise regime was crude, but effective. His body responded with hard muscular growth. He collected exercise and anatomy charts from a physical culture magazine and attached them to the walls of his basement gym. Soon awards and local newspaper clippings honoring young John’s athletic achievements joined the charts and pictures.
One day John did not appear for one of his routine workouts. A week passed, then a month and still the bar remained untouched on the sheet of plywood that served as his lifting platform. Two and one half years later, he returned to the basement. He was taller, but much lighter in bodyweight and muscle mass. He walked with a noticeable limp and the last two fingers on his right hand were missing. His absence and his injuries were the result of serving his country. He began training with the weights again. Ever so slowly, he began to rebuild his body. The process was slow and painstaking. He taught himself how to use a hook grip with his right hand in order to properly secure the bar. Lower body training was slow and deliberate. His body responded by rebuilding the strength and size that it had once proudly bore. In less than a year, he was able to surpass his pre-war lifts and his limp became imperceptible. Shortly thereafter, he again left home, this time to take a job offer on the other side of the country. He left the bar and his weights behind, promising himself that he would return home for the equipment as soon as he was settled into his new residence. He never returned to retrieve the bar and it along with the rest of the equipment sat in the basement for six more years.
John’s parents sold the equipment to Charles Pinkerton, a young engineer who lived in a nearby town. Charles had been bitten by the iron bug while serving in the war in Europe and he was anxious to continue to continue his training. Less than a month after purchasing the equipment, Charles was notified by his company that he had received a promotion and would be transferred to France in order to supervise a major engineering project. The company shipped all of the Pinkerton’s household goods to France the following week. They quickly discovered that the house that had been rented for them was much smaller than they expected and almost half of their belongings had to be placed in storage for the duration of their stay. Charles was disappointed in not having sufficient space to use his weights, but was elated to find a excellent weight training gymnasium less than five blocks from their home. He quickly made friends with the owner who offered to store the bar and the weights in the gym. Charles worked hard on the engineering project and worked even harder in the gym. The project was finished early and under budget, resulting in another promotion for Charles and a transfer back to the United States. One week before he was to leave, Charles went down to the gym to retrieve his weights and to thank the owner and bid farewell to his fellow lifters. He was surprised to see a small gathering of about 20 people at the gym and was told that an American weightlifting champion was visiting the gym to give a demonstration. Charles worked his way to the front of the small crowd and gasped when he saw one of the most powerful looking men that he had ever seen in his life. The man, using Charles’s bar, was performing some powerful clean and jerks. The weight on the bar eventually reached 425lbs and the champion cleaned it to his chest and jerked it overhead with power to spare. The lift was greeted with thunderous applause from the crowd, however; the lifter was just warming up for an ever-bigger feat. He walked over to a ponderous set of railroad wheels joined by a thick axle. Applying a thick coating of chalk to his hands, the lifter approached the bar and prepared himself to conquer it.
The man next to Charles whispered to him “Only a few men in the world have ever lifted this weight” The railroad wheels were hauled to his chest and powerfully sent to arms length, not once, but three consecutive times. The ovation that the champion received was deafening. Charles was fortunate to shake the champion’s hand before he said his farewells and collected his equipment for the trip back home. Charles and his family moved to Albany, New York, which was the headquarters of the company that he was employed by. His promotion to a senior project coordinator allowed him to buy a nice home for his family, which included a small, but well equipped home gym in his garage. His new job necessitated a great deal of travel, but he trained whenever he could. His oldest son David, who had become quite a proficient lifter in his own right, frequently joined him. David has also developed a burning desire to be a pilot. He applied to both the Air Force and Naval Academies, but lacked the necessary connections to receive an appointment. Nonetheless, he was happy to receive a ROTC scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Not only was Notre Dame an excellent academic institution, but David’s Uncle Henry and Aunt Jean lived on a farm near South Bend and so David could always count on a home cooked meal at their house.
David arrived on campus in the summer of 1960 a week before classes were to commence. He endured the tedious but necessary pre-registration rituals and was assigned to a dormitory room. After settling in, he changed into his training clothes and left the dorm in search of the school’s gymnasium. His search led him to a building behind the main building with the large gold dome. He opened the door and walked into the gymnasium. The area was packed with barbells, dumbbells and solid, study benches of all types. The walls were lined with mirrors that were covered with anatomy charts, lifting photos and press clippings. In the center of the wall was a large sign that read “Only one man in 20,000 can press their own bodyweight-are you a man” As he ventured to the mirror to take a closer look at the clippings, he was startled by a booming voice saying “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY GYM” David whirled around to face a massive man dressed in gray work pants and a sleeveless denim shirt. The man had a huge barrel chest and a bull neck. Though he was in his 70’s, the massive muscles in his upper arm and forearms stood out in bold relief. David stared at the man, and nervously answered “I was looking for a place to lift weights”
The man glared at David for several seconds. David then said “Sir, would it be ok if I train in this gym” The man replied “ The gym opens at 7am and closes promptly at 4:30, membership is five dollars” David reached into his pocket for his wallet but the man stopped him and said “Hang onto your money, I will let you train today and then I will decide if I will allow you to continue” The man turned and walked over to a small desk in the corner of the gym and began reading a thick textbook.
David spent several minutes performing calisthenics in preparation for his training. He removed an empty bar from the rack and placed it in the middle of an empty space on the floor. He loaded two 45lb plates onto each side enjoying the rhythmic clink of the plate as they slid onto the bar. He took a breath and reached down and grabbed the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. Mindful of that fact that the man at the desk was closely watching him, David performed five power cleans with the loaded bar. He was careful to set the bar down gently between each rep to avoid arousing the temper of the elderly man. He added a twenty-five pound plate to each side and secured the ends with a pair of spin-lock collars. He cleaned the weight three times and then power jerked it for a solid double. He then added an assortment of smaller plates to the bar to bring the total weight up to 230lbs. He approached the bar and just as he was squatting down to grip the bar, he noticed that the large man was standing off to his left and behind him in close observance. David grasped the bar and heard the man, in a commanding voice growl “GRIP THAT BAR AS IF YOU WERE TRYING TO CHOKE YOUR ENEMY TO DEATH” David squeezed the bar tightly and performed a picture perfect clean, followed by a precise jerk to lock the weight triumphantly over his head. David could not help but keep the bar extended for a couple of extra seconds. He set the bar down gently and turned to see that the man was already walking back to his desk without any type of comment. He continued his workout by doing squats, pullovers, presses and chin-ups. For his last exercise, he loaded a bar to 175lbs and performed variable grip barbell rows, a move that his father had taught him. The exercise was a barbell row, with the initial grip being very wide. Four repetitions were performed with the wide grip and then David set the bar down and brought both hands in about six inches and then continued to perform 3-4 reps for each grip width until his hands were less than a foot apart.
As soon as he was finished with his last set, he carefully returned all of his equipment to its proper storage place. Taking a deep breath, he approached the desk where the watchful man was sitting and said “Sir, I want to thank you for letting me train in your gym today” The man grunted a nearly inaudible “your welcome” and then he reached into his desk and pulled out a notebook and a pencil. As he opened the notebook, he looked up at David and said “What’s your name, and where are you from”? David supplied this information and the man wrote it down in his notebook. The man then said “I have never seen you before, so you must be a freshman” David nodded his head and the man said “ I will take that five dollars now” David reached into his pocket and handed the man a five dollar bill. He placed the bill into his pocket and then returned to reading his book. David excused himself and left the gym. He would find out later that the man who ran the gym has been a student at the school and was now a priest. His strength was legendary and at one time he had been considered as one of the strongest men in the world. He ran the gym with an iron fist, but he was also very generous with his time and his resources. David would learn more from this strongman-priest then he did from any of his instructors the entire time he was in school.
In his junior year of school, David was notified that he had been promoted to the top ranking ROTC officer at the university. It was an incredible honor, but it also meant increased responsibilities and duties. The increase, combined with his increasingly difficult academic load meant that he we unable to get to the gym to train as often as he liked. To solve this problem, he visited his parents at Christmas and brought back his Dad’s treasured Olympic bar and an assortment of weights with him. Uncle Henry had an available utility shed and David was able to set up a crude gym in the there. He would often visit his aunt and uncle on weekends, train with the weights and then stay for dinner.
David graduated with honors from Notre Dame in the spring of 1964. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Air Force and moved to Texas to begin his flight training. Ten months later, he received orders to a squadron in Vietnam that was part of Operation Rolling Thunder. Lt. Pinkerton flew numerous missions and received both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Commendation medal. One warm fall afternoon, while flying a sortie into route package six-alpha, David’s plane was hit by a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft artillery, sending the bomber into a crash landing. His body was shipped home for burial with military honors the following week.
Several months later, Uncle Henry gathered up the weights that were still sitting neatly in the utility shed and donated them to a local high school, but the bar remained in the shed for nearly twenty-five years, when it was donated to the church for its annual rummage sale. The old rusty bar had a good run but it appeared to be ending. The sale would end at noon and all of the unsold merchandise would end up in at the nearby landfill. Earlier in the day, two teenagers had taken at a look at the bar and had expressed some interest in it. However, they decided against it in lieu of a brand new shiny bar that was available at their local discount store.
At twenty minutes to noon, a young man, whose body was just beginning to show the results of resistance training, lifted the hockey sticks and skates off the bar. He picked up the bar and carefully examined it, in the same way that a jeweler would evaluate a precious stone. The young man turned to Father Everett, who was in charge of collecting the money for the merchandise, and politely asked ‘Excuse me sir, what is the price of this bar”? The Padre walked over to where the teenager was kneeling and looked at the old rusty bar. He said “Well, its kind of rusty, so lets say five dollars” The young man reached into his pockets, knowing that he had less than fifty cents on him, but somehow hoping that he might have the necessary cash to make the purchase. He stood up and said to Father Everett “Wait right here, I will be back in just a minute with the money” He then sprinted off to find his grandfather. He spotted him on the other side of the church. The white haired man was haggling with another elderly man over some mallard duck decoys. “Grandpa, I need to borrow five dollars, I can pay you back next week” His grandfather replied “What are you planning to buy” “It’s a really cool lifting bar,” he said. His grandfather said, “Well, why don’t you show me this bar” The young man led his grandfather over to the blue tarp. He squatted down, picked up the bar, and turned to show it to his grandfather. “The man reached out and touched the bar with his fingertips. “It will take some elbow grease to get this rust off; we should stop at the hardware store on the way home and get some naval jelly.” “Grandpa, does that mean you will loan me the five dollars” His grandfather smiled and said, “No, I won’t loan you the money, but I will give it to you.” He turned to Father Everett who had walked up the edge of the tarp and said I want to buy this bar for my grandson” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He selected a crisp five-dollar bill and handed it to the priest, who could not help but notice the missing fingers on the grandfather’s right hand.
Physical Culture Books.com
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Squat Change Of Pace - By Alfred Page
If you fancy a brief change to your regular set and rep scheme, or just for something a bit different, then give this a go;
The challenge is a 100 rep Squat workout.
Now before the mere thought of squatting 100 reps puts you on you're back- ...STOP! The workout is done in a rest pause manner. Using 70% of your 1 rep max, you are to perform a set of only 2 reps every 30-90 seconds for 50 sets (100 reps in total).
The idea isn't for a super high intensity 1 set workout, which totally annihilates your whole body. It is designed as something radically different to shock and condition your body aswell as for a change. I know Dr. Ken E Leistner has had his victims perform 100 rep squat workouts in the continuous manner...but for now this isnt the purpose.
It will take around 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete and so will require focus and concentration. It is fantastic for learning and memorizing set-up and positioning, as well as squatting grove because you have to rack and unrack the bar so many times. It is more of a fun workout because by using 70% of your 1 RM you wont be at the point of collapse. It is just enough to really feel and practice the movement of squatting. Try it for 1week in place of your regular workout. It relieves the pressures of contant high intensity work and inspires a bit of motivation too.
I tried this last saturday after having had a weeks break from squats and thought it was amazing. I did the first 80 reps in sets of 2 reps, then 2x5 taking me to 90 reps and the last 10 reps in one set. I really started to feel it after about 30 reps and by the end my hams and glutes felt like they were cramping. It took 55 minutes to complete and i was still sore 4 days later.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
The challenge is a 100 rep Squat workout.
Now before the mere thought of squatting 100 reps puts you on you're back- ...STOP! The workout is done in a rest pause manner. Using 70% of your 1 rep max, you are to perform a set of only 2 reps every 30-90 seconds for 50 sets (100 reps in total).
The idea isn't for a super high intensity 1 set workout, which totally annihilates your whole body. It is designed as something radically different to shock and condition your body aswell as for a change. I know Dr. Ken E Leistner has had his victims perform 100 rep squat workouts in the continuous manner...but for now this isnt the purpose.
It will take around 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete and so will require focus and concentration. It is fantastic for learning and memorizing set-up and positioning, as well as squatting grove because you have to rack and unrack the bar so many times. It is more of a fun workout because by using 70% of your 1 RM you wont be at the point of collapse. It is just enough to really feel and practice the movement of squatting. Try it for 1week in place of your regular workout. It relieves the pressures of contant high intensity work and inspires a bit of motivation too.
I tried this last saturday after having had a weeks break from squats and thought it was amazing. I did the first 80 reps in sets of 2 reps, then 2x5 taking me to 90 reps and the last 10 reps in one set. I really started to feel it after about 30 reps and by the end my hams and glutes felt like they were cramping. It took 55 minutes to complete and i was still sore 4 days later.
Physical Culture Books.com
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Three Days a Week Full Body Training - By Carlton H. Shedrick, Jr.
Many of you are probably thinking that training the entire body three times a week is too much work. And I might agree if you pushed very hard on all exercises every workout. The following is based on the old heavy, medium and light training programs, but it has a couple spins.
The old way would have you set a side days, say Monday-heavy, Wednesday-light and Friday-medium. Were you would training all exercises on that particular day ether heavy, medium or light. This is not that bad of an approach, however, the one big problem is sustained effort. That is, on a heavy day, how can you push hard on the squats and truly push hard on the deadlifts or any other exercise for that matter?
A better way or a way to improve the old program is to break exercises up were they are trained differently on particular days. First here is a list of exercises in the usual order I perform them. The order of the exercises can be changed. They are in this order because of personal preference explained later.
1.. Clean and presses 2.. Back squats 3.. Floor presses 4.. Deadlifts 5.. Pull-ups 6.. Weighted abdominal 7.. Standing calf raises 8.. Biceps curls 9.. Wrist work
Now after you have your list of basic exercises simply decide what exercise you want to train heavy to start your week. You could train the back squats, pull-ups and abbs-heavy, and the clean and press, floor press, biceps curls- medium, and every thing ells light on the first day. On the second day train the floor press, deadlift, calfs-heavy, and train the clean and press, back squat, pull-ups-light, and everything ells medium. On the third day train the clean and press, bicep curls and wrist work-heavy.
Now I don't actually do all the same exercises in each workout. What I do is use exercises that work on my week points. The week looks like this:
Tuesday
1.. Barbell Clean and presses M-H 2.. Barbell Back squats M-H 3.. Wide grip Floor presses M 4.. Stifflegged Deadlifts M 5.. Pull-ups M-H 6.. Weighted abdominal M 7.. One leg Standing calf raises M-H 8.. Ez bar Biceps curls L-M 9.. Wrist work-wrist roller L-M-H Thursday
1.. Barbell Clean and presses L 2.. Barbell Back squats L 3.. Mid grip Floor presses H 4.. Conventional Deadlifts H 5.. Chin-ups- reverse grip L-M 6.. Stability ball crunches L-M 7.. Standing calf raises L 8.. No curls, only chin pull-ups 9.. Wrist work-wrist flexing, no weight L Saturday
1.. One arm dumbbell Clean and presses M-H 2.. One legged squats L-M 3.. Close grip Floor presses L 4.. Overhead plate goodmornings L 5.. One arm dumbbell rows M-H 6.. Weighted abdominal-side bends and crunch L-M 7.. One leg Standing calf raises L-M 8.. Barbell Biceps curls H 9.. Wrist work-pinch grip and grippers M-H
This still might be a lot of work for some, so doing two workouts a week may be best. You truly must train a lift light when you are scheduled to. My workout might be a bit overworked for some but it has been slowly developed from the basic lifts. Over time I tinker with one particular exercise until I find what works best.
Now I don't think you need to get your recovery just right. In fact having a light workout when you are still recovering gets blood moving through your muscles. Helping with muscle soreness and flushing muscles with all kinds of nourishment. Essentially active rest, kind of an oxy moron, but the point of light workouts is to get muscles warm and lose- not worked. Also it is easy to see that training one or two exercises hard and the rest relatively easy will allow you to be more effective with each heavy exercise in training. Some programs simply change the order of exercises so you can push harder on the beginning exercise. This to is not a bad idea and might be easier then keeping the same order of exercises and verifying efforts. Just remember it is about progress. If you switch too often then progress could be shortchanged.
I hope this article has given you confidence to try a different training approach. Have fun experimenting. Slowly experiment until you get to a point you like.
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
The old way would have you set a side days, say Monday-heavy, Wednesday-light and Friday-medium. Were you would training all exercises on that particular day ether heavy, medium or light. This is not that bad of an approach, however, the one big problem is sustained effort. That is, on a heavy day, how can you push hard on the squats and truly push hard on the deadlifts or any other exercise for that matter?
A better way or a way to improve the old program is to break exercises up were they are trained differently on particular days. First here is a list of exercises in the usual order I perform them. The order of the exercises can be changed. They are in this order because of personal preference explained later.
1.. Clean and presses 2.. Back squats 3.. Floor presses 4.. Deadlifts 5.. Pull-ups 6.. Weighted abdominal 7.. Standing calf raises 8.. Biceps curls 9.. Wrist work
Now after you have your list of basic exercises simply decide what exercise you want to train heavy to start your week. You could train the back squats, pull-ups and abbs-heavy, and the clean and press, floor press, biceps curls- medium, and every thing ells light on the first day. On the second day train the floor press, deadlift, calfs-heavy, and train the clean and press, back squat, pull-ups-light, and everything ells medium. On the third day train the clean and press, bicep curls and wrist work-heavy.
Now I don't actually do all the same exercises in each workout. What I do is use exercises that work on my week points. The week looks like this:
Tuesday
1.. Barbell Clean and presses M-H 2.. Barbell Back squats M-H 3.. Wide grip Floor presses M 4.. Stifflegged Deadlifts M 5.. Pull-ups M-H 6.. Weighted abdominal M 7.. One leg Standing calf raises M-H 8.. Ez bar Biceps curls L-M 9.. Wrist work-wrist roller L-M-H Thursday
1.. Barbell Clean and presses L 2.. Barbell Back squats L 3.. Mid grip Floor presses H 4.. Conventional Deadlifts H 5.. Chin-ups- reverse grip L-M 6.. Stability ball crunches L-M 7.. Standing calf raises L 8.. No curls, only chin pull-ups 9.. Wrist work-wrist flexing, no weight L Saturday
1.. One arm dumbbell Clean and presses M-H 2.. One legged squats L-M 3.. Close grip Floor presses L 4.. Overhead plate goodmornings L 5.. One arm dumbbell rows M-H 6.. Weighted abdominal-side bends and crunch L-M 7.. One leg Standing calf raises L-M 8.. Barbell Biceps curls H 9.. Wrist work-pinch grip and grippers M-H
This still might be a lot of work for some, so doing two workouts a week may be best. You truly must train a lift light when you are scheduled to. My workout might be a bit overworked for some but it has been slowly developed from the basic lifts. Over time I tinker with one particular exercise until I find what works best.
Now I don't think you need to get your recovery just right. In fact having a light workout when you are still recovering gets blood moving through your muscles. Helping with muscle soreness and flushing muscles with all kinds of nourishment. Essentially active rest, kind of an oxy moron, but the point of light workouts is to get muscles warm and lose- not worked. Also it is easy to see that training one or two exercises hard and the rest relatively easy will allow you to be more effective with each heavy exercise in training. Some programs simply change the order of exercises so you can push harder on the beginning exercise. This to is not a bad idea and might be easier then keeping the same order of exercises and verifying efforts. Just remember it is about progress. If you switch too often then progress could be shortchanged.
I hope this article has given you confidence to try a different training approach. Have fun experimenting. Slowly experiment until you get to a point you like.
Physical Culture Books.com
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Challenge Training for Different Kinds of Strength Development - By Robert L Libertine PhD
Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 3, 2006
Big Sky Strength & Conditioning Group
rssc@bigskymuscle.com
Training for sport specificity can be predictable in its mode of venues. There is this machine, that bar, this program their program and choosing one that may or not work well for you is a challenge even for experienced strength enthusiasts. We can go on and on with the different philosophies of the many trainers and coaches who have achieved results with all of their programs. But, when we are not able to train at a facility that might have everything that we are looking for in our desired programs I go back to the simple things I did in my youth when there were few gyms and the local YMCA was one of the few choices we had. With few funds available we had no other choice other than to be creative! So, we sat down with my grandfather and our dads who were a weight lifter from the forties and prepared to beg borrow or steal anything that would aid us in our quest for strength! It was to be crunch time way before it was a catch phrase of today. Those were the days when we made our own equipment and some of it was rudimentary at best! One of my uncles was a welder at the ship yard in Boston and he volunteered his services to us, we now were ready to go and start our projects. So, the quest began and as I might add we did not think of the repercussions of our acquisitions when we “borrowed” manhole covers from our local streets for added weight. Recently my mother called me and asked me what she should do with the manhole covers I and my fellow lifters absconded from our local streets. First of all I couldn’t believe that she still had them and how I had forgotten about them was another issue. Those manhole covers made me think of my next point of interest which was how I got started on this form of insanity. I was fourteen when my Dad brought me to an exhibition put on by the reverend Paul Anderson. As Paul lifted and talked I walked away from that day walking on air as I had just witnessed the strongest man who would ever walk the planet. My mind was filled with new ideas and even more questions that were to be answered over many years of successes and failures, oh what a journey! So off we went to salvage yards railroad yards, construction sights and the best of them all the fouriver ship yard where my uncle was a welder and we attempted to emulate the great Paul Andersons back yard approach to strength enhancement. Those methods worked for Paul so why not us and we were so right on! So indulge with me in my new or old methodologies for the youth of today have so much to learn as they require elaborate gyms and sound systems and cool attire that only distract and do not encourage a focus of improvement, because in those days all we had was one pair of jeans and converse all star black of course sneakers to get us through the year. We didn’t have any gloves we just used old rags and wrapped them around our hands to quell the pain or stop the bleeding from a torn blister.
We used old or new steel oil barrels, from junkyards and gas stations or farms and mortuaries. We filled them with sand, or discarded bolts and screws, nails or whatever we could find. If you knew someone in the concrete business, you could have them drop off the left over concrete from a pour and put it in the smaller barrels. A 15-gallon barrel full of concrete weighed somewhere around 300 lbs. 5 gallon bucket weighed 100 lbs. We even filled up coffee cans, old paint cans, you name it and we filled it with something that made a varied weight for lifting functionality. We were beginning to see that you didn’t need the York Barbell set to do what came from simple ingenuity and the mind of my Grandfather who came from the depression and made use of others discarded treasures. This was our nirvana and we relished in its challenges.
We would spend hours pushing, pulling, lifting, rolling, spinning these barrels, which we had names for all over the place. We then came up with a new way to torture ourselves. Sand! We lived on the beach for the summer and why not? It’s hard enough to do this on solid ground, now add the challenge of soft sand! Then we rolled them into the water and that added a new resistance we had never felt before and also new scrapes and bruises. Now we really came up with some new names for our newfound torture activities and a few crushed fingers and toes and shins to boot. We did these activities in a variety of ways; we lifted, pulled, spun and often rolled with the weight. The more we worked them, the more new angles we found. We did theses exercises in conjunction with our traditional core lifts which consisted of the squat, bench press, military press and cleans. Those lifts we the backbone of our core lifting of the 60’s. Now we were getting somewhere! We saw strength gains that we had one time to only dream about and we were thrilled with the results! We all had different sports we were playing and now I see that the barrel manipulation was so well suited for so many different types of sports due to the way it affected the entire body and its core development. This now brings me to wrestling where a man is basically pushed, pulled, lifted and thrown in angles that are difficult to emulate with weight training machines. There was not a machine or an exercise designed that I knew of that could engage the muscles in a way that would challenge different kinds of strength aptitudes. This barrel training was so well suited for this and other sports.
This was truly a training of perseverance. We conquered by simply continuing! The world then did not have video games and we did not own our own cars and we were required to work for any spending money that we required so there were few if any distraction other than girls to tear us away from our goals. There are close to seven hundred different muscles in the body. To challenge them all is a feat of not only great fortitude but of an almost and impossible nature. I have only seen one man in my lifetime who could ever be called the Strongest Man ever and that was the late great Paul Anderson. His methodologies rivaled the best-laid plans of today. And these training philosophies came from Paul and his friends just as ours did and what a mentor Paul has been for all strength athletes. I was blessed to have seen Paul when my Dad brought me to one of his exhibitions in the early 60’s. I was in awe of the shear power that this man possessed not just the physical power but the mental and spiritual power that he derived from his burning love of God. A god who spoke to him before he made his world famous lifts at the Olympic Games in Australia.
Functional core strength is something that I believe is over looked today by many coaches and trainers. I find this to be especially true as I have observed that most coaches assume that the core strength is already there and this is where the true injustice to the athlete occurs, it is my belief that many of these coaches have never even tried these varieties of programs and were never a functional or current lifter to begin with! General physical preparedness is and has to be the foundation for further development that progresses into special physical preparedness and then supra strength phases. There are so many variables to consider; body morphology, bone density, muscle thickness, and so on. So where are we going with this? I would recommend that different sized barrels be used to begin these programs. I would recommend that this is begun in early year development as soon as 12 years of age. To begin with core strength enhancement ensures the young athlete of a greater chance for future strength gains without debilitating injuries that we are seeing today! These barrels can be found at most grain and feed stores, breweries, railroad yards as well as mortuaries that use epoxies for their burial vaults and discard the barrels or quick lubes often can be useful in obtaining this and several different sizes. This type of lifting will work the young and older lifting athlete in ways that can only be imagined. Each time you take on a new position the trainee engages his eccentric and concentric phase from a new and challenging dimension this then exposes their weak areas. As you get more creative with the angles, new awareness becomes evident in your attempts. You can do these standing, kneeling, one leg up switch legs, use different angles with varied angle in tipping the barrels. Sit down and push with your back, legs, feet. Use a full range, a partial range. Stand the barrel up, place it on its edge, and roll it. Flip it end over end (lighter barrel) to begin with pick it up with a bear hug and carry it a short or long distance. For added aggravation, get in the sand, push it with your shoulder driving and kicking your feet. Then put it in the water a barrel partially filled will float and this aids in lifting functionality from a partial range of motion for a new torture experience. This is only the beginning, use your imagination and run with it. This type of training along with your traditional training will augment your program in a way never before imagined. I used these types of programs with young athletes before they began their core lifting. I never assumed that they were ready to begin the traditional lifts that often were the request for the mirror image. That will only bring on weak areas that will make the trainee regress rather then progress.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. You can achieve so much through imagination and tenacity. Our true strength lies in our tenacity. Now get with it and go visit the junkyard. There is treasure in those piles of discarded iron. I want to thank all the pioneers who came before us who have inspired me to teach and encourage those who now come after us. There is so much the human mind can come up with, so those come after us get going with the creativity that will follow. “For those of us that have come before us can not settle the unrest for those who will follow”.
Adapt this to each and every sport that you desire and get lifting and pulling. Good luck! Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. For once you are full prepared you can not fail!
Physical Culture Books.com
Read More »
Big Sky Strength & Conditioning Group
rssc@bigskymuscle.com
Training for sport specificity can be predictable in its mode of venues. There is this machine, that bar, this program their program and choosing one that may or not work well for you is a challenge even for experienced strength enthusiasts. We can go on and on with the different philosophies of the many trainers and coaches who have achieved results with all of their programs. But, when we are not able to train at a facility that might have everything that we are looking for in our desired programs I go back to the simple things I did in my youth when there were few gyms and the local YMCA was one of the few choices we had. With few funds available we had no other choice other than to be creative! So, we sat down with my grandfather and our dads who were a weight lifter from the forties and prepared to beg borrow or steal anything that would aid us in our quest for strength! It was to be crunch time way before it was a catch phrase of today. Those were the days when we made our own equipment and some of it was rudimentary at best! One of my uncles was a welder at the ship yard in Boston and he volunteered his services to us, we now were ready to go and start our projects. So, the quest began and as I might add we did not think of the repercussions of our acquisitions when we “borrowed” manhole covers from our local streets for added weight. Recently my mother called me and asked me what she should do with the manhole covers I and my fellow lifters absconded from our local streets. First of all I couldn’t believe that she still had them and how I had forgotten about them was another issue. Those manhole covers made me think of my next point of interest which was how I got started on this form of insanity. I was fourteen when my Dad brought me to an exhibition put on by the reverend Paul Anderson. As Paul lifted and talked I walked away from that day walking on air as I had just witnessed the strongest man who would ever walk the planet. My mind was filled with new ideas and even more questions that were to be answered over many years of successes and failures, oh what a journey! So off we went to salvage yards railroad yards, construction sights and the best of them all the fouriver ship yard where my uncle was a welder and we attempted to emulate the great Paul Andersons back yard approach to strength enhancement. Those methods worked for Paul so why not us and we were so right on! So indulge with me in my new or old methodologies for the youth of today have so much to learn as they require elaborate gyms and sound systems and cool attire that only distract and do not encourage a focus of improvement, because in those days all we had was one pair of jeans and converse all star black of course sneakers to get us through the year. We didn’t have any gloves we just used old rags and wrapped them around our hands to quell the pain or stop the bleeding from a torn blister.
We used old or new steel oil barrels, from junkyards and gas stations or farms and mortuaries. We filled them with sand, or discarded bolts and screws, nails or whatever we could find. If you knew someone in the concrete business, you could have them drop off the left over concrete from a pour and put it in the smaller barrels. A 15-gallon barrel full of concrete weighed somewhere around 300 lbs. 5 gallon bucket weighed 100 lbs. We even filled up coffee cans, old paint cans, you name it and we filled it with something that made a varied weight for lifting functionality. We were beginning to see that you didn’t need the York Barbell set to do what came from simple ingenuity and the mind of my Grandfather who came from the depression and made use of others discarded treasures. This was our nirvana and we relished in its challenges.
We would spend hours pushing, pulling, lifting, rolling, spinning these barrels, which we had names for all over the place. We then came up with a new way to torture ourselves. Sand! We lived on the beach for the summer and why not? It’s hard enough to do this on solid ground, now add the challenge of soft sand! Then we rolled them into the water and that added a new resistance we had never felt before and also new scrapes and bruises. Now we really came up with some new names for our newfound torture activities and a few crushed fingers and toes and shins to boot. We did these activities in a variety of ways; we lifted, pulled, spun and often rolled with the weight. The more we worked them, the more new angles we found. We did theses exercises in conjunction with our traditional core lifts which consisted of the squat, bench press, military press and cleans. Those lifts we the backbone of our core lifting of the 60’s. Now we were getting somewhere! We saw strength gains that we had one time to only dream about and we were thrilled with the results! We all had different sports we were playing and now I see that the barrel manipulation was so well suited for so many different types of sports due to the way it affected the entire body and its core development. This now brings me to wrestling where a man is basically pushed, pulled, lifted and thrown in angles that are difficult to emulate with weight training machines. There was not a machine or an exercise designed that I knew of that could engage the muscles in a way that would challenge different kinds of strength aptitudes. This barrel training was so well suited for this and other sports.
This was truly a training of perseverance. We conquered by simply continuing! The world then did not have video games and we did not own our own cars and we were required to work for any spending money that we required so there were few if any distraction other than girls to tear us away from our goals. There are close to seven hundred different muscles in the body. To challenge them all is a feat of not only great fortitude but of an almost and impossible nature. I have only seen one man in my lifetime who could ever be called the Strongest Man ever and that was the late great Paul Anderson. His methodologies rivaled the best-laid plans of today. And these training philosophies came from Paul and his friends just as ours did and what a mentor Paul has been for all strength athletes. I was blessed to have seen Paul when my Dad brought me to one of his exhibitions in the early 60’s. I was in awe of the shear power that this man possessed not just the physical power but the mental and spiritual power that he derived from his burning love of God. A god who spoke to him before he made his world famous lifts at the Olympic Games in Australia.
Functional core strength is something that I believe is over looked today by many coaches and trainers. I find this to be especially true as I have observed that most coaches assume that the core strength is already there and this is where the true injustice to the athlete occurs, it is my belief that many of these coaches have never even tried these varieties of programs and were never a functional or current lifter to begin with! General physical preparedness is and has to be the foundation for further development that progresses into special physical preparedness and then supra strength phases. There are so many variables to consider; body morphology, bone density, muscle thickness, and so on. So where are we going with this? I would recommend that different sized barrels be used to begin these programs. I would recommend that this is begun in early year development as soon as 12 years of age. To begin with core strength enhancement ensures the young athlete of a greater chance for future strength gains without debilitating injuries that we are seeing today! These barrels can be found at most grain and feed stores, breweries, railroad yards as well as mortuaries that use epoxies for their burial vaults and discard the barrels or quick lubes often can be useful in obtaining this and several different sizes. This type of lifting will work the young and older lifting athlete in ways that can only be imagined. Each time you take on a new position the trainee engages his eccentric and concentric phase from a new and challenging dimension this then exposes their weak areas. As you get more creative with the angles, new awareness becomes evident in your attempts. You can do these standing, kneeling, one leg up switch legs, use different angles with varied angle in tipping the barrels. Sit down and push with your back, legs, feet. Use a full range, a partial range. Stand the barrel up, place it on its edge, and roll it. Flip it end over end (lighter barrel) to begin with pick it up with a bear hug and carry it a short or long distance. For added aggravation, get in the sand, push it with your shoulder driving and kicking your feet. Then put it in the water a barrel partially filled will float and this aids in lifting functionality from a partial range of motion for a new torture experience. This is only the beginning, use your imagination and run with it. This type of training along with your traditional training will augment your program in a way never before imagined. I used these types of programs with young athletes before they began their core lifting. I never assumed that they were ready to begin the traditional lifts that often were the request for the mirror image. That will only bring on weak areas that will make the trainee regress rather then progress.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. You can achieve so much through imagination and tenacity. Our true strength lies in our tenacity. Now get with it and go visit the junkyard. There is treasure in those piles of discarded iron. I want to thank all the pioneers who came before us who have inspired me to teach and encourage those who now come after us. There is so much the human mind can come up with, so those come after us get going with the creativity that will follow. “For those of us that have come before us can not settle the unrest for those who will follow”.
Adapt this to each and every sport that you desire and get lifting and pulling. Good luck! Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. For once you are full prepared you can not fail!
Physical Culture Books.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Vintage Bodybuilding Literature
Oldtime Strongman Books