Spectrum Exercises.pdf

8/13/2019 Spectrum Exercises.pdf

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Maximum Muscle Growth

Supplemental Information and Exercise Guide


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Resistance and Effort EvaluationSince monitoring is so important to success, we must have a simple, yet

e ! ective method for rating e ! ort. This allows you to determine the properresistance to use when beginning the training program, and also to know at

what point you need to increase the resistance for continued progress. True forboth aerobic exercise and resistance training, this provides a framework for anexercise prescription.

In the early 1960s, Dr. Gunnar Borg from the University of Stockholm inSweden, developed the idea of a scale for rating the trainees sense of how hardan exercise was to perform. He called this the perceived exertion scale. Hedesigned the scale so that scientists, practitioners of the health sciences, andindividuals could simply, yet accurately, and without the aid of sophisticatedequipment check how hard an exercise was so that the proper level of e ! ort foreach person could be determined.

Perceived exertion is a description (or rating) of your e ! ort duringexercise. Its a measure of how hard you think the exercise is for you. Yourbrain can tell how hard you are breathing or how hard you are straining to lift aweight and it processes those feelings of e ! ort that you have during yourexercise.

When you say that an exercise is hard, then you are verbally stating yourperception of the e ! ort you made. The good thing about this is that we can usea scale to measure exactly how hard you think the exercise is for you. This

scale is then used to pick the correct resistance or weight to use to get goodresults.

Perceived Exertion Rating ScaleThe scale has numbers from 0 10, with 0 being the no e ! ort level and

10 representing the very, very hard level. Most of the numbers have wordlabels that are easy to understand. The layout of the scale is as follows.

0 No e ! ort at all

1 Very, very light (just noticeable)2 Very light3 Light4 Moderate5 Somewhat hard6 Hard (heavy)


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78 Very hard9

10 Very, very hard (almost maximal)

When using the scale, you can rate e ! ort by decimals, that is, 3.5 or 5.5.As you can see, 10 is listed as almost maximal. Therefore, you can rate a 10.5or 11 if the e ! ort you just made was the hardest youve ever done.

Exercise Programs

Its nally time to get into the exercise programs. Youre well-armed withthe required background about the underlying principles of resistance training.Now, lets lay out some exercises and programs.

The key feature to the at-home program is its simplicity and the low costof acquiring the necessary equipment.

The basic barbell program includes 2 di ! erent groups of 10 exerciseseach: the basic and advanced programs. After using the basic program for amonth or two, you can begin to use the exercises in the advanced program.Then intermingle exercises from both programs.

If you purchase additional pieces of gym equipment, you can use manydi ! erent exercises, particularly for the sake of adding variety to your program.But remember, this is neither necessary nor required to achieve excellentresults. The use of the basic barbell exercises will completely meet your needs.This section will describe the two, ten-exercise workouts, and also providedi ! erent ways to use the same exercises by varying repetition number and restperiods. You choose the level of e ! ort (RPE scale) that you want to work at.Youre always choosing so that you can meet your goals. Your body responds, ithas specic patterns of adaptation, and since you now know them, you canpush your body in whatever direction you want. The key is to ask it to respondin the only ways that it can. Dont work at odds to it, but mold it as it wants togo. The limitations are its ultimate genetic limits and how much e ! ort you arewilling to invest.

Exercise Training StyleBefore dening some of the specic exercises, lets review some of the

di ! erent ideas that exist in the marketplace about exercise training styles. Its


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important to have a perspective about what people think about exercise stylesbecause youll often hear that one exercise style is better than another, oranother. You must understand, however, that many things work. If oneapplies the principles Ive taught, he can use many tools and many styles oftraining to achieve his desired results.

There are as many notions about what exercises to do, types of trainingpatterns to use, and types of equipment to use as there are people who train.Each thinks his own method is the best, and will gladly tell you so. There arealways new-day, popular ideas sprouting-up about the best types of exerciseto do, and a dogma often arises that the new plans lead to better results thanthe old plans.

The very nature of being involved in training is that something new andbetter than the old ways must always surface, trainees believe, because the bestcant already be here. Then the new beliefs, useless and false as they are, arealways grabbed-up and trumpeted by some group and become the newmantra of training as if to say that following the new methods will lead tounparalleled improvements in training results, outstripping those resultsprovided by the old plan.

This is what happened to me many times over the years. My greatestblunder occurred when I adopted the High Intensity, single set, training-to-failure philosophy espoused by Arthur Jones, the inventor of the Nautilusmachines. What a waste that was, and it took six or so years until I gured thatit didnt work very well. I, however, was very good at deluding myself, as aremany today, about the e " cacy of various training (and dietary) regimens.Amazingly, weve really known what is e ! ective for improving strength andphysique for more than 2,700 years, and nothing dramatically more e ! ectivehas emerged during the millennia, despite what many say.

Isolated movements, for example, some self-appointed experts say, arealways a second choice to the use of integrated techniques involving largermuscle groups and multiple joints. Their statements notwithstanding, however,dont invalidate the use of isolated movements. Many things work and one mustdecide what he wants to do to meet his goals.

Trainers endlessly speculate about whats the best thing to do as if thereis such a thing. The speculating is pretty much a waste of time because somany things work well. We know, for example, that training one time every sixweeks isnt as productive as training three times a week, although, believe it ornot, theres a camp that says that very infrequent training is the ideal. But toknowledgeable trainers, some issues are resolved and we know what works welland what doesnt work too well. Unfortunately, the myriads of ideas that


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constantly pop-up cannot be resolved through the on-going, never-endingspeculations spewing out of the mouths of trainers/trainees and printed on thepages of muscle and tness magazines.

Another popular training concept is Functional strength training, meaning

training so that one can use his new-found strength in performing real-lifetasks. This is a good notion too, except that Functional improvements are notlimited to any one style of training as the proponents of that one style wouldhave us believe. A large number of training methods will lead to Functionalimprovements.

Guys who champion this type of training like to diss bodybuilders ashaving no Functional strength, claiming that they possess only showy musclesthat cannot perform well. This is all so much nonsense and only serves to helpone guy justify what he does as better than what the other guy does, a sort ofinsider pu " ng-up that suggests he knows more than the other guy, or isprivy to special secrets not possessed by the other. Its simply an e ! ort to put-down the other guy while one tries to inate his own ego that hes the mostknowledgeable and that he, and he alone, was bright enough to pick the beststyle of training. Again, its all a waste of time and Im as guilty as any in myown life for having participated in these dialogues.

An outgrowth of the Functional movement has been an interest in what iscalled wiry strength. This is increases in strength without increases in musclesize. The Functional guys seem to have some obsessive need to avoid gettingbigger while getting stronger. They feel that they need to have a small body sothey can jump over fences or perform other types of whole body movementactivities, believing that any increased body mass will limit their functionalperformance.

They also talk about weight to strength ratios, wanting the most strengthwith the least bodyweight. A consequence of this belief is the pursuit ofbodyweight-only exercises. And naturally, these trainees begin to argue thatbodyweight-only training is the most e ! ective. Having no real background intraining, they dont know that weight training was the child of gymnastics. Earlyon, it became very clear to trainees in gymnastics that bodyweight training

couldnt match the results arising from the use of added-resistance training.This understanding is what led to the development of the barbell as a moree ! ective tool for muscle building which, in turn, led to the development of thesophisticated machines in the marketplace today. What do they say, Historyalways repeats itself?

Often these types of people (believers in Functional strength, wirystrength, and bodyweight training) populate the martial arts, armed services,


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and other ghting training styles. They often berate bodybuilders as havingshowy, non-functional muscles. All of this is so much hubris and an attemptto gain moral superiority and a sense of possessing an intellectual know-it-all-ism. None of it has any basis in scientic fact and is nothing more thanspeculative street talk.

Power lifters, Olympic lifters, and other power athletes also occupy thisrealm as they practice to lift the heaviest weights possible for one repetition,somehow equating this so-called one-lift strength as the best strength to have,Functional strength as they say. They defend their position by stating howmuch stronger they are than bodybuilders, who possess showy, functionlessmuscles.

But are they? No, the bodybuilders are far more functional because theirintense, volume-loaded exercise training programs have stimulated a far largermass of their whole muscle because that type of training demands the use of awider array of ber types and, also, the development of the metabolicmachinery to hold and deliver more fuel to the muscle to perform the greatervolume of work. They are now able to use that functional muscle to help themperform the varied physical tasks that arise in daily life.

The power lifters only have to develop contractile force to lift the mostweight and need to develop only the contractile machinery of the ber, withthat type of training reducing the total demands made upon a muscle that arerealized by bodybuilding-style training.

As weve learned, in the early stages of training, most of the increase instrength arises because of improved nerve/muscle interaction. Theres nomuscle growth. In the intermediate and advanced stages of training, thereslittle further improvement in the neural component and, therefore, furtherincreases in strength arise solely because of increases in muscle mass(hypertrophy).

How is it then that our wiry strength performers become strongerwithout ever growing after the nerve/muscle phase of the strength increaseceases? Thats a simple answer. They constantly change their exercise

programs, using di!

erent combinations of exercises, sets, repetitions,contraction/rest pauses, etc. Each new workout is like starting from scratch.Only slight changes in any of these parameters make the exercise new.Because of these changes in routines, the muscle/nerve ring pattern changes.So, at the end of the year, the trainee perceives that he has continued toincrease in strength because he has gotten stronger on so many occasionswhen changing his program and he blurts out to all who will listen about hisnew mantra of strength-without-getting-bigger (his wiry strength). And, of


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course, his new strength is Functional strength, ready to be applied to many oflifes activities, whereas, in his view, all other training modalities are useless inthis regard. In some strange way, he believes that his ability to lift a lot ofweight in an exercise, one time, is somehow Functional. If he went back andperformed the same exercise in which he had been training for say threemonths at the beginning of the year, he would discover that he was, in fact, nostronger because he did not get any bigger, a requirement for continuedincreases in strength.

And, anyway, how often in life do we have to lift as much weight aspossible for two seconds? And the poor besieged bodybuilder, that the wirystrength trainer so disdains for some unknown reason, who can lift less weightmore times, lasting longer before tiring, is considered to be non-Functional. Allof these ideas, of course, are supported by his scientic interpretationsbecause he couldnt possibly hold this position if it wasnt scientically

explained. He cant just train the way he wants to train simply because thatswhat he wants to do and let it go at that and let the other guy train as he wants.The way he trains MUST be the better way than the way someone else trains andMUST be justied as such.

For me, bodybuilding type training is the most Functional because itinvolves more of the muscles total functionality, its Spectrum. It allows one tolook good, feel good, and its a healthy form of training because it gets theblood owing, and burns calories, and its the safest method.

So remember, there are many training plans that are good and variationis still the number one factor to use in designing a training program.Personally, I avoid heavy, single repetition lifting and ballistic (accelerating theweight) lifting because of the increased potential for injury. The power liftersare always complaining about their injuries. This is also true for those who useballistic (weight throwing or weight acceleration) training techniques.

When I nally learned that many di ! erent styles of training worked, Iwas able to give up this nonsense about the so-called power of all thesedi ! erent training styles and just do whatever I wanted to do to achieve whateverresult I wanted as long as my training methods adhered to the training

guidelines Ive outlined in my book. And, doing many di ! erent things orexercises can provide many wonderful results.

One iron-clad rule is that muscle ber function is specic to what themuscle does. So, if sports performance is what you want, then performingexercises that simulate the sport movement is ideal. So, conditioning oneself torun 5 miles is relatively useless for conditioning oneself to run 400 meters.Growing up, I, and Im sure you too, always heard the expression that the long-


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distance o ! -season running plan would create an endurance base for therunning of a one-mile run, all out, during the competitive season. Theres somecarry-over, but the running of a series of, say, 5-one-mile runs, at close to racepace, would have been far more productive because the specic adaptationsthat occur in the muscle bers involved in running the mile are signicantlydi ! erent than the changes that occur in the muscles involved in running slowerspeeds over longer distances.

One last style to mention is the idea of training the stabilizer muscles.These are said to be those smaller muscles that might surround a joint like theshoulder joint and support and maintain ones arm position while he performsthe bench press exercise. So now more exercises are added to ones programthat involve training these small muscles. Training the stabilizers is a ridiculousidea. Dont waste any of your time investigating methods to acquire strongerstabilizer muscles. Machines are just as good as free weights.

Core (Basic, not as in training the Core) ExercisesFollowing the program section, below, in another Chapter, is a glossary of

each of the 20 di ! erent exercises Ill describe with a word description and apicture of the beginning and ending positions. Each exercise works muscles ina specic part of your body.

I dont give you starting resistances. Youll have to decide how much youneed by the trial and error method.

Remember to use the rst week to select resistances and to learn theexercises. This is particularly important for beginning trainees. Do the routineseasily. Theres no sense in getting sore muscles.

On to the programs.

There are Basic or Core exercises accepted as the most productive. In anyprogram, for beginners or athletes, these Core exercises provide the most andquickest results. (Not Core as in training the Core, as discussed above, butCore as Basic and over-all good result producers.)

For simplicity, we divide the bodys muscles into groups:

1) Shoulders2) Chest3) Back4) Legs (and hips)


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5) Biceps6) Triceps

The rst four groups contain the largest muscles in the body and oneshould concentrate his e ! orts on exercises for these groups. The large trunk

muscles in the chest, shoulders, and back move the arm muscles (biceps andtriceps) so the arm muscles are always involved in performing the exercises forthe torso.

Core exercises usually work large amounts of muscle at one time. Theyare the most productive because they work muscles acting over more than one

joint. The barbell rowing exercise, for example, works the large back musclesand the biceps.

In contrast, the barbell curl works only the biceps of the upper arm. Thebiceps is smaller than the muscles in your back. Therefore, exercises that workonly the biceps are not as e ! ective for providing aerobic conditioning. You alsoburn more calories when you involve more muscle mass in an exercise activity. Ido agree that e ! orts to involve many muscles, over many joints, is a very goodtraining strategy and Im sure all the Functional proponents would like mesaying this.

The exercises making up the Basic Program include exercises that workthe large muscles and the muscles in the arms. Even though the arm musclesare small, they require whole body e ! ort and round out this program. Changesin intensity, causing higher RPE ratings, come from using high resistance, many

sets, and short rest periods. These are the major changes you make to t theBasic Program to your goals.

The credit for the development of this system of exercises goes to BobHo ! man, the owner and developer of the famed York Barbell Company in York,Pennsylvania. Any a young buck, coming of age in the 1950s and 1960s, was afollower of Bob Ho ! man and his York Barbell Company. He aptly named thissystem of exercises Bob Ho ! mans Simplied System of Barbell PhysicalTraining. This is the same System on which I cut my teeth when I began to hoistbarbells in the late 1950s.

One of the rst barbells developed by the York Barbell Company was soldin 1902. Later, the company released a more result producing set of equipmentand training programs and surged to the front of the burgeoning weighttraining industry. There were other pieces of equipment and a wide range ofexercises to perform. Ill talk more about expanding your equipment andexercise variety later.


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The larger York system required more space and the investment of moretime to complete the required exercises. As a result, Ho ! man developed theSimplied System requiring only one piece of equipment -- the barbell.Another reason for the development of the Simplied System was that it wasapplicable to training large groups of men, such as soldiers, quickly ande ! ectively. Ho ! man realized that the Simplied program was e ! ective butunderstood that the results accruing from its use would be less than those thatresulted from following the more sophisticated program that used moreequipment, and exercises, that required the investment of more training time.This, of course, is just as true today as it was in Ho ! mans time. Theres a limit,however, as to how much time is required to achieve maximum results: Id saythat 1-2 hours of weight training each day for about 4-5 days per week wouldprovide the maximum stimulus for muscle growth. More than that would notproduce much additional benet and the cost/benet ratio would begin todecline.

In contrast, what is the minimum time to produce any results? We are allaware in 2012 of the claims by many that just six minutes of exercise a daywill produce maximum results. Imagine, maximum results? Not only will theresult be less than maximum it will barely even register on the result-producingscale if one performed this little exercise! Twenty minutes of training two timesper week may give a small result, but 30 minutes three times is, I think, just atthe threshold of providing a reasonable beginning stimulus for muscle growthand strength conditioning.

As I describe in my writings on isometrics that very brief and infrequentworkouts will provide great results.

But the point is, as Ho ! man proclaimed in 1941, Progressive barbelltraining has long proven to be a superior form of physical training, not only thebest way to build strength and muscle, but a means of building internalstrength as well. Amen.

One of the key features of the Simplied System was its design thatallowed for few weight changes. In other words, Ho ! man designed the Systemso that several of the exercises performed, in the order listed, required the use

of the same weight. Ill note that when I list the exercises. So, once youveestablished the weight required for the very rst exercise, you have establishedthe weight required for several of the following exercises as well.

Basic Program

1) 2-Hands High Pull


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2) Side-to-Side Bend3) Barbell Curl

Increase the weight by 50%4) Sti ! egged Deadlift5) Press6) Shrug7) Bent-Over Rowing

Increase the weight by 50%8) Raise on Toes9) Straddle Lift

10) Deep Knee Squats

Exercise Prescription

Intensity: Choose RPE level to meet your goals.Sets: 2-3Reps: 12-1 st set, 10-2 nd set, 8-3 rd setRest: 90 between sets, 2 between body partsFrequency: 3 times per week

(Mon/Wed/Fri) or (Tues/Thurs/Sat)Notes:

1) symbol = seconds; = minutes.

Follow the program for 3 weeks then decrease rest to 60 between setsand 1.5 between exercises.

Two weeks after that you can drop to 60 rest periods, increaseresistance for each of the three sets by about 3-5% or more if you can. Increasethe weight when RPE decreases 2 units; for example, a rating of 5 becomes a 3.

This is the Basic Program. If you want, you could follow it continuously. Just increase the resistance as you become stronger. The bodybuildingchampions of the 1930s and 1940s followed a similar program for years. Iused a program like this through high school and college football.

The Basic Program will take about 45 minutes to complete after youbecome used to it. Many people will need to do it in a shorter time and can dofewer sets. And, you can add or drop exercises from this program as needed.

Naturally, athletes will most likely add to it. Others will shorten it. Thefollowing is an example of a short program that still provides a good, overallworkout to people with time constraints.


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Basic Program: AlternativesLets review the changes that you can make to your program to change

the way it a ! ects your muscles and body.

1) Choice of and total number (volume) of exercises2) Order of exercises3) Number of sets (volume)4) Number of repetitions in a set (volume)5) Rest periods between sets and di " erent body parts6) Frequency of workouts per week (volume)

Intensity is determined by many of the above items but is mostly a ! ectedby choice of resistance, total volume, and rest periods. I encourage you to usethe RPE guidelines to meet your goals.

Now, Im going to make some of these changes for you, and using thesame Basic Program , change the exercise prescription. Im going to denewhat these changes do to your conditioning.

Ill list three separate programs which develop you from one end of thespectrum to the other. They are:

1) Cardiovascular or Aerobic2) Lactic Acid Tolerance (Ill explain what this is)3) Strength

Cardiovascular or Aerobic ProgramBodybuilding style workouts reduce risk factors for heart disease. The

reductions are as good as, or better, than those provided by pure aerobicprograms including running, biking, swimming, and cross-country skiing. Thesuccess of resistance exercise to make these changes is from the short restperiods used by bodybuilders.

The one-minute rest periods are short enough to cause changes. Oftenthough, bodybuilders use even shorter rest periods. They also do sets of anexercise one right after the other.

Exercise PrescriptionIntensity: Choose RPE level to meet your goals.Sets: 3


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Reps: 10-1 st set, 10-2 nd set, 10-3 rd setRest: 10 between sets, 30 between body partsFrequency: 3 times per week

(Mon/Wed/Fri) or (Tues/Thurs/Sat)

You will need to use less weight in this cycle because of the very shortrest periods so test that out rst. Follow the program for 23 monthsmaximum. Then change it. If this type of conditioning is your main goal thenreturn to it after short, one or two week rest periods.

You can also use it 2 times per week instead of three. On the thirdworkout of the week, follow the Basic Program with the longer rest periods andhigher resistance. Add resistance when RPE decreases 2 units; for example,rating of 5 becomes a 3.

This workout can be very hard if you use high resistance. Check yourpulse rate to make sure its in the training zone. RPE in 35 range will conrmthis.

Remember, one key to success is variety. You dont want to get boredwith a routine. Two to three months is about maximum before you should makechanges.

Lactic Acid Tolerance ProgramMost American sports are high intensity and short duration. Wrestling,

football, tennis, basketball, and even baseball are examples. These sportsrequire forceful muscle contractions, a type of exercise called anaerobic(without oxygen). This contrasts with aerobic exercise which means withoxygen.

Your muscles use oxygen and mix it with food to power musclecontraction. When oxygen is in short supply, the muscle can still contractbecause it can burn fuel for a while without oxygen. Muscles use supplies of fatand carbohydrate located within the di ! erent muscle bers during these highintensity contractions.

When muscle burns carbohydrate without enough oxygen, it produces awaste product called lactic acid. Too much lactic acid slows muscle contractionand sends a signal (muscle pain) to slow down.


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Your body can use lactic acid for fuel. This is one way of getting rid of it.You can condition yourself to burn more lactic acid. Better yet, you cancondition yourself to tolerate higher levels of lactic acid in your blood. To dothis, however, you must workout hard enough to produce lactic acid levelssimilar to those that occur from your sport.

I dont recommend this style of training for general tness conditioning.This workout is just the Basic Program with a shift in RPE rating to very highnumbers. You must use short rest periods to attain high lactic acid values. Themain di ! erence between this routine and the one I just outlined, above, is theupward shift in the training RPE.

Exercise PrescriptionIntensity: RPE level of 810+Sets: 3Reps: 10-1 st set, 10-2 nd set, 10-3 rd setRest: 10 between sets, 30 between body partsFrequency: 3 times per week

(Mon/Wed/Fri) or (Tues/Thurs/Sat)

Follow the program for 24 weeks at a time. Use it before your sportseason. One to two sessions per week will serve as a maintenance program.

You may do it only 2 times per week and follow the Basic Program 1 day

per week. Add resistance when RPE decreases 2 units; for example, rating of 10becomes an 8.

This workout can be very hard if you use high resistance. It will give ahigh total body RPE as well as high muscle RPE (local muscle pain).

Strength Training ProgramStrength training routines increase your ability to do a 1 RM; lifting the

heaviest weight possible for one repetition. Most research for strength training

has shown that sets of about 36 repetitions will improve strength the most.You must also do occasional 1 RM e ! orts (once every week or two) as well.

The only athletes that need to do 1 RMs are competitive weightlifters.Strength for sports performance can easily develop by doing higher rep sets.Also, 1 RM sets increase the risk of injury.


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Most sports training programs for strength use sets of 812 repetitions. Ithink that athletes competing in power sports would benet from some 46 repsets. Make sure that you do 1 or 2 sets of a good warm-up before doing anytraining with heavier weights.

I dont recommend doing sets of less than about 8 reps for generaltness and sports conditioning. You can get very strong doing sets of thisnumber.

You wont acquire as much ability to do a 1 RM by performing sets of8-12 reps as you would if you practiced low rep sets. This is part of thespecicity of training idea Ive discussed which states that to do the best at anactivity you must practice that activity. You only need 1 RM ability if you do 1RMs in your sport.

Most athletes use resistance training to help sports performance. Thenthey practice their sport to develop sport-specic skills. Using resistancetraining for general conditioning does not require the use of 1 RMs.

Exercise PrescriptionIntensity: Choose RPE level of 8-10+.Sets: 3Reps: Choice 1: 10-1 st set, 8-2 nd set, 6-3 rd set.

Choice 2: 8-1 st set, 6-2 nd set, 4-3 rd set.

Rest:

23 between sets, 2-3 between body partsFrequency: 3 times per week (Mon/Wed/Fri) or (Tues/Thurs/Sat)

Follow program during o ! -season. Alternate the two repetitionsequences between workouts. One to two sessions per week will serve as amaintenance program during sports season.

You may do it only 2 times per week and follow the Basic Program 1 dayper week. Add resistance when RPE decreases 2 units; for example, a rating of10 becomes an 8.

RPE rating will be high for muscles only. This routine will not increasebreathing or aerobic capacity much because of the longer rest periods.

Basic Program: Variations


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Fewer Sets

If you want to do all of the exercises in the Basic Program, but have timelimits, you can reduce the number of sets per exercise to two or even one. Thisis similar to the Nautilus method of training.

My experience and research shows that one set is not as good as two forproducing results, and two are not as good as three. Increases in both strengthand muscle size arise from performing multiple sets.

Its important to balance your program to your needs. Needs are notdened only by the physical changes you want but by restrictions of time,family, sports training, and interest.

Rest Periods

You now know the e ! ect of changing the rest time between sets. And, asyou decrease rest time, you must decrease resistance (weight).

Try di ! erent rest times. I outlined 10 seconds, 1 minute, 90 seconds, and2 minutes. Experiment with any combination: 15, 20, 30, 45, whatever youwant. Anything equal to or below one minute will reduce heart disease riskfactors. As you approach 23 minute rest periods, resistance training will not beas e ! ective for that type of conditioning.

FrequencyMost general-purpose resistance workouts are done three times per

week. And most people accept this as gospel. It doesnt have to be.

Bodybuilders do large volumes of work. This makes muscles grow as Iveexplained to you. Sometimes they do twenty to thirty sets (using di ! erentexercises) per body part. To complete this much work requires 13 hours perday, 47 days per week. They also split their body parts, working chest andarms one day, and back, shoulders, and legs the next. Ill show you a samplebodybuilder workout later.

Weve learned that hard/easy is the most e ! ective type of trainingprimarily because of the low monotony index. Steve Reeves, the former Mr.America in the late 1940s, argued for whole body training three days per weekat a high intensity level and he allowed for adequate rest by interspersingtraining days with rest days. So his ideas adhere to what science has discoveredonly recently. But, we also saw from the studies conducted by Dr. Hickson thathigh increases in aerobic power could occur by training every day. The catch, of


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course, was that he alternated muscle groups. This type of training is the oneused by many bodybuilders who train six days a week but alternate betweenmuscle groups while training hard every day. The success of this style oftraining may indicate that the central factors of blood ow and oxygenconsumption are less important in determining training responses than factorsat the level of the individual muscles. So, the jury is still out on what is moste ! ective.

You can split the Basic Program into body parts. If youve got the time,you could do it every day if you need to burn calories to lose weight. Justdecrease the resistance a little and dont over-train.

Any combination of training days is good. Sometimes I do three days onthen one day o ! and then repeat. Sometimes I do my whole body in a workoutand do three sets of three di ! erent exercises per body part. I do this threetimes in a week.

Other times I train every day using 3 sets per body part. And sometimes Ido 1520 sets per body part doing two to three body parts in a workout. Thisdepends on the rest period time. Up until (1999) I rarely exercised for morethan 75 minutes per session. In 1999 I tried an old time bodybuilding program(Steve Reeves) working out 3 times per week and performing 60 sets persession. These workouts take 2 hours.

Use the Basic Program to start. This way you dont have to think -- you just exercise. Try the variations when you begin to get bored and when results

slow. Remember, consistency and regularity are the keys to long-term results.Anything you do that helps to keep you exercising regularly is good.


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The Advanced Program

Weve now covered the basic ten barbell exercises, developed a training

regimen and then enhanced that by varying the exercise prescription. Here arethe next ten exercises that comprise the Advanced program:

1)Clean & Press2)Reverse Curl3)Barbell Teetotum

Increase the weight by 50%4)Behind the Neck Press5)Snatch6)Good Morning (barbell bendover)

7)Upright RowingIncrease the weight by 50%8)Deep Knee Bend9)Barbell Straddle Hop10)Clean to Upright

Every variation that we made to the Basic Program can be applied to theexercises in the Advanced Program. The only alteration that you make is asubstitution of one exercise for another.

Additional Equipment and ExercisesMy goal to this point was to use the least amount of equipment at the

lowest cost and still provide the trainee with excellent results. That goal wasaccomplished with the introduction of the exercises of the Simplied Systemthat uses one piece of equipment -- the barbell.

Oh, one piece of advice: One of the exercises in the Basic Program, theStraddle Lift (a great exercise) requires straddling the bar and then grasping itwith one hand/arm in front of the body and the other hand/arm behind thebody. For my money, this will place a little twist in the torso and I think it willincrease the risk of injuring ones back.

What I have done to make adjustments is the use of the Hip Belt. Thisproduct can be purchased from Iron Mind in Nevada City, California(530-265-6725) www.ironmind.com.

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The cost is $89.95. Youll also need some holders to rest your barbell onwhile you hook up to the barbell to do the exercise.

Now, lets look at how quickly and inexpensively you can expand yourhome gym workouts. The barbell that you started to train with would most

likely come as a set: thats the bar itself, a set of collars (that you must have)and the weights (barbell plates) totaling 110 pounds. The other day I went toDicks Sporting Goods to get some idea of the cost of this equipment. Ill tellyou what, the pricing and equipment availability is a tremendous value with agreat variety of equipment available. Things change, of course, if you decide topurchase multi-gyms that come with weight stacks. But, if you stick with buyingbare-bones equipment onto which you place plates, youre in for some greatequipment at bargain costs.

Equipment Exercises Cost

110 lb. barbell Many As low as $60Dumbbells (DB) Many $0.49/lb.Adjustable DB Many $40 for 40 lbs.Hip Squat Belts Squats $90Door Jam ChinBar

Chins $30

Adj. Bench Many chest $60Bench and Rack Loads (great value) $199Squat Racks

(actuallyattached to thebenches)

$69-199

Steps (up to 10inches)

Step-ups $49

Theres some great equipment at great prices. All you need is the space.My recommendations: 1) The barbell, 2) dumbbells, 3) the squat belt, 4) thestep, 5) a bench (and the more attachments it has, the better. Make sure you

get the adjustable bench that lies at or inclines.) With these pieces ofequipment and enough plates, you can have a tremendous variety ofequipment.

Two very good leg exercises are leg extensions and leg curls. Many ofthese gym pieces, listed above, include a leg extension and leg curl barattached at the end of the bench. A word of caution: try the movement to see

Chapter 13 The Advanced Program


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how it feels and to see if you get a full range of motion, some of thesemachines are poorly designed.

There are, today, wonderful pieces of equipment. Ten years ago youcouldnt nd equipment like this except at commercial gym prices!

One body part where the Simplied Basic System is weak in is the chest.The best chest exercise, and a great overall body exercise, is the bench pressand its variations such as the incline bench press. The excellent thing aboutthese new, inexpensive benches is that the support poles that hold the barbellalso adjust so that you can vary the height and place your bar at di ! erentpositions for accessing it in di ! erent exercises such as squats. This is also animportant convenience and safety feature.

If you dont want to buy a bench, you can use two chairs to do yourbench press. For those who cannot do a regular push up, because they are notstrong enough, just keep your feet on the oor so that your body is angledupward. This position makes the exercise easier to do. As you becomestronger, you can begin to elevate your feet by placing the step you bought, orthe one you made (see below), under your feet as a means of increasing yourresistance. You see, with a little innovation, you can get a great workout withthe minimum amount of equipment expense.

Ill tell you: I was amazed at all the great equipment at Dicks. I haventchecked into this stu ! for many years as I have a complete gym basementoccupying 800 square feet. I have 3-300 pound Olympic barbell sets, many

homemade pieces of equipment and many commercial pieces of high gradegym pieces. One of my business partners manufactures gym equipment. So, Ihavent needed to look.

Dumbbells really increase your variety. Some of the very best exercisesare those involving the muscles in your legs and hips. There are quite a fewgreat hip/leg exercises. Step-ups onto the stepping bench while holdingdumbbells in your hands is fabulous for dramatically developing your thighsand buttocks muscles. Also, one leg lunges are great too. In fact, if you dontwant to buy the hip belt, then these are very good substitutes. Squats are part

of the two routines and the bench that has racks for holding a barbell is verygood to have around. You see, to do a proper squat, you must place the baracross your shoulders and behind your neck. Since the leg muscles are sostrong, you can develop very quickly in this exercise and soon may need to usemore weight than you can easily lift from the oor and place behind your head.I use 275 pounds for my squats, yet I could never pick that amount of weightfrom the oor and place it behind my head and across my shoulders. A squatrack is, therefore, essential to my leg/hip training program.

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If you want to purchase even more advanced and sophisticated pieces ofequipment, but keep the costs down, there are many companies thatmanufacture great stu ! . You can reach them online and theyll let you type inyour zip code and then provide a list of their dealers in your area. Twocompanies that I know about and who make great equipment are the YorkBarbell Company and Tu ! Stu ! . www.yorkbarbell.com and www.tu ! stu ! .net.

And, to keep it even cheaper, you can build your own steps using 4X4and 2X12 boards. Just buy the wood and make 1-3 platforms by cutting the4X4 to a 12 inch length and nailing a 15 inch long piece of the 2X12 onto it.The way they cut wood these days the 4X4 actually measures 3 $ inches and the2 inch side of the 2X12 is 1 % inches, so your step will be about 5 inches high. Ifyou make three steps, you can use a routine where you step 15 inches high. Iguarantee you that this is some kinda workout.

Now, lat pulldowns, which work your large back muscles, are anothergreat exercise, but you need a lat pulldown machine to do them. More cost.But, you can buy a door jam bar that you can do chins on. So instead of liftingmetal weights, you lift your bodyweight. The only downside is that many peopleare not strong enough to lift their own bodyweight. One way around this,however, is to do what we call a negative exercise. Pulling yourself up is calledthe positive part of the exercise and letting yourself back down again is calledthe negative part. You are stronger in negative work than in positive. So, youplace a chair close to your chin bar so that you can get your chin close to thebar then you try to hold yourself there and then begin to gradually loweryourself and then climb back up again to do another repetition. This is a goodexercise. You can buy the Bollinger Doorway Multi-Gym for $36.95 from www.netco.com.

Abdominal ExerciseAt this point I want to tell you about stomach exercises. Most people do

stomach routines to get rid of fat. This is a mistake because it doesnt work.During the last several years, we have seen an explosion of abdominal exercisemachines sold by lying, cheating, scamming hucksters. Getting abs requires the

removal of most of the body fat. It is not fun, easy, or fast and is very di"

cultto do. The biggest liar of them all is the Abdoer . The se clowns tell you that thespecial rotational movement no t only builds muscle b ut removes fat too.Theres not one shred of truth to these statements. In addition, the machine isno better at building muscle than the no-cost sit up.

Exercise builds muscle. For fuel the body uses fat. The best exercises toreduce fat are large muscle exercises that burn many calories and use lots of

http://www.yorkbarbell.com/http://www.yorkbarbell.com/http://www.yorkbarbell.com/http://www.yorkbarbell.com/http://www.yorkbarbell.com/http://www.yorkbarbell.com/


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squats with one minute rest in between sets. It was so hard that I had to give itup. Squatting is a great exercise. Its one of the single most importantmovements you can do.

Persons training for general tness should condition their leg muscles

with leg extensions and leg curls rst then move into squats if they have thatequipment.

Persons who havent exercised recently should do a few sets of 10 repsquats without weight to see if they get sore muscles. I once had anunconditioned female subject perform one set of twenty-ve rep squats with noweight while holding onto a door jam for balance. She became so sore that shewas crippled for the next ve days. Be careful, take it easy with squats andcondition yourself gradually.

Recent research has shown that squats do not decrease knee jointstability. This had been a fear that athletes have talked about for years. Dontworry. Do them with the correct weight and dont bounce. Full squats (big bendin the knee joint) are ne.

Deadlifts, a lower back exercise, are similar to squats. Theyre very goodfor you. Get you muscles in shape rst then use it freely, but with caution.

In summary, you can spend about $300, up to $500, and develop a verygood home gym. Close to $500 will get you a great bench and rack including alat pulldown bar, squat rack, leg extension/leg curl machine that will increase

the number of exercises available to you and the ability to attack a wider rangeof muscles thereby increasing your training results. Theres no need to buy anyequipment that comes with its own weight stack as that increases your costsexponentially with no additional return in result. Save your money and buymore barbell plates @ $0.49 per pound to use as you get stronger.

Supplemental ExercisesThe nal groups of exercises are the Supplemental groups. These include

exercises for the stomach muscles, forearms, neck, and calf muscles. Frankly, I

never do any of these because they exercise too little muscle. And since situps,or other abdominal exercises do nothing to reduce fat and are not verydemanding for calorie burning, then why waste the time.

Use of the term Supplemental does not mean these muscles arentimportant. However, these motions limit total body results compared to theother groups Ive dened.



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Exercising the smaller body parts doesnt give increases in cardiovascularcondition or in overall body muscle strength.

Others would argue this statement about body strength, particularlyabout the stomach, lower back, and calves. And they have reason. However,

most of us only have so much time to exercise each day. We just cant do everymuscle in our body in the available time. If you have the need or desire, pleaseadd any of the exercises from the supplemental muscle groups to your routine.

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24

Special Programs

There are as many exercise programs as there are exercisers.Bodybuilders have designed more programs than you can imagine. Just go intoany bookstore and youll nd at least twenty exercise books and magazines allproviding what the author calls the best program.

You can look at them if you like. You may get some ideas. However, youhave all the principles you could ever need in this book.

Im going to list programs that have been developed over the years forresistance training. I dont expect you to know what they are but I want to showyou how many di ! erent ideas there are:

1) Single set system

2) Multiple set system3) Bulk system4) Pyramid system5) Heavy to light system6) Light to heavy system7) Super set system (Tri set & Quad set also)8) Circuit system9) Peripheral Heart Action system (PHA)

10) Multi-poundage system11) Total tonnage system

12) Bomb & blitz system13) Half hour on/half hour o " per body part for 8 hours14) One body part per day for seven days15) Forced rep system16) Eccentric system

I cant go on anymore, but the systems do. Regardless of the system, thebasic principles remain unchanged. I wont repeat them here.

Variety is at the heart of the Maximum Muscle Growth . This program isdesigned to attack specically functioning muscle ber bundles, each with a

specic job to do, that make up the whole muscle. You need to recognize thisidea to develop and design a program that will produce results.

Follow the basic principles to get the results you want. And eat right.Bodybuilders have always said diet is worth 60-90% of success. I dont know iftheyre right, but I do know diet has a lot to do with the nal result, particularlyprotein intake.


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Now, in the spirit of adventure, Im going to lay out some di ! erentprograms for specic applications. You might enjoy doing them. Anyone can trythese routines. Just work at your own RPE level to meet your goals.

Upper or Lower Body Fat ConcentrationsRecent research shows that people store body fat di ! erently. Women

store fat in the lower body and males in the upper body. Women usually end upwith big hips and thighs and men acquire pot bellies.

Resistance training and diet are the only ways to get to look the way youwant. Diet alone will fail.

You can determine where you store your fat by looking in the mirror.Better yet, measure yourself. Take a tape measure and measure the Abdomen I

site which is slightly above the level of your navel. This is at a point above yournavel and below your last rib. Its the smallest waist measure. Your waist goesin at this point on your sides unless youve become very fat.

Then measure your hips. Divide the waist value by the hip value.

Females: If the ratio is .72 or less you have a lower body fat storagepattern and if it is .80 or above you have upper body fat storage.

Males: If the ratio is .81 or less you have a lower body fat storage patternand if it is .94 or above you have upper body fat storage.

With lower body fat storage, you should do few leg exercises becausewhy build the muscle too much and add additional size to the already too bigbody part? If you lose enough fat, then you can concentrate on increasingmuscle size. If your calf muscles are small, then exercise them, but avoid thighand hip work. Concentrate on chest, shoulders, and back. If youre followingeither the Basic or Advanced Programs, just do one or two sets of the thighexercises and possibly 3-5 sets of the upper body exercises. This is a great wayto create a visual e ! ect change without even decreasing body fat. This is truerfor women rather than men because of a womans tendency to store fat from

the navel down.

Bodybuilder RoutineIve already pointed out that bodybuilders do many sets. Here is a sample

program with a split four days per week workout.

Chapter 14 Special Programs

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26


Intensity: Choose RPE level of 6-10+Sets: As listed belowReps: As listed belowRest: 60 between sets (sometimes less), 2 between body

partsFrequency: 4-6 times per week as shown

Follow program and correct diet until body is at desired shape.

Add resistance when RPE decreases 2 units.

The optional exercises may be done on the rest day or combined with therest of the routine.

As youll see, this is a long and grueling workout. You cant have toomuch else to do in a day if you want to seriously do bodybuilding.

Some athletes split their sessions into a morning and evening workout,doing only one or two body parts per session. Others actually do this workoutsix days per week, doing the program three times and not just two times perweek. To be truly successful at bodybuilding, theres no way around it -- you

must perform a variety of exercises and to do that, you need equipment --either at home or in a gym. The exercise routine below is based on theavailability of an extensive array of gym equipment.

No scientic research has compared these workouts to ones of lessvolume. My extensive experience shows, however, that they do work. Howmuch more than workouts of lower volume isnt known. You need to answerhow much time and e ! ort you are willing to give. And what results you want.Not many people want to look like bodybuilders anyway.

Monday/ThursdayBackBent Over RowingLat PulldownsCurl Grip PulldownsSingle Arm Rowing

Sets3-43-43-43-4

Reps6-8

10-156-86-8


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ChestBarbell Bench PressesDumbbell FlysIncline Bench PressesCable Crossovers

4443

8-1210

6-812, 10, 8

BicepsBarbell CurlsAlternate CurlsBench Conc. Curls

433

8-108

10TricepsBarbell French PressLying Tricep PressRear Extension

434

6-8108

Tuesday/FridayShouldersStanding Barbell PressUpright RowsDumbbell Lateral RaiseBarbell Shrugs

4444

8-108-10

812

ThighsLeg ExtensionsLeg CurlsBarbell SquatsHack Squats

4443

10-128-12

10-2012

CalvesBarbell Calf RaiseSeated Calf Raise

43

2015

Lower BackDeadliftsRoller HyperextensionsGood Mornings

332

121520

Body Part SpecializationBy this time I think you can gure this one out for yourself: more volume

of exercise, to a point, increases muscle size the most. How much more isanyones guess. I believe that for good results you need at least 3 total sets perbody part as a minimum. Six to ten sets may be better. And, maybe even 1220. Experiment.

Chapter 14 Special Programs

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Heres a good chest, back, and leg routine for two times per week eachbody part.

ChestBarbell Bench Presses

Dumbbell FlysIncline Bench Press

Sets5

54

Reps10

1010

BackLat PulldownsStraight Arm PulloversHorizontal Rowing

555

101010

LegsBarbell SquatsLeg Extensions

77

1010

Exercise Prescription(Chest and Back)

Set resistance to the same amount for all sets. Alternate workouts for 30rest during one workout and 1 in the next. Use more weight with longer restperiods.


(Legs)Set resistance to the same for all sets. Do squats then move bench in and

do leg extensions. Rest 60 and repeat cycle.

The last rep of the fth set should be very hard. As soon as it gets a littleeasy, increase resistance for all sets.

Two times per week is plenty. Good luck on this one.

Anyone can use these programs. Just adjust RPE levels. Obviously, results

are most often greater and faster at higher RPE levels. High RPEs are tough andnot required for results.

This type of specialization adds fun (well, maybe) and results to specicbody parts.

Sports Programs for Athletes


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2) Most upper body exercises use the arm muscles. If you do them rst, itwill mean you must use less weight for back, chest, and shouldermovements. As a result, these larger muscles may not get worked as hardas they should for best results.

CyclingI want to close this section with a brief discussion about cycling. The

basis for the development of this theory is the General Adaptation Syndromeoriginally described by Dr. Hans Selye.

The theory states that three phases of stress adaptation occur.

1)Phase 1 is shock2)Phase 2 is adaptation3)Phase 3 is staleness

This theory supports many of the ideas in this book. This is why Iencourage changing programs and why Ive provided so many di ! erentworkouts.

Develop your own cycles that t your body. For athletes, this could meana program that lasts for a three-month period in the o ! -season. The programshould progress right up to the season and stimulate change. Dont over-trainand avoid staleness.

A middle-aged woman may use a winter cycle to get ready for thesummer swimsuit season. Use dates and occasions to serve as deadlines forcycles, goals, and programs. Remember -- do anything to keep consistent andregular.

Closing CommentYou have the equipment, the programs, and the knowledge to get the

best possible results. If you do the workouts, then I guarantee results. Ive saidthis repeatedly: If you dont do it, then nothing will happen.

Keep your body fat percent down and train. Youll soon look the way youwant.


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Plastic Tubes

You can substitute plastic tubes for all of the following exercises.

Glossary of ExercisesThe Glossary of Exercises has photographs of the start and nishing

position for each the many exercises Ive described above. Descriptions foreach exercise list the proper method of performance. Follow the directionsclosely.

Basic Program1)2-Hands High Pull

31

Warming up exercise.Stand close to the barbell, feet 12 to 18inches apart... grasp the barbell with both

hands a bit more than shoulder widthapart. Straighten up, pulling the barbell toa point a few inches above your head andthen lower the weight until the plates touchdown on the oor. Continue to perform therequired number of repetitions accordingto the training program that you arefollowing. This exercise is not a strengthfeat but merely a warming up exercise. Themovement should be done slowly enoughthat exertion can be felt every inch of theway.


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2)Side-to-Side Bend

Chapter 17 Dr. Gregory Elliss Spectrum Training System

Develops the muscles on the sides of the body.Stand close to the barbell with feet 12 to 18 inchesapart. Grasp barbell with both hands at slightlywider than shoulder width and then lift the barbellto a position above the chest, close to the neck.

From this position, push the barbell up and overyour head, then let it move backwards and lower itto a position behind your head, resting on the thickupper back muscles (not against your neckvertebrae). Bend slowly and steadily as far to the leftas possible pausing for two seconds. Return to thestarting position then bend sideways in the oppositedirection. Again, pause for two seconds beforebeginning the return to the starting position.

Repeat by bending to the opposite side. Keep legsstraight at all times. Bend only to the side, do notallow your body to bend forward. Make sure youvesecured your barbell plates with their collars.


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3)Barbell Curl

33

The two hands regular barbell curldevelops the muscles on the front partof the arm.

Use the same weight on the barbell asin the previous two exercises. Standclose to the barbell and grasp it withboth hands with your palms facing out.Stand erect and, slowly, withoutmoving your elbows, curl the weighttoward the shoulders and then lowerthe barbell to the starting position.

Use the strength of your arms only andavoid swinging the barbell or bendingthe torso forward or backward. Repeatthe repetitions according to the

exercise prescription.


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4)Sti " Legged Deadlift


Sti ! legged dead lifts (develops the powerful musclesof the lower back).

Increase the weight of the barbell 50% above that usedin the previous three exercises.

Stand close to the barbell with your feet about 12 to 18inches apart. Grasp the barbell with both hands atshoulder width and then stand erect allowing thebarbell to rest against your thighs. While keeping your

knees locked, lower the barbell until it nearly touchesthe oor and then come back to the erect position andcontinue the movement for the specied number ofrepetitions. Dont bend your knees and keep the legsstraight at all times although a very slight bend in theknees is OK too.

This exercise will dramatically increase your exibility.For the rst few repetitions, do not allow the barbell togo all the way to the oor and gradually increase howfar you lower it thereby gradually "warming-up." Youwill avoid injury to the lower back by performing theexercise in this way.


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5)Press

35

Two hands military press (develops theshoulder muscles and the triceps muscles on

the back of the arms).Use the same weight as in the dead lift. Standclose to the barbell with your feet 12 to 18inches apart and grasp the barbell with bothhands at shoulder width. The bending motionto grasp the barbell should involve bendingboth at the torso and at the knees.

Pull against the barbell, lifting it upward untilit rests on the tops of your shoulders. Keepyour knees locked and bend backwards just a

little bit at the waist and push the bar upward,past your chin, and over your head until yourarms are locked at the elbows.

Lower the bar again to the starting positionon the top of your shoulders and repeat therepetitions.


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36

6)Shrug


Shoulder shrug (develops the trapeziusmuscles).

Stand close to the barbell with your feet12 to 18 inches apart and benddownward both at the low back and atthe knees and grasp the barbell as youhave in the previous exercises.

By straightening your knees and lowerback, stand erect and place the barbell atthe starting position with it restingagainst your thighs. Without bendingyour arms at the elbow joint, pull the barby lifting from your shoulder, movingthem upwards towards your ears.

Keep your arms straight at all times andforce your shoulders to go as high asyou can. Pause briey at the highestposition before lowering the weight.


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7)Bent-Over Rowing

37

Rowing Motion (develops the muscles of theupper back and all of the upper arm)Use the same weight as in the previousexercises. Again, standing close to thebarbell with your feet 12 to 18 inches apart,grasp it with both hands at a width slightlymore than shoulder width apart.

Keep your knees slightly bent and bend yourtorso at a 90 degree angle to your legs. Withboth arms pull the barbell upward until itcontacts your chest. Lift the barbell withoutraising the upper body. Allow your elbows tobe out and away from your body -- donthave them touching your sides.

Lower the barbell to the starting position andrepeat the repetitions. A variation for thismovement is to pull the barbell upward to apoint slightly above your navel instead of toyour chest.


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38

8)Raise on Toes


Raise on toes (develops calves andstrengthens feet and arch).

Increase the weight 50% over that used in theprevious exercises. In this exercise, youll takethe same position as in many of the previousexercises, grasping the barbell and lifting itupward into a position on top of yourshoulders. From here, youll push it upward asyou did in the two hands military press butonly to a point slightly above the top of yourhead. Then, allow the barbell to go backwardbehind your head and lower it until its restingon your upper back muscles.

Now, raise up as high as you can on your toes,then lower yourself, repeating the exerciseuntil you have performed the required numberof repetitions. Do not allow your knees tobend. This is a very good exercise to have theavailability of a rack.

You could place the barbell onto one of thehigher rack barbell holder settings and thensimply position yourself underneath the bar toplace it in the proper position.

Since you are using a heavier weight at thispoint, its sometimes di " cult to lift theheavier weight into the position behind yourhead.

Heres another tip: place a towel or some formof padding around the bar so that it restsmore comfortably on your upper backmuscles.


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9)Straddle Lift

39

Straddle lift (develops most muscles of the upper legand increases exibility).

Use the same weight as in the previous exercise. Myonly di " culty with this exercise as pictured is thatthe grasping of the barbell with one hand in frontand one hand in back places a little twist in your hipsand back increasing the possibility of pulling amuscle. This is why I recommend the use of the HipBelt as pictured in the two bottom photos. Youll alsoneed some sort of stand that is safe to rest thebarbell on while hooking yourself in and out of usingthe Hip Belt as described in the text.

Obviously, if you perform the exercise as pictured,

you will not need a rack of any kind. I support thesubstitution of other leg exercises for this oneincluding step-ups onto your purchased or home-constructed stepping apparatus while holdingdumbbells or also lunges while holding dumbbells.

To complete the straddle lift as pictured, spreadyour feet apart about 18 inches and squat down andgrasp the barbell, one hand in front of you and onehand behind. To make the initial lift into the properposition you may need to bend both at the kneesand at the lower back. When performing theexercise, bend forward at the lower back no morethan needed to maintain your balance.

Its often a good idea to place a one or two inchblock under your the heel of each foot to helpmaintain balance.


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40

10)Deep Knee Squats


Deep knee bend on toes (develops all of the musclesof the body, particularly the thighs and hips).

Use the same weight as in the previous two exercises.This is another exercise which would be performedmore easily by having the availability of a rack.

Squats are recognized world-wide as one of the verybest exercises for body development. In fact, if youcould only do one exercise this would be it. If you donot have a rack, grasp the barbell as in many of theprevious exercises, lifting it up into a shoulderposition and then pushing it slightly up over your headand let it downward onto the upper back muscles.

This exercise is best performed with a one to two inch

block under your heels. Lower your body into a fullsquat position and then come to the erect positionagain and repeat. The most di " cult part of thisexercise is balancing yourself on your toes. You maywant to begin using only the weight of the bar untilyou adapt to the motion. When that occurs, you cangradually begin to add weight.


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Advanced Program1)Clean & Press

41

Two hands press complete (warming up exercise).

Select your starting weight based on the techniques that I have previously described.Stand close to the barbell with your feet 12 to 18 inches apart and grasp it with bothhands shoulder width apart. First, lift the barbell to a position atop your shoulders andfrom here press it to arms length overhead. Then lower it to your shoulder positionagain and then lower it from your chest to the oor.

Although this exercise is suggested as a warm-up exercise, its one of the very bestexercises that you can do. In fact, one of the hardest exercises in all of weight trainingis the rst movement of this exercise which is called a clean and involves the lifting ofthe bar from the oor to the top position on your shoulders.

Repeated repetitions with an appropriate weight can really maximize your breathingrate, heart rate, and overall conditioning. If you had very little time to perform exercise,I would recommend combining this exercise with the squat and performing 10 sets ofeach 2-3 times per week. You would develop some serious muscles and tnessconditioning.


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2)Reverse Curl


Two hands reverse curl (develops muscles of theforearms and biceps).

Use the same weight as in the previous exercise.Note: the large muscles of the body used in theprevious exercise are far stronger than the smallmuscles used in this exercise.

But, we want to use the two hands press completeexercise as a warm-up. You could shift the two handspress complete to a later position in the workout anduse heavier weight to make it a more e ! ective musclebuilding and conditioning movement. In respect tothe two hands reverse curl, if I were to drop oneexercise from this routine it would be this onebecause it involves the use of so little muscle. Standwith your feet 12 to 18 inches apart and grasp thebarbell with an over hand grip.

Stand erect bringing the barbell to a position restingagainst your thighs. From this position, curl thebarbell upward toward your shoulders. Its importantthat the elbows be held at the sides and that you donot swing your body in an attempt to assist inperforming the movement.


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3)Barbell Teetotum

43

Barbell teetotum (develops muscles of the side and also ofthe back).

Use the same weight as in the previous two exercises.Face the barbell with your feet 18 to 24 inches apart (notethe wider foot spread).

Grasp the barbell with a grip where the hands are in aposition slightly wider than shoulder width. Stand erectbringing the barbell to a position against your thighs.

Turn and bend to one side allowing the barbell to godownward toward your foot. You can bend at the knee onthe side toward which you are moving.

Lift up and return to the starting position, then repeat themovement to the opposite side.

Count a bend to the right side and to the left side as onecomplete repetition. Move slowly allowing your muscles todo the work so that you do not jerk or pull the weightunnecessarily fast.

A slow, deliberate movement will help avoid any injuriesthat might occur because of both the bending andtwisting motion. If you have any lower back problems, youmay choose to skip this exercise altogether.


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4)Behind the Neck Press


Press from behind neck (develops the shoulders andarms).

Increase the weight of barbell 50% over the rst threeexercises. Take a position close to the barbell withyour feet 12 to 18 inches apart and grasp it with bothhands slightly more than shoulder width apart.

Lift the barbell to a position on top of your shouldersand then push it up over your head allowing it, then,to come down and rest on your upper back muscles.From this position push the barbell up over your headuntil your elbows are locked.

Until you condition the muscles and joints for this

exercise (the shoulder muscles and shoulder jointshave to be somewhat exible to get into thisposition), begin using only a lightweight in thisexercise, even just the bar, and then graduallyincrease the weight as both your exibility andstrength increase.


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5)Snatch

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Two hands repetition snatch (develops allmuscles in the body and builds stamina)Use the same weight as in the previousexercise. Note: to perform this exercisee " ciently involves a reasonable level ofcoordination.

Again, therefore, as in several of the otherexercises, you may wish to practice thisexercise for quite a few sessionsbeginning with just the bar and then,gradually, increase the weight as youbecome more skilled in its performance.

This is a terric whole body exercise.Stand close to the bar with your feet 12 to18 inches apart grasping it with a verywide grip. With one long and continuouspull, lift the barbell from the oor to armslength overhead while at the same timemoving one foot forward and the otherfoot backwards.

Then bring both feet together so that youare standing in an erect position with thebar at arms length overhead. Lower thebar, rst to your shoulder position, and

then downward to the oor again. Makesure that when youre lifting the bar fromthe oor position to the overhead positionthat it rises upward very close to yourbody.

The legs should be in the split position bythe time the bar is passing in front ofyour chin. You will have to make a littlehop to get into this position. The forwardleg, therefore, will be bent at the kneewhile the opposite leg that you thrustrearward will be almost straight with aslight bend in the knee. Decide foryourself which leg is easier to moveforward or backward. Again, this exerciseis a hard one to perform because of thecoordination involved. Dont feel foolish ifyou choose to eliminate it from yourroutine, substituting another one for it.


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6)Good Morning (barbell bendover)


Barbell bend over, also known as the GoodMorning exercise (develops the muscles of thelower back).

Use the same weight as in the previous exercise.Similar to many of the other motions, spread yourfeet 12 to 18 inches apart, grasp the barbell withan over-hand grip and lift it up to the frontshoulder position. Press it up to a position slightlyabove your head and then allow it to go backwardso that you can lower it on to your upper backmuscles.

Without bending your knees, lean forward as faras possible. Return to an erect position and then

repeat for the specied number of repetitions. Itsimportant to keep the legs straight.

As you practice this exercise, you will be able tobend much farther forward. Besides strengtheningthe lower back muscles, this exercise is verye ! ective for increasing the strength and exibilityin the buttocks and hamstring muscles on theback of the legs.

Start very carefully with this exercise, graduallyconditioning your muscles over several weeks toavoid injury.


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7)Upright Rowing

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Upright rowing motion (develops upper arms, trapezius,and shoulders).

Use the same weight as in the previous three exercises.Stand close to the barbell with your feet 12 to 18 inchesapart and grasp it with an over-hand grip, hands at 1/2shoulder width position. Straighten your body, lifting thebar upward until it is resting against your thighs.

Lifting your elbows up and outward (out to the side) awayfrom your body and pulling your hands and shoulders,bring the barbell up to a height almost touching yourchin.

Its important to keep the elbows higher than the barbellplates (or, actually, higher than the level of the barbell).Move your upper body as little as possible. This is a greatexercise for developing the shoulders and bicepsmuscles.


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8)Deep Knee Bend


Deep knee bend on toes (develops all of the musclesof the body, particularly the thighs and hips).

Weve seen this one before in the Basic routine. Why?Because its one of the most e ! ective barbell trainingexercises ever invented.

Use the same weight as in the previous two exercises.This is another exercise which would be performedmore easily by having the availability of a rack. Squatsare recognized world-wide as one of the very bestexercises for body development.

In fact, if you could only do one exercise this would be

it. If you do not have a rack, grasp the barbell as inmany of the previous exercises, lifting it up into ashoulder position and then pushing its slightly overyour head and let it downward on to the upper backmuscles. This exercise is best performed with a one totwo inch block under your heels.

Lower your body into a full squat position and thencome to the erect position again and repeat. The mostdi " cult part of this exercise is balancing yourself onyour toes. You may want to begin using only theweight of the bar until you adapt to the motion. When

that occurs you can gradually begin to add weight.


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9)Barbell Straddle Hop

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Barbell straddle hop (develops thighs,calves, and strengthens the feet whileconditioning the jumping ability of the lowerbody).

Use the same weight as in the Deep kneebend exercise. Grasp the bar with a gripslightly wider than shoulder width and liftthe weight into the shoulder position, thenpress overhead and position it behind yourneck, resting it on your upper back muscles.Again, this is a very good exercise to do ifyou have a barbell holding rack and paddingaround the bar.

Remember, many of these exercises weredeveloped in the 1930s before the advent

of the equipment that we have available tous today. So, for a very small expenditure ofcash, one can have the perfect equipment tomake the performance of these exercisesvery easy. Ive already outlined that a fairlysophisticated rack and bench system can bepurchased for about $199. To perform theexercise, jump up slightly and spread thelegs apart sideways at the same time.

As your body comes downward from the jump position and the feet touch the oor,push upward again bringing the feet backtogether. You can lower the bar down ontoyour trapezius muscles so that its notcoming in contact with any of the vertebraein your spinal column. The thicker trapeziusmuscles act as a form of padding. I wouldencourage you to go to your local homerepair center and buy some of the foam padthat homeowners use to insulate their pipes.This foam pad serves as a very good form ofprotection against bruising the muscle fromthe performance of this exercise. You mayhave to pull with your hands, downward,against the bar, holding it snugly so that itdoesnt bounce against the muscle andbruise it.


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10)Clean to Upright


Rapid high dead lift (develops all upper bodymuscles).

Use the same weight as in the last two exercises.Again, stand close to the barbell with your feet 12 to18 inches apart and grasp it, over hand, with ashoulder width grip. With one quick continuousmovement lift the barbell from the oor to a pointeven with your chest muscles.

Then, without pausing, lower the barbell to within afew inches of the oor and, again, repeat this motionuntil completing the specied number of repetitionsin your exercise prescription. This exercise, mostoften called the cleaning exercise, builds terricstrength in the upper body.

It specically develops the total back musculaturealong with the shoulder muscles. Keep your elbowshigh and away from your body while performing thisexercise.

This exercise is a tremendous cardiovascularconditioner and I challenge anyone to performbetween 50-100 repetitions using a weight that is

tough to make that number of repetitions and notcome out of that experience screaming. You couldalso perform this movement with a narrower grip andpull the bar as high as your chin.


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Other Exercises

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Leg ExtensionsStart: Left PhotoEnd: Right Photo

Chin UpsStart: Left PhotoEnd: Right Photo


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Lat PulldownsStart: Left PhotoEnd: Right Photo

ParallelDipsStart andFinish: LeftPhotoMidpoint:Right Photo

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