From Broad Shoulders - Bob Hoffman

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Mike MacDonald

Boyer Coe

Shoulder Developing Hints

The average body builder is not unlike the tiger who has tasted human blood. He learns to like it and wants more and more of it. When the strength and health seeker finds how well he feels, when he learns to enjoy the feeling of superhealth, a feeling like he is riding on air, like he can run and jump over an obstacle, a feeling that is experienced by the advanced body builder, wants more and more of the same.

If one is really ambitious, desires to obtain the limit in strength, health and development, five days is the ideal training schedule, particularly if the trainee does not perform arduous work. This program would consist of one heavy limit day on which it is necessary to lift up to or near one’s limit, to try to excel one’s records of the past. In York, Saturday is usually our heavy day of training. Most of our outstanding physical specimens enter in a contest of some sort with their team mantes. When the main contest is over they have other contests in repetition lifts, in dumbell lifting or in cable stretching. On at least one day a week real demands should be made upon the body, for only through making demands will the best progress be made.

It is nature’s way not only to meet the demands made upon it but to build a little more for emergencies. So it is imperative that you train hard at times. With the five day schedule there should be two other days of training when about 80% of limit should be practiced in the various exercises. And two easy, or tinkering days, during which the muscles are exercises with a variety of equipment, from every possible angle, and toned or prepared for the harder days of training to come. With this five day schedule there will be two complete days of rest. As we train here in York, the rest days come the day before and the day after the heavy day.

I am often asked just how many repetitions should be performed. In general, higher repetitions are for endurance, a medium number of repetitions for muscle building and fewer repetitions with heavier weights for strength building. The heavy and light system is employed at least once a week, for to build great strength in muscles, tendons and ligaments it is necessary to handle the heaviest possible weights. And very heavy weights can not be handled for many repetitions. That is why the 3 times 5 system or the 7 or 8 repetitions, then a reduction of 10% in the weight is made, and 7 or 8 more repetitions are performed.

5 or 6 repetitions in an exercise will suffice for the beginner. It is best that you make your start gradually if you have never trained or have not exercised with weights for a long period.

Working from 5 to 10 reps or 6 to 12 reps is a good way to progress in the beginning, then working from 10 to 15 is an alternate method. It requires endurance to perform 15 good reps with a fairly heavy weight, for a weight which seems quite easy to begin gets heavy at 8 or 9 and is a real effort from 12 to 15. You shouldn’t habitually work on your nerve, if the last two or three reps are too difficult for you to make, stop that exercise for the present. If it is still too difficult the next training day reduce the weight. I

The usual way to start and to progress is as follows. Select the weight which permits the performance of at least 6 reps correctly. Practice 6 reps the first day, rest the next, 6 reps the next day, rest the next, then 7 reps, then rest, then 7 again then rest, working up in this manner until 12 are reached. This is known as the double progressive system. When 12 are reached your condition will make it possible for you to determine whether you should continue on to 15 with the double progressive system or whether you should increase the weight and start again with 6. When your strength and condition permit, you should work up to 15 repetitions, and from then on as long as you can continue to progress, practice from 10 to 15 repetitions.

Many men possess certain muscles which respond rapidly to physical training. While others of their muscles do not. To a great extent it is the nature of the beast, for some men who perform exactly the same exercises do not obtain similar results.

In body building it is best for the first few months to continue with a good all around course before there is any more than a thought of specialization. After that time, if there are weak spots in the bodily construction, the body builder can examine himself and specialize on the parts that need improvement most. Never specialize entirely. In every day’s training session complete a well laid out, all around course program before you go on to performing the exercises you like the best or feel that you need the most.

The man who seeks his limit in a physical way should train at least five times a week. One limit day on which he seeks to equal or surpass his best records of the past, two other training days on which 80 to 90% of limit is employed, and two easier or tinkering days. Two days of complete rest, the day before and the day after your limit day is best. You must be your own trainer to a considerable to a considerable extent, for only you know just how you feel, how your body reacts to training, what you wish to accomplish and how much time you are willing to spend to gain your desires. I can offer you advice, instruction and encouragement, and you must then perspire and persist.