Tuesday, December 6, 2011

John McCallum Routines, Part One

Routine 1 - The Time Factor (1965)Link
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/04/time-factor-john-mccallum.html

Routine 2 - Squat (1965)

We're only going to talk about one exercise this month. Just on exercise. But if you haven't got the size and strength you'd like, or if you aren't gaining like you think you should then read this carefully because it might be the most important thing you'll do in your weight career.

The exercise we're going to talk about is the squat.

And you've got to know one thing - that squats are THE exercise for gaining. They're so far out in front that second place doesn't even matter. If you want the absolute, utter maximum in power and shapely bulk, then you've got to specialize in squats and there's no sense stalling it off.

You're going to build up an awful lot of power.

Squats can be done in any number of ways. For now, do them 20 reps in breathing style with all the weight you can handle and then some. You're doing high rep breathing squats for a specific purpose. They'll stimulate your metabolism and force growth like nothing else you'll ever do. They're an absolute must at some stage in your training.

Here's how to do them:

Warm up your knees and back with a few light squats and then start the big stuff.

Put your bar on the rack and load it heavy. You'll find a little bend in the bar lets it ride easier on your shoulders. If you haven't got a cambered bar, take a sledge hammer and slug your straight bar till it bends slightly in the middle. You'll need two bars for your workout because once you bend your squat bar it's no good for any other exercise.

Put padding across your shoulders or wrap a towel around the bar if you want. Don't try to be tough and see how much you can stand. The squats will cause enough discomfort on their own.

Step under the bar. Straighten up. Back up two or three steps. Don't back up an farther than you have to. This isn't an afternoon stroll. Face the rack when you're squatting. If you work as hard as you're supposed to you'll be too beat to jockey around with the bar afterwards.

Keep your head up and your back as flat as possible. Fix your gaze on an imaginary spot on the wall just above head height. This will help you keep your back flat.

Take three huge breaths. All the air you can cram into your lungs. Hold the third breath and squat. Go down to parallel position, and come back up as hard and fast as possible. Don't pause in the low position. Breathe out forcibly when you're almost erect. Take three more deep breaths. Hold the third breath and squat. Keep this up for 20 reps.

You've got to work hard enough so that the 15th rep feels like your limit. Then keep going and dig out the rest of the 20. Take as many extra breaths as you need to get the final reps. Each one of the last five should be doubtful.

You've got to practically bleed on the squats. Work like you never worked before. When you finish the set you should be wiped right out. Working this hard on the squat is an absolute must for real success.

As soon as you finish the 20th squat, stagger over to a bench and do 25 pullovers with a light weight. Suck in all the air you can and concentrate on stretching your rib box.

Squat heavy. Try to add weight every workout. You've got to work up into the three to four hundred pound range for anything spectacular. One step at a time, one session after the other.

Beat yourself into a mental frenzy before you start the set. Make it a life or death deal. You've got to make all 20 reps. Know you can do it and then do it.

You're only going to do three exercises:

Press Behind Neck - 3 x 12
Squat - 2 x 20
Pullover - 2 x 25

That may not seem like much but if you work hard enough on the squats it'll be plenty. This is a straight breathing squat specialization program.

Work HARD. We're going to get into advanced bulk and power programs later on, but if you aren't squatting heavy enough you won't get anything out of them. For the time being, forget everything else but getting your squats weights up.

Work to the absolute limit. you should need a 15 minute rest after each set of squats. If you don't you're not working hard enough.

Force yourself. Drive. Keep adding to the weight over time. Get your poundage up higher and higher and keep adding to it.


Routine 3 - For Size and Strength (1966)

You're going to start now on the first of the more advanced bulk and power programs. It'll be based on heavy exercise. You'll be concentrating on the big muscle groups. Someone once said that if you take care of the big muscle groups the little ones will take care of themselves. This isn't entirely true, but it's not too far off.

Your first exercise will be prove hyperextensions. You'll be using them as a warmup for your lower back. Go all the way down and arch your back at the top. Don't worry about adding weight right away. Learn to do them properly first. Do 3 sets of 10.

Next comes heavy squats. You'll be doing 5 sets of 5 in the squat. Start with a weight 100 pounds below your best weight for 5 reps and do five reps with it. Add 50 pounds and do another 5 reps. Then add 50 more pounds and work up to 3 sets of 5 with it over time. You may get 5 reps in the first set and only 4 and 3 on the last two sets. Keep plugging until you can get 5 reps on all three sets and then add weight to all five sets. Take three huge breaths between each rep. Fill your chest with all the air you can cram in. Set your goals very high and believe it. You've got to work up to around double heavyweight for 5 reps.

Stagger over to a bench and do light breathing pullovers after every set of squats. Use 20 or 30 pounds for 20 reps and suck in air like it was going out of style.

Take a short rest before the next exercise. This will be front squats. Take the weight off the rack. If you're not used to front squats they'll probably hurt your wrists at first. Tough it out and your wrists will strengthen and become more flexible. Keep your ELBOWS HIGH AND THE BAR WELL BACK. Do the front squats for 3 sets of 10. Use your heaviest weight for the first set and drop back 10 pounds for each succeeding set.

The next exercise is the bench press. Do them for 4 sets of 8 in a loose style. Use a slightly wider than shoulder width grip and arch your back a little when you're pressing the bar up. Use 30 pounds below your best weight for 8 reps in the first set. Add 30 pounds for the second set and drop 10 pounds for each of the remaining two sets. Work up to heavy weights. Do a lot of deep breathing between reps. Work it something like the squats.

You'll need another rest now. The next one is tough. Power cleans. Do them dead hang style for 5 sets of 5. Start with 50 pounds below your best for 5 reps. Add 25 pounds for the second set. Add another 25 pounds and do the final three sets with that weight. Keep struggling over time until you can get 5 reps on all three sets, then add weight. Don't do too much with your legs and don't move your feet at all. Get the pull with your thighs, hips, back and arms. This is a pretty rugged exercise. Start off easy at first and gradually work into the heavy weights.

The next exercise is bentover rowing. Do this one for 5 sets of 10. Take your heaviest weight for the first set and drop it 10 pounds for each succeeding set. Don't get into the habit of cheating on this one. No fair using the legs and lower back. Take a narrow grip and pull the bar all the way up to the lower abdomen. Arch your back high at the completion of each pull. Lower the weight all the way down and round your back with it. Let it hang dead and stretch your lats.

You can wind it up now with presses behind the neck alternated with incline bench dumbbell curls. Do them each for 3 sets of 8. Use your heaviest weight on the first set and drop it each succeeding set. 10 pounds for the presses and 5 pounds each dumbbell in the curls.

If you have a tendency to get fat in the gut you can do one set of 25 leg raises and one set of 25 situps. Don't work too hard on them. All you're trying to do is keep your waist in check while you're gaining weight.


Routine 4 - Power Training (1966)

You're ready now for another advance in your bulk and power training routines. This next program will be aimed at developing greater strength as a foundation for further bulk training.

As a group, weightlifters are the strongest athletes in the world. No one can match the sheer power and speed of a top lifter. This program, then, will borrow freely from exercises used by weightlifters in their training. Remember though, you're not becoming an Olympic lifter. This is a series of bodybuilding routines. You're simply gaining greater strength as an aid to further muscular development.

You'll be using the split system of training. Work out four days a week. For example, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Split training is a tough grind. Don't add any exercises to the program and don't train more than four days a week. Keep each session relatively short but very, very heavy. You've got to really put out to succeed at this.

Mondays and Thursdays do the following:

Overhead Press. Warm up by doing 6 or 8 reps with a very light weight. Increase the weight and do 5 reps. Increase it again and do 5 more reps. Now jump to your best exercising poundage and do 5 sets of 3 with the same weight. You'll find that you can't make the fill 5 sets of 3 at first. Stay with it even if you're only getting 1 or 2 reps on the final sets. Increase the poundage when you get 3 reps on all 5 sets for two consecutive workouts. Do the presses with some back bend. Study what you can find on pressing and pressing styles.

Curl. Warm up with 6 or 8 reps with a light weight for a couple of sets, then jump to your best exercising poundage. Do 5 sets of 3 with your top weight. Follow the same plan as the presses. Use a reasonable style when you're curling. Don't fall into the habit of excessive cheating. There's no point in making a poor back exercise out of what should be a good arm exercise.

Squats. Again, this is the key exercise. You've got to get your squats up heavy if you're going to make it. Push the poundage. Start out with a light set of 5 reps. Add weight and do 5 more reps. Add more weight and do another 5. Now jump the poundage and start doing sets of 3's. Add 10 pounds to the bar every set and keep doing 3 reps. Work up until you can't make 3 reps. You should get in 8 to 10 sets altogether and don't get lazy and fake missing a 3rd rep.

You can finish off the workout with one set of 25 leg raises.

On Tuesday and Friday do the following:

Bench Press. Push this one hard. Warm up with a light set of 8. Add weight and do another warmup set of 6. Add more weight and do a set of 3. Now jump to your best exercising poundage for 3 reps and do 5 sets of 3. Follow the same plan as the overhead presses. Use a normal press-width grip and don't cheat too much. Use a little arch on the last couple of sets but don't make a belly bounce out of it.

The next two exercises are Olympic-based lifts. Don't be frightened. They build power fast and powerful speed.

Snatch. Most of you probably haven't done much work on this lift. You're in for a pleasant surprise. The snatch is a terrific exercise for developing EXPLOSIVE power. Warm up carefully with a very light weight. Add weight and do another warmup set. Add more weight and do one more warmup set. Now go to your top weight for 3 in dead hang style. Two quiet ones and loud one. Try and develop as much polish as you can. There's no reason why you can't learn to do a passable snatch with a heavy weight over time.

Power Cleans. Do these with the same layout as the snatch. Three warmups with increasingly heavier weights and 5 sets of 3 with your best weight in dead hang style. Add weight when you can get 3 reps on all 5 work sets. Don't move your feet. Just dip a little to catch the bar on your shoulders. You should be able to work into some heavy weight on this one in time.

Dead Hang Deadlifts. Start light on these and do two reps. Add 20 or 30 pounds and do 2 more reps. Progress in jumps of 20 to 30 pounds to your limit, doing 2 reps each set. Use a reverse grip. Keep your head up and your back flat. Don't be afraid of the weight. You should be able to work up to double bodyweight for 2 reps over time. This is not a full deadlift with each rep taken from the floor. Think of a partial deadlift done without the rack and think shrug. Work hard at it.

Finish off with one set of 25 situps or leg raises or ab roller or hanging leg raises . . .

Use each of these programs for two months with a deload on the fourth week of each month.

Make up your mind right now that you're going to conquer the heavy weights.

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