Ed Gillie
For a long while now, extremely interested bulk and power trainees have been involved in experimentation with one lift specialization routines. To be sure, one lift routines are the fastest way to improve on any particular lift. By using this type of routine one may feel that the workouts themselves will become quite boring and repetitious after a short while, but this does not happen in most cases.
First and foremost, we must realize that one lift specialization is not for the lazy man. Although it sounds rather easy to have a workout involve only one lift, I can assure you that the exact opposite is the truth. Yes, if anything, one lift specialization is one of the most demanding types of training. To properly use the one lift specialization routine, you must have an iron will, for it is so easy not to work as hard as you possibly can and it will also be easy to lose faith along the way. You might begin to feel that you are not following the right kind of routine, since what you would be doing in the gym would be so radically different from the routines of others. It is possible that you would begin to feel, after a while, that such concentration on one lift would alter your basic body structure. Well, this, in most cases, is just not true. First of all, you would not use the one lift routine for any great length of time. Six to eight weeks is quite long enough. Now, since there would be no drawn out period of such specialization, it would be virtually impossible to misshape yourself in the process of following this routine.
To properly use a one lift specialization routine, one must use common sense. You must be able to decide just which lift will be used most beneficially at this time in your training, you must decide upon the many routines which are available and learn how much work is enough and when it is time to stop. You are the soul who is responsible for the success or failure of any routine. You are the sole judge.
There are many varied and effective ways to use a one lift routine. You could merely use the exercise for three workouts. This would be one of the easiest forms of this type of training. You could also use the split routine. Buy this I mean performing one type of routine on this particular lift for two days per week and on two other days performing another type of routine on this same lift.
If you were interested in both bulk AND power, you could use the lift for power two days a week and the same lift for bulk two other days of the week. The only changes in the routine itself would be in the number of sets and reps you would use.
Another type of one lift specialization is to choose four or five lifts you are fond of and that will do you the most good at this time, and perform a routine for each one of them one day per week for each lift. This would incorporate not only the one lift specialization theory but it would also use every major muscle group in the body. The metabolism would be reawakened and it would be relatively easy for you to gain in increased muscular bulk. However, this would depend upon the kind of diet that you were following at the time.
Once again, you are the sole judge as to when it is time to stop. It would be relatively easy for you to become quite fat, although you sheer power addicts (myself included) would not mind this at all since oue would also gain in power tremendously.
The following five routines are perfect examples one lift specialization. These types of routines will work on any of the major movements and particularly well on the various power lifts.
One Lift Specialization Routine No. 1
Monday - Full Squat:
2 or 3 sets of 20 reps, maximum weight. Take 3-5 deep breaths between each rep.
Wednesday - Full Squat:
5 sets of 3-5 reps, maximum weight.Take 3 breaths between each rep.
Friday - Half Squat:
10 sets of 1 rep after warmup. For these 10 singles us a weight which is about 30 or 40 lbs. below your absolute limit for 1 repetition.
This routine would be of great help to fellows who are mainly interested in power throughout the whole body. You use three types of performances of the same movement and you are using the squat, the greatest movement you could ever perform. Rest for 5 to 5 minutes between each set and remember to add weight to the bar whenever possible.
One Lift Specialization Routine No. 2
Monday/Thursday -
(A) Bench Press: 5 sets of 5-7 reps
(B) Low Incline Bench Press: 5 x 8-10 reps
Tuesday/Friday -
(A) Bench Press: 5 x 3-5 reps
(B) Low Incline Bench Press: 10 singles using a weight about 30 lbs. below your ultimate limit.
One Lift Specialization Routine No. 3
Monday -
(A) Full Squat: 10 singles using 30 lbs. below your max
(B) Full Squat: 5 x 5-7 reps
Tuesday -
(A) Bench Press: 10 singles using 30 lbs. below your max
(B) Bench Press: 5 x 5-7 reps
Thursday -
(A) Deadlift: 10 singles using 30 lbs. below your max
(B) Deadlift: 5 x 5-7 reps
Friday -
(A) Seated Press: 10 singles using 30 lbs. below your max
(B) Seated Press; 5 x 5-7 reps
One Lift Specialization Routine No. 4
Monday -
(A) Squat: 10 singles using 30 lbs. below max
(B) Squat: 5 x 5-7 reps
(C) Half Squat: 5 x 3-5 reps
Thursday -
(A) Bench Press: 10 singles using 30 lbs. below max
(B) Bench Press: 5 x 5-7 reps
(C) Bench Press: 5 x 3-5 reps, starting from the middle position in the power rack
One Lift Specialization Routine No. 5
Monday -
(A) Bench Press: 5 x 5-7 reps
(B) Seated Press: 5 x 5-7 reps
(C) Lying Triceps Press: 5 x 5-7 reps
(D) Squat: 5 x 5-7 reps
Thursday -
(A) Deadlift: 5 x 5-7 reps
(B) Bentover Row: 5 x 5-7 reps
(C) Curl: 5 x 5-7 reps
(D) Power Clean: 5 x 5-7 reps
The beauty of this routine is the fact that although you perform more than one lift at each workout, you only press or pull during one workout per week. This gives you more than enough time to rest and grow.
There are too many lifters and bodybuilders today who have nothing to offer anyone but their ability to lift up a heavy weight or flex a large arm muscle. Yawn. These men are only half alive, they live only in a physical world, even when they do enough dope to get an anvil high. They have neglected the intellectual side of their lives. They have neglected to feed their spiritual appetites. They are a very sad breed of men. Shape up before ship out time, Suckers!
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