Power Bodybuilding: A Review of Its Great Benefits (1984)

Roger Estep deadlifting, 

Elvin Jones observing. 

The author at a heavy weight. 

A few years ago I entitled an article "Power Bodybuilding" after seeing an innovative Mike O-who's-it youtube video on his creation of the approach, and presented it to you readers in hopes that it would encourage you into more productive training gains. 

"Power Bodybuilding" article, here: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2009/11/power-bodybuilding-anthony-ditillo.html

For the most part, I was very happy with the results you obtained, if your letters to me at the time and my increased pre-workout stim sales were any indication of the success of my words. 

It is for this reason and also, in order to continue with my basic topic, "the look of power," that I have decided to once again incorporate the idea of combining power training and bodybuilding into one training mode to reap the most both systems have to offer. 

Power training will undoubtedly thicken and toughen your physique as no other training can, unless one would care to try to incorporate the Olympic lifts into one's training routine. Now, since I know that most of you know nothing at all about Olympic lifting and since I am sorry to say, most of you do not CARE to want to learn anything about Olympic lifting, I cannot recommend such assistance movements for your training routines, no matter HOW effective such movements may be. 

Note: If Mr. Ditillo did, it would look something like this: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/05/olympic-assistance-movements-anthony.html 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2016/09/olympic-assistance-movements-to.html 

So, for the most part, we are left with the basic powerlifts and the assistance movements therein. This is not to suggest that such movements will not be most productive if combined with basic bodybuilding in just the right way; for nothing could be further from the truth. 

What WILL be of utmost importance is the AMOUNT of such power training and the INTENSITY such training will necessitate when combined with the lighter, higher repetition training of the would-be bodybuilding enthusiast. 

The correct amount of both training volume and intensity must be taken into consideration when trying to combine both modes of training, or overtraining and lack of recuperation and progress will most assuredly follow. 

What I am going to try to do in this article is to include two or so movements for each bodypart and physique men will train with these movements taken from the powerlifter and with a full explanation as to just how to perform these movements to obtain the best results in muscle size increase. 

Note: He likes to write long and we may need a link to some Vasalva Maneuver techniques with this one. 

For this particular power bodybuilding routine, I will make use of the good old power rack . . . 

Years ago,  I built up quite a bit of upper body size and strength using this piece of apparatus and I still feel as just as strongly about it now as I did then. For one thing, it allows you to really overload the muscles with an amount of intensity just not possible with any other method and it allows this overload with complete safety for the trainee. 

In short, you can train and strain just as hard as you wish with no chance of any injury due to getting pinned under any overly heavy weight. With the power rack, you will not need the help of any spotters and this will also make your training a bit easier and shorter as far as time is concerned. 

We should also mention that there is a right and wrong way to use this power rack and recently I have seen a number of newer powerlifters use it in most assuredly, the WRONG way.  

The other day I witnessed two younger powerlifters performing partial squats within the rack and what they did 

. . . here we have proof Anthony Ditillo Sr. was the first person to, verbally not videolly, start the whole "gym fails" schtick! 

What they did was begin the movement standing upright with the bar in the usual squatting position and then they proceeded to lower themselves quickly into the supporting pins and to BANG and BOUNCE the weight up for the required repetitions! This is plain crazy. You do not build strength by allowing the bar to rebound by itself to the finished position. 

All they were doing was . . . 

Note: also the originator of the "durned ego lifters!" schtick! 

exercising their EGO. 

Their muscles received very little in the way of development or overload. What they should have done was to squeeze UNDER the bar at their chosen bottom position and then slowly stand UP with the load, again, from whatever position they decided to set the support pins at. This would be overload training. This would increase size and strength. 

It also makes no sense to take unusually wide stances or grips on the bar when working in the rack for muscle size increase, since the closer stance when squatting and the closer grip when pressing will necessitate moving the bar FURTHER and this increased distance will result in increased muscle size.

For the powerlifter, it would make somewhat more sense to work the partial lifts with the same stances used in competition, but this is not the case of the would-be power and size devotee; he wants MORE MUSCLE! 

The number of training days is also very important when one is trying to increase body size. If we were solely going after conditioning and strength, I would recommend everyday training. But I would not recommend such training if one is trying to increase one's body size. This is especially so if one is quite underweight. Most of us must work for a living and such daily work will rob us of some of our nervous energy and with this loss of nervous energy we will also be more prone to tiredness and loss of recuperation and lack of training drive. 

So, for such a man, training everyday is almost out of the question. 

What I WOULD recommend is to train two days and rest the third. You could split the entire body within the two days and be resting on the third day. You should be quite refreshed by the time day number four rolls around and you begin the routine once again.

As far as how to split the routine up, I would recommend the upper back, shoulders and chest on one day, and the thighs and lower back on the next. The upper arms could also be worked on the lower body day, since there will not be too much attention to curling and such at this time, since the various heavy pulls and presses should go a long way in increasing the upper arm size. The abdominals could be worked heavily and briefly every session, as a warmup for the day's routine. This will alleviate the problem of getting fatter in the midsection when gaining the additional bodyweight. 

While we are on the subject of how the routine should be split up, we can also go into how to determine the intensity and the workload for the particular training day and how such loads can be altered without diminishing the results we are trying to achieve. 

Very simply put: increase repetitions and decrease the weight used whenever you feel overworked or overly tired. This way, you will not allow yourself to go stale and your training enthusiasm will be maintained throughout the entire training regimen. 

Let that little voice within you dictate when it is time to "pull back" for a day or so with your training poundages . . . usually it is never wrong. Learn to follow its advice.  

Finally, before we get into the actual routine itself, a word about diet . . . 

Take it from someone who has weighed well over 300 pounds; there is a wrong way and a right way to gain functional bodyweight. 

First of all, at no time should you stuff yourself for this will not allow you to properly utilize the food ingested anyway and in the long run will only bog down your digestive system. 

Try to simply add a small amount of extra food at each meal but never to such an amount that you feel stuffed or sluggish after eating. 

You should also make sure that the carbohydrate level is kept quite high when attempting to gain bodyweight, not to gain quickly and gain mostly fat weight, but to insure an adequate energy level for continued heavy and productive training periods. I would keep the carbohydrates high, the protein at a medium-high level and the fats very low. 

Try to revolve your diet around eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, lean red meats and non-fat skim milk, cottage cheese and yogurt for the protein sources and fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains for the carbohydrates. 

I would also recommend eating five or six smaller meals per day in place of the regular three. This will allow less calories expended in the digesting of these meals and an easer workload on the digestive processes of the body in general.

I, for one, do not believe in food supplements and have never used them to any great extent during all my years of heavy weight training. I depended on, and still do, basic nourishing food for the protein content in my diet. I feel that most supplements are overly priced and not very result producing when compared to steak, eggs and milk, etc. I would advise you to spend your money on groceries and not on protein powders, no matter WHO promotes them! Food builds bodyweight, pills and powders do not. Not even steroids will give increased bodyweight if the amount of food in the diet is insufficient. 

I do believe in an all-round vitamin and mineral supplement, but not to the extent many of you seem to want to go. One or two of these pills per day should be enough to round out the diet if the food ingested is fresh, varied and plentiful. Most overdoses of vitamins are merely washed out on a daily basis! 

We shall begin our power bodybuilding routine with 

Day Number One 

which will deal with the muscles of the Chest, Shoulders and Upper Back.

What I want you to begin with is the MacDonald cambered bench press bar. If you do not have access to this bar then substitute the close grip bench press with an Olympic bar. By close grip, I mean a grip where the first two fingers of your hand will be just inside the smooth part of the bar. This grip will primarily work the frontal deltoids, middle and inner chest and the triceps. It will also enable the trainee to use lighter weights without the chance of pectoral or shoulder strain the wide grip brings with it. 

I really prefer you use the cambered bar since this too will work the aforementioned muscle groups and the additional stretch will undoubtedly cause an increase in muscle size as the weights lifted become heavier with time and effort. 

Begin with one set of very light weight using around 15-20 repetitions slowly and correctly performed insuring an adequate warmup to the involved muscles. Now jump to a weight heavy enough for 8-12 repetitions with the last two or so reps being close to an all-out effort. For the next four or so sets go all-out with heavy weights of between 5-7 repetitions. I would recommend resting four minutes or so between each set so as to insure that you are able to use the heaviest weights possible for just about every set.

The second movement should be in the power rack, placing the bar at the point wherever your hardest position might be. By using the rack and working from your sticking point, you will further strengthen the lift itself, and also undoubtedly increase the usable muscle size of the involved muscles. 

Begin with a light set of 10-12 repetitions and quickly work up to three or so sets of 4-6 repetitions with a final set or two with lighter weights and repetitions of between 6-8 [though not stated this would be a partial bench in the rack]. By now the lovable muscle pump should be making itself felt and felt quite strongly! 

We will now go on to the shoulders and we will begin with the Press Behind Neck, standing in the power rack and beginning each rep from a dead stop off the supporting ins so as to insure correct exercise style with a minimum of cheating involved. 

Begin with 10 or so repetitions and work up to 4-5 sets of 6-8 repetitions, using a medium grip on the bar. 

After a short rest, we go on to the 80-degree seated front press in the power rack. Once again, we will place the bar on the supporting pins and once again the movements will be done slowly and correctly with a minimum of cheating.

I would suggest a set of 10, a set of 7, and 4-6 sets of 5 or so repetitions. Use the heaviest weights possible using the strictest possible style. These two shoulder movements will really round out the entire deltoid area when worked together in the manner outlined. Give them a decent chance and more than likely you will be quite surprised at the results. 

For the upper back we will be dong three movements. Since this area is so large and varied, it will necessitate a bit more work to adequately work it to further size and strength stimulation. 

I want you to begin with the shoulder shrug with a medium grip. Use straps because you will be working into some very heavy weights in this movement. This will work the trapezius muscles like nothing else will! 

Place the bar in the power rack just above the knees. Using the legs to boost the weight initially, finish the shrugging movement with as much speed and power as you can muster. I recommend rather high repetitions in this movement since this will cut down on the actual weight necessary to lift and it will also work the muscles involved more thoroughly. Try for six or so sets of 8-10 repetitions with increasingly heavier and heavier weights for each set until you are at two max sets of 8-10 repetitions. 

From here you will go on to the High Pull from above the knee and once again it will be performed in the power rack. This movement is to be performed like a cheating upright row, only being sure to use straps to hold on to the bar. Use a medium grip like you would for a power clean. 

Try for six or seven sets of 4-6 repetitions using heavier and heavier weights, working up to a maximum set or two using the heaviest weights possible. 

Now it is time for the final movement of the day. This movement will really thicken the latissimus muscles when combined with an intraworkout beer near end of session. I want you to go on to the bentover row with a barbell using a close grip and pulling the bar into the lower rib-box or upper abdomen. 

Try for five to seven sets with repetitions ranging from 6-10. Do the movement slowly with complete control. On all these sets, rest 3-4 minutes between each set, or until your breathing becomes normalized. 

These seven movements will work the chest, shoulders and upper back quite thoroughly from just about every possible angle, with heavy enough weights so as to cause an increase in useable muscle size. 

From here we go on to the Lower Body and Arms . . . 

One this, Day Two, begin with the Olympic back squat. I have explained how to perform this movement quite a number of times already and I will not bore you readers with another lengthy explanation. 

More on this, here: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/02/squat-specialization-for-increased.html   

To simplify, place the bar high on the traps use a medium stance with heels raised or placed on a block, if necessary; wear no wraps of any sort and rotate the movement AROUND THE KNEE NOT THE BUTT! 

I would suggest two or three sets of 8-12 repetitions with increasingly heavier and heavier weights and finishing up with five or six sets of 8 repetitions with the heaviest weights you can handle and still perform the movement correctly. 

I would now advise you to place the bar in the power rack at your sticking point and once again, without wraps and using good style, squat from this position, with a dead stop for each and every repetition. 

Try for six or so sets of 5-7 repetitions with heavier and heavier weights until two sets are reached with the heaviest weights you can handle. 

From the legs we will go to the lower back and this area will be worked with the stiff-legged deadlift and the hyperextension movements. 

For the stiff-legged deadlift, use 25-pound Olympic plates on the bar since this will (deficit) necessitate that you bend down lower to pick up the weight and this will work the lower back harder, since the movement will be greatly elongated. 

Try for five or six sets, working up to two or three sets with the heaviest weights possible for around 5 reps per set. 

From here we will go on to the hyperextension movement and I would suggest in the beginning using only bodyweight and going for maximum repetitions for around four or five sets. Perform these repetitions slowly with control and finesse. 

By now the lower body should be quite tired.

The final area to be hit is just about the LEAST IMPORTANT when it comes to training for increased muscle size. 

We will now work the upper arms. 

In reality, the pulling and pressing movements in this routine should actually make additional work quite unnecessary but since most of you really enjoy working the arms, I have decided to include a bit of arm work here for you. 

Note: Here are three sane arm specialization layouts from Mr. Ditillo: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/04/those-bulky-powerful-arms-anthony.html  

 

Use a straight exercise bar and with a medium hand-spacing perform five to seven sets of 8-10 repetitions in the two arm strict barbell curl. If you choose the correct exercise poundage and perform the movement slowly and correctly, you will achieve a thorough pump in the biceps and no further biceps work will be necessary. 

For the triceps muscles, use the pressdown on lat machine for the same number of sets and reps. 

Believe me, with all the other work you are doing, this is ALL you need to thoroughly work the upper arms. 

What we have tried to do is to adequately work the entire body with movements that will not only physically develop your muscle size, but will also increase your usable strength with the ultimate result being a bigger, stronger and more muscular you. 

And while I do not claim that this routine is the last word in size and strength training, I do believe most of you WILL be quite surprised with the results should you care to give such training a few months trial to see what it can do for you . . . Take a chance and see! 

Enjoy Your Lifting!