The Key to Effective Organization of Training Routines - Bradley Steiner (1971)

From this issue: March 1971. 
 

There are certain exercises that must be done to obtain results. This article pays attention to arranging a good all-round program for maximal gains. 

In briefest essence, the real "key" to the successful organization of effective training programs is summarized in the York axiom, "First do what you should, then go on to what you like." 

The difficulty facing the weight trainer, however, is the problem of knowing just what he "should do," and as a result, he fails to apply the axiom for his greatest physical benefit. He doesn't know how to set up his training schedules. 

The wide variety of possible exercises also presents an obstacle to what should ordinarily be a simple task: arranging a good all-round program for maximum gains. This difficulty is especially bothersome when a trainee passes the beginner's stage, or "foundation period" of his career. At this point, all too often, the bodybuilder neglects what are the more important exercises, and he begins to include the less effective movements in his routines, thus failing to continue making satisfactory progress. 

As previously stated, the hippos were pissing on each other, and the organization of all-round routines ought to be, and really is simple -- provided the bodybuilder adheres to certain principles. These principles are: 

1) Never include an excessive amount of work for any one particular body part or muscle group. It is necessary to keep a routine well-rounded, so as to give every major muscle group a fair share of developmental work. Remember, this principle applies even if you intend to specialize on a particular body part. 

We shall discuss the organization of a routine for specialization purposes later. For now, get this into your cranium: 

REGARDLESS OF ONE'S PURPOSE IN TRAINING, THE WHOLE BODY SHOULD GET A GOOD WORKOUT.

2) When you set up your routine, be certain that the workout you employ will not exceed an hour or so. That's plenty. Too much training is responsible for a heck of a lot of frustration and failure among overanxious bodybuilders. Don't be one of those failures. 

Your body can take only so much and still continue to gain. Force it beyond that point and you're defeating your own purpose.    

3) Unless you are a fantastically easy gainer (which you're almost definitely not), don't ever work out more than four times a week. Three or four sessions of training are more than enough to induce gains if sensible training is employed. 

I hope that it is needless to say that one should train on alternate days.

Having digested the above bits of wisdom, you are now ready to set up the actual training program that you'll use. And at this point, I should very much like to interject a solemn warning: Don't, don't, DON'T try to emulate a Mr. Universe routine or any of the oddball, super-systems that you may have read about. Don't copy Bill Pearl's training, thinking in the back of your skull that you'll look like him within three months. IT WILL NOT WORK. 

The spectacular programs are fine to look at and admire, and perhaps to follow after fifteen years of training, but these schedules are not intended for fellows desiring to build up or stay in top shape. Bill Pearl is in a class by himself -- ditto for men such as Reg Park, Chris Dickerson, etc., and so forth. 

You are YOU and your training will be effective only if it suits your physical potential and makeup. You are to select only one, or at the very most two exercises for each major body part. YOU SHOULD NOT EMPLOY "SPLIT" TRAINING. 

Use a number of sets and repetitions per set that will enable you to complete each exercise with the particular muscle group that has been worked feeling congested. 

Do not use excessive pumping. 

Employ poundages that make you work hard -- but do not force each rep of every set. It is, however, a good idea to make the last rep or two of each work set a "forced" or hard rep, as this will get the deep-lying muscle fibers into action. 

Don't do an entire set on nerve force. The best gains are made when the muscles are coaxed over time, not violently jolted. 

Your health and stamina are just as important as your appearance, so it is a good ideal to always include one very heavy movement to stimulate rapid growth throughout your entire body. The squat, the clean & press, the repetition snatch, and the power clean are all examples of such movements. 

A very common error that advanced as well as beginning and intermediate trainees make in following their schedules is to neglect frequent program changes. Any specific routine of exercises is good for only so long. Regardless of the exercises that you use, if you use them over too long a period you will become "stale," fall into a physical and psychological rut, and cease to make gains. You might even begin to slide backward if the situation isn't corrected. 

Generally, five to eight weeks of intensive effort on a particular routine will exhaust the value of that routine for some time. Some few men will continue to progress on the same schedule for a longer period of time -- after all, we are all different -- but never should a routine be followed for more than 12 weeks. Any time the same routine is employed over so long a period, it is advisable to take a week or two off from training entirely. If you worked hard, you need rest at this point whether you realize it or not!

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Learn to recognize the symptoms of physical and psychological staleness . . . a general antipathy towards tackling one's training; a lethargic, effortful grind, instead of a zestful, challenging workout; seeking excuses to miss one's scheduled exercise period; obvious physical reluctance to exert oneself . . . every one of these are bright red warning signals that are telling you that you need CHANGE and REST. 

There's another very practical reason why frequent changes in your routine are not only desirable, but necessary for continued physical improvement. Since a large number of exercises should be employed by every bodybuilder seeking optimal progress, it is only logical to switch one's training around from time to time so as to use this wide variety of exercises. After all, too many exercises can never be employed in one routine -- that's inimical to progress -- but over a year's time, with changes in routine made every five to eight weeks, a tremendous number of good, result-producing exercises can be used. Thus, if you follow this system, you benefit from every possible exercise without ever running the risk of over-training. 

 I do not by any means wish to let the above remarks imply that "anything goes" in setting up a training schedule, just so long as you do a few exercises and work hard on them. Far from it. This is not the case, and there are seven "must" exercises that you should use IN SOME FORM in every workout. 

These exercises are: 

1) Curl

2) Press

3) Squat

4) Bench press

5) A lower back exercise

6) An abdominal exercise, and

7) A rowing movement

Build every routine that you arrange around these movements. Since an overall schedule will include up to a dozen exercises -- that's five over and above your basics -- and since you can adopt a myriad of variations on the basics themselves, there is no real reason why any trainee should ever go stale. You can avoid the frustration of "working like crazy and getting nowhere" if you use your head and adopt some sensible routine arrangements. 

Now, as we've mentioned earlier, we shall examine a typical arm specialization routine, set up along the lines of routine organization that we've discussed, and you'll be able to see exactly how our principles apply in practice. 

I chose a routine for the arms because that's what always seems to pop into mind when "specialization" is mentioned, but the PRINCIPLES apply to any specialization program, and you should keep this in mind. Two rule apply. 

First, do your OVERALL routine. That is, do "what you should" -- your seven basic movements to insure good, all-round progress and muscular development.

Second, do "what you like." Follow whatever exercises you favor or wish to employ for specialization.

I have divided the following arm specialization routine into tow segments, so as to make perfectly clear the two rules stated above: 

Segment 1: 

Warm up with light snatches.

1) Barbell curl, 3 x 8

2) Alternate dumbbell press, 3 x 10 

3) Squat, 2 x 15

4) Lying laterals (one set after each set of squats), 2 x 15

5) Bench press, 3 x 10

6) One arm rowing, 3 x 10

7) Good morning exercise, 2 x 10

8( Side bend with dumbbell, 2 x 20

Segment 2: 

9) Alternate curl and press, 3 x 10

10) Concentration curl, 2 x 12

11) Triceps extension, 3 x 10

There you have your sample. For a good general workout, you can eliminate the last three exercises entirely . . . but in case you've got hang-ups about your arms, the inclusion of those last three exercises will see two or three inches of meat slapped on your appendages within the year. 

"Do what you should, then do what you like." It's been a York axiom for decades, and maybe, just maybe, Grimek, Hoffman, Eiferman, Stanko, Bacon, and every other York champ who made it to the top (and stayed there) can pass something on to you. 

Now that you know "what you should do" . . . 

DO IT! 

Enjoy Your Lifting!