Auto-Suggestion: Key to Greater Progress - Bradley Steiner

 

https://www.woodlibrarymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/rare-books/S_ADLE.PDF 

Originally published, 1922. 
Only cutting edge "new" material allowed here on TTSDB.

The human mind and spirit have fantastic power. Not one person in a thousand makes full use of his capacity for determined, sustained effort in areas where he would like to better himself, or where he could enrich his life through a fuller, more concentrated use of his spiritual resources. 

People tend to sell themselves short, to give up, to call it quits and throw in the towel before they've even begun to tap the latent strengths within themselves. 

Most bodybuilders are no exception to this unfortunate fact. As a result, they derive only half of the possible benefits from their training that they otherwise could. They fail to muster that extra "something" -- that intangible burst of determination that would see their strength and development surging ahead in leaps and bounds. 

The few who have learned to tap this inner strength are indeed fortunate -- but this article has been written for those who haven't, in order to teach them how it's done. It may well prove to be the most important factor for success that you'll ever learn in your bodybuilding career. 

Weightlifters, bodybuilders and powerlifters can all benefit from the intelligent application of mind power in their training. This is no mystical jabber either. It really works. Anyone who discounts the mental side of lifting is cheating himself. 

In case you're doubtful, let me tell you about a personal experience of mine -- the one that drove home the importance of the mind in physical training . . . 

Some time ago I had reached a sticking point in the press behind neck. I was stuck at the same poundage that I had been using for two weeks. The press behind neck is one of the basics, one of the most important exercises, so I wanted to keep pushing the resistance up for better results. I use 4 sets of 8 repetitions with a heavy weight. That makes the last couple of sets pretty rough. At the beginning of my next workout I was determined to FORCE myself to handle more weight. 

To put it bluntly . . . I was angry at myself. It seemed only logical to me that seven workouts with the same weight should have prepared my shoulders and arms to handle a heavier weight. As I was to discover, my idea at the time that the sticking point was a mental one proved to be correct.

I began my workout. After the warmup, heavy seated curls, and some light lateral raises, I was ready for the press behind neck. I looked down at the barbell and began to experience a slight degree of tension. During the previous weeks I hadn't really thought about the exercise. I just lifted the weight and ran through the repetitions. But knowing the weight was heavier MADE me think! My mind anticipated a greater effort and it unconsciously prepared my body for a greater output of energy. I KNEW that I would fight out each and every rep of the set. I was determined. I HAD to boost the poundage for greater gains, I told myself, and I blocked out everything else in the world except for the exercise I was about to do. I told myself, I ORDERED myself -- I'd make it. I HAD TO MAKE IT! 

At the time I was using auto-suggestion without even being aware of it.

I bent forward, fastened my hands on the bar, and brought it suddenly over my head to rest momentarily behind my neck. 

The first set began. 

I rammed the bar up as hard and fast as I could in good form. 

Silently and quickly I counted out the reps . . . the set was done!

I followed the same procedure for the next three sets, and when it was over I had learned a lesson: You can do it if you want it badly enough. 

Many trainees reach what they believe to be their limits in squatting, bench pressing and what have you. But they only THINK that they've reached their limit. If they are absolutely determined to to go all-out, they can go a lot further than they've ever dreamed possible!

See yourself in your mind's eye performing the full set in perfect form. It works with every exercise. 

Succeeding in lifting is similar to succeeding in any field. You've got to believe in yourself. You must cast aside all doubts and approach each workout with a granite wall of confidence and determination behind you. If you fail to do this, then you're only lessening the results and rewards that could be yours with each workout. 

Auto-suggestion is the trick. It's the secret that will enable you to tap the powers of your mind and spirit, and use them to boost your physical efforts. 

Competitive weightlifters in the championship classes know the power of the mind when it comes to making a record lift. When a top weightlifter approaches the Olympic bar and pauses for a moment to look at the weight and meditate, he sure as heck isn't thinking about his income tax returns! He's harnessing the tremendous source of mental power that will enable him to explode every ounce of effort in getting that weight overhead. He tells himself that he'll do it. He KNOWS he'll make it. It's life or death! He's going to drive that weight up and no "buts" about it. 

Take a tip from the Olympic stars . . . Use Your Head! 

Enjoy Your Lifting!  

  

Your Complete Barbell Training Program (Part 9) - Peary Rader (1953)

 Iron Man October-November 1953

In the July issue we closed with the promise to tell you of three exercises which would form a specialization course for problem cases. You may wonder why we suggest just three exercises for such a course. It has been found that quite often the reason for not gaining is too many exercises and overwork. This is essentially true where there might be a question of poor nutrition. Poor nutrition doesn’t mean lack of food but usually poor selection or poor quality. There are also numerous occasions where the function of the organs is so poor that the food eaten cannot be properly utilized by the body. In other instances there may be certain substances lacking to make the proper combination for use in building muscular tissue. In the latter instances special substances in the form of supplements will usually correct the condition and made normal gains possible. Protein supplements which are well balanced have been especially valuable in this instance. In some few cases a special medical examination to determine the exact condition of the body and to find out what it lacks, should be made.

Many problem cases have been solved by following program of special exercises and the addition of a great deal more protein to the diet. In the days before special protein supplements, we made this addition in the form of foods such as meat and milk. This was probably the secret of the success of the milk diet in combination with heavy muscular exercise. The milk being an excellent protein food, supplied the necessary proteins for muscular growth. Milk is still a major food in most bodybuilder’s diets for this reason, though it must be taken in comparatively large quantities to supply enough of the needed elements for progress.

So the reader may suit himself regarding diet. He can either increase his quota of meat, eggs, cheese and milk or he may add a good quality protein supplement to his diet. We would like to recommend that he do both however, as it has been found that progress is much more rapid if both food proteins and protein supplements are taken in adequate quantities. The most used protein supplement is probably a product made from Soya Flour. However we have found that it contains so much starch that one gains as much fat from it as you do muscle, so we recommend the high percentage protein supplements be taken even if they do cost more, for actually they are no higher due to the fact that they are about twice as valuable as far as usability is concerned.

There are some who criticize the abbreviated program because they feel that it does not cover the entire body well enough. It is true that an abbreviated program would not be the best for a permanent schedule if one wanted the finest shaped physique. However many of these critics have never been in the shoes of the poor fellow who finds it almost impossible to gain on the standard programs with 15 to 25 exercises. They do not know the thrill of the big gains in strength and bodyweight that come from these abbreviated programs after being so long without gains at all. After a satisfactory degree of progress has been made on the abbreviated program and you find your gains come easier you may then add other exercises to your program to balance up your development.

We have known many men who made little if any gains after years of hard training, who, upon adopting an abbreviated and specialized schedule, made very rapid and almost unbelievable gains. Some people say that you get to be nothing but a big fat slob from abbreviated programs. This is a lack of clear and intelligent thinking. You only get fat because you eat too much of the fattening foods. There is no other way to get fat. Such foods as starches, sweets and fats cause you to become fat when you eat in excess of your body’s needs for fuel foods. Protein foods will not allow you to get fat. Eat plenty of them and you will gain muscle only. Don’t let any crack-pot critics worry you with their faulty arguments. Sure – there are a lot of barbell men who have gotten quite fat but they got that way only because of their diets as mentioned above and they can remove this fat any time they want to cut down on the foods that caused their trouble.

Remember, you are the master of your body. You can mould it as you wish according to the INTELLIGENT EFFORT and control you are willing to exercise in the operation. There is no such thing as a man or woman who cannot made progress (except in diseases conditions – and most of these could progress also.) It is all a matter of studying the body, it’s functions and malfunctions and applying proper treatment. The proper treatment for a lot of you fellows who consider yourselves problems, is an adequate diet and a specialized and abbreviated exercise program.

Now there is very little POSITIVE knowledge about bodybuilding so we don’t like to state beliefs as absolute facts, but we are often very emphatic with our beliefs.

One of our beliefs is that in addition to a good diet you must also have ample rest and sleep between exercise sessions if you wish to make good progress. Have you ever noticed how a bull will bulk up when kept penned up and fed on a nutritious food (most usually special supplements with a high protein concentration.) He gets huge and muscular. The protein in his diet keeps him from getting very fat but he becomes very muscular. If he could be made to do heavy exercise in a scientific manner he would probably become unbelievably large and muscular but then his meat probably would become too tough to eat. Much of my convictions on nutrition have come from observation of scientific feeding of animals which has progressed much farther than the study of correct feeding of humans. Living in in an agricultural community where much of the beef of the world comes from, I have been amazed at the minute care and attention given to the exact correct feeding of cattle compared to that given humans. Most of these feeders have a wide knowledge of “diet” for animals, but know almost nothing about the correct “diet” and its values for humans. The comparison makes one wonder at the sanity of the human race. We have done so much for the animals and so little for ourselves. 

By now most of you are getting impatient for the exercises we promised you so here they are. Very simple and common exercises – the bench press, rowing exercise and the squat. You may wonder why we have made this choice. We could have selected several others almost as good and sometimes in your personal training we do, but with the exception of the rowing exercise all three of these are simple and almost fool-proof and the rowing exercise can be easily learned correctly.

The squat is easily the most important of the three. It used to be thought that the main reason the squat was such an effective body-builder was because it stimulated the metabolism and increased the functional vigour of all the organs. This has never been proven however, so it still remains more or less an opinion – nevertheless one that seems well founded. Be that as it may, it has been found that the squat is a most important exercise in that it works large muscle groups very vigorously. It is an exercise that is convenient to use and it is difficult to do it wrong. It is a good all round exercise – not because it works all the muscles – because it doesn’t – but it seems that growth stimulated by the squat exercise is not confined alone to the legs and other muscles it effects directly, but also effects added growth to the entire body. It is generally recognized by most bodybuilders and lifters as the most valuable single exercise known.

The bench press has, in recent years, become known for being an upper body counterpart of the squat in its value and effectiveness. There are those who feel this is a very poor exercise but this I believe is because they do not understand it properly and have attributed the effects from other exercises to the bench press. When I mention the bench press I also include the supine press on floor for it is so close in its relationship as to be considered almost one and the same. In years past the supine press on floor was very popular until the bench press came along. Then because the bench press, as practiced by most bodybuilders, is a rebound exercise (see a previous article in this series on rebound exercises), it proved more effective than the floor variety. On some men It is possible to lower the bell farther in the bench press tool I say some because some men have such deep chests that they can’t lower the bell any farther than if they did a supine press on the floor. Whenever we do a supine press on the floor we use the rebound system. The sticklers for the rules want the press started from a dead start at the bottom. This is OK for record purposes but to follow this practice in exercising is foolish for you waste a very valuable adjunct to your training, “rebound.” Rebound, as we have said before, accounts for much of the value of the squat as well as the dead hang cleans and snatches.

The rowing exercise is one exercise that most bodybuilders dislike because it can become a little uncomfortable during performance. However when properly performed it is a superb exercise. There are several methods of “correct” performance. The style which you choose depends on what you desire in the way of development.

If you want good latissimus muscles and deltoids then perform it as follows: Assume the bent over position and grasp the bar. Pull bar to chest then hold it high while bringing elbows to sides and shrug shoulders toward hips then slowly lower the bar close to legs all the way. Concentrate on this strongly. You will find that this works the Trapezius also. It is the proper way to perform the exercise for best development. If you want power, you of course grasp as large a weight as possible and pull it to the waist or chest fast with power and even a little cheating. Rowing should be done with both wide and narrow grips (hand spacing.) The rowing motion will work the entire back more or less when properly performed. It also works the forearms for you should curl the wrist as you pull the weight up. When you use a narrow grip you also use the biceps some. Certain parts of the movement even effect the triceps somewhat.

Of course, we also have the upright rowing for the lifter and for developing deltoids, trapezius and arms. We are not concerned with this variation in this issue, however.

Many of our readers wish a detailed procedure outlined to follow so we will give it at this time.

The Flat Footed Squat

Your first exercise is the squat. We want you to start out doing 15 repetitions of this exercise one set. As you gain in strength and endurance and the need, add more sets up to 4. You will probably find it necessary to reduce the poundage with each set. When adding weight to the bar you will probably find your repetitions dropping to about 11 or 12. Gradually work back up to 15 however, then ad poundage again (usually in 10lbs jump.) Use all the weigh you can for the necessary repetitions. For these squats we want you to do them flat-footed, not on a block. This will work the entire leg to better advantage. (Using a block under the heels localizes the effort more on the lower front of the thighs.) We want to work the entire leg and buttocks, as well as lower back and somewhat the upper back. Point the toes well out and keep the feet about 10 inches apart. Keep the head up and the back as flat as possible while you squat. Take a deep breath just before squatting and then hold it until the squat movement is completed. Go straight down in the squat until your thigs on top are parallel or slightly below parallel then come back up. Don’t listen to some self styled expert who tells you to go into a full squat. When you do this you run about a 70 percent chance of hurting your back.

Only a few people can do a full squat with heavy weights without danger of sacro-illiac injury. Those who can think everyone should be forced to do it this way. Don’t take a chance. Tense the muscles for a muscular rebound just before you reach bottom and don’t allow momentum to carry you to bottom. Jump right back up as fast you can.

Do the first 5 repetitions of your squats with one breath for each squat. After the first 5 repetitions take 3 to 5 deep breaths between each repetition. Don’t breathe into the abdomen however. Lift the shoulders up and back and breathe high into the chest, lifting the chest high with each breath. Watch this breathing. It will be hard at first but well worth the effort of learning. Rest about 2 to 5 minutes between sets or only until your breathing begins to return to normal. Don’t sit down between sets but walk slowly around. Remember these are bodybuilding squats, not power squats, although they will give you great power too.

The Bench or Supine Press

Now take about a 10 minute rest after your squatting session. If you are doing supine presses on the floor you can roll the weight up over the abdomen and by arching the back you can lift the bar with abdomen up on the arms supported by elbows on the floor. If you are doing bench presses you will either need helpers or else special built pair of supports from which to take the weight. Some men can even pullover the weight over their heads for their bench presses but to do this you must either be specially constructed for great power in this position or else you are using very light weights in the bench press. If you have a long bench you can sit down with the bar across the hips and then lay on bench and pull feet under hips and from there toss the weight to the arms as in the supine press on floor.

After weight is at arms length take a deep breath and lower the weight fairly fast until it almost touches the chest, then drive it back to arms length, take another breath or two and repeat. We do not recommend bouncing the weight from the chest though some fellows do this. Catch the weight with the muscles of the arms, shoulders and chest. Give them the benefit of this rebound training. Start the program with one set and gradually work up to 4 sets of from 8 to 10 repetitions. That is, you add 5 pounds to weight of the bar and you will only be able to do 8 repetitions but work up to 10 reps and then add another 5 pounds, dropping back to 8 reps again. In other words use the double progressive system in addition to the sets. Some may be under the impression that we do not favor the so-called double progressive system because we don’t mention it as such, but the fact is we consider this system so common that everyone uses it. In spite of Mr. Paschall’s fears, we know of no bodybuilder  who doesn’t use this system. You can’t avoid it. A man will be forced to use it as he adds weight. For instance if you do a press 10 reps with 100 pounds and then add 10 pounds, you won’t be able to do over about 6 reps. You will have to work back up to 10 reps again before adding weight again. So we take it for granted that everyone uses this double progressive system because it is impossible not to.

We want you to use the narrow grip (about 6 to 8 inches apart) and the medium grip and then the wide grip for different sets of this exercise. This will give you a wide range of action. Learn to fight the weight in both the bench press and the squat. If you don’t you will never handle big poundages or develop big muscles and the power to go with them.

We have already described the correct performance of the rowing exercise but we want you to start with one set of 10 to 14 reps and work up to 4 sets in this exercise. Use light poundages until you get the right form, then add  weight to your maximum for CORRECT PERFORMANCE. You should be able to feel quite an ache in the latissimus muscles a short time after doing a set of rowing carefully. Work very hard on this rowing. Most men quit it before they have done enough to benefit because they don’t like it. While resting between exercises do a set of either the “Rader Chest Pull” or a good set of pullovers. This will stretch your chest and aid in its development.

Follow the suggestions for diet as given in the early part of the article. Get all the rest and sleep you can. DO not indulge in any other exercise or sport. Conserve all the energy possible for your workouts. Most fellows can grow well on three workouts per week but if you are especially low on energy (as many men are who have to use abbreviated, specialized programs( you may find two workouts per week enough. In extreme cases, do two workout programs but split them up so that you do the squats in the morning and the bench presses and rowing in the afternoon. This will enable you to work very hard on each one without becoming exhausted.

Now this type of program is primarily for problem cases who have had trouble gaining and for those with low energy reserve. However many advanced bodybuilders and some of the top weight lifters have found great improvement coming from such abbreviated programs. It is also ideal for the man with but little time who wants the best exercise for maintaining the maximum of fitness, strength and condition in a minimum of time. These exercises  can be done one set each in about 10 minutes or less if you are in a hurry.

From these exercises and diet you can expect quite a rapid increase in muscular bodyweight and great improvements in strength. When you reach a satisfactory degree of bulk and power you can change to a more general power for specialization on certainly parts and definition.

In the Spotlight: Jeff Michels - Mark LeMenager (1982)

 Strength & Health May 1982

*this one gets a little long-winded.  If you just want to see how Jeff trained skip to the end*     

The 1978 Charleston (IL) Open – in addition to featuring such young lifting stars as Ron Crawley, Curt White, Stewart Thornburgh and Tony Sims – achieved some notoriety in lifting circles as it was the meet which catapulted Guy Carlton to fame when he made his first American record with a 165-kilo snatch in the 100-kilo class. (For more on Guy, see the January issue.)

Now, however, that Charleston Open may become known for something else – on that February 4^th, a skinny, 16-year old from Chicago made his weightlifting debut after just six weeks of training. 

The lifter, of course, was Jeff Michels (pronounced Michaels). He weighed in at 78.6 kilos and made four-of-six attempts, totaling 185 kilos via an 80 kilo snatch and a 105 clean and jerk. 

Going back to the Charleston Open one year later, we saw another top caliber meet. Thornburgh and White began their push to the top of the Juniors with Thornburgh’s 140.5 kilo clean and jerk in the 60-kilo category still the Junior American record. 

Carlton also had the best day of his career to that time by snatching 165.5 for another American record and by jerking 200, thereby taking his place among America’s best. 

Michels could no longer be described as the skinny Chicagoan as he had grown to 86.3 kilos. Lifting in his seventh meet, he didn’t really fare all that well as he made only three attempts, finishing with a 102.5 snatch and a 132.5 clean and jerk. 

Imagine the odds I could have received if I’d have bet someone that Michels would one day break the record Carlton had set that day. But 27 months later, that’s exactly what happened! On May 9, 1981, Jeff snatched 166 kilos in the Milwaukee Open and aided his climb to Weightlifter of the Year honors from both the United States Weightlifting Federation and the readers of Strength & Health. 

Of course there were other lifters who were exceptional in 1981 but no one can dispute Jeff’s right to the honors. After all, his impressive record would make a good career for many. 

In March, Jeff dominated the action at the National Junior Championships in Northbrook, Illinois (scene of this year’s Seniors.)  His opening snatch was 15 kilos above his own meet record. From there, he went on to register eight meet records and five Junior American records. His 352.5 total exceeded the winning mark at the National Championship in San Francisco and established Jeff as the number one U.S. lifter in the 100-kilo class. 

Jeff didn’t lift in the Seniors because it conflicted with the Junior Worlds (one week later) in Italy. Lifting in Lignano Sabbiadoro – about 30 miles east of Venice – Jeff showed that an American can lift on equal terms with his Communist-bloc counterparts. 

In the “A” session of the 100-kilo category there were eight lifters – seven from Communist countries and Jeff. Despite terrible warmups, Jeff made a 165-kilo snatch and just missed an American record at 167.5 kilos. That put him in fourth place, just five kilos out of second. In the clean and jerk, he registered 185 kilos to maintain his fourth place position – the highest ever by an American in Junior World competition. 

In August, Jeff won his first international title – Junior Pan American champion. In an incredibly exciting contest, he matched Eliecer Fuentes of Cuba lift-for-lift through three snatches and two clean and jerks before finally winning the title on bodyweight. It should be pointed out, though, that Jeff was operating with a painful lower back injury that caused him to shift all his lifts to one leg. 

In September, Jeff debuted as a U.S. Senior Team member at the World Championships in Lille, France. In so doing, Jeff became the first U.S. lifter to compete in the Worlds before ever participating in the Senior Nationals. 

Nevertheless, Jeff opened a lot of eyes in Lille by going a spectacular six-for-six that included an American record snatch of 167.5 and a Junior American record total of 357.5 kilos. 

Pete George – 1952 Olympic Games titlist and five-time World champion – observed that for the first time in many years the European coaches and officials were excited about a new U.S. prospect. It made Pete feel as though he were back in the days when the United States was one of the sport’s leaders and new American lifters raises eyebrows wherever they competed. 

All of this was enough for the USWF, and its Executive Board voted Jeff as the federation’s Athlete of the Year on the eve of the Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs in November. But then Ken Clark went out and registered a 360-kilo total, thereby forcing Jeff to the number two spot in the U.S. in the 100-kilo division… and there’s no way you can be Lifter of the Year and not be number one. 

Since Jeff had to lose seven kilos to compete in the Junior Worlds, and five kilos to make weight at the Senior Worlds, we had long since decided that he would move up to the 110-kilo class. Here, too, there was a problem since he would have to break his best total by 17.5 kilos in order to tally the 375 kilos he’d need to move ahead of Carlton in the 110-kilo category. 

So, I tried to get Jeff used to the idea that he’d have to settle for the number two ranking in 1981. After all, he was still only 19 and he had plenty of time left in his career to garner the top spot. 

Boy, was I ever wrong! On December 12^th at the Mid-American Championships, Jeff had one of the greatest days ever attained by a U.S. junior lifter. In the snatch, he easily made 170.5 kilos on his second attempt to erase Mark Cameron’s name from the American record. We then agreed that 175 looked possible, and he made a very good try with it, just barely missing it after having it up for a couple of seconds. 

In order to surpass Carlton’s mark, Jeff then needed to make a 205-kilo clean and jerk – 12 kilos above his official best and 15 kilos more than he’d done since June. After a hard but solid second attempt of 197.5, the “number one” weight was loaded… and with “fire in his eyes” he made a beautiful clean and jerk!

So, he ended the year in much the same fashion as he began – by going on a record-setting barrage. At the Mid-Americans he set one American record and eight Junior American marks, he attained the number one U.S. ranking in his class and, for good measure, he earned a top-10 spot on the 1981 Junior World ranking list – the first time we’ve had an American on any top-10 World list in several years. By way of comparison, his 375 total was 15 kilos more than the third-place mark at the Junior Worlds and his 170.5 snatch would have given him a gold medal in Italy. 

All of these accomplishments throughout 1981, of course, completely justify his selection as Lifter of the Year… but who is this young man and how did he get started in lifting?

Born in Chicago on December 29, 1961, Jeffery Thomas Michels has lived on the city’s North Side all of his life. He attended parochial grade school and graduated from Gordon Technical High School, one of the nation’s largest all male high schools. He is now a freshman at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle where he hopes to major in engineering. 

Growing up in a boisterous, active neighborhood, Jeff exhibited little of his formal athletic talent in his early years. And while he never had the patience to participate in highly structured team sports, he was never an inactive person. He could be found at all hours playing softball, baseball, football, basketball and just plain “horsing around” on the asphalt streets and schoolyards of the center city. Weight training found its way into Jeff’s life when his buddies, Mark Levell and Richard Zingg, got a barbell and began training in various basements and garages and on porches. My favorite story from this period concerns a workout held on a third-floor porch. Somebody missed a lift and the barbell ended up buried six inches in the ground, three floors down.

Marty Schnorf spotted Levell – now one of America’s top middleweights – at a novice meet and he urged him to contact me. It turned out that we only lived a mile apart and I invited him to come down to Sayre Park. Several weeks later he arrived and he brought along his three training partners – Zingg, John Dolsen and Jeff. 

I’ll never forget that first training session. I gave them a free hand so that they could discover their level of accomplishment and get an idea of what they’d have to learn and unlearn. 

Unlike the others, though, Jeff really hadn’t trained very much and, consequently, he had no apparent bad habits. I thought he looked pretty good, in fact, but it was Roger Nielsen – now Region VI Chairman – who leaned over to me and said, “You’ll never get one better than that.” Four years later, of course, that prediction made Roger look psychic. 

Much of 1978 and 1979 were spent perfecting Jeff’s basic technique. During this same period – and indeed throughout Jeff’s first four years – we decided that he would compete as often as possible. In his first four years, Jeff has been in 37 contests – an average of one every six weeks. It is my belief that the importance of contest experience should not be overlooked in any beginner’s progress… and Jeff has always thrived on competing before an audience. 

Jeff’s rise to the top began before the crowd at the 1979 National Junior Olympics in Topeka, Kansas. A trip to Washington for the America Junior Cup was going to the winner and Jeff found himself facing a very tight contest with Donnie Robbins. Always very coachable, Jeff turned to me during his snatch warm-ups and quietly said, “Just tell me what to do.”

From that point on, all his thoughts were on the lifts, nothing else entered his head. Lifting in the 90-kilo category, he struggled to snatch 115 and, afterwards, I looked him “square in the eye” and told him that he’d have to make 120 to win the trip. It required a five-kilo jump in his personal record but – taking a leap and two steps forward while in the full-squat bottom position – he made a great lift and he was on his way. 

Jeff made his international debut after less than two years of training at the America Junior Cup in Washington on November 17, 1979. He came through with a 125-kilo snatch and a 142.5 clean and jerk to finish in third place. More importantly, however, that contest lit a fire under Jeff that has only gotten hotter with time. To a young man who had hardly ever ventured farther away from Chicago than his uncle’s Wisconsin farm, the lure of national and international trips was captivating. 

Three months to the day after the Washington meet, Jeff began his Junior American record-breaking rampage with a 142.5-kilo snatch and a 165 clean and jerk at the Illinois State Championships. That’s right, he snatched what he clean and jerked just 13 weeks previously. I’m sure many Senior lifters began thinking of Jeff as a lifter they’d have to reckon with some years down the road…but Jeff took the expressway. 

Just nine months later at the 1980 Mid-Americans, Jeff thrilled a home-town crowd by setting seven Junior American records – topped by a 157.5-kilo snatch and a 185 clean and jerk. He also moved aggressively onto the national Senior scene by jumping to 166 kilos in the snatch in an effort to log the Senior American record… a mark that would be his six months later. 

The final tally on Jeff’s Junior career is impressive to say the least. In a period of 22 months, he set 44 Junior American records and three Senior American standards. He rewrote the meet records at National Junior Championships twice. And these were not just minimal half-kilo increases to swell the number of his records.  In the 100-kilo class, Jeff moved the Junior American marks from 135 to 167.5 in the snatch, from 172.5 to 193 in the jerk, and from 305 to 357.5 in the total. In the 110’s, he moved the standards from 154 to 170.5, from 186 to 205, and from 333 to 375, with most of thes jumps occurring in just one meet. 

Now that Jeff is a Senior lifter, he has some very definite short-term and long-term goals. He’d like to become the second and lightest American to snatch over 400 pounds, and he’s hoping to break Cameron’s record total in the 110’s. Jeff and I both feel that he can be very competitive at the 1983 World Championships and although the Los Angeles Olympic Games are still far down the line, we are already planning on ways to deal with the pressures of being a contender. 

(I’ve heard rumblings from Sayre Park lifters that Jeff has snatched over 100 kilos for 40+ years running.  Incredible!)

At a height of just over 6-1, Jeff’s long-term future appears to be in the superheavyweight class. We will decide in late 1982 whether to make the move prior to the Olympics. But an interesting incident took place at the Worlds in France. Soviet superheavyweight champ Anatoli Pisarenko – who at 270 pounds represents the body style of the modern day supers – congratulated Jeff on his fine lifting and, with a smile, added, “I’ll see you in Los Angeles.” Only time will tell if Pisarenko’s prediction is as good as Roger Nielsen’s, made four-and-a-half years ago.

(spoiler alert: The Piz’s power of prediction was not so good.  Political tomfoolery kept Pisarenko out of the Olympics and Jeff’s infamous ’83 Pan Ams drug test and subsequent legal debacle blew his shot for being on the team.)

For any athlete to rise to the top, he needs a love for his sport and the complete dedication to devote himself to his training.  Jeff, of course, has both. But when he learned that I was to do this article, he mentioned that we should take the opportunity to thank all of the others who have contributed to his success.  Hence, I’d like to close this account with that list.

Roger Nielsen has always been very supportive, to the point of allowing us the use of his garage and basement for four months when Sayre Park was closed. And at various times over the past four years we’ve received excellent feedback on training plans, exercises and other ideas from Tom Leuthner, Harvey Newton, Jim Schmitz, Jerry Hannan and Marty Schnorf. Gene Waldo also comes in for a “thank you” for donating the floor of his garage to our efforts one summer. And finally, Jeff would publicly like to thank his parents who have become his biggest fans. 

  Jeff Michel’s Training

Variety is the key to Jeff’s training plan. Routines are set up on a monthly basis but the same workout is never repeated. During a contest month, Jeff performs 600 to 1000 reps and during a preparation month, he’ll do 1100 to 1500. Only the basics are done; exotic exercises are never employed. When he feels good, Jeff will frequently exceed his training goals by 10 or 15 kilos. On the other hand, when his energy level is low, he’ll back off somewhat. 

In planning a schedule, Jeff and his coach, Mark LeMenager, always think not of what Jeff has accomplished but rather in terms of how far he still has to go to achieve parity with he Europeans. While there’s no “typical” training week for Jeff, here is what he did two weeks before he triumphed at the December Mid-American meet:

Monday

Snatch – 12 singles to 155kgs; then two misses at 162.5 kgs

Front squat – seven sets of three reps to 182.5kgs; a personal record

Push jerk – eight sets of two reps to 180kgs. And then a personal record single of 190 kgs. 

Halting snatch pull – four sets of three reps to 140 kgs.

Wednesday

Military press – five sets of three reps to 85kgs

Snatch pull – eight sets of singles to 180kgs

Back squat – six sets of three reps to 190kgs

Saturday

Power snatch – six sets of three reps to 130 kgs

Clean and jerk – 12 singles up to 190 kgs

Clean pull – six singles to 197.5 kgs; then a miss at 205 kgs

Back squat – six sets of four reps to 200 kgs

 

Video of Jeff at 1983 Nationals.  Absolutely savage lifting where he indeed exceeds the 400 lbs snatch.  The stage has also got to be one of the best in weightlifting history. We used to be a civilized country with national weightlifting meets held in front of a faux castle with the guy who changes the scoreboard seated on the battlements. https://youtu.be/xca-1GdFrAY?si=-tPdjwVz1h2mqH8y

World Weightlifting's Exclusive Interview with Norbert Schemansky - 1997

 World Weightlifting 1998 Volume 1

LaPointe: What relationship do you have with weightlifting today?

Schemansky: I follow it. That’s about it. I was once told that “just because you were a great lifter doesn’t mean you’re a great coach.” Today I don’t really coach. That doesn’t mean I haven’t coached. We had a gym in Detroit, the Astro Club. We won the state championship so many times, I think it was ten, that they quit giving out the trophy. At one time, we had more guys pressing over 300 pounds than any other place in the US. It was a real international atmosphere. Guys came from Finland, Sweden and Australia just to lift in my club. Anyone who came through town with a respectable total wanted to lift at the Astro. It wasn’t a nice looking club like you see today for bodybuilding, but it had a real lifters’ feel to it. It was a lot like the York gym, without the holes in the floor. Anyone could stop by: professional wrestlers, boxers, track men. It was great. So yeah, I coached. We had a lot of good lifters in Detroit. 

LaPointe: We saw you in Atlanta, but do you visit other weightlifting events too?

Schemansky: I went to the Atlanta Olympics. There was some great lifting there, but not from here (the US team.) I follow the sport because I love it. But until my retirement two weeks ago I couldn’t run around the world going to events. It would have been fun, but you’ve also got to make a living. 

LaPointe: You have four Olympic medals. Which of them is the dearest?

Schemansky: Naturally, the gold one. I broke three world records at the same time during that Olympics. It doesn’t get much better than that. 

LaPointe: What was the best competition of your lift and what was the biggest disappointment during your career?

Schemansky: 1962. When I almost won the World Championships at 38 years old. That was when Vlasov had the double jerk. What was funny was the very next year, Foldi, one of the best lifters of all times, did the same thing and it didn’t count. When he walked off the platform he said “I’m not Vlasov.” I guess that competition in 1962 satisfied both questions. You decide if I defeated Vlasov. The judges said I didn’t. That’s what really counts, isn’t it? Another disappointment came at customs in Vienna, 1954. They aske “How much money have you got?” The answer, “Nothing.” They couldn’t believe it. Here I was, a gold medalist in weightlifting, a highly respected sport in Europe, and I really didn’t have a cent in my pocket. At the 1954 World Championships some European officials gave their lifter an envelope. I saw it was full of money. They did this at the public ceremony. It was a big deal. They didn’t try to keep it secret. In the US, guys like Hoffman and York Barbell helped out a lifter, but it certainly wasn’t public. It was understood that overseas you could lift and make money at it. Not in the US. You had to keep a job to live. Sports like lifting were a hobby that some of us did real well at. 

LaPointe: Who is, in your opinion, the brightest star in the history of weightlifting?

Schemansky: That could be a two part question. The lifters today are better than ever in history. Every year someone is breaking a new record. There are some lifters today who have not even reached their potential. Look at this new superheavy, Chemerkin. He’s great (after this interview Chemerkin would continue to get super-heavier) But he is going to get much better if he doesn’t have an injury. He’s a rising star. For all the rising stars some will truly become great, but it depends on where the help comes from…

Now former stars. Chuck Vinci for example. He’s on you don’t hear about any more and he was a double gold medalist. He was great. Another one was Baszanowski. The little guys don’t get enough credit. A perfect example is when I went into a European bar with Bradford in fifty-two. The guys there found out we were lifters, so they took bets on who would take the gold the next day. They all decided it would be Bradford, because he was the bigger guy. I think he weighed about 300 pounds and I was under two hundred at the time. I won the gold. 

Although I don’t think you should look at only the guys lifting career to impress me. There is life after lifting. Guys lose focus on the big picture. I was really impressed by Vardanian. Not only could he lift, but I think the guy could play the piano. He didn’t even look like a lifter. He was clearly on of the best of all time. A very impressive guy. 

LaPointe: What do you think of the recent developments in women’s lifting?

Schemansky: A pure joke, no offense to the ladies. Don’t go compromising weight classes for the sake of it. The classes were just changed a few years ago, now they changed them again. Really it’s a reduction of the sport. Look at swimming where guys get medals in any of a dozen events. Guys can get half a dozen medals in one Olympic Games. Then you have weightlifting where you can get only one. I’ve always felt that lifters should get one for each lift. I would have had maybe a dozen instead of just four. It’s nice that women are in, but don’t compromise the sport any further, in any way

LaPointe: How do you spend your time today?

Schemansky: I just retired, but until two weeks ago I was working. I had fun lifting but I was making up for the time lost while lifting. Financially, some of the lifting bums of today will regret later when they have empty pockets. 

LaPointe: What did (and does) weightlifting mean to you?

Schemansky: I would like to see it on the upswing in the US. I think about my interview with the Free Press. The reporter asked me why I lifted weights. I said “Some guys like to play golf, some guys are just nutty about their sport.” Of course the paper the next day claimed that Schemansky says “All golfers are nutty.” That’s not what I meant, but you get the idea. I was nutty about it and still follow it. 

LaPointe: How any members are there in your family? Do any of them lift weights?

Schemansky: No one really lifts weights. My son works out a little, but he was actually a track athlete. All three of my daughters were pretty good swimmers. Of course there wasn’t really women’s lifting then, so who knows what they would have done. Girls can be athletes now. 

LaPointe: What results do you expect in your bodyweight category (Superheavyweight) at the next Olympic Games?

Schemansky: That’s funny. I lifted at so many different bodyweights. By next year I won’t know what the weight classes are. About ten or twelve years ago I proposed a system with nine classes and an 11 pound (5 kilo) difference between them, starting at 123 (56kg). But it was ignored. World wide there are so many guys lifting, and doing a great job, you never know when a new guy might pop up. 

LaPointe: What is your advice to weightlifters of the future?

Schemansky: If someone can’t guarantee you a future income, forget lifting. That is, if you don’t have a job lined up, you are missing out on part of life and you may regret it in the future. If you can combine lifting into something that will help you make a living and a future, keep it up. Don’t become a lifting bum. If you can work and lift, that’s great. But, it’s hard to do that at today’s competitive level.