It's not what you think . . . It's one of my favorite YouTube vids.
Have a watch, he's spot on here and
I'll get back to the Jowett article in a bit.
This fella plans to bench 315 every day until he has 100,000 subscribers. Hey, it's great to see all the variations he's come up with to date. It's a real tough call. You want him to get that 100,000 but you don't want the variations to end . . .
Good stuff!
The article by Jowett to follow goes well with:
The one above's from Vim, a 1940 issue, the one to follow's from a '49 issue of Your Physique. After a while you find that some of these articles were published repeatedly by various editors of mags.
Anyhow, here's George . . .
In the last issue of this publication (Your Physique, April 1949, page 12), I treated certain back conditions relative to the tall man, as much as my space would allow, and intend to conclude them as near as possible in this issue.
You will recall that I laid real stress on the small of the back, and also the spine in the shoulder area. I am hoping you have borne this in mind so you may better conciliate that instruction with this.
For a moment let us return to the lumbar region where I informed you inveretedure(?) of the spine is possible because of the longer back range. Despite this fact, nature has provided a certain compensation in the lower pelvic region. Invariably, this section of the spine is more rigidly straight than on the short man. Rarely is there any backward tilt to the tall man's pelvis.
Neither does he have the heavier buttocks of the short man which would tend to accentuate a backward tilt in the tall man, more than with the short man. If such was common, which it is not. This spinal rigidity helps to straighten the lumbar vertebrae, and keep them in place.
However, this is never reliable unless the muscles in this area are thoroughly developed.
Proof of the tall man's spinal condition is shown in the fact that most tall undeveloped youth have a noticeable rounding in the upper back, of have stooped shoulders. This is brought about by two conditions.
First, the spine in the lumbar area, better known as the small of the back, due to its muscular weakness, is TOO straight. This weakness extends all the way up the back but, not only in the spinal erector muscles, but also in the trapezius muscles of shoulders. Thus the weight of the upper body, more noticeable on the shoulders, follows a natural path of resistance, allowing the shoulders to be pulled forward, which bows the upper back, and droops the shoulders.
The vertebrae in this case stand out against the skin like a row of golf balls.
The vertebrae in this case stand out against the skin like a row of golf balls.
This condition never happens where the natural arch of the back is positive. When this area becomes inverted in its curve, which means to be curved inward (sway backed), the bowed upper back and stooped shoulders are less possible. In fact, this condition creates the reverse, developing an exaggerated backward poise of the shoulders. I want you to have a true picture of what this means. A good example is to take a willow branch in your hands, and press on the end with your hand. You will see the branch bends more acutely at the near end, which is equivalent to the shoulders. The lower part of the branch will not bend inward, but slightly out, making a bow along the branch more acutely accentuate toward the end.
Now, if you press inward on the branch with the thumb of your hand holding the stick, and then press on the extreme end, you will find a resistance to the bend at the upper end. You can force a bend of course, but the more you press inward with your thumb, the more resistance will be formed at the upper end. The upper bend will only be achieved by a straightening out of the bend implied by your thumb.
This explains how your back arcs are created by its positions and pressures.
From this we can see that the tall man has a natural protection, which if not allowed to goo too undeveloped, will provide him with an absolute protection against sway back, more than what is naturally provided for the short man.
Build the muscles in the pelvis and lumbar region to their limit. In doing this, I do not want to you confine all your attention to the spinal erector muscles. Naturally, they are vastly important. So are the latissimus dorsi muscles. Strangely enough. these latter muscles are somewhat of a paradox to the novitiate body builder, and often to the more experienced exercisers. Due to the fact that when the latissimus dorsi muscles are flexed, a pleasing spread of the shoulders is made, forming a broad V of the upper body with the waist.
This being a noticeable muscular feature inclined the body builder to favor those exercises that will improve this appearance. They overlook the fact that the section of the latissimus dorsi that contributes to this display represents but the minor part of the muscle.
Bear in mind that this muscle arises from the pelvis . . .
. . . covering the flat of the back to a height that covers the lower edge of the shoulder blade. From here it swings off abruptly into a thick cable-like ligament along the side of the body to become attached on the bone of the upper arm in the arm pit. It is this latter part that shows up to make the V display in a shoulder spread. The broad part that clothes the flanks of your back remains almost unmoved in this act.
The latissimus muscles are termed the "broad back" muscles by reason of their width and depth of muscle over the lower half of your back.
This is where many bodybuilders get mixed up . . .
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