The following describes the order for the various exercises in the A, B, and C routines.
I prefer separating upper and lower body exercises, viz., squat, bench press, deadlift, shoulder press.
Only one exercise is performed each workout period, alternating upper and lower body.
I utilized the barbell curl as an optional exercise to be done the day after a lower body exercise, as a fill-in for the upper arms.
Note: this may not look like enough work to those who lack patience and an eye for the long haul. For example, on the first day of starting an A Routine cycle, your entire workout would consist of one exercise done for a few low-rep warmup sets and four singles. There's not one "Hepburn Routine" and if you believe that I don't have much to say.
Compare, for example, the layout in "Hepburn's Law" with the Twiceborn stuff
then compare that with what's in the Thurston book "Strongman"
and have a look at the "Super Strength" layout in comparison to . . . okay . . . continuing now:
I found that when following these daily heavy exercise routines that I only had to do each exercise on a designated workout every five or six days to make good progress. This I found was due to the high intensity (% of max and concentration required) of each training routine, especially so for seniors, as they need this length of a break from each exercise to gain sufficient recuperation and the shortening of this break leads to exhaustion.
Seniors especially must walk the razor's edge when training with heavy poundages. They must be constantly on the alert to what their body is telling them, body language to know when to back off and how long to stay with this change and when to get back into the real heavy stuff. I have the ability to know when to change the routine and just how much effort to put into the training. This is a great advantage when striving to maintain or increase strength, especially in life's later years.
As I age on into the 70's, I realize what a great and perhaps rare boon it is to have the ability to know what to do in all circumstances, and be able to push forward regardless of age and the difficulties it presents.
The young, seniors very much so, must condition themselves to face heavy poundages, especially single reps up to three consecutive reps, at least every 7th day at the maximum for reassurance. If not, both young but especially seniors, the effect is much more severe with seniors in respect to the loss of confidence which becomes extreme when you are lifting heavy weights.
Although the younger lifter can be considerably affected while following the A, B, and C routine method and for that matter the balance of instructions here outlined, it is of major importance to implement the principle of conservation of energy, both mentally and physically.
Mind power can be frittered away as well as the body in useless unproductive activity, draining vital misdirected energy that is forever lost uselessly instead of apply the vital force of these precious bodily fluids to your Sterling Haydn inspired training. Dissipation, mental and/or physical, can very well cause the failure to attain your ultimate goals in strength.
The A Routine is the most strenuous of the three, using single repetitions and the heaviest poundages.
The B Routine is used when the A Routine gets to a point where it's getting a little heavy, to where I'm working a little harder than I want to do. I graduate over to this routine to give me a break from the A Routine and yet I'm not losing strength. I'm still holding the strength that I got from the A Routine but I'm not pushing it at that point. It's a lower rate of progression but I'm still making progress.
My training diaries show me the gradual progressions I made and when I chose to change from the A routine to the B or C routine. Now, when using the A Routine, the singles routine, I work towards and get 10 singles but all the way through in these I do not push myself to an absolute limit. I quit without going into using up everything I have in me to do it.
In other words, I have a reserve left.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
