Vince Gironda, abdominal control
This site may be of use to you.
"Meanwhile, Back at the Sex Farm" (1971) by Bill Starr.
The training programs in this book of Mr. Starr's were not what I expected, no, not at all.
But first . . .
Feb 16, 2026. 174 pages.
25 bucks, you worthless old cheap fucks.
This is well written by an experienced and knowledgeable guy who knows the deal of lifting. Some very original ideas, all useable at some point if and when appropriate, creative, and based on the proven solidity of past ideas.
Blah, blah, yeah sure . . .
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ!
The little sought after article begins here . . .
The importance of proper weight training to the wellbeing of the body has never been overstated. Simply because heretofore except in isolated incidences, proper weight training never existed.
Correct training strengthens not only the muscular system but also the blood, vascular and respiratory systems as well. There is, with increased muscular growth (not 1/3 muscular growth, 1/3 swollen, bruised and gorged blood vessels and 1/3 increase in stagnant fluids) a much higher efficiency rate than normal, a greatly increased and less labored work system, a much more efficient and stronger heart which can perform many times more work with less strain.
Also, veins and arteries are opened and functioning as they were designed to do, that is, circulate blood and not as reservoirs for stagnant fluids and most probably allowing harmful substances to clog the system as well. And, the lung efficiency and vital capacity making for greater endurance and stamina are increased.
Note: Even without the drugs and such, we're all quite crazy, aren't we . . .
and so what about it? No problem on this end.
It's a strange hobby we have.
Labored breathing with a small amount of exertion is a sign of physical retardation
and many barbell men are in this breath category.
Weight training heretofore was not a way of developing endurance and stamina, as a rule, only strength and swollen tissues. (Strength is probably connected with the ligamentous complex and is excited by increasing the load or in isometric contractions).
Strength and health are proportional, but in no way as increased proper circulation, increased respiratory activity and an increase in muscle growth are. Strength can be a byproduct of train or strain (no strain, no gain; if you ain't strainin' you ain't trainin'); however, health or fitness comes only from training as opposed to straining.
There is a revolution in the health field going on and at the present time it is underrated and misunderstood, and by many thought of as faddish.
As was stated, weight men heretofore, as a whole, are not particularly known for their fitness or their longevity (Mr. Crist should see it now), many meeting with extreme prematurities (pardon?) mostly of a blood vascular nature, the reason most probably being the type of training which is characterized by strain, pain, force, exhaustion and extreme muscular and blood vascular abuse. (You had me at pain).
There are two main types of faulty Fawlty training and each containing the other in many cases. They are: 1) Improper warming up
2) Excessive pumping
Another factor which is very important is the holding of the breath during exercise and, as we shall see, is very detrimental to muscular nourishment, blood circulation and respiratory efficiency, all very important health factors.
The Warmup
Muscular contraction must take place in the presence of oxygen if proper growth function is to be obtained. Without oxygen, toxins and waste products accumulate which are the direct cause of fatigue. The more the accumulation the faster the fatigue, and a much longer time is needed for recuperation.
Another gigantic fallacy in the lexicon of primitive force training (stop that, you) is the statement that muscles "grow" in your rest or off days. Rest days are, in fact, necessary only for the restoration of muscle tissue following abuse, removal of the excess garbage that has been created, and a rest from the excess fatigue caused by such training. Any harmful bodily process follows the same course. The body must take time to heal; not recuperate, but heal!
Excessive pumpers are actually undergoing a healing process during their so-called growth days. There has been an extreme muscular abuse, and as in all such processes, it requires time to heal and restore normal body function. The healing time is proportional to the extent of the damage. Infections, colds, sores, and blood stasis caused by pumping have one thing in common, that is, they are adverse reactions to an abnormal stimulus for which the body will have to take time to heal, once the stimulus is removed. Blood stasis and vessel gorging is not an infectious process, so usually only one to three days are needed for the healing process.
As was stated earlier, the ideal contraction and the one body builders and health enthusiasts must be concerned with are those which take place in the presence of oxygen. We must stay away from and keep at a minimum those contractions which do not follow this pattern. This is not 100% possible, but the amount of adverse contractions can be kept at a minimum through proper warming up, allowing for a minute waste accumulation, faster recovery, which itself allows for daily training.
Daily training following this routine is not only possible, but advisable as the body thrives on movement and muscular contraction. Your rest periods are reserved for sleeping, which recharges the entire energy complex of all body systems (starting to sound like Denie here; just insert a few bombastic adjectives and orotund verbs to the on-paper oration). Forced training following pumping routines requires more rest and sleep because the body is, as was stated, actually healing and overcoming an abuse.
Lactic acid resulting from muscular contractions is one of fatigue products of muscular physiology. A muscle completely fatigued in the absence of oxygen has increased its lactic acid content by 25 times.
In the non-oxygen condition, a muscle is able to generate only 1/10th of the energy that a muscle working with oxygen can furnish. A muscle amply supplied with oxygen and working for the same length of time shows no sign of fatigue and on examination reveals little or no lactic acid (all hail Erythropoietin).
The production of lactic acid in small amounts is desirable as it is used in other body functions. It is the vast productions and consequent accumulations that must be halted.
Now, oxygen is brought to the muscles in only one way, that is, by a steady and constant increase in the circulation of the blood, which causes an increase in respiration, which, in turn, supplies more oxygen to the circulating blood, which, in turn, supplies the muscles.
It is this cycle that must be hit early and correctly in our workouts, and there is only one way to increase the circulation to bring the oxygen and that is by progressive rhythmic muscular activity.
We run into what the physiologists term the oxygen debt, and of prime importance, as it is the early payment of this debt that permits less toxic accumulation, longer and harder workouts and a shorter recovery period inducing quicker muscular growth.
When we jump into a training session without a proper warmup we are forcing a "cold" muscle (not the "cold" muscles used in sneezing and sniffling) to contract without ample circulation, therefore without an adequate oxygen supply resulting in forced straining, creating excessive amounts of waste products throwing the muscle into shock and making it unresponsive to further work due to early fatigue and shock. A muscle must be heated to function correctly under heavy or steady training and this can only be done gradually.
Even this effect is witnessed in the old pump system when you would hear someone complain that he just couldn't seem to get a good pump. This is due to inadequately warming up (it should be so easy), that is, handling too heavy a weight in the early sets. This is also the cause of approximately 90% of all injuries suffered in barbell work, in some countries nearing 91%.
A properly primed and warmed muscle is almost immune to the load placed upon it. This is not altogether true for the beginner, however, as muscular activity must be graduated and not forced . . . muscular activity must be graduated and not forced. After approximately six months of intelligent graduated training coupled with proper warmups it is extremely difficult to injure oneself as the term is commonly understood (sounds like a challenge to me).
With a proper warmup the muscles repay the oxygen debt early and deep but healthy breathing is insured throughout the workout. Once you lag too far behind in this oxygen debt it is almost impossible to catch up during that sequence. Your lungs will burn and you'll gasp for air like a drowning man and you'll never see five sets in that sequence.
Once the debt is paid we come to what is known as the steady state which is the so-called "second wind" and training becomes steady and natural.
Second wind, on the left.
I have, in the past, timed this so well that I could train for hours and hours, stopping only because I had an appointment to keep. I was in a local gym one Saturday and had that wonderful feeling and just kept going at a steady pace from exercise to exercise when I started noticing most of the fellows starting to stare and wonder how long I would last. I saw all of them quit, shower and leave long before I was through, the calendar pages began to fly by in rapid succession and I could see the seasons changing outside the gym. This was approximately a four-hour workout (get Tim Ferriss on the line) without stopping, and after the workout I felt invigorated and refreshed. Sometimes I quit counting sets and exercises and simply proceed from muscle to muscle as I see fit or am so inclined. The most important factor here is that I trained the next day with a great feeling, as so-called recuperation had long since been completed.
As was stated earlier, we must NEVER hold the breath; once you do you'll lag and lose in the oxygen race. You'll have to restrain yourself by conscious effort, as old habits prevail here as we tend to automatically hold the breath on exertion or in the lifting part of the exercise.
Learn how to breathe; in and out always, never stopping. Even on the hard ones, cleans, leg raises, situps, continentals and bench presses, always breathe. It doesn't matter how, just keep it up. Possibly one exception . . . on the pullover the breath should be inspired while the weight is being lowered.
If you should get out of breath during a PHA session, use this checklist:
1) You may have too many heavy exercises in one sequence (as you progress with PHA you will be able to overcome this and choose your exercises as you wish).
2) You may be lagging behind in your constant breathing. However, never force the breath out. Drinking water constantly can cause this, as breathing usually stops during the drink. Note: there's a new fad on the West Coast. People are now carrying two bottles. One for water and one for air. Sucking on a bottle of vitamin-enhanced air is really taking off over there).
3) At first include either a pullover after a heavy exercise or the Rader Cheese Pull while standing, but without holding the breath, simply use it as a rib box stretch. The latter may be preferable as respiration per minute is much more while standing. In fact, NEVER sit or lid down during the sequence; keep moving as circulation continues, your debt is repaid faster with a small amount of toxic accumulation.
Important Factors to Remember
1) Never hold the breath; it retards venous return, thereby impeding circulation while making the payment difficult if not impossible. Also, holding the breath causes the cardiac intake and output to be reduced up to 30%, causing an extreme rise in blood pressures many times reaching an unsafe pressure.
2) The increased demand during muscular activity for food and oxygen and for the removal of waste products and heat can be met only be a great increase in the volume of blood flowing THROUGH the active muscles. This increase may be twenty times the quantity passing through the inactive muscle.
NOTE: Pumping a muscle immediately halts the blood flow through a muscle. It dams the venous return causing adverse back flow pressures to the blood vascular system making the heart strain abnormally.
3) As a result of the "milking" action of the rhythmically contracting muscles during PHA sequence training and the increased activity of the respiratory pump the venous return to the heart is greatly increased. This increased filling of the heart causes the heart to accelerate normally thereby increasing circulation and creating the healthy effect we desire.
NOTE: Pumping stops the "milking" action and circulation suffers once again.
4) Delaying the onset of fatigue in a trained person is largely a matter of acquiring a better adjustment of circulation and respiration to the increased needs of the body.
5) Nutrition and function are inseparable. No matter how well supplied with blood and food, an inactive muscle undergoes atrophy. Conversely, concentrated feedings without constant demand are for the most part useless, as is probably the case with individuals who train only two or three times a week.
6) In the human body the "feeling" of fatigue must not be confused with the actual loss of physiologic properties due to activity, the former known as subjective fatigue is frequently a case of boredom (uh, pardon me?). Objective fatigue is a physiologic loss of power to continue work at the previous rate. The prevention or recovery from objective fatigue is a matter of disposal of waste products and the supplying of oxygen and food.
7) Keep the blood circulating and breathing constant by never pumping, holding the breath or by forcing an unready or cold muscle to work.
Approaches to Correctly Warming the Muscle
In the beginning resolve never to stop moving once the training period has begun and also for a while after exercising.
Run in place very lightly or do some soft jogging around the track slow and at a short distance. Easy on this especially when just beginning PHA, as it takes a week or so for your energy to adjust to constant circulation; however, it is the type of energy man was supposed to have. Keep breathing, once breathing has stepped up proceed to the weights.
Usually the only mistake you can make regarding warming up (for PHA training) is to underdo it.
Begin with an extremely light weight , do 3-4 reps in the first sequence.
Second sequence use the same weight and go to 8-10 reps.
Third sequence start increasing weight gradually, hitting maximum poundage in good style by about sixth sequence.
Continue with this poundage and sequence until you are forced to drop either in reps or poundage, then STOP.
Go to the next sequence and begin again. Second sequence will not entail jogging or as many warmup sets.
Begin with light weight, 3-4 reps first sequence. Start adding weight thereafter until maximum is hit between 4th and 5th sequence depending on how warm you are regarding PHA and the muscles in question. For instance, if you are hitting the same muscles in sequence two as sequence one, then warming up can be very fast. If they are new muscles, then proceed correctly.
Do these exercises until reps begin to suffer, then stop. The muscle, at this point, has had it with this exercise and to force it to continue is straining without much benefit.
You will get anywhere from 3-10 maximum sets at a time when the muscles are ready and circulation has been complete and the oxygen debt has been repaid so all of the "growth" contractions take place in the presence of oxygen when the muscle is ready and hot; this will eliminate much toxic accumulation and facilitate recuperation.
Again, the number of sequences is a gradual thing. One or two a day is enough at first, making sure that every muscle group is exercised daily.
Along with a peaceful frame of mind and proper nutrition the main answers to health and longevity are to make sure that we contract every muscle satisfactorily
. . . this is all starting to become similar to the be-all, end-all "discovery" of isometric training and the way that was hyped via what can now be seen as having a wee bit of crackpotism interwoven throughout. If you've ever done any PHA-style "circuit" training you'll know how rare it is to either have access to half the freakin' gear in a gym all at once, or a home gym setup with enough stuff. There's other downsides to this approach to fitness, it's certainly not a "musclebuilding" plan or an ideal way to develop strength, is generally not meant to be such and, well, some its practitioner/promoters strung a bit of a line of shall we say "BS" when they felt like it, again, much like the iso-faddists did.
Along with a peaceful frame of mind and proper nutrition the main answers to health and longevity are to make sure that we contract every muscle satisfactorily every day; this insures proper circulation daily and we are constantly pushing and moving the garbage out of our systems while strengthening our heart and blood vessels.
An inactive or strained muscle will accumulate these products and insult the blood vascular system which is detrimental to health (pardon?).
Any type of training can be done; light training for fitness and health, heavy training for added muscle growth (go on and try the latter, see how you make out, it's your time and energy being spent).
I would now like to leave you with the only acceptable definition of physical fitness which allows for an extreme feeling of wellbeing and a more appropriate one towards longevity.
Physical Fitness
Vital capacity of lungs, oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, capacity to contract oxygen debt, ability to regulate the body temperature, and the efficiency of the coronary circulation. There is only one system that allows for this and that system is the Supreme Leader PHA of Bob Gajda. This system of his should bring weight training out of the homes and schools of everyone. Bodybuilding has now and only now become a science appropriate to all factors of physiology and biochemistry.
Yes. Now and only now.
Once again.
Personally, I'm not all that excited about hours of daily circuit training, but then, to each his own approach and goals.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
An unhappy office worker's life is gradually taken over by Terry,
his new, very hands-on personal trainer.
Trailer:
Film:
Downloads all dead now, there's ads to deal with here:
Anyone finds a DL or streaming site with it ad-free, lemme know.
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