Sig Klein, Frank Leight, Santo Leone
Undoubtedly the prominent factor in body building is an intelligent understanding and practice of the true training principles that are correctly proven to be in accordance with the natural law and order which govern the healthful developing stages of our natural physical forces.
It represents the first stepping stone in the development of the body and like any other cornerstone, unless its foundation is correctly established, it can become a stumbling block that will defeat the body builder's efforts and purpose. [I need more breathing squats 'cause I'm gettin' winded reading George's longwinded writing style. Prose of the puff-n-pant variety.].
Only too often is the beginner inadequately equipped with sufficient knowledge on this important subject which is apt to lead him along a blind trail. Many others who have failed to obtain the cherished results can trace their future to this circumstance.
There is hardly a day but what some letter reveals to me the tragedy of indifferent and incompetent instruction that holds the writer in a maze of bewilderment, floundering in a mire of conflicting ideas and emotions. Therefore, before we continue with the series of body-building lessons, I want to place concretely in your mind a thorough understanding of the essential facts that will guide you successfully to physical perfection.
Do not overlook anything. Things that may on the surface appear to be of minor importance are often the vital links in the chain. One thing can be said for every bodybuilder -- he is an enthusiast, a zealot with a dominating urge to become super healthy, symmetrical and strong. It is a wonderful urge without which no one can succeed, but it has its dangers.
One can become too eager, which only too frequently tends to displace better judgement. Fired with enthusiasm and the constant vision of his ideal before him, the beginner seeks to accomplish in a few weeks what it took years for others to acquire.
Burning up his energies in an orgy of straining efforts he breaks down far more than it is naturally possible for his organism to replace, let alone multiply. Finally disillusionment comes, enthusiasm vanishes and in his discouragement his ideal takes on the form of a false image.
It is a cruel blow to one who formerly had such sincere aspirations. He is not wholly to blame as much as it is the instructor, who should recognize that youth and others regardless of age swayed with altruistic principles are inclined to be too impetuous in their zeal. They should be restrained with caution so that the exuberant energies become converted to the purpose of development and not in the dissipation of energy.
Of course, this condition is not general, but nearly so, yet there are the favored group who can curb themselves and the phlegmatic type who are protected by nature from the over-indulgence in exercise. They succeed providing their program is intelligently charted. Nevertheless, overenthusiasm is a hazard which must be held in restraint to serve the better purpose.
On the other hand, we have those who dig their own pitfalls from sheer vanity. Rarely do they acknowledge this term. It takes a levelheaded person to admit he is vain in one direction or another. Being human we all inherit the symptom in varied degree, but the body-builder who becomes subject to vanity defeats himself from many angles.
Worse yet he becomes a moral coward living in a false serenity. Actually, he does not start out that way even though he may have the symptoms of that complex, he is driven into it by the incompetency of those who lack insight into the psychology of training.
How do we identify this type?
Quite easily.
You may be one of them, but do not be ashamed. Take satisfaction in the knowledge that it can be corrected. We all make mistakes and it is a courageous person who will admit his and correct them. Usually, we find the vain among those who are more than of average natural strength. In his vanity he disdains to start out with a routine that might be similar with that of another person. He feels he is so much stronger and therefore needs more weight, more vigorous exercise. He has the natural tendency to display his physical superiority over others. Being inclined to physical extravagance he also dissipates his natural powers and to his dismay he soon finds his progression comes to a sudden standstill. He is embarrassed to see others outstrip him and because his natural ego urges him to keep up his front he refrains from engaging in feats of physical power which he sought before. He is secretly conscious of the fact and he shuns competition which marks him as a moral coward.
You have probably met this type.
It is vanity that urges others into isolated fields of developing making them exhibitionists or showoffs. The masculine showoff appeal is mainly in displaying a big chest, or biceps. Many develop a mania for one of the two and to to extreme lengths in achieving their purpose to the detriment of the rest of the body. They only seek to display or demonstrate the qualities of the favored section, falling down miserably elsewhere.
At one time this was the vogue -- big biceps or a big chest, but common sense teaches us how impractical is such lopsided development. I once knew a man with a pair of eighteen-inch biceps who only had a thirty-eight-inch chest, another who had a fifty-three-inch chest but with arms and legs like pipe stems. Their grotesque development was revolting to behold.
However, today we are in the main free from such foolish persuasion, but during the last few years the average body-builder has been induced to follow the precepts of the first vanity group. The greatest error is that it has not been supplied for the naturally strong athlete, but enforced on others with worse results because they were not naturally capable of such a program. They are advised to use all the weight they can and employ and perform a number of exercises far beyond the limit of sane reasoning.
For a short while all seems to go well. The muscles stand out and they become much stronger, then they realize that their physical proportions have not increased in proportion to their gain in power. Puzzled, they follow the advice to use even more weight, more exercises. They are taught to strain, not to concentrate and there is a vast difference between the two.
The results, despite frantic efforts, cease to progress in strength or development. They become exhausted with their routine. Vitality seeps from them and they become a bundle of nerves. They have been taught that deeds alone are the barometer of success. This is only true as long as performance is of a progressive order when they can expect to successfully mature at the point which is recognized as being in the class of major performance.
Unfortunately they rarely reach this stage because this impractical program develops early limitations and makes of them a slave to exercise instead of making exercise a servant to the body building purpose. An exercise slave is a muscular suicide. He strangles the growth of muscular tissue by overtraining, stunting all possibilities for progressive development by practicing advanced training principles from the beginning before he is physically prepared, instead of at the end when the advanced program begins.
Among the uninformed and the misinformed we find bewilderment existing on both sides. That is, we find some of many who have practiced body-building exclusively, wondering why they cannot perform feats of strength equally with others who have smaller body proportions. In the reverse the latter wonders why his strength practice does not develop larger muscles.
It does not sound complex because we are correctly taught that muscle and strength are inseparable, but the answer is simple. The muscles are the soil of the body, the more they are fertilized with proper exercise the larger they will develop; consequently larger muscular proportions are capable of housing as equal amount of strength, such as the heavy strength practice referred to, only strength is developed.
What is the difference?
EVERYTHING as far as the body-builder is concerned.
A strength program does not materially increase the size of the muscles. In fact, it is known in many cases to cause a slight decrease because development of strength densifies muscular tissue. It causes the fibers to become more closely knit in order to secure greater muscular contraction which is the definition of strength. Therefore, the true policy should always be to build size and symmetry first and seek strength impregnation later.
The unfortunate condition in the body-builder's program is adequately demonstrated by those who favor weight lifting purely as a sport. As an example I might say that this was the practice of the French Canadians years ago. They gave no attention to cooperative body-building practice, just lifted with the mind set mainly on perfecting technique.
It was my privilege to know most of them intimately when the Province of Quebec produced the most spectacular exponents of weight lifting. Most of them did not possess a development much above the average as far as size was concerned, unless, in the first place they were unusually gifted by nature, but their feats were surprising for that decade.
However, since the cooperative principles of body-building have been accepted and practiced with the strength and lifting program in the right places, body-builders have superseded the performances of the French Canadians, which proves the scientific background of intelligent, true training principles. This also brings to our attention the fact that no one should accept the teaching methods of one man as the best example for all, as is often referred to as "my secret system."
The so-called secret system probably was perfect for that particular person, but we are all different in type and make up as judged by the prevailing difference in height, weight and temperament. Science does not base its rulings on the findings of one or two people, nor measure merits on the results of a few experiments. The concrete evidence is based on what happens in the greatest number of cases.
For example, Kauf, Deutsch and Warfield labored for twenty years, repeatedly examining thousands of people to find the effects of exercise on the heart.
Here:
From such investigation have the true principles of physical training become founded. For this reason we know positively that the premature strength training program is wrong and injurious. This is again proven in measuring the existing ratio of vitality between the properly training person and the improperly trained.
We find that a man weighing 140 pounds easily excels the 200-pound man who has followed the premature procedure. The larger man will excel on two or three feats, but on a continuous testing program the vitality of the latter far excels the former. The lesson this gives is that one should always be careful in selecting the course and the instructor.
There are many capable teachers, but too many incapable. On numerous occasions these facts have been forcibly brought to my attention. There are records of thousands of men who in their early manhood were splendid physical examples, but for some reason they only lasted a few years then lapsed into discard. Later many of them told me they blamed exercising for causing their early breakdown; they had become prematurely worn out. But the fault was not in the exercise as much as in the instruction.
Like taking medicine, you can take the right or the wrong dosage. It all depends on the doctor. All errors in training demand investigation. We must review them dispassionately. It is such analysis that brings us to recognize the evils of premature development, caused by developing the muscles at the sacrifice of internal health, particularly during the years when nature is mainly employed in developing the secretion efficiency of the internal organs for prolonged healthful maturity of the entire body. The evil of premature development (enforced muscular growth) is that the organic nutrition becomes diverted from its natural trend to serve the muscular system on an extravagant basis.
Let us not forget that life is growth and we will always remember that the controlling factor in the development of physical stature is in the division of growth.
In the developing stages the natural order of cellular is the creation of vital body cells, which subdivide into more cells. After a brief life they wear out, but new cells constantly replace them until maturity is reached. Many preach that cellular life is the law of replacement, but this is not quite true. Nature has given each of us certain physical limitations and exercise is the key to securing the ultimate but this is not achieved merely by replacement. This is insufficient as it only replaces what is broken down. The dominating las is that of multiplication.
For many years, even beyond middle age, the law of multiplication exists. Not until one reaches his fifties is the law of multiplication subsidized for that of normal replacement, and the importance of this is that it continues to balance in proportion to what has been developed. To secure the limit of this multiplying process with its balance of vitality, exercise must be carried out according to our natural physiological conceptions.
We must work in harmony with the natural scheme. We cannot force it without paying an unnecessary penalty. Then what should we do?
It is very simple.
Nature is simplicity itself though appearing complex. First let me urge every body-builder to begin by practicing a general body-building program -- not a strength program. Give the entire body equal consideration and do not use too much weight. This program should be practiced from one to three months according to the condition of the subject and the results accrued. This presents many advantages.
First we should remember that the untrained body is awkward in its early response. The muscles are not tuned to vigorous movement, therefore, the primary program gives the muscles an opportunity to adapt themselves to the new flexibility without strain. If the proper exercises are employed, there will be no organic strain or nervous tension, the movements will be purely muscular without stress.
This is the most important phase of the training program because during this time the body systems, internal and external, go through a transitory process in which the organs are smoothly toned and the muscles rhythmically cultivated and fertilized. During the first few weeks [fertilized?] it is quite possible that your physical proportions will decrease to a minor extent, but this is a good sign as it shows that the muscular fibers are developing an adherent firmness from previous loosely woven fibrous tissues [go, George, go] which exist in undeveloped muscular structure.
Due to the fact that few repetitions and little weight are used at the offset, one can practice every night for the first week or two without increasing the schedule of repetition or weight. From here on one can begin to increase the number of movements per exercise every third practice night, but not increase the poundage employed until the full benefit has been gained from the initial exercise.
This period is identified by working up to a certain number of repetitions in each exercise, then adding more weight and starting over with the original low count, working up as before. When the point is reached where the weight makes the last two or three exercise movements difficult then one must replace the exercises with those of a more progressive order that permits one to start over again with a low count and a low weight. Unless this procedure is observed there cannot be any progression.
Let me give you a definite example with one exercise which will supply you with the cue for the whole program.
Suppose you are adding five pounds in each hand with nine movements (reps) for a chest exercise, with the limit of movements (reps) being 18. If you are a beginner in a good normal condition you will practice this exercise with no change in weight or repetitions, exercising every night for the first two weeks.
Commencing with the third week you add one movement (rep) every third practice night ; that is, Monday you will practice the exercise 10 times, on Wednesday you will add another repetition, performing 11 counts and so on until you reach the limit of 18 movements.
Now you add 2.5 pounds to each bell in a chest exercise -- you can add 5 pounds in other exercises and 10 pounds in still others, depending upon the nature of the exercise. With the increased weight you start again with the low number of movements, which is nine and every third practice session add another repetition in the former order until 18 is again reached.
Again you add 2.5 pounds to each bell and start back with the low count of nine working up until the limit of repetitions (movements) is reached once more. You continue in this order until so much weight is employed as will make the last two or three limit movements increasingly difficult -- in this case it would be the 16th, 17th and 18th movements.
This warning indicates that you have obtained all the value out of that particular exercise and must replace it with another that is progressive in performance upon the first. Let it here be understood that there is no positive weight to be used that will indicate when you have reached the limit. You may find 10 pounds in each bell the limit when the exercise must be changed, whereas another stronger person may progress to a final weight of 20 pounds in each hand.
I point this out because so many ask, "How much weight must I progress to before changing the exercise?" Your body weight and physical condition are always your guides and because you may employ less weight than another should not impress you. Remember, he may be stronger and heavier than you. What I wish to emphasize here is that if 10 pounds is your limit after commencing with five pounds, then you will have repeated the exercise performance from nine to 18 repetitions three times over. This means that it takes virtually three weeks to succeed from nine to 18 repetitions before adding more weight, so it will take nine weeks approximately for you to reach the limit of your ability to practice the exercise before replacing it with a new exercise. If your limit is a higher weight then it takes that much longer. Each new exercise must be vigorous but not too much so.
The progress should be graduated. Let "Make haste slowly" be your slogan.
Note: This article was published in two parts, the second being in the Oct/Nov 1944 issue of Your Physique.
Enjoy Your Lifting!