Back in 1934 the first booklets, "A Larger More Shapely Chest Can Be Yours" appeared. They were tremendously successful and the first few hundred were quickly sold. Their chest-developing value spread and requests from all over the world poured in for copies. Additional ones were printed and they too rapidly found their way into the hands of bodybuilders who, equipped now with result producing information, rapidly increased the size of their chest to dimensions that were formerly believed to be only within the capabilities of the heavyweights. 45-inch chests were the exception among even the heavyweights prior to the publication of this booklet. Now, 45-inch chests are not uncommon in the lightweight division.
The booklet was always sold on a moneyback guarantee and in not one instance did we receive a request for a refund. On the contrary, we received hundreds of letters complimenting us on the information it contained. Our claims were too modest in the opinion of purchasers. Many of them far surpassed the gains that we had promised them if they would follow carefully the information within its pages.
Three years have gone by since we advertised the original booklet and we still receive requests for it. So many, in fact, that we decided to revise and reprint, bringing it up to date in every respect.
There will be found a great deal of new information within the pages to follow for a large number of readers. It is new information because in the last few years since this booklet has been advertised you have been encouraged to work at lower repetitions in your exercises. The only advantage to low repetitions is that it is less work to exercise. However, if one is going to exercise why not follow a system that will produce 10 times the results in half the time? We can promise you just that! This new information will, in one month, give you more chest development than six months of ordinary barbell routines. And that is a truly conservative statement.
We ask only that you approach this new system with an open mind. If you have any preconceived ideas as to the manner in which certain exercises should be performed, we want you to do yourself the favor of forgetting them. Or at least temporarily until we can prove that this new system is the most result-producing discovery in the field of physical development in recent times.
It may surprise you to learn the exercises used are standard ones. It is the way in which they are performed that gives the results! It is not necessarily the weight used, but how it is used. There is a right way and a wrong way to breathe when exercising to build the chest and every bodybuilder should get it clearly in mind when and how to breathe if he is desirous of obtaining all the results possible from his efforts.
There is one group of exercise enthusiasts who are of the opinion that one must breathe through the nose at all times. It is a foolish misconception. How ridiculous it would be for a hundred yard dash man to attempt to breathe through his nostrils during the contest, or a wrestler, or a swimmer or any of the other strenuous sports activities. When large quantities of air are needed by the system it is natural to open the mouth in order to breathe with greater ease. And so it is with exercising for developmental purposes.
There is just one other thing that should be clearly understood before we go into the details of the exercise program designed to rapidly increase the dimensions of the rib box. What is gained through exercise must be retained by the will to carry the chest up, not thrown out with the shoulders strongly back. Rather, an effort should be made to make yourself as broad as possible with the chest held high -- just comfortably.
The exercises designed to increase the size of the chest are three in number. It is of vital importance that you follow the suggestions laid down to the very letter, otherwise you will reap only a part of your reward. So long as you are exercising, make the effort to concentrate on what you are doing and why you are doing it. It is the surest road to rapid gains and success in your endeavors.
The exercise procedure as outlined in this treatise is designed to increase the depth and breadth of the rib box, not the musculature. If you desire to increase musculature of the chest at the same time I will give you a description of a pulley machine easily constructed for that purpose.
The three exercises are:
- the deep knee bend or squat as some prefer to call it,
- the two-arm pullover with barbell, and
- the straight legged dead lift.
If the thought "old stuff" has entered your mind get rid of it immediately. This is not "old stuff" but new! It is absolutely necessary that you retain an open mind if you are serious in your desire to obtain increased chest size.
It may appear to you that I am harping on certain things and repeating them an unnecessary number of times. I have long ago learned that repetition of certain statements is the only means of getting some people to understand that they are really important. It is unlikely that this applies to any of my readers in this case, but I am merely taking this precaution that should be there one among my readers who falls into this category, he will not suffer from too hurriedly reading this little booklet. The repetition of certain points will be impressed upon even the most careless followers of our chosen sport.
It may be said that chest growth is almost entirely dependent upon exercises of strength. An increase in size of lungs is absolutely necessary to realize a larger rib box. This is most easily accomplished by leg and back exercises, and when performed in a certain manner, leads to rapid growth.
The last statement may seem illogical to a great number of you. It is absolutely necessary that you accept it as true just as all others who have gone before you. It will save you wasted effort and a great deal of time if accept this fact and let the experience of others guide you rapidly to your goal. However, if you think the way to a big chest is through arm exercises, and intend to prove it to the world be prepared for a sad and disillusioning journey. And, don't say we didn't warn you!
If you have just recently begun barbell exercises you are extremely fortunate in having purchased this little booklet. You have not had the opportunity to get into a lot of bad exercise habits, neither have you had time to toughen your muscles through using too-heavy weights at low repetitions. Your progress will be the more rapid for your good fortune. If, on the other hand, you are a veteran you have no doubt, on occasion, used what is referred to as "low repetitions," and at another period in your exercise experience have followed a program of "high repetitions."
In the deep knee bend you have possibly worked as low as five repetitions using all the weight you could possibly handle, while at another time you may have used all the weight you could, repeating the exercise 20 counts. When you used five repetitions you managed it in the "grunt and groan" style. When using 20 counts (providing you ever did), you accomplished them in the "machine gun" fashion, doing the 20 repetitions as rapidly as possible just to get them over with. Breathing was irregular and shallow, certainly not methodical with the definite purpose in mind of developing the chest. You very likely have always thought of the deep knee bend as a leg developing exercise. It is, but what is more important it is the finest of all chest developing exercises.
When you do but five repetitions in the deep knee bend you increase your leg strength but the rib box increase is very slight. Perhaps none at all after the first two months of exercise. Also, when using 20 counts, rapid style, one breath to the squat, you build strength and endurance and your chest grows slightly faster, but where is the logic in using five repetitions and getting little or no results, or 20 counts for that matter, if they are not performed in a manner that will produce results.
To realize chest growth that is real chest growth, both rapid and far surpassing what is generally considered good, breathlessness must be created. Mountain climbing is one means of solving the problem. And it cannot be denied that mountain climbers and all people living in the mountains have superior chests. However, not many of us have a convenient mountain in our back yards, nor the time or inclination to run up the side of it between the two arm press and the rowing motion exercises.
Note: I attempted to support myself and my desires by selling home-gym mountains for a time. The delivery costs proved prohibitive to profit, pretty sure about that now, and holy cow, I mean, how many people have a garage big enough to hold a mountain, aside from that small group of Pygmy immigrants lifting in Spokane? Live and learn, as they say, live and learn.
Fortunately, we have a good substitute for mountain climbing in the form of the deep knee bend . . . when it is done in a certain manner.
One should use a weight that is easy for him to handle. If you are not using bodyweight in the squats it is to your advantage to reach that poundage as rapidly as possible. More than bodyweight is hardly necessary for rapid chest growth providing the exercise is performed in the special manner as you will be advised shortly.
Continued in Part Two . . .
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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