Gaining Muscle for the Olympia - Chuck Sipes (1966)

 

While I believe it urgent to add a greater massiveness to my physique, I do not propose to make the tragic mistake of just putting on fat for the sake of adding bodyweight. 

To prevent the dual job of putting on fat and muscle, then having to shed the fat, I choose to put on weight slowly and carefully, with attention paid to both my training and diet, g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y  adding muscle. 

Diet is largely responsible for this happy state of affairs, and here I'll give you an example of mine: 

Breakfast - 

Milk, eggs (boiled or poached, not fried), whole-grain cereal, orange juice. 

Midmorning - 

Blender drink with 1 quart of skim milk, protein powder, 2 raw eggs, honey, and the juice of one orange. 

Lunch - 

Beef stew, papaya, apple, protein powder and skim milk drink. 

Midafternoon - 

Orange or apple, protein-fortified milk. 

Dinner -

Meat, corn, baked potato, fresh fruit salad, milk, homemade carrot cake.

Midevening - 

Quart of skim milk with powdered skim milk, 2 eggs, honey. 

Before bed - 

Graham crackers and milk. 

I add some Power Training to my regular workouts. With the goal of increased muscular  bodyweight I choose to do cleans, heavy bentover rows and squats with multiple poundages. I will first list all the exercises I do in the workout, and then take you through each exercise to show you the slight variations used in each, which bring out various features. 

When time is available, I divide the workout in two, doing the upper body in the morning and the leg routine in the evening, or vice versa, depending on my mood and energy levels on the morning of a training day. 

Warmup with some skipping. 

1) Calf Raise - 12 x 20 reps. 

2) Squat - 12, 12, 20, 20, 20, 20.

3) Leg Extension - 4 x 12. 

4) Leg Curl - 4 x 8. 

5) Alternate Press with Dumbbells - 4 x 8.

6) Barbell Front Raise - 4 x 8.  

7) Straight-Arm Pullover - 2 x 20.

8) Bentover Row - 2 x 12.

9) Bench Press - 4 x 8.

10) Good Mornings - 4 x 8.

11) Dumbbell Concentration Curl - 4 x 8-12. 

12) Barbell French Press - 4 x 8. 

13) Situps - 4 x 20.

14) High Pulls - 4 x 6. 

1) Calf Raise - I elevate the toes on a block and do these with deep  concentration, using a slow rhythm and making the calf muscles carry the load. I try to force out each rep at the peak of the rise, and do them in the three standard foot positions (toes out, toes straight ahead, toes inward). After each of the four sets I stand back from a wall and lean against it, raising as high as I can on the toes to flex the calves hard for a 12-count. 

2) Half Squats - I perform them by first doing 2 sets as a warmup, using a lighter weight. Then I add almost  maximum poundage and force out 20 reps which really work the thighs. At first I do not squat too far down, but as I get past the slightly lower than parallel position I work to go further and further down without locking the legs at the top position of each rep. This can really get your wind up and torch your thighs. The last 2 sets I use maximum poundage and force the thighs to work to their limit. 

3) Leg Extension - I do the first set in full movements, resting a second or two in the down position before forcing out another heavy rep. The next set I do without any pause or rest in the down position, pumping the thighs till they burn. I then do the last 2 sets as I did the first two, always concentrating on the movement for full pump and benefit. 

4) Leg Curl - The "pause" and "no pause" method of the leg extension is followed here as well. In the first set I rest 2 counts between each full rep in the down position. The second set I pump the hamstrings without any rest between reps, doing the leg curls with absolutely no pause anywhere in the set. Then the last two sets are done like the first, always trying to do the movements as strictly as I can. I let the weight down s-l-o-w-l-y when returning it to starting position.  

5) Alternate Press with Dumbbells - This is done in a strict manner, and I make sure that I don't sway the body to assist the press. Done in a very rhythmic manner I find this to be one of the finest deltoid exercises. It gives me a terrific pump in no time at all. 

6) Barbell Front Raise - I also use this movement for the delts, beginning with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing down. I try not to succumb to too much back bend during the raise. When I heave the bar in the upward position I try to stretch back behind the head and I do 2 sets shoulder-width and 2 sets wide-grip, making sure to lower the bar very slowly in this exercise. 

7) Straight-Arm Pullover - I use a fairly light weight for this movement because I need full concentration on my breathing. I take in as much oxygen as possible, even gasping toward the last, to really force a deep breath into the lungs on the way back. I then concentrate on stretching back as far as possible with the bar to stretch and enlarge the ribcage. I do a full 20 reps and when I am finished my lungs and chest feel like they will burst. 

8) Bent-Arm Pullovers - On the straight-arm variation just described, I concentrate on breathing (pee-wee pullovers?). On the bent-arm pullovers I still breathe deeply, but I concentrate on the stretch and chest pull as I slowly bring the bar across my head, using a good heavy weight for these and a lot of power to complete the required reps. 

9) Bentover Row - I use a wide grip on this exercise and a moderate poundage in order to concentrate fully on the pull. In the hanging position I let the weight suspend and stretch the lats well before pulling up in the next rep.

10) Bench Press - The regulation bench press with a shoulder-width grip is what I use. I push myself to the maximum in this exercise, always trying to handle more and MORE weight. My first few reps are strict but towards the last I raise slightly off the bench to finish off the press . . . forcing, Forcing, FORCING out the very last possible rep. 

11) Good Mornings - I believe that there is no finer exercise for strengthening the lumbar area of the back. This is most important in doing any kind of power training exercises. The back must be greatly strengthened in order to withstand the traffic of the heavier weights involved in all other upper body exercises. 

12) Dumbbell Concentration Curl - I have been trying these lately with good results. I do them on a standing curling bench. The first set I count 2 slow counts between each curl, in the hanging position. Flexing the biceps hard in the full curl position, I concentrate with all my might. The second set I do a full 12 reps, flushing and pumping the arm with absolutely no pause between reps, until my biceps fell like they will burst. After this I rest slightly and then go through the same routine for the last two sets. When finished I flex my biceps hard for 12 counts, really putting on the pressure. 

13) French Press - At the present time I am forcing these out on the flat bench, with the elbows kept high and stationary. After each rep I flex the triceps hard in lockout position. When I am through with my sets I sit on the bench and grasp the back of the bench with a reverse grip. Then I lean back slightly and begin to count slowly to 15 . . . all the time forcing more and more tension onto the triceps. At the full count I am concentrating to the maximum on flexing the three triceps heads. 

14) Situps - I do these on the slant board with my hands or a plate behind my head. I do them slowly, flexing the abdominals as I come up. This is another exercise where deep concentration is important to getting the results you desire. 

15) High Pulls - I grab the barbell with a close grip, using a fairly heavy poundage -- but comfortable, in order that I can do them strict. I pull the bar up slowly, keeping elbows high in order to put more work on the deltoids. I hold the bar for a fraction of a second in the high position and then let it down slowly  without any backbend. 

Enjoy Your Lifting!