More From Doug Hepburn, Part Three

 

I have found that the tendons and ligaments retain their strength far longer than the muscular structure in later years. It follows then, that the proposed senior program of training should be oriented on series of low number, heavy reps for maximum strength.

As the strength inherent in tendon/ligament composition can only be developed by extra-heavy poundages, it may well be that the heavy single repetition represents a breakthrough in senior strength building procedure. 

I further maintain that the amount of energy expended by series of heavy reps is less innervating than subjecting oneself to sets of light weight high repetitions hence minimizing the possibility of exhaustion that seniors are oft times prone to. 

Generally, seniors, as well as the young, will find it easier to develop leg and back strength than upper-body power. It may be that the superiority of seniors' leg and back strength is that regardless of discontinuance of constant training, the senior is obliged to motivate his body via the hips and legs throughout life. 

Another factor the senior should consider is the portion of the day devoted to training. Seniors, as explained, have a diminished power of recuperation. It would follow then, as I have experienced, that dissipation of energy throughout the day should prompt the senior to train in the early portion of the day so as to obtain maximum benefit from the reserve energy supply. I have found that I am 5 to 10% stronger during the day's earlier hours as verified by my strength level.

A vital point I wish to make here, one I feel I should mention again, is that drug usage and incorrect diet weaken the body's immune system. The young may benefit from the body's ability to some extent to counteract this for a brief period of time. Not so in the case of those of a later age, which is evidenced by increased aches, pains, sickness, etc., which is misconstrued as the product of aging. Great and lasting strength acquired normally or naturally requires a high moral conduct. All these couple together make the true strong man. Others who acquire strength by artificial means exists on a temporary basis and cannot be maintained throughout life. Those who attempt to prolong their strength artificially are on a one-way street eventually ending in serious disease. 

It seems as if there's an increase in mood fluctuation. It is almost as if those moods driven from a positive attitude are brought about in a manner similar to recuperation from a training session. A break or a rest is vital for seniors if one is to put forth a good effort to better one's level of ability strength-wise. This mood fluctuation can be counteracted or changed to a positive state of mind by a concentration or meditation. In other words, if you concentrate on a positive thought you become positive in your actions, weightlifting or whatever. 

Again, in reference to liquefied food and its assistance to seniors, due to the lower ability of the digestive system, development or retention of overall bodily strength is impaired. Seniors attempting to overcome this problem via increased overloaded food intake will cause sickness forcing a discontinuance of training, sometimes permanently. On the other hand, attempting to overcome this problem through the use of stimulants and concentrated food supplements eventually leads to a highly toxic condition resulting in sickness and again discontinued training. Luckily there is an answer to this problem and as far as I can see the only answer . . . daily consumption of liquid foods. 

Once more, in reference to liquid food intake, the benefits are: 

liquefying removes a major work part of the digestion, food in liquid form assists absorption, especially so with seniors, convenience of preparation many variations of flavor, etc. 

This also applies to prepared soups and broths. 

As a senior I have found on certain days that I will back off from forcing reps with heavy poundages even if the routine calls for it. You body language may tell you that everything is not quite right. On these hopefully rare occasions, I will undergo a lighter load workout and hit the bypassed heavier routine within one or two days. It is to be remembered, however, that you can't make a habit of this procedure but it has its purpose if used correctly. 

Of course, I must admit that constant low rep weight training is not the most conducive to the improvement of the circulatory system. However, I feel that this shortcoming can be overcome by short distance jogging or bike riding; a pleasant break, I may add, from the rigors of heavy weight training and especially good for the temperament. 

Those seniors approaching the 65 to 70 years bracket should periodically undergo training sessions using only sets of increased repetitions. This procedure should be followed for a period of two weeks every two or three months. The principle here is that such a procedure revitalizes the trainee mentally and physically rather than to lay off altogether causing a substantial drop in the strength level. This principle is applicable to the younger athlete and it is suggested that they also should follow the prementioned procedure from time to time. As they say, a change is as good as a rest. 

Seniors especially must avoid overtaxing themselves too frequently when training, as this shocks the nervous system, which must recuperate from this. In the process nervous disorders can occur, evidenced by indigestion, insomnia, low resistance to colds, and worse. This subject and its correction is covered in detail in Training for Senior Weightlifting and Powerlifting in the Anatomy of Strength video series tape four (later). 

At this point I want to discuss what may be from the physical standpoint the vital component involved in the quest for a long life coupled with extraordinary physical strength . . . 

The body's immune system is the most important thing. There are many factors regarding this concept that I believe to be true. From the moment of birth, and before, the body is subjected to constant attack from the external environment in a life-or-death struggle. The pollution of Earth, ever-increasing in the mode of its forms, is tipping the scale in favor of the external attack. Fortunately, Mother Nature has provided the means of counteraction for those willing to act now. Or, I believe, if we hesitate, in a very short time it will be too late. The counteraction, of course, in order to overcome this situation is of a preventative nature involving an alteration especially in our living and thinking habits. 

At the age of 65 to 70 after many variations of strength-building procedures in my worko8uts utilizing trial and error, the single rep system, combined with heavy, low rep warmups of 2 to 3 reps remains foremost in regard to substantial progress. All other systems as far as I am concerned fell by the wayside. 

I arrived at my conclusion via an intuitive process, as it seems I have always done in respect to strength-building matters. A diversity of strength-enhancing procedures and exercises within the workout period detract from concentration, especially so in the case of seniors causing a lessening or elimination of further progress strength-wise. I suppose one could say that the single rep system gets you the most results with the least amount of energy expended. They say a change is as good as a rest and this advised alteration in strength building can snap you out of the doldrums moving you up to even higher poundages. 

It is to be remembered, however, to warm up with lighter poundages. 3 reps, 3 or 4 sets, before starting the single repetitions. 

When I was younger I was capable of performing multi-repetitions with heavy poundages. I found that when I reached the vicinity of 60 years and thereafter such a training procedure quickly led to fatigue and staleness. I later realized that this condition was due to lack of recuperative ability which continues in greater severity as age increases. 

When preparing to increase a personal record, or records, the senior, should he have the opportunity, can consider training twice per day for a short period, concentrating on only one individual lift. This procedure could provide the possibility of lifting more heavy poundages without extreme fatigue, thus allowing for a higher record poundage on a variety of strength lifts.

Again, I wish to point out that higher rep training with heavy poundages can irritate joints with seniors, even so in the instance of juniors if they're involved with anabolics, as this promotes an imbalanced relationship between joints, tendons, and muscles. 

Sometimes an increased series of lighter rep warmups, especially regarding seniors, can assist psychologically when building up to heavy low reps and singles when following an extended regimen of training prior to competition, especially so if one is prone to staleness. 

Another approach that I have used with great success with senior competitors is pushing poundage to the point of failure after a series of increased low-rep warmups. I discovered when doing this and dropping back to lower semi-heavy poundages for 3 to 5 reps that I could perform more reps than when I did not push to failure beforehand. I really feel that the reason for this was mostly mental, causing the weight to feel lighter due to a more confident attitude. Seniors, especially, lose confidence very quickly if they are not exposed to heavy poundage every 2 or 3 days on each different lift. 

Most seniors, as well as the younger, can lift more than they think they can lift. All you have to do is push the right button.  

A note of caution for seniors using the single rep system. Do not overload the system. Do not overload the single rep poundage and it is recommended to train on this system not more than 3 times per week. It is of ultimate importance, however, to keep on with regular doses of heavy reps.

My fellow Senior . . . 

if you don't use it, you LOSE it. 

to be continued . . . 

Enjoy Your Lifting!  

     

                                                  

More From Doug Hepburn, Part Two

 

Click to Enlarge

Our present lifestyle normally provides a life expectancy in the vicinity of 65 to 73 years. It is interesting to note that the majority of insurance companies try to avoid stating the maximum life expectancy figure for numerous reasons which I will leave to your imagination. 

It is my conclusion from this, logically speaking, that the best our present technology offers to our average citizen is 65 to 73 years of life. I further conclude that perhaps the deviation from our normal lifestyle, if properly implemented, could present the possibility of a life extension of at least 10 to 20 years beyond the present norm. 

If so, this allows for a reassessment, strength-wise, of our potential as a senior lifter. No amount of anabolic substances will enable a 100-lb woman to deadlift 800 pounds, and yet the body has this inborn capacity via induced excitation. There are on record numerous instances to verify this and it is interesting to note that very few, if any, received serious injury from their Herculean effort. 

One may speculate here as to just how much a heavy weightlifter could elevate should he be in the state of the pre-mentioned 100-lb woman. Mankind is on the brink of a new era or an exploration of the natural potential ability within the human body that will reveal capabilities that will far surpass our present ability strength-wise. The "Anatomy of Strength" series reveals in detail the exact procedure to tap this presently unrealized vast reservoir of potential. 

Just recently, medical science has become aware of the fact that the human body has the capability to produce any substance needed to eliminate every disease known to man providing, or course, that the individual affected is mentally and physically equipped to activate the bodily immune process. Natural herbal compounds present the answer to producing the highest level of the entirety of bodily function safely throughout life. I maintain that for every disease known to man there exists an appropriate herbal remedy. Longevity is extended by a regular daily herbal ingestion. According to documented evidence, numerous individuals have lived upwards from the age of 140 years to 200 years, which can be directly attributed to daily intake of herbal mixtures.  

It may interest the reader to know that I am a vegetarian, and I have been for the last 20 years. I believe that I have disproved the fallacy that it is essential to consume non-vegetable products in order to develop extraordinary strength and muscle size. 

I must also say here that a goodly amount of my muscle bulk and strength is directly due to herbal intake. I think the most important thing of all is the strengthening of the body's immune system through herbal ingestion which could allow those in life's later age to bypass the numerous diseases that attack the elderly, thus allowing the senior athlete many more years of active participation in sport. There is no reason whatsoever why men of 90 and over should not be elevating creditable poundages. 

Minor or major drug usage weakens the immune system, leaving the body defenseless to the attack of cancer and numerous other mental diseases. This is, to a great extent, why there's an abrupt drop in competitive athletes over the age of 60 and thereon. When the immune system is impaired, the aging process of the body is accelerated causing a substantial lowering of life expectancy. What a price to pay for a few brief years of the addition of artificial weight lifting strength.  

After a lengthy period of continuous alteration of the sets, reps, etc., withing the actual training routines I have perfected what I believe to be the ultimate strength building routine. In short, this routine is the only one that allows a continued increase in strength to a late age in life. This routine involves correct warmup procedure, a number of weekly training periods and all other aspects essential to progress. 

My experimental investigation brought to light many new or perhaps overlooked functional aspects of strength building. For instance, I became aware that shortened muscle memory retention is a factor of aging and that it is essential that various exercises must be performed with lighter repetitions up to 70 or 80% of maximum effort daily to prevent this problem. The exercises would vary from day to day in accordance to the overall exercise program. All this and other functional elements of strength building are explained in detail in Strength Building for Seniors via the VHS videocassette series.

It is extremely important not to expend the entire reserve of energy during the training period. If this principle is not followed, in a very short period of time a state of exhaustion will occur and if not immediately counteracted will lead to chronic exhaustion which could be a permanent condition thereon. 

When all is said and done, I believe that the heart of the overall strength building procedure is the building block: THE SINGLE REP GAIN. I am NOT, I repeat NOT referring to the 3, 4 or 5 rep gains because this attitude of mind leads to disorientation, hence ultimate failure. 

To achieve ultimate concentration, hence ultimate capacity strength-wise, the same concentration has to be pinpointed on a single thought or thing. The thing chosen to be pinpointed should be the heart of the procedure utilized to attain a defined goal. In this case it is the ONE REP ADDITION to the total number of reps performed in your previous workout. 

This applies to each and every exercise performed in each and every exercise period. 

For example, if you did 5 sets of 4 reps in the squat with the same poundage in each set in your previous workout, your forthcoming squat workout would have you doing 1 set of 5 reps and 4 sets of 4 reps. By enlarging this concept, as you will see, the same principle functions in respect to a future record lift desired. However, in this case the explosive build-up is much more powerful, capable of producing in weight elevated a 25-35 pound increase.

Concentrating on the single rep gain and, of equal importance, the date the pre-mentioned rep gain, especially a record competitive lift, will be accomplished, activates the storehouse of built up energy which, when released, forms a kind of explosion similar to stream pressure in a boiler. The explosion will be proportionate to the degree of built-up mental concentration.

From time to time, both young and especially senior lifters should undergo what I call a crash training program of short duration to shock the trainee out of a mental and physical rut. This program is centered on the concept of reestablishing the feel of heavy poundages. 

Seniors especially drift toward the tendency to perform high numbers of light weight repetitions. Comfortable, yes, but as a real strength builder, a flop. How many seniors have followed this type of training and upon looking back in their training notebooks, regardless of how well they think they fell, their limit poundages in all lifts have dropped 10-15%. 

This is the beauty of weight lifting. You just can't fool yourself with a barbell. It is my conclusion that high sets of high reps with a fairly heavy weight isn't suitable for strength-oriented seniors as it brings about the chronic fatigue at the first stage of an extended program and if not discontinued will result in a state of complete exhaustion. This is caused by the inability of seniors to recuperate from each succeeding workout session. Younger lifters do not normally suffer from this program due to their superior power of recuperation. 

From the age of 60 to 70 years I underwent numerous variations of training procedure. As my age increased I found that in order to retain my strength, or improve it, I was forced to condense my routine to short intense training sessions daily or every second day. I commenced each with a series of triple warmup reps, increasing the poundage, then to single reps, working up to a limit or near-limit poundage. 

The intensity of the workout depended on just how I felt at the time, physically and/or mentally, always leaving the workout with energy to spare. On certain days, if the spirit moved me, I would attempt a lift which could have been beyond my capacity. On numerous occasions I succeeded. It was then that I began to see more and more the power of the mind and realized regardless of age you can lift any weight you believe you can lift, and with impunity. 

It is important, however, to remember that your belief, if it is to be effective, is substantiated by tangible reasons or evidence to show that your state of mind is not the product of flights of fancy. 

Much of the training performed by seniors should be instinctive. However, if you are on the wrong track, you're in trouble. Very possibly it would be best at this point to seek the guidance of an individual who has pioneered the way and has credibility. 

I have found that the tendons and ligaments retain their strength far longer than the muscular structure in later years. It follows then, that the proposed senior training program should be oriented on a series of low number, heavy reps for maximum strength.

to be continued . . . 

Enjoy Your Lifting!      

More From Doug Hepburn, Part One

 

A great guy who chooses to stay anonymous spent time and energy transcribing the two Hepburn video tapes and sent them to me to put on the blog. There's some great stuff in here . . . much of relating to older lifters. 

From "Anatomy of Strength" and 

"Might, Muscles and Miracles"

Enjoy . . . and a huge THANK YOU for doing this! 

At the age of 54, after a lengthy layoff from heavy lifting, I set about to establish a number of records in the masters division of world competition. My reason for this is that I wanted to test the effectiveness of the training principles in this tape series in regard to senior athletes. 

The results I obtained were considerably more than I expected, as in a matter of months I was approaching a level of strength I had attained as a young man. My bodyweight increased from 217 to 270 pounds and my top lifts were as follows: 

Press - 390

Curl - 220

Bench, hands together - 370

Squat - 600 for 8 reps.

At this point I became aware of the need for a form of overall nutrition based on an increased efficiency of absorption so as not to overtax the bodily digestive process. It is to be accepted by the senior trainee that, generally speaking, the digestive organs of athletes engaged in heavy athletics aged 55 and thereon, via the process of aging, are incapable of utilizing large amounts of heavy foods as they could at a younger age. 

I believe that overconsumption of high-concentration foods or supplements will eventually prove injurious to the body. The same result can be attained consuming liberal amounts of food in natural form daily when coupled with the extended, correctly programmed heavy weight training. 

I used this procedure to attain a muscular bodyweight of 315 pounds with strength comparable to that produced by anabolics. I further refined this principle into a workable detailed addition to my overall strength-building program. This program will be explained in detail later. 

Much of the foods presently consumed by the general public are rich or enriched beyond the toleration of the body and if ingested over a lengthy period will inevitably lead to sickness. Many of these foods cause an unnatural stimulation which is misinterpreted by most as a healthy sign. In the long run, however, such foods cause premature aging, innervation and loss of strength. 

It is my firm belief that the human body is the end result of a vast period of evolution. During the period, generally speaking, the external environment of the body provided food substances in a natural and concentrated form. Thus the body developed in harmony with these natural foods. Modern man with his technology has intervened in this process with a myriad of nutritive products in highly concentrated form unsuited to the metabolic function of the body. This in turn results in high toxicity, upsetting the natural balance of bodily functions with serious consequences. If this condition is not counteracted, using only natural measures, at this later age in life, a severe and continuous drop in strength and muscular size will be experienced. 

Nutritional needs assume a more prominent aspect of strength building in one's later years. It is of vital importance that sufficient energy is available to enable the senior to undergo concentrated and strenuous athletic movements while still retaining a sufficient reserve of energy to offset exhaustion. 

It is to be remembered that lasting muscular strength is dependent upon the overall organic strength of the body. As a matter of fact, the degree of lifelong physical strength is basically the product of one's mental and moral makeup. 

A true strong man should retain his strength until a very late age in life, even unto his 90s. The acquisition of exceptional physical strength for a brief five-to-ten year period in one's life does not denote a true strong man. 

You may be surprised to hear that prior to my attaining the pinnacle of world strength, that the major part of my diet was whole milk and bananas, lots of fruit, and basic carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and pasta, which I force fed myself constantly throughout my waking hours, alternating from carbos to fruit and milk. I distinctly remember the day that I increased my bodyweight eight pounds in this manner. Of course, this regimen of heavy eating was coupled with lengthy periods of very heavy weight training at least five times a week. During the training periods I continued to consume ample amounts of milk and bananas.    

I wish to state here that throughout my strength building career I consumed very little meat or fish. I did, however, eat a minimal amount of eggs, powdered milk, protein and soy protein which were prepared in liquid form in a food blender. Frankly, I am convinced that flesh foods eggs, although high in protein, are highly toxic and for this reason I avoided these products throughout my involvement as a master lifter.

Toxicity accelerates aging which in turn decreases strength capacity, especially so with seniors. It seems that increased food intake assists the younger strength athlete but will restrict the overall progress of the senior master lifter in the long run. The younger lifter, having a more efficient digestive system, is able to tolerate toxicity even to middle age, but from that point on will suffer the consequences unless the diet regimen is strictly altered. 

People as they age are inclined to justify their increasing lack of strength ability, strength-wise or otherwise, to increasing age. This, however, is not entirely the case, as they overlook the possibility that much of their condition could be due to a temporary bodily malfunction due to their lifestyle. Most individuals as they succumb to the armchair and TV syndrome, justify their incapacity with age. 

A wise man once said, the human being is the only animal that won't face facts. 

Perhaps so. 

When approaching senior status, one is to expect an increased degree of stiffness and soreness. This is to be accepted as a normal process. Stiffness leads to joint soreness, but this can be counteracted to a considerable degree via daily stretching of basic bodily parts, performing full movements, and basic weight training exercises: deep squatting, dumbbell flyes, stiff-legged deadlifting, etc. If this daily process is discontinued, even temporarily, the senior lifter will quickly lose flexibility and if the period of layoff is prolonged, the senior lifter will experience considerable difficulty in retaining it. If follows then, that in the case of seniors approaching the 60 to 70 category or earlier that daily training and stretching is mandatory, otherwise a condition of the inability to lift competitively or otherwise will occur. 

One of the major reasons why senior strength athletes discontinue heavy training is that a continuance of heavy exercise at a later age contributes to soreness and stiffness. There is simply no way to overcome this problem. Everybody will face discomforts as they age, whether they exercise or not, so why not be stronger and healthier and accept this mild discomfort? 

It is my opinion that the aged magnify aches and pains that they would have shrugged off in their youth. Many of the elderly are prone to self-babying, most, probably due to fear of injury or sickness. This is a one-way street to becoming an invalid. 

To rest is not to conquer. We need to have more faith in this wonderful machine our body represents. With correct application your body can perform to a level beyond your wildest dreams. The human body is a lot tougher than we give it credit for. 

It is my considered opinion that in order to remain active and in good health and to have an extraordinary degree of physical strength even into the 80s and 90s, 

it is essential to deviate from the so-called norm of our society. 

continued in part two . . . 

Enjoy Your Lifting!    

Doug Hepburn, Part Two - John Little (2007)

 

Part One is here: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2026/10/doug-hepburn-part-one-john-little-2007.html 

Strong Man Philosophy 

"The knowledge thus gained was the end product, so produced by intuition, trial-and-error, and an absolute integrity in the implementation of my daily procedure, coupled with an undeviating mode of conduct in my living habits and an unwavering belief in the morality of man's struggles to improve himself using only the natural, God-given attributes that he was provided at birth. This paragraph represents my philosophy as a strong man."

Most Productive Technique

"When I trained, everybody was doing series of 6 and 8 reps. And I don't know why. Why would a man, who was living with people who had done something since the beginning of weight lifting, go out and then suddenly, for some strange gut feeling, throw the whole thing in the trash can and do something entirely opposite to what everyone did? 

"I don't know why I did, but I started to do sets of 3's - which was something that wasn't done. Mind you, I'm going back now to the 1940s.

"I started out with the 3's, and I believe what brought about the change in me was partially due to a somewhat good heritage, but also because I was the first one who discovered and utilized intensively that method of training, whereas nobody else did it.

 - Doug Hepburn, noted raconteur, known at times to "expand" on certain topics. 

No worries here! 

"The principle was that I would do sets of 3's, over and over and over for 20-30 sets. And I found out that all of a sudden my body responded unbelievably! 

 

"And one thing I just want to mention. When you check into my lifting at that period when I first came to be known, the gap that I established between myself and the other person in the world was the widest gap - strength-wise - of any other lifter in history. 

"I'm fully convinced that the structure of sets and repetitions, coupled with the application as to intensity and frequency of augmentation of the resistance, represents the keystone in the building of ultimate physical strength.

"I believe, as I've said repeatedly, that . . .  

the structure of the repetitions 

is more important than anything else you can do in regard to getting strong. Other than taking drugs.

"It's the structure of the routine and how it's used that develops ultimate strength. 

"Protein and all that is fine, you know. Presently I'm 66 years old and I'm still reasonably strong. I don't have any aches and pains although, of course, age takes its toll. I'm in a very unique position here. I'm inclined philosophically, and maybe to some extent scientifically, and I've been given the opportunity for probably the first time in history to approach the problem scientifically and study myself and the effects on my body of all different types of foods and different mental attitudes to see what happens and combat the aging process and the lowering of physical strength within a human being. 

"I discovered that when you reach a point in your life a reversal starts to take place. In other words . . . 

you're dying faster than you're living. 

What actually kills the body is poisoning, the inefficiency of the body to function at its peak level. So it begins to poison itself, and then no nutrients are able to get to the muscles and so forth. So I say, 'How can we surmount this?'

"I say that as you get older you have to 

eat less, not more, in order to get strong. 

If you eat more when you reach that point of no return in aging, it will make you ill. It will kill you. If you look at it logically, and I'm a great person for reasoning and logic, obviously when you're born, you go through a cycle of life and there's a point where the body begins to go the other way. It begins to die; it's going from life to death in the cycle. But they don't analyze the cycle and realize that during a part of that cycle that reversals take place. When you think, they allow for the evolution of man in the material plane, but do they ever think that thought may evolve and alter during the late cycle?"

Motivation for the Older Man

"When a man is 75 and wants to utilize his strength and maintain it, he has no libido. Most guys now, as you know, are lifting weights and getting stronger to impress and get themselves a mate. But the reason the old guy doesn't still train is that he can't think of a damn good enough reason to do it. What does a man do to do this? 

"Because this is also part and parcel of the aging process, I have to take these factors into consideration and say, 'How can I train, and push myself? What am I going to use for my impulsion to do it?' 

"YOU CANNOT APPROACH TRAINING FOR STRENGTH LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO SET IT ALL DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND DO 6 REPS OF THIS OR THAT. 

YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT BY EAR." 

Why Doug Was Popular With Poultry Farmers

"I had a strong constitution genetically. I remember I was eating a lot one day in the summertime and I gained eight pounds in one day with water and food. I mean, I could EAT. One day I ate 65 eggs! 

I wanted to see how many I could drink in a milkshake."

Defeats Paul Anderson 

"Well, Anderson was a young man then, but he was strong. I think he was probably a little more experienced and a little older. Yes, I did beat him, although his publicists claimed that he 'was never beaten.'"

Anderson's Manager

Who the fuck was this guy . . . 

Anderson's manager? 

No, really . . . who was it? 

"He was just back from his stage act in Reno where he had all these silver dollars that he used to lift. I remember I phoned down to the hotel where he was performing his act because Anderson had issued a challenge offering $15,000 to anyone who could match Paul's lift of a box filled with silver dollars. I called down to see if I could come down and attempt it. 

"And you know what happened? And this isn't common knowledge either. About an hour later, Anderson's manager phoned, and this documented because I have an article in the Oregon newspaper that documents this. Anderson's manager told me, 'Please don't come down, we'll do something with you later.'"

Anderson's False Claims

"The other thing is this . . . Anderson is undoubtedly one of the strongest men in history. I have a great respect for him. However, there are lifts and things that are given to him that are beyond the realm of what I believe to be possible. 

"It's just gotten ridiculous. You know, 10 repetitions with 300 pounds in the one-arm press. Now, he might have done that in a one-arm bent press, but they're calling it a Press! The point here is, it isn't only me, it ridicules all the other strong men in history. It's and insult. I look upon the strong man in terms of the world and what strength represents to mankind."

The Bench Press Competition

"Anderson and I once had a bench press competition in his back yard. I had just come back from Hawaii; I'm not making excuses but I was tired because it was very hot over there and I put on some shows for a guy named Rex Ravelle. It was hot and I was a little tired, and when I came back I wasn't at my best. I weighed about 275 pounds. I went into Los Angeles from Hawaii because you have to go through there to get to Vancouver, where I live. 

"Anderson's manager met me at the plane and took me to where he was staying, which was the manager's house. Anderson was training for a movie, and I met him in the backyard. He must have weighed at least 360 pounds. I mean, he wasn't young, but he was near his peak of strength. So I don't know how we ended up doing this, but got down to a bench press and had a little competition. Both of us managed to do 500 pounds, which wasn't a bad bench in those days, but Anderson couldn't do an ounce more and neither could I - but I weighed 270 and he weighed 360.

"After the bench pressing, Anderson had an Olympic bar on trestles and he attempted to press 420 pounds, and he could not do it. Now I know he could do it, he was that close, and on any other day he might well have done it, but he couldn't do it that day. From that, and remember I did it at a bodyweight of 290 pounds, I standing pressed 440 pounds, and this was without any belt and on a gimpy leg and with no steroids. 

"Taking a man of the present age who might have set his records while on drugs can't be compared to those of us who did it clean.

"It's an insult to all who have been before.

"I called the doctor specializing on sports and steroids at the University of British Columbia. He told me that steroids became used and known to athletes at the beginning of the 1950s. Now, before that, I had this gap between me and all the other strong men. 

"After the '50s, that's when all these other 'strong men' began to appear. It may be coincidence but I'm doubtful. However, of the more modern crop, I appreciate a man like Kazmaier, and he admits to taking steroids. I mean, if a man admits it, that's great - he's an honest man. But for a man to do this and not admit it - that's all I'm complaining about. 

"Anderson, all things being equal, would have been a great lifter at any time. I'm not trying to belittle Anderson, but I'm trying to save the credibility of powerlifting in the world. What the heck! Since when does a man like Anderson or anybody else mean more than the principle of sport and the morality of man in the world? I'm doing it for that and thank God some people do!

"One of the greatest compliments I ever got was at the Goodwill Games when they were held in California. I was told by a writer-friend of mine that the Russian weightlifting team was down there at that time and Alexeev was with them. We went down to see the lifters, and I could see Alexeev walking around backstage. I said to my friend, 'If you ever get backstage, which you might be able to do because you're a writer, can you do me a favor? I'd like you to ask the Russian coach if I would be allowed to correspond with Alexeev as one strong man to another.'

"So he phoned me back the next day and said, 'Well, Doug, I went down there and I got hold of the top Russian coach from their lifting team, and I showed him your pictures and I showed him what you lifted way back when, and then I asked the coach whether or not you could write to Alexeev, and you know what the coach said? He said, 'I think that Alexeev should write to Mr. Hepburn!' You know why? Because that coach knew that I did those lifts before steroids came into common use. And as you well know, Alexeev was loaded with them.

"Terry Todd once told me that when a lifter gets all wrapped up in their support suits and takes steroids, they add 30% to their lift. And if you notice, take some of my old lifts and add 30% to them. You'll get up to just about what they're doing today with those aids."  

Enjoy Your Lifting!      

  

Doug Hepburn, Part One - John Little (2007)

 

The Canadian Colossus who throws around polysyllabic words like loose change saw a massive arm on a fellow who was getting on the bus, and he knew right then that 

that was what he WANTED. 

He started to train and became acquainted with all the greats. His idols at the time were the great John Grimek and John Davis. He had Grimek's picture up on the wall. 

Mr. Weider came into the picture . . . 

"He did assist me financially to some extent, to help me out so that I could continue with my training and still get my food. He gave me protein supplements, and also also a lot of articles that were written by Charlie Smith appeared in his magazines, and they made me famous in those early days. I must also say that Weider was the man, the one man, who took me in the beginning and recognized my potential ability and went ahead and promoted it. Nobody at the time did.

"Fundamentally, the most productive way I discovered was to perform extended series of sets of low repetitions. What I mean by that is even 20-30 such sets. My reps would go down to 3 or 5. I found that this stimulated muscular growth because I don't believe that the average strength athlete, although they may more now than they did then, trained that way. They thought they could go and do higher repetitions with a reasonably heavy weight. There's not enough stress there to stimulate maximum muscular growth.

"The principle of it was extended sets of 3 repetition, combined with singles - possibly as many as 8. This is a variation to the sets of 3's. Then, for the other part, I used to do some sets of consecutive repetitions, up to as many as 8 for what you might call a pumping procedure.

"I incorporated that basic routine when I was 54 years old. I decided to come back, and I went in there and I was way down in weight, weighing maybe 200 pounds. And I went in this gym and I hadn't been feeling too well. I used a routine similar to the one I just explained the principles of and, when I was 54, I was doing repetition squats with 600 pounds, doing sets of 6 and 7. At 54 years of age, without wraps of any kind and of course without steroids, I did a standing press of 390 pounds."

On Overtraining

"You can train every day. If you organize it right, you can train every day. That's what I did when I was 54. When you're older, your strength will dissipate faster. Certain things happen. 

When you're young you can get away with heavy workouts every three days or so because nature is working with you. As you age, you have to increase the frequency of your workouts. For example, now at age 66, I find that I have to train every day up to a heavy weight or I cannot maintain my strength.

"When you're older your recuperative powers are diminished, and your recuperative powers are essential to maintain strength. If I didn't train heavy on one given exercise at the most on every second day, and preferably every day, I'll go backward. 

So I've reached the point in my life now that I'll fall back to a point but I'll still maintain a basic strength. I could squat once a week for half and hour and always do a 350-lb squat, even at the age of 65. The reason for that is that I'm using the strength in the body that has been build over a lifetime, and that level won't go down beyond a certain point unless you get sick or something. Also, any exercise that you do when you're older that involves the tendons heavily will give you more strength.

"Heavy weights influence the tendons as well as the muscle, of course. Great strength comes from the tendons. More so than muscles. Steroids affect muscular strength, but not to the same extent in the tendons. It doesn't matter if you do a partial or what, I don't think you can develop the strength of a full movement by doing a partial movement. To get strong, it's more built upon the structure of your routine." 

Developing Pressing Power

"When I developed my pressing power I did it without using weights. I did handstand pushups. When I was a young man on the beach at 23, I weighed about 240 pounds. And I was a lifeguard, and there were logs on the beach. And from morning to night I would go up into a handstand with my hands on those logs and I'd begin to press myself up and down using my bodyweight like a barbell. I used to do it hour after hour. I could do sets of 10 reps all day. It got to the point where I was pressing upwards of 300 pounds just by using my own bodyweight. I believe that laid the foundation for my later strength in the shoulders. That developed it. 

"It would be very good for a person to do handstand pushups for any lift - they're excellent for training. Of course, when you're upside down the blood rushes into your shoulders and, man, I think it's really good. Couple it with your actual weight training. A lot of bench pressers can't do anything standing up. Standing presses give a better comparison of your basic body power. The whole structure of your entire physical structure is involved. If you've got a weak back, a weak waist, or a weak link in there, they you can't press the weight. I believe that the standing press is a better test of overall physical strength than the bench press." 

Lifts Doug is Proudest Of  

"I guess I did them all. I did a curl, and I never really thought about it at the time. After the British Empire Games (1954), I believe that for pressing power I was as strong then as I ever was. And I weighed about 300 pounds. 

"I believe I had won the Games and I was out in the area where the university was with a little friend of mine, and we went into the gym the guys used for training. Some of the athletes from the Games had not yet gone back to their own countries, and I remember there were some strength athletes there from Trinidad and Jamaica who I knew, one was a 198-pounder. I walked into the gym with a suit on, and I'd just eaten a big meal. I used to like to puff on a cigar once in a while - Grimek likes cigars, you know. Stanko and Grimek each used to have a good cigar going during their lunch break.

"Anyway, I went into the gym and was feeling pretty good, so I took my suit jacket off and started to do some presses off the rack, which was set at about shoulder height. These guys were watching me, and I did a couple just to warm up, then took 400 pounds off the rack and did it for an easy 4 reps in the overhead press.

"This was back in 1954, and the funny part was, when I put it down, I looked at my friends from Jamaica and they were white as a sheet, which is something for a native Jamaican, let me tell you! Their color was just gone. They looked pale, and one of them walked over to me and tapped me on the chest and said, 'What have you got in there?' He wanted to know what I was made of because they never dreamed that a man would be able to do that.

"I always did my stuff through my mind. The mind gave me a pinpoint direction, the concentration of the mind. Two or three years ago, a fellow came to me who was a psychology student at the University of British Columbia. And he said, 'You know, the professor referred to you in his lecture in psychology? He said that Doug Hepburn had subjugated his libido.' He said, 'I don't know how the hell the man did it, but he did it.' He said it's virtually impossible for the average man to do that. I was in a state throughout those years that everything was completely subjugated to that one desire to develop strength, and I believe that is what gave me tremendous power." 

Doug's Greatest Lift

"According to strength historian David Willoughby, and he's probably right, it was not the press but the curl. I did a 260-lb strict curl and, I understand, I didn't get against the wall because I use my shoulder strength in curling and I can't use that when I'm against the wall. You also can't use a quick start. That doesn't reflect overall body power because you can't use your delts or trapezius.

"In training I could take a 360-lb barbell at shoulder level, drive it out away from my shoulders in a horizontal position, and pull it back into my shoulders before it had time to fall. My top press weight was 440 pounds. Although when I was a lifeguard in 1949, weighing maybe 235 pounds, I took a barbell that was loaded up with weights from a trestle and, wearing only my bathing suit and using a slight bend at the knee, rammed it up overhead. I found out later that the weight was 465 pounds." 

continued in part two

Enjoy Your Lifting!