Note from Peary Rader:
Some time ago, J.C. Hise began telling us of a new discovery that was working miracles on men who could not gain on any other program. We gave it but little thought 'til we began getting letters from fellows who were using it with gratifying results.
Eventually Hise wrote the article that finished last issue [series can be found on this blog, along with other related material from authors other than but directly connected to the Hisean.]. Many of you have written in questions concerning correct performance of this exercise. We therefore wrote to G.W. Kelling who had made good gains and asked for a description of his method of performance and results he received. He replied with the following interesting letter. He has much-justified faith in this exercise. We would like to hear from others of you who try this exercise with a report of results.
Note from giveitaname: We are beginning to see something of the depth of what J.C. Hise and crew were up to. Far from simply heavy 20-rep breathing squats, light pullovers and a gallon of milk daily, there's much much more to this picture in time.
Also, as you grow older and your body changes as it has been planned to naturally do with aging (out with the old, in with the new), these methods may come in very handy in altering the design of growing old and bringing some measure of vitality back into your life. For really now, if a lifter is in the 7th decade of his life (sometimes sooner) and beyond, can he not then be considered a harder gainer? Therefore, the methods applied here to the "big ears" and "skinnies" might be worth a look and some study.
Some may say J.C. went overboard and got fat. The goal was to find a way that non-gainers and frails could manage to change themselves, put on some weight and go on from there with a "new and improved" structure and metabolism. He used himself as a guinea pig, and being someone who was not a non-gainer his response was a multiple of what those in that condition would experience. Regardless of this, this factor that should be obvious by now, look at his numbers, his poundages . . . his none-too-hard deadlifts with well over the world record at that time. Get the whole picture, think a little, and don't rush to ignorant judgement before you know jack about what was going on.
Again . . . there's much more to this than has been portrayed in the standard manuals of our era than you might think. Take what you can from it, use it now, or store it away in memory for a later date when it may be very applicable to you.
The letter from G.W. Kelling:
I first became acquainted with Hise through Iron Man mag. in early Jan. of 1947. I took the liberty of writing him on the subject of weight gaining. I have been using weights steadily since June of 1944 [letter published in the Sept/Oct '48 issue of Iron Man]. I had gained a grand total of 3 lbs. in bodyweight. My strength had increased considerable and some measurements changed just a little.
I am strictly a "skinny" and burn up energy much too easily. Needless to say, I was wondering if I would ever gain. Tests showed an overactive thyroid but treatments had no effect. I continued to weigh no more than 155 lbs. (dressed) at a height of 6 feet.
Hise put me on his "dinky" squats but I didn't make much headway with it.
In Sept. of 1947 he began to change to costal breathing squat with a shrug. In a few weeks he eliminated the squat, leaving just the breathing shrug. I was still in pretty much of a fog on the whole deal!
In early September I was using 135 lbs. 9 reps., then 7 more and another 7 reps in the costal breathing shrug.
Note: we might need a quick refresher on costal breathing:
There are two types of breathing, COSTAL (rib) breathing, and diaphragmatic (belly) breathing. Both breathing types pull in oxygen. COSTAL or rib breathing describes the breath that RAISES YOUR CHEST UP AND OUT like you are trying to act tough and puff out your chest, a.k.a. "getting chesty."
This book from 1903, no matter the penned identity (Ramacharaka) its author assumed at the time to give more clout to his work (real name William Walker Atkinson), has been of value to me for decades. You might find something of personal use in it:
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/yux92e27/items?canvas=9 I still can't get over how I lacked the intelligence for so long to connect things in this little book to lifting!
continuing with the original letter:
I continued using no more than 150 lbs. for the next two weeks [in the corrective, breathing shrug with no squat].
Then came the REVOLUTION!
A letter from Hise said that if I wasn't using at least 300 x 20 in two weeks that I was not to write back. I used 300 x 20 in my second workout following that letter.
I have a rack for holding the weight similar to parallel bars. This is made of 1" pipe and comes from the basement wall to a "T" then down to the floor. Two of these are placed about 3.5" apart. This rack is somewhat lower than shoulder height. Thus when the bar is added on it I can step under it and take it on the shoulders so it will clear the rack several inches and do my breathing shrugs without moving my feet or leaving the safety of the rack. When through, all I have to do is bend the knees to lower the weight to rack.
Considerable padding is necessary on the bar to protect shoulders from the increasingly heavy weights.
Note: I have always been greatly amused by people who say using a bar pad while squatting is for sissies or wimps or whatever term you choose to use. If, in fact, self-administering unnecessary pain to oneself is a sign of "manliness" you can leave me out and carry on solitary with your wee macho game, yawn. The goal is actually the results gained from the work, and there's no need to increase the amount of pain required to get those results, unless you so desire.
Yes, I beg to differ, tough guys:
Okay, now that we've, hopefully, cleared that childlike horse-crap up, back to the letter:
With the weight on shoulder as in the squat and the bar well padded, we try to balance the weight on or near the great toe and ball of the foot. This usually involves a rocking motion because those heavy weights (to me) just won't stay in place.
HInt, hint . . .
I also use a lifting belt! This HELPS ME TO BREATHE COSTALLY AND NOT ABDOMINALLY, altho some fellows would rather not use this.
The weight is then SHRUGGED BY BREATHING high in the chest, and contracting the front neck muscles and trapezius. Much the same as in the old familiar shrug with weight held in the hands. You will probably make quite a face when doing this.
Remember to breath HIGH IN CHEST AND NOT LOW IN ABDOMEN.
Depending on the amount of weight and the coordination of the breathing and shrugging the bar will move up and down with each "shrug".
Skinnies get more movement than the stockies because of the elasticity of the diaphragm. This range of action MEANS LITTLE OR NOTHING really, for as long as the bar moves upward, whether and inch or four inches it is considered a good breathing shrug. On very heavy weights the rise may only be a little over a half and inch to an inch. I use a very heavy weight and as many reps. as possible, then cut the weight about 40 or 50 lbs. and repeat several more sets.
At least 10 minutes or more rest is necessary between each set. A set can be followed by pullovers as it leaves one extremely breathless for some time. I have a demand for more air for as much as five or six hours after completing the workout. This comes in the form of a deep gasping breath varying in frequency. This is usually more evident (in my experience) in people with flexible rib cages that are not loaded with muscle (which mine is not).
By October 28th I was using 400x12 for my first set. I was surprised to find that I had gained eight pounds bodyweight in my first five weeks of shrugging.
I had no less than two and sometimes three workouts per week and did NOTHING else but shrugs in my exercise periods. No squats, curls, presses or any of the usual exercises that would be in a program. My normal chest increased three inches in this time. Then another 1-1/8" inch followed and it began to reshape.
The lower rib cage became smaller and the upper part of the chest larger, thus giving it a much better taper. My trapezius became a pad of muscle in a very short time. The sternum began to raise and is still getting higher.
On November 1st I used 450 x 21 with a block under my heels to help balance, and two more sets with 400 x 21, and 26.
By December 1st I used 525 x 22, 400 x 30, and 300 x 40 (which felt ridiculously light).
My weight finally hit 172 dressed by Christmas. Hise came to visit us Christmas day and I didn't dare lose any weight while he was here. I also tried to match him helping-for-helping of food at the table but soon gave up.
I am a musician and sleep very irregular hours. Worry is one of my greatest foes of gaining. I can usually tell when I will gain or lose by my nerves. I am considering taking a relaxing vacation very soon and may try to make the rounds of some of the strong men in the mid-west.
Your magazine makes people seem more human. The other mags. put their favorites up on such a pedestal that I would hesitate to approach them.
I usually argue the merits of Hise's system with anyone who challenges him.
To date my best shrugs are 602 x 10 and 627 x 5 x 4. This doesn't compare with what some of the real strong boys have probably done but it's not too bad for me.
My brother Bud, age 19, 5'11.5" and 168 pounds, who gained 15 pounds and 4.5" in chest measurement in three months of shrugging has done 525 x 21. He is also using your style of squat at Joe's suggestion.
I went in for the squat for about five weeks after reaching my limit on the shrug (525 x 22), then returned to the shrug and went up to 602 x 10 at once.
A surprise to all of us was the great gain in calf measurement. We weren't looking for it. My calf increased 3/4" and from SHRUGS ALONE. Bud's also gained 3/4". His friend Frank Regan gained 1/2". My thighs gained .7". This is the most any of us had ever gained on calves and we tried everything.
Frank Regan is about 5'7" and weighs about 150. He first came to us about March of 1947 and weighed 128 then. He had gained about five pounds before starting on Hise's Dinky Squat and then he started the shrugs and really began gaining.
Foster Mays, who had known Hise for about 15 years, made terrific gains on the squat advocated by Hise at that time (about 90 pounds in 14 months) and is also working on the shrugs and has done much in shaping up his chest. It is 47" but looks much larger due to his high arch on top and his small lower rib cage. His weight increased about 12 pounds the first few weeks he used the shrug. He is handicapped by a nerve-wracking job and loss of sleep.
Foster's wife June is about the only woman "shrugger" in town. June has done 200 x 15. She started with a 20 pound bar. June wanted to LOSE weight and she did it without dieting in 11 workouts with shrugs. She lost nine pounds and hasn't gained back a pound. This loss was overall.
Hise said it is a normalizer (the shrug, that is) and it really is!
I also have a 13-year old lad here who has lost. He weighed 127 pounds when he came to me 2-1/2 months ago. In two weeks he gained to 134 pounds until I changed the weights to heavier. He then went down to 122 pounds. He is much faster and stronger in athletics, has a more muscular physique and is much stronger and faster in athletics and has loads of confidence, but was very shy at first when he started.
Another fellow is Joe Burge, age 26. Joe is 5'11" and weighs about 155. He has very poor posture and had "backache" for seven months. Army hospitals gave him no satisfaction, nor did any civilian doctors. He has been coming here for nine months. He only wants his back to feel better and to get some much needed energy. He works nights and doesn't get proper rest for real weight gaining. He painfully used 75 x 15 the first night (he has two workouts per week as do the rest). Last week he did 480 x 35 and 500 x 7. His "angel wings" no longer protrude and he feels 100% better.
Most people are skeptical of the shrug as it doesn't seem like an exercise at first. Several others have tried it but didn't stay with it.
Enjoy Your Lifting!