Alan Stephan – Mr. America 1946 - Training routine for the 1948 Mr. USA

[IroNat]

"Your Physique" magazine - April 1948

3 Times per week.

Warmup - 15 minutes hand balancing on parallel bars
Weighted dips (105lb) superset Upright rows – 6x10
Seated incline curl with barbell – 5x10
Close grip straight arm pulldown – 5x10 (100lbs)
Wide grip straight arm pulldown – 5x10 (120lbs)
Wide grip lat pulldown behind neck – 5x10 (180lbs)
Incline db fly – 7x10 (70lbs)
Palms up Zottman curl – 5x10
Stiff leg deadlift – 4x10 (300lbs)
Incline db press – 20 pyramid sets 20-8 reps (50-105lbs)
Squat – 4 pyramid sets 20 reps to 6 reps (300-420lbs)
Vertical leg press – 1x20, 3x15, 2x10 adding weight (350-520)
Standing calf raise - 8x20

[Coach is Back!]

I think this is awesome. Not much has changed in the way of exercises in 75 + years. I still used zottman curls in my strength and conditioning programs for my athletes, even my pro athletes and especially my thowing athletes. Fantastic exercise!

[IroNat]

I think this is awesome. Not much has changed in the way of exercises in 75 + years. I still used zottman curls in my strength and conditioning programs for my athletes, even my pro athletes and especially my thowing athletes. Fantastic exercise!

 

[NaturalWonder83]

"Your Physique" magazine - April 1948

3 Times per week.

Warmup - 15 minutes hand balancing on parallel bars
Weighted dips (105lb) superset Upright rows – 6x10
Seated incline curl with barbell – 5x10
Close grip straight arm pulldown – 5x10 (100lbs)
Wide grip straight arm pulldown – 5x10 (120lbs)
Wide grip lat pulldown behind neck – 5x10 (180lbs)
Incline db fly – 7x10 (70lbs)
Palms up Zottman curl – 5x10
Stiff leg deadlift – 4x10 (300lbs)
Incline db press – 20 pyramid sets 20-8 reps (50-105lbs)
Squat – 4 pyramid sets 20 reps to 6 reps (300-420lbs)
Vertical leg press – 1x20, 3x15, 2x10 adding weight (350-520)
Standing calf raise - 8x20

I like the warm up idea.

Never seen anyone do an incline barbell curl. Sounds like it would feel better than incline db curls.

What is a palms up Zottoman curl? Is it just a Zottoman curl?

[Humble Narcissist]

No (s)HIT for that guy.

[IroNat]

I like the warm up idea.

Never seen anyone do an incline barbell curl. Sounds like it would feel better than incline db curls.

What is a palms up Zottoman curl? Is it just a Zottoman curl?

Incline barbell curl



It's Zottman, not Zottoman. 

As far as a palms up Zottman curl, it must be the Zottman motion but without the wrist rotation.
Vince Gironda taught true Zottman curls, not what you see on the internet most often.
The forearms should swing out and around in a circle while as you rotate the wrists.

Go to 4:30

[SweetDaddySiki]

300 pound stiff legs! And no flat benching. Wow. Alan Stephan was a great bodybuilder. I've seen his courses online and they were very good.
I'll go there: what were they taking before the 60's? Those guys lived well into old age too. I'm thinking lose dosages and not year round of primobolin maybe. No knocking them at all; I would have done the same thing probably. oh - I thought "Seated incline curl with barbell" was a misprint and meant incline dumbbell curls like Reeves used to do.

[IroNat]

300 pound stiff legs! And no flat benching. Wow. Alan Stephan was a great bodybuilder. I've seen his courses online and they were very good.
I'll go there: what were they taking before the 60's? Those guys lived well into old age too. I'm thinking lose dosages and not year round of primobolin maybe. No knocking them at all; I would have done the same thing probably. oh - I thought "Seated incline curl with barbell" was a misprint and meant incline dumbbell curls like Reeves used to do.

He competed in the 1940s. 
Test and a few early highly toxic oral steroids (methyl testosterone - brand names Android, Metandren, and Testred) were available in those days but that's about it.
These steroids were used medically.
So, it is possible the bodybuilders of that time could have taken such drugs.

Stephan was born in 1924 and died in 2006.  Age 81 or 82.

Bill Pearl used Nilevar and veterinary steroids back in the late 50s.

Dianabol was made available in the very very late 50's.
You can see the dramatic effects of Dianabol in the physiques around 1960 when bodybuilders became aware of it.

Such information is readily available on the internet.

[funk51]

   wasn't stephan used for the navy recruitment poster back in the day. 

[IroNat]

   wasn't stephan used for the navy recruitment poster back in the day. 

He went in the Navy in 1943 so could be.

[NaturalWonder83]

Incline barbell curl



It's Zottman, not Zottoman. 

As far as a palms up Zottman curl, it must be the Zottman motion but without the wrist rotation.
Vince Gironda taught true Zottman curls, not what you see on the internet most often.
The forearms should swing out and around in a circle while as you rotate the wrists.

Go to 4:30

Thanks for posting the video. Never saw the z. curls performed like that, but looks better to me then the other way.

Do you ever remember hearing a Gironda tip about seated db curls and crossing your legs?

[IroNat]

Thanks for posting the video. Never saw the z. curls performed like that, but looks better to me then the other way.

Do you ever remember hearing a Gironda tip about seated db curls and crossing your legs?

Yes, I've heard that one.
The intention was probably to eliminate cheating.

[IroNat]

I'm sorry about this thread as it is taking away attention from Bhanky.

[SweetDaddySiki]

He competed in the 1940s. 
Test and a few early highly toxic oral steroids (methyl testosterone - brand names Android, Metandren, and Testred) were available in those days but that's about it.
These steroids were used medically.
So, it is possible the bodybuilders of that time could have taken such drugs.

Stephan was born in 1924 and died in 2006.  Age 81 or 82.

Bill Pearl used Nilevar and veterinary steroids back in the late 50s.

Dianabol was made available in the very very late 50's.
You can see the dramatic effects of Dianabol in the physiques around 1960 when bodybuilders became aware of it.

Such information is readily available on the internet.

Thanks IroNat. I haven't checked on early PED's in a while. Used to be all I saw were "there were none until mid 60's". Thanks for posting this. Alan's one of my favorites from the early years. His courses were great also. Was he the one that when he passed away, his wife melted his Mr America trophy down into a lamp? She did it with love and its a sweet story though I may be thinking of someone else.

[IroNat]

Thanks IroNat. I haven't checked on early PED's in a while. Used to be all I saw were "there were none until mid 60's". Thanks for posting this. Alan's one of my favorites from the early years. His courses were great also. Was he the one that when he passed away, his wife melted his Mr America trophy down into a lamp? She did it with love and its a sweet story though I may be thinking of someone else.

There was something in Stephan's background that was interesting but I can't remember.

[Tennisballz]

Can anyone give me an example of how you'd structure the 20 pyramid incline dumbbell press sets?  Sounds interesting.