Training protocols: HIT/HST/Max-OT/DC/GVT/Volume links inside + Excersise

[oldtimer1]

For full development you are going to need to do a variety of exercises. Not 1 or 2 exercises per bodypart is going to give you full development of all aspects. It can't be done. So splits become almost necessary. The full body routines of the old schoolers were basically the same volume as the splits of today done on 1 day for 3-4 hours a pop.

Bottom line-for full development you are certainly going to need more than 2 exercises per muscle for even the smallest muscle. That's why bb's do lot's of exercises.

Additionally-"full body" is really a myth. There are just different degrees of splitting your body up.

Assuming one keeps the systemic stress down per workout, splits allow training more frequently, more exercise variety and frankly more work which is going to net greater protein degradation and greater metabolic response from the muscle.

That is why bodybuilders past a certain level universally use them.

I disagree with you but what else is new. No one needs 4 or 5 different bicep exercises. I understand the need if you're a competitive drug taking bodybuilder but that's not a true athletic activity is it?

 You can get big and strong using as little as four weight  exercises. Further for athletic training to become a better athlete using supplemental weight training bodybuilding training doing a split of multiple different exercises is insane. Many American football players do something like an explosive movement like a power clean, squat then a press. That's it.

 Many ripped built body weight exercise guys are lucky if they use one movement per body part.

You can get all you can out of lifting for bodybuilding purposes if you train naturally with one or two movements per body part. I content the majority of athletes and bodybuilders would be served well training the whole body in one shot like the lifters of the past. Having said that I have used split training for the majority of my 50 plus years of training. It's easier than a whole body routine. No way to dispute that. When you do a whole body routing like Grimek, Reeves, Kono and host of others you have to limit the amount of exercises you use or it couldn't be done. Reeves used something you might be happy with. He used three exercises a body part for three sets each. 

[Rmj11]

I disagree with you but what else is new. No one needs 4 or 5 different bicep exercises. I understand the need if you're a competitive drug taking bodybuilder but that's not a true athletic activity is it?

 You can get big and strong using as little as four weight  exercises. Further for athletic training to become a better athlete using supplemental weight training bodybuilding training doing a split of multiple different exercises is insane. Many American football players do something like an explosive movement like a power clean, squat then a press. That's it.

 Many ripped built body weight exercise guys are lucky if they use one movement per body part.

You can get all you can out of lifting for bodybuilding purposes if you train naturally with one or two movements per body part. I content the majority of athletes and bodybuilders would be served well training the whole body in one shot like the lifters of the past. Having said that I have used split training for the majority of my 50 plus years of training. It's easier than a whole body routine. No way to dispute that. When you do a whole body routing like Grimek, Reeves, Kono and host of others you have to limit the amount of exercises you use or it couldn't be done. Reeves used something you might be happy with. He used three exercises a body part for three sets each.

It is purely a myth that "old school" guys did these short little workouts. At least the ones with development. They would do multiple exercises per bp, but did not split their routines. Essentially, they did full body....for 3-5 hours a day. That was part of the "sleeze" of the original Muscle Beach-many of the guys didn't work and just lifted ALL DAY which was more frowned upon in the 50's then it would be today even.

Muscle Magazines did not "impose" splits on people. Why would they? Is it good marketing to recommend MORE work? Do you know many diet books that say "this diet is hard to follow?" Why do you think HIT still has any followers? Because people want to believe that less is more.

Also Muscle magazines, people following the wrong routines is not the magazines fault, it is the fault of the enthusiasm of the trainee. NO Muscle magazine that I know of tells beginners to do splits. I have plenty of books from Weider, Kennedy, etc (the publishers). They have plenty of basic routines, and in fact preach moderation. Ironically, the one that pushed "basics" and "O-lifts" (Hoffman) was the same one having his guys use d-bol while saying it was isometrics causing their gains...

On another note female gymnasts train 6-8 hours a day-6 days per week. If these 13 year old girls can do it, don't you think that guys with higher test can do it? Course they can.

Plenty of natural bodybuilders with great development train 4 to 6 days a week. None do full body workouts.

Another thing to consider. Full body's are considered superior as the body works as one unit. This is false. Reaction to and adaptation to exercise is EXTREMELY specific, and even has a name in exercise physiology: SAID-Specific adaptation to imposed demand.

In fact, most strength gains are very specific to a range of motion and rep range.

Case in point: Go out of your groove on a squat or bench press and see how "full body" your training is lol. Change your grip width or squat stance width. See how your ability to do the same weights plummets. Most activities/sports call for specific adaptation.

This means that even if you are training each bodypart with an exercise you really aren't doing "full body" as you obviously aren't hitting all aspects and angles.

Full body is an illusion.

[oldtimer1]

The body works as a unit and fatigues as a unit. Any athletic activity from sprinting, jumping or fighting the muscles don't work in isolation. 

Short little workouts? I want you to try a typical full body workout and get back to me how easy and short it is. Use warms up where you need and none where you don't need it. Push to failure. The sets shown are work sets.

Power cleans 3 x 3 then 1 x 1

Squats 2 x 8 then 1 x 1
Lunges 2 x 8

Pull ups 2 x max
Seated cable row 2 x 12

Bench press 2 x 8
dips 2 x 8

military press 2 x 8
Dumbbell delt laterals 2 x 10

Tricep pulley push downs 2 x 10
Barbell curls 2 x 10

Standing calf raise 2 x 15

Weighted back hyper extensions 2 x 15

Then complete the workout with some ab and neck work.

It should take you an 75 minutes to 90 minutes.  If you find it easy you weren't using what for you is heavy weights.

I'm not responding to you anymore unless you put up a picture of your self to show you practice what you preach. If you are a drug user don't bother. I never call myself a bodybuilder but I am an athlete.

[Rmj11]

You make a LOT of unsubstantiated statements as fact.


If intensity is all that mattered, 1 set for 1 rep at max weight would give maximum results. That is obviously not the case. You say you are an athelete so you really can't believe "momentary effort" is all that matters. The fact of the matter is, most successful trainers combine a certain level of volume with a certain level of intensity.

To say a full body routine is harder on "chest" than a "chest" day is false if talking in terms of overall body fatigue, but fatiguing your overall body is not the goal, correct? and is really not related to it's effectiveness as a bodybuilding routine.

Your little routine there looks like a stuart mcrobert workout which does little for bodybuilding. No-one is going to get big and developed on that routine.

The body does not work as a unit when it comes to bodybuilding. I've debunked your nonsense once again.

[IroNat]

I disagree with you but what else is new. No one needs 4 or 5 different bicep exercises. I understand the need if you're a competitive drug taking bodybuilder but that's not a true athletic activity is it?

You can get big and strong using as little as four weight  exercises. Further for athletic training to become a better athlete using supplemental weight training bodybuilding training doing a split of multiple different exercises is insane. Many American football players do something like an explosive movement like a power clean, squat then a press. That's it.

 Many ripped built body weight exercise guys are lucky if they use one movement per body part.

You can get all you can out of lifting for bodybuilding purposes if you train naturally with one or two movements per body part. I content the majority of athletes and bodybuilders would be served well training the whole body in one shot like the lifters of the past. Having said that I have used split training for the majority of my 50 plus years of training. It's easier than a whole body routine. No way to dispute that. When you do a whole body routing like Grimek, Reeves, Kono and host of others you have to limit the amount of exercises you use or it couldn't be done. Reeves used something you might be happy with. He used three exercises a body part for three sets each. 

Agree with the above highlighted points.

The old time bodybuilders like Clancy Ross, George Eiferman, and early Reg Park however did train for 2-3 hours pre-contest with either split or whole body routines.  The pace of these workouts is unknown.  Longer rest periods may have been used.

The belief was that these long, exhausting workouts were required to gain definition.  Cardio wasn't done then but these long sessions burned extra calories like cardio.

Split routines were done even in the 40s/50s but not exclusively like since the 60s.

See this article regarding Clancy Ross routines.
As you can see, Ross used a variety of different routines along the way.
Leading up to the 1945 Mr. America contest Ross trained six days per week with an upper/lower body split.

>

Routines I Have Used - Clarence Ross (1951)


I have the type of mind which some would call methodical. I like to think things out and to plan each move, and
I have always kept a careful record of my training programs as well as notes concerning what they have and
have not done for me. In addition, my active work as an instructor has kept constantly aware of the various
stages the lifter goes through, for in my gym I have members who are in all degrees of development, from rank
beginners to real stars. Therefore, I have never lost touch with my past, even while thinking of the future. The
exercise and developmental changes I went through are being reenacted before me by my pupils daily. I note
that in each there is a similarity to the changes I went through, from beginner to advanced champion. In
speaking to the various other advanced men I have found that they too went through stages which resembled my
own, once I refreshed their memories with certain questions.

Therefore, for the first time, I believe it is possible for an author to present to his readers certain facts connected
with the development of championship form which most of the stars went through, as brought out in the
routines I followed myself. With this information at hand, the interested bodybuilder can pick up at the point in
his own training which is approximately the same that my own was at a certain stage of my lifting career, and
then, if he follow the PRINCIPLES and utilizes some of the workout IDEAS set down for that time he should
be positive of making gains. In this way he will be able to eliminate programs which are too advanced for his
level, and also be able to skip over those which are too elementary to do him much good.
It must be remembered that since I began my active career in 1940, there have been definite advances made in
bodybuilding. Therefore, while I will give some of my actual programs, there will also be some comments
added concerning these, based on my present experience with more modern methods. In this way, while the
report of my training programs will be accurate, this report will also be brought up to current standards by my
comments.

In 1938, weighing just 135 pounds, I began my training. At that time, sets were not very well known, at least
not as we know them today, and the accepted training was the single set system in which a dozen of so basic exercises were followed,
each 10 reps, never performing more than one set of any exercise, and never returning back to any exercise once you had completed a set of it.

At the very start, having practically no knowledge of weight training, I thought like so many do, even to this
day, that the exercise session consisted mainly of lifting weights above the head while in a standing position.
For several months I did nothing but standing presses! I just lifted a weight to my shoulders, pushed it overhead,
lowered it to shoulders, pressed it again and so on. Press, press and press . . . that was all! I got a little stronger
in this particular exercise as a result, but didn’t have much muscle to show for my efforts after two months.
It was then that a training partner mapped out a more complete course for me, which was . . . one set, 10 reps
each of the following: squats, shrugs, standing press, bent-over rowing, bent arm lying laterals, barbell curl,
upright rowing, repetition cleans to the shoulder, press behind neck, pullover, lying floor press and deadlift.
I trained three times a week and spent about 11⁄2 years on this routine, or a very similar one, changing one
exercise or so once in a while. In addition, I performed all exercises very stiffly and in rigid form which was the
generally advised procedure at that time. I gained 30 pounds in that year and a half. Then I grew discouraged
with my training for I had reached a sticking point, and gave up exercise for two years.

In looking back at this first routine I feel that for the beginner, with certain corrections such as grouping the
exercises a bit differently, it was basically a good one. In fact it is quite similar to the ones given to the beginner
in many systems of lifting. However, it was too limited. At first I made some nice gains, but then with no way
to progress other than to add more weight to the various exercises I grew bored with the routine. It failed to
continue to stimulate me and since there seemed to be no change possible to help me, I just gave up. Had I
known about sets at that time, I would probably never have taken that long layoff. So by sticking to a beginner’s
routine for too long I wasted about three years which could have been used to good advantage. This is one
lesson every lifter can learn well – a routine must be changed from time to time to make it more progressive and
interesting to avoid the sticking point in training and to keep enthusiasm going strong.

In 1942 I went into the service, weighing 155 pounds, having lost 10 pounds after giving up training. It was
while in the service that I met my now good friend Leo Stern and recaptured my interest in the weights. The
regular set system was still not well known at that time, but Leo mapped out a program which I will refer to as a
split-set program. In it, there were 30 or 35 exercises and while more than one set of each exercise was not
usually done one right after the other, a number of the exercises appeared more than once in the routine. This
sample program will illustrate this: upright row, incline press, lateral raise, alternate curl and press with
dumbbells, pullover and floor press, rowing motion, dumbbell curl, dip, upright row, incline press, lateral raise,
dumbbell curl, rowing motion, pullover and press, alternate curl and press with dumbbells, dips, upright row,
incline press, lateral raise, barbell curl, pullover and press, rowing motion, dip, sit-up, side bend, and then three
sets of squats and two sets of leg raises.

As can be seen from the above routine, most of the exercises appeared more than once at various points in the
program, but only in the squats and leg presses were a true set system practiced. The others were split up.
This method of training was popular at that time and was the forerunner of the regular set system as we know it
today. It also combined a certain amount of flushing muscle principle as well as even a bit of the super set
method. In addition, I relaxed my training style to some extent and included a form of moderate cheating in the
movements.

I realized big gains in bulk, endurance and power from this program. Looking back that the program now I feel
that better results would have been made if I had advanced right into a real set series as we now practice it. This
split-set type of routine does not give the complete flushness of a regular set series, but it was such an
improvement over anything I had done in the past that I made great gains. I continued to train three times a
week as before . . . more frequent training was considered by most authorities at that time as being harmful,though rumors were
beginning to get around about some of the stars who did more and who reported good results.

Now I went into the next advancement in my program. I noticed that my legs needed more work so I decided to
specialize on them. While I did not train more than three days a week, in studying my own reactions to heavy
leg work, I came to the conclusion that it would be necessary for me to split up my training and devote an
exercise session entirely to them, with separate sessions for my upper body. I just didn’t have the energy to do it
all in one workout. So on my three weekly workout days I performed all my upper-body work in the morning,
and then this same day in the afternoon I did my squats and leg presses as well as calf raises. Basically, the
exercises remained the same as listed above, with the exception that I did my leg work during a separate session
devoted entirely to them. This plan is of course impractical for those who do not have the free time I was
fortunate enough to have then, and based on my present experience I will say that it will work nearly as well for
them if they do their leg work first in the training session when their energy is highest, and then follow this with
their other exercises. This is a plan I follow to this day, for except before a contest I still train only three times a
week, though my workouts are longer and harder than ever before.

At this time I once again hit a sort of sticking point in my training. I had made such great advances that there
was now no question in my mind about continuing my training, but I knew that I needed a change. I felt as
though I needed more power . . . that my strength had to be drastically increased so that I could extend myself
more in future training. I reduced my repetitions in the exercises, used heavier weights and cut down the
number of exercises in my program. I also included some weightlifting movements, such as heavy standing
presses and repetition snatches and clean & jerks. The lifting movements were first on the program, and several
sets were done of each. The balance of the routine had squats, shrugs, deadlifts, curls, pullover, bench press and
so on. Not too many exercises and still not performed in regular set series style, though the same exercises did
appear several times in the workout.

On this program I did indeed gain a lot of power and looked better. My enthusiasm was at a real high. Once
again, the change did me good, and another training approach – Power Training – had given me another step
forward.

It was then that a number of us on the coast, who were training together with similar methods, began to think
about the 1945 Mr. America title. We planned for this well in advance . . . in fact, six months in ahead. The first
three months I spent on a semi-specialized program. I trained the entire body, but paid special attention to one
part, such as the arms, for several weeks, concentrating on these mainly, and filling in with other all around
exercises. I still practiced the split-set program, with most of the exercises being performed several times at
different points in the program. Every few weeks I specialized on another part until I hit all major body groups
with specialized movements. I also used some cables and other pieces of apparatus during this time which
added to my muscularity and general improvement.

I then made a change and went on a bulk course. I needed more weight. The way we trained for bulk in those
days was to sort of “fatten” up. This was done by following a limited program, one set each of the following:
standing press, barbell curl, upright row, bench press, incline bench press, deadlift, squat, leg press and calf
raise. Each exercise was done for 10 reps and only for one set. In addition I drank a lot of milk, took life easy
and gained weight.

It was then when personal temperament and physical type manifested itself to me. To this day I still find that a
routine similar to the one above gives me more bulk, though today at my more advanced level I perform three
sets of each exercise. However, I know that other advanced men find that lower reps suit them better, so all that
we can learn from the above is that a curtailed routine, one in which less than the normal amount of exercises
are performed is good for bulk. THE REPS AND SETS WILL DEPEND A LOT UPON THE INDIVIDUAL. It
is important that you realize this.Then, after the above routine for a month, I went into a definition program.
In doing this I followed the same exercises, but increased the repetitions to 15 or 20 and shortened my rest breaks
between exercises. Here too,such a plan has since always suited me best. But certain other lifters have found a different plan as being best
for them when seeking definition, such as performing a greater number of exercises, or even using very heavy
weights in their limit lifts. So the lesson to be learned from this is that FOR MORE DEFINITION YOU MUST
WORK HARDER . . . either more reps, more exercises or heavier lifts . . . limit lifts. Exactly how you apply
this principle depends upon YOUR REACTION FROM PERSONAL TESTS, but the theory will always work
when used.

The last month before the contest I trained every day, pumping up every muscle in my body to the limit. I split
up the program, performing all upper body training one day and lower body the next. A large variety of
movements were followed, and my exact routine would serve no purpose other than to bring out that fact. I used
weighted boots, headstrap, wrist roller, kettlebells and every exercise and apparatus known! This was the most
advanced short-term pre-contest training known at that time, though today certain stars train three times a day
before a contest, devoting a training session to one major part.

After the (1945) Mr. America contest, which I am proud to have won, I went into a regular set series program for the
first time, performing this routine three times a week, 3 sets, 10 reps each exercise: squat, calf raise, bench
press, bent over rowing, upright rowing, barbell curl, reverse curl, triceps curl and sit-up.

Since that time I have followed many routines and to set them all down would be meaningless. At times I
specialized mainly on one part of the body, at other times trained for bulk, sometimes for power and often for
definition. Any single routine I followed would not necessarily be of benefit to any other person, for each was
devised expressly for me and the results I wanted at the time. Except before a contest, I still train three times a
week. Before a contest I train more often, sometimes several times a day, six days a week. I always perform sets
of exercises and do not follow a strict exercise style, cheating in most of the movements. Without the set system
and the cheating exercises I am certain I never would have developed as fully as I have.

So in analyzing the various routines I have followed, this pattern is formed . . . first a beginner’s routine until
progress reaches a pause, then a more advanced routine which in my case was a split-set program, but which
experience has taught me would have been better had it been a regular set series program as we know it today.
Then, when there is a slow up in progress again, work for POWER to get a new drive. Then specialize for bulk,
definition or improvement of any lagging part. Plan your peak well in advance, working up to a peak in training
intensity shortly by working out more than three times a week, even several short and intense sessions per day.
Finally – BE RECEPTIVE!

[Rmj11]

Agree with the above highlighted points.

The old time bodybuilders like Clancy Ross, George Eiferman, and early Reg Park however did train for 2-3 hours pre-contest with either split or whole body routines.  The pace of these workouts is unknown.  Longer rest periods may have been used.

The belief was that these long, exhausting workouts were required to gain definition.  Cardio wasn't done then but these long sessions burned extra calories like cardio.

Split routines were done even in the 40s/50s but not exclusively like since the 60s.

See this article regarding Clancy Ross routines.
As you can see, Ross used a variety of different routines along the way.
Leading up to the 1945 Mr. America contest Ross trained six days per week with an upper/lower body split.

>

Routines I Have Used - Clarence Ross (1951)


I have the type of mind which some would call methodical. I like to think things out and to plan each move, and
I have always kept a careful record of my training programs as well as notes concerning what they have and
have not done for me. In addition, my active work as an instructor has kept constantly aware of the various
stages the lifter goes through, for in my gym I have members who are in all degrees of development, from rank
beginners to real stars. Therefore, I have never lost touch with my past, even while thinking of the future. The
exercise and developmental changes I went through are being reenacted before me by my pupils daily. I note
that in each there is a similarity to the changes I went through, from beginner to advanced champion. In
speaking to the various other advanced men I have found that they too went through stages which resembled my
own, once I refreshed their memories with certain questions.

Therefore, for the first time, I believe it is possible for an author to present to his readers certain facts connected
with the development of championship form which most of the stars went through, as brought out in the
routines I followed myself. With this information at hand, the interested bodybuilder can pick up at the point in
his own training which is approximately the same that my own was at a certain stage of my lifting career, and
then, if he follow the PRINCIPLES and utilizes some of the workout IDEAS set down for that time he should
be positive of making gains. In this way he will be able to eliminate programs which are too advanced for his
level, and also be able to skip over those which are too elementary to do him much good.
It must be remembered that since I began my active career in 1940, there have been definite advances made in
bodybuilding. Therefore, while I will give some of my actual programs, there will also be some comments
added concerning these, based on my present experience with more modern methods. In this way, while the
report of my training programs will be accurate, this report will also be brought up to current standards by my
comments.

In 1938, weighing just 135 pounds, I began my training. At that time, sets were not very well known, at least
not as we know them today, and the accepted training was the single set system in which a dozen of so basic exercises were followed,
each 10 reps, never performing more than one set of any exercise, and never returning back to any exercise once you had completed a set of it.

At the very start, having practically no knowledge of weight training, I thought like so many do, even to this
day, that the exercise session consisted mainly of lifting weights above the head while in a standing position.
For several months I did nothing but standing presses! I just lifted a weight to my shoulders, pushed it overhead,
lowered it to shoulders, pressed it again and so on. Press, press and press . . . that was all! I got a little stronger
in this particular exercise as a result, but didn’t have much muscle to show for my efforts after two months.
It was then that a training partner mapped out a more complete course for me, which was . . . one set, 10 reps
each of the following: squats, shrugs, standing press, bent-over rowing, bent arm lying laterals, barbell curl,
upright rowing, repetition cleans to the shoulder, press behind neck, pullover, lying floor press and deadlift.
I trained three times a week and spent about 11⁄2 years on this routine, or a very similar one, changing one
exercise or so once in a while. In addition, I performed all exercises very stiffly and in rigid form which was the
generally advised procedure at that time. I gained 30 pounds in that year and a half. Then I grew discouraged
with my training for I had reached a sticking point, and gave up exercise for two years.

In looking back at this first routine I feel that for the beginner, with certain corrections such as grouping the
exercises a bit differently, it was basically a good one. In fact it is quite similar to the ones given to the beginner
in many systems of lifting. However, it was too limited. At first I made some nice gains, but then with no way
to progress other than to add more weight to the various exercises I grew bored with the routine. It failed to
continue to stimulate me and since there seemed to be no change possible to help me, I just gave up. Had I
known about sets at that time, I would probably never have taken that long layoff. So by sticking to a beginner’s
routine for too long I wasted about three years which could have been used to good advantage. This is one
lesson every lifter can learn well – a routine must be changed from time to time to make it more progressive and
interesting to avoid the sticking point in training and to keep enthusiasm going strong.

In 1942 I went into the service, weighing 155 pounds, having lost 10 pounds after giving up training. It was
while in the service that I met my now good friend Leo Stern and recaptured my interest in the weights. The
regular set system was still not well known at that time, but Leo mapped out a program which I will refer to as a
split-set program. In it, there were 30 or 35 exercises and while more than one set of each exercise was not
usually done one right after the other, a number of the exercises appeared more than once in the routine. This
sample program will illustrate this: upright row, incline press, lateral raise, alternate curl and press with
dumbbells, pullover and floor press, rowing motion, dumbbell curl, dip, upright row, incline press, lateral raise,
dumbbell curl, rowing motion, pullover and press, alternate curl and press with dumbbells, dips, upright row,
incline press, lateral raise, barbell curl, pullover and press, rowing motion, dip, sit-up, side bend, and then three
sets of squats and two sets of leg raises.

As can be seen from the above routine, most of the exercises appeared more than once at various points in the
program, but only in the squats and leg presses were a true set system practiced. The others were split up.
This method of training was popular at that time and was the forerunner of the regular set system as we know it
today. It also combined a certain amount of flushing muscle principle as well as even a bit of the super set
method. In addition, I relaxed my training style to some extent and included a form of moderate cheating in the
movements.

I realized big gains in bulk, endurance and power from this program. Looking back that the program now I feel
that better results would have been made if I had advanced right into a real set series as we now practice it. This
split-set type of routine does not give the complete flushness of a regular set series, but it was such an
improvement over anything I had done in the past that I made great gains. I continued to train three times a
week as before . . . more frequent training was considered by most authorities at that time as being harmful,though rumors were
beginning to get around about some of the stars who did more and who reported good results.

Now I went into the next advancement in my program. I noticed that my legs needed more work so I decided to
specialize on them. While I did not train more than three days a week, in studying my own reactions to heavy
leg work, I came to the conclusion that it would be necessary for me to split up my training and devote an
exercise session entirely to them, with separate sessions for my upper body. I just didn’t have the energy to do it
all in one workout. So on my three weekly workout days I performed all my upper-body work in the morning,
and then this same day in the afternoon I did my squats and leg presses as well as calf raises. Basically, the
exercises remained the same as listed above, with the exception that I did my leg work during a separate session
devoted entirely to them. This plan is of course impractical for those who do not have the free time I was
fortunate enough to have then, and based on my present experience I will say that it will work nearly as well for
them if they do their leg work first in the training session when their energy is highest, and then follow this with
their other exercises. This is a plan I follow to this day, for except before a contest I still train only three times a
week, though my workouts are longer and harder than ever before.

At this time I once again hit a sort of sticking point in my training. I had made such great advances that there
was now no question in my mind about continuing my training, but I knew that I needed a change. I felt as
though I needed more power . . . that my strength had to be drastically increased so that I could extend myself
more in future training. I reduced my repetitions in the exercises, used heavier weights and cut down the
number of exercises in my program. I also included some weightlifting movements, such as heavy standing
presses and repetition snatches and clean & jerks. The lifting movements were first on the program, and several
sets were done of each. The balance of the routine had squats, shrugs, deadlifts, curls, pullover, bench press and
so on. Not too many exercises and still not performed in regular set series style, though the same exercises did
appear several times in the workout.

On this program I did indeed gain a lot of power and looked better. My enthusiasm was at a real high. Once
again, the change did me good, and another training approach – Power Training – had given me another step
forward.

It was then that a number of us on the coast, who were training together with similar methods, began to think
about the 1945 Mr. America title. We planned for this well in advance . . . in fact, six months in ahead. The first
three months I spent on a semi-specialized program. I trained the entire body, but paid special attention to one
part, such as the arms, for several weeks, concentrating on these mainly, and filling in with other all around
exercises. I still practiced the split-set program, with most of the exercises being performed several times at
different points in the program. Every few weeks I specialized on another part until I hit all major body groups
with specialized movements. I also used some cables and other pieces of apparatus during this time which
added to my muscularity and general improvement.

I then made a change and went on a bulk course. I needed more weight. The way we trained for bulk in those
days was to sort of “fatten” up. This was done by following a limited program, one set each of the following:
standing press, barbell curl, upright row, bench press, incline bench press, deadlift, squat, leg press and calf
raise. Each exercise was done for 10 reps and only for one set. In addition I drank a lot of milk, took life easy
and gained weight.

It was then when personal temperament and physical type manifested itself to me. To this day I still find that a
routine similar to the one above gives me more bulk, though today at my more advanced level I perform three
sets of each exercise. However, I know that other advanced men find that lower reps suit them better, so all that
we can learn from the above is that a curtailed routine, one in which less than the normal amount of exercises
are performed is good for bulk. THE REPS AND SETS WILL DEPEND A LOT UPON THE INDIVIDUAL. It
is important that you realize this.Then, after the above routine for a month, I went into a definition program.
In doing this I followed the same exercises, but increased the repetitions to 15 or 20 and shortened my rest breaks
between exercises. Here too,such a plan has since always suited me best. But certain other lifters have found a different plan as being best
for them when seeking definition, such as performing a greater number of exercises, or even using very heavy
weights in their limit lifts. So the lesson to be learned from this is that FOR MORE DEFINITION YOU MUST
WORK HARDER . . . either more reps, more exercises or heavier lifts . . . limit lifts. Exactly how you apply
this principle depends upon YOUR REACTION FROM PERSONAL TESTS, but the theory will always work
when used.

The last month before the contest I trained every day, pumping up every muscle in my body to the limit. I split
up the program, performing all upper body training one day and lower body the next. A large variety of
movements were followed, and my exact routine would serve no purpose other than to bring out that fact. I used
weighted boots, headstrap, wrist roller, kettlebells and every exercise and apparatus known! This was the most
advanced short-term pre-contest training known at that time, though today certain stars train three times a day
before a contest, devoting a training session to one major part.

After the (1945) Mr. America contest, which I am proud to have won, I went into a regular set series program for the
first time, performing this routine three times a week, 3 sets, 10 reps each exercise: squat, calf raise, bench
press, bent over rowing, upright rowing, barbell curl, reverse curl, triceps curl and sit-up.

Since that time I have followed many routines and to set them all down would be meaningless. At times I
specialized mainly on one part of the body, at other times trained for bulk, sometimes for power and often for
definition. Any single routine I followed would not necessarily be of benefit to any other person, for each was
devised expressly for me and the results I wanted at the time. Except before a contest, I still train three times a
week. Before a contest I train more often, sometimes several times a day, six days a week. I always perform sets
of exercises and do not follow a strict exercise style, cheating in most of the movements. Without the set system
and the cheating exercises I am certain I never would have developed as fully as I have.

So in analyzing the various routines I have followed, this pattern is formed . . . first a beginner’s routine until
progress reaches a pause, then a more advanced routine which in my case was a split-set program, but which
experience has taught me would have been better had it been a regular set series program as we know it today.
Then, when there is a slow up in progress again, work for POWER to get a new drive. Then specialize for bulk,
definition or improvement of any lagging part. Plan your peak well in advance, working up to a peak in training
intensity shortly by working out more than three times a week, even several short and intense sessions per day.
Finally – BE RECEPTIVE!

All high volume.

[Rmj11]

From Oldhasbeen1

"Power cleans 3 x 3 then 1 x 1

Squats 2 x 8 then 1 x 1
Lunges 2 x 8

Pull ups 2 x max
Seated cable row 2 x 12

Bench press 2 x 8
dips 2 x 8

military press 2 x 8
Dumbbell delt laterals 2 x 10

Tricep pulley push downs 2 x 10
Barbell curls 2 x 10

Standing calf raise 2 x 15

Weighted back hyper extensions 2 x 15

Then complete the workout with some ab and neck work.

It should take you an 75 minutes to 90 minutes.  If you find it easy you weren't using what for you is heavy weights."

It's not about training heavy. It's about working the muscles hard from different angles to attain maximum results. What you're promoting is weight lifting, not bodybuilding. No wonder you always burn out every 2 weeks and have to back off. Not only that but I see in your blog you also get injured all the time. You haven't really got a clue.

The routine above will not build a decent physique. You may get stronger but that's because you're getting better at lifting a weight in a certain movement. Not because you're building maximum muscle mass. A bigger muscle is a stronger muscle. To do that the muscle has to get bigger first in order to get stronger. Not the other way round. 4 sets a bodypart is just too low to make any damage to the fibres for growth to occur.

By the way, real athletes train with high volume and high frequency. 😉