Bodybuilding and Strength Training Articles

From Boy To Man - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:29:36 +0000

From boy to man: over a 40-year period, Arnold Schwarzenegger went from being an 18-year-old kid with a dream to Mr. Olympia to Hollywood megastardom to the governorship of California. Close friend Albert Busek was there every heady step of the way. This is his story of that incredible journey.

Albert Busek was born in Munich, Germany, on October 11, 1943. Shortly before his 16th birthday, he and boyhood pal Erich Janner visited a local cinema to see Hercules Unchained, starring Steve Reeves. It changed the lives of the two German teenagers forever. The experience hooked them on bodybuilding for life. The duo found a local sauna club with a small adjoining room that housed a few free weights. Undaunted, Albert and Erich had their first workout on October 14, 1959. (You'll learn that Albert is very good with dates.)

Bit by bit, Albert became more immersed in the bodybuilding scene. In 1960, he helped out with the organization of the first German Bodybuilding Championships. He also was hired as an assistant at the only real gym in Munich at that time. In tandem with those duties, he was studying to be an economic engineer. In 1963, the 20-year-old (shades of Joe Weider) was cofounder of the magazine Sport Revue. After completing his studies in October 1964, he became the full-time manager of the gym and the editor of Sport Revue. He was 21 years old. Albert Busek went on to become an international force in bodybuilding as an official, contest organizer, writer and photographer. He promoted 30 German championships, the 1983 Mr. Olympia in Munich and many other contests and events. He was the founder of the German Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation and its president from 1966 to 1993. Sport Revue has been in existence for 42 years, and this past February at the Ironman Pro Invitational, Albert received the Artie Zeller award for photographic excellence. He also ran his own successful gym, Busek Sport Center in Munich from 1983-99.

Erich Janner is general secretary of the German federation and a highly respected international judge and official. Since 2002, Janner has been chairman of the judges committee of the European federation. I have known Albert for 20 years and, in my experience, his passion for the sport is unrivaled. His resume is accented with class, dignity and good-natured humor. Yeah, I like the guy. Today he stands uniquely as the man who has known Arnold Schwarzenegger longer and more closely than anyone in the sport. The two are tighter than Shawn Ray's wallet.

On a rainy afternoon in Pasadena, California, shortly after the prejudging of the 2005 Ironman Pro, Albert and I met to discuss things Schwarzenegger, particularly his early days in the sport.

FLEX: When was the first time you became aware of the name Arnold Schwarzenegger?

ALBERT BUSEK: In early 1965, I began to heart that there was a guy in Graz [Austria] who was an outstanding bodybuilding talent. In October 1965, I coproduced a contest in Stuttgart called the Best Built Man in Europe. Arnold didn't apply to enter the contest, he just showed up. In those days, you could do that. He was in the Austrian army and came to Stuttgart without permission, and when he returned, they disciplined him for it. He was 18 and, immediately upon seeing him, I knew everything I had heard about him was true. He won the contest easily, beating the best German guy we'd had in years, Franz Dischinger.

After the show, I took Arnold to a restaurant. I already knew that, physically, he had the greatest potential I'd ever seen. As we talked, his personality and sense of fun made a deep impression on me. He had a hunger for success and a drive for improvement I'd never experienced in anyone before or since. He told me he was looking to make the next step in his bodybuilding career. He told me his ambition was to eventually go to the United States, become the best bodybuilder in the world and be a movie star.

Even at 18, he had those ambitions?

Yes. Right from the beginning, he had this incredible drive to be on top--to be number one. To make that "next step," I convinced him to come to Munich and work in the gym I managed, Universum Sportstudio. Thal, near Graz, was a village and Munich was a big city, and he saw the move as being a major step forward in his plan to go to America.

Our meeting was October 31, 1965, and Arnold had to go back to the army. They let him go at the end of July 1966, and two days after his 19th birthday, he came to Munich on August 1, 1966.

You remember all these dates, Albert?

Yes, 1965 was a big year for me. I got married, our son was born, and I met Arnold.

What was Arnold's life like when he first came to Munich?

He worked as a trainer at the gym. At that time, I was running the gym, producing Sport Revue and working for the federation. Arnold lived in the gym in a small room until he eventually got his own apartment.

At that time, you were 23, he was 19. Were you his mentor?

No. From the start, the relationship was based on friendship. Even though I was older, I wasn't his mentor. He was, is, very independent. I think any other 19-year-old coming from a village like Thal to a large city like Munich would have maybe taken a year to settle in--Arnold took a few weeks. He adjusted very quickly. In those days, weight training was not fashionable. The people who trained in the gym were strictly bodybuilders, powerlifters, wrestlers and some boxers. One wrestler who trained in the gym, and who Arnold came to know well, was Harold Sakata, famous for playing Odd Job in the James Bond movie Goldfinger.

With bodybuilding not being common, did Arnold, at his size, get noticed when he was out and about in Munich?

Yes, within no time he was like a personality in the city. Everywhere he went, he stood out, and in accepting the attention with fun, he engaged everyone he met. Even in those days, he was a natural leader--a leader who led with friendship and example. I always say that Arnold acted as a locomotive for pulling other bodybuilders into new areas. They would see what confidence he had, what he achieved at a young age, and he would tell them "If I can do it, you can do it."

There was another bodybuilder in the gym who, like Arnold, had come from a small village. The two struck up a friendship, and Arnold, through his understanding of the similarity of their backgrounds, was able to encourage this young bodybuilder to a level he would have never reached alone.

Arnold came to Munich in August 1966 and the NABBA Universe was in London in September that year. What are your recollections of Arnold entering the contest?

There was another gym in Munich owned by Reinhard Smolana, who won the first Mr. Germany title. His gym had some equipment that was different from the Universum, so now and then Arnold would train there just to work some muscles from a different angle. Arnold told Smolana he was entering the 1966 NABBA Universe and Smolana told him, "You can't go there, Paul Nash [1963 Mr. Britain and 1965 NABBA Universe tall-class winner] is competing. He's so big, he will wipe you off the stage." Nevertheless, Smolana organized a fundraiser in his gym to pay for Arnold's plane ticket to London. I was supportive of Arnold and always believed in him. I told him, "The '66 Universe is your first big international test. You must enter and then you will find out where you stand in the scheme of things and how good you are."

Arnold went to London for the Universe without any prior publicity. Nobody knew who he was, but he was a sensation. From the moment the fans saw this new giant onstage, it was like a thunderstorm had struck. They began cheering "Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!" like crazy. With his charisma, Arnold, who was always comfortable onstage, connected with the fans and they couldn't get enough of him. They swarmed after him for autographs when he came out of the theater. In the tall class, he finished second to Chet Yorton, who was vastly experienced. Yorton went on to win the overall. Some thought Arnold could have beaten Yorton, but anyway, it was a terrific showing for 19-year-old Arnold. Paul Nash was fourth [in the tall class].

Did Joe Weider know of Arnold at that time?

I made sure he did. I told everybody, including Joe, to get ready for the "Schwarzenegger Era." After the '66 Universe, Arnold came back to Munich. He started to prepare for the 1967 Universe. In '66, he had come in second as a complete outsider, but he didn't compete for seconds. His hunger was so huge that the only thing that really counted for him was winning. For '67, he had that extra push, that extra drive, to be better than '66 so that there would be no doubt he was the winner. He won the tall class, beating Dennis Tinerino [1967 Mr. America], and then won the overall.

What was Joe Weider's response to that win?

He replied positively, but still no offer to come to the States. It was a different age then. People just didn't jump on a plane at the drop of a hat; there wasn't an Internet where news and photos were transmitted instantly. Joe was very busy building his business and the timing was not quite right.

The truth was there never had been a superstar bodybuilder from mainland Europe. All the top guys were Americans. I knew that Arnold would not only be a challenge for the best bodybuilders in the world, but that he was destined to be the best. He himself was prepared to wait. He would say "I know one day I will get the invite and when I do, I will take it with both hands and never look back."

In early 1968, Joe and I met in Dusseldorf and I had told him again about the Schwarzenegger Era. I realized immediately that Joe was a true bodybuilding fan. When you sit in front of him, the discussions about body building go from one aspect to another. I shared that same sort of love, and I think my passion for Arnold's potential made an impact on him.

In 1968, Arnold entered the NABBA Pro Universe, and he won easily. Before the contest, I had sent Joe pictures of Arnold. It was clear he had made remarkable progress from 1967. He weighed 110 kilos [about 240 pounds], which today would be like a guy weighing maybe 150 kilos [about 330 pounds]. Joe could see the potential, and when Arnold won the '68 Pro Universe, he sent a paid invitation for Arnold to go to Miami to compete at the 1968 IFBB Mr. Universe.

Was anyone else trying to sign Arnold?

What no one knows is that Arnold had a terrible problem in getting to the 1968 NABBA Universe contest in London. A few days before the contest, the owner of our gym presented Arnold with an endorsement contract, which Arnold would not sign because the guy would have owned all sorts of rights for life. The owner owed Arnold 1,000 deutsche marks for a guest appearance he had made at the European Championships I had organized in Munich two weeks earlier. Because Arnold would not sign the contract, the owner refused to pay him the 1,000 deutsche marks. Arnold was counting on that money for his flight to London. In front of the owner, my boss, I gave Arnold 500 deutsche marks for his plane ticket and risked losing my job.

Anyway, he went to London, won the contest and Joe invited him to the Miami contest. Of course, when Arnold competed at that contest, he lost to Frank Zane, who was approximately 50 pounds lighter. Joe saw that Arnold was still developing and that Zane's symmetry and sharpness gave him the edge. He knew that when Arnold refined and chiseled down, he would be unbeatable. He invited Arnold to California for photo shoots and gave him a small contract to enable him to live there.

Could the loss to Zane have devastated Arnold's confidence?

When anything bad happens to Arnold, he turns it into a positive. Losing to Zane was hard for him, but it brought home to him the fact that although he was bigger than anyone, to be the best, he had to start carving in all the details and improve his overall balance. Losing only made his hunger greater. OK, he was number one in Europe, had won the NABBA Pro Universe at 21, which nobody had done before, but here he was in the USA where the best bodybuilders were--now he had to improve to win against them. Looking back, losing to Zane was maybe the best thing that could have happened. It lit Arnold's fire even more. In any case, he had made the journey from Thal to Munich to California, and now his sights were firmly set on being Mr. Olympia.

When he moved to California, how did you keep in touch with him?

By airmail. He would write page after page. I still have his old letters, which I treasure dearly. He would tell me in his letters about how he was settling in. It was tough for him, being 21 years old and unable to speak English, but being one step closer to the Olympia was all that mattered. Joe Gold at the original Gold's Gym became a kind of father figure to Arnold and would help him out. Dave Draper was another who was very kind to Arnold when he first went to California.

[Photographer] Artie Zeller took Arnold under his wing and helped him learn the language. Artie was a big influence on him and they were very close. When Artie died in 1999, Arnold visited him on the last night and held his hand for hours, even though Artie had slipped into a coma. [In earlier times,] Arnold would tell Artie of his ambitions to be a movie star, and Artie would say, "You cannot make it in the movies. Look at you, you're a monster, you have that accent and that unpronounceable name." [Film mogul] Dino De Laurentiis, who produced Conan the Destroyer [and Conan the Barbarian], told Arnold the same thing.

The Training Routine of Bodybuilding Legend Jim Haislop

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:49:18 +0000

Some information I've gathered from searching online in regards to how Jim Haislop trained including his diet.

John McCarthy

I know Jim used a split routine, I recall him telling me he hit his calves on board the ship, so he must have trained them every day. I saw him doing chins behind the neck, leg curls and extensions, dips with weight around his waist. The slant board for sit-ups had the top rung about 36 inches high. Jim had the bench on top there and I remember seeing him moving like a machine. What caught my eye was he had a 25lb. plate behind his head. When he stopped I asked what in the world are you doing or something to that effect. He said see that clock? There was a big clock on the far wall you could see while doing sit-ups. So what I said and he told me, Zabo out in California does not bother to count, he just pounds out sit-ups for twenty minutes or so. But I bet not with a 25lb plate behind his head. The rest of his routine was, it seemed a lot of Reeves movements. Front squats, incline curls, tricep press downs on the lat machine.

One thing for his delts, they had the old straight incline benches you stood up on. There he would lay backwards, head facing the bench. He would have a pair of 40 or lighter dumbells and do laterals. On most reps were 8 to 12 and sets about 5. Pretty standard stuff. A couple of times after we went to a luncheonette at 8pm or so and had steak and eggs with oj and milk. Again standard stuff. One guy I forgot his name, Jim said he just got a package from the butcher. Can you imagine a butcher delivering to a gym at 6pm or so today? A different world. Anyway Jim said, you have to see this. I think the guy was in the Navy also. After the workout we watch as he opens up this brown paper and eats a big RAW piece of liver. Blood dripping and all. I'll stick with steak and eggs.

One thing with Frank. He came in once and worked hard on only his weak points. One arm curls for the weak arm etc. He was doing one leg squats on a flat bench holding a dumbell. The entire workout was devoted to the weak side. I did not stick with going to the gym as much but that was the only time I saw someone do just that.

Bob Adams

I just completed a telephone coversation with Jim Haislop (Back around 2005). In brief, he is doing well, but is admitedly not computer savy so he does not keep up with what is going on in respect to himself on the web. He is still training, two days a week whole body routine, and does this for the period of February through August. His bodyweight is still around 220. In September he gives up trainng for his other passion which is hunting with a bow and arrows. During the time he was competing he would train 6 days a week using an upper body lower body split, which took place in an a gym with no air conditioning and after a hard day's work climbing poles for the telephone company. The workouts lasted 3 hours. Looking back now he feels he was greatly overtraining. His last competition was the 1992 over 50 Mr. Florida, which he won. He still judges contests in the Florida area. He remembers a friend of mine from the Pittsburgh area who moved to Florida, Jim Karas, who has competed in a number of over 50 and 60 contests. I will send this link to his wife, who will show it to him. He was pleased to hear that he is so fondly remembered. Your admiration for him and his physique on this site is well justified. He is a true gentleman.

Hot Rocks

Long,long ago! Far, far away!

I got that work out from Jim Haislop when I was about 10 or 12 years old .Yes it is true. He was Mr. America in 1968 along with many other titles if I recall correctly. I lived in Tampa , down the street from a gym called Fudges. Jim lived next door. My buddies and I hung around the gym as much as we could. Sweeping the floors and doing whatever they wanted us to do.

Looking back on it now, it occurs to me that all they were doing was keeping us out of their hair. There were no steroids being used in that gym back then. It was balls to the wall, pushing hard. That was the way they won titles. By the time I was 15 I had seem many of a burned out bodybuilder, but there were others who day in and day out seemed to keep getting better. And one of my favorites was Jim.

In 1965 he had won Mr. Florida and had came in 3rd for Mr. USA. I asked him how I could be a winner. I believe he knew I was an orphan and live on the streets back then. I knew he wouldn’t lie to me. I trusted him. He was one of the few.

He said to do the split routine I previously posted , don’t let anyone talk me down and always thank god for what I have, be it a little or be it a lot.. And I too would be a winner. He was right!

I miss those days. I wonder where Jim is today.

I would like to thank him.

Thanks Jim

If anyone else has extra info or stories to tell regarding Jim then please post them up.

The Colorado Experiment - 37 Years Later

Mon, 30 May 2011 13:11:39 +0000

http://www.scribd.com/doc/51695635/The-Colorado-Experiment-37-Years-later

Bodybuilder Marty Vranicar - Training

Fri, 27 May 2011 18:09:15 +0000

Occasionally a physique contestant literally explodes onto the physique scene, winning everything in sight. Such a man is 22-year-old Marty Vranicar of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Marty is undefeated in his bodybuilding career which spans eight contests. Today Marty is one of the East Coast's most muscular men at a height of 6 feet and 212 pounds. He has the capability of becoming a national champion in the near future.

Marty received his early inspiration form Frank Calta, a top physique contestant in the Harrisburg area. Marty and his younger brother, Pete, met Calta in a local health club and his younger brother, Pete, met Calta in a local health club and were very impressed with his size, as they were both always on the thin side.

When he started weight-training Marty showed no potential whatsoever for developing a contest-winning a physique, as a lot of new bodybuilders have today. Marty did respond quite will to the weights during his first year of training -- so well that people started to really notice his development and began to urge him to compete in contests. A local contest was coming up -- Mr. Harrisburg -- and Marty, inspired by the constant urging of friends, decided to enter, even though he knew very little about physique competitions.

One factor that weighed on his head was that a man, Tom Kitch, who was a former contest winner, had plans of entering. This caused Marty to question his decision to enter. Was he ready after only one year of training to compete against a man of such experience, when he had none? Always one to meet challenges, Marty entered anyway and to his surprise defeated his main competitor and won the title of Mr .Harrisburg, 1976. Marty described the win as a major uplift in training to his brother and himself. Neither thought that it was possible for them to even compete in a contest, and winning was totally out of the question.

After his win, Marty and his brother really got serious about training and competing. His first step towards developing a winning physique was to join Calta's gym, a local club in the areas with a much greater variety of weight training equipment than he presently had at his disposal. Marty, along with his brother, began to train like an animal in his new surroundings and grow beyond his wildest dreams. As Marty sees it, the proper supervision and training equipment and the difference. From then on he knew he was headed in the right direction.

His second contest was the 1977 Mr. Anthracite in Scranton. With his new training and diet techniques Marty was ripped and ready. He had no problem in winning the title, his class, Best Legs and Most Muscular and he left an impression upon the audience that they would long remember.

In 1978 Marty continued to progress and compete on a higher level, winning the Mr. Hercules and Mr. Greater Harrisburg titles to keep his competitive record unblemished.

Just one year later Marty is becoming a very dominant and deadly force to be reckoned with on the East Coast. The year is only half-way over and Marty is 4 for 4 in major East Coast competitions. Mary started the year off with a bang by winning the hotly-contested Mr. Pennsylvania in March. He dominated the competition from the start and shocked the entire audience as many had never seen or heard of him before, and those who had could not believe the vast improvement in his physique. He was some 15 pounds heavier and twice as cut than when he was at his last competition in '78, but this was '79 and Marty had "sweated blood" in the gym the past winter. As well as the title, Vranicar won awards for the tall class, Best chest and Best Poser.

Just one week later the "Vranicar Bomb" again exploded, this time in York, Pa. at the Mr. Middle Atlantic States contest. A win was again the order of the day.

In June an improved Vranicar snatched the Mr. Central Pennsylvania title with relative ease. His superiority was clearly shown in his taking all of the bodypart subdivisions as well as the title. One week later in East Orange, New Jersey he walked away with the Mr. Physique '79 title under his belt. Besides taking the title and the tall class, he totally demolished the best that the state of New Jersey had to offer.

Who knows where this year will lead for Marty Vranicar? He is off and running like a rampaging grizzly bear, destroying everything in this path.

In his actual workout Marty is just as intense as he is on the posing dais.

Marty's present training program consists of 2 phases, off-season and pre-contest, both of which I shall elaborate on. His training routine. For example on Monday he will train chest, back, biceps and waist. Then on Wednesday he will train thighs, shoulders, triceps and calves. The Friday workout will be the same as the one used on Monday. Then the following Monday he will use the routine he did the previous Wednesday. In this manner he feels the body cannot be overtrained and maximum size will be attained. During this period his workouts last between 2-3 hours, with 10-20 sets per body part, until very heavy weights are employed. To give readers and example of what I mean when I say that "heavy weights are employed." I will give an illustration of a squat workout. Marty starts with 135 for 10 reps, and then hits 225, 275, 315, 365, 405, 415, and 435 for all 8 reps. That is not only power but also requires a tremendous amount of endurance and mental concentration.

Marty's pre-contest training program is somewhat different than his off-season 3-days-a-week program. Three months before a contest he'll start working out 5days per week, as he feels that 3 days will not give him the overall muscularity needed for competition. He will train 2 hours a day, with the the exception of Wednesday, which he reserves for specialization work on his calves and abdominals. The following routine is the one Marty is using at the present time. The sets vary on exercises and body parts, that the repetitions are basically 9-10.

MONDAY AND THURSDAY

CHEST

1.Bench Press - 6 sets
2.Flat Bench Flyes - 5 sets
3.Incline Bench Press - 4 sets
4.Incline Flyes - 4 sets
5.Pec Deck - 3 sets

BACK

1.Seated Cable Rows - 5 sets
2.T-Bar Rows - 4 sets
3.One Arm Rows - 5 sets
4.Lat Pulldowns - 6 sets

BICEPS

1.Barbell Curls - 5 sets
2.Preacher Curls - 5 sets
3.Dumbbell Curls Seated - 5 sets

ABDOMINALS

1.Seated Twists - 500 reps
2.Weighted Situps - until failure

TUESDAY AND FRIDAY

SHOULDERS

1.Press Behind Neck - 6 sets
2.Side Lateral Raise - 4 sets
3.Bent-over Lateral Raise - 4 sets

TRICEPS

1.Lying Triceps Extensions - 4 sets
2.Pushdowns - 3 sets
3.Kickbacks - 3 sets

THIGHS

1.Squats - 8 sets
2.45-degree Leg Press - 2 sets
3.Leg Extensions 3 sets
4.Leg Curls - 3 sets

CALVES

1.Lying Triceps Extensions - 4 sets
2.Pushdowns - 3 sets
3.Kickbacks - 3 sets

WEDNESDAY

Calves and Abs specialization - no set routine.

Marty trains very fast and rests just long enough for his brother to finish his set.

Vranicar's favorite exercise is the squat and one look at his tremendous thigh development would attest to that fact. He is also very good at the bench and has a maximum lift of 415 pounds to his credit.

Believe or not, Marty is not that careful about whet he eats during the off-season. As he related to me, "Anything that isn't tied down is eligible to be edible." His pre-contest eating habits are a "horse of a different color" from his off-season habits. Marty will begin strict dieting 3 months before a contest. The conventional High Protein and Low Carbohydrate diet used by most bodybuilders today is, he feels, the best way for him to achieve maximum definition. Vranicar starts off his 3-month program with 250 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbohydrates. He will gradually drop down to zero carbohydrates 3 weeks before his contest and stay there until e days before the day of the completion, whereupon he will shock his body by eating everything in sight to jump his carbohydrate intake up to over 300 grams. this practice, he feels, is responsible for the remarkable muscularity and deep cuts that he exhibits at contest time.

Marty is a firm believer in taking plenty of food supplements and takes everything he can get his hands on. He feels that you cannot leave out anything when it comes to building a championship physique. He is especially big on protein drinks when trying to gain bodyweight.

Vranicar is far from satisfied with his development at present and feels he has a long way to go before he reaches the physique he knows he is capable of achieving. His calves and abdominals., he feels, are his weak points. He also feels the needs a little better back muscularity. He is working like a "madman" to bring up to par the previously mentioned weaknesses and when he does, the Vranicar physique will be visually awesome.

Marty is also a very industrious businessman and along with his brother Pete, has purchased a health club. The name of their gym is "Vranicar Brothers New Results II." This writer has personally visited their gym and found it one of the most completely equipped on the East Coast, with barbells and dumbbells in graduated poundages, as well as heavy Olympic sets and numerous types of benches, machines and cable apparatus. A health bar is also part of the gym and they also carry many of the name brand protein and vitamin supplements on the market today. Results II is Quickly becoming a "hotbed" of physique champions. Besides Marty and his brother Pete, there are John Henson, Don Knipp, Paul Hettrick and Steve Orsinger, all who will soon make their mark in the physique world.

The Vranicar physique is of the massive and muscular variety. As the famous professional Mike Mentzer remarked at a recent contest that Marty won, "He is a carbon copy of Pete Grymkowski."

I had to agree with him.

Marty is not a "tape measurement bug" and relies on the mirror to let him know how he is progressing.

In only his third year of competing, Marty's posing is far above average and it is only a matter of time before it ranks with the best. He also possesses the rare ability to look extremely muscular while standing relaxed and then literally grows before your eyes while executing his very dynamic posing routine.

Marty's advice to beginning weight trainees is to get under the supervision of someone who is knowledgeable on bodybuilding and diet techniques. By doing this one can avoid many pitfalls which slow progress and eventually lead to quitting the sport before they have even begun. He also feels that so many younger trainees try to do the super routines of the champions, which are listed in the various bodybuilding publications. Marty feels beginners should stay clear of these practices and stick with basic exercises, such as the bench press, squat and curl. He firmly believes in the straight set system. Super, tri, and giant sets would be too taxing for the system of a beginner and not allow for maximum growth, which is necessary in the early stages of one's training.

Vranicar's easy-going and well-mannered personality is a direct product of a very close family life. His family is highly involved in the bodybuilding careers of both brothers. Their father Martin encourages and helps his sons in every way possible, as do their lovely mother Minerva and sisters Kathy, Dolly and Lisa. Lisa, at 22 years of age, is the youngest member of the Vranicar clan, but she may well be the most supportive. At contests you can hear Lisa scream at the top of the lungs while her brothers send chills through the audience with their spectacular posing routines.

Marty's girlfriend, Cindy Ruff, is just as enthusiastic about his career as his family, and really entourages him to stay on this diet and to train hard.

Vranicar's goals at present involve winning the Mr. North America title in October and then bulking up to 240 pounds over the winter months to prepare for his onslaught at the national level competition in 1980. In future years he hopes to win the Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles.

Soft-spoken, intelligent, perceptive, articulate and dedicated to the sport of bodybuilding, these are all applicable to "Marty Vranicar -- Mr. Pennsylvania 1979"

Source: http://bodybuilding_workout.home.insightbb.com/trainingarticles/martyvranicar/

Freddy Ortiz - How He Trained

Mon, 23 May 2011 19:34:16 +0000

Interview with Bodybuilder Pat Neve

Tue, 17 May 2011 22:33:12 +0000

Bodybuilder Pat Neve - Sacrifice to a Pain God & the Bench Press

By MTI - 1980

Pat Neve, as most followers of the sport know, is a former Mr. USA. He was twice 1975 and 1976 an AAU Mr. America class-winner -- the first bodybuilder to achieve this two years in a row. He's also been first runner-up in Mr. Universe and Mr. World.

Neve was the first man in history weighting 181 pounds to bench press over 450 - his record was 468 1/2 pounds. He gave up powerlifting for bodybuilding and to let old injuries heal. His early workouts on the bench for power were like sacrifices to the Pain God. Feverish and intense, bench pressing to Pat Neve was an emotionally-charged voyage into a land where few men his weight have gone before.

Commentary on the bench by Pat Neve:

MTI: Not a lot of material has appeared in the magazines of the day dealing with your bench press ability. Did you have any secrets? Do you have any tips for beginners and avid Bench Press devotees?

Pat: "First of all, I would only try my limit once a month. Too many trainers come to the gym and go for the limit every single workout. I would work my chest only twice a week - Tuesday and Saturday.

"I feel that a lot of triceps work is important to be a good bench presser, so I trained triceps pretty hard and benches twice weekly."

"My personal sticking point in the bench was three-quarters of the way up, so to break that I worked on the isometric rack, using the overload principle. This was done by loading the bar to 500 to 550 pounds where the sticking point was, and just lock my arms out. Actually, I'd be pushing the weight only two or three inches, but it allowed me to get used to the feeling of the heavy weight and build that lockout power. I just never had a problem coming off my chest. My chest was strong. The problem was where it stuck three-quarters of the way up."

MTI: How did you gear this routine?

Pat: "When I was training for powerlifting, I would do anywhere from 10 to 15 sets on the Bench Press. After that I would follow with Bench Presses on a flat bench using dumbbells.

"With the bar I'd start at 10 reps and never drop lower 4 reps. And, of course, once a month I always try for my record. I could always gauge my record by how easy my four-rep weight was going up. Like, if my best 4 reps were 440 pounds, and say I did 445 pounds for reps, I'd know my single would have to be up.

"But I would only push myself once a month, because if you push yourself too much you start getting weaker and weaker and that puts you in a rut and you become depressed."

MTI: What's the relationship between the triceps and the Bench Press?

Pat: "The one exercise that worked for me, to supplement the bench power and triceps, was heavy French Presses with the dumbbell. You could either do it standing or sitting on the edge of a bench. I would work up as high as 165 pound and do 10 repetitions. (To perform, grasp a dumbbell in the center with the plates flat against your hands of the top loaded side. Lift overhead. Now with arms straight in the press lock position, lower the weight behind slowly behind the head. Press back up, using triceps only.

"I thought this worked triceps the hardest. I'd go on to Lying Triceps Extensions with the barbell, One-arm Triceps Curls, and Pushdowns on the lat machine. They'd all be done very heavy.

"As a matter of fact, when I was powerlifting, I did every movement heavy. A good example of this is , when I pressed behind the neck I did 285 at 185 pounds bodyweight. On that dumbbell French Press I'd start with 75 pounds to warm up my elbows and go up to jumps to 95, 110, and finally hit 165.

"I just did everything heavy, because when you powerlift you've got do everything heavy. It keeps you used to the feel of heavy weights, and that's in a slow strict form."

MTI: Do you believe t he increased velocity of weights, when they are cheated and swung, is the enemy of the joints?

Pat: "I feel that anytime you keep putting constant pressure on a joint and cartilage, it's going to wear itself down. The cartilage between the joint is a pliable substance, and it can be worn down through excessive pressure. Then it's bone rubbing against bone ... and this leads to tendonitis"

MTI: Okay, this comes form too much abuse with heavy weights, but is there a way to get around this?

Pat: "I don't thing you can if you're going to lift very heavy weights. I would say, now that I've been bodybuilding for the last few years, my joint pain has diminished a great deal. I feel it only when I train heavy, and I've talked to many of my good friends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lou Ferrigno, they both claim they have no joint pain whatsoever. But these men never actually powerlifted for a certain length of time. I seriously powerlifted for three years. In that time span I attempted a world record in the Bench Press seven times, and set six world records."

MTI: To clarify that, we're not referring to training for three to five reps, but sheer, brutal super single rep force being overused in training. Is that the profile?

Pat: "That's what I feel. I feel anytime you exert yourself beyond your normal limitations, that's when you're going to cause, and it's jut a matter of time, going to cause some infringement of the joint area."

"If you approach it from more of a bodybuilding standpoint, you stand a better chance of being conditioned, than just using wild force and psyche."

MTI: So you're probably one of the world's strongest bodybuilders for your weight and frame.

"In my life, I only entered seven powerlifting meets, and I set six world's records. My total was the seventh best in the world for a 181-pound man. A lot of people consider themselves that, but never entered competition. They claim they did such and such in the gym. Well, I myself at 185 pounds bench pressed 490 in the gym. I don't even consider this a record, because I did it in the gym.

"But when you stop and consider a world record, that means pausing with the bar at the chest, and waiting for the referee to give you the go hand-clap from that position, not being able to move your feet, hips or head. I mean that's dong it according to the strict AAU rules. That's the only time it counts in competition ... sanctioned competition.

"That's one of the things that bugs me about the sport. Everyone claims it, but officially where are they? Franco Colombu claims he's the world's strongest bodybuilder, Kalman Szkalak says he is; David Johns thinks he is. Now these men may have lifted a lot of weight, but who knows what kind of form, their particular bodyweight ... I'm the only one who's actually done it. I'm the only bodybuilder to be a national champion in bodybuilding, plus holding a world record in powerlifting at the same time."

Source: http://bodybuilding_workout.home.insightbb.com/trainingarticles/patneve/

Interview With Boyer Coe

Tue, 17 May 2011 22:20:51 +0000

Part 1:

http://www.examiner.com/fitness-in-omaha/interview-with-bodybuilding-great-boyer-coe

Part 2:

http://www.examiner.com/fitness-in-omaha/interview-with-bodybuilding-great-boyer-coe-part-2

Brian Oldfield Interview

Sun, 15 May 2011 23:52:28 +0000

http://www.brianoldfield.com/Articles/e-strengthsolutions%20Interview%20Questions%20for%20Brian%20Oldfield%20May07.pdf

Here's footage of Brian up against Lou Ferrigno

The Two Hands Curl - By Doug Hepburn

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:18:59 +0000

PART 1:

Among the half-dozen of so exercises in which I have always been particularly interested, is the two hands curl. I have always maintained that there is a basic movement which can determine the strength of any given section of the physique. For instance, the deep knee bend or squat is a pretty accurate means of measuring the strength of the hips and thighs.

The dead lift with one or two hands determines the back strength; while the two hands slow curl gives you a good idea of the power of the arms in one of the two basic movements governed by them.

It is true that I have used a wide variety of exercises in my various curling routines during the past few years, but these were merely for the purpose of change, to provide the necessary stimulation and keep my workouts from becoming monotonous, thereby halting progress. Personal experience has convinced me that to attain maximum power in the biceps of the arms, the two hands slow curl with barbell is the most effective and efficient exercise, not only from the amount of energy expended, but from the standpoint of time in which the maximum results can be obtained. All exercises apart from the actual lift are, as some people call them, “assistance movements,” and only the practice of the curl is important if you are going to break your records in it. If you want to improve the press, you press . . . the dead lift, then dead lift and the curl, then simply work hard, faithfully and with determination, using the two hands slow curl exclusively.

Outstanding ability and power in curling dumbbells, barbells and all kinds of awkward block weights has been the trademark of all the strong men of the past and present eras.

I am of course referring to those possessed not merely of “specialized” strength by virtue of certain favorable leverage of skeletal factors, but of an “all round basic Power.” The men who come most readily into my mind are these . . . John Davis . . . Arthur Saxon . . . Maurice Jones . . . Louis Cyr . . . Louis “Apollon” Uni . . Al Berger . . . You will notice, that it is if are fully acquainted with the power of these men, that not only did they possess extremely powerful arms, but they also had immensely strong backs and thighs, thus proving that the true foundations of strength lies in those regions.

Of them all, perhaps four stand out as the most powerful in the curl, in my opinion that is. I exclude Louis Cyr because I fell that romance has played a large part in certain of his feats and there is, so far as I can ascertain, no existing proof that some of his lifts were actually performed. John Davis, Al Berger, Maurice Jones and Herman Goerner are to me the greatest curlers we have seen. All these men have curled 200 pounds or over

with Herman Goerner heading the list with a two hands slow curl of 222 pounds. It is this record which I have personally worked to equal and then substantially surpass. I came close to doing so at the recent Mr. Eastern America show held by Joe Weider. I feel now that that if I had curled first, instead of having broken records in the deep knee bend, I would have made a 230 curl with little or no trouble. You see, I firmly believe that leg and back strength play just as important a part in the two hands slow curl, as power in the biceps. But I feel confident that if I continue to train along my present lines, utilizing the methods and theories I am submitting to you, I will be more than capable of exceeding Herman Goerner’s great record in the very near future.

At the very beginning of my weight training career, I had absolutely no idea that I was in possession of great power potentials, and I have often wondered how many men there might be, going around with greater potentials for strength than I have recently displayed. I used the regular bodybuilding movements in my training routines, the two hands curl included among them, and I had no thought of training for power, for maximum poundages or record breaking. I just wanted to build myself up, getting what strength I could from these regular movements. But suddenly I realized that I would never be noted for a beauty of physical development. I knew that I would be unable to obtain a proportionate physique such as physical excellence contestants possess, and I then determined that I would go all out for strength. It was at that moment that I formed my personal philosophy of exercise and power and I have kept to it since!

Just as with Goerner the Great, the curl has always been one of my favorite exercises, and as I found the realization growing stronger that I could never own a Mr. America physique, so I found too that I took more readily to a combination of sets, repetitions and poundages that produced strength rather than size, shape, definition and endurance. I was fully aware even then that strenuous efforts in concentrating on the development of maximum power would give me the most gratifying results and this, as I have since found, has proved to be true.

So I changed completely my former methods in which I was concerned only with bodybuilding qualities, to those that would give me the greatest strength in the minimum of time, while wasting as little energy in so doing. I adopted a high-weight low-repetition principle as contrasted to a medium-poundage high-repetition combination. This is, I feel, the first important rule in training for greater strength.

What I call the “Power Principle” is most effective in eliminating a buildup of fatigue products in the blood stream, through eliminating the factor of endurance movements that are part of most bodybuilding programs. Thus the would-be record holder, though he sacrifices some endurance, gains greater returns in strength. This principle, isolating the desired result – in this instance POWER – can be applied effectively to any other form of weight training activity. It is, in fact, used by the world’s champion John Davis. John uses a combination of heavy poundages with few repetitions, repeated for six to eight sets.

Most bodybuilders and weight trainers do not fully appreciate the fact that endurance and strength are two separate qualities, which simply cannot be FULLY obtained by using any one exercise in with one single system of sets and repetitions. It has been my personal experience in barbell training that an exercise, and sets and repetitions combination that effectively produces, say, endurance, does so only by sacrificing power. And the reverse is also true. If you train for power and desire to reap the greatest results, you can only do so by neglecting endurance.

In order to make this opinion a little clearer, I can do so by pointing out it is a popular misconception that to build great size is also to build great power. Most bodybuilding courses are laid out along these lines. They may give you a lot of size in a comparatively short period of time, but they fail to give you a corresponding degree of strength. Most bodybuilding authorities now recognize that great muscle size can be obtained by using high repetitions and sets in combination with a moderate poundage.

One gains both size and a certain amount of endurance but no appreciable degree of power, because the high-rep, moderate poundage principle simply cannot be applied to building power qualities. To gain great power one must constantly handle heavy poundage . . . poundages that are close to the limit of individual strength, repeated constantly with adequate rest periods in between. The normal bodybuilding program concentrates on saturating the muscle fibers with blood, thus maintaining a constant demand for greater size of volume in the individual muscle fibers in order to accommodate this repeated “pumping” up of the muscles.

Now, I have no quarrel with this training method. Nor do I seek to turn weight trainers away from it. If mere size is what you want, then the high repetitions and sets combined with a moderate poundage will give you size. On the other hand, Strength is obtained most effectively not through a bloating of the muscle tissue with seven, eight or nine sets of fifteen reps, but mainly through a strengthening of the ligaments and tendons as well as the fivers of the muscle, and this can be gained only with the use of a very heavy weight, LOW reps and the strictest style possible

Why the strictest style? Because there are rules to keep when you wish to break, and it is best that you get used to competition methods in your training. Then, when you are actually lifting to break a record, you lift tranquilly and at complete ease, knowing that it will be only be a poundage well above your limit that will gain you disqualification. With this strict style factor, I will deal more fully in the next chapter of this article.

So you see there are very definite reasons why the questions of repetitions, poundages and sets are so important to the man who is seeking power, or endurance or size. Summing up all the foregoing mass of words – one can say that to gain size, one should use high reps and moderate weight, while those who wish to build up strength, whether in the curl or any other movement, must keep strictly to a heavy poundage combined with low reps. Perhaps the greatest and most pleasing combination of both characteristics could be achieved by alternating these tow principles in one’s routine periodically, thus putting each one into effect for not less than the period of one month and not more than three months at the longest. This plan would have the profound effect of supplying the very necessary rest or change of routine, which is, in itself, essential to continued progress in both directions.

Now that I have explained my reasons for the use of the Power Principle in my training, I suggest you give it a try in your workout programme. It will not make any great alteration in your type of development or appearance. If you are inclined to muscular definement, it might possibly give you a little more muscularity, but nothing too noticeable. If you are, as I am, inclined to a smooth, fleshy type of musculature, you will remain the same outwardly, but the muscles will harden a great deal. In my next article, I’ll give you some training schedules together with some important tips that will help you bring your curl poundage up and aid you in maintaining correct posture, thus gaining greater success during actual curling attempts.

PART 2:

“If you have thoroughly grasped the principles back of my power workouts for the curl,” went on Doug in his very lengthy letter, “you will see that for maximum performance there are certain factors to be taken into consideration. First, the type of curling and second, the type of schedule you will use. Style entails not only strict adherence to the rules for the lift, but also posture, contraction of muscle groups other than the biceps during the actual curl, breathing, and leverage on the wrists and hands. In the choice of schedule, your physical type also has to be considered, plus a good choice of training poundage.

Perhaps the average weight trainer might think that too much attention is being paid to what appear to be unimportant details, but to reach the top in any sport or endeavor each and every item that makes for maximum performance must not be overlooked. It is utterly useless to undertake specialized training and engage only in exercises. In other words, if you are trying to improve your ability in say, swimming a certain distance, you should realize that the mere act of swimming isn’t sufficient to bring your performance up to a peak. You must also consider faults in style, and work for absolute style perfection and efficiency. You must think of diet, rest, relaxation and correct mental attitude. You must think of any other activity that will improve your stamina and swimming strength and engage in it. In short, to reach the top in any field you have to be a PERFECTIONIST, and DETERMINED.

First, let us talk about what I have always maintained is the most important factor in building power in your curls – FORM and STYLE. Now, in recent years there has been a trend, worldwide in its nature, to abandoning the traditional importance of strictness in style or form. Before I go any further, don’t get me wrong! This is NOT a condemnation of cheating methods of exercising, for those occupy an important place in weight training. I have personally discovered that there is positively no other method – as far as I am concerned – of building the type of curl power essential for the raising of great poundages, like the maintenance of strictest possible style. The use of cheating curls builds size and gets the lifter accustomed to handling heavy poundages. But in competition curling, you are bound by a set of rules, and I see no reason why you should depart from those rules when you are training. Get used to the strict style when you are practicing and it becomes second nature for you to KEEP TO A STRICT STYLE when you are trying to break your records . . . That’s logical!

Getting back to the cheating curl once more. This has proven itself to be invaluable, as I have mentioned before, in molding bulk and building the ability to handle greater poundages, BUT it is interesting it is both interesting as well as significant, when one can observe for himself that sheer curling power was displayed to a greater degree, per size of individual, in the smaller-ratioed arms of strong men of past eras. Now this is an extremely important observation for it tends to show, among other things, that greater power in the curl was developed by men who throughout their curl training maintained more correctness of form.

Now I’m not saying that a loose form does not produce strong muscle, for anyone with the slightest knowledge of kinesiology knows that either a muscle works or it doesn’t. What I am getting at is this – that strict adherence to both strict and cheating training methods would produce higher poundages. Cheating methods are deviations from competition form and bad habits most often get worse instead of better. Therefore, a combination of loose and orthodox methods is better from the standpoint of all-around efficiency. The difference in power between the old-time strong men and the present-day larger armed bodybuilders is thus seen to be no mere coincidence. I would like to elaborate on this a little. The most difficult part of the curl is the start – getting it away from the thighs to where the forearms are level with the ground. During this part of the curl, and before the main muscle group is brought into play, the main effort is brought to bear on the tendons and ligaments in the elbow joint . . . please remember that I am speaking from my own personal experiences. In the cheating curl it is the starting point that is essentially eliminated. Hence no great demand is made on an initial powerful contraction of the muscle and no demand is made on those heavy cords attached to the elbow joint. Thus the old-timer was able to produce a powerful start to his curl and finish the lift, even though sometimes great with difficulty when he was at his limit. The modern bodybuilder hasn’t the power in that initial movement although his biceps are able to handle enormous weights, from where the forearm is just above level to the floor, to the shoulder.

In performing power curls I proceed as follows. When I step up to the bar, I first make sure that all the plates are flush against each other. The slightest “off balance” and one arm lags behind the other, and that’s cause for disqualification. Then I take up my stand before the bar, shifting my heels and toes until I feel absolutely comfortable. Next I take my grip – again paying attention to the correctness of hand spacing, making sure the hands are absolutely equidistant. Again the choice of hand spacing can mean failure or success in a lift.

When I lift the bar, I stand perfectly erect and try to allow as little tension in the elbow joint as possible. I stand perfectly relaxed. I do not believe in psyching myself up to what is termed a “pitch” because I am of the opinion that this is a drain on nervous energy and detrimental to curling success. Thus I am assured of perfect conditions for curling, in an initial contraction. Please, note that the arms should not be bent in the least prior to the commencement of the lift.

As I start to curl, I bend my hands at the wrists, turning them up on the joint and again assuring a “break” in adverse leverage at the start of the curl. Immediately the bar starts away from the thighs, I firmly contract the buttocks, the thighs, the back and the latissimus dorsi muscles. I keep this rigid posture throughout the entire lift (under official conditions, the slightest back bend is cause for disqualification). Again, as the bar leaves the thighs I take a deep breath. I have found that to take a deep breath before the lift is commenced prevents a smooth curling motion. In other words, the action of deep breathing spontaneously with the action of curling helps to “lift” the weight up more smoothly.

Throughout the lift I look straight to the front and as the barbell arrives in at the finish position I breathe out and straighten out the wrists. If you keep the wrists bent you will find when handling heavy poundages that the bar pulls o the thumbs, and may even fall out of your grip. So straighten out the wrists from their flexed position at the start of the curl. Remember that bending the wrists, turning the palm of the hand onto the lower forearm, is done only to break the adverse leverage at the commencement of the curl. Thus the bar comes in comfortably to the shoulders until the referee has signaled you to lower it. One more point, and an important one, is to insure firmness of grip BEFORE you curl. So as well as seeing the plates are flush and the width of hand spacing equal, it is also wise to thoroughly chalk the hands . . . not merely the palms, but also IN BETWEEN THE FINGERS.

The routine I have followed in training for my recent curl of 220 pounds at the Mr. Eastern America show is one I have found to be best for maintaining a constant limit poundage and helping to increase it further. I first perform warmup curls with a poundage 30 to 40 pounds below my maximum efficient training weight. In this instance, using strict style I take 160 for 5 repetitions. I then jump from this poundage to my maximum training weight after a short rest of five minutes. During my training for the Eastern America show I was using 185 to 190 pounds. But at the end of December, 1951, I had jumped my training weight up to 190 to 200.

With this poundage I perform 5 reps striving to keep the style as strict as possible. I often have a knowledgeable training partner stand by carefully watching to see if I fail to keep correct form as framed by the rules. I perform another 5 reps, again using strict style, but this time for the first 3 reps only, and with a little relaxation the next two reps. I repeat this for about 5 or 6 sets. Sometimes I am forced to drop the strict repetitions down to 2 out of 5 by the time I get to my last set. After a rest of ten minutes I take 160 pounds and conclude the curl workout by performing 10 strict reps. This supplies a change as well as helping me to gain some small level of endurance.

I have never used any of the so-called assistance exercises apart from two departures from the orthodox curl. If I feel in need of a change I use the two hands curl with dumbells, but ALWAYS work for the strictest possible form. Sometimes I load up a heavy barbell to 700 to 750 pounds and using a curling grip, deadlift it and let it hang from my arm’s length as if I was about to curl it. In fact, I go through the motions of trying to curl the bar, but all the while I am holding it I allow the arms to take the strain. These two movements, together with the principles outlined both sections of this two-part article should, I think, yield great results for those who conscientiously apply them. They have certainly produced results for me.

Marvelous Melvin Wells

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:17:26 +0000

Marvelous Melvin Wells