Layoff ... Not Lay Around - By Burt Gam

Greetings and Happy Holidays to all. And best of health in the coming year.

I have been away for awhile and felt a bit inspired with the upcoming new year upon us. My current personal  situation in my life has required me to take a break from training. Family/medical issues, but really I usually take a 10-15 day layoff from weight training at the end of each calender year regardless. So I thought it might be an appropriate time to get back into the game with the topic of periodic layoffs, why they are important, and lastly some appropriate physical activities to engage in while getting some much needed rest from weight training for the body to heal and rejuvinate itself.

To start, I believe it is important to note that this is not to imply that taking periodic breaks from heavy training means turning into a "couch potato". What it means is sometimes it is beneficial to redirect one's energy with other physical activities while you plan either your next cycle of training, or lay out your training plan and goals you wish to achieve during the next calender year.

First off, it likely is beneficial to take short rest breaks several times a year. Whether it be in 8,10, or 12 week cycles. Obviously doing the math, the shorter the cycles the more frequent the rest breaks become. As I get older, I am finding that 8-10 week cycles allow my body to recuperate better than pushing it to 12 weeks. The joints and tendon issues seem to resolve themselves better, and the mind is refreshed because your CNS needs a break as well. 

When I was younger, I generally trained pretty much all year but in retrospect, probably not the best choice being older and wiser now. The chances of injury likely increase when you continuously push the heavy weights without rest breaks. Progress is halted, symptoms of insomnia, elevated blood pressure and heartbeat are some of the signs that it is time to take some much needed time off.

On the topic of substitute physical activities, the options are as varied as your interests. I usually like to spend my time working generally on some limiting factors which are somewhat neglected like aerobic activities and stretching. I love to do laps in the pool and use styrafoam dumbells for resistance to build cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Mobility work is extremely effective in water. Range of motion and heart health, aside from being important for overall health, can actually benefit your weight training when you restart your program. The heart pumps the blood and nutrients to your muscles and body, clears out the chemical by-products in the blood produced by training. Swimming in particular is excellent for giving the lats, delts, triceps, and the often neglected rotator cuff muscles a thorough workout. Very therapeutic. And benefits of mobility work in the pool will carry over as well. But anything you enjoy, jogging, biking, hiking with a back pack, rowing/kayaking/ canoeing, running sprints, stretching/yoga/pilates, martial arts/sparring....Almost endless choices!

At the end of your rest period you will be physically and mentally prepared to jump back into action with your training with renewed vigor!
On a related topic, catching up on much needed sleep and dietary adjustments can be done to support your training which are vitally important for continued gains. Weight training is our joy and our passion. Good overall health is our goal. God Bless and happy training 2025!

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Heavy Training Is A Must - By Jim Duggan

Some of my favorite vintage magazines are the Ironman magazines from the Peary Rader years.  When I say “vintage,” I really mean to say “old.”  It’s hard to believe, but Peary Rader stopped putting out Ironman nearly forty years ago.  Thankfully, there are decades worth of back-issues to study, cherish, and learn from.  Yes, you can learn a lot from reading old books and magazines.

     One of my favorite writers from that era is Bradley Steiner.  I’ve written about Mr. Steiner numerous times.  His writing style, his no-nonsense, basic approach to getting stronger transcends the decades.  His strong stance against the use of steroids is something else that has appealed to me over the years.  I was fortunate enough to have trained in an atmosphere at Bruno’s where drug-free lifting was the norm, steroid users were not tolerated, and that hard, heavy work on the basic exercises was the way everyone trained.  Decades later, I am still unalterably against the use of steroids or other PEDs, and I still like to train heavy on the basics.  I can thank Larry “Bruno” Licandro for providing me with a philosophy that has endured over the years.  Of course, there have been others who have provided inspiration through their writings, their actions, and their longevity of strength.  Anyone who still fights the fight, hoists the steel, and does it naturally, and without gimmicks,  has earned a well-deserved right to be proud of their workouts.

     Fifty years ago, the November 1974 issue of Ironman magazine had an article by Mr. Steiner titled “Why Heavy Training Is A Must.”  In many ways, this article was not much different from others that he has written over the years.  But back then, there was a lot of misinformation being disseminated.  Unfortunately, fifty years later, not much has changed.  There is still a lot of bad advice being disguised as training advice, spread by pumper, toners, or steroid-bloated druggies ( sometimes they refer to themselves as “influencers”).   And with the power of social media, they can spread their bad ideas quicker than ever, and to a larger audience.  

     I’m not going to summarize the entire article, but rather just emphasize some of the important points that are made.  As I’ve already mentioned, many of these points have been written about before.  But quality information can not be repeated enough.  

Avoid too much training at any one workout, and avoid too many workouts in any one week.  Of all training advice offered to new trainees, this particular warning is the sine qua  non for drug-free lifters.  How many times have you seen people in the gym training six days per week, in marathon workout sessions,  “training bodyparts,” in an effort to emulate the “champs” featured in the muscle magazines?  And how many times do you see these people fail, due to overtraining, injury, or both? One of the most difficult tasks that a qualified trainer has is convincing people that you can get brutally strong by training twice per week, with each training session lasting not more than 90 minutes.  Some people will eventually learn to “see the light.”  Others will slave away for years, with little or no gains, and nothing to show for their efforts.  

     “Pumping routines do not build muscle or strength.”  It isn’t difficult to see where Mr. Steiner stood when it came to pumping and toning.  I always like to think back to one of Bob Whelan’s old t-shirts, which read:  “No Toning. No Chrome. No Bull. Just the workout of your life!”  Proper weight-training builds by increasing the thickness of the muscle fibers.  Fifty years ago, Mr. Steiner was warning against the foolishness of simply pumping and toning your muscles.  Only hard work will properly build up your muscles and develop lasting strength.  

     Extremely heavy resistance must be used  ultimately by the trainee- if really outstanding development is the goal.  Naturally, heavy training must be built up gradually.  And, of course, your exercises must be done in proper form.  But the main thing is that it does not take too many sets to produce results.  

     He also mentions the importance of constantly adding weight to the bar.  Poundage progression.  This is as basic as it gets.  The whole idea of progressive resistance training is the idea of progression.  Yet, how many times do you see people using the same weights week after week, month after month?  

     It is by no means easy to train heavy.  But the greater effort required by heavy workouts is always rewarded handsomely.  Gains in strength and size are the goal of most trainees, especially when first starting out.  But like anything else in life, nothing good comes easy.  Most successful drug-free lifters have more than paid their dues in the form of heavy workouts on the basics.  Sure, an all-out set of twenty reps in the Squat or Deadlift is not something to look forward to.  If done correctly, you will actually dread the idea of lifting to the point of momentary failure or fatigue.  But the resultant gains in size and strength will more than make up for the temporary discomfort.  

     If you’ve never read any of Bradley Steiner’s books, I encourage you to try to locate some of them.  Or try to obtain some vintage Ironman issues from the 1970s and 1980s.  You will instantly have access to ideas and advice that will serve you for years.  These are the same ideas that have built strong men and women over the years.  Even if you are an experienced lifter, you can still benefit from reading from one of the great Iron Game writers.  And if you are new to weight-training, then you can not get off to a better start than by reading about the value of heavy lifting on the basics.  Countless lifters have reaped the benefits from such training.

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Remembering Tom Tedesco - By Jim Duggan

Back in 1983, when I first joined Bruno’s Health Club, there was no shortage of characters who trained there.  In those days, there was an actual “Sign-in Sheet,” which you would sign upon entering the gym.  A casual glance at a typical sign-in sheet would show names such as “The Wolverine,” “The Old Man,” “Thunderlips,” “Goat Balls,” and other assorted monikers.  It got to the point where you could predict the names that would be there on certain days and at certain times.  Yet, every time I would show up, among the colorful nicknames, there would be a simple entry that was simply “TNT.”  At first, I thought it was another nickname indicating something to do with explosiveness or something along those lines.  

     It wasn’t until I had been there a few months that I found out that TNT was actually the initials of a certain Thomas Neil Tedesco.  I knew little about him except that he was close friends of Larry “Bruno” Licandro, and that he competed in Olympic weightlifting.  Eventually, I found myself training with Tommy on a semi-regular basis.  At the time, Larry had several York Racks, and sometimes, due to the number of guys working out, you had to share the equipment and “work in” with someone else.  As someone who was still relatively new to the game, I benefitted greatly from the Squat sessions that we would share.  

     My first impression of him was that he seemed to have a very business-like, almost professional approach to his workouts. Unlike what you see in today’s YouTube videos, there was no screaming like a banshee, no sloppy sets done in a slipshod manner.  Each set was done in impeccable form, in a smooth, controlled fashion.  After each set, he would take a block of chalk, and make a mark on the Squat Rack, so that he could keep track of his six sets of six.  Even his attire exuded professionalism.  He would wear his Empire State Games warm-up suit ( minus the jacket, of course).  He would even show up to the gym clean-shaven! During our sets, we would hardly say a word to each other except for if we had to add weight to the bar.  I learned a lot about how to approach my workouts from those early years with Tommy.

     Unknown to me at the time, those Squat workouts were the beginning of a friendship that would last over forty years.  A few years later, when I began to compete, I tried to emulate his business-like approach to the science of “hoisting the steel.”  We competed in many contest together over the years.  Along with Larry, Chris Newins, Bob Sailor, Mike Doucette, Steve Matthews, and myself, Tommy was a charter member of Team Bruno, or “Bruno’s Barbarians,” a phrase that was originated with Tommy.  

     I have written about Tommy in previous articles, and in different publications. Back in 2011, I wrote an article in The Dinosaur Files detailing Tommy’s comeback from a near-fatal bicycle accident.  And just last year, I dedicated an article in Hardgainer 2.0 to Tommy and his performance in Master Weightlifting Contests, even in his late 60s, he was still competing, and coaching young lifters.  I can easily see how a lifter just starting out could benefit from Tommy’s tutelage and expertise.  What I couldn’t easily see was how a 69 year-old man could still perform Snatches and Clean and Jerks!  He not only lifted, he dominated and was a legitimate threat to National and World records!

     Tommy wasn’t content to compete in weightlifting.  In the mid 1980s, he started competing in powerlifting contests. He did this mainly as a change of pace.  Something different.  Some change of pace!  He placed in every contest he ever entered, even though he competed in the ultra-competitive 100kg class, and, since he was primarily an Olympic lifter, he rarely trained the Bench Press.  Plus, he rarely wore supportive equipment.  And, like every member of Bruno’s Tommy’s lifting was Lifetime Drug-Free.  His Best Lifts are as follows:

Snatch-120kg

Clean and Jerk-155kg

Squat-575 Lbs

Bench Press-290 Lbs

Deadlift-620 Lbs

     One of the most impressive things I’ve ever witnessed was a dual contest he did in the Spring of 1992.  It was actually two different contests on the same day:  an Olympic weightlifting meet, followed by a powerlifting contest.  Tommy entered BOTH contests and literally had a perfect day.  He went 15 for 15!  He didn’t miss a lift!  I doubt there are many people who can make a similar claim.

     Over the last few days, after I learned of his untimely passing, I have reminisced about what an incredible lifter and person he was.  In addition to his lifting, he was also a student of martial arts during his lifting years.  As a journalism major in the 1970s, he traveled to York and spent time with Bob Hoffman, John Terpak, and other members of the “York Gang.”  He was also an accomplished musician, having spent a good deal of his fifties and sixties playing bass for a local band, Ophelia’s Pain.  I remember one particular Bruno’s reunion where he showed us pictures of when he spent a weekend playing and performing with Roger Daltrey! If ever there was a Renaissance Man among strength athletes, Tommy certainly qualified.

    When I look back to those days when I would see “TNT” written on the sign-in sheet among all those colorful nicknames, I realize that Thomas Neil Tedesco was probably the most colorful, as well as the most compelling member of that gym.

Rest in Power, Tommy Thunder!

Bruno’s Barbarians Forever.

     

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Off To A Great Start - By RJ Hicks

My 13 month old son had his first workout! ... 2.5 pound crawls. Haha! (This is a joke!) 

Editor's Note: Awesome RJ! Great picture! Hahaha! This will be so cool for him to show his friends when he really does start training. 

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Pressing and Trap Bar Deadlifts - A Great Combination - By Jim Duggan

Hard, heavy workouts on basic exercises are the best way to develop greater strength and muscle mass. Whether you are a beginner, or have been “hoisting the steel” for many years, you simply cannot escape the basics if you want to make progress.  This is especially true if you are a drug-free athlete.  There are no shortcuts.

     I was very fortunate to have learned this lesson when I joined Bruno’s Health Club in the Summer of 1983.  I was nineteen years old, and I was lucky to get in “on the ground floor,” so to speak.  Over forty years later, I am still fortunate to be able to train hard and heavy on the basics.  I’ve never lost sight of the fact that hard work on basic movements is the sine qua non of building lasting strength.  And over the years, I have trained in many gyms where this lesson was reinforced.  I won’t list every gym I ever joined ( I don’t think I can even remember ALL of them), but the gym that most closely reminded me of Bruno’s was Iron Island Gym, which I joined in the Winter of 1992.  

     There have been many articles written about Iron Island, some even by me, over the years.  Suffice to say that it was a gym that was worthy of every good thing that was ever written about it by members and guests alike.  It was at Iron Island that I was first introduced to the Trap Bar.  Up until that time, I had only seen articles about this wonderful piece of equipment.  But upon joining, and seeing it in person, I had to try it out.  And, like most people who have tried the Trap Bar, I was instantly impressed.

     During the past thirty years or so, I have always tried to include some form of Trap Bar Deadlifting in my workouts.  Sometimes it was an adjunct for my regular deadlift workouts.  One brutal, high-rep set of Trap Bar Deadlifts is an excellent assistance movement for the Deadlift.  Most powerlifters would benefit greatly from incorporating the Trap Bar into their training.  Whether as a primary movement during the “off season,” or an assistance exercise during contest preparation.  

    Several years ago, I purchased a thick-handled Trap Bar.  Since I do all of my training at home now, it made all the sense in the world to ensure that I had a Trap Bar.  And the one I have, 2” thick all around, guarantees that I will always have a brutal workout at my disposal whenever I want.  I have done just about every type of workout with it:  high reps ( 20 or more), lower reps for sets of five or six.  I’ve even devoted certain amounts of time to working towards a personal best for one rep ( 525 Lbs as of this writing).  One thing that I would like to make clear is that my Trap Bar does NOT have raised handles to shorten the range of the movement.  In the past few years, there have been any number of “lifters” posting pictures of their Trap Bar prowess for all to see.  One only has to see the raised handles ( sometimes 6” or more), use of lifting straps, heavy duty lifting belt and knee wraps to realize that they are doing a partial, assisted movement at best.  Stay away from the gimmicks and artificial aids.  You can build great strength with a thick-handled bar ( or dumbbells) over a full range of motion while at the same time eschewing the use of a belt.  

     It is because of my belief in the value of the Trap Bar that I was honored to participate in the “Trapped on Long Island” lifting event which was a fundraiser for the Dr. Ken Leistner Memorial Scholarship Fund at Logan University as well as the Lakeview Youth Federation.  Anyone who was familiar with Dr. Ken was aware of his close association and relationship with the Lakeview Youth Federation, and this event was in honor of Dr. Ken as well as Coach Charles Nanton, who was one of the founders of the federation.  Coach Nanton had recently passed away.  The event was the idea of Kathy Leistner, who has staged events of this type over the years at her home training facility.  

     The last time I had seen Dr. Ken had been when he still owned Iron Island.  One of the things that I regret is the fact that I had lost touch with a man for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration.  Hardly a day goes by that I don’t chastise myself for not making a greater effort to keep in touch.  But the fact is that you can still feel his presence at the training facility which is still used to help others realize their strength and conditioning goals.  

     The lifting event took place on Saturday, August 3, and there were two events:  Clean and Press and Trap Bar Deadlift.  Sounds pretty easy on paper, doesn’t it?  But there was a catch:  Each event had to be done for fifty repetitions.  You read that right:  100 total reps on a brutally hot and humid August day.  And it was a timed event too!  Ten minutes to complete the Clean and Presses and then a two minute rest before the ten minutes to complete the Trap Bar Deadlifts.  

     As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, I’ve always believed that high-rep Deadlifts have a place in any serious lifter’s training regimen.  But fifty reps!  And after fifty Clean and Presses!  There’s an old saying that goes “Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”  I believe the person who first coined that expression had to be someone who had to do 100 total reps on a day when the temperature approached triple digits.  

     The Clean and Press is another movement which needs no explanation as to its importance in anyone’s training routine.  And you do not need to be an Olympic weightlifter to reap the benefits of this fine movement.  Just about every muscle group is taxed by this exercise, and if you want to challenge yourself then try to do a high rep set of Clean and Presses using either a barbell, or a set of heavy dumbbells.  Back in 2018, for my birthday workout that year, I wanted to do as many reps as possible with 75 Lb dumbbells in the DB Clean and Press. I think I was able to complete 12 reps.  Again, it looks simple on paper, and if all you had to do was clean the DBs once and press them twelve times it isn’t difficult at all.  But when you have to do a separate clean for each rep then that changes everything.  

     Another point that I would like to make is that it makes perfect sense to do these two movements on the same day.  The Clean and Press is a perfect way to warm up you back and hips for deadlifting.  Hopefully there is nobody reading this who engages in the silly practice of “body part training.”  Leave that sort of silliness for the pumpers and toners.  Real men and women who want to get strong realize that it is important to train the LIFTS rather than individual body parts.  

     Lately, I have been using my 60 Lb Center Mass Bells for the Clean and Press.  I only do one or two sets of ten reps.  I find that going heavier will inevitably cause me to lean back too much.  And while this will enable me to use more weight, there is no excuse to sacrifice good form.  After the CMB Presses, I move on to my Trap Bar.  I’ve been using several different rep schemes lately in an effort to add variety to my workouts.  My most recent workouts include doing a moderately heavy double, followed by eight sets of triples with a lighter poundage with only 90 seconds between each set.  It’s challenging to say the least, but I am encouraged by the results so far.  

     If you have been training for a long time, sometimes you need a reminder that it is the constant attention to the basics done consistently with an eye toward poundage progression that yield the best results.  And that the ability to embrace brutally hard work is the one thing that will deliver the best results.  I’d like to thank Kathy Leistner for this important lesson, even if it is a couple months too late.  I’d also like to acknowledge Barbara Cittadino from Barbara’s Photo Creations who took more pictures than I have ever seen from the event, including the one below.

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A Dynamic Four Star Plan - By Jim Duggan

I have written many articles about the old Ironman magazines, the Peary Rader version of Ironman, to be precise.  What a great magazine! It covered every facet of the Iron Game.  And it did it in a way that did not rely on fancy advertising, hawking overpriced bogus supplements.  It didn’t glorify steroid-bloated bodybuilders.  What it did was put out a magazine containing quality training information.  Whether you were a weightlifter, bodybuilder, powerlifter, or just someone interested in gaining size, strength, and vigorous good health, there was something for you.

     One of the very best things about Peary Rader’s Ironman was the fact that he utilized some of the very best writers to contribute to his wonderful magazine.  I’ve mentioned the many quality Ironman writers in previous articles, but I wanted to devote this month’s article to one of the very best writers of his time.  

     The September 1974 issue of Ironman had a very selection of articles from which to choose.  David Willoughby, Arthur Jones, and Dr. Ken Leistner all contributed to this special issue.  I could have easily chosen one of these gentlemen to be the subject of this month’s article, but I chose I man who I have written about before.  Bradley J. Steiner’s contributions to the world of strength, health, and self-defense cannot be adequately described in one article.  He was simply one of the very best Iron Game writers.  After Dr. Ken, he is my favorite writer of all time.  

     In the September 1974 Ironman, Mr. Steiner wrote an article “The Dynamic Four Star Plan To The Build You Want.”  A casual look at this title would seem to give the indication that it is a bodybuilding article.  While I have nothing against bodybuilding ( drug-free bodybuilding to be exact), I have always preferred to read about, write about, and participate in the development of STRENGTH.  

     However, very early in the article, he states that the “Four Steps” to success that he describes can be applied to any and every area of your life.  Successful results are inevitable if you follow the four step plan in the article.  So let’s take a look at this successful plan, which was first published fifty years ago.

     The first step is to VISUALIZE YOUR GOAL.  You must “Believe in the realization of what you want to become.”  Negativism has no place in this plan.  No matter what you present condition, you can overcome it if you believe wholeheartedly that you can, according to Mr. Steiner.  One of the best quotes of this section is as follows:  “There is more power in honest, determined, positive self imagery than you can begin to imagine.”  

      Mr. Steiner is not trying to be a cheerleader in these words.  It is simply a matter of visualizing clearly and consistently the goals you wish to achieve.  You can’t expect to have faith in yourself if you have no idea of what you wish to attain.  Naturally, you have to have a plan to achieve these goals, and that will come later in the article.  

     The next step is to be wholly absorbed in the attainment of your goals.  Whether it is to gain twenty pounds of muscle, or add 25 Lbs to your Bench Press, you must become obsessed with achieving that which you set out to accomplish.  And Mr. Steiner makes a very interesting point:  “ You can’t be unusual and physically superior to the average without becoming ‘different’ from other people.”  Sometimes we lose sight of that fact.  But if you wish to officially Bench Press 400 Lbs, then you must reasonable accept the fact that you are NOT normal.  After all, how many people can legitimately bench 400?  Not many.  So naturally, the training required to achieve that goal will be different from that being done by the average person in the gym.  When Bob Whelan had his training facility in Washington, DC, I remember visiting him there one day, along with Drew Israel.  One of the things I distinctly remember is a sign on the front door which read: “If You Train Here, You Are NOT Normal.”  And, if you are truly devoted to getting stronger, then truer words were never spoken!  Why be normal, when you can train to be as strong as possible?

     This kind of thinking can also apply to your everyday life.  Don’t be afraid to be different than your co-workers, friends, and others you may encounter in your day to day existence.  “Seek out those individuals who share, or at least who genuinely respect, you for what you are.  “Cultivate the habit of seeking those surroundings, those people, and those interests and pursuits that will ENHANCE and ADD to your central goals in life.”  

     The third step is to seek out “Good Instruction, Education, and Knowledge that will teach you how to reach your goal.”  Study your subject, and seek out quality sources of information.  Become a student of strength.  If you can seek out people who have achieved great strength, by all means do so.  “Developing the body is as much a process of education as is developing the mind.”  Mr. Steiner even mentions several authors who he considers to be the finest Iron Game authors.  The names he mentions should be familiar to many readers.  Peary Rader, Bob Hoffman, and Harry B. Paschall are mentioned by Mr. Steiner.  I’m sure humility prevented him from mentioning his own expertise and skill as a writer, but any impartial reader would recognize the greatness that Mr. Steiner possessed.  

     Another point that I’d like to mention is something that was not an issue fifty years ago, but should be obvious today.  Do NOT rely on internet experts, influencers, or other self-proclaimed experts.  If somebody is claiming to be a champion, but never states what he lifts, then perhaps he is a more chump than champ and should be ignored.  And, of course, the muscle magazines of today, those that are still in existence, are nothing more than comics than sources of information.

     The fourth step is probably the most important:  “NEVER GIVE UP!”  You are the ultimate ruler of your life, and you cannot let others discourage you from pursuing your goals.  To reach any worthwhile goal takes a long time and a lot of hard work.  You must be ready to give before you get, according to Mr. Steiner, and that neat phrase encapsulates what is wrong with many people who train today.  How many aspiring lifters are willing to give of themselves to attain their goals.  

     There will always be temporary setbacks. Injuries, illness, school/job issues.  But like any other obstacles, they must be dealt with.  Lifting, especially drug-free lifting, will always have its ups and downs, but if you persist and stick to the basics then the reward will be strength, health, and happiness.  

     The four-step plan works, according to Mr. Steiner.  But in order to make it work, “You must try it, live it, believe it.  That’s what makes any success.”  It’s not difficult to see how an article written fifty years ago can describe a plan for success, especially when you consider the magazine in which it originally appeared and the fact that it was written by the one and only Bradley Steiner.

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How To Strength Train Australian Rules Football Players - By David Sedunary

Editor's Note: David Sedunary has done it all in the sport of Aussie Rules football. As a player, coach and administrator for his hometown team in Broken Hill with a span of over 50 years! Broken Hill even named the Gates to the playing field after him. (See picture below.) David knows the value of weight training to improve performance in ARF.  Players: Take his advice! 

One of my pet annoyances is how Australian Rules Football coaches and players fail to put a high priority on serious strength training. I’m not referring to the highest level of the Australian Football League (AFL) who are professional players and employ their own strength and conditioning coaches, but the clubs below this level, in which most are 40 years behind the times, and do not take it nearly as seriously as they should. I have pounded my head into the sand over this with my local Australian Rules Football Club, whose coaches and players fail to listen and fail to implement. My aim is to convince Australian Rules Football coaches and players that strength training has the greatest effect on the improvement of athletic performance, more than any other variable. Muscular strength is one of the most crucial factors to a footballer.

Why? One may ask.

Strength training provides the power behind every movement.

Strength training plays a huge role in protecting the footballer from injury.

Football is push and pull; therefore it makes sense to work the legs, chest, shoulders and back using compound exercises.

Stronger muscle enables a footballer to kick longer distances, hit the ball harder, tackle harder and not get knocked off the ball so easily.

Stronger muscles also provide increased joint stability- whether it is ankle, knee, shoulder, hip, neck, elbow, or wrist. I have known many footballers in my hometown who have strength training programs of some form or fashion. The results that are gained from the vast amount of training time and effort fall short of what they should be. They lightly scratch the surface of their potential.

Why do players fail and give it away so quickly or become uninterested? It can be from faulty training techniques, which limit results and contribute to injuries. Lack of understanding, such as what is the right way to build strength, how should I train, which methods should I use, what exercises are best, how many days a week should I train. I will provide football players with some basic guidelines to use so they can establish sound strength training knowledge and programs. Most Australian Rules footballers train their skills and game tactics twice a week and play once a week, and I am referring to the non or semi professional football players. It is important to understand that only dedicated players will devote another two nights to strength training, and if they do, they need to be supervised. Therefore it is my recommendation that the two strength training sessions are conducted on the two scheduled training sessions which entail skills and game tactics. Players who are unable to train on scheduled days can always be trained under supervision on non-training scheduled days. The aim would be to ensure all players strength train twice a week. 

The preseason, which is normally 14 weeks, could include a skills and game tactics session on Saturday. Before the season starts work on 2 work sets, to expand work capacity, and develop muscle growth and base strength.

In season maintain 1 work set, competition is the focus and do not exhaust the nervous system of players by training to hard and too long. In season is normally 20 weeks which is as follows:

Monday rest

Tuesday: Strength training supervised, conducted in groups of 6 players 30-minute sessions one warmup set and one set to failure, basic vertical push and pull, horizontal push and pull and one compound exercise, calf, grip ab and neck work one set to failure. Plus skill and game tactics training total time 2 hours.

Wednesday rest or Strength training for players who miss training nights.

Thursday:  Strength training supervised, conducted in groups of 6 players 30-minute sessions one warmup set and one set to failure, basic vertical push and pull, horizontal push and pull and one compound exercise, calf, grip ab and neck work one set to failure. Plus skill and game tactics training total time 1 hour 30 minutes.

Friday rest

Saturday Play Football match day, 

Sunday rest, recover, massage, sauna, eat big.

Remind yourself you are training to get stronger.

To implement strength training sessions as part of the training, the football team would need a well-equipped gym at the club near the playing or training field or oval. Once the training schedule is established and agreed upon the following principles, need to be ingrained into and followed by all football players and coaches, under experienced supervision.

1.Strength training must be progressive; you should constantly attempt to increase resistance or reps at every workout.

2. The higher the intensity the better the muscles are stimulated.

3. Each repetition should be performed with controlled speed movement. Take approximately 2 seconds to raise weight and 4 seconds to lower weight. I prefer to rest the weight for 2 seconds at the bottom before raising and 2 seconds at the top before lowering. This creates great form and focus and far lessens the chance of injury.

4.Select exercises that involve the greatest range of movement of the major muscle groups.

5. Strength increases are best produced by very brief and infrequent training.

Football matches can be tough and exhausting, and need plenty of rest, sleep, and nutritious food to recover adequately.

High intensity strength training must be very brief. It is impossible to have both high intensity exercise and a large amount of exercise. In my opinion many footballers make the mistake of performing far too many exercises, too many sets, too many workouts, in each period. Total recovery between workouts becomes impossible. I recommend performing no more than 1 hard work set of any exercise in the same session. There should be at least 48 hours rest between high intensity workouts, sometimes longer strength training breaks the muscle tissue down and you need to give it time to replenish and grow. Do not exhaust the nervous system by training to hard and too long. Less is always best. An advanced trainee /player does not need more exercise than a beginner, he needs harder exercise and, in most cases, less.

A well supervised, properly conducted, strength training session for a footballer in football season should not exceed 30 minutes and covers the whole body.

Program 1# Tuesday

Warm up 5 minutes

1. Bench Press or Dips

2. Dumbbell rows

3. Machine Squats

4. Calve raise, weighted crunches, neck. exercises performed of 1 warm up sets and 1 maximum set to the limit. 

Program 2# Thursday

Warm up 5 minutes

1.  Standing overhead press

2. Lat machine pulldowns or chins

3. Trap bar deadlifts.

4. Barbell curls

5. Side bends, neck, calve, grip exercises performed of 1 warm up set and 1 maximum set to the limit.

Remind yourself that you are training to get stronger for Football, so that you will no longer get pushed off the ball and bullied on the field. You will have the strength to handle anything that is thrown at you. 

Cardiovascular fitness, skill, and strength are the three main attributes I concentrated on when I coached. Get all three right and you are well on your way to success. They all go hand in hand. When you are strong you tackle harder, bump harder, you are never intimidated, have confidence, can kick further and do it more often. When you are fitter for football, your kicks and handballs hit a target more consistently, you are harder to chase down and tackle or stop, you chase down the opposition and weaken him, you go longer and stronger. Football is a game where you need controlled aggression, strength combined with cardiovascular fitness gives you ultimate football conditioning. I have spoken on strength and the importance of strength training. Now I will speak on cardiovascular fitness or football fitness which I prefer to call it. As coach I set a fitness standard for my players before they played A Grade football. Every player needed to run for 15 minutes at a good pace around an oval or field without stopping. This was the fitness standard all players needed to meet. Once they achieved this standard, they were instructed to further the distance.

 All players completed this standard at the beginning of the season and were tested every 4 weeks. Football fitness during a game is walk, jog, run, stride and sprint for the whole 100 minutes with very little rest. This combination is not always in this order and can be mixed up with longer and shorter distances of each. Combine bumping, tackling, jumping, pushing, pulling, and falling on the ground and getting up. One can now understand why football fitness and strength training is of the  utmost importance to increase your supremacy over the opposition. During all my training sessions, my players got very little rest between training exercises, therefore I increased the intensity. Boxing training was also introduced once a week to improve football fitness.

Australian Rules Football is a heavy contact sport, where no head gear or protective gear is worn, it is body against body. The players play 4 quarters with 25 minutes per quarter, with a 15-minute break at half time. The sport has a high incidence of knee injuries, resulting in knee re constructions: I put this down to continuous running and weakness of the connective tissue and muscular structure around the calves, knees quadriceps and hamstring muscles. The benefits of strength training far outweigh not doing it at all. Coaches and players need to have a firm belief that if they incorporate strength training, they will be successful. Strength training improves performance and prevents injuries. Football is push and pull, ensure your players train twice a week using the push and pull muscles. Also train compound movement such as Squats or Trap Bar Deadlifts, ensure to strengthen ankles, calves, grip, neck, abdominals, side obliques and the neck. During the season players need two, short volume intense workouts lasting no longer than 30 to 45 minutes. In the off season two full body workouts are recommended, lasting no longer than 1 hour. Ensure players are supervised and trained by a qualified person who encourages good form and focus, and always encourages your players to train progressively and get stronger. 

In conclusion, Strength training for football creates success.

I commenced coaching Australian Rules Football in 1985 and at that stage had my own well equipped home gym which was a large shed situated in the backyard of my home. The Team I coached was the North Broken Hill Football Club, most of my players strength trained with me in my backyard gym. I coached for 3 years, and each year we were successful finishing top of the ladder twice and second once. It was obvious to me and others because my players strength trained consistently, they were successful. In 1988 I coached the club I played 170 games for. When I started in 1988 the players were weak and easily intimidated and had not won a game for 2 years. I demanded that my players strength train twice a week and improve their cardiovascular fitness and skills. Each year their strength improvement was measured and noted, and feedback given to the players, ensuring to build their playing ability and confidence. Once I commenced coaching after year 1, they won 3 games, after year 2, they finished the top team, after year 3 they won the premiership/ the best team of the competition. First time a premiership (Championship) was won in 10 years. In 35 years no other coach has introduced his team to strength training or set a fitness standard and worked on skill improvement hence they have not won a Premiership or improved. I maintain strength training had the greatest effect upon my team’s performance, more than any other variable. The proof is in the pudding.

“THE ONLY PLACE SUCCESS COMES BEFORE WORK IS IN THE DICTIONARY”

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For Rugged Strength and Muscle Size - By Jim Duggan

I’ve often written about the glorious history of lifting weights for the purpose of gaining muscular size and strength.  Most of us who “hoist the steel” were initially motivated to do so by the goal of getting stronger and bigger.  Realistically, very few of us were “97 Lb. weaklings,” but we were lifted weights in order to increase our size and become stronger.  And we often turned to the muscle magazines in order to increase our training knowledge and become inspired by what lifting weights had to offer.

     There have been a myriad of magazines over the years devoted to various phases of the “Iron Game.”  Whether you practiced weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, or used progressive resistance training as an adjunct to other sports, or if you lifted simply for the pure love and pleasure of it, there was a magazine for you.  York Barbell, Dan Lurie, and Weider all put out numerous different magazines during their “heyday.”  I’m not going to go into the “muscle wars” that developed between the big three publishers.  Suffice to say that I am very proud to have been a “York Barbell” man through and through.  My love for all things related to York began upon my joining Bruno’s Health Club in the Summer of 1983.  And even though York’s best days may be behind them, my love, respect, and admiration for York Barbell and its glorious history has not diminished over the years.

     But as much as I have always loved York, there was a magazine that, in my opinion, was the seminal publication for those who lift weights.  I’m talking, of course, about Ironman magazine.  To be more specific, Peary Rader’s Ironman, which was in existence from 1936 until 1986.  It covered every aspect of the Iron Game.  Its articles contained no commercial slant, they did not try to hawk useless supplements, and they did not advocate for steroid-bloated druggies.  Mr. Rader did not claim to be a master blaster or trainer of champions, and he did not publish worthless articles for the purpose of advancing his own business interests.  

      Perhaps the most impressive thing about Ironman was the quantity and quality of great articles.  If you look through old issues, a casual look at some of the Content would reveal a literal “Who’s Who” of great Iron Game writers.  Leading the way was Mr. Rader himself, who has written many great editorials, articles, and books.  But to illustrate what kind of a man he was, he recognized the importance of having a variety of writers.  He was secure enough to have numerous talented authors write for him.  And, boy, were there some great writers!  Anthony Ditillo, Michael Salvati, Ted Sobel, Arthur Jones are but a few of the great writers whose byline appeared in Ironman.  

     One of my all-time favorite strength writers is a man about whom I have written in previous articles.  Bradley Steiner was one of the greatest and most influential writers in the history of training.  Several years ago, I wrote a tribute to him for this website on the occasion of his passing.  During the course of his career, he wrote numerous books and articles.  If you can get your hands on any of his books, please do yourself a favor and get them.  Quality training material is not only timeless, it is in short supply these days.  

     The January 1972 edition of Ironman had an article written by Mr. Steiner, “For Rugged Strength and Muscle Size,” in which he advocates for an underappreciated concept of drug-free strength training:  Abbreviated Training.  Even though the exact phrase used by Mr. Steiner is “Limited, Heavy, Basic Schedule,” the idea is the same.  Do not waste your time trying to follow a six-day-per-week “split” routine espoused by so many so-called champions.  

     If you are a drug-free lifter, then you should already know the importance of lifting twice or, at most, three times per week utilizing heavy, basic movements.  “Pumping and light, muscle-spinning movements are a waste of time.”  Heavy, basic movements and sufficient rest and recuperation between workouts are essential.  Dr. Ken, Bob Whelan, Stuart McRobert and other notable strength coaches have been advocating this type of training for years.  The limited amount of movements, according to Mr. Steiner, are as follows:

Press

Bench Press

Bent-Over Row

Deadlift

Squat

Abdominal Exercise

Curl

     By dividing these movements over the course of two, or three times per week you will build size and strength and allow yourself enough time to allow for proper recuperation.  There are three salient points to the article that should be known.

     First, “muscles absolutely must be given sufficient rest BETWEEN exercise sessions if they are to GROW.  

     Second, “No man ( or woman ) can work his/her entire body to its absolute limit more than two or three days a week without suffering a breakdown.”

     Third, “when a bodybuilder becomes advance, it is possible to include more exercises in his training IF HE CAN KEEP HIS WORKOUTS AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF in length.”  

     It is quite obvious that Mr. Steiner believed in abbreviated training.  It is equally obvious that such training is effective and safe.  One of the biggest lessons I learned when I joined Iron Island Gym in 1992 was the fact that you can build great strength with only two workouts per week.  And today, more than thirty years later, I still find that I make my best gains by training no more than two or three times per week.  

     There are a few more bits of advice that are given towards the end of the article, and they, like everything else written by Mr. Steiner, make complete sense.  First, “do not attempt to set up a pre-planned schedule of either sets or reps.”  What he means by this is, simply, listen to your body. How many times have you gone to the gym with a specific workout in mind only to find that your energy and/strength isn’t cooperating?  What you should do is listen to your body, and alter your workout.  Drug-free lifters will certainly experience their share of workouts where things just are not going as you would hope they would.

     “Heavy weights are needed to progress- and you must strive constantly to make them progressively HEAVIER.” Poundage progression is the name of the game.  It’s not called progressive resistance training for nothing!  Push the poundages!

     “You must have adequate rest.”  Again, listen to your body.  If you feel you have to back off, or give yourself an extra rest day between workouts, then by all means do so and don’t beat yourself up over it.

     Heavy, progressive workouts on the basics sound simple, and in theory, it is simple.  But whether or not such a system will work for you is something that you must decide.  And the only way to make such a decision is to work hard, give yourself adequate rest and proper nutrition.  If this is your first introduction to Bradley Steiner, then I hope you will try to find some of his other articles.  As I’ve often mentioned, quality training information withstands the test of time.  And the information that Mr. Steiner published decades ago is better than just about anything you will find today.  

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