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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Birthday Tradition - By Jim Duggan

In the weeks leading up to my 60th birthday, I seriously debated whether or not I should continue with my traditional birthday challenge- lifting my 180 Lb Granite Atlas stone for the number of reps equal to my age- or should I attempt something different.  I thought of attempting a new personal best Trap Bar Deadlift with my thick-handled Trap Bar.  I also considered doing a high number of reps with the Trap Bar, as well as breaking out my Sorinex Bosco Dumbbell and loading it to 60 Lbs and repping out with it.  But in the end, I decided to stick with tradition and lift my 180 Lb Atlas Stone.  Since 60 is a significant milestone, I didn’t think it would be right to “wing it,” so to speak. Of course, I would throw in a few “extras” to make it even more memorable.

     The forecast for Saturday, July 20 called for warm weather, partly sunny skies, and low humidity.  For the previous week, the humidity was stifling.  New York Summers are generally hot and humid, but the week leading up to the 20th was oppressively so.  I remember last year having to change my shirt several times.  It’s the price you pay for having a birthday in the middle of July.  So when the local weather forecast called for comfortable temperatures, I anxiously looked forward to my workout.

     For a good part of the past year, most of my workouts have been outside.  Deadlifts, DB Presses, Rowing movements are all easily done outdoors.  The fresh air and sunshine are obvious advantages.  But even during the Winter months, I would still make the effort to drag my weights on to my deck and lift.  Cold weather did not deter me.  However, I draw the line when it comes to snow, rain, or other forms of precipitation.  Which I think is only common sense.  I have lots of vintage weights and equipment that I enjoy using, and I would hate to expose vintage Bruno’s Era York plates to the elements.  

     On to the workout.  As I mentioned, the centerpiece of my workout was going to be my 180 Lb Granite Atlas Stone.  I have six stones ranging in size from 100 Lbs up to 300 Lbs.  In a typical workout, I would use the 100 and 140 pound spheres as a warm-up.  Then I would use the 180 and 220 pounders as my “working stones,” depending on what type of reps I planned on doing.  For the past ten years or so, I have used the 180 pound sphere for my birthday workout.

     Before I go any further, I would like to point out what I mean by “lifting” a granite sphere.  I lift the stone off the ground and after shifting my hands, lift the stone onto my shoulder.  I will hold it on my shoulder for a count of one second then let the stone fall to the ground.  I would also like to state that I do NOT use tacky or any type of adhesive to assist my grip.  Real men – and women- do not use such aids.  I also do not use gauntlets to protect my forearms.  I think that REAL lifting requires that one eschew such artificial aids.  And, for the record, I’m proud of the welts that granite stones leave on my forearms.  It is a badge of honor for anyone who lifts stones.  

     In addition to the 180 pound sphere, I was going to do three other movements.  An anvil curl with my 100 pound anvil, neck lifts with my Ironmind Headstrap using a 115 pound anvil, and the final exercise was my Baraban Chest Crusher.  Each movement was to be done for sixty total reps.  The plan was to do each movement in sets of 5-6 until I reached the goal.  But I allowed myself some leeway since the Headstrap movement was much easier than the stone or Crusher.  

     So after a minor adjustment, I decided to do sets of ten with the Headstrap and then do four stone lifts.  I would rest briefly, then do 5 or 6 reps with the Baraban Crusher, then do five or six curls with my anvil.  After another brief rest, I would attack the Headstrap/Stone combo again.  Everything went smoothly at first, but at some point, around rep twenty, I had to do my Stone Lifts one at a time.  Setting my grip, checking my footwork ( to prevent myself from stepping into a newly formed crater!), and getting set up properly made it easier when it was done one at a time.   Since I wasn’t timing myself, it wasn’t a major concern.  

     As for my anvil, I have accumulated about six or seven anvils over the years.  I remember reading in the pages of MILO magazine where someone referred to anvils as “America’s lifting stones.”  I believe that to be true.  During the time that I have been collecting anvils, I have used them for numerous movements.  Curls, Overhead Presses, Carries, and of course, as a weight for my Headstrap.  If you can get your hands on an anvil ( and if you can ignore the expensive price these things command) I highly encourage you to do so.  You won’t regret your decision, and you might even add a new dimension to your workouts.  If nothing else, they make a great conversation piece in the gym.  Or if you are a devotee of classic cartoons, you can drive out to the desert and drop one on the Road Runner.

     I used my 100 pound Anvil for this workout for Curls.  When I used the Headstrap, I simply wrapped a 15 pound length of chain around it to secure the Headstrap securely.  Incidentally, please do not take safety for granted.  If you are wrapping a chain, or webbing around an anvil, please make sure it is tight.  Your feet and toes will thank you.  I speak from experience when I say that an anvil falling on your feet will kill a workout.

     My Baraban Chest Crusher is something that I use on an occasional basis.  I have several old York Krushers, and I enjoy using them.  They are a great training tool, even after all these years.  Some years ago, the Baraban Crusher hit the market.  Out of curiosity, I purchased one and all I can say is that this thing is a beast.  It is large, solid, and HEAVY.  It is capable of holding seven springs.  I can enthusiastically recommend that you begin with less.  A lot less.  On a normal day, I will do one set of 15 or 16 reps while using four springs.  For my birthday workout, I did sets of five or six.  It is very difficult to control this heavy duty piece of equipment.  But the results are well worth the effort.  You can build some real upper body power with this great tool.  Just make sure you have a good grip on it.  

     About halfway through the workout, I got into a good rhythm and was feeling good.  I tried to pace myself and be patient.  I also made sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.  The hardest exercise was the Anvil Curl.  I think that between the stone and the Crusher, my upper body was getting fatigued and that maintaining strict form was getting increasingly difficult.  But I made sure not the arch my back.  I wanted to everything in good form.  

     Another thing that I noticed was that even though I hadn’t used my Headstrap in over a year, it was easy lifting the 115 pounds.  Perhaps it is because I have done a lot of neck work with my Neckflex harness, but it definitely felt light.  I’ll make a note of that for next year.  

     After finishing the workout, I was pretty spent, as you can expect.  My lower arms were chewed up from the rough granite, and my back, hamstrings, and legs were shot.  I certainly had that coveted “run over by a truck” feeling that serious lifters yearn for in their training sessions.  For anyone with a birthday coming up, I certainly recommend trying to challenge yourself with something different and beneficial.  Who knows?  It may become a yearly tradition.

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Message from Doug Brewer - Training with Ralph Raiola

My name is Doug Brewer and I am 63 years old and recently retired and have lived in the Tampa area since 1992.  I grew up on Long Island and played football at Lynbrook High School and the New York Institute of Technology.  I started lifting weights in the eighth grade when LHS purchased a Universal Gym (about 1972) where you chose your weight using a steel pin inserted in the appropriate hole in the weight stack. 

Around 1981 while still at New York Tech, a friend suggested I check out the Jack LaLane gym in Inwood, NY (by Kennedy Airport) as he said some pretty strong guys trained there and I could learn from them.  It was a standard gym for the time period except for one room which was reserved for powerlifting.  This is where I met Ralph Raiola, who taught me and a New York Tech football buddy, Paul Grieshiemer, how to properly squat, bench and deadlift.  Other “name” lifters that trained there were Tony Pandolfo (Mr. New York State), Lyle Alzado, a former Mr. Connecticut (forget his name), Mike Taranto (held the Oklahoma bench press record in the mid - late ‘60’s in the 275 lb. class with a lift of 485 lbs. I believe) and Dr. Ken Leistner would occasionally make an appearance.  I remember Lyle telling all of us young guys to never take steroids as they will ruin your health and I remember being very sad when I learned of his passing.  I have the Sports Illustrated cover from July 8, 1991 framed and hanging on the wall of my home office with him on the cover after he announced he had brain cancer with the caption, “I Lied”.  I remember spotting him on the bench and watching him lift 505 lbs. for a triple.  Lyle had a lot to do with me never taking PEDs even though the temptation was there.

 

I entered three powerlifting competitions with Ralph in 1982/1983 including the first (and maybe the only) Long Island Invitational at Lawrence H.S. run by Dr. Ken.  The other competitions were in Fort Lee, NJ and Gloversville, NY by Albany.  At that time, there were only weight classes with no age groups so a 25 year-old was competing against a 65 year-old as long as they weighed approximately the same.  I competed in the 181 lb. class and was your typical middle of the pack guy with personal bests of 455 lb. squat, 303 lb. bench and 501 lb. deadlift.  

 

The training schedule Paul and I did with Ralph consisted of bench and squats on Monday and Friday and deadlifts on Wednesday along with accessory movements including good mornings.  At the competitions we wore thicker wrestling-like singlets and knee wraps and not the multi-ply suits used today.  I am sure these singlets provided some help in the squat, but not much.  They certainly didn’t help in the bench and deadlift.  I stopped going to Jack Lalane in probably 1984 after I moved to Oceanside and started a moving and storage business called Brewer & Son, Inc. but continued to train, not too seriously, either in my basement or at Tom Terwilliger’s gym in Bellmore on Merrick Rd.  until I moved to the Tampa area in 1992 and got into the commercial real estate business.

 

I started serious powerlifting training again in 2015 at the age of 55 and have entered 6-8 competitions since then with my best total being 1,055 lbs.  I hope to be able to continue to powerlift into my 80’s and maybe be invited to some national competitions at some point.  When I can make it to south Florida, I train with a group of guys at Iron Therapy Gym in Lake Worth who have the same lifting spirit as the men I used to train with at the old Jack Lalane’s in Inwood 40 years ago.  I am truly blessed to have known both groups.  

 

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Ego Lifting Or Just Lifting? - By Jim Duggan

There is a popular term that people who work out like to use nowadays.  “Ego Lifting” is something that I never heard until recently.  Like many other phrases, it can have different meaning for different people.  And, like many phrases and words associated with lifting, I’m not entirely sure of what it quite means.  For instance, I have never understood the use of the word “Jacked” when referring to a person who lifts weights.  Is it supposed to be an adjective describing someone who is big and strong?  If so, does it make a difference if the person in question is drug-free or using steroids or other PEDs?  And, if he/she is not clean, then can we describe them as having used “Gear?”  Incidentally, “Using Gear” is one of my favorite sayings.  A neat and curious phrase.  It certainly is a cheerful euphemism for using steroids.  

     Incidentally, I have always gotten a kick out of some of the different phrases people use to describe those who take steroids.  Larry “Bruno” Licandro would refer to such a person as “Being on everything from A to Z.”  Legendary strength coach Kim Wood refers to steroids as “Gak,” which I think is pretty cool, too.  Tom Tedesco would refer to a user as someone who is “On the sauce.”  Over the last few years, I’ve used the phrase “Steroid-bloated druggie,” and I guess it kind of hits the nail on the head.  Of couse, Larry, Tommy, and Coach Wood were vehemently against the use of such drugs, so it’s not hard to see that those gentlemen had a great influence on how I view the whole issue.  

     I don’t mean to devote so much space to drug users, but I think the idea of ego lifting and drug use goes hand in hand, to a certain extent.  But the concept of ego lifting is something that is readily recognizable, if you train in a typical commercial gym.  Let me paint the picture:  A guy is training on a sled-type Leg Press machine.  He has loaded the machine with just about EVERY 45 Lb. plate within reach.  Imagine the machine loaded to the point where there is not room for any more plates.  Let’s just say twenty-four 45 Lb. plates ( 1,080 Lbs).  He now wraps his knees, tightens his belt, and gets in position in the machine.  He has two “gym bros” assist him in moving the weight off the safety pins.  Then, to the accompaniment of his screaming retinue, he will lower the stack roughly 6 inches or so, and then whilst using his hands to assist his legs, he will move the monstrous poundage to the completed position.  Upon completion of his “rep,” he will be cheered by his supporters while proudly proclaiming to the world that he has lifted nearly 1,100 pounds!  He will post this ( there is no way he will NOT have someone taking a video of this accomplishment, I mean, come on, this has to be shared).  Sometimes they will proclaim a new world record, as if there is a world record for such a silly movement.  If he’s lucky, at some point in his lifting journey, he will recognize how funny he looks, and correct himself.  Hopefully, before he injures himself.

     One time, years ago at The All-Natural Gym, Tom Tedesco came into the gym one night and decided that he wanted to Leg Press 1,000 Lbs, something he had never tried.  He didn’t make a big deal of it, in fact he mentioned it so casually that I didn’t realize what he was doing until he started loading plates to each side of the machine.  Even when it was loaded to one thousand pounds, he approached the poundage with  a cool professionalism that bordered on nonchalance.  I should not have been surprised, because I had never seen him display any emotion while competing.  In direct contrast to many powerlifters, he would approach each lift with a quiet confidence, confidence that had been developed through years of steady training.  As he settled in the machine ( no belt, no knee wraps), he simply unracked the weight, moved the safety handles, then slowly lowered the massive weight until his knees were on his armpits, then smoothly pushed the weight back up to the completed position.  He didn’t make a sound, and aside from myself, nobody in the gym noticed what had happened.  He could have easily done more, but he simply wanted to prove to himself that he could do it.  

     Now, who do you think is engaged in “ego lifting?”  Which brings me to an important point that I would like to make:  Just because someone is training hard and/or heavy, that does not mean that “ego lifting” is involved.  There are many lifters who are brutally strong, yet they toil away in near anonymity, content to lift for themselves and not for “Likes,” or followers in social media.  The fact that they can lift tremendous poundages is no reason to carry on like a mad banshee.  And when you consider that most of the “lifters” who do carry on can’t hold a candle to the truly strong individuals who train in a professional manner.  

     I used to enjoy watching people lift, back when I trained in a commercial gym.  I always got a kick out of a group of guys who do Deadlifts every Friday night.  They would set things up on the platform, and work through their warm-ups until they reached their working poundages.  What was funny was that as the weight on the bar increased, they would make a point of deliberately dropping the bar.  Not withstanding the fact that such behavior would result in the lift being judged “No Good,” I couldn’t imagine why they would do something like that until it hit me:  NOISE.  They just had to make noise to draw attention to themselves.  Certainly their lifting ability was no cause for anyone to notice them, but drop a loaded barbell and the whole place took notice.  A sudden, loud noise will cause everyone to stop and see where it was coming from.  It’s human nature.  Now, if having people pay attention to you is important, and that’s a big “if” in my opinion, wouldn’t it be more gratifying for it to be for your lifting ability?  I mean anybody could make noise.

     I suppose another form of “ego lifting” is that special type of individual who just has to make some outlandish claim about their ability.  The guy who claims to lift a certain amount of weight, yet when asked to provide proof of their ability, they fold like a beach chair.  We’ve all encountered the “Toppers,” those people who, upon finding out what you lift, they always come up with a number that is always a little bit higher.  Always.  Again, when it comes time to back their claims, they try to change the subject.  One good thing about competing in sanctioned competition, is that the Meet Results are there for all to see.  

    Years ago, there used to be a lifter who competed in local meets in the NY tri-state area.  He was in his forties, and claimed to have been a former weightlifting champion, powerlifting champion, as well as decorated Vietnam war veteran.  He also claimed to hold a Master’s degree as well as a PhD from a well known university.  His weightlifting claims were debunked by several prominent Olympic weightlifters who had never heard of him.  His education claims, likewise were found to be bogus ( a prominent lifter and meet director had attended and was a professor at the university in question).  And his military claims, similarly were found to be untrue by another lifter who HAD served and who had worked for the Veteran’s Administration.  Why anyone would make such outlandish claims is beyond me.  Oh, and the liar in question also claimed to have won over 300 trophies during his career.  This guy was George Santos before there was a George Santos.  If I believed in reincarnation……

     So, the next time you see someone drawing attention to themselves, either by their behavior, or outlandish claims, just try to get a laugh out of it.  It’s true that some people serve as an example of what not to do, but it’s also a fact that some people were simply put on this earth to make us laugh.

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Full Circle: and ready to train again - By Ted Peterson

My name is Ted and I am 53 years old. You might be thinking that's great Ted, now who are you and why are you writing an article for Natural Strength?

Read on and you might understand, relate, and become motivated to press on with life and your training goals. Let me start by going back to the late 1990's and early 2000's. I was in my late 20's and early 30's. Coming out of the military I was in "good" shape and lifted weights regularly. I trained with passion and loved being in the gym pushing myself and anyone around me physically and mentally.

All that being said I hit a place in my training where I thought that I had "plateaued." I was training faithfully and taking all the popular protein powders of the era. I went to a locally owned nutrition store and spoke with an "older guy" that looked serious about his training. He didn't have a Hollywood muscle for show build, but had an I can pick up a truck kind of look. I shared my frustrations of not making anymore gains in the gym and he asked how many days a week I trained. I answered proudly that I lift weights five or more days a week. I will never forget him rolling his eyes at me and saying come here as he walked toward the books section. He proceeded to explain to me that I was training too frequently and focusing on "body parts" instead of full body, big muscle movements. He handed me several free copies of Hardgainer and encouraged me to read through them.

This is when I was introduced to the writing of "Maximum" Bob Whelan. Although there were many great articles by other contributors I always seemed to gravitate towards Bob's articles. When I began reading hardgainer back then I was 6' tall and weighed about 186. I am not going to lie, these hardgainer articles challenged me mentally. They went against almost everything that I had been taught about strength training. Train less often and quit wasting your money on protein powder!? Eat a big fat steak was, and to this day is, one of Bob's main protein recommendations. So I read hardgainer articles and began to apply the principles of Bob's coaching in them.

Beyond the training tips I found the articles to be incredibly motivating as Bob would describe the brutal sessions, toughness, and attitudes of so many he trained. I applied many of the principles and went from weighing 186 to eventually peaking at 210 pounds! 210 for me was maximizing my genetics for sure and with the increased muscle mass my strength also increased incredibly. My buddies kept asking what magic protein supplement I was on. Some even hinted that roids might be involved, which really pissed me off. Many would "work out" for two hours at the gym, yet the only thing that grew might have been their mandibles. I am no better, or lesser than any man, but my gains were steady, over the course of time, and were made through honest and consistent hard work. I wasn't going to allow people to take that from me especially after I would share the training principles, knowledge, and Bob's articles with them.

I have many life experiences and one thing I've unfortunately noticed is that many people are good with living mediocre lives and want things easy. Enough of that. Let's fast forward to injuries at 43. After 9/11 I served in the military for another 4 years and then as a first responder for an additional 15 years until cumulative injuries took their toll on me. My careers were ended, I was facing surgeries, training was reduced to doctors approving "doing cardio", and I went into a depression. At the urging of family and a couple of close friends I went to the VA and began to tackle some of the intrusive memories that I had from the types of professions I had chosen. I had to dig in mentally and I pressed on. I can't say how challenging it was and to this day I have to work on keeping my mind strong.

I met with a physical therapist, Dr. Erik Salley, from Restore Performance Institute and he said that I could be restored physically. Wait, what!? The next year and a half would be challenging and rewarding. Erik believes that the mind, body, and spirit are all intertwined. Erik went against most of the don't do anything and take these pain meds norms. Over the next year Erik would help me physically and mentally to believe that I was in fact on track to be able to train again. Eventually he had me begin training with a young man named Rian on the human performance side of the house. I can't express how grateful I am to Erik and Rian for the patience and motivation that they provided during this time in my life.

So here I was back in the gym. At first I was just excited to be back in the gym training and then I had a "what am I doing at 53" moment. I am at a different place in life, what are my training goals? I believe I have more in the tank and remembered Bob Whelan's coaching articles. I went to Natural Strength.com There they were, so many of the articles and kick ass motivated attitudes that I remembered, and I knew that I had the itch again and I want to train with goals.

I reached out to Bob in an email and to my surprise he responded. I say surprised because in my mind this has got to be one of the most sought after strength coaches in the country and he took the time to email me. I shared where I was at in life and about my desire to train with some purpose again. Bob scheduled a phone consultation with me and my goal was to shut up, listen, and have a pen and paper ready to write. I did plenty of writing, but we also enjoyed some great conversation about life. Bob is the real deal. He does not care to impress anyone, he is exactly the person behind the articles that I read 25 years ago. He is very direct, which I appreciate, and he is very genuine and passionate about coaching people to better themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was humbled when he asked me to share some of my story and now with a fresh set of coaching notes I look forward to the hard work and making progress with my training. Thanks for allowing me to share and I encourage you to not give up, get after it, no matter what chapter of life you are in. Thanks "Maximum" Bob!

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