BEYOND STRONG

29 explanations - No. 3

Strength then size then conditioning

I'm basing this explanation on the guys and girls that go to the gym and want to do a few good feats of strength AND look good. At the end of the day that's 90% or more of gym goers today. You want muscles, a little functionality and some definition. Tell me I'm wrong!

Strength

Strength should be your number one priority throughout your training life. You don't have to think powerlifting or strongman but without strength everything suffers and with it everything is easier. Strength comes in many forms - maximum strength (1RM), strength endurance (the ability to do multiple repetitions without fatigue) and power (strength x speed) and if you look at Powerlifting there are things like speed strength, strength speed, Maximum Effort (ME) and sometimes you have elastic and static strength too. It can get very confusing.

For what most people need though strength is based around 1RM and strength endurance. This means what you can lift for a maximum lift and what you can lift for repetitions. Some people will be better at one more than another and vice versa. This is because fast and slow twitch muscle fibres make up the human body. Everyone is different. For example, I am predominantly fast twitch. I am quite fast and explosive and find endurance much harder. Someone with slow twitch fibres would be great at endurance but not so good at one rep maxes. It doesn't matter what you are, use what you have and play to your strengths.

Once you have a good level of strength (more on this in another article) you can then use that strength to build size.

Size

Trying to build size without having built strength first is pointless. Big muscles require big weights and even if huge bulk isn't your bag, getting clearly defined muscles won't happen unless you are strong first. Plus why would you want to be big but not strong? It would be really strange to see a big, muscular man who was lifting tiny weights wouldn't it. Of course, some people do get very strong without putting on lots of excess mass but that's usually because they need to stay lighter for their sport. Those that can't put on weight are simply not eating enough.

To get bigger you have to use heavy weights that you can now use because you are strong. Combine that with heavy eating and you will grow. Now whether you put on fat as well will depend on what you eat, your age, your physical make-up and how you train but rest assured that if you eat more than you need to and train hard you will gain muscle. It is that simple.

Conditioning

Conditioning is a general term I use for fitness, athleticism and/or the quality of muscle that has been built. If you are strong enough and big enough then the icing on the cake is conditioning.

Now conditioning, like all three of these subjects is a huge area. It can involve diet, general fitness or general physical preparedness (GPP), jumping and mobility work (athleticism), circuit training and sports specific training or special physical preparedness (SPP). As you can see it is a huge area of training.

However, for most people, you would never need to do all of these things all of the time. I tend to utilize parts of them into my training. For example, I might do a weight training workout and then do a fast paced abdominal circuit mixed with some jumping onto boxes. That in itself would be enough for one workout. Another way would be to finish your weights workouts with 5 x 500m rows on the Concept 2 rower with 1 minute rests in between. That's another way of getting 'some' conditioning into your training. Another way would be simply cleaning up your diet.

You have to be careful as conditioning can become very intense and will affect your recovery and add to your weekly workload. In some ways you could get conditioned first as a good level of all of the conditioning methods would make you pretty awesome but without strength you would begin to struggle I feel. Or you might not want to be massively muscular and would instead rather be strong and conditioned. If your sport is boxing or MMA then that might make sense but I can guarantee that building some quality muscle will help most sports as well. And ladies, muscle is sexy. You will not get too big, ask the men, it is NOT easy to get big even with testosterone running through your veins. So get strong and add some muscle.

I could write tons of conditioning workouts but again they will be saved for another time.

For now remember...

BUILD STRENGTH FIRST - Strength is King.

BUILD SIZE NEXT - As much as you need.

BUILD CONDITIONING LAST - The icing on the cake.

BST

Serge Reding - Strong (and big and conditioned for his sport despite the belly!)

 

Huge (and VERY strong) Reg Park posing in the 1950's

 

Bruce Lee knew what conditioning was all about.

 

29 explanations - No. 2

10 years of consistent training

Everyone is in such a hurry to get 'ripped' or 'stacked' or whatever stupid term is in vogue these days. The truth is you are not going to build a great physique, great strength or become anything in any sport without a considerable amount of time and effort.

They say it takes 10,000 hours of consistent work in a subject to become a master. I don't know how true that is but in the world of weight training and all it encompasses I believe 10 years of effort will get you well above average.

There are exceptions to the rule - genetic freaks and excessive steroid use.

Genetic freaks are rare but they exist and you should never follow the advice of a genetic freak. They can grow, get stronger and generally do what they want and still make improvements. That's not to say genetic freaks don't work hard and don't know anything but they do tend to have massive advantages. Genetic freaks are often the guys and girls that don't work hard and yet have it all. Annoying. Genetic freaks that work hard are champions.

Steroids. Massive subject. They work. They are not without their inherent risks. They will speed up the process. They will cause problems.

Maximise your potential without them, far more rewarding but of course, it's gonna take a while longer.

For the rest of us that aren't in a hurry 10 years of 3-4 times a week hitting the gym with a few weeks a year off is what it takes. Do that for 5 years and you'll get some solid results. Do that for 10 years and you'll be right up there.

The other great thing about training for this much time is that after 10 years it's a way of life. You will maintain what you've built far easier than someone who yo yo's in and out of training all the time. After 10 years it's just like brushing your teeth, it's a part of what you do.

10 years. Sounds a long time, it's worth it though.

BST

 10 years? Try a lifetime. Has Stallone ever not looked good in the last 30 odd years (except for Cop Land).

 

 

29 explanations - No. 1

I read some of the comments, so many experts, so amusing but I'm glad so many enjoyed the list. I thought I'd explain the 29 points made in the last blog.

For what it's worth, it took me less than 29 minutes, more like 15, to come up with that list. I could have gone on and on but I'm saving myself for the book.

Proper squats below parallel

No exercise will give you more in return than heavy, full squats. The deadlift is close but squats rule the roost and and always will.

I am not a fan of the powerlifting squat. I can lift lots more if I go wider, sit right back and let my hips take the brunt of the stopping force of the squat. The range of motion is generally reduced and the forces are on the lower back and hips rather than the knees. The point of a powerlifting squat is to lift as heavy a weight as possible using the greatest biomechanical advantages you have. This means low on the back, keeping the lower leg as vertical as possible and using the big hip and lower back muscles to lift the weight. Nothing wrong with that from a pure Powerlifting point of view. If you want to squat big, squat like a Powerlifter but understand that to a degree you are demonstrating great strength through technique AND the power of your posterior chain.

The Olympic squat is the ideal squat. Full range of motion, athletic stance, bar high on the back and the emphasis is on the whole lower body. The quads are certainly more dominant but the hips, glutes and lower back are all involved to produce an exercise that babies do naturally.

From a development point of view, this is the squat that will produce sweeping quads and balanced development in the glutes, hamstrings, lower back and hips. It is also the go to squat for athletes all over the world from sprinters to cyclists to skiers.

Range of motion will vary from person to person. I squat well below parallel but I don't have the extreme flexibility to hit a rock bottom squat like high level Olympic Weightlifters do. Squat to your full capacity and if it's not deep enough work on Goblet squats, hip flexor, quad, calf and hamstring stretches, deep lunges for dynamic range of motion and exercises like the duck walk to work into a full squat.

Once you can squat do everything from single rep maximums to 20 rep sets to super high rep sets in the 50's plus.

Don't make it complicated. Men, women, young or old, no excuses, just squat - it works.

BST

Still the best squat video on YouTube...bodybuilding style, deep and quad dominant.

 

And the second best right here...1000lbs being dominated by Kirk. Powerlifting style but close stance.

 

And finally...Ivan Chakarov...Olympic style...no support gear at all and DEEP!

  

29 for 29

Having lifted weights for some 29 years (I was 14 and turn 43 in a few months)...here is some of what I know.

I am not explaining each thing. Use google or this other weird thing called books!

It is not new. It is not revolutionary. It does not contain fancy names. It works. It is free.

 

1. Proper squats below parallel.

2. 10 years of consistent training.

3. Strength then size then conditioning.

4. EVERYONE wants muscles.

5. Fat is unhealthy.

6. Too skinny is unhealthy.

7. Balanced strength and development is the key.

8. Arnold and Bill Kazmaier never used bands or chains.

9. The best physiques were built in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

10. Read, digest, experiment.

11. Ego training will get you injured.

12. There's always someone stronger.

13. If you just used Bill Starr's training programs for your whole lifting life you'd be set.

14. Lifting gurus - don't get me started.

15. If someone doesn't practice what they preach then don't listen to them.

16. Beware of the genetic freak.

17. Add weight to bodyweight exercises.

18. 300, 400, 500 is still pretty rare in most gyms.

19. Strict Military Pressing your bodyweight overhead is a worthy goal.

20. Full range of motion please.

21. Forget superslow or time under tension.

22. Supplements are generally inferior to this thing called food.

23. Getting big for the sake of it is stupid.

24. Girls train harder than men.

25. The gym should be treated like a dojo, with respect.

26. The old guy still squatting, pressing and pulling probably knows a thing or two.

27. A man will never be stronger than a gorilla.

28. Lifting weights will get you bigger, stronger, faster, fitter and slimmer, quicker than any other form of training.

29. Nobody cares about your training.

 

BST

 

Bill telling it like it is...

 

Check out the most basic equipment Arnold is using here...