TWO WORLD'S RECORDS AND BOOK RELEASE

Readers, I would like to update you on some rather remarkable events:

First, I just recently broke two Masters Level Word's Records in the strict curl during international competitions,under the governance of two separate but world-wide, drug free and drug tested weightlifting federations. Second, my newest novel, DARWIN SMILED, was just released. DARWIN SMILED is about a genetic freak of strength (if one wants to be very simplistic, as simplistic as saying that WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is mostly about the training of elephants). I figured the breaking of a few world's records would lend validity to DARWIN, so I timed the release of the book with certain competitions.

DARWIN SMILED, by the way, is self-published. This was a tough and, for me, demeaning decision. During the late 80s I was the guy Stephen King was excited enough about to endorse my books with St. Martin's Press. Oh, well. I grew
tired of praise for my writing but no offer to represent me because no one could imagine how they might successfully pitch a book to editors that was so "eclectic," so . . . cross-genre (Consider that the small amount of feedback I've gotten so far from readers are in the form of emails praising DARWIN SMILED as a unique and engaging romance). Anyway, please take a look at the book on either amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com, because I'm quite proud of its "look." My wife, whose paintings have won her a summer position as the Artist in Residence for eight years running, designed the cover.

Thanks for "listening". DARWIN SMILED - The tale of a motherless child gifted with superhuman strength and the sensual angel who saves him. Yes, a "strongmam" book,
but . . . sooo much more! Read the descriptive paragraphs on amazon.com.

WORKING OUT -- A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT

After observing others and also asking myself some TOUGH QUESTIONS regarding
my own WORKOUT HABITS, I long ago came to the conclusion that one of the
toughest questions any hard trainer can ask themselves is, "AM I TRULY
GETTING STRONGER AND MAKING LEGITIMATE GAINS FROM THIS
EXERCISE AND/OR THIS ROUTINE?" TRUTHFULLY? Because we all tend to
rationalize and even alter the performance of our exercises in order to avoid
that truth. We often FOOL OURSELVES. And we do it subconsciously.

Now I'm not talking about the novice trainee who during his first two years may
DOUBLE what he can bench, curl, etc. and is obviously bigger and stronger, even
if he has loosened up his form considerably. I'm talking about the person who
has trained for years and years and is now at the point where increasing his ten
rep MAX, for example, in his favorite lift by a paltry five or six percent during
a whole YEAR of hard work, would still consider his program a resounding SUCCESS.
Case in point:

A few years ago I desparately wanted to increase my CURLING STRENGTH.
My exercise of choice at the time was alternate dumbell curls, suppinating
from a "hammer" position at the bottom to a palms-up position at the top.
I worked HARD and progressed in a matter of months from using a pair of
55s all the way up to the 70s for ten reps each hand. But I finally had to
admit that my BICEPS did not show one whit of improvement, and finally my
son commented that each time I moved up in weight I dipped my curling
arm's shoulder even lower, to pass through the sticking point. My alternate
curls were fast becoming a series of FREAKY LOOKING one-arm cleans --
and I KNEW that, deep down inside ...
But I wouldn't fully acknowledge the TRUTH because I was hooked on the
ILLUSION of getting stronger; and when I retested myself in a slow, NO
MOMENTUM regular curl, I found I had gained little to nothing in REAL
biceps strength. TIME WASTED!

Because people who work out year after year after year so deparately want to
JUSTIFY all that work and commitment with results, they often slide into the
trap of FOOLING THEMSELVES by loosening up their form or even abandoning
an exercise too soon for a different one for the same bodypart, so that they
can't be PINNED DOWN (not even in their own minds) regarding the TRUTH
behind the question, "AM I really getting stronger? REALLY???

The answer is to CONTROL ALL VARIABLES within each exercise, so that everything
is EXACTLY THE SAME each time, except their increasing strength. Same bar (or machine);
same warm-up; same speed of movement (because momentum is the enemy of truly
challenging your muscles anyway -- COUNT THE SECONDS UP AND DOWN); same seat
and support settings if using a machine; same angle, if using a sitting OR supine bench;
same amount of rest between sets AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF that
would ensure that the only difference between workouts is an increase in weight and/or
reps WHEN YOU ARE ABLE. That's the way any scientist would handle it if asked to
do a study assessing the effectiveness of a particular mode of training. HOW ELSE
CAN ONE TRULY KNOW IF WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY WORKING?
Because we all tend to rationalize rather than admit something is NOT working
and that we should move on.

Of course one must GIVE A PROGRAM SUFFICIENT TIME, at least a month,
to really assess any approach we take, but don't be one of those scores of
people in every gym who have been training forever and yet are basically no
stronger and no more "muscled" than they were a year ago. They are that way
mainly because they can't examine their results honestly and empirically,
so, instead, they "change the variables" (subconsciously) to support their
self-deception.

By the way, the picture this time doesn't really have any real tie-in to my
theme, although any powerlifter THAT impressive probably is meticulous in
all aspects of his workout, including self-assessment.

THAT REP THING - PART II

Both in keeping with my high-rep theme AND in recognition of the WINTER
GAMES, I thought a picture of Eric Heiden would be in order. The dominant
male in the world of SPEED SKATING during the late 70s and early 80s, Eric
trained his legs with grueling FIFTY-REP sets in the squat with relatively
heavy weights. It worked for him.

As mentioned in PART I, I've always seemed to be able to move up indefinitely
when using reps in the 20 - 40 range, and I've often wondered how high that
form of training could take me. But alas, I don't seem to have the IRON WILL
to stick with it for months at a time. My mind starts playing tricks on me
and planting little seeds of doubt, even while I'm STILL PROGRESSING JUST
FINE. But I do know two thing: First, I'm never forced to abandon this form
of training due to injuries, because there are none. And second, almost ALL
OF MY STRENGTH GAINS realized after the age of 50, even low-rep-heavy-
weight gains (remember, I never do max singles) have been due to higher
rep training. I'm the first to admit, however, that this may be because the
real heavy stuff is always cut short by some sort of strain or inflamation
in one of the involved joints. I actually PROGRESS BETTER with the low rep,
heavy stuff; it's just that it's always aborted prematurely.

One approach to higher rep training that has always worked especially well
for me is the "20-20-18-16" method. This involves picking a weight you are
capable of handling for 28-30 reps and doing, instead, an easy, FAST first
set of twenty. Rest exactly one minute then do a second, KINDA HARD set of
twenty. Rest another minute and do a HARD-FOUGHT set of eighten. Rest one
more minute and do a final, SHAKEY-HARD set of sixteen. There seems to be
slightly MORE CARRY-OVER to commensurate gains with heavier weights
using this method; but for me it's hard to face for very many workouts in a row.

Nevertheless, it does work well -- just remember to ADJUST IT DOWN for
exercises with a longer range of travel such as curls, where the bar traces
an arc and thus travels farther than a straight-line, up-and-down motion,
like a row or a bench press. 16-16-14-12 works better there.

Good luck and keep doing SOMETHING!

THAT REP THING - PART I

It is generally believed that using a weight that allows more than 30
reps does VERY LITTLE towards building REAL STRENGTH - in ANY
exercise! Judging from my own experience, I'm not so sure that's true.
While there is definitely NOT a one-to-one CORRELATION between
a 30 rep increase in strength and a ONE REPETITION MAX increase in
strength, there is SOME. For the older trainee who may not be willing
to spend the time on the extensive warm-ups necessary for LOW-REP,
HEAVY WEIGHT TRAINING, this is good news. The following are some
observations regarding the heavy-or-light dilemma garnered over my own
FIFTY YEARS of weight training. This is the way things WORKED FOR
ME, so all statements should be regarded as "FOOD FOR THOUGHT"
rather than as universal truths:

1) I definitely make better strength gains in deadlifts, quadriceps
strength and ANY PULLING EXERCISE INVOLVING THE LATS
when I keep the reps above 20. The strength gained in those bodyparts
involved DOES seem to CORRELATE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT
with gains in strength with heavy weights and low reps. In other words,
if I increase 25 lbs. in my 20 rep max in, say, the deadlift, I can be
sure I'll be up 25 lbs. in my 5 rep max as well. I don't know how
these higher reps might affect my ONE REP MAX simply because
I never do maximum singles.

2) For all pressing motions the correlation only seems about half
that close. In other words, an increase in what I can seated press
for 20 reps might only give me a 5 lb. -- OR LESS -- increase in
my five-rep or three-rep max. But the thing is . . . it's STILL AN
INCREASE; and I'm able to obtain it without all the shoulder and
elbow DISCOMFORT AND STRAIN that the heavier, lower rep
training VIRTUALLY GUARANTEES.

3) No matter what exercise or bodypart I apply higher rep training
to, I can continue to move the weight up for many, many workouts
in a row, while heavy, low rep training stalls out and "STALES
OUT" after only five or six workouts - ALWAYS. This may be a
psychological thing, but I also think it has to do with the constant
strain on 62 year-old joints and tendons. The above illustration,
by the way, is a very accurate and NOT EXAGERATED depiction of
Gustav Fristensky (1901??), who did an above-average amount of
high rep training as well as the heavy stuff.

More on this in PART II.

ELBOWS FRONT PRESSES - PART II

In PART I, I discussed reasons for -- and advantages of -- keeping one's elbows pointing forward throughout the overhead press. It is
less DAMAGING on both the shoulder joint
itself and on all other components thereof:
including tendons, ligaments and DELTOID MUSCLE. Two more reasons and/or advantages come to mind:
One is the fact that there seems (judging by PUMP, SORENESS & RESULTS) to be
more of an involvement of the upper or CLAVICULAR pecs in this elbows-front position.

The second resides in the same general family as a "back-handed compliment."
It DOES NOT involve the lateral portion of the deltoid any LESS THAN
allowing the elbows to flare during the press. Sadly, presses are not
a very EFFICIENT way of working the SIDE DELT. Those who point to the
excellent overall SHOULDER DEVELOPMENT of Olympic-style weightlifters
prior to the elimination of the press forget that their pulling style
was SIDE DELT INTENSIVE back then, as opposed to the double-knee bend,
bounce-off-their-thighs manner of pulling in both the snatch and the clean
that is allowed today.

Three methods of ENSURING proper allignment in elbows-front pressing are:
CURL GRIP pressing, BELTED dumbell presses, and PLATE PRESSES. The
latter two are pictured. In the belted presses, the belt is looped
around both dumbell handles BEHIND the little-finger side of the hand.
It will be closer to your legs and body on the clean and far from you
during the press. Use a belt that allows a 14 - 16 inch spacing between
the two handles. On the plate presses, more than two 45's together
carry too much potential for sliding on each other, so use a two-inch
dowel and collars to add aditional weight (sorry that the pictures do
not show the protruding dowel, ten pound plate and collar on either
side of the two 45's very well; the dowel is approx. 8 inches) REMEMBER
TO TILT THE PLATES on the press so you don't HIT YOUR NOSE or TEETH.
Although PLATE PRESSES call upon the UPPER PECS the most of the three
methods discussed, they are also the MOST DANGEROUS. Go light until
you get the feel of this rather awkward movement.

Regarding the CURL GRIP presses, all I can say is they are the choice where
the LEAST CAN GO WRONG and have the highest POUNDAGE POTENTIAL
of the three methods. I can actually get more reps this way than in regular overhead
presses with the same weight on the bar -- but my THUMBS HURT afterwards,
as they seem to put more stress on the thumb/index finger "valley" than a
regular grip. You need to take a fairly narrow hand-spacing in these, probably
no more than 14 or 15 inches between little fingers.

Good luck and BE CAREFUL, especially if you opt for the plate presses!

ELBOWS FRONT PRESSES - PART I

As stated in previous posts I'm a big fan of overhead pressing (I know
the pic is not of a press; more on that later). This fondness was solidified
during my years as FIELD EVENTS COACH for Troy (MI) High School's track
team. I must have read every scientific study published concerning the
relative merits of various weight exercises for IMPROVED ATHLETIC
PERFORMANCE. Believe me, overhead pressing is wayyy up there! Not as
high as NUMBER ONE, the power clean, but definitely one of the best
upper body moves you can do to transfer any kind of ARM-STRAIGHTENING
power to your chosen sport. I, of course, was most interested in
improvement in my athletes'shot-putting prowess, but I also learned
that it is the best form of pressing for INCREASED PUNCHING POWER --
exponentially better than the bench press (but even that exercise takes
on a whole new dimension of TRANSFERABLE STRENGTH if one adheres
to the following simple recommendation, which is . . .

KEEP YOUR ELBOWS TO THE FRONT.

The ADVANTAGES of this strategy?
Most importantly, the avoidance of many nagging shoulder irritations,
inflamatory conditions & injuries. The shoulder joint is more "closed"
in this position and less vulnerable. That is why our upper arm and
elbow are INSTINCTIVELY kept along our side when we initiate a sudden
and violent "push" in everyday life, such as getting a stalled car
rolling, initially, or in throwing a punch (although in the latter
the elbow does flare up and wider during the finish). The anterior
deltoid is not given a chance to ABRADE back and forth over the bony
projection of the underlying bones -- snap, SNAP, snap, SNAP -- thus
becoming sore and inflamed, as has been the case with regular presses
in my own experience and ditto with numerous other older trainees
I've worked with and/or spoken to. There is also less chance of
pinching and irritating the SUPRASPINATUS tendon which, when inflamed,
is the SINGLE MOST COMMON shoulder problem men have according to my
son, an orthopedic surgeon whose specialty is the shoulder joint.

There are other advantages but this post is getting rather lengthy.
I will discuss those in PART II -- along with HOW TO APPLY this
elbows-front technique most effectively, comfortably and without
compromising your PRESS POUNDAGES. Right now I feel it is
important to remind readers that my NUMBER ONE REASON for starting
this blog is to present ideas that will allow a person to keep STRONG
OVER A LIFETIME, and an important tenet there is the AVOIDANCE OF THAT
WHICH SLOWLY BUT SURELY ACCUMULATES HARM. By the way, the picture
is of Bill March, still considered by authorities to be one of the strongest pressers
of all time (390 in perfect, military style), even though in this
picture he is doing a curl hold.

OBLIQUES - THE "TORQUE MUSCLE" AND YOUR LOWER BACK'S FRIEND

The ONLY time I ever experience LOWER BACK DISCOMFORT is when I neglect
to work my obliques at least once every five or six days. Makes sense;
the obliques (both external and internal) are one of the MOST IMPORTANT
muscle groups in the entire abdominal area, much more important than the
practically-WORSHIPPED rectus abdominus muscles, the"SIX PACK." They
are, in fact, CRUCIAL to just about ANY ATHLETIC ENDEAVOR.

If one is able to THROW HARD, PUNCH with KNOCK-OUT FORCE, or lever an
opponent where one wants him to go in ANY GRAPPLING, WRESTLING SITUATION
with ease, they can primarily thank the STRENGTH in their OBLIQUES.
This is the muscle group that forcefully TWISTS us to either side, bends
us sideways-and-down or just plain sideways. It is the BATTING muscle,
the torque-from-the-body THROWING muscle and the muscle that prevents
forward force fom either hand being DISSIPATED by UNWANTED twist (it
contracts statically to accomplish this). It is also the GREAT STABILIZER
of our torso, girding and reinforcing our sides with SLABS MUSCLE - which
PROTECTS the lower back.

Bobby Pandour, the turn-of-the-century strongman pictured here had great
obliqes because no weight-trainer back then worth their salt ever did side
bends with less than 150-200 lbs. held in the hand opposite the side he
was trying to work. Some used a great deal more (pardon the censoring;
Bobby was an artist's model for the famous sculptor August Rodin and a
"free spirit" who was partial to fig leaves).

Besides side bends, one needs to work the twisting function of this muscle.
The exercise that works best for me for LOTS OF TWSTING POWER in the torso,
and the one that makes my lower back feel 19 years old... is leg side-to-
sides. Lie on the floor (or better yet, on a queen-sized bed). With arms
straight out to the side in what's called the crucifix position, raise both
straight legs, keeping them together, until the soles of your feet point
towards the ceiling. Now, keeping the legs straight and together, allow
them to drop to the left until your feet or ankles touch your left hand.
Lever them back up again, then drop them to the right, touching your right
hand. Continue, to-the-left, to-the-right, until reaching your target reps
(a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 60). Good Luck!