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Before the internet, the world of strength and serious bodybuilding was in it's very own little world.
A small culture of people who shocked the rest of the world for doing what they did:
- Lifting HEAVY and straining the body
- Eating like Gladiators
- Transforming their body / Growing Muscles that stretched shirts
- The ability to perform feats of strength
Well, after this weekend's USC Cert, we had a few guys in attendance who were in their 20s and they had never seen the movie,'Pumping Iron' with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I spoke of Franco Columbo deadlifting a small car (in the video below) and how the bodybuilders from back in the 70s were more of a hyrbid power-bodybuilder because they lifted so heavy.
They also were BIG proponents of bodyweight exercises performed in high volume and / or with LOTS of added weight.
Arnold would perform back workouts by performing mixed grip pull ups until he could NO longer hold onto the bar!
Other times it would 5 sets each of chin ups, behind the neck chin ups and close grip chin ups.
When is the last time you saw anyone cranking out 15 sets of pull ups?
There is a man who I would consider "Strong as Hell" by the name of Marvin Eder, who was known for his astonishing strength back in the 50s and 60s and still, TODAY is known around the world in the circles of strength and bodybuilding, NOT just his astonishing strength in exercises such as dips and chins, but his strength in the powerlifts and the military press.
He weighed under 200 lbs yet would perform parallel bar dips with 2 men, each hanging from his legs.
His workouts motivate me to consider 100 dips my warm up, NOT a workout.
Marvin could also squat 500 plus pounds for 10 deep reps and had a bench press over 500 lbs as well.
This reminds me: I am NOT strong enough and have LOTS of work to do ahead of me.
What about you, are you strong enough yet?
Are you satisfied with your strength in the below movements?
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Strict Press
- Dips
- Chin Ups
I'm gonna be hitting a playground workout shortly, and at The Underground Strength Gym later tonight I'll be squatting and deadlifting.
Today's Morning workout will be tons of push ups, pull ups and dips.
Evening has Squats and Deads on the agenda.
I'm pretty fired up, motivated MORE than ever to be stronger than ever. I'm ALWAYS chasing the pain AND new found levels of strength.
In life, you gotta have BIG things to go after, BIG goals to attack. Starting my day at The Underground at 3 o'clock I'll be training Rutgers Wrestling Team today as well.
I am excited to see the damage they're going to be dishing out on their competition as they get stronger and more exposive training at The Underground Strength Gym, and, we'll be blasting their conditioning levels
to a whole new level.
Once again....
All this talk of Marvin Eder and the men of amazing strength reminds me:
I am NOT strong enough and have LOTS of work to do ahead of me.
What about you, are you strong enough yet?
Lead from the front.
--Z--
PS: One of THE most impressive and influential books I have ever come across in the world of developing FREAK Strength has to be the one I picked up from Marty Gallagher, below, GET it HERE.
Of course, only if you're NOT strong enough.
Time to train!
PPS: Here are a few of my Critical Web Sites for SERIOUS Lifters and Coaches:
6 Responses
I don’t think I ever have been, or ever will be content about my strength levels. I’m pretty strong, but I think we all still want more. That’s what keeps me going through tough workouts.
I saw the movie in the theater…yep I’m older than you! Had the VHS copy and now the DVD.
And back then I was a bodybuilder. And bodybuilding is really different compared to the “old days”.
Actually so are a lot of the “regular” sports. Athletes didn’t whine much back then. You did things that were effective and kept on going.
Glad you are at the fore front bringin it all back!
Bill
Cameron, hells yea dude, that’s what it’s about, chasing MORE! Keep at it and keep me posted!
Bill – How right you are bro! The bodybuilding back then was more of what we could call power-bodybuilding.
Lots of heavy lifting, basics, free weights and pushing for strength AND size.
I too had Pumping Iron on VHS! But now, all DVD.
Have you seen the anniversary edition, where they created a NEW DVD of all the lost footage, well, not ALL, but another 45 minutes or so and it was seriously an amazing behind the scenes.
You gotta get it!
–z–
Z,
Yep got the anniversary edition. Interesting to see the “old guys” again.
I got to meet a few of them at the Arnold. A few years ago I was on the medical staff for the stong man events. Met Arnold, Frank Zane, Lou and Ed Corney.
Actually met Viator, Mike and Ray Mentzer and Tom Platz when I was in a contest in Calif…geez way back in the early 80s!
Bill
traditional bodyweight exercises (especially with additional weight) are fantastic for strength and mass development. it’s crazy the differences in bodybuilding programs nowadays versus back when arnold was around. i’ve never really bought into the whole do 10 different sets of grips on the pulldowns each workout and the fact that arnold would just crank out set after set with only a couple grips for pullups really suggests that you can have a back wider than a barn without a million different exercises!