Saturday, January 14, 2012

you are an individual

You Are An individual


by Bill Starr


Bill Starrs you are an individual

You Are An individual

I’ve always been a staunch advocate of teaching correct form on all exercises, for I believe it’s critical to making progress and avoiding injuries. Since I deal almost exclusively with athletes, I have everyone start with the basic routine – that is, unless someone is physically unable to do a certain lift. The big three exercises form the foundation for future strength work, so everyone learns how to do full squats, power cleans and bench presses. I teach everyone the same technique, regardless of background, body type or strength level. 

workload

The Concept of Workload

by Bill Starr
bill starr The Concept of Workload


Understanding and using the concept of workload is very valuable to anyone who’s seriously interested in getting stronger. It provides you with useful information on just how much work you’re really doing. This, in turn, helps you analyze your current program and plan your future workouts. If you don’t know exactly how much total work you’re doing, this planning process is usually hit-or-miss.

widen your wingspan

Only The Strong Shall Survive: Widen Your Wingspan

By: Bill Starr

BillStarr widen your wingspan

Lats were never high on my list of muscles I cared about, and I never made a conscious effort to enhance them. I was much more concerned with developing strong traps and lumbars, since I participated in Olympic weightlifting. In my mind, wide lats were for bodybuilders. That changed when I started dating a young lady who was completely enamored of big lats. I'd always thought that the opposite sex was attracted to big arms, chests and even glutes. But lats? That threw me, but since they turned her on, I added a few specific exercises to try to make mine larger.

warming up

The Value of Warming Up and Stretching

by Bill Starr
The Value of Warming Up and Stretching


As I watch the members of various health clubs and gyms go about their routines, one of the things that strikes me the most is just how few bother to do any type of warmup. The majority walk into the weight room, drop their gym bags and proceed to lift. What’s more, only a very few do any stretching before they lift, or afterward, for that matter. Once they complete their workouts, they grab their bags and rush out the door.

variation by bill starr

Variation

by Bill Starr
variation by bill starr


One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is, “How can I fit all the exercises I want to do into my program?” Sometimes their lists take up most of the page. If they did all those movements in a week their workouts would last three hours or more, which is certainly not a wise approach.

timed squats

 Strong Shall Survive Time to Squat

by Bill Starr
Strong Shall Survive Time to Squat


Most readers of this magazine want to make continuous progress and move their top-end numbers up on a regular basis. Change is an excellent method of achieving those goals. Changing a routine, even slightly, can instill enthusiasm for your workouts. Anything that helps you look forward to your next session in the weight room is a positive thing.

the press part 2 by bill starr

The Press, Part Two

by Bill Starr
the press part 2 by bill starr


In my last article, I listed many reasons why I believe all strength athletes should include the military, or overhead, press in their routines. I presented some basic instruction on performing the lift and also pointed out that even though the military press is easy to learn, the form becomes more complicated once the weights get heavy. Few have any difficulty pressing light and moderate poundages, but it’s an entirely different story when a max double or single is being attempted. At that point the technique must be perfect. the smallest form flaw will result in failure – not just sometimes but always.

the press part 1 by bill starr

The Press, Part One

by Bill Starr
the press part 1 by bill starr


Last February (2006) Dave Draper’s wife, Laree, contacted me regarding an online forum about my book The Strongest Shall Survive. She asked if I’d respond to questions posted by members of the forum. Since I’ve never been one to pass up free publicity, I readily agreed. See here - http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/7317

tempo tactics

Only the Strong Shall Survive: Tempo Tactics

By: Bill Starr
Strong Shall Survive: Tempo Tactics


I enjoy it when Uncle Buddy visits. He brings me gifts, buys meals at nice restaurants and is fun to be around, but I confess that I much prefer short visits to longer ones. Uncle Buddy has too much energy for my torpid personality. After two days of trying to keep up with him, I'm flat worn out. He gets up early and stays up late, only needing a few hours' rest. I, on the other hand, require lots of sleep, so by day three of his most recent visit I was groggy, wishing that his lady friend would get here and he'd leave me in peace.

tarps make the man by bill starr

tarps Make The Man

by Bill Starr
tarps make the man by bill starr


Strong tarps can help prevent injury. Here's how to build them.

It was a holiday weekend and all the commercial gyms were closed, but the shed at Sam Fielder's dairy farm on the Johns Hopkins campus was open as usual. Walking in, I was surprised to find Jack and Allen working out. I gave them a friendly nod (that was my first mistake) and started my regular Friday program (my second mistake). "Say, caoch," Jack said, coming over to me, "could we ask you a couple training questions?" I sighed. "Fire away." That was my third mistake. What was coming my way wasn't a couple of random shots but a fusillade, a broadside.

tailoring your program by Bill Starr

Tailoring Your Program

by Bill Starr
tailoring your program by Bill Starr


Tommy Suggs and I have known each other since we were collegiate lifters in Texas. When he brought me to the York Barbell Company in 1965 to be his assistant editor at Strength & Health magazine, we started training together. It didn’t take Tommy long to figure out that I was an overachiever in the gym. He quickly determined that he didn’t need to do as much work as I did in order to be successful. He made it a rule to do half of what I did.

strengthening the ankles by bill starr

Strengthening the Ankles

by Bill Starr
strengthening the ankles by bill starr


I’ve observed over the years that most people, athletes and non-athletes alike, take their ankles for granted – that is, until they injure one. Then they fully comprehend just how vital ankles are to their well-being. Simple everyday tasks such as walking and climbing stairs suddenly become very difficult, and participating in any type of physical activity is out of the question.

starr fullproof dumbell

Fool-Proof Dumbbell Training

By: Bill Starr
starr fullproof dumbell


Bodybuilders always include plenty of dumbbell exercises in their routines, but quite a few strength athletes avoid them completely. If they use them at all, they relegate the dumbbells to auxiliary exercises and use light weights. I'm a big fan of dumbbells, both light and heavy. They're most useful to all serious strength athletes, as well as those who only train for general fitness, and they're invaluable for rehab. What's more, for people who train alone, they're extremely beneficial, since you don't need a spotter.

stabalizing the shoulder girdle

Stabilizing The Shoulder Girdle

by Bill Starr
Stabilizing The Shoulder Girdle


One of the basic keys to continually gaining strength is to avoid injuries. Nothing, and I mean nothing, deters progress like a severe injury. Smaller problems can also be quite irritating, but in most cases you can work around them successfully until they’re healed. Most people, when they embark on a strength-training routine, worry about hurting their backs. In truth, however, the most frequently injured area is the shoulder girdle. Injuries occur in that area primarily for two reasons: 1) People overtrain it, and 2) they use faulty form on shoulder girdle exercises.

squat variation by bill starr

Squat Variation

by Bill Starr
squat variation by bill starr


Most lifters want to make continuous progress and move their top-end numbers up on a regular basis. Change is an excellent method of achieving these goals. Changing a routine, even slightly, can instill enthusiasm for your workouts, and anything that helps you look forward to your next session in the weight room is a positive thing.

squat alternatives by bill starr

Squat Alternatives

by Bill Starr
squat alternatives by bill starr


I get a lot of questions from strength athletes regarding squatting. Some say they’re stale after doing the same squat routine for a number of years. Others relate that they’re unable to do conventional squats due to an injury or shoulder surgery. Still others want to know how they can build more variety into their squat routines.

sid henry program

Only the Strong Shall Survive

An Ideal Beginning Strength Program

By: Bill Starr
sid henry program


The majority of requests for information I receive deal with back injuries and programming. This month I present what I believe to be one of the best beginning routines for strength training, but it also holds special interest for anyone who includes high-skill exercises in his or her program. While I like to think that I've come up with some original programming concepts over the years, this isn't one of them. This came from Sid Henry of Dallas.

shrugs by bill starr

High Pulls and Shrugs

by Bill Starr
High Pulls and Shrugs


All serious strength athletes include at least one dynamic pulling exercise in their routines. They understand that by handling heavy weights in an explosive fashion, they build much stronger and more functional muscles. Of course, some sports require more powerful back, hip, leg and shoulder muscles than others. Those who participate in contact sports absolutely must prepare their entire bodies for stress on the playing field, and Olympic-style weightlifting is all about developing the muscles and attachments used in pulling big numbers in the snatch and clean.

shoulder rehab

Shoulder Rehab

by Bill Starr
shoulder rehab


I was patiently waiting for the last of my luggage when I spotted Davey amble through the doorway. He stood for a bit, surveying the scene, in hopes of finding me in the crowd around the baggage claim turntable.

sequence for strength

Only The Strong Shall Survive: Sequence For Strength

By: Bill Starr
sequence for strength


It had been more than three years since I'd seen Uncle Buddy. There had been an occasional card from some foreign country to let me know he was still breathing, but that was the extent of it. Then one day I opened my door, and there he was, full of grins and carrying an armload of gifts. Over coffee I asked the obvious question, and it took an hour for him to fill me in. He'd been all over the map but had spent the majority of the last year in Amsterdam. Uncle Buddy was a merchant seaman, and it wasn't at all like him to settle in one place for so long. 'Why Amsterdam?' I asked.

semchem

Sets and Reps Sets and Reps

by Bill Starr
Sets and Reps Sets and Reps


"The researchers found that 4-6 repetitions of 4-6 sets, increasint the weight on each successive set, produced the most significant increase in strength. [...] I simplified the formula to five sets of five reps [...]. So the program would consist of fice sets of fice on each of the "Big Three" including the warm-up." "The researchers found that 4-6 repetitions of 4-6 sets, increasint the weight on each successive set, produced the most significant increase in strength. [...] I simplified the formula to five sets of five reps [... ]. So the program would consist of fice sets of fice on each of the "Big Three" including the warm. "

rotator cuff

Only the Strong Shall Survive

Tough Cuff: Bullet-proof Your Rotators for Pain-free Power

By: Bill Starr
Only the Strong Shall Survive


Injuries to the rotator cuff have risen significantly over the past few decades. Nowadays it seems that everyone who's trained seriously for more than half a dozen years suffers from some degree of rotator cuff problems or has pain in the shoulder itself. The severity ranges from nagging aches during the night to sharp pains that prevent you from doing any physical activity that involves your arm.

rehabbing the lower back

Rehabilitating the Lower Back

by Bill Starr
rehabbing the lower back


The sky was ash-gray with all the signs of an incoming storm straight off the Gulf. The air was muggy and still. I found a place on the screened porch that always catches a bit of breeze, regardless of the weather, and turned by attention to Michelangelo’s epic confrontation with Pope Julius as recorded by Irving Stone in The Agony and the Ecstasy. I was at the point of the story where the Pope was trying to convince Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a task the strong-willed artist was resisting with all his body and soul.

quick lifts by bill starr

Add Strength with the Quick Lifts

by Bill Starr
quick lifts by bill starr


One of the best things about weight training is that there are so many ways to improve your functional strength. To me, functional strength is all that matters, for if you can’t use your new power in some manner, what’s the purpose of training? There are dozens of excellent exercises for the various parts of the body. There are also many variations of set-and-rep sequences. Some coaches believe in using higher reps and less weight, while others say that handling heavy weights for lower reps is the ticket to success. There are systems designed for the rank beginner, the intermediate and the advanced lifter.

questions

questions
questions

#1
The Power Clean is what I would call a technique intensive movment, if done properly. The slow pull from the floor with straight arms, the explosive second pull, with elbows up and up, rising on the toes with a full shoulder shrug. This is a good movement for a well-conditioned athlete...but there exists quite a potential for damage from the uncoached movement, i.e. like Cajin turning his wrists over either too slowly or with lack of sufficient height...either one will strain the wrist tendons.

quarter squats

Write Bill Starr on page 81 of Strongest:

quarter squats


"One of the best ways to overload the muscles of the legs and hips is by doing heavy half or quarter squats. What most people call a half squat is in actuality a quarter squat, so I will use the latter term.

proportionate strength

proportionate strength

By Bill Starr
proportionate strength


Achieving a higher level of strength fitness is a constant, everchanging challenge. The program that enabled you to reach one level may no longer be as effective when you try to move up another notch. To some this is quite frustrating, for change is bothersome and requires you to adapt by learning new exercises, altering the order of exercises or even switching the set and rep sequence. To me, however, this is what makes strength training so intriguing. It's also one of the main reasons that there aren't many genuinely strong people in this country.

program design

program design

By Bill Starr
program design


The very first step in setting up a strength program is deciding exactly what you are trying to accomplish with your training. Are you most interested in establishing a solid strength base for a sport like football or basketball, becoming a better bodybuilder, powerlifter or weightlifter, or getting stronger to enhance your general fitness? It's a key consideration because there are many, many approaches to a strength routine.

power surge

Only the Strong Shall Survive: Power Surge

By: Bill Starr
Strong Shall Survive


One of the biggest problems that strength athletes have is determining how many sets and reps they should do on the exercises in their programs. Naturally, what they do will depend to a large degree on their strength level. Those just getting started on a strength routine would not use the same set-and-rep formula as someone who's been strength training for several years, although many basic principles apply to both.

overtraining

Overtraining

by Bill Starr
Overtraining


Sooner or later every serious strength athlete learns about overtraining. It’s a natural phase of getting stronger – sort of like falling on the ice while you’re learning to skate – and it’s bound to happen. Contrary to what most people think, however, I don’t believe that overtraining is always a bad thing. Some degree of overtraining is necessary in order for you to move to a higher level of strength. Even so, these bouts of overtraining should be limited, as problems occur when you remain in a state of overtraining for a long period of time. At best, chronic overtraining causes progress on all lifts to come to a grinding halt. More likely, the poundages slip backward. Eventually, unless you make changes, injuries rear their ugly heads.

overload by bill starr

When In Doubt, Overload

by Bill Starr
When In Doubt, Overload


The strength-training principle of overload has been around for a very long time. Historians credit Milo with bringing it to the civilized world, although I have a suspicion that a number of cavemen practiced the concept with various-size rocks. Milo began lifting a small calf every day, and as the calf grew into a stout young bull, Milo got progressively stronger. He’s overload his muscles and attachments very systematically.

overcoming sticking points

Overcoming Sticking Points

by Bill Starr
Overcoming Sticking Points


Whenever people start training seriously on a strength program, their gains come rather quickly because they’re stimulating new muscles. This is particularly true if they are also adding bodyweight. Because the exercises are new them – and because they’re making progress – these folks are enthusiastic and motivated, and that’s another key factor in their progress. The numbers climb steadily and all is good.

lumbars

THE LUMBARS: KEYS TO OVERALL STRENGTH

by Bill Starr
THE LUMBARS: KEYS TO OVERALL STRENGTH


Of all the major muscle groups, those that form the lower back, the lumbars, are the most neglected. There are two main reasons for that. The muscles of the lower back are rather hard to see from any angle, even in a mirror. It's the old out-of-sight, out-of -mind idea. Second and perhaps more pertinent is the fact that lower-back exercises, when done properly, are always difficult. They're the most demanding exercises in any strength program. There's just no easy way to perform good mornings, stiff-legged deadlifts and hyperextensions - not if you really want to get strong. Token poundages just don't get the job done.

lower back

The Lower Back

by Bill Starr
lower back


Whenever I conduct seminars or clinics, I’m frequently asked what part of the body I consider the most important in strength training. My answer: the lumbars – the muscles of the lower back.

look strong, be strong

Look Strong, Be Strong

by Bill Starr
Look Strong


This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an original concept on my part. Bob Hoffman, Peary Rader, Bill Pearl and John Grimek preached the basic idea for many years. They firmly believed that when people add muscle to their frame, they should also enhance their strength. To have huge arms and a massive chest but be weaker than the average man on the street was a shame. And it still is.

light day by bill starr

The Light Day

by Bill Starr
light day by bill starr


I receive a steady flow of mail from people who want me to check out their programs. Some want specific exercises to help them improve a weak area, while others want my opinions on their exercise selection, exercise sequence and sets and reps. High school coaches are often looking for substitute movements, since they don’t have the necessary equipment for certain exercises.

hepburn routine

Only the Strong Shall Survive: The Hepburn Routine

By: Bill Starr
The Hepburn Routine


Last month I presented a workout aimed primarily at beginners and those who want to include some quick lifts in their routines, a program I learned from Sid Henry of Dallas. This month's routine is of an entirely different nature and is meant for advanced strength athletes. Don't even consider trying it unless you've spent several years in serious strength training. You must establish a solid base before this routine will bear fruit.

heavy, light, medium

The Heavy, Light and Medium System


by Bill Starr
heavy, light, medium


One of the basic principles of strength training is the heavy, light and medium system. Like all the other concepts used int this physical science, it's not a new development. The old-time strongmen incorporated into their routines the idea of doing a less-than-strenuous workout after a difficult one, but it wasn't actually pout into a definite usable system until the mid 1930's, when Mark Berry wrote about it in his book Physical Training Simplified. From that point on aware strength athletes not only used the heavy, light and medium system, but they also understood why it was so beneficial.

getting started

Getting Started on a Strength Program

by Bill Starr
Getting Started on a Strength Program


The very first step in getting started on a strength program is to have a well-organized plan. Sit down and take some time to lay out your routine so that you know exactly what you're going to do for the next few weeks. You don't have to plot out the exact weights you'll use, for it may take a few workouts before you know your upper limits, but you should write down the lifts you want to do, along with the sets and reps for each.

gaining muscular bodyweight by bill starr

Gaining Muscular Bodyweight

by Bill Starr 1985
gaining muscular bodyweight


A warm breeze, coming directly off the blue Pacific, made its way up the side of Mt. Haleakala and flowed into my room. I was at my typewriter, attempting to catch up on my correspondence. By glancing to my left, I could see over the tops of the eucalyptus forest and pineapple fields to the Pacific coastline that makes up the back of the neck of the island of Maui. It is a splendid scene to behold.

foot position by bill starr

Foot Position

by Bill Starr
foot position


Seasoned walkers and runners fully understand the importance of their hands. The hands must work in rhythm with the lower body to create a fluid motion. For weightlifters it’s the feet that are critical, an aspect of lifting that’s usually ignored or overlooked. In any gym I walk into one of the very first things I notice is how many of the members don’t pay the least bit of attention to their feet when they’re lifting.

enhancing endurance part2 by bill starr.

Enhancing Endurance, Part Two

by Bill Starr
Enhancing Endurance, Part Two


In my last article I focused on athletes who participate in events that are long in duration and that don’t have rest periods. This time I’ll finish up with that group and proceed to those whose events are generally much shorter and give participants many breaks and time to recover.

enhancing endurance part1 by bill starr

Enhancing Endurance

by Bill Starr
Enhancing Endurance


Nearly every coach and athlete knows the value of strength in sports that involve a great deal of contact: football, lacrosse, basketball, rugby, hockey, soccer and wrestling. They also understand that achieving a high level of strength helps anyone excel in high-skill sports that do not entail contact, such as tennis, volleyball, swimming and field events. Few, however, realize just how important the strength variable is in sports that rely primarily on endurance, such as the marathon and other long-distance running events, crew, distance skating, cross-country skiing, triathlon and other sports that require a tremendous amount of mental and physical stamina.

elevating the peak of the pyramid

Elevating The Peak of the Pyramid

By: Bill Starr
elevating the peak of the pyramid


After my article 'Lock and Load' appeared in the August '04 IRON MAN, I received a number of letters from readers. They all contained the same message'that I hadn't elaborated enough on the subject of expanding the workload. One man coached youngsters and wanted to know how to build a solid base from the very first workout. Another was an experienced Olympic weightlifter who was preparing for the Masters Nationals. He was interested in learning how to increase his workload and how he could improve his numbers on the two contested lifts, the snatch and clean and jerk.

defying gravity meet routine

from Defying Gravity by Bill Starr.

defying gravity meet routine


"If the meet is on a Saturday, then on two Saturdays before, do a mini-test and find out your 1 RM on each of the lifts. The percentages for each set are based off of the 1RM for each lift as found in the mini-test. Warmups are not shown. No exercises other than the competition lifts are supposed to be done except for stretching and light ab work. No accessory or auxiliary lifts at all. On off days a brisk 30 minute walk is permitted/recommended.

dealing with ups and downs by bill starr

Dealing With the Ups & Downs of Training

by Bill Starr
dealing with ups and downs by bill starr


If there’s one truism that all serious weight trainers learn, it’s that they’ll eventually hit some valleys on the way to gaining strength. The down periods will come regardless of how diligently they pay attention to their nutrition and rest, and there will be certain periods when gains just won’t come. In fact, they may even slip backward on many lifts. While that may seem to be a rather pessimistic attitude on my part, it really isn’t. It’s a physical law and a vital part of what we call strength training.

deadlift part2 by bill starr

The Deadlift, Part Two

by Bill Starr
deadlift


In my first installment on the deadlift, I presented some of the reasons why the deadlift is a useful exercise for anyone interested in improving overall strength, and I discussed some technique tips. This article will is aimed at people who are already doing deadlifts as part of their routine, lifters who would like to move their numbers up or include more variety in their back programs.

deadlift part1 by bill starr

The Deadlift, Part One

by Bill Starr
deadlift part1 by bill starr


In the minds of a great many people who train with weights, the deadlift is the exclusive domain of powerlifters. Few people include it in their programs, even if they’re primarily interested in gaining size and strength. In many gyms the deadlift is considered dangerous and not allowed. Then, of course, there’s the group that avoid it for a more basic reason – it’s taxing.

circut

Defying Gravity Meet Prep Final Workout

Defying Gravity Meet Prep Final Workout


This workout is straight from Bill Starr's book. The exercises are performed in a circuit with no rest. Ideally he says that you should have 3 stations, one for each exercises, and an assistant to load the bar while you are doing the other exercises. I don't have all of that

bigger arms


There is another way to guarantee bigger, fuller, more powerful arms, and here it is.

bigger arms


The number one reason why men start training with weights is to have bigger and more muscular arms. Sure, some guys also want thicker chests or trimmer midsections; nevertheless, big arms is also high on their wish list. Somehow an idea has evolved in the male psyche that big arms equals sexual prowess and overall strength. Whenever a man hits a pose to display how fit he is, he will always flex his biceps. The pose and the gesture are simply a part of our culture.