Super Programs by Brooks Kubik

[Off Road]

Wasn't sure where to post this, but thought it was good for beginners to read it...Here's Brooks, one of my favorite writers...

"The super programs came into prominence in the 50's and
60's, when bodybuilding started to become more popular
than lifting.

The bodybuilders would train on short, heavy "mass
building" programs for much of the year -- and then
switch to a special pre-contest program for the last
6 or 8 weeks before a contest.

The purpose of the pre-contest program was NOT to
build muscle. Instead, the programs were designed for
deliberate over-training to burn as much body-fat as
possible in order to create maximum definition on
the day of the contest.

That was fine as far as it went -- but the problem was,
the writers would ask the bodybuilders to give their
training program after the contest -- and instead of
saying, "Well, I train 3x a week and do the usual stuff:
squats, presses, rowing, etc." -- the bodybuilder would
give his special pre-contest super program.

And the writer would go back home and do an article about
how Mr. Whatever built huge muscular size by training for
four hours a day six days a week.

And then the kids would read the muscle magazines, and
they'd all run out and start training four hours a day
six days a week because that's how the "champs" did it.

And of course, they never built an ounce of muscle on
the super programs. How could they? The super programs
didn't even build muscle for the champions. All they
did was burn fat. The biggest problems the champions
had was MAINTAINING muscle size when they were on the
pre-contest super program."
Brooks Kubik
dinosaurtraining.com

[BendtheBar]

Post of the day.

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by Brooks Kubik

built an ounce of muscle on
the super programs. How could they? The super programs
didn't even build muscle for the champions. All they
did was burn fat. The biggest problems the champions
had was MAINTAINING muscle size when they were on the
pre-contest super program."
Brooks Kubik
dinosaurtraining.com

Absolutely agreed.

My best muscle gains have always come from lower volume routines with a concrete focus on progression in the basics. The gains that can come from...

1. A willingness to eat, really eat to put on weight. No excuses.
2. A routine which focuses on no more than a handful of exercises done safely and intensively
3. Progression in poundage or reps at every session
4. Single mindedness of purpose, to continue this without getting sidetracked

...are unrivalled for mass and strength.

Pretty much any type of consistent training can maintain mass. Knowing that it makes perfect sense to expand the routine when you're looking to lose weight, as you can expend more calories. However it's only ever going to be good for fat loss, building up just isn't done with higher volume routines.

For myself this is a good strategy, lower volume with a focus on progression while i'm bulking up and then higher volume/lower intensity while I cut down with what should be a bigger base. I suspect that is where the old-timers developed their higher volume routines pre-contest. It's a practice which has been out of favour in recent years but for my money it's spot on.

This is exactly what i've done this past year and as a result i'm leaner now at 87kg than I was last year at 85kg and stronger. It's almost time for another build up period, they're always fun

[Fazc]

And another thing.

Originally Posted by Brooks Kubik

And then the kids would read the muscle magazines, and
they'd all run out and start training four hours a day
six days a week because that's how the "champs" did it.
Brooks Kubik
dinosaurtraining.com

This is where it all goes wrong.

Anything will work for a beginner, absolutely anything which involves lifting a barbell a few times a week. Even a beginner can see some progress on a super routine, he see's a hint of bicep that wasn't there before, a shade of shoulder seperation and then boom the inevitable happens ... human nature takes over. They get confident and think they've found the golden formula.

That is pretty much the mentality that most guys you see in any gym are stuck with, they keep lifting the same weights over and over relatively confident that what gave them some gains in the beginning will work despite months, years of stagnation. Some will turn to steroids, others will give up and a relatively small minority will seek some real answers... even fewer will find real answers.

So there you go Weider, that's your legacy.

[BendtheBar]

A willingness to eat, really eat to put on weight. No excuses.

This point is ignored or minimized by so many. I wish I could force feed a lot of guys on forums. This minimal fat gain they fear is just silly to me.