Steeve Reeves Old School Bodybuilding Workout The Old-School Bodybuilder was a completely different breed to the monstrous figures which take to Mr Olympia stage today. Legendary bodybuilders such as John Grimek, Steve Reeves and Reg Park built physiques that were chiseled from raw athleticism, cardiovascular fitness and pure functional strength (Grimek, for example, competed as a weightlifter in the 1936 Olympic Games). These guys put just as much emphasis on health, vitality and well being as they did on training to increase muscle size. During this era it was not just about as getting as big as you possibly could and to hell with the consequences; it was about creating a physique which was supremely athletic, muscular, strong, and healthy. In a world without designer chemicals, isolation machines and teams of dietary advisers and consultants, it was grueling, balls-out hard work that was the order of the day when it came to building a graceful and well-proportioned physique. In the mid twentieth century, one of the greatest and most athletic physiques belonged to Steve Reeves, who had work ethic that was equally as legendary. => Steve Reeves – The ‘Greatest Natural Bodybuilder Of All Time’ For many bodybuilding aficionados, Steve Reeves is the finest example of what the human body can achieve without the use of anabolic steroids. At his peak, this bodybuilding superstar weighed in at 213 pounds and stood 6′ 1″ tall, and his Herculean physique was beautifully proportioned with bulging muscles, classic lines, a tiny waist, and a handsome, rugged charm. Reeves cut a swathe through the bodybuilding world, winning every major title in the industry, and later going on to grace the Silver Screen in many iconic roles, such as Hercules. Today we will be discussing one of Reeve’s go-to old school bodybuilding routines for building muscle. => The Steve Reeves Full Body Workout [Check the attached Photo] This is one of Reeves’ typical workout routines which is essentially a full body workout built around the basic compound lifts. Steve was not a fan of the muscle group splits which grace most bodybuilding magazines on the shelves today, instead favoring a comprehensive and intense full body workout with rest days in between each session. There’s nothing fancy here, just a simple onslaught of exercises, sets and reps from all angles. Reeves claimed to have gained 30 pounds of muscle in just 4 months by using this routine! =>Training Notes: Schedule This full body workout should be performed three times per week. Because of the volume and intensity of this routine, you will definitely need those rest days for recovery. Reeves himself recommended a minimum of 48 hours of rest between each workout. Rest This routine should be performed at a very high intensity, taking 45 seconds rest between sets and 2-3 minutes rest between exercises. Form Reeves was a stickler for perfect form. Each rep you perform should be slow and controlled with no bouncing, jerking or swinging of the bar or dumbbells. Keep performing reps until you can no longer complete a rep without perfect form. Poor or degrading from will only hinder progress. Tempo Each exercise should comprise a 2 second concentric movement and a 3 second eccentric movement. (i.e. 2 seconds to lift the weight & 3 seconds to lower the weight) Progression For every exercise in this routine, start with a weight which you can lift for the required reps with 100% perfect form. Once you can squeeze out more reps than the stated amount, add more weight. Rinse and repeat! Exercise Order Reeves was a firm believer in working his smaller muscle groups first and working towards the larger muscles later in the workout (the opposite of how most people structure their workouts). The idea here is that you will be fully warmed up and raring to go when it comes to that brutal set of breathing squats! Thoughts This is without doubt a monstrous routine, and as such, I would recommend it only for intermediate to advanced lifters. You’ll end each workout like a discarded condom – drained, deflated and colorless, and for the next few days your body will feel barbecued by DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Therefore rest, sleep and diet will play a pivotal ole when it comes to recovery. Speaking of diet, the old-school bodybuilders feasted on meals rich in full cream milk, red meat and eggs to provide protein and calories needed to ignite muscle growth. However, nowadays, we are lucky enough to have quality supplements available, which can provide a cheaper alternative, as well as having the added benefit of not putting your local dairy farm out of business! Shop around and you can get some awesome bulk deals on protein to supplement your workout routine and assist with recovery and muscle repair. =>>> Summary This is a testing, no-nonsense routine which help you build a solid foundation of muscle. Accompany it with sufficient rest and a turbocharged diet and you’ll be well on your way to building a physique that wouldn’t look out of place in a 1960′s Sword and Sandals flick! Always consult a health care professional before getting onto any supplement or heeding to any fitness advice. Precaution is always better than cure. People have many underlying medical conditions that can worsen and prove to be detrimental if one acts without proper medical consultation.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:38:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015