This is the follow up the the first part on the Bent Press, Here I will give a suggested method to strengthen the muscles used in this lift by Arthur Saxon.
A good practice for strengthening the muscles used in this lift,and for giving you better control over your bell,is after pressing same aloft (the barbell),to bring aloft with the disengaged hand,a ring weight or small dumbbell.Thisis first raised to the shoulder and then presed aloft,your eyes being all the time kept on the barbell in the right hand.
Still another exercise or prcatice is to load your barbell up to such a weight as can be turned over to the shoulder,then let go with the left and and twist the body into possition for the press,and after holding the bar there for a second or two return to the the ground. It is reasonable to suppose that is a man can press only 150 pounds with one hand,and he turns over and holds at the shoulder 224 pounds,when he returns to his 150-pound bell,he will handle it with greater ease,comfort and assurance then he ever could do before,and he will eventually in this way reach a higher limit then if he always held in awe such a weight as 224 pounds,and he will further have a better idea of what 224 pounds really means if he handles the bell,than if he has to rely on his imagination when considering what can,and what cannot,be done with a 224-pound barbell.
I hope this exercise helps you in your quest to master The Bent Press.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Goal of the Old Time Physical Culture Association
Every group should ahve a set of goals here are the Goals of OTPCA.
The mission of Old Time Physical Culture association is to:
(1) promote the ideal of developing a classic physique as invisioned from the 1890's until the end of 1939, (2) demonstrate just what kind of body can be developed naturally,
(3) preserve & learn from the history of the pre-roid and pre-bodybuilding Physical Culture era,
(4) serve as a source of education & inspiration to all;
(5) help initiate a Renaissance of Classic Physical Culture in the 21st Century,
(6) preserve and promte the training information and routines of the Physical Culture Era,
(7) Re-establish muilti-lift events based on eight standard lifts,
(8)Establish Physique contests similar to Eugen Sandow's The Great Competition which wiould include iron bending,ripping deacks of cards betwen posing to demonstarte they had strength and where not merely body beautiful posers.,and (
9) to found as a physical enitity the Old Time Physical Culture Association.
The mission of Old Time Physical Culture association is to:
(1) promote the ideal of developing a classic physique as invisioned from the 1890's until the end of 1939, (2) demonstrate just what kind of body can be developed naturally,
(3) preserve & learn from the history of the pre-roid and pre-bodybuilding Physical Culture era,
(4) serve as a source of education & inspiration to all;
(5) help initiate a Renaissance of Classic Physical Culture in the 21st Century,
(6) preserve and promte the training information and routines of the Physical Culture Era,
(7) Re-establish muilti-lift events based on eight standard lifts,
(8)Establish Physique contests similar to Eugen Sandow's The Great Competition which wiould include iron bending,ripping deacks of cards betwen posing to demonstarte they had strength and where not merely body beautiful posers.,and (
9) to found as a physical enitity the Old Time Physical Culture Association.
The Bent Press part 1
Today we talk about one of my altime favorite Old Time Lifts...dun dun dun THE BENT PRESS! It is a lift introduced to Englad and America by the late Eugen Sandow.
the Late Arthur Saxon set the still existing world record of 371 pounds.
Here I will let Mr.Saxon tell us how to preform the Bent Press:
Constant Practice is the only way in which one my succeed in rainsing a heavy weight in this position.PRACTICE is the great thing,all the time enderveoring to find a position which will suit you.
(Personally I feel those last words are something many have forgotten)
I will describe the barbell lift,as in a barbell more my be raised then in any other way.the bell may be raised with tow hands tot eh shoulder,or it may be raised to the shoulder with a clean pull in,although,of course,when one reaches a very heavy weight,it is impossible to get it to the shoulder except by using two hands..If anything like a heavy weight is to be raised to the shoulder,theb it is imprative that the center be accurately marked,so that you will not have to move the weight about while it is held at your shoulder,as this is certian to exhaust your strength and spoil the lift.
Having gotten the bell to the shoulder with the elbow firmly placed on the hip,the first thing to do is to get the feet in the proper position.As my be supposed,when one is pressing,say 200 pouns,it is not easy to shift the feet about without destroying the balance,causing the weight to fall.Therefore,get your feet placed in the correct position before you coomence to press.
Another point I will mention here is that the eyes must not,at any portion of the lift,be taken off the weight.Holding the bell at the shoulder.fall away from teh same,but do not allow the elbow to move from off the hip until complelled to do so,as you can support far more in this position,without tiriing the muscles,then you can in you allowed the weight to fall on the muscles alone,without supporting same rather by bone strength then muscle strength.
In allowing the body to fall forward,the speed of movement must be at all times governed by the balance you feel you have attained.Of course,it is best to ge the lift over as quickly as possible,but fair speed is pressing may be obtained only when it is felt that a perfect balance has beeb gained,other wise to hurry will only be to cause the weight to fall.Another hint is that the bell should not be hell any loger then absolutely necessary at the shoulder before commencing to press,as your strebgth begins to wane immediately the bell reaches the shoulder.
Having pressed the weight to a straight arm,then you must not endeavor to rise until you are certian that you again have gotten thorough control over the weight.Your position at this point should be such that your hand is held over your shoulder,which in turn,should be over the shoulder belonging to the disengaged arm.This shoulder,in its turn,should be over the left knee,so that a straight line could be drawn from the right hand to the left foot,and the weight,if a heavy one.will pass out of your control and fall to the ground.
If you feel that you are holding the weight firmly,then you may bend the right leg a little to bring yourself well beneath the weight,and by pushing firmly with the left hand or forearm at the left knee,you will be able to stand erect,when the barbell may be changed from one hand into two,and so lowered to the chest and then to the ground.
I hope this has been enlightening,and if you do teh bent press i wish you all the ebst
the Late Arthur Saxon set the still existing world record of 371 pounds.
Here I will let Mr.Saxon tell us how to preform the Bent Press:
Constant Practice is the only way in which one my succeed in rainsing a heavy weight in this position.PRACTICE is the great thing,all the time enderveoring to find a position which will suit you.
(Personally I feel those last words are something many have forgotten)
I will describe the barbell lift,as in a barbell more my be raised then in any other way.the bell may be raised with tow hands tot eh shoulder,or it may be raised to the shoulder with a clean pull in,although,of course,when one reaches a very heavy weight,it is impossible to get it to the shoulder except by using two hands..If anything like a heavy weight is to be raised to the shoulder,theb it is imprative that the center be accurately marked,so that you will not have to move the weight about while it is held at your shoulder,as this is certian to exhaust your strength and spoil the lift.
Having gotten the bell to the shoulder with the elbow firmly placed on the hip,the first thing to do is to get the feet in the proper position.As my be supposed,when one is pressing,say 200 pouns,it is not easy to shift the feet about without destroying the balance,causing the weight to fall.Therefore,get your feet placed in the correct position before you coomence to press.
Another point I will mention here is that the eyes must not,at any portion of the lift,be taken off the weight.Holding the bell at the shoulder.fall away from teh same,but do not allow the elbow to move from off the hip until complelled to do so,as you can support far more in this position,without tiriing the muscles,then you can in you allowed the weight to fall on the muscles alone,without supporting same rather by bone strength then muscle strength.
In allowing the body to fall forward,the speed of movement must be at all times governed by the balance you feel you have attained.Of course,it is best to ge the lift over as quickly as possible,but fair speed is pressing may be obtained only when it is felt that a perfect balance has beeb gained,other wise to hurry will only be to cause the weight to fall.Another hint is that the bell should not be hell any loger then absolutely necessary at the shoulder before commencing to press,as your strebgth begins to wane immediately the bell reaches the shoulder.
Having pressed the weight to a straight arm,then you must not endeavor to rise until you are certian that you again have gotten thorough control over the weight.Your position at this point should be such that your hand is held over your shoulder,which in turn,should be over the shoulder belonging to the disengaged arm.This shoulder,in its turn,should be over the left knee,so that a straight line could be drawn from the right hand to the left foot,and the weight,if a heavy one.will pass out of your control and fall to the ground.
If you feel that you are holding the weight firmly,then you may bend the right leg a little to bring yourself well beneath the weight,and by pushing firmly with the left hand or forearm at the left knee,you will be able to stand erect,when the barbell may be changed from one hand into two,and so lowered to the chest and then to the ground.
I hope this has been enlightening,and if you do teh bent press i wish you all the ebst
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Die Kette(The Chain)
Now we come to one fo my favorite workouts of old.Die Kette or The Chain.
You can use dumbbells or Kettlebells .This was a regular workout of old time strongman Hermann Goerner.
In the book Goerner the Mighty it he would take a total of nineteen kettlebells the first one weighing 28.5 pounds and the last one 115.75 pounds,and pair them off,except the last and heaviest one,giving a gradual increase of approximately 5 to 10 pounds per pair..
The kettleweights were placed in a row on the floor of the gymnasium,and working "Die Kette'(or The Chain) meant that Herman would start out taking the first kettleweight in the right hand and swinging it to arm's length overhead,after swinging it,the weight would be lowered to the shoulder and then pressed up again over head,relowered to the shoulder and from there to the "hang" and then curled to the shoulder,the pressed overhead again and finally lowered again and replaced on the floor.
He would then repeat this with the next kettleweight,using this time the left hand.The whole length of The Chain would be worked through in this manner-in Hermann's case he would lift all the bells in this fashion with the exception that he did not curl the final and last weight of 115.74 pounds-but he could curl both the 110.25 kettle weights!
I hope you have found this interesting and will give The Chain a try sometime.
You can use dumbbells or Kettlebells .This was a regular workout of old time strongman Hermann Goerner.
In the book Goerner the Mighty it he would take a total of nineteen kettlebells the first one weighing 28.5 pounds and the last one 115.75 pounds,and pair them off,except the last and heaviest one,giving a gradual increase of approximately 5 to 10 pounds per pair..
The kettleweights were placed in a row on the floor of the gymnasium,and working "Die Kette'(or The Chain) meant that Herman would start out taking the first kettleweight in the right hand and swinging it to arm's length overhead,after swinging it,the weight would be lowered to the shoulder and then pressed up again over head,relowered to the shoulder and from there to the "hang" and then curled to the shoulder,the pressed overhead again and finally lowered again and replaced on the floor.
He would then repeat this with the next kettleweight,using this time the left hand.The whole length of The Chain would be worked through in this manner-in Hermann's case he would lift all the bells in this fashion with the exception that he did not curl the final and last weight of 115.74 pounds-but he could curl both the 110.25 kettle weights!
I hope you have found this interesting and will give The Chain a try sometime.
How much weight to start with when training and did the Old Timers train to failture
Ok I will address this in two parts in this post,as these are vital to success in physical culture.
Most people now adays believe in training with weights so heavy that there is a tendency to go stale on a regular basis,and personally I feel this is unhealthy and counter intuitive to training and nature,so i will address the concept of did the old timers train to failure.
No they did not and I will draw upon their own words to prove that;
George A Jowett from his Progtessive Barbell training course: page 4:
Never exercise each muscle group to the point of exhaustion.You should finish your entire daily training feeling just comfortably tired.The last repetition oin each exercise should be one of greater effort then the first,but do not otherwise allow it to be a forced effort that taxes the muscles to the point when breathng in the prescribed manner becomes difficult.A repetition that causes too much effort prevents the exerciser from performing the exercise correctly.
George Hackenschmidt from The Way to Live 52
Never on any account contine the exercises until exhaustion sets in.
page 97
Do not preform any exercises to excess,so as to tire yourself out.If you feel tired and exhausted,give yourself the necessary rest,and as in everything else,use moderation and common sense.
page 98
REMEMBER that excessive and rapid exercising is harmful.Overwork,like laziness ,spells disease.
page 99
To go ahead gently.Increase your weight and exercises gradually and slowly.
W.A.Pulum from How to use a barbell.
page 34
Learn to distinguish between that degree of work which merely insists that you strenuously exert yourself and that which really taxes you to perform it. The former is the limit beyond which it is never beneficial to proceed.
Now regarding how much weighta trainiee should use:
George Hackenscmidt in The Way to Live
page 79 suggested:
HOW CAN ONE GAUGE THE MOST SUITABLE WEIGHTS FOR EXERCISE? and went on to say:
This is quite easy.When in an unfatigued condition try an exercise say ten times.If you can accomplish this by using all of your strength you have found the proper weight with which to begin your exercises five times in succession.
( I now ou are now grinning and rubbing your hands together saying AHHH HAA he just contridicted Mr.Pulam..And i say not so,if you use all you strenght for ten reps in good form you'll be using for less weight then if u used bad form and tossed the weight around)
Henry Higgins from his Strngth and muscle course:
page 4
By lifting well within himself in practice,a man will do much better in training.
page 23
It is always safe to lift less then your full stength will permit.
Wise pupils,no matter how strong they maybe,will not be in a hurry to try their strength in any sence to it's utmost until they have been in training at least a year.
The Mark Berry Barbell courses:
Course 1
page 7
in reccomending a starting poundage we always try to be on the safe side,by suggesting a weight that we feel is boudn to be light enough for oen who is unaccustomed to this type of exercise.
page 8
Another reason for starting the pupil on a fairly easy poundage is that the exercises must be performed int he correct way.
course 2
page 2
You must use your own judgement to soem extent.It is always safe to use weighst well within your strenngth limit.
I feel that if we follow these tips we willl be training ina safer,sanerr yer more productive manner.
Most people now adays believe in training with weights so heavy that there is a tendency to go stale on a regular basis,and personally I feel this is unhealthy and counter intuitive to training and nature,so i will address the concept of did the old timers train to failure.
No they did not and I will draw upon their own words to prove that;
George A Jowett from his Progtessive Barbell training course: page 4:
Never exercise each muscle group to the point of exhaustion.You should finish your entire daily training feeling just comfortably tired.The last repetition oin each exercise should be one of greater effort then the first,but do not otherwise allow it to be a forced effort that taxes the muscles to the point when breathng in the prescribed manner becomes difficult.A repetition that causes too much effort prevents the exerciser from performing the exercise correctly.
George Hackenschmidt from The Way to Live 52
Never on any account contine the exercises until exhaustion sets in.
page 97
Do not preform any exercises to excess,so as to tire yourself out.If you feel tired and exhausted,give yourself the necessary rest,and as in everything else,use moderation and common sense.
page 98
REMEMBER that excessive and rapid exercising is harmful.Overwork,like laziness ,spells disease.
page 99
To go ahead gently.Increase your weight and exercises gradually and slowly.
W.A.Pulum from How to use a barbell.
page 34
Learn to distinguish between that degree of work which merely insists that you strenuously exert yourself and that which really taxes you to perform it. The former is the limit beyond which it is never beneficial to proceed.
Now regarding how much weighta trainiee should use:
George Hackenscmidt in The Way to Live
page 79 suggested:
HOW CAN ONE GAUGE THE MOST SUITABLE WEIGHTS FOR EXERCISE? and went on to say:
This is quite easy.When in an unfatigued condition try an exercise say ten times.If you can accomplish this by using all of your strength you have found the proper weight with which to begin your exercises five times in succession.
( I now ou are now grinning and rubbing your hands together saying AHHH HAA he just contridicted Mr.Pulam..And i say not so,if you use all you strenght for ten reps in good form you'll be using for less weight then if u used bad form and tossed the weight around)
Henry Higgins from his Strngth and muscle course:
page 4
By lifting well within himself in practice,a man will do much better in training.
page 23
It is always safe to lift less then your full stength will permit.
Wise pupils,no matter how strong they maybe,will not be in a hurry to try their strength in any sence to it's utmost until they have been in training at least a year.
The Mark Berry Barbell courses:
Course 1
page 7
in reccomending a starting poundage we always try to be on the safe side,by suggesting a weight that we feel is boudn to be light enough for oen who is unaccustomed to this type of exercise.
page 8
Another reason for starting the pupil on a fairly easy poundage is that the exercises must be performed int he correct way.
course 2
page 2
You must use your own judgement to soem extent.It is always safe to use weighst well within your strenngth limit.
I feel that if we follow these tips we willl be training ina safer,sanerr yer more productive manner.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
How many times did they train a week in Old Time Physical Culture?
I have asked just that question many times and I know many others have echoed it as well.
I now some of today athuorities who I respect will say they trained two days a week back in the old days,some will say they trains three times a week some will say six days a week,every other day etc etc on how many times a week the Old Timers of Physical Culture trained..I believe these are honest men who are promoting a part of the training methods that worked for them,but at the same time they are promoting only part of the picture on how many days people trained back in the Olden Days of Iron Yore.
Taken from THE SAXON TRIO: What they ate & how they trained.:They insisted on plenty of light while exercising and trained 6 days a week, and at least four hours at every training session. During some training periods they would lose as much as seven pounds.
Fron The Henry Higgins Stength and Muscle Course(1915)
page1
Dail;y Practice in lifting dumbells and weights is all that is necessary in order to become a very great strong man..
page 5
The secret of great strength,then,is seen to be a matter of daily traing with heavy weights and dumbells.The man who practices with care and judgement and keeps it up for a number of years,he can become a lifter of the first rank.
page 18
The best pupils i ever had worked some part of every day,some of them including Sundays and holidays.In regard to Sunday,however,I have always felt a rest and lay off was good for every body.
From The Truth about weightlifting:(1911)
page 117( about an unnamed individual)
Three or four times a week he would practice the standard lifts abd the bentpress and after a year or two of this kind of work he developed a wondeful figure and tremendous strength
page 141
The average weightlifter trains from 15 to 30 minutes everyday.
page 156
Many professional weightlifters train only a short time every day.some lifters only train three or four times a wee.atotal of two hours a week is enough to keep a man in the highest possible condition,and it is enough to develop a novice from a totally undeveloped condition into a perfect Hercules.
The Milo barbell course(1924)
you would train on these days monday,wednesday,friday,sunday,tuesday,thursday,saturday,starting back over at monday.
Progressive barbell training by George F.Jowett(date un known)
same traing schedule as the milo course.
How to use a barbell(1925)
Relative to the question of how often a man should practice,there is no hard and fast rule,some finding a regular daily programme produces the best results,,others discovering they do better by missing a practice now and then.And later,as work becomes more exacting,it may pay to observe this rest interval even more frequently.
and last but most certainly not least
The Way to Live(1908)
page 46
I reccomend my reader to map out a certian plan,according to which they exercise all the muscle groups twice on three or four days every week,or on six days,if time allows.
page 51
I would suggest at least 15 minutes be daily devoted to the system of exercises adopted.
page 97
It might be said that no one can continue to perform these exercises every day without "Knocking oneself up"(his way of saying go stale).To these would reply,try it,and you will probably decide diffrently afterwards.
page 105
Yet the doctor was always well,active and vigorous in mind and body ,and ascribed his perpetual fitness solely to his daily physical exercise.
(The Doctor mentioned here is non other then DR. von Krajewski The Father of Athletics)
I hope in my own humble way I have cleared up the views of the old timers on how many days one can train.
Next Post will detail information on why they where able to train the way they did and not burn out as much as followers of modern systems do.
I now some of today athuorities who I respect will say they trained two days a week back in the old days,some will say they trains three times a week some will say six days a week,every other day etc etc on how many times a week the Old Timers of Physical Culture trained..I believe these are honest men who are promoting a part of the training methods that worked for them,but at the same time they are promoting only part of the picture on how many days people trained back in the Olden Days of Iron Yore.
Taken from THE SAXON TRIO: What they ate & how they trained.:They insisted on plenty of light while exercising and trained 6 days a week, and at least four hours at every training session. During some training periods they would lose as much as seven pounds.
Fron The Henry Higgins Stength and Muscle Course(1915)
page1
Dail;y Practice in lifting dumbells and weights is all that is necessary in order to become a very great strong man..
page 5
The secret of great strength,then,is seen to be a matter of daily traing with heavy weights and dumbells.The man who practices with care and judgement and keeps it up for a number of years,he can become a lifter of the first rank.
page 18
The best pupils i ever had worked some part of every day,some of them including Sundays and holidays.In regard to Sunday,however,I have always felt a rest and lay off was good for every body.
From The Truth about weightlifting:(1911)
page 117( about an unnamed individual)
Three or four times a week he would practice the standard lifts abd the bentpress and after a year or two of this kind of work he developed a wondeful figure and tremendous strength
page 141
The average weightlifter trains from 15 to 30 minutes everyday.
page 156
Many professional weightlifters train only a short time every day.some lifters only train three or four times a wee.atotal of two hours a week is enough to keep a man in the highest possible condition,and it is enough to develop a novice from a totally undeveloped condition into a perfect Hercules.
The Milo barbell course(1924)
you would train on these days monday,wednesday,friday,sunday,tuesday,thursday,saturday,starting back over at monday.
Progressive barbell training by George F.Jowett(date un known)
same traing schedule as the milo course.
How to use a barbell(1925)
Relative to the question of how often a man should practice,there is no hard and fast rule,some finding a regular daily programme produces the best results,,others discovering they do better by missing a practice now and then.And later,as work becomes more exacting,it may pay to observe this rest interval even more frequently.
and last but most certainly not least
The Way to Live(1908)
page 46
I reccomend my reader to map out a certian plan,according to which they exercise all the muscle groups twice on three or four days every week,or on six days,if time allows.
page 51
I would suggest at least 15 minutes be daily devoted to the system of exercises adopted.
page 97
It might be said that no one can continue to perform these exercises every day without "Knocking oneself up"(his way of saying go stale).To these would reply,try it,and you will probably decide diffrently afterwards.
page 105
Yet the doctor was always well,active and vigorous in mind and body ,and ascribed his perpetual fitness solely to his daily physical exercise.
(The Doctor mentioned here is non other then DR. von Krajewski The Father of Athletics)
I hope in my own humble way I have cleared up the views of the old timers on how many days one can train.
Next Post will detail information on why they where able to train the way they did and not burn out as much as followers of modern systems do.
What is Physical Culture?
The term "Physical Culture" is a difficult concept to relate to in this day and age when technology has removed much of our need to rely upon our physical bodies to accomplish everyday tasks.
Physical Culture is the promotion of muscular strength,growth and health combined with longivity,vitality and vigor through various physical exercise programs like resistance training with and without weights,stretching,posture correction techniques,and sports.Eugen Sandow,George Hackenschmdit,Artur Saxon,Benarr MacFadden,Bob Hoffman,George F.Jowett,Apollon,Otto Arco,Edward Aston,Joe Bonomo,Ottley R.Coulter,Hermann Goerner,Thomas Inch,Maxick,Monte Saldo,and Lionel Strongfort where among its earliest popularisers.Unlike today where drugs are seen as the way to gain in muscle and strength Classic Physical Culture stands in opposition to the win at all costs attitude ,drug,prohormone and suppliment use and seek to replace that with the old wisdom of health first.
A century ago,there was a remarkable group of men and women who knew how to build muscle,burn fat and live a healthy,balanced life without popping pills ,peppering their butts with needlemarks,or obssessing over their micro and macro nurtient ratios.It is true that sometimes their advice did seem contradictory,when in fact no contradictions existed.A very lively and healthy debate was carried on by these devotees of Physical Culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries---from the debate over vegetarianism versus meat eating to which was better training with or without apparatus(weights).
Unlike modern tarining systems Classic Physical Culture systems did not advocate training to failure or "training on the nerve" as they used to call it,which explains why alot of the classic systems advocated the seven days in two weeks training system(meaning you trained every other day),or that you train six days a week.
The single most important concept for you to understand is that strength is a skill and you need to treat it as such.You are training your nervous system to be more efficent.And that is why the great old time strongmen like Eugen Sandow,George Hackenschmidt,Arthur Saxon,etc called their workouts "practice" ,inshort lifting to them was their sport so they understood unlike modern bodybuilders that you cannot continue practicing in a fatigued state or you engrain bad habits into your nerve/motor systems.
Physical Culture is the promotion of muscular strength,growth and health combined with longivity,vitality and vigor through various physical exercise programs like resistance training with and without weights,stretching,posture correction techniques,and sports.Eugen Sandow,George Hackenschmdit,Artur Saxon,Benarr MacFadden,Bob Hoffman,George F.Jowett,Apollon,Otto Arco,Edward Aston,Joe Bonomo,Ottley R.Coulter,Hermann Goerner,Thomas Inch,Maxick,Monte Saldo,and Lionel Strongfort where among its earliest popularisers.Unlike today where drugs are seen as the way to gain in muscle and strength Classic Physical Culture stands in opposition to the win at all costs attitude ,drug,prohormone and suppliment use and seek to replace that with the old wisdom of health first.
A century ago,there was a remarkable group of men and women who knew how to build muscle,burn fat and live a healthy,balanced life without popping pills ,peppering their butts with needlemarks,or obssessing over their micro and macro nurtient ratios.It is true that sometimes their advice did seem contradictory,when in fact no contradictions existed.A very lively and healthy debate was carried on by these devotees of Physical Culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries---from the debate over vegetarianism versus meat eating to which was better training with or without apparatus(weights).
Unlike modern tarining systems Classic Physical Culture systems did not advocate training to failure or "training on the nerve" as they used to call it,which explains why alot of the classic systems advocated the seven days in two weeks training system(meaning you trained every other day),or that you train six days a week.
The single most important concept for you to understand is that strength is a skill and you need to treat it as such.You are training your nervous system to be more efficent.And that is why the great old time strongmen like Eugen Sandow,George Hackenschmidt,Arthur Saxon,etc called their workouts "practice" ,inshort lifting to them was their sport so they understood unlike modern bodybuilders that you cannot continue practicing in a fatigued state or you engrain bad habits into your nerve/motor systems.
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