One lamentably forgotten legend of mid-20th century physical culture I have been studying recently is:
Clancy Ross
One of only two people to have beaten the great Steve Reeves in competition (the man who possessed what is widely held to be the greatest natural physique of all time), Ross served as a weightlifting instructor in the US Air Force before enjoying incredible success in a series of major bodybuilding competitions in the 1940s (winning every major contest of the day, aside from the Mr Universe).
Later, he followed many of his contemporaries into film, with a starring role in a 1949 short comedy film called “So You Want to Be A Muscle Man”.
What’s more, he was allegedly the inspiration behind Wayne Boring’s post World War 2 re-imagining of Superman (although I’ve only found a couple of sources vouching for this version of events, I can certainly see the resemblance).
Anyway.
What you are probably more interested in is how he trained.
And on that front, you will not be surprised if you are even remotely familiar with the training protocols followed in those days.
Long (2+ hour) full body workouts were his meat and potatoes. However, what is novel was his fondness for high (some might say “ultra” high) rep sets for legs and abs.
An article I found inside a 1949 edition of Strength and Health magazine describes him using three sets of ten for most exercises (proving beyond doubt if you think you’re too “advanced” for something like that, you are probably wrong). Yet, he opens with a curious 10/20/30 rep scheme (4 x 10 squats, 2 x 20 leg press and 4 x 30 calf raises – for an almighty 200 reps of leg work!) and finishes up with another 200 reps of ab work spread across three exercises.
Almost certainly too much volume for anyone who doesn’t possess the genetics of a champion or else a tonne of time to not only train but rest, eat, and recover. Nevertheless, there are many principles to consider, adapt, apply, and benefit from for those who are willing to put in a little mental effort.
People who mindlessly copy programmes they find online or use ShatGPT to do their thinking for them won’t understand this, of course. But I don’t cater to those types for more reasons than I care to list.
On a related note, if you are not afraid of doing some critical thinking and you would like to learn how to train like the drug-free greats using old methods adapted for modern needs, “Silver Era Secrets” will sort you out.
If you’d like a full breakdown of exactly what’s included, see the below URL.
Make sure you read the information carefully, so your decision is an informed one:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/programme
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman