“Trying to use too much weight, and by watching some other guy working out, and he’s using poor form and you’re, let’s say, only eighteen years old or sixteen years old and that guy is 25 and he has big arms. So you would automatically think that must be the right way. However, it may have taken him 10 years to get those arms, while it would have taken him less time if he did it correctly.”
So said the immortal Steve Reeves on the causes of bad form in an interview he gave to John Little in 1991 (you can find the whole transcript on a website named “The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban”, and, no I don’t know why it’s called that).
There’s much to glean from those 77 words. Far more than is obvious at first glance.
Anyway, I’m bringing this up because I’ve noticed terminally online types seem to think that lifters from the “pre steroid” era were lazy due to their use of light weights, among other things.
And, to be fair, they were seen as a bunch of weirdo layabouts by the standards of the time because they spent all day in the gym instead of working (many only held down jobs for long enough to qualify for whatever unemployment benefits were available in the 40s and 50s).
So, in reality (and much to the chagrin of those who say natural trainees are “weak”), these chaps trained a good deal harder than the drugged up mental patients who identify as bodybuilders nowadays.
Their use of (relatively) light weights simply stemmed from a need for picture perfect form both to stimulate muscle growth beyond the bare minimum and to mitigate the risk of injury from hitting demanding movements like barbell squats and overhead presses multiple times per week.
It’s the only option when you’re not shooting up a bunch of goodness knows what to force muscle growth irrespective of how ugly you lift and speed recovery from indulging in whatever hardcore shenanigans are currently popular on Fitness TikTok.
Where am I going with this?
Not too sure, exactly.
But I will say that my methods are firmly rooted in the teachings of the times before steroids came onto the scene, when men and women who trained look healthy, natural, and real.
Certainly beats the “flayed ghoul” look we’re told to respect as a mark of discipline rather than treat like the barn door symptom of mental illness that it actually is.
What’s also pretty cool about my way is that it produces decent results from a small number of short-ish weekly sessions due to the laser focus on the “big” movements that offer the best bang for your buck.
Obviously, you’ll get more out if you put more in, and I’ve a handful of ways to do that while minimising the risk of burnout or, worse, injury. But if you only wanted to hit the gym twice per week and go for a couple of runs or whatever, I’d bet the lukewarm cup of coffee atop my desk that you’ll look, feel, and move a whole lot better in six months time than you do right now.
Appropriately, I am once again recruiting clients for my six month muscle building course.
It’s called “The Greek Physique” (because every sane person wants to look like a Classical Greek Sculpture). If you’re interested in learning more about it, all is revealed on the below-linked page:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/course/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman