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Nautilus training bulletin #1

31 Muscular Proportions

Nautilus Bulletin #1

31 Muscular Proportions

Except for bodybuilding purposes – for physique competition – serious attempts to build or maintain perfect muscular proportions are neither necessary nor desirable; a large part of the time and effort expended by bodybuilders is directed towards the attainment of ideal proportions – but trainees involved in any active form of sport should confine their efforts entirely to the development of the muscles that will contribute directly to the performance of their chosen sport. And let the resulting muscular proportions be what they may.

This is not meant to imply that the muscles developed by bodybuilding activities are useless – but in many cases, such development will contribute little or nothing to the performance of a particular sport; and thus the time that would be required for building such development can almost always be used to far greater advantage in other ways.

It is expecting far too much to expect a leading bodybuilder to also be a champion athlete in every form of active sport; but it is also expecting too much to expect a champion athlete in any sport to possess a perfectly proportionate physique.
Certain muscular structures can be developed rapidly and easily – some others require far more time and effort; and when considering a body part that is difficult to develop, such development is not justified unless it contributes directly to the performance of the subject's chosen sport.

Nor is maximum possible development of even the muscular structures that are easy to develop justified – unless such development is required.

Regardless of the recovery ability of an individual, definite limits exist insofar as his available energy and recovery ability are concerned – and both of these factors should be utilized to the greatest possible advantage; if energy is wasted – or if the subject's recovery ability is exhausted –in efforts to develop muscular structures that will not contribute directly to the subject's sports activities, then maximum possible benefit from supplemental training will be impossible.

In later chapters devoted to exact training programs, I will detail a number of exact workout schedules – and for best possible results, these should be followed without any slightest change in almost all cases.

But if results are less than those expected, then such programs should be reduced – rather than increased – before any other type of alteration is undertaken; when less than optimum results are produced by any schedule of heavy exercise, then it is almost always due to overtraining rather than to undertraining.

Many subjects will be tempted to add some of their favorite exercises to these schedules; but if they do, then overall results will almost always be reduced – because these schedules are carefully designed to induce maximum possible degrees of growth stimulation in a minimum of training time, and such results cannot be produced unless the recovery ability is disturbed as little as possible.

Secondly, as the subjects become conditioned to a schedule of heavy exercise, there will always be a natural temptation to increase the number of sets or the number of exercises – and in some cases this is desirable; but in the vast majority of cases, such increases should be avoided – once well conditioned, the subjects have a feeling of almost boundless energy, and they feel like utilizing this energy in longer workouts, but this is always a mistake.

After all, the purpose of training is to increase the athlete's stores of energy while increasing both his strength and muscular efficiency – and if this energy is wasted in workouts of increased length or frequency, then a condition of overtraining will soon result, and progress will be greatly reduced.

Once properly conditioned, an athlete should be able to complete a hard workout – and then, after not more than thirty minutes rest, go through the entire workout again at the same pace without reducing his number of sets, number of repetitions, or number of exercises, and without reducing the amount of resistance by more than five percent (5%). If he cannot do so, then he is overtraining; overtraining insofar as the "amount" of exercise is concerned – not insofar as "intensity of effort" is concerned.

But I certainly do not mean that he should repeat his workouts immediately – merely that he should be capable of doing so.
 
32 Layoffs from Training

Nautilus Bulletin #1

32 Layoffs from Training

In an earlier chapter on the requirement for irregularity of exercise, I mentioned the fact that training should never be permitted to degenerate into a rut – wherein the subject merely goes through the motions without really extending himself; such training will never produce much in the way of worthwhile results, and if continued long enough will usually lead to a loss of interest in training of any kind.

Thus, in the vast majority of cases, best long-range results will be produced if infrequent, irregular – but rather prolonged – layoffs from training are permitted; but such layoffs should not be scheduled in advance – for a number of reasons.

If a subject is looking forward to a scheduled layoff from training, then his incentive will usually be greatly reduced –and if he is forced to take an unscheduled layoff, then he will normally return to training with greatly increased enthusiasm.

But totally apart from psychological considerations, although the responsible physiological factors are not at all clear, it is obvious that the system requires rather prolonged – if infrequent – breaks in training.

In most cases, such layoffs from training should involve at least a week of almost total inactivity – and in some cases, a month out of training will do more for progress than six months of steady training without a break.

Any degree of strength/endurance that may be lost during such a layoff from training will usually be reestablished within a very short period of time after training is resumed – and in almost all cases, progress towards higher levels of ability will immediately follow.

In fact, best possible performances in many types of sports activities can sometimes be produced only after a layoff; power lifters, for example, are well advised to avoid training entirely for several days prior to a lifting meet.

A longer layoff might – and probably would – result in reduced performance levels, but a few days out of training may make it possible to lift more than would otherwise have been possible.

The same sort of results can be observed in any sports activity that requires brief but very intense effort – pole vaulting, shot putting and short dashes are examples of such activities.

In almost all cases, if a month of constant training fails to produce marked degrees of improvement, then the need for a layoff is indicated; and in most such cases, the most desirable period out of training is a full week – or, in fact, a period of ten days, since training would normally be terminated on a Friday and would not be resumed until Monday of the second-following week.

Upon resuming training, at least some degree of muscular soreness can be expected – but another period of break-in training is not normally required. Individuals differ to some degree in their reactions to exercise after a layoff, but in most cases training should be resumed at the same levels at which it was terminated.

Except in cases involving injuries or illnesses, layoffs from training should never exceed a period of a full month – within that period of time, any normal physiological requirements for a break in training will have been fully met; and additional periods out of training will merely reduce the existing levels of ability without compensation.
 
33 "Sticking Points" in Training

Nautilus Bulletin #1

33 "Sticking Points" in Training

Progress as a result of training should be both steady and rapid – and it will be if all of the involved factors are clearly understood and allowed for; but viewed on a short-range scale, occasional "sticking points" will be encountered where additional progress seems impossible.

In almost all cases, such sticking points are a direct result of overtraining – and many of them can be overcome by a brief layoff from training; but in some cases, another answer to the problem is required –one of several possible answers.

Upon encountering a stubborn sticking point, many subjects eventually assume that they have reached the maximum level of their individual potential –but that is almost never the correct answer to the problem; the potential levels of attainment are actually so high that very few individuals ever even closely approach them.

Insofar as strength is concerned, it is literally possible to build the power of the muscular structure to such a point that the skeleton is unable to support the loads that the muscles can easily lift.

BUT BUILDING SUCH GREAT STRENGTH DOES NOT REQUIRE EXPOSING THE FRAMEWORK OF THE BODY TO SUCH DANGEROUS LOADS.

Digressing for a moment to the latter point, I want to clearly point out that maximum possible squatting strength – for example – can be produced without ever performing a squat with more than 400 pounds; although it will be necessary to "support" much greater loads in various positions if such strength is to be used without resulting damage to the tendon attachments.

When a subject is capable of rapidly performing 20 repetitions in the full squat with 400 pounds, then his squatting strength for one repetition is about as high as it will ever be, regardless of the system of training he follows; and if not, then it can be built to a maximum level of strength by continuing the practice of full squats with 400 pounds until such time as 30 or 40 repetitions become possible.

But in all cases, a point will eventually be reached where the ability to perform a certain number of repetitions with 400 pounds will clearly indicate the ability to squat once with a maximum-possible amount of resistance.

And – while such training will almost entirely remove the potential hazards imposed by squatting with very heavy weights – it will also produce literally enormous increases in "wind", in cardiovascular efficiency, in overall muscular mass, and in overall muscular strength.

Now returning to the initial subject; when a sticking point is encountered that does not respond to a brief layoff from training – or is encountered immediately following a layoff – then one of two possible methods will probably produce results.

If the subject's strength level has not already reached a point where additional resistance would be unwise because of safety considerations, then the resistance should be markedly increased; for example, if a subject has been "stuck" at a point of 10 repetitions in the curl with a resistance of 100 pounds – then the weight should be increased to 120 pounds (by twenty percent).

Such an increase in resistance will probably reduce the subject's ability to the point of about three or four repetitions – but if all sets are performed as maximum possible sets, then progress will usually be almost immediately apparent; and in most cases, the subject will soon be able to perform ten repetitions with the increased resistance.

However, if the subject's strength level is already so high that additional large-scale increases in resistance are unwise because of danger to the framework of the body, then it is usually advisable to discontinue that particular exercise entirely for a while – and in such cases, the exercise should be replaced with a somewhat similar movement.

For example: if the subject is stuck at a certain number of repetitions in the bench press with 350 pounds, then it might be advisable to discontinue bench presses entirely for a period of several weeks – while replacing them with a similar exercise, bench presses performed with dumbbells, or incline bench presses.

But if none of these methods – layoff, markedly increasing the resistance, or substituting a similar exercise – produce the desired result, then overtraining should be suspected; another layoff is not usually indicated or desirable – but the length and/or frequency of workouts should be reduced.

If three sets of each exercise have been practiced, then reduce the number to two sets – and/or reduce the weekly workouts from three to two.

And if results are still not forthcoming, the fault will usually be directly due to the maturity factor – or, if the subject is above the age of twenty-five, then nutritional factors should be suspected.

But such total failure to produce continuing progress is almost never encountered in practice – and when such cases are encountered, the subject is usually suffering from an undetected illness or is not devoting the proper intensity of effort to his workouts.
 
34 Confidence

Nautilus Bulletin #1

34 Confidence

Apart from intensity of effort, confidence may well be the most important factor for the production of the best rate of training progress; without confidence in his ability to produce good results, a trainee will seldom be able to produce them – and never in proportion to the efforts expended.

It is not the author's intention to go into the possible causative factors behind this situation – nor is it meant to be implied that these factors are identified or understood; quite the contrary, while a very large number of theories exist on this subject, the author has little if any confidence in any of the theories that have come to his attention – and absolutely no intention of becoming involved in a detailed recounting of such theories.

But – beyond any shadow of a slightest doubt – it is clear that lack of confidence in a particular mode of training can, and probably will, reduce the results produced by such training to a marked degree; a similar, if opposite effect is well established in the field of medicine – the placebo effect.

In some cases I completely agree with the methods practiced by coaches in attempts to inspire confidence, and in a few cases I do not agree with the methods being practiced – but my personal likes or dislikes are of no slightest importance; results are what count, and any reasonable method –and some apparently unreasonable methods – that will produce the required results should be practiced.

I could almost literally hammer this point into the ground, with hundreds of examples of cases where confidence – or a lack of confidence – greatly influenced the production of results from physical training; but no amount of repetition can make the above points any clearer.
 
35 The Significance of Measurements

The Arthur Jones Collection

Nautilus Bulletin #1

35 The Significance of Measurements

So many outright lies have been stated on the subject of bodily measurements during the last few years that I am almost tempted to skip the subject entirely – and I would do so except for the fact that a few points should be established in this regard.

But before I do so, I want to say that the largest muscular upper arm that I ever measured – and certainly one of the largest muscular arms in the world – was the left arm of Bill Pearl; which was 18-5/8 inches measured "cold" and perfectly accurately.

Yet many bodybuilders – with arms that are obviously much smaller than Bill Pearl's – claim upper arm measurements of as much as 23 inches; and 19 inch upper arms – if you are to believe current claims – are almost as common as dirt.

The size of the average man's head is between 22 and 23 inches, and I have yet to see a man with muscular arms that even began to approach the size of his head – nor do I ever expect to.

But I mention the size of the head in relation to the size of the arms very pointedly – because the apparent size of an individual will depend to a great degree upon the size of his head, and this is especially true when you must judge a man's size by photographs; a man with a larger than average head will always look far smaller than his actual size, and vice versa.

But quite contrary to very common belief, photographs do not make an individual look "heavier" than he or she actually may be; in fact, if any apparent distortion of size is created, the photographed individual will almost always look much smaller than true size.

This is especially true when you are dealing with photographs of athletes with great muscular size –while such an individual may appear quite large in a photograph, if so, then he will usually appear to be almost a giant in person. It seems to be almost literally impossible to photograph a very heavily developed bodybuilder in such a manner that a true impression of his size is given – while such an individual may be very impressive in photographs, he will be almost unbelievable in person.

And this is especially true when the accurate height and bodyweight of an individual are given in connection with a photograph. But in spite of their almost unbelievable muscular size, the actual measurements of such individuals will seldom even closely approach those quoted for them – or by them.

On a man of average height, a 16 inch muscular arm is very impressive – a 17 inch upper arm is so large that it may make the individual appear freakish if the rest of the body's muscular proportion is not in proportion – an 18 inch upper must be seen to be appreciated – and a 19 inch upper arm approaches the impossible insofar as size is concerned.

True – I once saw a man with upper arms that were over 20 inches in reasonable muscular condition; but he wasn't an average individual – he was just under a full nine feet tall and weighed over 500 pounds. If such a man weighed as much as he should in order to present a reasonably proportioned appearance, his upper arms might measure as much as 25 inches – but he would have to weigh something on the order of 800 pounds to retain such reasonable proportions at that height.

The Arthur Jones Collection

Nautilus Bulletin #1

And that is my entire point, measurements should be in proportion to the height and weight of the individual – totally without regard for what their actual size may be; if not, then an individual will present a freakish appearance. But in fact, some bodybuilders go to great lengths in their attempts to create just such a freakish appearance; some years ago, in northern California, it was quite the "thing" for heavily developed bodybuilders to wear as many as seven carefully tailored, very thick sweaters – merely in an attempt to overstate their already enormous size.

But if clothes are properly cut and fitted, then even the largest bodybuilder can pass through a crowd unnoticed; fairly recently, in New York, my son was waiting in the lobby of a well lighted building when one of the heaviest developed individuals in the history of the world walked by him at a distance of five feet, completely unnoticed – even though my son knew the man, was expecting him, and was looking for him.

In well fitted clothing he simply did not stand out, in spite of his literally enormous size.

Then, a few minutes later, another – but much smaller – bodybuilder entered the same lobby, and all eyes were immediately turned in his direction; he appeared enormous – and he also appeared to have escaped from the set of a Frankenstein movie, still in costume as the monster.

All he really required in that direction was a bolt through his neck – he already had on a hair coat. Yet such an outrageous appearance was a total creation of his selected costume; and this was clearly proven by the fact that the other, actually much larger, bodybuilder passed unnoticed.

If it appears that the author looks with disfavor upon the antics of such people as the Frankenstein-like character mentioned above, then the reader has gained the proper impression; but while the opinions of the author are of very little importance to anyone apart from himself, the actions of such characters are of great – if totally negative – importance.

Because many people judge the entire field of weight-training by such individuals.

And while it has taken the commercial airlines a great number of years to live down the reputation established by the early day barnstorming pilots –without which there would probably never have been any airlines – it now appears that the field of weight training may be forced to go through an even more prolonged period of living down the antics of some bodybuilders, without which the field of weight training could do quite well.

Apart from considerations which will be carefully explained in a later chapter dealing with charting progress, the coach I charge of a class of weight trainees would probably be well advised to do everything possible in the direction of discouraging interest in measurements; too closely watched by an individual trainee, the normal fluctuations in bodily measurements can lead to great discouragement.

If at all possible, it is usually far better to try to concentrate the trainee's entire attention on attempts to better his performances, and if this is done properly, then the matter of measurements will take care of itself quite nicely – when the subject can curl 200 pounds in good form without body-swing, then his arms will be as large as they need to be for any possible purpose connected with any sport just short of wrestling bears.
 
I thought the bulletins were alright what they were putting across
I really do not like the nautilus equipment though, prefer the hammer strength machines loads more
Life Fitness machines are the worst though. That's all I really know about machines!
 
Nautilus Bulletin #1

35 The Significance of Measurements

So many outright lies have been stated on the subject of bodily measurements during the last few years that I am almost tempted to skip the subject entirely – and I would do so except for the fact that a few points should be established in this regard.
But before I do so, I want to say that the largest muscular upper arm that I ever measured – and certainly one of the largest muscular arms in the world – was the left arm of Bill Pearl; which was 18-5/8 inches measured "cold" and perfectly accurately.
Yet many bodybuilders – with arms that are obviously much smaller than Bill Pearl's – claim upper arm measurements of as much as 23 inches; and 19 inch upper arms – if you are to believe current claims – are almost as common as dirt.
The size of the average man's head is between 22 and 23 inches, and I have yet to see a man with muscular arms that even began to approach the size of his head – nor do I ever expect to.
But I mention the size of the head in relation to the size of the arms very pointedly – because the apparent size of an individual will depend to a great degree upon the size of his head, and this is especially true when you must judge a man's size by photographs; a man with a larger than average head will always look far smaller than his actual size, and vice versa.
But quite contrary to very common belief, photographs do not make an individual look "heavier" than he or she actually may be; in fact, if any apparent distortion of size is created, the photographed individual will almost always look much smaller than true size.
This is especially true when you are dealing with photographs of athletes with great muscular size –while such an individual may appear quite large in a photograph, if so, then he will usually appear to be almost a giant in person.
It seems to be almost literally impossible to photograph a very heavily developed bodybuilder in such a manner that a true impression of his size is given – while such an individual may be very impressive in photographs, he will be almost unbelievable in person.
And this is especially true when the accurate height and bodyweight of an individual are given in connection with a photograph. But in spite of their almost unbelievable muscular size, the actual measurements of such individuals will seldom even closely approach those quoted for them – or by them.

On a man of average height, a 16 inch muscular arm is very impressive – a 17 inch upper arm is so large that it may make the individual appear freakish if the rest of the body's muscular proportion is not in proportion – an 18 inch upper must be seen to be appreciated – and a 19 inch upper arm approaches the impossible insofar as size is concerned. True – I once saw a man with upper arms that were over 20 inches in reasonable muscular condition; but he wasn't an average individual – he was just under a full nine feet tall and weighed over 500 pounds. If such a man weighed as much as he should in order to present a reasonably proportioned appearance, his upper arms might measure as much as 25 inches – but he would have to weigh something on the order of 800 pounds to retain such reasonable proportions at that height.

And that is my entire point, measurements should be in proportion to the height and weight of the individual – totally without regard for what their actual size may be; if not, then an individual will present a freakish appearance.

But in fact, some bodybuilders go to great lengths in their attempts to create just such a freakish appearance; some years ago, in northern California, it was quite the "thing" for heavily developed bodybuilders to wear as many as seven carefully tailored, very thick sweaters – merely in an attempt to overstate their already enormous size.

But if clothes are properly cut and fitted, then even the largest bodybuilder can pass through a crowd unnoticed; fairly recently, in New York, my son was waiting in the lobby of a well lighted building when one of the heaviest developed individuals in the history of the world walked by him at a distance of five feet, completely unnoticed – even though my son knew the man, was expecting him, and was looking for him.

In well fitted clothing he simply did not stand out, in spite of his literally enormous size. Then, a few minutes later, another – but much smaller – bodybuilder entered the same lobby, and all eyes were immediately turned in his direction; he appeared enormous – and he also appeared to have escaped from the set of a Frankenstein movie, still in costume as the monster.

All he really required in that direction was a bolt through his neck – he already had on a hair coat. Yet such an outrageous appearance was a total creation of his selected costume; and this was clearly proven by the fact that the other, actually much larger, bodybuilder passed unnoticed.

If it appears that the author looks with disfavor upon the antics of such people as the Frankenstein-like character mentioned above, then the reader has gained the proper impression; but while the opinions of the author are of very little importance to anyone apart from himself, the actions of such characters are of great – if totally negative – importance.
Because many people judge the entire field of weight-training by such individuals.
And while it has taken the commercial airlines a great number of years to live down the reputation established by the early day barnstorming pilots –without which there would probably never have been any airlines – it now appears that the field of weight training may be forced to go through an even more prolonged period of living down the antics of some bodybuilders, without which the field of weight training could do quite well.

Apart from considerations which will be carefully explained in a later chapter dealing with charting progress, the coach I charge of a class of weight trainees would probably be well advised to do everything possible in the direction of discouraging interest in measurements; too closely watched by an individual trainee, the normal fluctuations in bodily measurements can lead to great discouragement.

If at all possible, it is usually far better to try to concentrate the trainee's entire attention on attempts to better his performances, and if this is done properly, then the matter of measurements will take care of itself quite nicely – when the subject can curl 200 pounds in good form without body-swing, then his arms will be as large as they need to be for any possible purpose connected with any sport just short of wrestling bears.
 
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