Pre-Roid Golden Age Split Routine for Classic Physique Building!

(Photo Above: Joe Weider with CPB Champs Armand Tanny, Alan Stephan, Clancy Ross, and Floyd Page at the 1949 Mr. North America Contest)

In our last post, we discussed the introduction of split routines in the latter half (the 1950s) of the pre-roid Golden Age of Classic Physique Building (the 1940s and 50s). In his 1954 muscle building course (The Muscle Building Courses of the Champions), Joe Weider advocated a split routine for intermediate trainers - after they had completed a minimum of 3 months training with his full body 3 day/week routine. This is a classic upper body/lower body split that works each region twice a week for a total of 4 workouts per week.

The routine is presented here for historical purposes (so no exercise descriptions will be given). You will also note that this routine uses supersets, cheating, and peak contraction methods!

Monday - Upper Body

1. Wrestler's Bridge - 2 sets/10 reps
2. The Cheat Curl - superset with following for 2 supersets/9 reps
3. Lying Triceps Curl
4. Peak Contraction Knee Dumbbell Curl - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
5. Seated Dumbbell Triceps Curl
6. Wide Grip Bench Press - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
7. Dumbbell Side and Forward Lateral Raise, Combination
8. Bent Arm Laterals - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
9. Upright Rowing
10. Bent Over Rowing - 2 sets/9 reps
11. Deadlift - 2 sets/9 reps

Tuesday - Lower Body

1. Side Bend - superset with following for 2 sets/10 reps
2. Sit Up
3. Side Bend - superset with following for 2 sets/10 reps
4. Leg Raise
5. Bent Legged Sit Up - 2 sets/10 reps
6. Flat Footed Squat - superset with following for 2 sets/10 reps
7. Toe Raise
8. Iron Boot Thigh Extension - superset with following for 2 sets/10 reps
9. Thigh Curl
10. Straddle Exercise - 2 sets/10 reps
11. Goose Step - 2 sets until tired

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - Upper Body

1. Headstrap Exercises
2. Seated Dumbbell Curl, Allternate Style - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
3. Triceps Rear Raise with Dumbbell
4. Zottman Curl - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
5. Standing Triceps Curl
6. Bench Press with a Wide Grip - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
7. Back and Foward Barbell Press (use 10 reps instead of 9)
8. Bent Arm Pullover - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
9. Shrug
10. Rowing Motion to the Waist - 2 sets/9 reps
11. Good Morning Exercise - 2 sets/9 reps

Friday - Lower Body

1. Side Bend - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
2. Twist Sit Up - (use 7 reps to each side instead of 9)
3. Bench Side Raise - superset with following for 2 sets/9 reps
4. Leg Raise
5. Half Sit Up, Body Twist - 2 sets/7 reps to each side
6. Parallel Squat - 2 sets/9 reps
7. Legs Split Toe Raise - 2 sets/15 reps
8. Shoulder Squat - 2 sets/9 reps
9. Combination Toe Raise - 1 set (toes straight), 1 set (toes out), 1 set (toes in)
10. Iron Boot Side Thigh Raise - 2 sets/15 reps
11. Palms Up Forearm Curl - 2 sets/15 reps
12. Palms Down Forearm Curl - 2 sets/15 reps

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

Well....that's it! Again, Joe Weider advocated this kind of routine in the early 1950s for intermediate trainers. But not everyone was on board for split training. There were still plenty of people who followed the full body 2 or 3 day a week training routines. In any case, split routines like this should be included in your "toolbox" and may be useful from time to time.

There is a lot to discuss and learn from Joe's routine here - so feel free to comment!

- CPB

P.S. For a free, 1 year subscription to Classic Physique Builder (CPBzine) - a pdf "zine" (do-it-yourself magazine) that is patterned after the muscle mags of the pre-roid Golden Age of Bodybuilding (of the 1940s and 50s), just email your name, the name of your city (not your actual address), state/province, and country to cpbzine@gmail.com. That's it! Any info you send us is strictly confidential. We don't share info with anyone. So you won't get on any unwanted lists or receive any unwanted, automated email - even from us!

Golden Age Split Routines for a Classic Physique!

(Photo above: Joe Weider, publisher of pre-roid Golden Age mags Your Physique, Muscle Power, Muscle Builder, and Mr. America)

Up until now, on CPB Blog, we have focused on covering the standard 3-day per week, full body workout schedule. This was certainly the mainstay for most, if not all, of the champs of the pre-roid, Golden Age (of the 1940s and 50s). In other words, this kind of training was how most of the CPB champs built the bulk of their classic physiques.

That being said, split training was also known and used. But, at first (through the 1940s and early 1950s), split training was used only by the champs (who had already built their physiques) a couple of weeks before a contest in order to put the finishing touches on their muscularity. They thought that this could be accomplished by slightly "overtraining" - which is what they thought split training would lead to. After the contest, they would then return to their 3-day per week, full body training. This practice was a general pattern. Some, like Reeves, stuck to their 3-day per week training right up to the contest and after! Some, like Leo Robert, liked to train 6 days a week most of the time. The bottom line is that split training was considered an advanced trainer's technique - it was not for beginners or intermediates.

In 1954 (at least as far as my research has uncovered so far), Joe Weider had a revised version of his course called "Muscle Building Courses of the Champions" that advocated a split routine for intermediate trainers. Beginners were given a 3-day per week, full body workout course that was to be followed for 3 months. After that, Joe put them on a 4 day split routine that trained the upper body twice a week (e.g., on Mon and Thu) and lower body twice a week (e.g., on Tue and Fri) - resting on Wed, Sat, and Sun. This split routine was to be followed for another 2 to 3 months (or until the gains stopped). After this, they were put on a Power & Bulk Course.

In terms of Golden Age training, Joe's advocacy might be the earliest attempt to introduce split training to intermediate trainers (rather than reserving it for advanced trainers). So, split training for intermediates is a pre-roid Golden Age training tool. Other authorities at the time did not agree with Joe's approach and stuck to the classic 3-day per week, full body schedule.

It should be noted that, in Joe's approach, split training was appropriate for intermediates, but not for beginners. This is still quite different from today where a beginner will be given a split routine right off the bat. We should also note that most of the Golden Age Champs (if not all of them - like Grimek, Reeves, Eiferman, Stephan, Ross, etc) - built their physiques with the classic 3-day per week, full body schedule. It is also clear that even after Weider advocated this type of split training for intermediates, many still followed the classic schedule. What is not clear is how many (if any) Golden Age champs built their classic physiques, as intermediates, with a split routine.

We know now, as did many in the pre-roid Golden Age, of the anabolic advantage of full body training (as opposed to split training). Still...split training is a Golden Age training technique that we should be familiar with and should include in our "tool box." Despite having less of an anabolic advantage, it does have other benefits (perhaps a good topic for discussion!).

We will explore further details of Golden Age split training in future posts!

- CPB

P.S. For a free, 1 year subscription to Classic Physique Builder (CPBzine) - a pdf "zine" (a do-it-yourself magazine) that is patterned after the muscle mags of the pre-roid Golden Age of Bodybuilding (of the 1940s and 50s) - just email us your name, the name of your city (not your actual address), state/province, and country to cpbzine@gmail.com. That's it! Any info you send us is strictly confidential. We don't share our info with anyone. So you won't get on any unwanted lists or receive any unwanted, automated email - even from us!

Classic Physique Appeal in the Golden Age!

(Above photo: Cover of a Joe Weider "Course/Catalog" circa 1958)

How different was the Golden Age of Classic Physique Building (the 1940s and 50s) from today's mainstream bodybuilding world! Some of the differences are captured above on the cover of Joe Weider's 1958 "Course/Catalog" - Eating for Super-Muscles, Super-Vitality. Look closely at the images on this cover. What do you see? How was Joe able to market the classic physique of the Golden Age?

First, we see Joe Weider himself depicted with a classic physique holding a trophy - the image of a champion. You can even see a light glow about him - almost a "halo" type of effect indicating "greatness." Below him are images of a discus thrower, a weightlifter, two football players, and a boxer - in other words, various representatives of athletics. At the bottom right is a well-built man (with a classic physique) holding an adoring female in his arms at the beach.

So what is the message here? The message is directed to "everyman" or "every teenager" that if you build a classic physique, you will not only follow in the footsteps of the champions, you might even become one yourself AND your classic physique will make you better at athletics AND give you "sex appeal."

When you look at the classic physiques of the 40s and 50s (like those of Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, Armand Tanny, George Eiferman, Alan Stephan, etc), this message is totally believable! First, it was not a major stretch of imagination to believe that with a few years of working out, you too could have a physique like the champions. Second, a person with a classic physique certainly did look like he could excel at practically any sport. Third, it was completely believable that a guy with a classic physique could more easily attract members of the opposite sex.

So Joe's message/marketing was right on target. How many guys in those days sent away for muscle building courses because they wanted to look like the classic physique champions, be better at sports, and be more attractive to women? Quite a lot! Of course, in the Golden Age (before steroids), there were many muscle building courses available through the muscle mags.

For those interested in building a classic physique today, those messages and motivations still hold true. With a few years of proper training, proper nutrition, and proper rest, a person today can still build a classic physique like the Golden Age champs! Such a physique will certainly make a person better in sports. Women today do find such a physique attractive! And the best thing is that building a classic physique will make you healthier, more confident, and happier!

So stay tuned to CPB! If there is enough interest, CPB will collect and organize the info from the Golden Age into courses and make them available soon next year (please see and take our poll on the sidebar). In doing so, we can side-step the "muddy pool" of the chemically-spoiled mainstream bodybuilding world and drink directly from the "pure fountain" of the Golden Age! It is still there for the taking! - CPB

Joe Weider - Some Regrets?

Photo Above: Joe Weider on the cover of Your Physique Magazine (Nov 1947)

Recently, Joe gave a revealing interview which leads us to believe that indeed he does have some regrets about the direction that modern mainstream bodybuilding has taken. You can find the entire article here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_3_26/ai_n25357605/print?tag=artBody . But here are some selected quotes:

Interviewer: You mentioned on several occasions that while you are happy to see how bodybuilding has progressed over the years, you feel that your original message never reached the public in its entirety.

Joe: ...From the very start, I wanted bodybuilding to be seen not just as a way to build massive muscles, but also as a way to get healthy. I'm afraid that message got lost, and I still want to get it out there.

Interviewer: Do you feel that people's perception of bodybuilders must be changed for them to accept that message?

Joe: Sure. Who wants to look at a guy who is lumbering and doesn't look healthy? They want to see guys and girls who are beautiful to look at. People should look at a bodybuilder and say, "Hey! There is someone I'd like to look like." You know, bodybuilders are heroes to a lot of people, and they should look like heroes...

CPB's Take on Joe's Comments: Well...we might be misunderstanding Joe here, but if you look at all the back issues of Joe's magazines (Your Physique, Muscle Power, Muscle Builder) in the Goden Age (1940s and 50s) before steroids appeared, the bodybuilders indeed had classic physiques and looked like heroes! They often posed like the classical statues of ancient Greek hereos and gods. They received the admiration of women and guys wanted to be like them!

There is no better proof of this than Steve Reeves. Most guys would be more than happy to look like him. Most women would find his physique attractive. Now compare that with today's mainstream top bodybuilders. How many guys would honestly want to look like a Jay Cutler or Marcus Ruhl - whether on or off-season? How many women are really attracted to "Hulk-like" physiques?

Modern bodybuilding has truly lost the classic, heroic ideal and now has become an EXTREME SPORT - designed to shock and entertain perhaps - but mainstream top bodybuilders are certainly not "beautiful to look at." Yes...Joe's original vision and message has indeed been lost in mainstream bodybuilding. But, here at Classic Physique Builder, we hope to keep that original vision and message alive!

Joe Weider - Father of Classic Physique Building?

We have mixed feelings about Joe. On the one hand, he was certainly in the position, along with his brother Ben, to stop the take-over of classic physique building by steroid-users in the 1960s. He was in control of his magazines and he and his brother Ben were certainly at the reigns of the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders). However, it may well have been that no one could have stopped it - this is what Joe says in his book Brothers of Iron. He might be right, but perhaps he could have done a lot more to prevent the decline of the Golden Age of Classic Physique Building.

That being said, no one can deny that there probably would have been no Golden Age of Classic Physique Building (from 1940 - 1959) without Joe's magazines (Your Physique, Muscle Power, Muscle Builder), training equipment, muscle-building courses, supplements, contests, and tireless and relentless promotion of bodybuilding! So what can we say? How can we not like Joe! He is rightfully recognized as the "Father of Classic Physique Building."

Joe certainly practiced what he preached. Though he never won a major title (although he did place 5th in the tall class of the 1951 Mr. Universe contest after being "forced" to enter the contest by his friend Reg Park), he certainly did build an impressive physique! He appeared several times on the cover of his first magazine - Your Physique. The above photo on the left shows Joe on the cover of The October 1944 issue. It looks like he was about 170 lbs at that time. He was certainly no Steve Reeves, but you see a developing classic physique!. The above photo on the right shows Joe sometime between 1947 - 1952. He oftern used this photo in his byline for his magazine articles. It looks like he packed on more muscle mass and his body weight is up around 200 lbs. His measurements, as reported by Sig Klein in Muscle Builder magazine in 1955 were: chest - 51 in., neck - 17.5, waist - 34.5, upper arm - 17.3, thigh - 25.2, calf - 16.8, height 5'11". These are definitely classic proportions! Not bad for a magazine publisher!

Your Physique: Joe Weider's First Bodybuilding Magazine

In a previous post, we stated that our beginning date for the Golden Age of Classic Physique Building was 1940 - the year that Joe Weider published his first bodybuilding magazine, Your Physique. Here is a brief account of how Joe put together his first issue (August 1940, vol.1, no.1).

Joe was 17 years old. He went through back issues of Bob Hoffman's magazine Strength and Health and wrote down the names and addresses of guys in the "Pen Pals" section. With his 7 dollars in savings, he bought 600 post cards, sent them out to his mailing list, and sold subscriptions to his new magazine (75 cents for 6 bimonthly issues) - which didn't exist yet! With the money he received, he rented a typewriter and worked at night on his dining room table when his mother was asleep. He hand-lettered the big display type, drew his own muscle man illustrations, and typed 22 pages onto mimeograph stencils. He ran off copies on a rented mimeograph machine. Only the cover page was professional printed. He stapled the pages together and then sent them out. More subscriptions poured in! His second issue was sent to a real typsetter and printer.

Your Physique ran from 1940 to 1952 through 17 volumes. Many Weider magazines, exercise equipment, muscle-building courses, and supplements were to follow and the rest was history! Not bad for a 17 year-old kid with 7 bucks to his name!

Above is his first issue of Your Physique (August 1940, vol. 1, no. 1). Barton Horvath is on the cover. You can find an archive of Your Physique covers at http://www.musclememory.com/. You can also read more about Joe Weider in his book Brothers of Iron - which is available at most bookstores.

Joe Weider on Building a Fantastic Body Naturally!

"People who don't believe you can build a fantastic body without spending a fortune or - I have to say it - taking dangerous drugs, should pick up my magazines from the 1940s and '50s. You see some mighty, mighty men on the covers and inside pages. The drugs those men took were great big, heavy iron pills. They didn't swallow them; they loaded them up on Olympic bars and dumbbells and lifted them using tricks that Joe Weider taught them. They bulked up eating steak and hard-boiled eggs and drinking enough milk to suck whole dairy farms dry. They didn't have any of the scientific foods and supplements and specialized knowledge and equipment available today - mostly because I made it all available - but look at what they did. Look. And be inspired. Those iron men inspired me when I worked with them. Looking at the old pictures, I'm inspired all over again" - Quote from Brothers of Iron by Joe Weider & Ben Weider with Mike Steere.

Joe's right! Just take a look at 5' 7", 195lb George Eiferman (Mr California 1948, Mr America 1948, Mr Universe 1962) on the cover of Joe's Your Physique magazine (vol. 11, no. 2 - May, 1949).

The "Golden Age" of Classic Physique Building!

What was the Golden Age of Bodybuilding? Well...that depends on who is defining it. For some, it was the era of "Muscle Beach." For others, it was the 1960s and 1970s - a time when bodybuilding came more into the public consciousness. For many, it is simply refers to the generation of bodybuilders that inspired them.

However, we maintain that there was truly a Golden Age of Classic Physique Building. It began in 1940 with the publication of Joe Weider's Your Physique Magazine - the first magazine dedicated solely to bodybuilding. It ended with the passing of 1959. Why? In 1960, steroids were introduced into bodybuilding. From that point in time, they gradually permeated the field. The Golden Age had passed and physiques became increasingly unnatural in size, proportion, and muscularity.

So to find our inspiration, we look to that time between 1940-1959 - when physiques were built by proper training, proper nutrition, proper rest, determination, and persistance. This was a time when supplements consisted of protein powder, vitamins, minerals, brewer's yeast, and gelatin. Yet, even without today's sophistication in costly supplements, bodybuilders were still able to build healthy, classic, symmetrical physiques. Seeing the pictures of the bodybuilders of this Golden Age says volumes about what can be achieved naturally!

Here is a shot of John Grimek, Mr America (1940, 1941), Mr Universe (1948), and Mr USA 1949 - who inspired many including Steve Reeves and Joe Weider!