The ways to develop strength without chemical enhancement are numerous. Methods used by early 20th century strongmen and weightlifters are still in use today for a single reason: they work. An intelligent approach to your training and dedicated effort will allow you to build strength and power that you have never experienced before. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Step 1
Train your entire body three times a week with at least one day of rest between each workout. Perform your most skilled movements first when you are fresh and can get the most out of them. You should squat at the start of your training session as you do not want to perform this movement when you are fatigued.
Step 2
Squat heavy and deeply. Use good technique and never round your back. Make sure you do not relax at any point during the lift.
Step 3
Deadlift heavy with good technique. Initiate the movement by pushing your head and shoulders back and your hips forward as you pull the bar off of the ground and do not stop until you are standing completely erect.
Step 4
Bench and military press heavy. Never bounce the bar, and complete a full range-of-motion on each exercise. Perform the military press while standing.
Step 5
Perform heavy chin-ups and rows. These exercises work your back, biceps and forearms. Perform one set of chin-ups or rows for every set of pressing exercises you perform to ensure balanced shoulder development.
Tips and Warnings
- Rotate the order of pressing exercises, as you can overhead press more when you are fresh, so do this exercise instead of bench presses some workouts. Try to train with at least 75 percent of your one-repetition maximum on exercises to encourage the production of testosterone, the hormone most responsible for muscle growth.
- Make sure you use safety collars and a power rack or squat rack to avoid injury while training.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell with safety collars
- Plates
- Dumbbells
- Squat rack or power rack
References
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Excercises; Biomechanics of the Knee During Closed Kinetic Chain and Open Kinetic Chain Exercises; Rafael F. Escamilla et al.; April 1998
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Excercises; A Three-dimensional Biomechanical Analysis of Sumo and Conventional Style Deadlifts; Rafael F. Escamilla et al.; July 2000
- Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology; Electromyographic Validation of the Muscles Deltoid Pectoralis Major Military Press Exercises with Open Grip; Bull et al., July-August 2010.
- European Journal of Applied Physiology; Acute Hormonal and Neuromuscular Responses to Hypertrophy, Strength and Power Type Resistance Exercise; George O. McCaulley et al., March 2009.
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