Who Trained The Mr. America Title Winners?

Joseph Weider, Muscle Builder

Here, for the first time, is a completely unbiased report on the training methods of all the Mr. America winners. You will be surprised when you read this article, but when you have completed it, you will know the TRUTH!

FRANKLY, I would prefer not writing this article, for to some it may appear as an attack against our competitors. Still, my record will prove that during the past year, despite frequent mud-slinging against us by them, I have refrained from any retaliation and have devoted all the space in my magazines to instructional writing.

However, due to misleading advertising on the part of one of my competitors, which should be examined by the Federal Trade Commission, considerable confusion presently exists in the bodybuilding world, which in fairness to all I must clear up.

I refer to an ad which appears in the magazine published by the York Barbell Company, in which they state that every Mr. America winner from 1939 through 1952, with the exception of Frank Leight who won the title in 1942, was trained by them. Up to recently I paid no attention to this ad even when it was brought to my attention by my staff, since I felt certain that bodybuilders would easily see through this mis-statement and there was no need for my making an issue of it.

Lately, however, I have been the recipient of hundreds and hundreds of letters, all similar to the one reprinted in part here from George Brown, El Paso, Texas. "I have read an ad in a magazine in which it is claimed that all Mr. America winners from 1939 to 1952, with the exception of 1942 were developed by York Methods. Still, I know that at least 5 of these men, Ross, Stephan, Reeves, Delinger, etc., are 100% behind Weider Methods. Therefore I would like to have you set me straight on this matter. I certainly don't think much of a barbell company that lies like that."

So that's the question, and here is the answer:

First, let me tell you that no champion ever won a Mr. America title by following any one, specific course of instructions! Now, I will elaborate on this surprising statement.

If you have been following the Weider Publications, you will recall that time after time I have drawn your attention to the fact that every Mr. America winner and every great champion is a 'law unto himself'. While it is true that all follow certain basic fundamentals in their training, through personal experience they have learned how to adjust these principles to their individual requirements.

Each champion makes a deep study of his body and personal characteristics. He then trains in the manner best for him, dependent upon his temperament, muscular structure, height, bodyweight and skeletal formation.

This means that no two champions will ever train in an identical manner. No two champions have ever followed the exact course, step by step from the beginner's stage right through to the championship title. Often, what is perfect for one champion may be a waste of time for another. So, how could one course, consisting of a single group of exercises and a set type of printed instruction, as given with York sets ever produce such a wide range of champions? The answer, is of course, that it can't and we defy anyone to prove otherwise.

Since the York ad is obviously fraudulent, based purely on commercial gain, how then, are champions actually developed and to whom does the credit belong?

Let us start at the beginning and trace the development of a champion to learn the truth about that.

Most champions take up weight training, weak and skinny, just like any beginner, with their first interest being merely to develop their bodies and to build up their strength. Few dare to hope that they will some day be a champion. At the start they are all satisfied with much less.

While few of them realize it at the time, it is right then, with the very first course that they follow that they either lay the foundation for muscular greatness, or eventual training frustration.

As beginners they need scientific basic instruction which will develop the major muscles of the body, build up their power, bring out their favorable characteristics and reveal their weak points.

At this point, no physical individuality has yet been developed in the beginner, so essentially all beginner's requirements are the same. For the first few months they can all follow the same routine with benefit, provided of course that this routine is a scientific one.

However, after several months, the beginner must make a change in training. The beginners course has taken him as far as it can. He is ready for more advanced work. He will also have developed certain physical characteristics, which are specifically his own. After these first few months of preparatory training he must think to some extent for himself and learn how to adjust his further training for his greatest benefit.

Now, in the York Course, no attention is given to the bodybuilder after his first few months of training. No provision is made to guide him in the development of his personal physical traits so that he can sensibly advance from one type of a routine to another. This means, that quite contrary to its claims of developing a dozen Mr. America Winners, the York Courses merely nudged these men out of the rank beginner's stage, if there is any truth that they followed the York Methods at all! Then after this slight training, they were left completely on their own without further instruction. What happened to them after the first few months of training and up to the time when they won a title is certainly something over which the York Methods exerted no influence.

Now, let's see what happens when the Weider Pupil completes his first few months of training. When he has done this, he is taught in the course how to enter into the set series of training, how to utilize the split routines which are one of the favorite training methods of champions and when and how he should progress into the power and advanced programs.

His printed instructions outline every step of the way and explain to him exactly how he can adjust his programs to meet best with his personal requirements. Six wall charts show him exactly how every exercise is performed to eliminate any errors.

When the Weider Pupil has advanced through these various stages in his training and has learned how to adjust himself to muscle building, he is still not a finished champion, and the Weider System recognises that fact. However, he will have learned every championship secret and will have a permanent guide to use to adjust these principles and routines to carry him on to the heights of championship acclaim. He also has available a group of 15 specialization programs that he can follow to balance off his physique and to overcome any weak points.

Only then is the Weider Pupil left on his own to plan his own programs for championship success. Since he has a complete, scientific background and knowledge of the sport, the final stages of his training are easy. He has learned exactly how to train to be a champion.

Exactly how he will then train to add the final touches to his physique will depend upon his temperament and physical type, which he will by now have determined, based on the guidance he has received from the Weider System.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- A partial line-up of contestants in recent Mr. America contest. Do all the stars follow one method of training? Are they all pupils of one specific course? To learn the TRUTH, read this informative article.

- 1939 - Roland Essmaker followed modern methods to win Mr. America Crown.

- 1939 - Due to mix-up in AAU schedules, Bert Goodrich was also crowned Mr. America in 1939. He was all around athlete.

- 1940-1941 - John Grimek won title twice. Training partners say he used set series in his training.

- 1942 - Frank Leight used set series, bench press, other modern methods.

- 1943 - Jules Bacon was another Mr. America who advocated modern training principles.

- 1944 - Steve Stanko built Mr. America body with power and bulk routines.

- 1945 - Clarence Ross practiced set series, flushing and peak contraction training routines.

- 1946 - Al Stephan used Weider power, bulk and flushing principles to mold Mr. America form.

- 1947 - Steve Reeves used variety programs for Mr. America perfection.

- 1948 - George Eiferman used super sets, mental contractions.

- 1949 - Jack Delinger endorses Weider Principles, uses them in his specialized training.

- 1950 - John Farbotnik performed a large variety of modern exercises in training.

- 1951 - Roy Hilligenn combined weightlifting and bodybuilding to win fame as Mr. America.

- 1952 - Jim Park practiced set series, used high protein in his bodybuilding.

- 1953 - Bill Pearl rose to fame on training schedule of set series and flushing.

- 1954 - Present Mr. America, powerful Dick Dubois is a product of modern training principles. He follows set series, flushing and cheating exercises. While we do not claim him as a Weider Pupil, Dick follows all our principles in his bodybuilding work-outs.