The Flushing System

by Mickey Hargitay

WHILE all readers of Muscle Power, Muscle builder and Junior Mr. America Magazines have come across such bodybuilding terms as the Flushing System, Peak Contraction, Forced Repetitions, Cheating Movements, Super Sets and other names given to modern Weider Training techniques, it has been my experience in talking with bodybuilders here and abroad, that a comprehensive knowledge of the principles involved is often lacking. Some bodybuilders have only a vague idea, some have no idea at all, and only Weider Pupils, it seems, who have thoroughly studied the Weider System can discuss the terms intelligently and know how to use them for their benefit.

It is therefore my intention in this series of articles to explain each of these important training principles, so that every aspiring physique contestant will understand them completely and in this way be able to use the various principles in his own training to speed up his physique progress.

For, in this modern era of bodybuilding, with more and more enthusiasts developing phenomenal builds, the man who ignores the latest and most up-to-date methods, will never hit a competitive peak.

And since it is reported that the world's greatest champions all use these modern Weider Principles, the sooner you include them in your own training, the better it will be for your bodybuilding future.

One of the most important modern techniques is the Flushing System. I always use it in my training and regardless what routine you may be following, or what combination of exercises you may be performing, you will assure maximum results if you follow the principle too.

It works ideally for beginners just as well as for the most celebrated star, and here is exactly how the principle is applied.

If you have been studying the various routines of the stars as brought to you in the different Weider Magazines, you will notice a similarity in the placement of many of the exercises in their programs.

In other words, many stars begin their training with the bench press, go on to either the pullover or bent arm laterals, then they usually perform their shoulder exercises, their back movements, their arms, legs and waist. The exact sequence may not always be the same, but generally speaking, once they do an exercise for any particular part of their bodies, they follow this with all the exercises for that part before going on to another section.

Rarely, if ever, will you find a star performing an exercise for the chest, then one for the legs, then another for the back, and then returning to the chest again for a second movement for it. The stars don't jump around in this manner since they have learned from experience that exercising each body part fully before going on to another section flushes up that part best. And, it is from this flushing reaction, when grouping all exercises for any body part together in one place in the work-out that the term Flushing System was born.

The benefits of the Flushing System are many. Most important as far as the bodybuilder is concerned is the muscle growth factor. This will be explained now.

Muscles are formed by layers of body cells which pile up something like sand on the beach. There are cells which are close to the surface, near the skin, and others more deeply imbedded, layer after layer until the innermost cells practically lie on the skeletal structure.

When exercise is performed and a specific set of muscles used, the muscle cells first called into action are those which lie fairly close to the surface. These cells are stimulated, infused with nourishing blood, and a certain pumped up feeling is experienced.

However, true muscularity and large muscular size depends on more than just surface cell stimulation. Therefore, by performing sets of an exercise, and by doing all the different exercises for one part of a body all at one part of the work-out, once the muscle cells close to the surface grow tired, those more deeply situated are called on to work. Then, they too become flushed up and tired. If this flushing action is continued for some period of time, every muscle cell will receive its share of hard work. After such a thorough flushing session it is not unusual for the arms, chest, thighs or other body parts to be 1 or 2 inches larger when measured by the tape.

Of course, during rest and after the flushness has left the parts, the muscles lose some of their unusual size. But, during rest and while being rebuilt, the cells influenced develop stronger and larger than they were before. And since more cells are affected when the flushing system is followed, each one rebuilt contributes something extra to the size, power and form of the muscles involved.

This, then, explains why the great champions prefer the flushing system of training over all other kinds. And, it explains why muscles today are bigger and stronger than ever before, since Joe Weider introduced the principle. From skeletal framework to outer layer of skin, the muscle cells are influenced and forced to power and growth.

To complete the flushing picture, now that you know why it works, suppose I explain why those who do not follow it can never hope to develop maximum muscle size.

Let us presume that you start off your work-out with an exercise for the chest. You perform your usual number of sets-1, if you are a total beginner, 2, 3 or even more if you are an experienced man. As previously explained, this first exercise mainly influences the surface muscle cells.

Therefore, if you now jump to the waist, then the legs, the arms and so on, while exercising these other parts your chest will of course have a good opportunity to rest. This means that when you go back to the chest again and perform another exercise for it, it will have recuperated to some extent. Then, the same layers of muscle cells which accommodated your first exercise efforts will be able to handle most of the new training load. If you persist in jumping around from one part of the body to another in this manner, you never influence the deeply imbedded muscle cells, inhibit maximum muscle growth and drastically hold back your training progress. That explains why certain bodybuilders who complain that they train hard and still fail to make good gains, suffer from bodybuilding frustration. They are really working out hard, of this there can be no doubt. But they are training wrong and much of their effort is being wasted.

Now that you understand the principle behind the Flushing Method of exercise, just how can you arrange your own routines to conform? Easily enough if you spend a little thought in planning them right.

There are two types of flushing routines you can follow. One is less advanced than the other, and should be used first to break in gradually into the more advanced flushing program.

In following the first style, you start off with any part of the body you want-your arms, your chest, your shoulders, legs, waist or any other part. The only point you must watch is to make sure that you do all the exercises for any single part one after the other in your routine. If you start off with the curl, complete all the sets of this exercise and then go on to the next arm exercises, and so on, completing all the arm exercises before you tackle any other part. Then if you want, do the same with your legs, starting off with the thighs and finishing off with the calves. You can next exercise your chest, then go to your waist, and jump around any way you want, just as long as you perform all exercises for any body part before going on to the next.

This type of flushing will break you in -- get you used to the more advanced style you are to follow next.

A complete, advanced flushing routine is similar to the above, except you work all your upper body at one time as well as your lower as a unit. In other words you don't jump from the arms to the legs, then back to the chest and so on. You not only flush up each single part, but you continue working either the upper body in full, or else the lower body completely once you commence on either your upper body or your lower in your training.

Not only that, but to keep the flushing action intact, you try as much as possible to work from one muscle part that has been directly influenced to another that has had indirect action as a result of the exercise.

To explain this more plainly, let us work from the neck down to the calves in an advanced Flushing Routine. Start off with a headstrap for the neck and perform a variety of bending, twisting and turning neck exercises. Besides the local neck muscles, the trapezius and certain other upper back muscles are also influenced. Therefore, when you leave the neck, go directly to the upper back with shrugs, rowing and other upper back exercises. Since there is always action in the shoulders when upper back exercises of this sort are performed, you next perform shoulder exercises such as straight arm standing laterals and front shoulder raises. In such shoulder exercises the chest is influenced, so you now go on to the chest with bench press, bent arm laterals and bent arm pullovers. In doing these exercises, you use the arms a great deal so next you go on to the barbell curl and other biceps and triceps exercises.

The flushing action now comes to a halt as far as your upper body is concerned, but from your neck to your waist, you've flushed up first one part and then another completely.

You now can either perform waist exercises and then go to the legs, and continue working from the top down in this manner, or else you can skip the waist for a moment, perform squats and thigh exercises, work down to the calves and then wind up the routine with waist movements

And -- when you complete such a flushing routine, not only will all your muscles be fully pumped up, but you'll save time and effort and get a better all around work-out as well.

There are many variations of the Flushing Principle possible. You can start off with your legs and gradually work up to your neck. You can start with your arms, go on to the shoulders which are influenced in many arm exercises, then to the chest, the upper back and down to the waist and legs.

You can begin with the chest, then the arms, the shoulders, the upper back, waist and legs, or follow almost any combination that you like, just as long as you stick to one part when you start it and then go on to another part that has been partly worked as a result of the previous exercise.

This is what is meant by the Flushing System and a little thought on your part will reveal that it is a sensible bodybuilding plan.

If you haven't been making the gains that you feel you should, then compare your program with the principles set down here. Just a few changes may make all the difference in the world and start you piling on the muscles again. I know that in one stage of my training I was stuck-seemed to have hit up against a blank wall and the flushing system started me making fast gains again.

It should work equally well for you. I sincerely ask you to give it a test.

Next month I'll bring you another in this series of Mr. Universe Training Secrets that you can use for bigger and faster muscle gains than you ever thought possible before.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Monty Wolford is small boned bodybuilder who has developed Herculean muscle size. The flushing system, as explained here, builds big muscles on everyone!

- Jimmy Payne, Prof. Mr. America in an impressive back pose displaying sensational thickness and definition. For the secret of massive development, read article now!

- In this striking physique pose, Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay reveals tremendous size, power and proportions. The Weider Flushing System of training played an important role in his championship training. Mickey explains that system here.