The 1,001 Exercise System

by Ed Yarick

THE axiom, "One man's meat is another man's poison", is the basis of this article. Thee has been much controversy over the so-called "set system" and the 1001 exercise systems. After 15 years of experience in physical culture work, in competition and the judging of strength events, I have assembled a series of observations on the form and other qualifications that mark the strongman and the "Mr. America" of front rank caliber.

Today most of the fellows, beginners and advanced barbell men, are using the set system, where you do from one to twenty sets of one exercise. I have yet to see a man use that system and become a "Mr. America" or a contest winner. I have trained three "Mr. Americas" and many fellows that have won city and state contests, and not one of them had used the Set systems.

I do not belive you can build a perfect, all-'round body combined with speed, coordination, strength, lifting ability, suppleness and symmetry unless you use the "1001 exercise system". You have to build every muscle on your body from every angle possible.

Instead of doing eight to ten sets of one exercise, I teach my gym members to use three or four variations, with three or more sets of each exercise. There are a hundred different ways to vary each and every basic exercise.

By basic exercises, I mean the deep-knee-bend, military press, rowing motion, supine press, regular curls, calf raises, and the abdominal situp exercise. Prior to "Mr. America 1947" contest, that Steve Reeves won, "Mr. America 1949", won by Jack Delinger, and "Mr. America , 1951", won by Roy Hilligenn, I have planned courses that included many different exercises to work the muscles from all angles for the greatest benefit. A muscle developed in this manner can attain maximum size and strength, combined with suppleness. A muscle built in this manner has a supple texture and more power than the "hard as iron" muscle. Both John Grimek and Roy Hilligenn have this extra fine quality of muscle. And both these men are the best all around men I have ever seen. I have witnessed their performance of splits, back bends, standing somersaults, running, swimming, dancing, and colossal feats of strength with lightness and grace. Grimek's bent press of almost 300 pounds, over 500 pounds squats, over 300 pounds continental presses, amazing crucifix lifts; Hilligenn's 490 pounds squats, 270 pound military presses, dumbells clean, of 142 pounds in each hand, and 350 pounds clean and jerk.

Steve Reeves has amazing power in using dumbells, and very few can beat him in exercise lifts. So has Jack Delinger. He has military pressed 250 pounds, squatted well over 400 pounds and can curl tremendous poundages.

I have George Brignola working on just such a program. George was considered the strongest 15-year old in the country. He became one of the first to lift 300 pounds overhead. He has squatted with close to 500 pounds, supine pressed 350 pounds, has totaled 750 pounds in competition, and has won physique contests. Men like these just don't happen. They come only as a result of following a correct system of training.

I firmly believe that, for maximum strength and development, you have to use a 1001 exercise system in your program. For the squats there are, to mention a few variations, the flatfoot squat, squat on low bench, half squats, partial squats, one legged squats, step on box, hack squats, lunge squats, wide and narrow squats, etc. For every exercise, many variations can be found.

Roy Hilligenn is a fine product of this system. He has exceptional lifting ability, all around strength, and a great physique. It has been said that you cannot train for body building and lifting at the same time. Hilligenn and Grimek both have disproved this fallacy, so have Dan Uhalde and George Brignola who train at both. John Davis included many body building exercises in his program, and so do Stan Stanczyk and Dave Sheppard.

The "high set system" is a one-sided affair. It builds in one direction only. It definitely does not build maximum strength and development, particularly symmetry. It is monotonous, and the program gets stale too fast. I will, however, agree on this system for specialization purposes only. Without well balanced shapeliness, the greatest strength loses its beauty of form in execution, which distinguishes the finest athletic performance. Therefore I would recommend Bob Hoffman's York Courses No. 3 and No. 4 as the finest courses written to combine strength and perfection in physical development. Only the all around strongman would be able to refute the erroneous, but nevertheless widely accepted theory that big muscles are slow, by a few feats that require speed, agility and strength.

There are probably thousands of body builders who believe differently, but as I said, I still have to see a "Mr. America" that successfully used such a program. It is especially bad for a beginner.

Many of my members and members of other gyms have adopted the combination of lifting and body building; since Roy Hilligenn won the "Mr. America" title, the combination has become even more popular.

Another fallacy, in my estimation, is the cheating way of training. If you cheat, you're not cheating anyone but yourself. It is essential to keep the muscles alive by using training that offers progressive resistance and exercises the muscles from extreme contraction to extreme extension. A Muscle that is being built by cheating exercises cannot obtain its normal elasticity. To do a half curl, a half deep-knee bend, half supine press, half a military press; these will never build a body.

It is the combination of many exercises performed correctly that builds the finished athlete of strength and beauty. After all, anything worth doing is worth doing well. Proper training will make you a finished athlete and a disciple of the weight training game. You will then be able to do your bit to improve humanity, to show the way to all that is desirable in a physical way. In that way you can obtain much that is worthwhile from life, and will be an inspiration to others.

The body that becomes immortal and serves as inspiration to advanced barbell men is the physique that has been crated through proper and intensive training over a considerable period of time.