By Pete Fancher
“Old School.”
I have been called that many times over the past few years, and for good reasons. I am old school. Nothing to be ashamed of there. I have written a couple of columns for this site about how competitors communicated with each other in the past. Exchanged ideas on training, diet and contest prep. Old School.
Why do you kick trainers around so hard? I have been asked that a few times as well.
The answer. Old School.
We surely didn’t need trainers in the late 60’s or 70’s. Arnold didn’t have a trainer. Sergio Oliva didn’t have a trainer. Frank Zane didn’t have a trainer. They all trained, experimented with movements and found what worked best for them and did the same with contest diet and prep. They made it without a trainer. It’s not rocket science. And what works for one will definitely not work for everyone else, as we are all different. Different shapes, metabolism, stresses in life, styles of training.
When we trained we concentrated. Concentrated on the movement we were doing and how the muscle would respond during that movement and used visualization during the movement to will that particular muscle to respond and to grow - - you just don’t see that in the gyms or health clubs today.
You see the person that is being trained by the trainer standing there while the trainer sets up the exercise by getting the weight, dumbbell or setting the pins on the stack and then briefly instructing the individual on how to do the movement, sometimes actually demonstrating the movement. The pupil then proceeds to do the movement all the while chatting about what happened with the children or the spouse over the weekend - - making small talk with the trainer who participates in the conversation - - all while the movement is being done. No instruction on why the movement is beneficial, what muscles are involved and why, what to concentrate on while the movement is being performed or any correction of improper form, no manner how slight. Then on to the next exercise.
Ask this certified personal trainer, who got the certification by passing a written test after studying a manuel or book or maybe attending a series of lectures, how to train a certain body part or increase one’s squat or bench and see what kind of experienced answer will come back. Not much of one.
Every gym or health club has one or several of these around. The member comes in wearing the latest outfit. Usually neat shorts, some type of pro-team sports shirt, a baseball cap and carrying a gym bag around with them during the entire training session. The bag contains a player of music of some sort, ear phones of course, maybe some water or protein drink in a container, wraps, lifting belt, gloves and the log book that contains every set and rep ever done.
The set-up for the first set of the very first exercise may take anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending on who is standing around that hasn’t been greeted yet or asked what they are training today. Then that first set is done. Then it is standing around talking for another 5 or 10 minutes about the games that were on over the weekend or wandering about the gym until someone is found to chat with about whatever. Then back to that second set.
Old School - - walk into Vince Gironda’s gym in Studio City and try that or the original Gold’s Gym in Venice. If the members didn’t run this person off, then Vince surely would. Ask about putting on some music and he would definitely throw you out of his gym. You were there to train. To work. Not to visit or listen to music.
Sure there was some joking around between sets, but when it was time to do that set it was done with intensity and with complete concentration. No outside interference. No conversation. Completely and totally shut out all outside noises and focus entirely on the movement being done and visualizing that muscle grow with each rep. To watch this kind of training is very special - - and it draws one in - - it is very powerful.
Old School.
I don’t mind being called “Old School.” I enjoy it really.
The purpose of the articles that I have done this year for this site is to get us back to our roots to a degree. To remember what got us to where we are today and to keep some of those alive, like helping each other back stage and making a friend and to have fun doing this sport that we call bodybuilding. I truly hope that every competitor will come away from their experiences with a positive feeling and maybe having learned something about themselves and are already thinking and planning on how to train for their next show before they even step on stage for the show they have just trained and dieted for. They are thinking and planning - - doing research.
This is a very fun sport if you make it that way. It is very hard work in the gym. Dieting can be very stressful, if one lets it - - but the things that we can take away from it, besides a great physique, are the friendships that we have made along the way and what we have learned about ourselves. |
