Steve Reeves

C

charr

Member
As anyone ever read Steve Reeve's training book?

Some of the principles are similar to HST, total body work outs. He believed the optimum time to train again was 36 hours. He also advocated more carbs than protein which I think was rarer back then.

But like conventional body building programs he says that for maximum muscle development. Exercises need to have 3 - 4 sets 8 - 12 reps every set taken to failure. Also strict 45 seconds between sets and each rep performed slow. 2-3 seconds on the positive and 3-4 seconds on the negative.

For a natural bodybuilder he had very impressive gains. Anyone tried his program?
 
+1 on the carbs! Makes a huge difference in strength for me...
I think if you're going to failure every set, you'll likely need (Or more specifically, your muscles/CNS) will need more than the 36hr break...
 
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charr said:
As anyone ever read Steve Reeve's training book?

Some of the principles are similar to HST, total body work outs. He believed the optimum time to train again was 36 hours. He also advocated more carbs than protein which I think was rarer back then.

But like conventional body building programs he says that for maximum muscle development. Exercises need to have 3 - 4 sets 8 - 12 reps every set taken to failure. Also strict 45 seconds between sets and each rep performed slow. 2-3 seconds on the positive and 3-4 seconds on the negative.

For a natural bodybuilder he had very impressive gains. Anyone tried his program?
Click to expand...

Which book? "Dynamic Muscle Building" (2003) or "Building the Classic Physique: The Natural Way" (1995)? I'm always looking to add to my library. Reading reviews on Amazon it sounds like they both have some of the same information.
 
Hi Bulldog.

Building the classic physique. I think that was his main book. The other was written after he died I think.
 
This is the routine he used to put on 30lbs of lean muscle in 3 months.

Upright row: * 3
Bench Press: * 3
One arm dumbbell row: * 3
Lateral Raise: * 3
Incline Press: * 3
Tricep pushdown: * 3
Barbell Curl: * 3
Seated Dumbbell Curl: * 3
Squat: * 3
Breathing Squat 1 * 20reps
Pullover: 1 * 20
Deadlift: * 2
Goodmornings: * 2

All exercises where done in the 8 - 12 rep range and taken to failure. The workout was performed 3 times per week
 
Do you think that he would have got those results in 3 months with any program? Or is there something to training to failure with volume that produces hypertrophy?
 
30lbs in 3months is hard to believe. Putting on 2.5lbs of muscle a week is unlikely for anyone. If it was that easy we would all be ripped.
 
You do realize that what people claim they did is not always what they actually did or maybe it is only what they did for a specific period. You also should realize that stories get exaggerated over time.

Lifting to failure on a routine like that three times a week is a recipe for disaster is unlikely to be what he actually did.
 
charr said:
Hi Bulldog.

Building the classic physique. I think that was his main book. The other was written after he died I think.
Click to expand...
I'm much more interested in the posthumous book he wrote than any amount of muscle gained while he was still kicking.
 
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