you are an individual

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

You Are An individual

by Bill Starr

You Are An individual

I’ve always been a staunch advocate of teaching correct form on all exercises, for I believe it’s critical to making progress and avoiding injuries. Since I deal almost exclusively with athletes, I have everyone start with the basic routine – that is, unless someone is physically unable to do a certain lift. The big three exercises form the foundation for future strength work, so everyone learns how to do full squats, power cleans and bench presses. I teach everyone the same technique, regardless of background, body type or strength level.

workload

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

The Concept of Workload

by Bill Starr

Understanding and using the concept of workload is very valuable to anyone who’s seriously interested in getting stronger. It provides you with useful information on just how much work you’re really doing. This, in turn, helps you analyze your current program and plan your future workouts. If you don’t know exactly how much total work you’re doing, this planning process is usually hit-or-miss.

widen your wingspan

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Only The Strong Shall Survive: Widen Your Wingspan

By: Bill Starr

Lats were never high on my list of muscles I cared about, and I never made a conscious effort to enhance them. I was much more concerned with developing strong traps and lumbars, since I participated in Olympic weightlifting. In my mind, wide lats were for bodybuilders. That changed when I started dating a young lady who was completely enamored of big lats. I'd always thought that the opposite sex was attracted to big arms, chests and even glutes. But lats? That threw me, but since they turned her on, I added a few specific exercises to try to make mine larger.

warming up

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

The Value of Warming Up and Stretching

by Bill Starr

As I watch the members of various health clubs and gyms go about their routines, one of the things that strikes me the most is just how few bother to do any type of warmup. The majority walk into the weight room, drop their gym bags and proceed to lift. What’s more, only a very few do any stretching before they lift, or afterward, for that matter. Once they complete their workouts, they grab their bags and rush out the door.

variation by bill starr

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Variation

by Bill Starr

One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is, “How can I fit all the exercises I want to do into my program?” Sometimes their lists take up most of the page. If they did all those movements in a week their workouts would last three hours or more, which is certainly not a wise approach.

timed squats

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Strong Shall Survive Time to Squat

by Bill Starr

Most readers of this magazine want to make continuous progress and move their top-end numbers up on a regular basis. Change is an excellent method of achieving those goals. Changing a routine, even slightly, can instill enthusiasm for your workouts. Anything that helps you look forward to your next session in the weight room is a positive thing.

the press part 2 by bill starr

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

The Press, Part Two

by Bill Starr

In my last article, I listed many reasons why I believe all strength athletes should include the military, or overhead, press in their routines. I presented some basic instruction on performing the lift and also pointed out that even though the military press is easy to learn, the form becomes more complicated once the weights get heavy. Few have any difficulty pressing light and moderate poundages, but it’s an entirely different story when a max double or single is being attempted. At that point the technique must be perfect. the smallest form flaw will result in failure – not just sometimes but always.

the press part 1 by bill starr

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

The Press, Part One

by Bill Starr

Last February (2006) Dave Draper’s wife, Laree, contacted me regarding an online forum about my book The Strongest Shall Survive. She asked if I’d respond to questions posted by members of the forum. Since I’ve never been one to pass up free publicity, I readily agreed. See here - http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/7317

tempo tactics

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Only the Strong Shall Survive: Tempo Tactics

By: Bill Starr

I enjoy it when Uncle Buddy visits. He brings me gifts, buys meals at nice restaurants and is fun to be around, but I confess that I much prefer short visits to longer ones. Uncle Buddy has too much energy for my torpid personality. After two days of trying to keep up with him, I'm flat worn out. He gets up early and stays up late, only needing a few hours' rest. I, on the other hand, require lots of sleep, so by day three of his most recent visit I was groggy, wishing that his lady friend would get here and he'd leave me in peace.

tarps make the man by bill starr

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

tarps Make The Man

by Bill Starr

Strong tarps can help prevent injury. Here's how to build them.

It was a holiday weekend and all the commercial gyms were closed, but the shed at Sam Fielder's dairy farm on the Johns Hopkins campus was open as usual. Walking in, I was surprised to find Jack and Allen working out. I gave them a friendly nod (that was my first mistake) and started my regular Friday program (my second mistake). "Say, caoch," Jack said, coming over to me, "could we ask you a couple training questions?" I sighed. "Fire away." That was my third mistake. What was coming my way wasn't a couple of random shots but a fusillade, a broadside.

tailoring your program by Bill Starr

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Tailoring Your Program

by Bill Starr

Tommy Suggs and I have known each other since we were collegiate lifters in Texas. When he brought me to the York Barbell Company in 1965 to be his assistant editor at Strength & Health magazine, we started training together. It didn’t take Tommy long to figure out that I was an overachiever in the gym. He quickly determined that he didn’t need to do as much work as I did in order to be successful. He made it a rule to do half of what I did.

strengthening the ankles by bill starr

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Strengthening the Ankles

by Bill Starr

I’ve observed over the years that most people, athletes and non-athletes alike, take their ankles for granted – that is, until they injure one. Then they fully comprehend just how vital ankles are to their well-being. Simple everyday tasks such as walking and climbing stairs suddenly become very difficult, and participating in any type of physical activity is out of the question.

starr fullproof dumbell

Bill Starr Articles January 14, 2012 Comment

Fool-Proof Dumbbell Training

By: Bill Starr

Bodybuilders always include plenty of dumbbell exercises in their routines, but quite a few strength athletes avoid them completely. If they use them at all, they relegate the dumbbells to auxiliary exercises and use light weights. I'm a big fan of dumbbells, both light and heavy. They're most useful to all serious strength athletes, as well as those who only train for general fitness, and they're invaluable for rehab. What's more, for people who train alone, they're extremely beneficial, since you don't need a spotter.