Building An Old School Physique: Part 1
As much as the modern world has progressed, there are so many things that have been long forgotten. Call me old school, but some things were better fifty years ago…
Food was real food…
People stared into their partner’s eyes and not at their smart phone…
People said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’…
Men held doors open for women…
Men weren’t such pussies…
And guys at the gym were strong…. Very strong!
Today it’s common to see guys who are all show, and no go. They look like modern day action heroes, but they’re weaker than a Ken doll.
The goal of this series is to look at old school physiques, and to learn from the men who had both true strength and were lean and jacked.
In part 1, we look at building shoulders that modern body builders would envy.
What Happened To The Press?
There was a time when Olympic weightlifting consisted of three lifts – the snatch, the clean and jerk, and the military press. The press was considered more of a test of strength than the other two lifts, which allowed men who weren’t as strong in the snatch to make up the difference with a strong result in the press.
The press was also a regular exercise for bodybuilders. They performed strict press, behind-the-neck press, and dumbbell press. Anything overhead, they did it. And it showed! These men had impressive physiques, and had deltoids that modern bodybuilders would envy.
At the time, John Grimek was one of the most famous bodybuilders. He reportedly overhead pressed 285 pounds (almost 130kg) in competition. A few decades later, Paul Anderson pressed more than 400 pounds.
At a similar time, strongman competitor Doug Hepburn pressed 350 pounds behind his neck. When was the last time you saw somebody doing over head press with anything near body weight, let alone 400 pounds!?
These men were as strong as they looked, and were performing these lifts more than 50 years ago. Long before pre workouts, lifting straps, and fake tan.
Even though the military press has been eliminated from Olympic lifting, I believe it makes sense to include plenty of over head pressing into your shoulder routine.
Here Are Six Reasons You Need To Military Press:
It will improve your bench. This theory has been made famous by powerlifting coach Ed Coan, who said he was able to break a lengthy bench press plateau by working on his military press.
It develops the entire upper body. The press will help to develop the deltoids, traps and triceps. You can work all three muscle groups in isolation, but it makes much more economic sense to work all three groups together. It pays to be economical.
It’s a great conditioner for the lower back. A weakness in your lumbar region is highlighted fast with anything over head.
It can prevent injuries to the shoulder. By training only the bench press, it’s common for the subscapularis muscle to become shortened, which potentially puts pressure on the shoulder joint.
Serratus gains! The press is also an excellent exercise for the serratus anterior, as one of its main roles is to pull the scapulae upwards during the press.
It’s never crowded… There’s rarely a crowd of men waiting to overhead press. So whilst they line up for more bench press and curls, you can enjoy the free space whilst you press.
Tips On Shoulder Routines
A few thoughts on designing the perfect shoulder routine…
For most people, the anterior deltoid will receive enough attention from bench press and military press. So there's little need to spend more time on isolation exercises.
If your goal is to increase the size of your deltoids, make them a focus by training them first in a shoulder routine.
Pre-exhaustion, and high rep sets can work well for posterior deltoids.
Alternate grips. Try supinated, behind-the-neck, and traditional. Just like you would for pull-ups, change the stimulus every three to four workout.
Train full range of motion
Don’t forget your teres minor and the infraspinatus. Perform external rotation exercises.
According to Dr Mike Leahy, an imbalance between the prime movers of the shoulder and the external rotators is one of the major causes of shoulder injury.
As a bonus, external rotation exercises will also develop correct posture and add thickness to the upper back.
Stretch the internal rotators. The pecs and lats can become overly tight, so take care to stretch these muscles.
Consider ART. If you’re having trouble performing front presses due to inflexibility, ART may help you.
Consider some single arm work. Single arm work allows for greater ROM, due to the scapulae being free to move. Keep the working hand in a supinated grip.
If you find your lower back struggling, especially during behind-the-neck pressing, devote more time to strengthening this area. Placing your dominant leg slightly in front of the non-dominant leg during seated pressing may help slightly.
When pressing overhead, I prefer using a false / thumbless grip on the bar. I first heard Jim Smith from Diesel Strength preach this, and it works.
There you have it – the solution to building big, old school shoulders. Remember the basics, hustle, and focus on getting strong.