Editor’s Note: Marvin Eder, unique and unparalleled paragon
of superhuman strength and physique, who inspired Bill “Peanuts” West, Pat Casey,
and all of today’s power champions with his fantastic feats of strength far
back in the 1950’s, when such power was undreamed of, still stands as one of
the most amazing and inspirational powerhouses of all time. This unique
article, embodying his principles and concepts of advanced training for power
and size with forced reps will give a tremendous boost to your training,
opening new vistas of size and strength to you.
Marvin, who wrote this article in Jan/52, trained with Joe
Weider at Goldberg’s Gym and carried out the pioneering experiments which
helped perfect the Weider training principles, and aided in their
popularization.We expect the beginner in bodybuilding to make fast gains during
his early training. His exercise-starved body responds quickly to modern
scientific weight training, and it is not unusual for a beginner to gain as
much as 30 lbs of bodyweight and 2″ on his arms in a month’s time.
Many Weider pupils have done this, and we have written up a
number of such cases. However, when a mighty champion, a man packing 190
massive pounds of cut-to-ribbons muscles on a 5′ 9″ frame makes super-swift
gains in only a few workouts . . . THAT’S NEWS! Well, friends and neighbors,
that’s what big Marv did.In order for the reader to fully understand why
Marvin’s great gains in a few workouts are so significant to the serious
bodybuilder, it’s necessary to relate some details of Marv’s training career.
Marvin has just turned 20 years of age. (Marv’s great strength and development
at a youthful age were years ahead of his time, anticipating our many youthful
champions of today. Marvin was World’s Strongest Youth in his time, just as
Dave Draper is today.)
For six years he has been a bodybuilder, and three years ago
(1949 – Ed. note) he won his first big title, that of Jr. Mr. North America. At
the time of his winning this title, he weighed about 170 lbs with a 16″ upper
arm (which later went to 19 with the application of advanced Weider methods –
Ed. note). It was characteristic of Marvin to stay in razor-sharp shape at all
times, the type who gains slowly, but shows spectacular cutup definition at all
times. Each added fraction of an inch of muscle shows up clearly, because there
is no subcutaneous fat to hide definition.Since winning his first important contest,
Marvin has won numerous other titles, gradually adding more size and power to
his body with years, until last summer at 190 lbs he tied for 3rd place in the
1951 Mr. America contest. His massive and shapely arm measured 18.25″ at that
time.
During recent months, those directly following the Mr.
America contest, Marvin’s measurements remained fairly consistent and those who
saw him felt that he had reached the absolute maximum of muscular development
for a man of his height. In looking at him, you have to agree that it is hard
to imagine where he could find room for any more muscle on his body. His arms
in particular appeared to be fully developed, for the sweeping muscular
contours and deeply etched definition combined with short bone lengths create
an appearance of massive size so that one would think further increase to be
impossible.
While Marvin’s measurements remained about the same during
these months, his power definitely was increasing, for he went up to 300 lbs in
a standing barbell press, and made 432 in beautiful form in the bench press.
Both these lifts were made with power to spare, with evidence that more could
be expected in the future (Marvin ultimately reached the truly incredible level
of 510 strict bench press and 520 floor press at 198 bodyweight, by the use of
Forced Rep training and the use of other advanced Weider power training
principles – Ed. note.). It is natural for a man to continue to grow stronger,
even if there is no increase in measurement or bodyweight as he approaches
fuller maturity, so I was not surprised to find him breaking records regularly
in his training.
But Marvin was not satisfied. He is a modern bodybuilder,
one who believes in the latest bodybuilding methods, such as the set system,
super sets, flushing, quality training and so on. He has used them all in his
training and each has helped him in power and development.
He was not satisfied with his achievements, and so
experimented with different training methods, searching for the key to size and
strength (bodybuilders in the Weider era of bodybuilding don’t have to flounder
around for techniques of bodybuilding, because the Weider Research Clinic has
done all that for them,and continues to work at developing new and better
methods of building muscle and power –
Ed. note.).
Imagine my surprise when Marvin walked into my office and
said . . . “I gained seven pounds bodyweight and 1/2″ on my arm in six workouts
. . . two weeks time in all.” Remember, this is Marvin Eder, the man who didn’t
gain fast, beside which he was already a champion of power and a bodybuilding
titleholder.
Asking Marvin to take off his shirt, I took out the
absolutely accurate tape I keep in my desk drawer, pulled it snugly around his
tensed upper arm and saw an 18.75″ measurement! A full half-inch larger than it
had ever been before. Please note that I am talking about COLD measurements . .
. Marvin had been able to pump up his arm close to 19″ during workouts, but
never had it been over 18.5 cold until just now.
Sensing a story, I took out my notebook and pencil, asking .
. . “How did you do it?” When Marvin speaks I usually just take notes and
listen, for he knows what the readers want to learn and I seldom have to ask
questions. So, form this point on, let me quote you the words of Marvin Eder as
I took them down . .
.
Forced reps is the answer to my recent gains. After being
stuck at 190 lbs and an 18.25″ arm for nearly four months, I was getting
discouraged. I tried performing more exercises, working out more often, taking
layoffs, eating more heavily, getting more sleep and everything else that has
helped me in the past. I just couldn’t budge.
Then one day while practicing heavy bench presses, I asked
Artie Zeller and Abe Goldberg to spot me with the weights. I made 4 reps nicely
and on the 5th found myself stuck. “Force it out!” roared Abe, and both he and
Artie placed their fingers on the ends of the bar, giving me just enough lift
to complete the repetition. “Help me with another one,” I said. They did.
“Another one,” I grunted. And they did, making 7 reps, 4 done in regular style
and 3 done with the forced reps method, with just a little lift from them to
make the lift possible.
When they took the weight from my hands and I stood up I
looked in the mirror, I had never before seen my arms, shoulders and pectorals
so pumped and bulging. Suddenly it hit me. Forced Reps could be the answer to
further muscular gains. That workout I did 5 sets of forced rep bench presses,
5 sets of forced reps strict barbell curls and 5 sets of forced reps lying
close grip triceps extensions.
It is hard to explain the feeling I had in my muscles. It as
as though there was a vibrant burning action, deep inside the muscle tissue,
pumping the arm full of new power and fullness. The next morning I measured my
upper arm and it was 1/4″ larger than ever before.
At this point I interrupted Marvin. You and I know what
forced reps are, but some of our readers may not be familiar with this term.
Will you explain the term, so our readers will understand what you mean? Once
again, from this point on, I am quoting Marvin’s words.
Forced reps are done in this manner: you select a weight
with which you can accomplish 4 reps unassisted. Then you have two assistants
stand at the ends of the bar, and when you get stuck and can’t complete a
repetition, these assistants give you just enough help to complete the rep. It
is from this that we get the term ‘forced reps’. They must help you evenly,
exerting equal pressure on each side, and give you just barely enough to
complete the rep. The help they give you must vary. By this, I mean that they
must watch you closely, giving a little more help when you reach a real
sticking point, and a little less when you have passed this point, and your
muscles have more strength because of the more favorable position.
In this way you do not limit yourself to a poundage that you
can handle only in the sticking point of the exercise, for you can use a weight
which will give the muscles a complete workout over their full range of motion,
demanding from them maximum exertion at all stages of an exercise.
It is because of this maximum exertion principle that
certain sections of a muscle are more completely stimulated than before and
naturally a more complete development of size and strength throughout the
entire muscle results.
Up to this time I have only employed this forced reps
principle in the wide grip bench press, lying close grip triceps extension and
the strict standing barbell curl. In just 6 workouts, covering 2 weeks, I have
gained 1/2″ on my arms and 7 lbs bodyweight. (These gains are even more
remarkable when you consider that Marvin Eder didn’t have our “Crash-Weight
Formula #7 or Super Pro 101 to work with. With their help, his gains would have
been much higher – Ed. note. You just gotta love the hard sell here!).
I expect to try the principle on other movements later on,
but for the moment, because of the severity of this type of exercise procedure,
I feel that it is best to restrict it to only a few movements.
The above is the story about forced reps as related by
Marvin Eder to me. It is another miracle of modern weight training which will
once again help many bodybuilders who have been stuck in measurement and power
and need something new and more advanced to make gains again. There are some
misunderstandings about this method in some people’s minds that I would like to
clear up now.
To begin with, forced reps training was advocated by Weider
some time back.
It has been used with benefit by Reg Park and other top
bodybuilders, all of whom agree that for the advanced men, the ones near the
peak of their development, such a system of training brings unusual results.
You should use about 20 lbs more in the prone press with the
forced reps style than you can use in the unassisted style. The reps
should be low, about 7 for each
exercise, and the sets rather high, about 5 sets per exercise. Don’t try to
perform more than 2 or 3 such exercises in any workout.
While Marvin feels that forced reps are very advanced work,
and only for the extremely advanced man (with modern Weider supplements and new
nutritional knowledge you need not be a very advanced bodybuilder to use forced
reps, as these advancements help you recuperate faster and build more muscle
quicker – Ed. note.), there is still a strong possibility that other
bodybuilders, those who have found themselves stuck in their training, could
benefit too. There is no reason why any bodybuilder, apart from the total
beginner, shouldn’t try forced reps. If they fail to give him gains, they are too
advanced for him and he should cut them out of his training. I personally
believe that most bodybuilders will benefit, provided they use some common
sense and practice the principle in only a few exercises, such as the bench
press, squat, biceps curl and triceps curl.
I’ll let you readers in for a scoop now. Both Reg Park and
Marvin Eder have promised me that sometime soon they are going to follow an
advanced Weider program of forced reps, SUPER SET STYLE (they did try it, and
made even greater gains on it, which catapulted them to world fame – Ed. note).
This, to my way of thinking, would represent the ULTIMATE in exercise severity
and I hope to have a report on this soon.
Until then, try out forced reps as outlined in this current
article. See the results for yourself. See how this new principle will give you
a greater feeling of exercise stimulation than you ever felt before. Remember
that Marvin Eder gained 1/2” on his arms and 7 lbs bodyweight in 2 weeks, and
that he told me his strength has gone up correspondingly. It is the latest
championship secret revealed for your use . . . so take advantage of it. And
while doing so, watch these points:
Select only three upper body exercises to begin with. Bench
press, barbell curl, and lying triceps extension being good ones.
Use a poundage you can handle for 4 or 5 reps unassisted.
Have two training partners, one standing at each end of the
bar, ready to give you just a little help in raising the weight when you get
stuck.
Perform a total of 7 reps, forcing out the last 2, and from
3-5 sets of each exercise.
It’s very easy to overtrain with force reps, so be sure to
get lots of Vitamin C from bioflavinoids, protein, and sleep.
Don’t make the rest of your program too long, rounding out
your routine with 6 to 8 exercises for the other parts of the body, performed
the way you always do them.
Don’t continue the forced reps program for any bodypart for
more than a month at a time — rest — hit any other area or two — rest again for
a few weeks — and go back to the curls, extensions and prones. And watch your
muscles grow . . . Grow . . . GROW!
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