— ...roid days. Take a look at bodybuilding magazines from the forties and fifties,
and see for yourself.. With the link between exercise poundages and muscular girths being so
strong, here are some guidelines—but not definitive numbers—for the sort
of weights you need to be lifting if you aim to get to -inch arms and cor-
responding girths. But the strength-to-girths relationship is not uniform
among all individuals. Some people need to get considerably stronger than
others to develop the same muscular girths. e following guidelines assume
a controlled (no cheating!) training style, and no use of powerlifting support
gear. ey include a short pause for a breath or few between reps, especially
during the final stage of a set. But this group of mostly core exercises is not
suitable for a single training routine for a hard gainer—there are too many
exercises here for productive use in any single routine.Regular squat to parallel: lbs × (and × )
Bent-legged deadlift: × (and × )
Stiff-legged deadlift from the floor: ×
Bench press: × (and × )
Parallel bar dip: (bodyweight plus ) ×
Overhead press: ×
Pulldown: ×
Chin: (bodyweight plus –) ×
One-arm dumbbell row: ×
Barbell curl: ×
Shoulder-width bench press: ×
Single-leg calf raise: reps with a -lb ’bell. When you make it to these strength levels, focus on the next , and then
the next , and then the next—for as long as you want to keep growing.. Some of you will get to the target girths without having to get as strong as
the performances just given, but others will need to get stronger. Either way
the connection between muscular size and strength will be clear.. e given poundages will seem modest relative to the mighty weights that
some of the elite men can lift. But do not knock this “modest” strength level.
How many drug-free men where you train can move these poundages?