Power Zone Training, Part One
-- How to Build Herculean Strength and Power Fast and Effectively!
Bradley J. Steiner was one of the most popular Iron Game authors of the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.
He wrote about basic exercises, and old-school strength training.
He advocated hard work on the BIG exercises, and training three times a week, for about an hour per workout.
Steiner always emphasized training what he called “the Power Zones.”
He said that by specializing on the Power Zones, you could transform yourself into a human Hercules.
What are the Power Zones?
Steiner described them as follows:
1. The legs and hips
2. The back
3. The shoulder girdle
4. The chest area
Steiner always taught his readers to focus on these four areas. To train them hard and heavy. To train them progressively. To aim for maximum development in these four areas. To give them the lion’s share of your time and effort whenever you trained.
Steiner's preferred exercises for training the Power Zones were as follows:
For the legs and hips, Steiner preferred:
1. Squats - full or parallel
2. Front squats
3. The straddle lift
4. Calf raises
For the back, which covers a lot of different muscle groups, Steiner liked:
1. Barbell bent-over rowing
2. Power cleans
3. Power snatches
4. Bent-legged deadlifts
5. Stiff-legged deadlifts
6. The good morning exercise
7. High pulls - using either a clean grip or a snatch grip
8. Neck extensions with a head-strap
9. Bridging (both front and back style)
Note: exercises 1 thru 7 on the list are excellent for the hamstrings as well as the back muscles per se. Stiff-legged deadlifts and the good morning exercise are among the best hamstring exercises you can do.
For the shoulders, Steiner recommended:
1. Military press
2. Press behind neck
3. Dumbbell presses
Note: For strength and power training, Steiner suggested that you do these exercises in a standing position, not seated.
For the chest, Steiner advocated:
1. Barbell bench press
2. Incline dumbbell press
Of course, you wouldn't use all of these in one workout - or even in one program. You'd pick three to six movements, train them hard for a while, and then replace some or all of them with different exercises.
We'll cover sets and reps on Friday. Be looking for it!