Experimental Bodybuilding

Doing a 330-lb. Bench Press

2011-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Bridging (or arching) your back during bench presses will give you better leverage. There is a reason for this. The strength you gain from bridging or arching will "spill over" to your strict lifts. What you do with a strict lift will never "spill over" to a heavier bridge lift.

Strength at Any Age

2011-01-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

You may think that a 315-lb bench press doesn’t amount to much. Let’s consider a few factors. First, Mike Brown is 68 years old. How many other 68-year-old men do you know who can bench press 315?

Second, Mike Brown does not—and has never—taken a steroid. As Doug Hepburn points out in his book, Strongman, if you take steroids you will normally add 30% to your lifts. E.g., if Mike Brown took steroids, he could conceivably bench press 409.5 pounds.

Third, as late as 1959 there were only 13 men in the world who could bench 400, according to the Bench Press book written by Bill Anton.

Fourth, as you can see by the video of the lift, Mike Brown probably could have done 325. Mike has two training partners (one is 20 and weighs 250 pounds and the other one is 33 and weighs 220 pounds). They both lift the same weights as Mike. Mike has trained more than one 400-lb. (steroid free) bencher.

Mike predicts that both these young men will bench over 400 before the end of the year. Anyone care to bet that Mike won’t bench over 400 himself at the age of 69 before this year is over?

THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION

2010-10-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

On September 23, 2010 I went to a seminar given by Pilates instructor Shelley Hampton at Cox Hospital in Springfield, Missouri.

One of the things she demonstrated was the connection between the mind and the body during exercise. The way she demonstrated it didn’t appear—at least to me—to be very convincing. Her opinion was that you could increase another person’s strength by simply putting your hands on that person, which would help them to concentrate and, by that, increase their strength.

The next day I tried it on a fellow I was training named Adam. Adam had done his first set of bench presses with 250 pounds. He did 3 reps and then failed halfway up on the 4th rep.

Then I had Dianne place her hands on his upper pectoral muscles for his next set with the same 250 pounds. He did 5 full reps.

Seeing is believing.

We took this video afterward just to demonstrate the concept.

Warming Up To Do Military Presses

2010-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

If you want to use a light weight--but not too light--to do military presses, you don't need to go to the dumbbell rack.

Simply grasp the middle of the bar with one hand and use the other to stabilize the bar. What you will have is the equivalent of a 45-lb. dumbbell

Winner of Samson Cable Set Video contest

2010-05-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

The winner of the video contest is Joe from Texas showing his unique use of the Samson Cable Set to strengthen his core.

Samson Cable Set Video Contest

2009-12-13T19:16:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have seen the video of Mike Brown doing 115-lb. dumbbell bench presses with the hot chick in the background (we didn’t even know she was there at the time) and the many comments. That video has generated over 50,000 “hits” on YouTube.

We want to get the same type of reaction with our Samson Cable Set in a video. For this contest we’re looking for a video, such as you take with a cell phone or camcorder, that we can post on YouTube of someone using the Samson Cable Set.

So here’s the deal.

If you have one of our Samson Cable sets, take a video of yourself using it that you think will draw attention. Please, nothing that will get any of us arrested. Use your imagination. Be creative. Try to keep it less than 2 or 3 minutes. The video needs to be submitted by March 31, 2010.

What will the winner get?

First, you’ll get exposure. If a girl in your video is so hot she’s smoking, she may get offers (such as modeling, etc.). If you’re the star, anything is possible.

Second, and most important, the winner gets $500 worth of products from Dianne Miller at leviticus11.com. There will be two honorable mentions that get $100 each worth of products. Dianne and I will determine the winner and the two honorable mentions.

Born to Run

2009-12-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

If you include running in your training (as you should), you need to read this book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougal. McDougal demolishes the idea that you need expensive shoes to run in. In fact, he demonstrates the fact that a lot of running injuries are caused by expensive running shoes.

McDougal even goes on to show that the best way to run may be barefoot and that you need to run on the balls of your feet, as nature intended। He then gives specific examples, including the story of a tribe of Indians in Mexico whose members regularly run 50 to 100 miles.

McDougal also refers to a sort of gel that you can make out of chia seeds, called iskiate (see Chia Drink below)। One of our trainees tried it and said it doubled the distance he could run.

If you want to increase your endurance, read the book. It is on sale at major bookstores. Or, click on this link: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

CHIA DRINK

It looks strange, but tastes good and helps to recover after a run. To make 1 serving (a glassful):

8 ounces of water
2-2.5 teaspoons of chia seeds
1 lime to squeeze
2 teaspoons of sugar (or your favorite substitute, i.e., honey, stevia, etc.).

Mix water, sugar, and juice from the lime until dissolved. Add the chia seeds and shake or stir. Serve chilled. If you put it in the refrigerator overnight, it will attain the consistency of jello.

The chia seeds turn into a slimy substance, but it isn’t that noticeable unless you try to chew the seeds. The drink is very refreshing and clean tasting. It also goes down easy and quick.

Experiment with Sticking Point Smashers

2009-04-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Mike,
I wrote to you about a year ago after purchasing your “sticking point smashers” (one of the greatest training aids ever invented in my opinion). I have a question and was wondering if you had or any of your clients had tried to do this.
Have you thought about adding a little bit of “weight” every day to your sticking point smashers and doing “presses” every day for a few reps? If you have tried this, was it successful or did one quickly burn out? I am tempted to take full advantage of this type training but unsure how well it might work in the real world? What would you suggest I add everyday if you think this is a worthwhile endeavor?
Love your blog and health tips. Keep up the great work.
--Sincerely, Patrick

Patrick,
I suspect you might be on to something. Back in 1915 Henry Higgins taught his trainees a “ten minutes a day program” and almost all of them could “put up” 200 pounds overhead with one hand (though I suspect it was a bent press). You can read more about him and other old-time training methods in my book, Diagnostic Bodybuilding.
My suggestion would be to add one .44 caliber lead pellet to each of the sticking point smashers every day, do several sets, add cleans, vary your hand spacing, and restrict your workouts to ten minutes a day (or less). Then report back to me. I’m as curious as you are.--Mike

Letter from a Fan

2009-02-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I get an appreciative letter from someone who benefited from one of my books or equipment. I just had to share this one I received recently.--Mike

15 Feb 09

Dear Mr. Brown:

I just wanted to write you a few lines to relate to you how much I have enjoyed your books and equipment. Diagnostic Bodybuilding is the most informative book on this subject that I have ever read.

I am 74 years old and still train three to four times per week. In 1952 I started training and went to California. I trained at Babe Stansbury's Gym with Bob Shealy, Kim Fox, Bud Counts and none of us ever saw a steroid.

I also trained at Bill Pearl's and went to Gironda's Gym on two occasions. In that time and since then I have read countless books on training and nutrition. I still have a collection of the old Iron Man magazines. They were in my opinion the best of the bodybuilding books.

However your books cut through the crap and get right to the real issues. Since I have read your books, I have quit eating pork and have changed my diet.

At the present time I am working on grip strength and really like your wrist roller. It is like no other I have seen. I also have two of your cable handles, which I ordered from you when you were in Kentucky (ad in Iron Man magazine). I still do some cable pulling along with the weights.

I have a picture from May 1992, when they had the Gathering of the Great Bodybuilders in San Diego, Mits Kawashima is in that picture along with my friend Babe Stansbury.

In closing Mr. Brown, let me thank you again for helping me with your book and equipment. They are the very best.

Very truly yours,
BB

Tapered Wrist Roller Q&A

2009-02-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hello, I was interested in this wrist roller. I currently use a small 1.5" wooden dowel wrist roller. How does this wrist roller differ in terms of forearm size compared to a normal wrist roller? I mean will I see more size with this one? I usually stand on something and hang my arms down and do the wrist roller because I have read that it takes the shoulders out of the movement. What is the difference between doing it with the arms out at shoulder length and the way I do it? Thanks, Joe

The rule of thumb is, the thicker the handle of an exercise device for use with the hands—whether it be a wrist roller or a thick-handled dumbbell—the more grip strength it requires to use it. The corollary is that the more grip strength that is required, the more forearm development you will achieve.

Hanging your arms down is not really a good idea. You simply will not achieve the same level and intensity that you will with your arms held straight out, parallel to the floor. Your hands and forearms will exhaust long before your shoulders.

For more information on why you should use a tapered, rather than straight, wrist roller, see the website linked in the title.

Warning on One-Arm Chin Training

2009-01-23T17:10:00.000-08:00

Doing one-arm chins by holding the wrist of the hand doing the chinning can create a problem if you’re not careful.

The wrist and elbow of the arm doing the chinning (the “primary arm”) have to be exactly perpendicular to the floor. If, for example, you are dong one-arm chins with the right arm and your elbow is sticking out to the right, the tendons and/or ligaments in the right elbow may have a tendency to “jump the track” and leave you with a very sore elbow that only a chiropractor can fix.

Norman Cantwell, formerly a nationally ranked powerlifting champion and an expert on removing circulation blockages, is of the opinion that one-arm chins are a bad idea and can lead to other problems (Norman is featured in Diagnostic Bodybuilding and in the Self-Defense with Norman Cantwell video)

Norman worked on me and thought that the problems he detected were from the one-arm chins. As my training partner pointed out, the “jammed elbow” I has was just as likely (if not more than likely) caused by the fact that I had been doing partial military presses rapidly with 225 pounds. Any time you do any partial movement with a heavy weight, do it slowly.

If you decide to do one-arm chins, do it slowly and carefully, using plenty of counterweight to ease the potential strain on the elbow.

A Different Angle For Back Development

2009-01-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Very few of the “mirror athletes” (if you can’t see it, what good is it?) who clutter up today’s commercial gyms spend much (if any) effort on back development. For those who do, their stable of exercises is really limited. Bent over rows, one-dumbbell rows, lat machine pull downs, power cleans, and perhaps dead lifts and hyperextensions.

Take a close look at most of the people doing those exercises. They have a “valley” between their shoulder blades (no muscle) and little or no (i.e., they’re flat) on the outside of their shoulder blades. How you cure the first is in Diagnostic Bodybuilding. How you cure the second is with one-arm chins.

Can’t do a one-arm chin? Not to worry, a lot of the 275-pound steroid-induced monsters can’t do a single chin with both hands. It isn’t whether you can do one-arm chins—it’s how you train for them.

First, find one of those dip/chin combos in the gym with an offsetting weight stack. That is, if you weight 200 pounds, start with a 100-pound counter-weight on the weight stack.

Second, if you start with left-hand one-arm chins, grab your left wrist with your right hand in order to also engage the back muscles on the right. Then do the chins. The back muscles on the left side will do the majority of the work but from a different angle than what you have experienced before. 2-4 sets of 3-5 reps will do. You may find it hard to hold on after 4 or 5.

In a few weeks you will feel the back muscles you develop from this exercise pressing against your triceps.

Question on Thymus Powder

2009-01-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Mike,

I thought I’d write a quick note and tell you how much I love the book “Diagnostic Bodybuilding” and the powdered liver.

I try to hike up the mountain above my town 3 times a week. It takes about 25 minutes at a slow, steady pace and gains about 1,000 feet in elevation in something like one half to three quarters of a mile. I feel as though the liver “kicks in” on the last rocky stretch of the trail—even though I’m breathing deep, I have no need of stopping to rest despite the prolonged exertion. I feel the same way when doing my Hindu push-ups, etc. (the three exercises at the beginning of “Combat Conditioning” by Matt Furey) as though the liver sustains prolonged strain..

Additionally, I DON’T GET SICK. . . We endure a lot of cold weather around here (the elevation is over 7,500 feet) and when everybody else has snotty noses and flu symptoms, I’m thriving.

“Diagnostic Bodybuilding” and “The Strength of Samson” comprise my nutrition and fitness Bible. Nutrition and fitness/strength according to God’s WORD . . I’m quite enthusiastic about this.

Will adding the thymus powder to my diet, help with a hypo-thyroid condition?

Respectfully,
Dan

PS—my pulse rate at the top of that climb is 140-150.
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January 14, 2009

Dear Dan,

Thanks for your letter about your results and your satisfaction with my book, Diagnostic Bodybuilding, and the liver powder.

As far as adding thymus powder to your diet, it certainly can’t hurt it. Both the thyroid and the thymus are part of the endocrine gland system, which consists of: (1) pineal gland, (2) pituitary gland, (3) thyroid gland, (4) thymus, (5) adrenal gland, (6) pancreas, and (7) testes.

I suspect that the entire system is meant to work together, meaning a problem with one gland could create problems with all of them. However, I’m neither a medical doctor nor an anatomy expert, so further research on your part is in order.

Of course, you could order some thymus powder and see if it helps, which in turn would give you what is known as “empirical evidence” (the best kind).

Also, yoga seems to help people with thyroid problems (from doing inversions—positions with the head closer to the ground than the heart). The poses known to help the thyroid are handstand, headstand, shoulder stand, bridge (full back bend, supported back bend, or just hips off the floor), and waterfall (full—hips on cushion, legs up wall, or modified—hips on cushion, legs on seat of chair with backs of knees supported by the seat).

For me, the thymus seems to enhance the benefits of the liver powder.

Best wishes,
Mike

Utilizing Unused Muscle Fibers

2008-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

One of the things I rail about in my book, Diagnostic Bodybuilding, is the use of “tracked machines,” as they restrict your plane of movement and cause the unused muscle fibers to atrophy.

Then it hit me. Why not increase the plane of movement, engage more muscle fibers, and thereby enhance growth? My reasoning went like this: let’s start with an adjustable incline bench. No bench currently on the market can be adjusted in less than 12-degree increments.

Twelve degrees may not seem like much. Try this simple experiment. Do a set of dumbbell bench presses with the bench completely flat. Use a weight you can do comfortably for 4-6 reps. Now raise the bench 12 degrees, to the first notch. Can’t budge the same weight, can you? Weak as a kitten, aren’t you? Why is this?

It’s the same principle that I used to develop the Sticking Point Smashers. You increase weight in small increments, you increase the angle you lift the weight in small increments. At 12-degree increases in angle, you are engaging muscle tissue that, to some extent, has been “dormant.”

The bench I am in the process of developing doesn’t increase in 12-degree increments; it increases in 3-degree increments.

For example, let’s say you’re doing flat bench dumbbell presses with 120 pounds in each hand. Let’s say you work up to a decent number of reps, say 6-8. You increase the incline or angle of the bench by a mere 3 degrees. Your reps will drop, but you will still be able to lift the weight. When you are back up to 6-8 reps, increase the incline by another 3 degrees.

If my theory is correct, you will eventually be sitting straight up with 120 pounds in each hand, doing 6-8 reps in the dumbbell press.

There is, of course, another way to use such a bench. Vary the angle in each set, in each workout. For example, let’s say you do 5 to 10 sets in a workout, increasing the angle 3 degrees for each set. Then, the next workout, increase another 3 degrees for each set. If you do 10 sets a workout in 3 workouts, you will have exercised the arm, shoulder, and chest muscles from thirty different angles.

What would this do for you? According to Dr. Tom Trimble, chiropractor, when I explained my theory to him, his opinion was that the result would be extremely accelerated muscle growth in that area. More angles equal more muscle fibers reached.

By building the underlying pectoral muscles to a large degree, this may also turn out to be something of a bust developer.

Fasting: not always a good thing

2008-04-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Fasting is normally a good thing. It’s mentioned in the Bible, in numerous books, and in magazine articles. Fasting detoxifies the body. The 10-day brown rice fast I described in Diagnostic Bodybuilding was a good thing.

I recently went on a fast involving nothing but canned tomatoes and fresh grapefruit, alternating each item for six small meals a day. The two ladies who talked me into going on this fast—it lasts 7 days—told me it increased their energy significantly on Day 6 and Day 7 of the fast. Theoretically, you get sick and run a fever on Day 2 as the body detoxifies.

Why so heavy a concentration of acidic food? Supposedly, the body reacts to the acid by overcompensating alkaline.

My experience with this fast was as follows:

1. I got sick on Day 1.
2. By Day 5 I couldn’t look at another tomato.
3. By Day 6 I couldn’t handle another grapefruit.
4. I had no energy increase.
5. Worse, for several days after I finished this fast, I was extremely short-winded.
6. After the fast I had more color in my cheeks. Did my circulation improve? I don’t know.

Try it. You probably won’t like it.

Pictures of the Mother of All Dumbbells

2008-03-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

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Note the mechanism in the slot

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Putting the end cap on to hold plates on (outside collar)
Inside adjustable collar is ring that slides up and down slot

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Tool used to adjust inside collar
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Pointing to adjustable inside collar

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View of both outside (top) and inside (lower) collars

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Placing 25-lb plates on MOAD
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Screwing on outside collar

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One dumbbell deadlift-162.5 lbs
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Trying to lift and balance 162.5 lb MOAD
Much harder to balance with an Olympic bar,
consequently much less productive
to the development of grip strength

How the Mother of All Dumbbells came to be

2008-03-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

This is no ordinary dumbbell. It has screw on end caps. There is a hole through the center of the dumbbell that allows the user to adjust the inside collars by means of screw threads so the barbell plates don't rattle around.

The dumbbell can be further modified by removing the handle and screwing in successively thicker handles.

You might wonder, why so much detail in a dumbbell? Two reasons.

First, the commercial gym I go to has a dumbbell rack that increases in 5-lb increments to only 125 lbs. For those of you who have seen the cover of Diagnostic Bodybuilding, you will easily recognize that "I'm about out of weight." I can carry less than 26 lbs of equipment (MOAD) into the gym and easily load my dumbbells--using 25-lb plates--to over 200 lbs each. It's going to take me awhile to run out of weight with these.

If I use 45-lb plates, I can use over 370 lbs.

Second, I have been fascinated with the Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbbell since an article on it first appeared in Milo magazine years ago. The Inch Dumbbell weighed 172 lbs and had a 2-3/8" diameter handle. Inch offered a cash prize to any other man who could lift it even 4 to 6 inches off the ground.

Twenty thousand men tried. Twenty thousand men failed from 1900 to 1920. In the entire twentieth century fewer than two dozen men were able to lift it with one hand. You will see various contestants at the Arnold Classic lift a replica overhead. However, they all get it to the shoulder with both hands.

I tried training with a thick-handled dumbbell. It didn't work. If I added 2.5 lbs to it, I went from an exercise to an impossibility. There had to be another way.

Generations ago Edward Aston, at one time England's strongest man, pointed out that the way to train for lifting thick-handled weights was to increase the diameter of the bar in small increments. I could never come anywhere near the Inch Dumbbell lift with a 2-3/8" handle.

However, notice that the first time I used the Mother of All Dumbbells, I was doing reps with 162 lbs. As I increase the weight, I will soon pass 172 lbs. Then, when I am up over 200 lbs in the one-dumbbell deadlift, I will drop weight and use a slightly thicker handle.

I have two of these dumbbells, which had to be designed and machined. Mechanically, they are more complicated than an Olympic barbell set. They're expensive. Part of my "master plan" is to keep using one with the 1-1/8" handle and increasing the weight lifted while I increase the diameter of the other one. Of course, now I'm going to need another set for dumbbell bench presses. Eventually, I will lift the Inch Dumbbell.

One more thing. The one-dumbbell deadlift is the exercise for grip development. A fellow named John Y. Smith worked up to over 300 lbs in this lift and had hands that looked like iron claws (see my book by that title, available from Bill Hinbern, http://www.superstrengthbooks.com/).

Mother of All Dumbbells

2008-03-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

Today for the first time I tested the new dumbbell I designed (Mother of All Dumbbells) with my trainee Yancho.

We used six 25-lb plates on it to do one-hand deadlifts. By the time I got to the fourth set, I was whipped.

The dumbbell itself weighs 12 lb 6 oz so the total weight we used was 162 lb 6 oz.

I'm looking forward to getting used to this weight as we use it in the weeks ahead.