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1950's Bodybuilding Routines
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1950's Bodybuilding Workout Methods
Many of the bodybuilding experts will agree that the training that was done in the 1950's was the beginning of what later became known as HIT (high intensity training) many years later. It was iron gurus like Vince Gironda who first suggested that bodybuilders train between 60% to 80% of their 1RM.
He strongly advised his clients to rather shorten the rest period between sets before increasing the weight. This is important, as it is similar to the way that professional bodybuilders like Sergio Oliva used to train. It is this concept of training the set against the training to a point of failure and beyond that makes the difference between the 1950's bodybuilding methods and later.
It was only later when professional bodybuilders like Mike Mentzer and the barbarians that training to the point of failure and beyond started to take root. However in the 1950's bodybuilders used equipment that was used for weightlifting, which was a recognized sport.
It was the idea of doing sets and reps, which started off the theory of progressive resistance and getting stronger. Strong muscles became big muscles and it was all based on gaining strength, which had to be done with a slow progressively heavier weight being lifted.
The idea of doing as little as 5 reps in a set first started off with bodybuilders like Reg park who won Mr. Britain in 1950. The idea was later taken up by Vince Gironda who advocated his 5 X 5 workout in order to gain muscle by increasing the core strength of an athlete.
There are some bodybuilding experts who believe it was only the first real bodybuilders of the 1950's who believed in the shortening of the rest time between sets as a measurement of strength and intensity which gains muscle. It took another 50 years to go full circle and come back to where it all started.
When Steve Reeves won the Mr. Universe title in 1950 the scene was set for the direction in which bodybuilding was to go but things changed quickly when size became better rewarded than aesthetics with balance and proportion. In the 1950's it was the overall balance of the physique, which won titles and not just size.
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