Old school bodybuilders were strong, powerful and athletic. They performed feats of strength that few people in gyms today can match. Even though modern bodybuilding enthusiasts have every advantage in their training, nutrition, and supplementation; they still do not achieve the same results that the strongmen and bodybuilders of yesteryear received from their training. How did the pioneers of bodybuilding and strength training achieve great results without the benefit of Hammer Strength machines, nitric oxide, micronized creatine, and muscle-synthesising protein?

They trained heavy, hard and often, with full-body routines and an emphasis on strength. The following program will seem unconventional to most students; however, it is based on the training methods of George Hackenschmidt. George Hackenschmidt was a world-renowned wrestler, strongman, author, and fitness enthusiast in the early 20th century. Have you ever heard of a “hack” squat? Hackenschmidt was a pioneer in strength training, and the hack squat was one of the exercises he helped popularize. Hackenschmidt’s training programs were very popular with strength training enthusiasts and he was recognized around the world as an expert in strength training, health and fitness. His programs are as effective today as they were in 1908.

Training the same muscle several days in a row is crazy, right? Not training to absolute muscular failure is another big mistake, right? Training one or two body parts a day is the best way to get huge, right? So why did George Hackenschmidt and other proponents of daily training achieve such remarkable gains in size and strength?

This program advocates the use of full body routines performed on a daily basis. Using full body routines on a daily basis requires patience and discipline. You need to plan your workouts and then stick with your schedule. If you are too aggressive then you will not achieve the results you are looking for, but if you follow the plan you will experience huge gains in strength and size. Each week you can directly measure your progress and workload. You will get stronger every week. Keep a training journal or log book that records your weight for each exercise.

For the next twelve weeks you will be training in a very unconventional way; however, you will be stronger and leaner than ever, and your results will speak for themselves. You will perform resistance training five days a week. It doesn’t really matter what days you train, as long as you don’t skip workouts. In the first week, you will select a weight for each exercise that allows you to perform that exercise for ten repetitions. That means you can’t do another rep past ten in good form. Do a series of the following exercises on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of each week:

Exercise Set Trials
Barbell squat 1×5-10
Barbell Stiff Legged Deadlift 1 x 5-10
Barbell bench press 1 x 5-10
Dumbbell Row 1×5-10
Dumbbell military press 1 x 5-10
Barbell Curls 1 x 5-10
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension 1 x 5-10
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunch 1 x 5-10
***rest 90 seconds between sets

weekly rehearsals
1, 7 5
2, 8 6
3, 9 7
4, 10 8
5, 11 9
6, 12 10

As stated above, you should select a weight that you can lift for ten reps, but will only perform five reps. Each week you will add one repetition to each exercise. So during week two, you’ll perform one set of six reps. Initially, the workouts may seem short and easy, but trust the process and follow the plan. After six weeks, you should be doing one set of ten reps. The weight will feel much lighter than in the first week. At this stage, you’ll add 10 to 15 pounds on each exercise and start over, doing one set of five reps for another six weeks. After 12 weeks on this program, test your new 10 rep max and you’ll be amazed at your strength gains.

The key to using this program successfully is not to be greedy and add sets, reps, or exercises. Be patient, follow the plan and master each exercise. In fact, you’ll become more efficient at performing each exercise as your body adjusts to the daily workout. This will also help increase your strength on the various lifts. Daily training is very pleasant and you will not experience extreme muscle pain. After completing twelve weeks of this program, you will be much stronger and leaner thanks to daily strength training. If you are interested in learning more about George Hackenschmidt, check out his book “The Way to Live” published in 1908.