NATURALSTRENGTH.com – Old School Weight Training Strength Strongman Power Vintage Bodybuilding: A Dynamic Four Star Plan

     One of the very best things about Peary Rader’s Ironman was the fact that he utilized some of the very best writers to contribute to his wonderful magazine.  I’ve mentioned the many quality Ironman writers in previous articles, but I wanted to devote this month’s article to one of the very best writers of his time.  

     The September 1974 issue of Ironman had a very selection of articles from which to choose.  David Willoughby, Arthur Jones, and Dr. Ken Leistner all contributed to this special issue.  I could have easily chosen one of these gentlemen to be the subject of this month’s article, but I chose I man who I have written about before.  Bradley J. Steiner’s contributions to the world of strength, health, and self-defense cannot be adequately described in one article.  He was simply one of the very best Iron Game writers.  After Dr. Ken, he is my favorite writer of all time.  

     In the September 1974 Ironman, Mr. Steiner wrote an article “The Dynamic Four Star Plan To The Build You Want.”  A casual look at this title would seem to give the indication that it is a bodybuilding article.  While I have nothing against bodybuilding ( drug-free bodybuilding to be exact), I have always preferred to read about, write about, and participate in the development of STRENGTH.  

     However, very early in the article, he states that the “Four Steps” to success that he describes can be applied to any and every area of your life.  Successful results are inevitable if you follow the four step plan in the article.  So let’s take a look at this successful plan, which was first published fifty years ago.

     The first step is to VISUALIZE YOUR GOAL.  You must “Believe in the realization of what you want to become.”  Negativism has no place in this plan.  No matter what you present condition, you can overcome it if you believe wholeheartedly that you can, according to Mr. Steiner.  One of the best quotes of this section is as follows:  “There is more power in honest, determined, positive self imagery than you can begin to imagine.”  

      Mr. Steiner is not trying to be a cheerleader in these words.  It is simply a matter of visualizing clearly and consistently the goals you wish to achieve.  You can’t expect to have faith in yourself if you have no idea of what you wish to attain.  Naturally, you have to have a plan to achieve these goals, and that will come later in the article.  

     The next step is to be wholly absorbed in the attainment of your goals.  Whether it is to gain twenty pounds of muscle, or add 25 Lbs to your Bench Press, you must become obsessed with achieving that which you set out to accomplish.  And Mr. Steiner makes a very interesting point:  “ You can’t be unusual and physically superior to the average without becoming ‘different’ from other people.”  Sometimes we lose sight of that fact.  But if you wish to officially Bench Press 400 Lbs, then you must reasonable accept the fact that you are NOT normal.  After all, how many people can legitimately bench 400?  Not many.  So naturally, the training required to achieve that goal will be different from that being done by the average person in the gym.  When Bob Whelan had his training facility in Washington, DC, I remember visiting him there one day, along with Drew Israel.  One of the things I distinctly remember is a sign on the front door which read: “If You Train Here, You Are NOT Normal.”  And, if you are truly devoted to getting stronger, then truer words were never spoken!  Why be normal, when you can train to be as strong as possible?

     This kind of thinking can also apply to your everyday life.  Don’t be afraid to be different than your co-workers, friends, and others you may encounter in your day to day existence.  “Seek out those individuals who share, or at least who genuinely respect, you for what you are.  “Cultivate the habit of seeking those surroundings, those people, and those interests and pursuits that will ENHANCE and ADD to your central goals in life.”  

     The third step is to seek out “Good Instruction, Education, and Knowledge that will teach you how to reach your goal.”  Study your subject, and seek out quality sources of information.  Become a student of strength.  If you can seek out people who have achieved great strength, by all means do so.  “Developing the body is as much a process of education as is developing the mind.”  Mr. Steiner even mentions several authors who he considers to be the finest Iron Game authors.  The names he mentions should be familiar to many readers.  Peary Rader, Bob Hoffman, and Harry B. Paschall are mentioned by Mr. Steiner.  I’m sure humility prevented him from mentioning his own expertise and skill as a writer, but any impartial reader would recognize the greatness that Mr. Steiner possessed.  

     Another point that I’d like to mention is something that was not an issue fifty years ago, but should be obvious today.  Do NOT rely on internet experts, influencers, or other self-proclaimed experts.  If somebody is claiming to be a champion, but never states what he lifts, then perhaps he is a more chump than champ and should be ignored.  And, of course, the muscle magazines of today, those that are still in existence, are nothing more than comics than sources of information.

     The fourth step is probably the most important:  “NEVER GIVE UP!”  You are the ultimate ruler of your life, and you cannot let others discourage you from pursuing your goals.  To reach any worthwhile goal takes a long time and a lot of hard work.  You must be ready to give before you get, according to Mr. Steiner, and that neat phrase encapsulates what is wrong with many people who train today.  How many aspiring lifters are willing to give of themselves to attain their goals.  

     There will always be temporary setbacks. Injuries, illness, school/job issues.  But like any other obstacles, they must be dealt with.  Lifting, especially drug-free lifting, will always have its ups and downs, but if you persist and stick to the basics then the reward will be strength, health, and happiness.  

     The four-step plan works, according to Mr. Steiner.  But in order to make it work, “You must try it, live it, believe it.  That’s what makes any success.”  It’s not difficult to see how an article written fifty years ago can describe a plan for success, especially when you consider the magazine in which it originally appeared and the fact that it was written by the one and only Bradley Steiner.