Biceps 54 cm without steroids. Larry Scott Program

Sports supplements for modern bodybuilders are an integral part of their lifestyle. With their help, impressive deltoids and biceps are “pumped up” quite simply. But at the dawn of bodybuilding, they still had no idea about steroids and stinol. And in the mid-60s they were just beginning to enter our lives, but still uncertainly and in small dosages. What is the secret of the fathers of bodybuilding and how to properly pump up biceps?

A good example is the first Mr. Olympia Larry Scott. His arms and delts were pumped up without miracle supplements with the help of exercises that he selected for himself on his own. Perhaps his training system will still help supporters of “clean” pumping today. Larry Scott claims that biceps without steroids and synthol are the best choice.

At the dawn of bodybuilding, his fathers sacredly believed in one single truth: bodybuilding works miracles! And Larry is no exception. Through trial and error, study and experimentation on his own body - he discarded exercises that did not give a noticeable centimeter increase in muscles - Scott became the creator of the famous bench that now bears his name. It took him three years to come up with the invention of this simulator, which he called the “lectern.” By the way, after the presentation of this miracle simulator, a kind of joke circulated in sports circles - the question “Who has the biggest biceps in the world?”

However, according to Larry, the machine itself is just part of a holistic system of exercises, arranged in a strict sequence. Today, the “Scott Bench” has lost some of its former glory. But this did not happen because the simulator is not as good as it seemed before. It’s just that our age of technical and information revolution produces all sorts of innovations, and bodybuilding machines are no exception. Let's remember Larry Scott and his training, which allowed him to build up truly monstrous biceps for the 60s without steroids or synthol.

How it all began

Larry Scott was born in October 1938 in Idaho (USA). As a child, he was often sick and was inferior to his peers in physical development. During his teenage years, he realized that if he didn’t take care of himself, he would never get rid of his health problems. Immediately I came across an athletics magazine with a photograph of George Payne and a caption that such results could be achieved in a month. The athlete’s figure impressed the teenager so much that he succumbed to the advertising and began to physically improve his body, lifting spare parts from an old tractor.

The young athlete trained according to the system described in Muscle Builder. Biceps, of course, did not appear in a month, but by the end of summer their diameter was 30 cm. For a guy with a thin build, this was incredible progress. The result inspired the guy even more to sporting exploits, and he worked out for days in the garage, imagining how women in a crowd followed him on the beach in California.

First results

One day Larry came across a magazine with George Payne on the cover, showing his triceps from the side, and the caption under the photo was simply inspiring: “if you want, you can become the owner of such muscles in just one month.”

George Payne shows off his triceps, the photo that inspired Larry Scott to take up bodybuilding.

Larry immediately became eager to become the owner of the same big arms; in the magazine, Payne demonstrated the exercises with which he pumped up his biceps and triceps, and Larry selflessly began to “bomb” his arms. He lifted everything that was at hand in the gym, a tractor axle, barbells and dumbbells, in this mode the volume of his arms increased from 28 to 32 cm. This was progress, now he was full of enthusiasm to continue his studies. Larry spent the summer bodybuilding and was looking forward to returning to school and becoming a sensation by showing off his progress. Larry really made an impression at school and his changes did not go unnoticed.

First successes

Soon the thought struck him that he had outgrown amateur training. The young man was admitted to the California College of Aeronautics, next to the health center, where he continued his training. Here he meets bodybuilders Lou Denis and Vince. The pros appreciated the guy’s molded biceps and his efforts, and began helping him in his training.

Under their mentorship, in his first competition for the title “Mr. Los Angeles”, he took 3rd position. The young man did not count on such success. The ultimate dream was only 5th place. This victory brought him 2 steps closer to his long-time dream - winning the tournament for the title of "Mr. America".

The road to your dream

Scott's favorite magazine was Vader's Muscle Builder, which was full of dreams, beach beauties, bodybuilders and training in magnificent gyms. Homemade equipment and dreams of success strengthened his will and laid the foundation for future achievements. He thought about how he would become like Clarence Ross or Steve Reeves.

“Your arms are getting bigger,” said a friend, watching young Larry Scott lift a homemade barbell.

-What goal are you pursuing? - he asked.

“I want to become Mr. America,” Larry answered enthusiastically.

- Mister America? Leave this to Larry! You will never win this title. “Your shoulders are too narrow, and these guys, they’re just huge, you’re wasting your time on this, you can’t stand up against guys with broad shoulders,” Scott’s friend continued.

I listened to it all in silence, says Larry in his 1991 book Loaded Guns.

Each such ridicule addressed to me resonated with a sharp pain in my heart; my face, white with anger, perhaps expressed this whole gamut of feelings. At such moments, determination arose in me, it was rage, but not the kind that was ready to burst out as a result of criticism addressed to me. It was the fire that made me forget about my shortcomings in genetics. The pain I experienced while doing the exercises helped me forget about the fear that my dream would remain unfulfilled. “I set myself up for the hard path to my dream,” Larry writes.

Victories and awards

Events were in the guy's favor. At the competition, he is noticed by Joe Weider, a famous coach and organizer of the Mr. Olympia competition. He invites Larry to come under his patronage. The idea turned out to be successful. At the age of 25, the bodybuilder wins Mr. Universe and consolidates his success in 1964 - 1966. At 28, handsome Larry was awarded the Mr. Olympia title . A step lower next to him stood the famous bodybuilders Harrold Pulo and Aird Maynard. The following year he repeated the success again at the Olympia . According to Larry, recent awards pushed him to decide to leave. The athlete realized that the peaks had been conquered, and it was time to move on to other things. He got married and wanted to enjoy life.

Anthropometry

A thin guy with narrow shoulders achieved excellent results. The muscular figure was distinguished by huge deltoids and biceps. Today, such parameters will not surprise anyone. Considering that in the mid-60s steroids had just appeared on the sports horizon, and no one had even heard of Synthol injections into muscles, this was progress.

• With a height of 170 cm;
• Larry Scott's bicep circumference was 50 cm;
• torso - 64 cm;
• waist - 76 cm;
• the weight in the off-season did not exceed 102 kg, after drying - 94 kg.

Larry Scott's training program

To achieve such forms, the athlete tried not a single technique. As a result, his inquisitive mind led to the invention of the “Scott bench ,” which he called a music stand. The design was accompanied by a set of exercises that required sequential execution. Few people know about this system today, because... athletes more often give preference to other exercise equipment, advertised programs, or reinvent a “new wheel.”

Triple sets from Larry Scott

The principle of an integrative approach to pumping up biceps is based on trisets, and the number of repetitions (3-5) depends on the individual capabilities of the athlete. Exercises begin with “hot” biceps according to the scheme:

1. synchronized dumbbell lifts: 6 repetitions with full amplitude and 4 partial. At the end, cheating is used to “finish off” the bunches. It also loads the muscles well and, in addition, protects strained ligaments from sprains.
2. barbell row with a straight bar. The exercise eliminates cheating and requires perfect execution of the technique. To facilitate the task and immobilize the body, the feet are brought forward.
3. reverse lifts with EZ bar. Cheating is allowed at the end. The number of repetitions in all exercises is the same.

Perform exercises slowly with pauses between sets, excluding delays during transitions to the next exercises.

It is important not to change the sequence and vultures, otherwise the whole system loses its meaning.

The principle is simple:

• the first technique is aimed at developing the external heads;
• the second - for pumping internal ones;
• then the “swayed” brachialis push up the internal tufts, giving the arms visual volume.

Together with the brachialis, the forearms are well pumped, which allows you to move to a higher level of strength training.

Features of the exercise

The Larry Scott press is one of the exercises for developing the middle deltas, which the famous American athlete used in his training.
It was this that allowed him, despite not having the best genetics, to pump up broad, massive shoulders and become the winner of the Mr. Olympia competition. In this exercise, it is not the weight of the equipment that is of fundamental importance, but the technique.

If performed perfectly, even a small amount of weight will cause a noticeable increase in shoulder muscle mass.

The first Mr. Olympia has repeatedly stated that it was this type of bench press that helped him develop his deltoids to incredible volume. The exercise is essentially a modernized version of the shoulder press.

The load in the Scott press concentrates on the deltoid muscles of the shoulders, especially on their middle bundles. At the stage of mastering it, it is recommended to practice in front of a mirror. This will make it more convenient for you to control the equipment.

The only thing you need for the bench press is dumbbells, kettlebells or other weights. It doesn’t matter what you have in your hands – even a bottle of water. However, the famous athlete does not recommend doing shoulder exercises with a barbell, as they create excessive stress on the joints.

Description of the technique

To begin performing the Scott Press, take a starting position as if you were about to do a classic shoulder press. You can do the exercise standing or sitting - the main thing is that your back remains straight.

Take dumbbells with an overhand grip and rotate your hands so that your little fingers are over your thumbs.

If you had the already mentioned bottles of water in your hands, with such a grip, water would begin to pour out of them, since the neck would sink below the bottom.

When the hands and dumbbells occupy the position described above, the triceps are switched off from work as much as possible. This makes the movement much more efficient. In all other exercises for developing the delta, this factor is not taken into account. Because of this, progress becomes noticeable much later.

After you take the starting position and fix the correct grip, you can begin the exercise.

1. Exhale and press the dumbbells overhead without fully straightening your elbows.
   If you straighten your arms completely, the deltoids will stop working. Keeping your elbows bent will help keep them tense throughout the exercise.
2. As you inhale, relax your arms and slowly return to the starting position. Larry advises using the negative phase of the movement as much as possible rather than throwing the dumbbells down quickly.

To gain shoulder muscle mass, it is recommended to do this exercise for 8-12 repetitions in 3-4 sets.

Recommendations

For the most effective shoulder development, consider the following tips:

• It is better to learn the Larry Scott press with a small weight. Stand in front of a mirror and hold a dumbbell in your right hand (or left if you're left-handed). Place the hand of the other hand on the working delta. This way you can better control your movements and feel your muscles working.
• Try to move your elbows back a little. If the elbows begin to move forward, the load will immediately be redistributed.
• In each repetition, achieve peak muscle contraction and high-quality stretching. Do not fully extend your elbows or drop them too low.
• Do the bench press very slowly. Try holding the top and bottom points of the movement for a few seconds. Of course, it won't be easy, but this trick makes the session more intense and is sure to give great results. Shoulders love constant tension.
• If your goal is not only to develop muscles, but also to draw relief, be sure to add cardio exercises to your classes. Muscle definition can only be achieved if you are not overweight.

Read more: Pilates for beginners, features of the system and a set of exercises at home.
Larry Scott's bench press allows you to optimally load the middle deltoids and leads to a strong burning sensation in the muscles.

If you start to feel this burning in the middle of the approach, this is a sure sign that the deltoids are receiving a full and targeted load.

Train several times a week, not forgetting about the comprehensive development of both the upper and lower body. Then you will gain not only massive broad shoulders, but also a generally harmonious athletic figure.

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Life outside of big sport

Despite the fact that he no longer competed, Larry continued to train and stay in shape. In 1978, at the age of 39, Schwarzenegger asked him to perform as a guest at Olympia. The admiring audience bathed the ex-Mr. in 60 minutes of applause. Even in his old age, Scott was still in shape and could be proud of his biceps.

Having moved to Utah (Salt Lake City), the champion opened a company producing inexpensive but high-quality sports nutrition, and an enterprise for sewing equipment for athletes. He also had several fitness clubs, which he personally ran. He lived as befits a sports star of this rank: he gave interviews, appeared on television, wrote books.

Today, the famous athlete is spoken of in the press and on television in the past tense. Larry Scott is no longer with us. He passed away in 2011. His health was affected by Alzheimer's disease. But he was and remains an example for all athletes. Today, his titles and awards can be seen in the IFBB Hall of Fame, which were exhibited back in 1999.

Mark Forrest and meeting the Iron Guru

The seventeen-year-old boy was even more impressed by the presence of Lou Degni in the hall. Degni had a pair of magnificent biceps and powerful pectoral muscles, a white-toothed smile and, in general, the appearance of a superman. Lou weighed about 90 kg, and the volume of his arms was 48 cm when cold. Larry recalls: - Next to Lou Degni, I looked like a skinned chicken weighing 70 kg. Soon Lou moved to Italy to act in films. In Italy, filming took place in the “sword and sandal” genre on a variety of topics, mainly Greek and Roman history and mythology. Lou took the pseudonym Mark Forrest and achieved great success in this field, later becoming an opera singer.

Lou Degni (Mark Forrest) Still from the film “The Lion of Egypt”
After the gym closed, Larry was forced to look for another, the next gym Larry came to was the gym of Vince Gironda, Vince himself had the nickname “Iron Guru” for his unique knowledge in bodybuilding. Not only bodybuilders, but also many movie stars of those years trained in Vince’s gym. Larry approached Vince smoking a cigar and said that he wanted to train in his gym, but he did not have money, to which Gironda replied, when you have money then come. But later, he relented and allowed me to study for free at first. Soon Larry got a job and paid for training.