POWERMAG.ORG
july 1, 2002
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1.....RICKEY DALE says.....
good day.......this is a short one....just back from a week in the mountains......in colorado........and it is
a holiday week also.......so i am brief....very brief...........i am sure with all that has gone on the past week
with a july fourth long weekend..no one even missed it.........so here we go to try and make up for it.....
spring is in the air.....birds singing...that fresh smell when you walk outside in the morning.....well i said
this 3-4 months ago......but now it is so hot and humid i can only wish for that time of the year...tough to train
this time of the year...both physically and mentally............time to buckle down and get mentally tough..........take
the time to rest between sets as the heat can really sap your strength...plenty of liquids through the workout...........and
keep mentally focused on your form as it is easy to relax....when you get hot........
influence someone else with your training and eating regiment......just read an article that more than 50% of the
usa is overweight...not a good thing.....eat regular size meals and quit supersizing your way into the grave early........one
does not even have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out.....
recently a pro baseball player in his 30's who everyone thought was in good shape...died of clogged arteries..............his
diet and his family history came back to roost a bit earlier than he expected.........mickey d's may be handy...but
you will pay the consequences sooner or later...and that is no laughing matter.............
2.....POWERLIFTING PARAPHERNALIA.....TRIVIA and STUPID QUESTION OF THE WEEK........
AND the winning answer is bob hoffman of york barbell......and the winners were kenny croxdale of rio rancho, new
mexico......joe scalzitti of downers grove, illinois......and art fisher of holly springs, north carolina......way
to go guys.....but you have to admit it wasn't too hard of a question...we had about 30-40 right answers.....way
to go guys........
and this week's trivia question is.....?????.....who was the first national caliber lifter/national champ to make
it big in pro wrestling.......hint......he held a national deadlift record............
we have just a few powerlifting video magazine video's left..........reg was 22.95.......we sold them out at 10.00
each...for the few i have left..only 8.00 each......you must order by e-mail from me..........
3.....FORM.....STYLE.....TECHNIQUE.....and ROUTINES.....
i am going to take a few minutes to give out some information that constantly seems to be of concern to lifters.......about
your equipment...... 1.......you can wash your wrist and knee wraps but you will lose some elasticity in the process.....so
don't throw them around and drag them around and they will not get dirty enough to need washing.....most lifters
buy a new set every few years anyway....and keep the old ones to train in and/or give them to an upcoming or beginning
lifter..... 2......on power suits (squat suits)...and bench shirts.....you need to wash them after every workout.....not
only do they get offensive in smell; (unless you guys are used to wearing your underwear for a week without washing
it) just ask your workout partners...they will appreciate it....but also....and this is a biggee.....the body salts
(remember you sweat ) can eat the threads and material and hurt the integrity and structure of the suit....making
it more liable to tear ...rip or blow......when under normal circumstances it would not happen.....same with the
power briefs..etc.. 3.......tie your shoes guys.....i see more kids coming in with big floppy shoes and shoe laces
hanging all over the place and every once in a while they will trip coming out of the squat rack....very stupid....seems
like a simple thing...but still not heeded by mostly the under 20 crowd....tight shoes...well laced is the key
to tightness on every lift...be safe and forget about being cool while you workout.... 4......keep track of your
workouts.....every rep of every set...every warmup...every situp...you will be glad you did down the road...you
cannot remember every workout...even though you think you are einstein at the present....science plays a big role
in sports...get the one-up on those who think powerlifting is nothing more than lifting a big weight.....buy a
workout log and keep the records...(advertisement-we have workout logs)...5.....listen to every idea that comes
across the gym...most may seem or be silly but you never know when you might catch something that might be of help.....and
listen to the lifter who has been around a while...he may not really be any smarter...but he surely has learned
something over the years... even if it is the wrong way to do something... 6.....remember to stretch and/or warmup
properly... get in the right frame of mind...in whatever you do it.....forget about going in and starting to pile
weight on the bar to begin with.....form is not learned with big weight but with an empty bar and/or light weight..........
hope these few ideas will help... i am sure there are more...but these will get you going
we are still looking for guest routines.......or other info from other writers.......many of you are going to our
POWER FORUM (http://members.boardhost.com/powerforum/) now to get your questions answered....that is good...then
everyone can see the answer (be it good or bad)....... you only need to e-mail me if it is a private matter.......i
get 200-300 e-mails a day...so it may take a day or two to get back with you that way.....and again we are always
looking for ideas to write and discuss......
a quickie on calf work.......calves are the one exercise you can do almost everyday. .....i can remember my father
doing calf raises every night before bedtime..and even at 75 years old and 155 lbs...he still has fairly good size
calves and they still are cut up.... ABOUT 7% OF YOUR LEG STRENGTH is from your calves....so it is important to
get some calf work in with heavy weight.......do them at the end of your workout 2-4 times a week...you can do
donkeys... or seated or standing calf raises with weight.....you can alternate one kind one day and another on
the other days...but make sure you are using heavy weights...do 3 sets of 10-25 reps depending on the type of exercise
you are doing.....and you will definitely start to notice the strength gains in helping your squat and deadlift
maxes go up....
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below is a 10 week squat workout aimed at conditioning as well as some strength gains...it is primarily used after
layoffs.......or for training for sports..............
10 WEEK SQUAT CYCLE
GOAL 445 x 3 x 2 (475 x 1)
WEEK 10 WEEK 9
145 x 10 145 x 10
145 x 5 145 x 5
235 x 3 235 x 3
235 x 1 235 x 1
305 x 8 315 x 8
305 x 8 315 x 8
255 x 8- 3 second 265 x 8-3 second
255 x 8 pauses 265 x 8 pauses
WEEK 8 WEEK 7 WEEK 6 WEEK 5
145 x 10 145 x 10 145 x 10 145 x 10
145 x 5 145 x 5 145 x 5 145 x 5
235 x 3 235 x 3 235 x 3 235 x 3
235 x 1 235 x 1 235 x 1 235 x 1
325 x 2 325 x 2 325 x 2 325 x 2
355 x 5 365 x 5 375 x 5 385 x 5
355 x 5 365 x 5 375 x 5 385 x 5
305 x 5-3 second 315 x 5-3 second 325 x 5-3 second 335 x 5-3 second
305 x 5 pauses 315 x 5 pauses 325 x 5 pauses 335 x 5 pauses
WEEK 4 WEEK 3 WEEK 2 WEEK 1
145 x 10 145 x 10 145 x 10 145 x 10
145 x 5 145 x 5 145 x 5 145 x 5
235 x 3 235 x 3 235 x 3 235 x 3
235 x 1 235 x 1 235 x 1 235 x 1
325 x 2 325 x 2 325 x 2 325 x 2
415 x 3 375 x 1 380 x 1 385 x 1
415 x 3 425 x 3 435 x 3 445 x 3
365 x 3-3 second 425 x 3 435 x 3 445 x 3
365 x 3 pauses 375 x 3-3 second 385 x 3-3 second 395 x 3-3 second
375 x 3 pauses 385 x 3 pauses 395 x 3 pauses
that should get you in shape
4.....NUTRITION and SUPPLEMENTS.....you are what you eat.....
..... all food elements are important.....but too many lifters and athletes are always into "the newest thing"
on the market......usually foregoing what has been proven to work because they think there is always something
better.......reading dave draper's newsletter week after week, he emphasizes that even though he had tried most
all of the new fangled training methods and supplements he still really could not improve on what he took or how
he trained in the 60' and 70's.......and i have to agree .......supplementwise....and probably to a greater degree
routinewise.... even though i have added a few things that have come along i still emphasize the basics.......
try the basics or try in going back to the basics...you might be surprised as to how well they work..and as in
dave draper...mr universe and rickey dale crain... world champion.....you might find the old ways are still sometimes
the best ways.....
Creatine Safety: A Physician’s Prospective by Dr. Lynn Myers MD
Dr. Lynn Myers is regarded as one of the country’s foremost experts on creatine. He has been interviewed by CNN
Sports, heard on ESPN’s "One On One Sports". Dr. Myers has addressed the National Wrestling Coaches Association
as a special guest speaker on nutrition. Dr. Myers is a practicing pathologist and Director of Research and Development
for NuCare, an Oklahoma company that makes a creatine chewing gum and a chewable creatine wafer. Dr. Myers is available
for interviews.
There is now little doubt, when you study the scientific literature and talk to athletes, that creatine improves
certain types of athletic performance. This is especially true in power sports such as football, baseball and wrestling
that require short-term explosive muscle contraction. Creatine increases muscle mass, strength, explosive power,
and stamina. Because of this creatine is our nation's most popular sports supplement.
A recent study found that 48% of Division 1 NCAA male athletes take or have taken creatine. Last year, an estimated
that six to eight million pounds were consumed in the United States. Although creatine has been widely used in
the U.S. since 1992, and many scientific articles attest to creatine’s safety, some still caution that creatine
has not been used long enough to determine it’s possible long-term side effects.
Others seem opposed to creatine supplementation purely for philosophic reasons. A typical example of this often-expressed
view is a French food safety expert who recently stated that creatine "is contrary to the rules, spirit and
significance of sport."
As a pathologist with a lifetime of experience in solving medical puzzles, I have learned the value of reviewing
the scientific literature for myself and ignoring rumors and half-truths. Background Creatine is a protein made
from amino acids. Our body makes one gram each day from protein. We also eat about one gram of creatine each day
from meats such as beef, chicken or fish. Creatine is not a source of energy in itself, but stores energy you get
from your food. Creatine acts like uncharged battery. When creatine is charged with energy from food, it becomes
the major energy source for immediate muscle contraction. When extra creatine is taken to supplement the creatine
consumed in meats and produced in our body, still more energy is available for muscle contraction. Creatine is
a Vital Muscle Nutrient
Just as medical science learned what vitamins do in the body by studying vitamin deficiencies, we learn about creatine
by studying creatine deficiency disorders. Two examples help us to understand creatine’s role in the body.
First in animal studies, researchers have blocked creatine uptake into the muscle cells from the blood. The result
is a loss of fast-twitch (type 11) muscle fibers. This is the type of muscle cell that is first called into action
in power sports as football, baseball and wrestling.
Secondly, several naturally occurring creatine deficiencies have been found in children. Because of a genetic defect,
these children can not make creatine in their bodies. As a result they have low creatine levels with muscle loss
and weakness. Creatine supplementation strengthens these children. Both these examples help us understand that
creatine is necessary for healthy, strong muscle. High Dietary Intake of Creatine
In times past, hunters such as the American Plains Indians, African Tribes, and Eskimos ate huge amounts of meat.
During the winter season, they sometimes consumed an all-meat diet. Since meat contains about one gram of creatine
per each half pound, these hunters easily consumed 3-5 grams of creatine per day. Remarkably this creatine dosage
is similar to that recommended today by many scientists. Since mankind began and remained a hunter for thousands
of years, it seems highly unlikely that heavy consumption of meat containing creatine is dangerous. Creatine Supplement
Use Not New
While creatine is "new" to many in the U.S., it is not "new" to the rest of the world. The
Russians and other Eastern Block countries used creatine as a sport supplement for at least 20 years. Recently
I spoke to a Russian Sports scientist who candidly told me that the Russians never found any injurious effects
while using creatine. Creatine Use In the United States
In the West creatine has been manufactured and sold as a sport supplement for about nine years. Creatine was used
by successfully in the West in the 1992 Olympics. As creatine began to be readily available in the United States
many bodybuilders began taking creatine in massive amounts. Thinking that if a little is good, more must be better
they took twenty, forty and even sixty grams of powder a day, all without injurious effect on their health. If
creatine were as dangerous as some would have you believe these human "guinea pigs" would have clearly
demonstrated serious side-effects. This has not been the case. Physicians Using Creatine Have Found No Creatine
Toxicity
During the past few years medical scientists and physicians have begun experiments to learn if creatine can be
used to treat various medical disorders. In these carefully done studies under close medical supervision, doctors
have not reported any injurious creatine effects on the body. On the contrary, many of these studies show promise
that creatine can be helpful in preventing or slowing certain disorders such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Huntington’s
Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease. Creatine Not Found Injurious By Sports Medicine Roundtable
The American College of Sports Medicine hosted a roundtable discussion by several top scientists interested in
creatine. They reported in their abstract that "there is no definitive evidence that creatine supplementation
causes gastrointestinal, renal, and/or muscle cramping complications." 1
Summary Despite all the rumor and speculation that we have all heard over the past few years, I find no credible
evidence that creatine supplementation is harmful in anyway to our health. On the contrary, an ample amount of
creatine is absolutely necessary for healthy muscle and other cellular function.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2000 Mar; 32 (3): p. 706-17
Ó All Rights Reserved Lynn Myers MD
********************************************************************************
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5.....PARTING THOUGHTS.....
as athletes we should strive always upward........competing against ourselves and striving to perform better each
time we compete......if we fail we need to pick ourselves up and go at it again..........never making excuses about
others but only to ourselves..
i have a little league baseball team.....i find it amazing to hear the parents excuses or reasons for why their
kids should play or should not sit on the bench....or as to the reason why their previous team lost..it could not
possibly be their kids fault????? it is very hard to finally realize we are not the best or can never be the best...but
it should never hinder us from trying.........
BILL GATES ADVICE ON LIFE
Here's some advice Bill Gates recently dished out at a high school speech about 11 things students did not learn
in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically-correct teaching has created a full generation of kids with
no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world. and as powerlifters we should
take many of these to heart........words of wisdom to train by....and from a nerd no less.......
RULE 1
Life is not fair; get used to it.
RULE 2
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel
good about yourself.
RULE 3
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car
phone until you earn both.
RULE 4
If you think your teacher is tough; wait till you get a boss.
RULE 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping. They
called it opportunity.
RULE 6
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault; so don't whine about your mistakes; learn from them.
RULE 7
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills,
cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from
the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your room.
RULE 8
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. Some schools have abolished failing grades,
and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance
to ANYTHING in real life.
RULE 9
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping
you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
RULE 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
RULE 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you will end up working for one.
congrats to all the lifters from the ipf/wpc/aau/ipa and wabdl (hope i got everyone)who have competed the past
months in world and national meets....
see you next week
IN HIS NAME
Rickey Dale Crain, b.b.a., i.s.s.a.
IPF/WPC/AAU World Champion
2000 powerlifting hall of fame inductee
CRAIN'S MUSCLE WORLD, LIMITED
www.crainsmuscleworld.com
www.crain.ws
3803 north bryan road
shawnee, oklahoma 74804-2314 usa
800-272-0051
405-275-3689
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405-627-0134 cell
rcrain@charter.net
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