WHEN I TRAIN I WANT EVERY MUSCLE TO BE VISIBLE, SO WHEN A JUDGE SAYS, "GIVE ME YOUR BEST DOUBLE BICEP SHOT" I WANT MUSCLE TO JUST JUMP OUT OF NOWHERE.
I AM ALWAYS THINKING AND VISUALIZING, I WANT TO FREAK THEM SUCKERS OUT, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SAYING IN THE GYM.
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ROBBY ROBINSON ON TOUR - FRONT DOUBLE BICEPS - NEW YORK CITY 70'S
Read about RR's training and life experience, about other legends of Golden Era
of bodybuilding and what really happened behind the scenes of Weider's empire
in RR's BOOK "The BLACK PRINCE; My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle" ● www.robbyrobinson.net/books.php ● |
The Interview
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BK: How many sets do you recommend per body part?
RR: For big muscle groups I can say 15-20 because they need to be taxed, however a lot of people try to do too many exercises.
I try to stick with 2-3 exercises for each body part, but if I am getting close to competition, I may increase it by one. However, that one exercise is something that will really try to create a change in my physique such as something I have not done before and with high reps.
THAT IS WHAT BODYBUILDING IS - REPETITION
Bodybuilding is a lot of finding the exercise that targets the muscles so it responds best, when that happens you get a lot of response and your progress goes to the moon.
But I see a lot of people doing exercises and I look at them thinking “What are you doing?..” - it is like wasting your time.
BODY POSITION
PLAYS A HUGE ROLE
IN BODYBUILDING
-- such as having an upper back arch in the right movements, or not having your arms out to the side during barbell curls and keeping them close to the body.
THAT IS MY WHOLE CONCEPT ABOUT BODYBUILDING:
- BODY POSITION
.
- A LOT OF VARIETY
.
- LIGHT WEEKS - HEAVY WEEKS
.
- ALTERNATING REPETITION RANGES
Sometimes I may just pick one exercises and do 7 sets of 7, or do shoulder presses with only 30 seconds of rest or heavy with a minute to a minute 45 seconds of rest - this way the body does not get used to any one method.
Another thing is positive self-talk, I definitely think you need to talk positive to yourself during your training to get one or two more reps and push harder.
There are just a lot of things I just do not see bodybuilders doing anymore, I am not sure exactly where it comes from, but it is definitely not typical bodybuilding. They are just not using the typical things that actually build muscle.
I have been training with Mike O'Hearn the past few weeks and the routines are definitely long and intense.
Around 4-5 exercises per body part, sometimes more and the body will definitely respond to that up to a certain point before it will not.
Then you have to find another way to stimulate it through things like resting a bit longer between sets.
- Chest -2-3 exercises
.
- Back 3-4 exercises
.
- Triceps- 2-3 exercises
.
- Biceps- 2-3 exercises
.
- Shoulders- 2-3 exercises
Ab Training –
To me ab training is hanging leg raises 5 sets of 10-15 every other day. I am not really into the whole ab thing because it really comes down to nutrition and how you eat.
Sticking with crunches and abdominal raises along with eating properly will most definitely tighten and develop the abdominal area. Another thing is staying properly hydrated. There again, I am just really trying to find the exercise that targets the muscle well for me.
BK: What are some of the most unique exercise methods you have seen work?
RR: How Mike Menzter used Heavy Duty training. I have just always thought that was very interesting to this day. The negative part of the movement should definitely be focused on, letting the weight be lowered back into position over a certain time period.
I began implementing that into my training even more so and seeing the results.
Really focusing on it the last few sets, of course I am emphasizing it throughout the workout, but especially those last few sets.
I think, that plays a huge role in building some huge and dense muscle tissue.
Mike had a unique vision, and he and I were thrust at each other in those days because we both had balanced and symmetrical physiques, and both were valid for that top spot. Therefore, it was always a battle between him and me.
However, he did do a little bit more then was published at the time, because you know he had to.
He would have to a couple extra more reps or drop sets preparing for those competitions.
But yea, that negative has and always will be very important in building a muscular physique.
It is like doing a squat, you cannot just flop it into it, you have to move into it to get that positive and the negative effect. I think that is with any movement such as chins, Barbell Rows, Curls, Bench Press - any movement you perform.
BK: Do you have any general tips for taking a persons physique to the next level? I know you are a big fan of posing to bring out muscular detail and growth.
RR: You are what you think, you have to really think about bodybuilding, you have to think about having a big arm or chest or more muscular physique.
You have to think about all these things. But you have to also practice all the parts: you have to eat, you have to rest, you have to keep a positive mind, work on your posing - you just have to practice all the parts.
As I said, bodybuilding is just repetition, you have to just keep going over these things. But visualization is my number one thing because the more you visualize something consistency throughout training it comes to be.
You cannot just do the exercise like most folks, you have to create the image by visualizing the exercise, and how you want the physique to look.
BK: I think that is something that has been lost by many people today.
RR: Yea, you have to feel what you are doing. It is the same thing as a relationship: if you want to love someone or something, you have to feel the movement.
I am in touch with the muscle fibers, I am in touch with the exercise, I am in touch with the barbell. When I train my Back I want every muscle on my back to be visible, so when a Judge says “Give me your best double bicep shot” I want muscle to just jump out of nowhere.
I am always thinking and visualizing, I want to freak them suckers out, that is exactly what I have always been saying in the gym. It is inside of you, you just have to reach down there and grab it.
You cannot just say, “Oh I am just going to go ahead and train my chest, I don’t feel like it but I will go ahead”, you have to visualize and make it a reality or you might as well not go in the gym.
You have to have to have this attitude of tenacity. Tenacity is something you have to stir up inside of yourself.
That is what we had back in the old days with Arnold, Ed Corney, Franco Columbu, Kenny Waller, Serge Nubret…. I mean I can keep naming all day.
If you ever did a set of leg exercises with Arnold, he would just stand there for a minute and wonder if you were going to fall down or get your reps.
The same thing with myself, If my goal is 20 reps I am going to get my 20 reps.
You just have to have it made up in your mind, this is what I want to achieve, this is what I want to do, and you do it.
BK: That is like Tom Platz , he was always really hardcore about legs.
RR: Yes, I am glad you mentioned him. The thing with Tom Platz was he was just an absolute beast, it was like take no prisoners with him, take them all out right there, and that is how Tom was.
I used to love to train around Tom. Yea that would be amazing, he said the squat rack was like a temple where he would go to live or die.
Oh yea, he would put on a show, not even intending to it is just what he does.
People would just stand around looking at him; people would just forget they were training and watch Tom or me.
BK: I know you have always said posing brings out the muscle detail, any more on that subject?
RR: Posing makes everything easier and gives you comfort, it is almost like meditation for the body.
If you work on those poses when you have to hit them when a judge calls you out you should already be proud because you already put in that work.
Posing is really a final polish you put on that physique - back in those days we would pose after every session. You see that is why we had that extra, because we worked on it, we did not just go in the gym, train, and leave.
Especially before competition, that was done for 90 consecutive days every day after you workout, there was no backing off or “Oh I am not feeling it today “.
We did it every single day…. Ed Corney started out by doing his part, then Arnold , then Ken Waller ect, we would all be right there,
By competition we didn’t even think about holding water, we were just so tight and dense we would get that pump up and eat a couple tablespoons of raisins and that was it.
BK: So the mental drills were something you would just do all day every day correct?
RR: Oh yea, they were something you would do every single day, there was no lay off whether you are off-season or on season.
The focus was there, it was as if you were going to school every single day. There was just a meditative part to it, when you are done and go home you would sit there.
BK: What is your stance on the right amount of cardio? Especially for someone already relatively lean just trying to gain mass.
RR: I have never really gotten into cardio, the most cardio we would do is going to the steps in Santa Monica by walking, sprinting, or jogging them.
Nowadays people want to do aerobics because they want to eat more, cheat on their meals, and think, "well, if I walk for 45 minutes - that will get rid of it."
There is nothing wrong with aerobics, you definitely need it, just not to the extent I see people doing it.
People do it for 45 minutes and sometimes hours, which to me doesn’t make sense.
I mean, if you are lean and muscular it should be easy for the body to stay in this condition.
Keeping the body in a certain level of body fat, even in the off-season at least 10 to 12 % - this makes it easier for the body to adjust to get into competition shape again.
Some people - they get so fat, they get a big belly, - no disrespect to them but to me that just makes it much harder each year.
BK: So you were never into bulking or cutting and the such.
RR: Nah, I have always been lean and muscular, my best competition bodyweight was 215 pounds. So for me to get into that body into the kind of astonishing competition shape is about 8 weeks.
