All articles printed with express permission from Rickey Dale Crain
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On Training Beginners
Form and Warming Up
Rickey Speaks out on Calves
Advanced Powerlifting Techniques
Rickey's Meet Pointers
On the Aging Athlete

BEING THE BEST YOU CAN BE SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF EVERYONE
October 15, 2001

You have got to have a plan, have a goal, have a way to achieve it. Plan everything out and do not waver from it till you have achieved it.
   There is a girl who is a member of my training center who is from South Africa. We have discussions how fat and out of shape people are in this country, and I have to agree with her, I cannot believe anyone can argue that point. For you who read this newsletter, you would not be reading it, if you were not training to get into better physical shape and condition. Let some of this encouragement and knowledge spill over on those you know who need some help in upgrading their physical shape and appearance. America needs help, you can help provide some of it, invite a friend to workout with you. Encourage a spouse to start exercising. I am taking up this calling alongside two of this country's greatest iron game athletes, Dr. Fred Hatfield and Dave Draper. They have a passion to see this country get back into physical shape before its health becomes beyond repair.
  I try to make this newsletter something to all readers. We have an incredible array of subscribers, some are powerlifters, some are athletes in high school, college, some are bodybuilders, and some are just into getting in shape. We have all ages...from 14 to 74, maybe even younger or older, but you get my drift. So all of it may not be of interest or apply to everyone, be patient. Something that applies to you and that will benefit you is somewhere in each weeks newsletter, hunt for it, and devour it and put it to good use.

  Training for beginners takes a bit different route; one must use a little common sense. The main exercises, the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift, are good basics to start anyone with. Simply because they work more muscle groups than about any other 3 lifts. They stimulate muscle growth and help to burn bodyfat easier than any other exercises. It is amazing to see a beginner walk in the gym, pick up a 10 lb dumbbell, and start doing curls. I am not sure why, or what they think that will accomplish, but ??????????? I gently steer them towards the bench or toward the squat rack (I can hear someone say...yea right....Rick probably gently steered them by throwing them over there...) they may not like it but I gently point out that they joined to get results and this is the way to do it. Keep this in mind as you train younger kids and older adults as well as any other first timers, low weight, higher reps, work on form, and explain why they are doing what they are doing. It will help teach them to start to learn about writing up their own routines. The studs you can take under wing and make them workout with you and make them so sore they will listen better the next time. It's always fun to watch a 20 year hot dog the day after doing 5 sets of 5 in the squats...walking like he has had ???????... Well you get the point!
Working out is a lifetime pastime. I started when Ii was just a few years old and will continue to do it till the Lord comes for me. I will also continue to hit a contest or two along the way. But it is always fun and satisfying to see what your protégés' can do.

I constantly analyze my form as well as the form of those that train with
me. Remember that this is a never-ending on-the-job process. You should
always maintain the best form that is possible on every rep, from the empty
bar to the heaviest max single. Your best overall strategy is to learn the
concept of routine, routine, routine. Warmup reps and sets should never be
off the cuff. Every rep should duplicate the form of the previous rep. You
must always take control of everything you can in training and in contests,
because there are many things you have little or no control over. Therefore,
it's important to put as much in your favor as possible.

Warmups are very important and most people neglect them, shrug them off, or
do them haphazardly, using whatever weight may be on the bar from a previous
lifter. Take the first two to three warmup sets with an empty bar not only
to loosen up but also to work on form, style, and technique. You can also
work on speed and explosiveness during your warm ups. Make sure your
progression of warmups are the same for each workout. You know the weight
and you know how it should feel. When you start to put weight on the bar,
continue to work on your form, making each rep look exactly like the
preceding one. You can never practice all the little things too much. You
need to make good form become an ingrained habit so that bad form does not
become an issue at all. Good form should occur without even thinking about
it. Good form will enhance your routine and will help to keep you from
injury. Remember, every rep of every set should be the same as for a max
weight, no matter what the lift or exercise!

To hammer this home. Perform warmup lifts with the same zeal and intensity
level as heavier sets. THE SEQUENCE OF WARMUPS SHOULD BE IDENTICAL FOR EACH
WORKOUT. You should not improvise your warmups. No surprises should be
allowed. Concentration and routine both are very important, all the time.
Use them to your advantage

Here is a quickie on calf work. You can work your calves almost every day.
In fact, I can remember my father doing calf raises every night before
bedtime. Even at 75 years of age and 155 lbs of body weight, he still has
fairly good size calves and they still are cut. About 7% of your leg
strength originates 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, seated, or standing calf raises with weight. You
can alternate one kind one day and another on the other days, but make sure
that you use heavy weights. Do 3 sets of 10-25 reps depending on the type of
exercise you are doing. If you work your calves heavily, you will definitely
start to notice the strength gains as your squat and deadlift maxes go up.

I would like to address for a minute today, the problem of muscle loss as we get older. I have studied the over 40/50 /60/70 year old lifter for sometime now, as we have trained many of these in the past 10-15 years. (And as I and my brother and father are one)...I have made some observations I would like to pass along. The older you get the lower your reps will become (out of necessity). Mainly because of the irritation of the joints (i.e. arthritis, etc.) and second because once you lose muscle mass (because of lighter training due to injury or other reasons) it is very difficult to get it back (if you can at all). Ups to that age you can get by on periodically going light or taking a short rest. As an older athlete you cannot do this and expect to recover fully. I noticed in my father, age 76, both by observation and by what he has told me, (which confirms it) that you need to keep your weight at no less than 65-75% or more of max most of the time (UNLESS you are injured or recovering from an injury). When we were younger we could recycle and drop to 50% and start back up again with no ill effects. At his age if he did this, there would be more permanent muscle loss than normal because of his age. So for the older lifter it is better to do lower reps and higher weight, as much as possible with shorter mini-cycles . Never going below 65-75% unless it is for rehab purposes. My father primarily does singles/doubles and/or triples, never any higher. If the weight drops too low due to higher reps, too much muscle mass will be lost, (much of which cannot be recovered). As I get older I am seeing the same thing occur. Remember, keep the weight up, get your rest from fewer sets not less weight.