Our translation of a lengthy interview with 8-time Mr. Olympia title winner, the legendary Lee Haney.

There have been quite a few outstanding athletes in the history of bodybuilding. One of the most famous is Lee Haney . The athlete was born in Fairburn, November 11, 1959, Georgia. He studied at Spartanburg Methodist College. As for his specialty, he trained as a child psychologist. Speaking of sports preferences, Lee was a member of his college football team.

Biography

Since childhood, Lee Haney has been actively involved in sports. At first he was interested in football, but then he decided to not just be in good physical shape, but to become really big and strong. Lee Hein never spoke publicly about why he chose bodybuilding, but even if at first it was a simple hobby, it later grew into a lifelong pursuit. When he turned nineteen, he became the winner among young men at the Mr. America tournament. The bodybuilder’s family was religious, and at the age of seventeen, Lee fully believed in the existence of a higher power. It was at this age that he asked God to accompany him in victories, and in return the young man promised to devote himself to serving him.

The guy had good luck in bodybuilding. His first tournament, where he competed in the youth category, brought Haney victory. The national competition is followed by the Mr. Universe competition, where Lee again comes out on top, earning one of the most coveted titles for any bodybuilder. Haney believed that he owed his success entirely to God, thanks to whom he was able to achieve such impressive victories in tournaments. After two successful performances, he became a complete believer. Lee took religion seriously and decided to take the path of a true Christian.

Hayne became a professional bodybuilder in 1983. He managed to take third place at Mr. Olympia. For many, this result seems quite impressive, given the fact that he performed for the first time. It seemed to Lee that this was not enough. To feel confident, he needed to win first place in every competition. For the next seven years, Hayne truly became the best in every tournament. From 1984 to 1991, the bodybuilder became invincible. When he won in 1990, Lee wanted to retire from performing. The reason for this is his admiration for Arnold Schwarzenegger, the best bodybuilder in the world and owner of seven Sandow statuettes, whose fame he did not want to encroach on. But, having decided to compete, he won in 1991. Lee later marveled at how easily he managed to climb to the top of the podium.

Haney ended his professional career as a competitive bodybuilder at 32 years old. He decides to devote himself to business. Lee acquires first one and then another fitness center. His business is going well. This is evidenced by the refusal of the titled bodybuilder to participate in Mr. Olympia, to which he was invited as a participant in 1995. According to Haney, winning the tournament would in no way make him more popular, since he is quite famous. In addition, the size of the prize money, ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 dollars, was not at all interesting to him. The business brought in much more money. A larger sum could have changed Haney's decision. If we were talking about 400,000 or half a million dollars. Li cannot be called a selfish person. He created a special village. It houses children who, for various reasons, were left without parents. He spends the lion's share of his income on it. Children live in good, comfortable houses, have excellent nutrition, study, and play sports. They live the life they would lead in a prosperous family.

Childhood and youth

Lee Marvin Haney was born in 1959 into a religious family living in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The boy studied at a Methodist school and was fond of sports since childhood. At first it was football, and at the age of 12 the child reached for the iron, which he no longer let go of. This did not stop him from paying attention to his studies and graduating from college with a degree in child psychology. While receiving his education, the young man defended the honor of the educational institution by playing in the local football team.

ICA conference at the Arnold Classic - Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger & Lee Haney Posted by Maria Dalton Saturday, March 13, 2010

Lee Haney and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Bodybuilding became a passion, and the results were not long in coming. Already in his youth, Lee tried his hand at his first competitions and won victories there. The young man became “Mr. America” among teenagers, and then won the status of “Mr. Universe”. The stunning successes did not turn the guy’s head: the fact is that he dedicated all his victories to God himself, with whom he entered into an agreement in exchange for success to serve the Creator with good deeds.

It seems that the Almighty accepted the guy’s proposal and began to favor him in everything. But he did not break his promise: having achieved phenomenal success and winning endless awards, Haney continued to invest most of his income in a village for abandoned children. The bodybuilder provides conditions under which former street children receive a roof over their heads, upbringing, education, play sports and realize their potential.

Best achievements

Haney, without exaggeration, is one of the most titled and famous bodybuilders. Each of those who are seriously involved in bodybuilding knows his name. He won the Mr. Olympia tournament eight times. As a competitive bodybuilder, Lee took part in twenty-two competitions. He never fell below the top three. He won his first significant victory in 1982. He became the first at the amateur world championship, performing in the heavyweight category. At the next Nationals competition, he becomes first in two categories at once - absolute and among heavy weight. Lee achieved a similar result at Junior Nationals. Next year he takes part in eight competitions at once. At the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Haney becomes first, but second at the English Grand Prix tournament. Already performing as a professional, he participates in his first Mr. Olympia. He was in great shape, but other bodybuilders also wanted to win, and therefore were quite strong and determined. Haney failed to become the best. He took third place. Following these tournaments, he becomes second at the Swedish Grand Prix and the World Cup Grand Prix, third in Switzerland. This busy year has shown Lee himself that he still has something to work on. The posing was especially noteworthy. His main goal was to win the championship at Olympia in 1984. Haney had a lot to achieve in just twelve months. He succeeded and it was simply impossible to stop the bodybuilder. He not only became Mr. Olympia, but also won this title eight times. In addition, he took part in the Grand Prix held in Germany in 1984.

ALL 9 OLYMPICS OF LEE HAINEY! HISTORY OF THE LEGEND.

Personal life

Haney is an exemplary family man, as befits a good Christian. A man’s personal life commands respect no less than his professional success. He met his future wife Shirley at the age of 6. The children were friends for a long time, then they grew up, fell in love with each other and became a family. They had a daughter, Olympia, and a son, Joshua. The Haneys live in Georgia.

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Lee Haney and his daughter
Bodybuilder are engaged not only in charity work, but also in missionary activities. The man even hosted a program on a Christian radio station, where he reminded that during physical development one should not forget about spiritual self-improvement. The athlete’s biography is an example to follow for thousands of athletes striving to achieve high results.

Lee Haney's Training Principles

The award-winning bodybuilder has always adhered to high-volume training, since such loads allowed him to achieve the best shape. When Lee first started bodybuilding, he experimented, tried a variety of systems and principles to find exactly the scheme that suited him best. He did not share the views of Yates, who argued that you need to train only to the point of failure. The bodybuilder considered this approach detrimental to muscle tissue, which simply “burns” with such an approach.

Haney preferred pulleys and machines over free weights. The use of assistive devices allowed him to fully control and feel his muscle groups, being able to work on one in isolation. This did not mean that he worked exclusively with blocks and machines. He also included free weights in his classes. There were training sessions when he did a huge number of approaches, or rather up to thirty-five, for a certain muscle group. In total, he did 8-10 such sets, but the emphasis was placed not only on the number, but also on the intensity. The latter, of course, was high. Otherwise the lesson would last for hours. This could be avoided by resting between approaches, ranging from 45 to 60 seconds.

Haney, being a professional bodybuilder, did not receive a single serious injury, since he was very responsible in choosing warm-up and working weights. He didn't do squats, deadlifts, or heavy, low-rep presses. Lee trained for three days, devoted one day to rest, and then again had three training sessions in a row. Particular attention was always paid to the abdominal muscles, and his favorite exercise was hanging leg raises.

The bodybuilder performed cardio training, his classes were always sorted, and his diet was perfectly selected and balanced. This allowed Haney to stay in excellent shape even during the off-season. This, of course, was not always the case. Sometimes his weight reached 140 kilograms, but with his tall stature he still looked very impressive. Another feature of Lee's training was the technical aspect. He always, regardless of the weight being lifted or the type of exercise, tried to do everything correctly. Only occasionally did he allow himself a little cheating. The rest of the time he was completely focused on technique and the muscle group being worked.

Separate training in bodybuilding: dedicated to experienced athletes

Hi all! Want to try out the split program? Well, then it's over! The objectives of this training program are to pump muscles more intensively, rest more and recover better. You should also gain the ability to more subtly feel your body and your muscles, your overall energy level on each individual day of training. All this is very important for your tangible progress!

After a beginner has completed the introductory program, he needs to move on to more advanced and intense, separate training. If you continue to exercise 3 times a week for more than 3 months, and at the same time work out all the muscles in each workout, you may experience overtraining, burnout and muscle wear, as well as disproportionate development of the entire body. This will happen due to lack of time for the muscle to recover after training.

In addition, for constant progress, you need to constantly increase the weight of the equipment, the number of approaches and repetitions, and with a 3-day system of working out the whole body in each workout, this is impossible to do. To avoid all this, separate training in bodybuilding was developed. The idea behind split training is to work each muscle group more intensely and give it more time to recover.

For best results, your muscles should contract as strongly and completely as possible in each set, but only for a very short period of time! You will be training 4 times a week. For example, on Monday you will train your upper body (chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, upper abs, wings). The next day, Tuesday - lower body (legs, lower back, lower abs, forearms). On Wednesday you rest, and then, on Thursday, you begin the second cycle.

Thus, you will pump your entire body 2 times a week very intensively and will have more rest. This is split training. During each workout, use weights based on your current strength level. To save as much energy as possible for training, get enough sleep and eat a balanced diet. If possible, take at least 30 minutes of sleep during the day.

Upper body (Monday)

Lower body (Tuesday)

Upper body (Thursday)

Lower body (Friday)

Some exercises are performed in a superset. First, perform one exercise for 9 repetitions, then, without rest, perform another exercise for 9 repetitions (for example, biceps/triceps).

Use the “separate training” program for 2 months. After this, rest for a week, and if you have progressed very well before, continue with this program for another month. Then change the program. Old school Joe Weider - for your attention. See you in other posts, friends!

This article is worth sharing.

Lee Haney Back and Shoulder Training Program

Back

1. Pulldowns to the chest – 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
2. Bent-over barbell rows with an overhand grip – 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
3. Sitting lower block rows to the waist – 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
4. Bent-over dumbbell rows – 4 sets of 8-10 reps.

Shoulders

1. Standing barbell press – 4-5 sets of 8-10 reps.
2. Standing dumbbell lateral raises – 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
3. Bent-over dumbbell raises – 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
4. Barbell rows to the chin with a narrow grip – 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
5. Shrugs for trapezius muscles – 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.

The number of approaches and repetitions remains the same. The number of bench press sets can be increased by one more.

If you look at Lee's training plan, it becomes clear that all muscles are worked in a harmonious and balanced manner. This avoids unwanted imbalances.

Mr. Olympia Lee Haney training 1989 Bodybuilding

Igor December 28, 2010

Analysis of the exercise

Many bodybuilders mistakenly classify the Lee Haney deadlift as an isolation exercise. It is not right. In fact, it is a complex row for developing the trapezius and deltoid muscles, with an emphasis on the rear deltoid. It follows that a slight lift of the shoulders in the exercise is not a significant technical error. A significant emphasis on lifting and performing in the shrug style makes it difficult to concentrate on the goal.

Sometimes the movement is performed with dumbbells, this allows you to overcome the natural asymmetry in the development of the human body. But in most cases the movement is performed in a Smith machine.

What muscles work

For Smith, the following layout of working muscles is advisable:

• Trapezius and rear deltoids as prime movers;
• The levator scapulae and rhomboid muscles contribute to movement;
• The biceps and the entire complex of leg muscles, as well as the abs, stabilize the position of the arms and body;
• An exercise with a strong forward bend also involves the quadriceps in a static manner.

Lee Haney Row / Pumping up the rear delts

Preparing for the exercise

There are two polar opinions here. Some experts believe that the best preparation is a set of pull-ups with a reduced amplitude, plus a joint-type warm-up of the shoulder girdle and light stretching. Others believe that the warm-up should include 1-2 sets of standing or bench presses, since the deltoids will be a priority. The second opinion is more scientifically substantiated, but in the practice of bodybuilding and fitness both options are found.

Warm-up sets for this exercise are mandatory; beginners should strive to perform them with minimal weight. For most people, a light stick or body bar is suitable. Sometimes it is recommended to warm up with dumbbells, although biomechanically this movement will be somewhat different.

Proper execution

The emphasis in movement is on working the shoulders and trapezius, rather than the elbows and biceps

Start of movement - from the shoulders; The head should not lie on the chest, and the neck should not bend forward; Natural deflection in the lower back is allowed, but should not be hypertrophied; The shoulders are engaged when the elbow has not yet begun to bend; bending the elbow is the second phase of the exercise; The arms at the extreme point must be straightened completely. The movement behind the back assumes a short amplitude and does not contribute to its increase, so you need to consciously increase the amplitude and increase muscle stretching due to this; At the top, the elbows should be raised and close to each other, this contributes to the correct distribution of the load and allows you to perform the exercise with the correct mechanics; It is important to synchronize movement with breathing. There can be two options - holding your breath while ascending or exhaling while ascending; you need to choose the most convenient one; The exercise is performed in a fairly large number of repetitions, so you need to try not to change the angle of the spine and keep the amplitude the same; It is not recommended to change your grip during training; sometimes it turns out that the athlete does not grip the bar comfortably, and he has to move his palms, but it is better to avoid this

Errors

• Excessive deflections and humps in the spine;
• “Inserting” the elbows at the bottom of the exercise;
• Body building and cheating;
• Movement due to shoulder shrug;
• Hasty work without delay at the top of the amplitude;
• Disproportionately heavy weights

Recommendations

The grip allows you to work with your hands under your shoulders or in a position slightly wider than your shoulders. This work allows the athlete to avoid overloading the joint. A narrower grip is not recommended due to the anatomically unnatural position of the shoulders.

— What should those who dream of doing bodybuilding do?

— First, you need to choose a fitness club that is located near your home

It is very important that you do not waste a large amount of time in the first stages. And find a specialist who will understand your ambitions and the result you want to achieve

In the first stages, you definitely need a trainer, only he will show you the technique of performing the exercises. Now is the Internet era, the 21st century. And any specialist you like is within reach. As a rule, a trainer can even teach online. Next, start from your financial capabilities and how much you want to do everything competently and professionally. The higher the level of the trainer, the more expensive it costs. Don't just go to one coach. First, go to the gym for a week and take a closer look at who trains you. You will see whether this coach is right for you or not - by mentality, by communication, by the way he monitors his students, and so on. Then you will look at the regalia. By the way, it is best to go to practicing athletes who know exactly what and how to do. For beginners, you don’t need any special equipment - just sportswear, that’s all.

Supply system

One examination showed that thirty-nine-year-old Pearl had elevated cholesterol levels. Experts warned the bodybuilder about the possible serious consequences of this condition and the risk of developing diseases typical in such situations. To maintain his own health, the athlete had to become a vegetarian.

The only animal products that the bodybuilder allows himself to consume are eggs and milk, but he currently prefers kefir and yogurt to the latter. A complete refusal of fish and meat products did not become an obstacle to preparation for the latest competitions. He not only performed successfully, but also became an undisputed winner.

The athlete never consumed a lot of food to get a lot of protein. He has always been of the opinion that 50-70 grams of protein, which enter the body from ordinary foods, is enough to maintain the normal functioning of all systems, even for a bodybuilder.

Dr. Luber. Bodybuilding our way

As you know, everything ingenious is very often simple, and this book is no exception in this regard. This book is written in simple and understandable language, reveals all the “secrets” of the rocking chair of the 80s, 90s, in an accessible language conveys to the reader valuable knowledge about bodybuilding, how to train, eat, rest, what exercises are best to use in your training, when and who should use steroids, and much more.

Dr. Luber. Bodybuilding our way

In all its diversity, this book tells the reader that the process of building muscles is quite simple (subject to the training regime, diet and sleep), there are no magical exercises, techniques, machines, super-advanced gyms, on the contrary there are ordinary racks, a bench , parallel bars and a barbell, this is the equipment with the help of which the muscles of the bodybuilding champions of the last century were created. Listen to the advice and recommendations of this book, especially if you are just plunging into the world of bodybuilding.

The author of the book is Doctor
Luber
(Alexei Viktorovich Kireev), one of the best bodybuilding coaches in Russia, who has trained many Russian champions on numerous occasions; he also advised the rebel, modern bodybuilding star, Andrei Skoromny.

Download: Doctor Luber. Bodybuilding our way Downloaded: 2219, size: 1.3 MB, date: April 18. 2018

J. Vader. Body building system

The book that is in front of you is one of the most detailed and complete manuals on bodybuilding in general ever published. The author tried to bring all his accumulated experience, collected a lot of training programs on bodybuilding, and provided a huge amount of advice for beginners, ranging from how to train to preparing for competitions.

J. Vader. Body building system

The book is not unambiguous, on the one hand there is a lot of everything, even too much, on the other hand there is too much variety in exercises, a large number of repetitions, approaches, and exercises in one training day can affect your recovery, so “filter” everything , what is written there, emphasize for yourself something new, take on board Vader’s advice, recommendations and principles.

Perhaps the author was mistaken in some way, but she definitely deserves attention in her bodybuilding training. The author of the book is Joe Weider, Canadian bodybuilding coach, founder of the Mr. Olympia competition, and the international bodybuilding federation IFBB

The author of the book is Joe Weider, a Canadian bodybuilding coach, founder of the Mr. Olympia competition, and the international bodybuilding federation IFBB.

Download: J. Vader. Body building system Downloads: 2856, size: 2.2 MB, date: April 18. 2018

Second wind

In 2016, the athlete became a popular personality in sports news. First, Kevin surprised fans with photos from training on Instagram and VKontakte, then announced his desire to participate in the Olympia to win the long-awaited title. The bodybuilder assured that for the sake of “hype” and cheap media popularity, he would not spend hours in the gym. Indeed, his figure looked powerful, but in comparison with other contenders for the title, his legs lagged behind in development. The muscleman explained that problems with his knees do not allow him to gain volume, but a month before the competition he will certainly do this. However, hopes were not justified. At the end of the tournament, the athlete did not even make it into the top 15 list.

Execution technique

Lee Haney performed his legendary barbell deadlift. Thanks to this, I could load the target muscles as much as possible. And also, include smaller stabilizer muscles. This exercise itself is technically difficult. Therefore, it is best for beginners not to perform it. Since good flexibility of the shoulder joints is required to avoid injury. The main problem when working with a barbell is the gluteal muscles. They interfere with the free movement of the barbell, acting as an obstacle (when lifting upward). Lee Haney solved this problem by bringing the elbows out a little further than is usually customary in classic shrugs with a barbell behind the back. But in order to realize this, we will have to sacrifice the weight of the barbell. Make it much smaller. But this will not reduce the effectiveness.

Initial position:

• The most convenient way is to take the barbell from the racks. To do this, we need to set them to the desired height. Approximately just above the knee.
• We approach the bar and stand with our back to it. Bend your knees slightly.
• Grabs the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing back) slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Straighten your legs and remove the bar from the racks. We lower our shoulder blades down and move our shoulders slightly forward. This will allow us to stretch the trapezius as much as possible at the bottom point.
• Feet stand shoulder-width apart and slightly bent at the knee joint.
• Keep your back straight, with a slight arch in your lower back. The abdominal muscles are tense.

Performance:

• As you exhale, we begin to simultaneously raise our elbows and shoulders up as far as possible.
• At the top point we take a short pause in order to maximally load the trapezius and rear deltoids.
• As you exhale, slowly lower the barbell down to its original position.

Control the entire process of performing the exercise, from start to finish. Remember, it is not the bar that sets the pace, it is you. Therefore, we do not throw the projectile down when lowering.

Recommendations for implementation

For a more comfortable performance, a slight tilt of the torso forward is allowed. Don't arch your back too much at the lower back. This will make your stance less stable and can lead to serious injury in that area. The lifting of the bar occurs only due to movement in the shoulder joint. Do not lean your head forward while lifting the barbell

This way you can injure your cervical vertebrae. Focus your attention on working your trapezius and rear deltoids. At the top point, there is no need to further bend your elbows. This will not affect the effectiveness of the exercise in any way.

On the contrary, it will shift the load from the target muscles to the biceps and forearms. To further contract the trapezius, squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift. If you do not feel the target muscles working, then your technique is incorrect. Take a little more time to practice it.

Basic mistakes

Too much weight

This error is mainly typical for beginners. And in pursuit of quick results, they begin to grab heavy barbells and dumbbells. But working with such a weight will not bring anything good except injuries to the shoulder joint and lumbar region.

Lifting weights by bending your elbows

Remember once and for all, we are doing deadlifts, not curls. So our main task is to lift the shoulders up. It is this movement that will maximally load the trapezius and rear deltoids. If we focus on bending our arms. Then all the load will go into the biceps.

Work on a shortened amplitude

This exercise already has a small range of motion. And if we shorten it even further, then instead of the Haney deadlift, we get reverse shrugs. Consequently, the trapezius will no longer receive the load, and the rear deltas will be left without it at all.

Execution pace is too fast

To get the most out of an exercise, we need to do more than just lift and lower the weight. But also take short breaks at extreme points. This will help avoid inertia in execution. It will also give the muscles the opportunity to work under static tension.