|
Issue #13 |
||
|
||
|
AE: In the video of your seminar, you advocate pre-exhaustion training. Why do you feel this type of training is so effective? IAN: Basically, I stumbled across pre-exhaustion training at the age of 17 when I shattered both of my knees. I injured both of my knees very badly squatting heavy at a young age. I was squatting like 620 for 12 reps at the age of 17. I ended up shattering both my knees and I had to find away around training my legs so I didn't put stress on the joint. That's how I stumbled across pre-exhaustion training. For 4 years I did leg extensions first, very, very high repetitions to warm the knee-joint up. I then finish up with one compound movement like hack squats or leg press, very high reps again. I just found that by doing that, I was able to take the muscle to failure without putting the weight stress on the joint. So by pre-exhausting, your taking the muscle to failure, then going to a compound movement, and your able to take the muscle past the failure you normally would achieve on that movement, but you not putting the stress on the joints because you don't have the huge weights. That really came by accident by being injured but then as I started competing as junior and got me pro card, I started realizing that my quads were one of me best
body parts, everybody used to freak out about me quads. So, I started using the principal on my other
body parts and they started coming up, honestly it's only been like '96-'97 that I started incorporating that style of training into my upper body movements. That's when I started making drastic gains. Before I started dieting for the '93 Arnold Classic, I was up to 23 stone (about 322 lbs!). I was 23 stone and ended up competing at around 18 stone, I obviously lost a lot of muscle during my diet. I feel if I hadn't gone on such a drastic diet, I could have stepped on stage at around 21 stone (293 lbs!) which would have been the biggest man on stage that year. That weight-gain all came down to using pre-exhaustion training. It's a very intense form of training, because you're doing 3-4 sets within one set, doing a lot of triple drop sets and quadruple drop sets, your isolation movement before your compound movement, your taking the muscle past the point where you would normally take it. Let's say for instance you're training legs and you start with leg press or squats. 9 times out of 10 with big guys who are very heavy and lifting lots of weight, it's not your legs that give out first, it's your lungs. If you pre-exhaust first, your lungs are nowhere near failure, but your legs are because they're already tired. AE: I'd have to totally agree with you. If you've ever taken a look at the AE site, you'll see that the training articles are written about a philosophy very similar to what you've just described. I find that you've got a lot of people in the gyms that are lifting with their egos and not with their head. That is, they could go in the gym and train smarter, using less weight and risking less injury, and make better gains. IAN: The thing I've found that your body adapts to pre-exhaustion training and you can actually become stronger than you were before. When I first started training that way with different body parts, I did have to use lighter weights. But within 3,4,5 months, I found that I was able to use the maximum weights I had used before at the end of my pre-exhaustion workouts. So technically I became a lot stronger. AE: I remember watching the tape of the seminar you did with Paul Borreson and you we're talking about how you used the 200 lb dumbbells for shoulder presses. You went on to say that when you started pre-exhaustion training you couldn't use that much weight but quickly worked your way back up to them. IAN: Yes, within 5 months I was using 200 lbs for like 14 reps. AE: That is unbelievable. IAN: I've actually had some new dumbbells made for my comeback. They're 242 lbs. AE: You're going to be the only guy touching those. IAN: As soon as I do, I'll send you a photo of my using them. AE: Sounds good. You're obviously one of the stronger pro bodybuilders, what are some of your best lifts? IAN: As we've discussed, I've used the 200 lb dumbbells for shoulder presses but could have gone heavier. I think the sickest thing ever is a photo shoot I did with Nasser for Flex. We got the 200 lb dumbbells out for Chris Lund. We passed them to Nasser and he did one rep and had to put them down. I'm thinking this is going to be great, I'm going to get like 10 reps. One guy let go of one of the dumbbells too early and I ended up tearing my rear delts. I ended up not being able to do one rep and they actually printed in the magazine that I couldn't do them. I was so pissed because I knew I'd be able to do 10 easy reps under normal circumstances. My best weights are shoulder presses for 14 reps with 200 lbs. I've done stiff-legged deadlifts I've done between 12-14 reps with 7-8 20-kilo plates per side. I've done bent over rows with 6 plates per side, incline bench I've done 7 plates per side for a single. As a rule I stopped going for singles or doubles a long time ago, although there are times when I'm mad or wound up I'll stick go for the big weights to get the aggression out of me. AE: I don't think you ever realized your potential as bodybuilder. Although you were always one of the biggest men onstage, it seems that you would often miss your peak. On the few occasions you hit your peak, you were incredible yet never seemed to get the placing your physique warranted. What mistakes do you think you made in your pre-contest prep and what have you learned from them? IAN: I know exactly what mistakes I made. For the first pro show I ever did, the English Grand Prix, I made two mistakes. The first mistake is that I over-dieted drastically and ended up losing a lot of muscle in the process. Even though my body fat was very low, I ended up coming in looking soft and flat because I was so depleted. The same thing happened at the Chicago Pro and Night of Champions in '94, I over-dieted for both shows. Basically I'm my own worst enemy, when I do a show I want to be super ripped. However, no matter how lean I get, in my head I'm not lean enough. Consequently, I end up losing a lot of muscle mass. You'd see a lot of comments about my physique, people saying I didn't know how to diet properly and didn't have the necessary will power to stick to a diet. These things were very detrimental to my preparation; if someone said I needed to lose 6 lbs I'd lose 12. Basically the main mistake I've made is taking things to the extreme. Now I've realized what I need to do for my body to come in the best shape. I think I looked very good at the San Jose in '97, but I still wasn't full enough, I was very depleted. The best I ever looked onstage was at the prejudging for the '95 Olympia. I was about 19 1/2 stone for prejudging and that was the closest I'd ever been to my optimum fullness and condition. By the time the night show came around I looked terrible because I'd gone to the hotel and eaten the hugest pizza you'd ever seen. I knew they weren't going to place me in the top 10 and really didn't give a shit at that point. That's the God's honest truth; I just filled up with water for the night show. If you can get the pictures from the pre-judging, that's the best I've ever looked onstage. Even so, I've looked so much better than that. That's one of the reasons I want to come back, I want to show the world exactly how good I can be. AE: What's it like being a bodybuilder in England? Does it receive the same kind of support that bodybuilders get in the US? IAN: Not at all, you're considered a freak and weirdo. AE: I'm assuming most of the guest posing gigs you got were in the US and not over in Europe, correct? IAN: Mainly in the US. It's just not supported the same way in Europe. I did get some work in Holland and Germany. Believe it or not, I was the youngest person to win the British Championships and they never asked me to guest pose after I won. Every other guy that's won his pro card in England has guest posed at the British Championships and they never asked me to do it. I got a lot of support in England when I was a junior, because I won a lot of titles as a junior. Once I turned pro, that all changed. The general public frowns on you. It's very difficult being a bodybuilder in England; you can't find anything low fat. I used to have to buy Equal in the States and bring it over. You can't get anything like that over here. It's a bit backwards over here at times. When I'm in California, I can go to the grocery store in a pair of Lycra shorts and a vest. Not because I'm trying to show off my muscle but because it's hot. In England if you went to the grocery store in a pair of lycras and a vest, the whole place would stand still. They would just stare at you at it gets to the point where you just have to stay covered up. AE: Is there anything you want to say to people who are reading this interview? IAN: Just that I am going to compete again. Bodybuilding is one of those sports where you're only as good as your last show, and I know there's a lot of rumors about me being washed up and never competing again. When I do, it will be under my terms, I'll compete based on how I want to look, not how I think the judges want to see me. I will be the biggest freak that anyone has ever seen and whether that brings me first or tenth I really don't give a shit as long as I can realize my potential. Editors note: In my opinion, Ian Harrison falls into the same category of bodybuilder as Aaron Baker and Lee Priest, athletes who have never been properly recognized in competition. He has the genetic potential to be the freakiest of freaks, and I look forward to seeing his return to the competitive side of the sport. I know we're all going to be amazed at his condition when he returns. Good luck Ian. |
||
|
|
