The injury gave De May a discovery that marked the beginning of a new era in his training technique.
This is not to say that Berry’s previous training methods were so unsuccessful. At the age of twenty, he won the champion title in his homeland in the Netherlands and a few months later he confidently went to the European Championship, where, as a newcomer, phenomenal success indeed awaited him: first place in the heavyweight division! The following year, De May decided to raise the bar and registered for the World Championships. And again victory: second place! And in 1984, he again came to the world championship and again won the prestigious second place from eminent rivals.
A year later, de Berry De May tries herself at the Mr. Olympia competition . It was like storming the sky, because Berry ended up in the same category as Arnold! And yet, luck smiled on de May: he was sixth. In 1986 – already the fifth. In 1987 – sixth again. Well, the next year brought the long-awaited triumph: Berry de May became third!
So, de May is among the best athletes in the world. At the next competition, Berry, with his characteristic ambition, hopes to surpass himself… and ends up in a hospital bed. During a super-heavy bench press, his right pectoral muscle contracts so much that the tendon gives way and breaks like an overstretched string.
.Arnold once dropped a meaningful phrase that a bodybuilder who trains CORRECTLY does not get injured. De May probably recalled these words more than once as he reviewed his training plans in search of the mistake that set him back so far.
Meanwhile, the muscle healed, and Berry gradually began to train, experimenting with techniques that promised quick recovery. In particular, those that were suggested to him by Mike Quinn, a colleague at the bodybuilding Olympus. It was here that a real revelation awaited de May!
It was about the intensity of the training. Of course, Berry already knew that the initial stimulus for muscle growth is the level of intensity of training loads. But in the past, intensity meant only one thing to him: a lot of heavy weights. In addition, he tried to increase the intensity of training, pumping each muscle group two or even three times a week. In other words, de May, despite all his high-profile titles, remained on that naive understanding of progress in bodybuilding, which is typical for beginners: the more heavy weights, the more muscle growth.
Watching the “stars” train, Berry realized that intensity consists of three factors of different importance: the number of sets, rest between sets and the amount of weight, with the amount of weight coming in last place! Thus, the intensity had to be increased, first of all, by increasing the number of sets or their combinations, then by reducing rest pauses between exercises.
DEMAY BOMBES ARMS 45 MINUTES
The secret of the set of arm exercises, which Berry found empirically, is that the first sets of each subsequent exercise are “hammered in” between the last sets of the previous exercise. As a result, all the exercises seem to merge into one super intense set lasting three quarters of an hour.
As a true pro who knows the value of banal truths, de May never neglects to warm up. A few light pulley exercises and Berry gets to work on barbell curls. ‘This is the main exercise of the complex, says Berry, and the hardest. I do it to the best of my ability. But then I no longer use critical weights, but only “finish off” the biceps, which were previously fatigued by the first exercise.” A medium grip and slow movements full of maximum tension – these are De May’s rules for exercise No. 1.
Next, he moves on to alternate bending of the arms with dumbbells. The first two sets are sandwiched between the last sets of barbell curls.
ARM COMPLEX
1. Barbell curls – 4-6 sets of 8 reps
2. Dumbbell curls – 4-6 sets of 8-12 reps
3. French. bench press – 4-6 sets of 8-12 reps
4. Triceps downward presses on a block – 4-6 sets of 8-12 reps
5. One-arm triceps extensions with a dumbbell – 4-6 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Isolated arm curls – 4-6 sets of 8-12 repetitions
SPLIT PROGRAM (Through training)
1st day – chest, shoulders
2nd day – back, triceps
3rd day – rest day (aerobics)
4th day – back, legs
5th day – arms
6th day – rest
