Back Arms Intensity Revisited
By Adam benShea and Josh Bryant
Drop sets, Forced Reps, Intense Rest Pause Variations, Time under Tension, Heavy Training and Holistic Training are all proven muscle-building methods that can aid in the quest for developing slabs of muscular bulk. In this video, we see some hardcore bench press training by “Brutal Bertil.” In a method that is antithetical to the fitness gospel preached in the strip mall gym of suburban America, Bertil incorporates all of these high intensity fitness philosophies into one set.
In response, you ask yourself: Is this the best way to consistently train? Is this safe? Is he using perfect form every rep?
To which we answer: NO!
But, here is the deal, it takes a pair of balls for a dude to get this jacked. It’s refreshing to see a man of might bucking the temper of the time in his quest for sincere strength. In an age where crowds rush to broke financial ‘experts’ for retirement advice and late night infomercial salesmen spout the benefits of dance workouts to solve the obesity epidemic, there is a comfort in the man who stands alone with his strength.
You know this man by sight. The bulk filling out his shirtsleeves are called “back arms,” not triceps. He bases his workouts on intuitive intensity, not on a blind adherence to scientific solutions or a sardine-like willingness to be stuffed inside the can of fitness BS being sold to the general public. He follows his gut to heavy pig iron training and leaves the hard marks of his blood and sweat on the soft padded cushions of the gym equipment.
Of course theories related to periodization, and the concept that periods of extreme volume/intensity must be followed by periods of lower volume/intensity, have their place in a comprehensive workout problem. But, in the midst of creating a workout which adheres to physiological reasoning, do not forget that ‘back arms’ style intensity.
