Bill Kazmaier’s Workout
Bill Kazmaier was born December 30, 1953 in Burlington, Wisconsin he is an American powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler. Kazmaier played football at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1973-1974 before leaving school to pursue powerlifting full-time.
In 1979, Bill Kazmaier won the American powerlifting championship and the IPF world powerlifting championship, he also won the IPF championship again in 1983. Kazmaier was the first person to bench 661lbs.
Bill Kazmaier won the World’s Strongest Man title three times, in 1980, 1981, and 1982. After these victories, he chose not to compete in the 1983 World’s Strongest Man because it was not held in the United States. He did not compete again until 1988 and he finished second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson. Bill Kazmaier’s final appearance in the World’s Stringest Man competition was in 1989 where he finished fouth.
This is Bill Kazmaier’s Workout Routine. If you want to be the strongest man then you can probably learn something from this three time worlds strongest man.
DAY EXERCISE SETS REPS MON Wide Grip Bench Press 3 10 MON Narrow Grip Bench Press 3 10 MON Front Shoulder Raises 4 8 MON Dumbell Seated Press 4 10 MON Side Shoulder Raises 4 10 MON Lying Tricep Press 6 10 MON Push Downs 4 10 TUE Squats 4 10 TUE Deadlift 3 10 TUE Shrugs (light weight) 2 15-40 TUE Shrugs (heavy weight) 2 10-20 TUE Seated Hammer Curls 4 12 TUE Standing Curls 4 10 TUE Close Grip Chin-Ups 3 Failure TUE Seated Rows 4 10 TUE Leg Extensions 3 10 TUE Leg Curls 3 10 TUE Calf Raises 3 15-25 WED REST THU Wide Grip Bench Press 3 10 THU Narrow Grip Bench Press 3 10 THU Front Shoulder Raises 4 8 THU Dumbell Seated Press 4 10 THU Tennis Backhand Cable Extension 4 10 THU Prone Tricep Extension 4 10 FRI REST SAT Squats 4 10 SAT Deadlift 4 8 SAT Shrugs (heavy weight) 2 10-15 SAT Seated Hammer Curls 4 8 SAT Concentration Curls 4 12 SAT One Arm Row 3 10 SAT Wide Grip Pull-Downs 4 10 SAT Seated Rows 4 10 SAT Leg Extensions 3 10 SAT Leg Curls 3 10 SAT Calf Raises 3 15-25 SAT Abs - --
Category: Strongman, Workout 21 comments »
June 20th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
@peach
Of course he didn’t train the strongman events back then. This was the late 70-early 80s. No one did! Strongman wasn’t really a sport in itself back then. It was just an annual competition were a bunch of strength athletes, from a ton of different back grounds (Power-lifting, bodybuilding, Football linemen, pro wrestlers, you name it) met,and competed in a series of events. It wasn’t really ’til the early to mid 90s, that strongman really became its own sport
March 30th, 2012 at 5:06 am
Bill trained much like a bodybuilder, when he got closer to meets he would cycle down to lower reps on the more compound movements. First he’d cycle down to sets of 8 reps, then sets of 5 reps, then to triples, and then doubles when very close to a meet. Prior to his 661lbs. World Record bench press he did a 633lbs. triple. Later, in exhibition, he did 600lbs. for 5 repetition.
November 1st, 2011 at 10:12 pm
I agree with Joe Blow. I’ve tried these types of high-volume lifting routines before, and THEY DON’T WORK! It doesn’t matter that different body parts are being worked on different days – the drain on your body’s overall recovery ability is what matters, and all types of exercise drain your body’s recovery ability to some degree. After your recovery ability is thus drained, your body needs SEVERAL DAYS, at least, to fully recuperate – even longer as you get older. With this type of routine, by day #2, you are already so stiff and sore that you can hardly move, let alone do another heavy workout. By day #3, you are feeling even worse. By day #4, you are risking sickness or injury. And one day’s rest between workouts is NOT enough recovery time, especially if you are lifting heavy. Only someone doing massive amounts of steroids could stick with this type of high-volume routine for any length of time and not get totally over-trained and wiped out. I’m sure that Bill Kazmaier, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and nearly every other pro bodybuilder and powerlifter, WAS doing massive amounts of steroids. Arnold, for example, would never admit it, but he was probably on steroids from the very beginning of his bodybuilding career – thus, his ability to do marathon workouts every day and still make gains. So, for clean, non-steroid lifters, it would be unwise to adopt this type of high-volume routine, unless you want to get totally over-trained, sick, injured, etc. And if you decide to take steroids so you can do this type of workout, you are risking getting cancer and other serious health problems – it’s not worth it.
July 27th, 2011 at 7:32 am
I’ve just gave it a try. It’ legit. High volume really works for me.
July 25th, 2011 at 8:17 am
ok this does’nt seen realistic so your telling me the WSM never trained the strongman events dont make sense. Never does any max effort exercises and pick more assitant exercises over the more compound exercises using more of a bodybuilding protocol this is not his program for training for WSM
June 6th, 2011 at 10:18 am
Josh, It is important to remember that Strongman is not just about pure power but it also involves a great deal of endurance and stamina. I imagine Bill does this moderate rep range so that he can build not only maximal strength but also train his muscular stamina as well.
June 6th, 2011 at 10:16 am
You would be correct Josh.
June 6th, 2011 at 10:10 am
Keep up the good work Wayne!
June 2nd, 2011 at 10:03 am
I have been on it for about a month and it is a great overall routine. I added some C&J and hang clean work on the off days. I add in a off day here and there if I feel run down but still running with it and making some good gains.
March 6th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
To those that reckon no man can do this workout…Bill does!!!When YOU are 3 times Worlds Strongest Man,then maybe you can justifiably comment.I HAVE done this exact same routine and have noticed major increases in strength and muscle growth.BUT I don’t lift the massive poundages.Pull your heads in.It made Bill the strongest.
March 3rd, 2011 at 10:53 am
Also, “Tennis backhand cable extension”. Is that a cable side lateral raise, or am I wrong?
February 3rd, 2011 at 9:43 pm
I find it interesting, that he seems to prefer relatively higher reps (seems like 10 for the majority of exercises, more for some). I always thought that power-lifters, strongmen, weightlifters, etc. preferred more in the 3-5 range, or 4-6 range, whereas bodybuilders favored the 8-12 rep range more. Well, whatever he preferred, it obviously worked for him. Just an interesting thing to take into consideration I think
January 10th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Your all a bunch of idiots. No normal man can do this routine for long, or make any gains. Duh!
June 5th, 2010 at 8:55 am
i like this guys workout ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but kevin nee is also as equal as him
September 21st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
@SEAN HAYES
No, WSM 2009 will be toward the end of the year. So you have not missed it yet.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
this work out really hits…started it fresh (haven’t hit the gym in years) and i started it and yeah it’s more of a strength builder…it takes me about an hour to an hour in a half to get it done….
September 17th, 2009 at 1:27 am
has the worlds strongest man 2009 competition run already, and if so who won it . Thankyou
August 4th, 2009 at 10:15 am
@Michael,
Yes, this workout is not for the first-timer in the gym. I would not recommend following and of these routines if you are not comfortable with working yourself to death. And also the rest days are certainly there for a reason. If you want to be the strongest man you must train like a strong man.
August 4th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Has anyone tried this workout? Seems like over-training would be easy. Just curious.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Only one purely-chest exercise? Weird.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:17 am
good workout and it really works