Dan Lurie and John Lima, ‘Before You Begin … Read These Important Training Tips,’ Dan Lurie’s Instant Action Bodybuilding System (New York, 1979)

1. Train Regularly – 3 days a week – every other day. The POSITRAIN program has been laid out for you on a Monday – Wednesday- Friday basis. This has been found to be the ideal with most bodybuilders. However, if it is more convenient for you – you can train on Tuesday – Thursday – Saturday instead. The Idea is to exercise every other day.
2. Don’t Skip Training Days Your muscles will respond with greater size and strength because this program works them progressively harder. If you fail to train regularly, your gains will not be progressive. Instead, they’ll be sporadic and not very impressive. Train regularly and on alternate days. The ‘in-between’ days allow your body to rest and recuperate. It is on those rest days that your muscles actually grow – so they are just as important as your training days.
3. Wear Comfortable Training Clothes If you can, get a sweat suit. Otherwise, you can use an old long-sleeved suit. Otherwise, you can use an old long-sleeved shirt, and an old pair of pants or dungarees. In warm weather, a T-shirt and bathing suit will do fine. Wear sneakers to avoid any possibility of slipping.
4. Train any time of day that’s convenient – and that allows you to do so without interruptions or distractions. Late afternoon or early evening are ideal times – but never train immediately before or after a meal. Wait at least an hour – either way. Otherwise, you will hamper the proper digestion of the foods you eat and cause cramps.
5. The Equipment You Need. Most of what you’ll require to do many fo the exercises in this course you’ll find right in your home; a couple of heavy books, chairs, etc. The only piece of equipment you could use – if you don’t have one around- is an exercise bench. Many exercises such as Lying Laterals and Pullovers (for chest and back) are more effective when done on an exercise bench – than on the floor. A couple of excellent benches are shown on page 55 in our Advanced Training Equipment section.
6. Train in an Area that is Flat, Cleared and Allows You Complete Freedom of Motion. You want to be able to raise your arms sideways, frontways and overhead without any obstruction – since many of the POISTRAIN exercises call for lifting your arms in those directions. A section of your bedroom measuring about 8 feet x 8 feet would give you enough space. Or, if you have a basement room that large (or even larger) – so much the better. In either case, there should also be a window or some means of adequate ventilation. Open it a few inches at top and bottom for the proper circulation of air.
7. The Two Basic Bodybuilding Terms You Should Know Are ‘Sets’ and ‘Reps.’ You will see these used in the descriptions of the exercises in this course. One complete exercise motion – from start to finish is one ‘rep’ … short for repetition. Usually, you’ll perform 10 repetitions – ‘reps’- in a group, and this group is called a ‘set.’ For example, 2 sets of 10 reps means doing an exercise for 10 complete motions (‘reps’), resting a few moments, and then doing another set of 10 reps.
8. Get at Least 8 Hours of Sound Sleep Every Night. Proper rest is important because it helps the muscles grow and recuperate after each workout. Also, avoid engaging in any other unnecessary strenuous activities – especially on your rest days.
9. Observe Daily Hygiene Rules. Shower every day – at least once – and especially after each workout. This rids the skin of grime, perspiration deposits and other irritating impurities. The skin is an organ and to function properly it must be kept clean. Wear clean undergarments and out clothing, too, and make sure your bedding is clean. These simple daily habits will give your skin a healthy glow and keep your internal health in good shape.
10. Avoid ‘over training.’ You can tell this is happening by a general feeling of discouragement – caused by unusual muscular soreness and a lack of energy. You can check this by being sure you’re not taxing your body with a lot of other unnecessary physical activity. And make certain you’re getting enough rest. If you will stick to the program outlined in this course and not stray from it by doing extra exercises – there will be little chance of your ‘over training.’

What To Do In Your First 5 Days

From Monday through Friday do only the exercises prescribed on the following page.

The purpose of these simple exercises is to limber your body – get it accustomed to some basic movements that bring all your muscles into play. In this way you’ll be conditioned for the real muscle-building POSITRAIN workouts for weeks to come.

You should be able to do at least 10 repetitions of each exercise. But don’t worry if you find it difficult to do this at first. It simply means that, like many poeple, your muscles have not been used very much – at least not to the degree that they are used in the exercises.

By the end of the week, though, you should be able to do each exercise easily for the required number of repetitions. Be sure to perform each movement as described in the captions accompanying the photos. If, by the end of these 5 days you feel your muscles need more conditioning – before going into the Basic POSITRAIN exercise program on page 10 – then do the five exercises for another five days.