York Courses

York Courses 

by Brooks Kubik 

 

When you started training on the old York courses, you did ONE SET of each exercise in Course No. 1. You did 6 reps for the upper body exercises and 8-12 reps for the lower body exercises. You did the same number of reps in the following session. In the third session you did 7 reps for the upper body and an extra rep on each of the lower body moves. You repeated this in the fourth session…and then added another rep in the fifth session…and so on…until you were handling your original weight for approximately double the original amount of reps. Then you added a little bit of weight to the bar, reduced the reps, and worked back up again.

York Course No. 1

Warm-up…Light Power Snatch
1. Two Arm Curl
2. Two Arm Press
3. Deep Knee Bend on toes
4. Two Arm Pullover
5. Stiff-Legged Deadlift
6. Supine Press
7. Side Bend with Barbell on Shoulders
8. Straddle Lift (Jefferson Lift)
9. Rise on Toes (Barbell on Shoulders)
9a. Straddle Hop (Barbell on Shoulders)
10. Shoulder Shrug

York Course No. 2

Warm Up - Light Power Snatch
1. Reverse Curl
2. Press Behind Neck
3. Deep Knee Bend With Flat Feet
4. Two Arm Press In Wrestler's Bridge Position
5. Bent-Legged Deadlift
6. Sit Up
7. Bent-Over Barbell Row
8. Leg Press, Front Squats or Overhead Squats
9. Goose Step With Barbell
10. Supine Press

Notes:
Straddle Hop – like jumping jacks with the bar on the shoulders as if doing a squat.
Wrestler’s Bridge – Start with bodyweight only.
German “Goose” Step – a “marching in place” exercise with bar on shoulders.
Straddle Lift (Jefferson Lift) – A squatting movement. Straddle the bar, squat down, grab it with one hand in front of the body and one hand behind…keep back very straight (this is critical)…and do a squatting exercise.

York Course No. 3 (The Repetition Weightlifting Course)

1. One Arm Repetition Jerk with Barbell
2. One Arm Snatch with Barbell
3. Two Arm Press
4. Deep Knee Bend (on flat feet)
5. Holding Barbell Overhead with One Hand, Squat to Low Position (i.e., One hand Overhead Squats)
6. High Pull (to belt height)
7. Press Behind Neck
8. Two Arm Dead-Hang Snatch
9. Two Hand Jerk
10. Two Hand Dead-Hang Clean

Simplified System of Barbell Training  

(Better Athletes Through Weight Training version)

(One set:10-15 reps on each exercise)

Warm-up…Light Power Snatch
1. Barbell Curls
2. Standing Behind Neck Barbell Presses
3. Upright Rowing
4. Standing Barbell Side Bend
5. Barbell Clean and Press
6. High Pulls (Clean or Snatch Grip)
7. Deep Knee Bend and Press Behind Neck
8. Power Snatches
9. Standing Barbell Press
10. Barbell Bent-Over Row
11. Deadlift
12. Squats

Notes:
Note - Deep Knee Bend & Press Behind Neck – Position bar behind neck, go down to a full squat, when you start to rise press the weight overhead (almost a behind the neck push press as you come out of the squat).

Whole program is done standing on your feet. Try to use the same weight for the first four exercises. Then add weight and use the same weight for the second four exercises. The exercises are grouped together to reduce weight changes. Add weight to each of the last four exercises.