The Complete Keys to Progress

by John McCallum

Want big arms? Need to bulk up or trim down? Want to combine lifting and running? It's all here in the complete anthology of John McCallum's classic series, 'Keys to Progress,' from Strength and Health magazine in the 1960s. Informative, entertaining, and invaluable--and packed with routines for training from head to toes.

Genres: Fitness, Sports

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1993

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Josh Wilks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to finish my 52 with this year. John McCallum wrote articles in a 60s bodybuilding magazine and this book has them all in one volume. It does have to be taken as a time capsule, which was fun and recommended if you like to read about the history of strength training.

The biggest takeaway from this book which is not too surprising is to TRAIN HARD and EAT A TRUCKLOAD if you want to get strong. anecdotally that's what I did when I was power lifting and it worked to get me to nationals so it does work. I think many trainees are looking for the perfect programme or the easy way out. There isn't one.

I also agree with the face that beginners are babied too much in weight training. make them work hard! and they will make HUGE progress.

[Nebogipfel · Rating 3 out of 5]

McCallum's texts are always entertaining to read. There is some useful information here, but a lot of it seems like exageration.

[Gunnar Strand Jacobsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic. Hilariously funny, well written and brimming with excellent advise.

[joy.of.music · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent info, slow delivery

One of the best books on bodybuilding, but the delivery is done in dialogue form, it is written in fictitious conversations.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repetitive... but I started adding light pullovers with all my squats and am thinking I'm gonna do some 20rep breathing squats randomly and it's interesting in an iron history sort of way.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Occasionally some good advice. He is correct that one doesn't need to spend hours in the gym five days a week to get good results. He's also right that focusing on the heavy, multi-muscle group exercises stimulates real gains better than anything else.

Occasionally there were some good anecdotes about Reg Park. His programs for sets and reps, such as they were, were generally correct (though this ultimately differs from lifter to lifter).

Nonetheless, there were some huge problems with the book.

1) I have read maybe two other books in my life that have a more hideous and painful writing style. I could only read short sections at a time because it was so bad. I am not judging the book because it is simply a collection of magazine articles. That is perfectly acceptable. I am judging the book because it reads like a series of 6th grade level conversations (which is really what each chapter is--dialogues) with no context whatsoever.

2) The font was microscopic. I've seen dictionaries with bigger print.

3) His get-big drink will probably put you in the hospital. If you put raw eggs in your drink, you deserve what's going to happen to you (e.g., spending the next two weeks on the toilet). Simple whey protein may not give you the gains that he promises his "big" drink will, but it will help you gain weight and you won't end up financing your doctor's new Mercedes either.

[Eric Troy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pointless ramblings. I've never understood the popularity of these articles but I got the book from a friend to see if reading them through "helps". It didn't. A bunch of personal anecdotes that do nothing to lend to the business of strength and perpetuates some of the biggest "strength versus bodybuilding" myths that trainees are still laboring under today. Hard work. Lots of volume. Lot's of boring stories.

[John Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun collection of 1960s columns published in Strngth & Health. Since McCallum wrote for the Weider Publication rivals, there is no mention of Dave Draper, the Austrian Oak Arnold or Frank Zane. Every young kid taking the Old Man's advice wants to be the next Reg Park. No mention of steroids, some of the nutritional advice doesn't hold up, but the workout advice is solid, old school stuff. Read more for nostalgia and inspiration than a definitive gym plan.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, this is a collection of articles the author wrote for the magazine Strength and Health from the mid-sixties to the early seventies. It's "old school" training and while some of the concepts have since been disproven, the importance of a strong work ethic is emphasized again and again. This is not an "it's easy and in minutes a day" kind of training book. It's a "get in there and bust your butt" kind of training book. And the author is hilarious! Like I said, a fun read.

[Brett's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has a very enthusiastic style towards his subject matter: drug free weight and strength training. However, I found his programs to be at odds with the need for brevity that is essential to success as an average strength trainee. Meaning that his programs were either overly long or didn't allow for enough recovery time... seek advice from McRobert instead.

[James Person · Rating 5 out of 5]

What goes around comes around

Loved reading these articles from my early days of training. I remember reading Strength and Health religiously. Amazing how fifty years old articles on the importance of hard work and especially low carb dieting sound like they were taken from last week's podcasts!

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Commom sense weightlifting advice that never goes out of style - hard work, squats, lots of protein and more hard work brings success. A fantastic storyteller to boot. Best quote "If you're going to play tiddly winks, play it with man hole covers."

[Craig Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCallum presents the keys to progress when developing a complete muscular physique in story fashion. His stories keep you interested, keep you learning, and keep you coming back for "just one more". This book is a classic.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basics for weight training philosophy.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey, it ain't perfect, but it's an entertaining read and you could (in fact, you WILL) get a lot worse lifting advice elsewhere.

[Patrick O'Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on how to get really strong.