Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
Moderator: peter yates
- YoungCadine
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:13 am
Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
Hey guys. I saw this listed as Steve Reeves favorite routine. What I'm curious about is what the heck "splits with barbell" is, I've never heard of this exercise before. I also have no idea of what an alternate raise is.
Thanks
1. Incline dumbbell press - 3 sets, 8-12 reps (using descending poundages)
2. Breathing front squat - 3 sets, 15 reps (superset with the following exercise)
3. Dumbell laterals/flyes - 3 sets, 15 reps
4. Seated barbell curls - 3 sets, 12 reps (getting the negative reps on the way down)
5. Alternate dumbbell forward raise - 2 sets, 15 reps
6. Bent over rows - 2 sets, 12 reps
7. One arm rows - 2 sets, 12 reps
8. Splits with barbell - 1 set, until breathless
9. Alternative raise lying - 2 sets, 15 reps
10. Good morning exercise - 1 set, 15 reps
11. Dumbbell french press - 3 sets, 12 reps
12. Leg press machine calf raises - 1 set, 30-40 reps
13. Bench press - 2 sets, 12 reps
Thanks
1. Incline dumbbell press - 3 sets, 8-12 reps (using descending poundages)
2. Breathing front squat - 3 sets, 15 reps (superset with the following exercise)
3. Dumbell laterals/flyes - 3 sets, 15 reps
4. Seated barbell curls - 3 sets, 12 reps (getting the negative reps on the way down)
5. Alternate dumbbell forward raise - 2 sets, 15 reps
6. Bent over rows - 2 sets, 12 reps
7. One arm rows - 2 sets, 12 reps
8. Splits with barbell - 1 set, until breathless
9. Alternative raise lying - 2 sets, 15 reps
10. Good morning exercise - 1 set, 15 reps
11. Dumbbell french press - 3 sets, 12 reps
12. Leg press machine calf raises - 1 set, 30-40 reps
13. Bench press - 2 sets, 12 reps
- Harry Hayfield
- Posts: 677
- Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 7:17 am
- Location: Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, Wales
- Contact:
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
The internet is always helpful with questions like these, if only because they give loads of various options that may be right or wrong. An alternate raise produces this suggestionYoungCadine wrote:Hey guys. I saw this listed as Steve Reeves favorite routine. What I'm curious about is what the heck "splits with barbell" is, I've never heard of this exercise before. I also have no idea of what an alternate raise is. Thanks

"Great heavens, what is there to adulate in me? Am I particularly intelligent, or remarkably studious, or excruciatingly witty, or unusually accomplished, or exceptionally virtuous?"
(The Duke of Dunstable, Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan)
(The Duke of Dunstable, Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan)
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
^Yeah, that's an alternate forward raise Harry. 'Alternate [insert exercise here]' is when you alternate performing the exercise between your right & left arm/leg

In the photo Wally has his right leg forward & left leg back, so what'd he do next is stand back up straight then split with his left leg forward & right leg back, and so on & so forth. And as per Steve Reeves' instructions, he did them for a single set until he was breathless.
The "splits" referred to there are like the split position when performing the clean and jerk or split squat. This is a photo of Wally Zagurski doing it, albeit with dumbbells rather than a barbell, but it gives you an idea of what you're suppose to be doing.YoungCadine wrote:Hey guys. I saw this listed as Steve Reeves favorite routine. What I'm curious about is what the heck "splits with barbell" is, I've never heard of this exercise before. I also have no idea of what an alternate raise is.
Thanks

In the photo Wally has his right leg forward & left leg back, so what'd he do next is stand back up straight then split with his left leg forward & right leg back, and so on & so forth. And as per Steve Reeves' instructions, he did them for a single set until he was breathless.
Last edited by DannyBoy on Sat May 28, 2016 5:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
In Reeves's routine it's probably the alternate barbell split done
with a medium weight . Just like a lunge but with the BB in squat position . Steve
had exceptional ankle flexibility and leg strength so his reps were probably quite high
on this .
with a medium weight . Just like a lunge but with the BB in squat position . Steve
had exceptional ankle flexibility and leg strength so his reps were probably quite high
on this .
- Attachments
-
- IMG (4).jpg (74.88 KiB) Viewed 6638 times
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
^Dang, you drew that fast Sticks! Your post betters mine. 

- YoungCadine
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:13 am
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
Yeah I'm curious as what the "alternate raise lying" is, the forward raise is pretty well known. And so basically its a "split squat" rather than actually doing a splitDannyBoy wrote:^Dang, you drew that fast Sticks! Your post betters mine.

Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
Alternate lying raise . This is an assumption but given the times , many
guys in the 40's-60's went to the mat for their pullovers , DB flies and simply did them
on the floor . A pair of dumbbells and yourself , finish with a set of strict pushups and
you're golden ...Look up Peter Yate's " Push-up Power " article here in the training section .
guys in the 40's-60's went to the mat for their pullovers , DB flies and simply did them
on the floor . A pair of dumbbells and yourself , finish with a set of strict pushups and
you're golden ...Look up Peter Yate's " Push-up Power " article here in the training section .
- Attachments
-
- IMG_0001.jpg (76.46 KiB) Viewed 6622 times
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
Yeah, not actually doing the splits, lol. On that note, if you are indeed flexible enough to do the splits then you could try the Van Dam Lift.Though you'd wanna start with a light dumbbell and also do quite a bit work on the lifting technique so you don't fall flat on your face.YoungCadine wrote:Yeah I'm curious as what the "alternate raise lying" is, the forward raise is pretty well known. And so basically its a "split squat" rather than actually doing a splitDannyBoy wrote:^Dang, you drew that fast Sticks! Your post betters mine.


Good question about the alternate raise lying. My first thought would be that Reeves was referring to lying leg or knee raises, but I could be wrong.
EDIT: I just saw that Sticks answered before me, his assumption may right.
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
The "alternate split squat" was a conditioning exercise used in York when
most Olympic lifters were "splitters". Since Steve trained and hung out with
these guys while training for the 1950 Mr.Universe it may have rubbed off .
He learned from them and , in turn , they learned from him .See " How Steve Reeves Trained "
in the training section . Many in York thought what he accomplished impossible . Had he trained his
focus on Olympic lifting he may well have "dusted" a few champs there .
most Olympic lifters were "splitters". Since Steve trained and hung out with
these guys while training for the 1950 Mr.Universe it may have rubbed off .
He learned from them and , in turn , they learned from him .See " How Steve Reeves Trained "
in the training section . Many in York thought what he accomplished impossible . Had he trained his
focus on Olympic lifting he may well have "dusted" a few champs there .
- YoungCadine
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:13 am
Re: Steve Reeves Favorite Routine
That exercise seems like it would snap my shoulders up, and considering he had a forward raise already in there, wouldn't it be the ab one like Danny mentioned? Did Steve Reeves really train abs much? Or not really.sticksb wrote:Alternate lying raise . This is an assumption but given the times , many
guys in the 40's-60's went to the mat for their pullovers , DB flies and simply did them
on the floor . A pair of dumbbells and yourself , finish with a set of strict pushups and
you're golden ...Look up Peter Yate's " Push-up Power " article here in the training section .
EDIT: Is this what you're referring to? https://davidgentle.com/sandow/reeves/index.html#p=2