Creating champions in China

Flex, Oct, 2003 by Dean Brierly

Bodybuilding hasn't always possessed the sterling reputation it holds today. In its early days, it was considered by some to be a rogue sport. In China, for instance, bodybuilding developed outside the state sports systems after it was first introduced in 1930 through Western missionary schools. At the time, the Chinese people believed strenuous exercise was fit for only lower-class citizens and that baring the body was improper. The Chinese government went further, deeming bodybuilding radical and nonconforming, and it banned the sport in 1953.

Immediately recognizing the void created by this decision, Ben Weider traveled to China in 1954 as a guest of the All-China Sports Committee, chaired by Mr. Chen Lien Hua, to promote the benefits of bodybuilding and to teach the principles of a safe and effective weight-training program. During his visit, Ben introduced and demonstrated the Weider Bodybuilding System, the most comprehensive training program ever devised.

"During my lectures, I would talk about the importance of instinctive training, supersets, forced reps and proper form," Ben recalls. "The Weider Training Principles were my guide as I discussed the various aspects of training, nutrition and recuperation, and helped the students address specific weaknesses in their training and showed them how to turn those weaknesses into symmetrical, well-balanced and muscular physiques."

CARRYIMG THE TORCH The Weider system provided the structure and organization Chinese bodybuilders needed to design and organize their bodybuilding programs. The primary advocate of these principles in the ensuing decades has been IFBB Patron Prof. Lou Zhuo Yu of Shanghai, China.

"The Weider Training Principles have produced bore bodybuilding champions than any other course in the world and have been evaluated by Chinese sport coaches as being the most complete and balanced training principles in the world," Professor Yu says. "Designed specifically to show you how to build and/or define your muscles, improve your strength, or just look and feel better, the Weider principles comprise a complete program that I fully endorse."

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE On June 5, 2002, Ben Weider announced that the Weider Training Principles would be taught in more than 32 provinces, as well as municipalities directly under the control of the government, 15 sports associations and six sports universities throughout China. Currently, there are 35 sports research institutes and 15 sports institutes, as well as more than 120 universities and colleges that have physical-education departments. This represents unlimited growth potential for the Weider Training Principles, as millions of Chinese citizens eager to improve their physical conditioning have begun strength-training programs. Classes are taught by leading sports coaches and educators, and graduates share their knowledge with other bodybuilding enthusiasts at various universities and clubs throughout China.

To date, more than 1,000 students have graduated from the bodybuilding coach courses and, in turn, are now educating Chinese students at universities and health and fitness clubs. "The Weider Training Principles are no longer exclusive to bodybuilders," Ben notes. "Bodybuilding techniques are now being used by athletes in other sports, too."

For example, most Chinese basketball coaches don't stress weight training as much as coaches in the United States, instead placing greater importance on aerobic conditioning. However, Chinese basketball star Yao Ming recently commented, "I need more weight training." The Houston Rockets' number-one pick in the 2002 National Basketball Association draft is quickly becoming one of the top stars in the NBA, and he has begun a bodybuilding program to increase his strength and help him deal with the physical demands of being a pro athlete.

According to Gu Qiao, secretary general of the Chinese Bodybuilding Association, "Often, people do not make progress with their training because they are not training their muscles in an organized logical manner. Joe Weider's Bodybuilding System removes all training doubts and provides the athlete with the best training techniques known to assist him in developing a world-class physique."