The future bodybuilding star was born in Oregon in 1930. Bill Pearl's parents often had to relocate during the Great Depression until the family settled in Washington. The boy had to work from the age of ten. Physical labor laid a good foundation for a strong physique of the young man.
Young Bill laughed at the local guys. The older brother also did not miss the opportunity to tease him. Bill decided that he must become big and strong. A turning point in the life of the young man came when he saw in a magazine devoted to bodybuilding, Eugene Sandovoy - the founder of modern bodybuilding, which became an idol for Pearl.
Bill, seriously intending to become a bodybuilder, acquired a barbell for his earnings and began active training. The physical natural data of Bill Pearl were far from the ideal that would allow to achieve impressive success, but the young man was not to be persistent, and it paid off. Thanks to active training, after some time, Bill began to differ dramatically from his peers.
At the age of twenty, Pearl went to serve in the naval forces of the United States of America, but did not give up classes. He always found time for training. Two years later, he took part in the Mr. San Diego tournament, where he became third. This further motivated the young man to train. He begins to work even harder. The reward for diligence was not long in coming.
Next year, Pearl becomes the winner of several championships and a real star. He began to be invited to act in films, take part in photo shoots, write author articles. After completing military service, he goes to one of the California towns, where he opens a sports hall, but then moves to Los Angeles, closing the previous club, he opens a new one, continuing his own training.
Pearl became the owner of the title “Mr. USA” at the age of 26, and in subsequent years won several victories among professionals in the competition “Mr. Universe”. In 1967, Schwarzenegger, defeated by amateurs, appeared on the same podium. For a while, Bill goes into the shadows, the athlete is no longer taken seriously, which encourages the bodybuilder to compete in 41 years.
The bodybuilder stubbornly prepares for the competition for six months, and then, by unanimous decision, the jury becomes the winner of the “Mr. Universe” tournament in the professional category. Then the athlete announces the end of his career and no longer takes part in competitions.
Content
- 1 Physical data and achievements
- 2 Interesting Facts
- 3 Power System
- 4 Bill Pearl Training Program
Physical data and achievements
In the preparation periods, having a height of 175 cm, Pearl weighed 100 kg. The athlete's biceps volume is 46.6 cm. The bodybuilder four times became the “Mr. Universe.” The first time he received the title in 1956, the second - in 1961, the third - in 1967, the fourth, having won the title “Mr. Universe”, in 1971. In earlier years, or rather, in 1953, he was the winner of Mr. California.
Interesting Facts
Popularity and world fame came to Pearl not only due to achievements in bodybuilding. The athlete never reduced his vital interests exclusively to the gym. He traveled a lot. The opening of the gym was just the first step towards promoting a healthy lifestyle. He devoted this topic to numerous exhibitions and seminars, which he organized on his trips to different countries.
He owns several world records for deadlift and bench press, because Bill has repeatedly participated in such competitions. In addition, unlike many prominent bodybuilders, he did not stop trying various types of physical activity, and always arrived in great shape. This, of course, never eluded the attention of others.
None of the bodybuilders before Pearl had ever posed for musical accompaniment. Incredibly demanding of himself, he only missed workouts four times, and got up to start classes no later than 5 hours. In the book "Get Stronger, " he openly described his experience with steroids.
He has written books such as Achieving Form, Beyond the Universe, and Keys to the Inner Universe. To date, Bill Pearl is the owner of several fitness clubs, regularly writes articles on sports and healthy eating for popular magazines. According to the athlete, the only product that an elderly person can consume in unlimited quantities is drinking ordinary water.
Supply system
One survey showed that thirty-nine-year-old Pearl had high cholesterol. Specialists warned the bodybuilder about the possible serious consequences of this condition and the risk of developing diseases characteristic of such situations. To maintain their own health, the athlete had to become a vegetarian.
The only animal products that the bodybuilder allows himself to eat are eggs and milk, but the latter currently prefers kefir with yogurt. A complete rejection of fish and meat products did not become an obstacle to preparing for the latest competitions. He not only successfully performed, but also became the unconditional winner.
An athlete never consumed a lot of food to get a lot of protein. He was always of the opinion that 50-70 grams of protein, which enter the body from ordinary foods, is sufficient to maintain the normal functioning of all systems, even to a bodybuilder.
Bill Pearl Training Program
The bodybuilder has always been engaged exclusively with great weight. The athlete prefers to train biceps, pectoral muscles and deltas on small repetitions. A similar approach, in his opinion, is the most effective. Pearl, on the contrary, works through the back and legs with a large number of repetitions. The bodybuilder devotes a whole workout to the muscles of the back and trapezes, and works on the chest and legs in the next lesson.
At each training session, Bill tries to load absolutely all the bundles and work out muscles from all angles. If he trains his shoulders, then he always performs 5 repetitions of the army and back presses, as well as the dumbbell press, and then does 8 swings. The bodybuilder does not make big pauses. He prefers a short rest between performing separate repetitions, reducing training weights if necessary, because he is sure that it is not necessary to take maximum loads for a good study of muscle groups.
To reduce the risk of injury, if you listen to the recommendations of Pearl, it is possible when muscles are warmed up well before heavy movements (bench presses and squats). The athlete devotes two workouts per week to each muscle group, performing at least 20 sets per lesson. The bodybuilder explains such a program by the fact that he prefers to load muscle groups in this way, and not to a complete failure.
In order for muscle mass to successfully grow in volume, it is necessary to connect both fast and slow fibers to work. Bill believes that this effect can be achieved in two different ways - by performing a large number of sets and exercises that are done before failure.
Pearl calls his weak points the chest and the back. This is the main reason that the load on them is higher than on the arms and legs. Even while retired, now Bill continues to actively train for 6 days a week. Of course, taking into account his advanced age, he has significantly reduced working scales, and is more often involved in simulators.
The athlete is of the opinion that during training at a particular pace, which allows you to maintain a high heart rate, anaerobic exercise can successfully replace aerobic. Pearl says that there is no point in doing three cardio workouts a week, as the body quickly adapts to such activities. Such an approach, in his opinion, is not advisable.
