Danny Padilla was an elite bodybuilder during the 1970’s through the early 1990’s. He possessed a jaw dropping combination of mass, shape, and muscle definition.
One of the keys to his success as a bodybuilder was his feel for training. This being the case, I will present some video footage to focus on three aspects of Danny’s training that I believe contributed to his success. These three aspects of training consist of:
- Excellent exercise form
- Training Rhythm
- Danny’s stopping point during a set
Exercise Form
You will Notice in the videos of Danny’s workout that he does not use excessively heavy weights as he is more interested in using perfect form and feeling the muscle he is working. A full range of motion and a smooth rhythmical lifting motion is used for all of his exercises. His reps are devoid of jerking and awkward movements; all of his lifting is done with perfect control over both his body and the weight.
Lifting Rhythm
One of the easiest training considerations to overlook is lifting speed and lifting rhythm. When lifting too slow, force production is low and fatigue tends to accumulate quickly. On the other hand, when lifting rhythm is too fast, momentum tends to take over and the target muscle will only be stressed at the start of the lifting motion without being stressed during the midrange and top of the motion. To avoid these undesirable qualities, Danny lifts using a moderately fast lifting motion in order to take advantage force production while still stressing the muscle throughout the entire range of motion.
Danny’s Stopping Point During a Set:
The Limit Rep
Like so many elite bodybuilders, Danny knows how to push himself hard enough to get results without pushing so hard that it interferes with results. In other words, he knows when to stop during a set. Sometimes Danny stops a set when he reaches what I refer to as his limit rep, which is the limit of reps that can be performed using a steady even rep pace. This is the earliest that he terminates a set in workout shown at the end of this article.
The Marker Rep
Danny doesn’t always stop a set when he reaches the limit rep. He often pushes to his limit rep, then pauses for a moment to recover and gather enough strength to do one more rep. I call this rep “the marker rep” as it marks the first rep where the pace at which reps are repeated starts to slow down. The marker rep is often preceded by a pause so that a lifter can recover slightly and gather his strength to do another rep. This isn’t the last rep a lifter can possibly do in a set, it’s simply the point at which a break in rep speed or rep pace occurs.
Two Reps Past the Limit Rep
On occasion, Danny will push himself to his limit rep, then pause and do two more reps at a slower pace than the previous reps. Danny may do this on the last set of an exercise, but more often, he stops at either his limit rep, or his marker rep. Rarely does he struggle, strain, and grind out reps that are nearly impossible for him to perform. Instead, he focuses on good form, maintaining a steady exercise tempo, and feeling the exercise in the muscle he is targeting. It is also evident from the workout video at the end of article that Danny did a high volume of sets to develop his outstanding musculature.
In Danny’s case, the training factors discussed in this article are some of the ingredients that he relied upon to acquire one of the greatest physiques in bodybuilding. If you are looking for a way to boost your muscle mass, consider using some of the concepts that Danny Padilla used to achieve his outstanding results. Best of training to you.
You can view the full video of Danny’s arm and shoulder workout below: