I am so often asked a question that was hard to answer- until now.
“What is your training philosophy?”
It seems that people need a label and need to be identified to something.
I teach clients many different workout strategies pooled from many different resources.
I have organised them to fit my needs and the needs of my clients and I have called it old school.
In this article I would like to summarise the old school principles and how they have developed, I would also like to discuss what this style of training, or better still lifestyle, stands for.

Looking back to move forward
I have written about the golden era of bodybuilding many times in articles, I have just never pooled it all together until now.
Now we will have something to identify what we do.
Writing my nutrition manual recently, I expressed a feeling that bodybuilding is not looked upon as healthy anymore.
In the 40’s- 50’s- 60’s and early 70’s bodybuilders were considered health nuts, as they stood for everything that was healthy.
It is my goal to bring back the ‘health nut’ aspect of bodybuilding.
This is something I have stood for all of my life and have written about many times, but I feel I have not shouted loud enough.
The time is now.
It’s time to bring all the principles of old school together and build a blueprint for a way of life and health.

What’s been lost?
Hey, I am all for the advancement of the world but let’s look at the so called advancement of the human.
Obesity is rife- Cancer- heart disease- not much advancement there.
Let’s look at bodybuilders- Drugs are rife in the sport and many other sports. Bodybuilders are freaking big and you could never call them healthy with heart problems- liver problems- high blood pressure- I could go on and on.
They certainly don’t look the picture of health the way bodybuilders should look.
If you just want to be big, huge, freaky, well that’s your choice and I do not judge anybody’s freedom of choice.
If that’s what you want to do with yourself and your life - read no more, because old school is not for you.
Old school is a way of life, the way of life and the way of training that has been lost.
Bodybuilders of the golden era took pride in their health, strength and how they looked to the general public. They took pride in their appearance and portrayed themselves in a positive light.
This I feel has been- lost - we owe it to the greats of the past that built the foundation for us. We need to build on that foundation.
To honour them we have to model their ways, their actions, even the dreams they had for this sport.
I go into great detail in my nutrition manual regarding walking the walk and portraying a healthy body and mind.
Suffice to say- the bodybuilders of the golden era would not be seen dead in a fast food restaurant, or be seen drunk.
They had pride in their sport and cherished and respected it.

Real gyms have been squeezed out of business- by the large multi million pound clubs they try to call a gym.
Weights only go up to a medium weight- on stacks of machines, dumbbells are light, and there isn’t enough plates to load a leg press.
If you set foot in one of these clubs and asked where the squat rack or the power rack is- you would receive a dumbfounded look.
God forbid if you train hard- you would be asked to leave.
It’s true- it has happened to some of my clients. One of my clients was doing a dead lift and was asked to leave. A few minutes before this happened a young lad who was a member of staff came up and said “What’s that you’re doing?”

Young bodybuilders these days are bombarded with magazines full of huge, drug filled monsters doing every conceivable machine and cable exercise there is to do for a body-part. There are only a few champions today that train in a way I would admire.
The young bodybuilders today are not being fed the right information or the look of a true natural body built by healthy foods, clean living and hard work on basic exercises.
If something is not done the health and strength side of our sport will die and all that the bodybuilders of the past stood for will be lost.

Pioneers of the sport
My philosophies of old school are built on the masters of this sport, those that fought hard to make a stand and a difference.
I have built the foundation on many aspects of the past but most notably on these men;
Bill Pearl- Vince Gironda- Chuck Sipes- Reg Park- John C Grimek- Steve Reeves- and one man that made a huge difference throughout the last 15 years, Brooks Kubik.

My training philosophy and lifestyle is built on the foundation of these men. I have studied them, modeled them, read what they read, even interviewed a couple of them.
Each has a place in my heart and my success as a bodybuilder.
I’m not blowing my own trumpet here but why am I still at the forefront of natural bodybuilding and have been for over 20 years?
Why, at 43 am I still able to lift more than I could in my 20’s?
Why do I not have even one single joint problem?
Why do I have tons of energy and sleep very little and work so many hours and never tire?
Is it the way I live?
Is it because I eat clean and all organic?
Is it because my diet is more varied?
Again this is my way of life- I live the old school life.
I train using principles that were laid down many years ago.
Why?
Because I believe that these men knew how to train and eat to invoke health, strength and a functional physique.
My part in all this is that I have brought parts from each and made it my life’s work. Each had something to offer- each man, well respected and intelligent- a thinker and a pioneer.

So what is old school?
Old school is a way of life- it’s living clean- eating clean- training on the basic exercises- using the rack- kettlebells- thick bars. Old school is working on exercises that got lost in the maze of machines, it’s using workout systems of the past that are bloody hard work, that will knock you on your butt, but will ultimately make you strong of character, mind and body.

At the start of this article, I said it is my goal to keep the greats of the sport alive and in some way. Maybe only a small way in comparison to what they accomplished, but still if it gives one of you half, of what I have in my life now- then I will have done my job.

Many years ago I wrote in an article and expressed in a way-that- I want to live forever. Let me explain, 50 years down the line I would want someone to pick up a book or an article I wrote and read it.
I would like the words to be soaked into their being- into their soul. I would hope that they would then use my life’s work and pass it on. Keeping me and others before me- alive.
My intentions are to pass on my knowledge.
Old school will be on this site regularly.
I will motivate you and empower you to be the best you can be and so in turn pass this to others.
Look for articles covering everything that is old school.
In the future I will produce training manuals, works of inspiration and instruction will also be available. Along with t shirts and anything else I can think of that will help with my goal.
These products will all be high quality and low cost.
This is not a money making venture on my part.
No- it is to spread the word, it’s to keep those greats alive and also myself 50 years from now.
Old School is a way of life- come join me. Turn your back on the unhealthy side of our sport and lift those around you.
Stand for this sport we-love- in health, strength and awesome natural development.

Yours Ian Duckett.