IronMan, Vol 11, No 3, Page 8, September 1951

Roy Hilligenn
"Mr. America" 1951

by M Kirchner

ROY HILLIGENN started his winning ways in physique competition at the tender age of six months when he won a trophy for being a beautiful baby. Since then he has continued with his winning ways by winning the "Mr. South Africa" title for three years from 1943 to 1945 inclusive as well as the "Most Muscular" man title in the 1946 competition.

Roy was born in South Africa November 15, 1922. When he was 4 years old his father died leaving the rearing of the five children to his mother. The going was difficult and after two years it was necessary to send the children to an Orphanage. Roy lived here until the age of 15 during which time he attended a trade school, learning to be an electrician. After this he left the school to earn his living at this trade.

Until the age of 17 Roy had but little interest in sports. However, while working on a roof of a four story building fitting a neon sign and bending a piece of pipe, Roy slipped. He woke up twelve hours later in a hospital with a fractured wrist, broken fingers and ribs and serious internal injuries. Roy lost weight down to 83 pounds. He was too weak to work when he recovered. It was while walking by a news stand at this time that he saw an American physical culture magazine. Roy had just enough money to purchase It.

Reading the magazine that night Roy was fired with a zeal to develop his pitiful physique and the next morning started out on his quest for exercising equipment by searching all the junk heaps for weights. He round some trolley wheels, pieces of iron of various weights and a punching bag which he hung In the back yard and started his outdoor training (incidently, this was the chicken yard). Roy trained hard and soon weighed 101 Ibs. with the great measurements of 12½ neck, 28 chest, 26 waist and 17 thigh and a terrific 8 1/8 inch arm.

A short time later Roy showed a photo of a set of weights to a foundryman who immediately cast up a 145 lb. set and Roy trained with such zest with the new set that he was so sore he could hardly walk for awhile! Another four months brought his weight to 135 Ibs. and he began wrestling, soon winning the 1943 wrestling championship.

Roy was now training four nights per week and devoting more attention to his legs which he had been neglecting before. His bodyweight rose to 149 Ibs. and he won the lightweight lifting title of South Africa even tho he had never done much training on the three Olympics. It was this year that he first won the "Mr. South Africa" title. His photo began to appear in magazines all over the world and he became quite famous for his wonderful development and amazing definition.

During the war years, Roy worked 1800 feet underground in a gold mine. A chance meeting with Ivor Kirston, a South African film director lead to several parts in the movies.

Previous to this Roy had been using three sets of 10 reps in all his exercises but now realizing that he needed more bulk he changed to five sets of five reps with much heavier weights. By September 1945 he was weighing 165 with a 17 neck, 46 chest, 16 arm, 29 waist, 23 thigh and 15¼ calf at a height of approximately 5' 6".

He now decided to concentrate on lifting which he did for a year finally making 240 press and snatch and a fine 320 clean and jerk. This latter poundage was made at a bodyweight of 160 lbs. making Roy the first man in South Africa to clean and jerk double bodyweight and placing him with that exclusive few in the world who have performed this great feat. Roy later made a 250 snatch, 400 squat, 175 curl, 510 dead lift, 170 one hand snatch, 205 side press and 305 press on back. All these at a bodyweight of 160 to 165.

Roy used a method of lifting training similar to the Americans with several sets in each lift with increasing poundages starting with 5 reps on the first lift and reducing one rep with each increase in poundage until he makes one rep with maximum poundage then dropping to the starting weight for high reps again. During this time, Roy followed a careful diet of healthful foods. He believes in eating when hungry rather than at stated times, sometimes eating five times per day and other times only two meals per day.

About this time, Roy decided he would like to see some of the world so he began traveling going to many countries for a visit and making quite a stay in England, then coming to Canada where he lived with and trained with John Bavington. Roy says he owes much to John for teaching the American training methods and much about America itself. Roy first appeared on the John Terlazzo show where he was a sensation. This was in January 1948. He then appeared in John Fritshe's show, the George Yacos' show in Detroit and the Norb Grueber show in Chicago.

In January, 1949 he arrived in Los Angeles and began training at the Tanny gym with Gomez, Eiferman, Reeves and other famous stars. A short time later he obtained work in Trona in the Mojave desert where he again trained in a home made gym with Bill Meyers as a training partner. He worked here two years and during this period he won the "Mr. Pacific Coast" and the "Mr. Northern California" contest.

The first of April, 1951 he quit his job to train for the 1951 "Mr. America" contest and decided on the Yarick gym in Oakland as being most suitable as they taught both bodybuilding and lifting. The majority of the other gyms have no lifting whatever.

He and Ed Yarick carefully laid out a training program with Cal Craddock as upper body training partner and Sam Ulversoy as his leg training partner. Uhalde, Brigonola and Terry were his lifting partners.

Three weeks later he won the "Mr. San Francisco" contest and the Pacific Coast 198 pound lifting title although he weighed but 177 and had to eat bananas and milk to bring his bodyweight up to 183 for this class. He made 235 press and snatch and a 335 clean and jerk.

Roy trained three days per week on bodybuilding and 3 days on lifting, always under the careful guidance of Ed Yarick who has developed three previous "Mr. America's." He was living at the Yarick home during this two months and enjoying the fine meals prepared by Alice.

Knowing that readers like to know how these men train we herewith present the training programs used by Roy.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings he did upper body work. Starting at 10 o'clock he did 3 sets of 10 reps of dumbell rowing motions with 105 to 155 Ibs. 3 sets of 12 reps front pulleyweight exercises for lats. with 180 Ibs. 3 more sets to back of neck with 170 Ibs. 3 more sets of straight arm pull downs while kneeling with 100 Ibs. 12 reps. Two dumbell press together 3 sets of 10 reps with 70 to 90 lb. dumbells. 6 sets of alternate dumbell presses with 75 to 95 lb. dumbells. Sitting down lateral raises, front and sidewise, alternate and together, 6 sets with 30 lb. dumbells. Incline press with leg press machine for 3 sets with 170 Ibs. of 10 reps. Pulley weights for deltoids, 3 sets of 15 reps. Dislocates with pulleys for shoulders, 2 sets 60 reps.

Dislocates on narrow bench with 30 lb. dumbells, 3 sets of 25 reps. Incline bench press 3 sets 10 reps with 75 to 95 lb. dumbells. 3 sets of barbell bench presses with 225 to 250.

Flat bench lateral flying exercise 3 sets of 15 reps 45 to 50 Ibs. 6 sets of pectoral exercises with pulleys, similar to flying exercise on bench but standing up. This was 25 reps with 60 lbs.

Sitting down curls with two dumbells 2 sets of 12 reps with 60 Ibs then 2 alternate curls of same type and weights. Incline bench curl 12 reps with 50 Ibs. Then concentrated curl with one arm with 45 lb. dumbell 4 sets of 10 reps. Curling from overhead pulleys while lying on bench on back, 3 sets of 15 reps.

Triceps press with dumbell from behind neck 115 to 135 Ibs. 15 reps and 3 sets, both arms at once. One arm triceps curl with 25 lb. dumbells for 20 reps and 3 sets. Triceps curl on overhead pulley 3 sets of 12 reps. Dipping between paralIel bars with 50 Ibs. Sit ups and leg raises for abdominals with 60 lb. dumbell 3 sets of 20 reps.

The above finishes his upper body workout and takes 5 hours. Roy then went home for lunch and to sleep an hour then back to the gym for his leg workout. This started at about 5:30 P.M.

After a little warm up he does the flat footed squat with 350 to 420 lbs. for 4 sets of 10 reps each (he has made a single rep squat with 490 lbs.). He then squats on a low box 3 sets of 10 reps with 300 to 360 lbs. Then the Hack squat, 3 sets of 12 reps with 300 to 360 Ibs. Squats with weight on chest 5 sets of 3 reps with 320 to 400 lbs. Partial squats for strength 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps with 500 to 700 lbs. One set of wide knee squats with 320 Ibs. Leg curls on incline bench 4 sets of 15 reps with 130 lb. bar. 5 sets of single leg Iron Boot curls with 25 Ibs. 5 sets of calf raises on calf machine. 4 sets of leg extensors with Iron Boots.

The above leg workout lasted 3 hours after which he had a hot dinner and was in bed by 11 o'clock. He slept 10 hours and was ready the next day for his lifting workout. This began with military press working up from 135 to 240 and starting with 3 reps and finishing with 1 then working down in singles to 200 again. Then the snatch with same weights and reps.

In the cleans he did the same schedule of reps starting with 225 and working up to 330. In the jerk he took weight from racks and worked up from 225 to 350. He then did heavy pulls with snatch grip of 300 to 400 Ibs. then pulls with clean grip up to 500 Ibs. always pulling as high and as fast as possible. He would try his limit in the lifts on Saturday. His best lifetime lifts were 255 press, 250 snatch and 350 clean and jerk, with a 360 clean.

The above programs, both lifting and bodybuilding are of course not for the beginner. They are only used even by super men like Roy for a very short period to put them in top condition with maximum definition and shape. It is certain that Roy would have been much stronger had he concentrated on lifting alone, because his intensive bodybuilding program with high reps is not conducive to greatest strength development. Roy put in 155 training hours each of the two months he was specializing at Yarick's gym. Now that he has won the "Mr. America" title it is his ambition to win the lifting title of America and the world and I for one am sure that he will do it. He is capable of 270, 270, 360, 900 total with about two months specialized training on the lifts only. This would put him near the top of the light heavyweights.

Roy tells us that he is a very light eater. For breakfast he has a glass of orange juice, cereal with honey and 1 banana, two eggs and one apple. For lunch 3 scrambled eggs, cold ham or hamburger meat, 4 slices of whole wheat, glass of milk and a glass of yogurt. For dinner he might have a steak with vegetables, salad, fruit and milk.

"Mr. America" gives all credit for winning the 1951 title to his trainer, Ed Yarick, who he says is the best liked trainer he has ever met.

Roy's measurements at the time he won the contest were, neck 17½, chest 48½, waist 31, calf 16¼, arm 17¾, (18 warmed up slightly), forearm 14½, wrist 7½, thigh 24½, ankle 8. His height is but 5' 6" making him the shortest man to ever win the "Mr. America" title which still further emphasizes the perfection of his physique for a tall man usually has quite an advantage. His bodyweight was 178.

Roy has a personality second to none. He is bubbling over with enthusiasm and has a bright smile for everyone. He is a real credit to our game. Roy is again employed as an electrician in Oakland where he can train regularly at the Yarick gym.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Photos shown on these two pages give ample evidence of the great improvement ROY HILLIGENN has made recently from the heavy program of work under the direction of Ed Yarick. Roy has the largest muscular arm of anyone his height we know of. It has been measured at 18 inches and Roy is just 5' 6" in height. Photo by Martin of San Francisco.

- The above photo taken at the "Mr. America" contest shows the leading contenders for the title. MALCOLM BRENNER on the left is one of the best built big men we have ever had. It is hard to pick a flaw in his physique. Possibly his calves could stand a little more bulk. HILLIGENN in the center is just about perfect in every way, plenty of definition, exceptional bulk, excellent proportion and symmetry, beautiful skin texture and coloration and an ability at posing and display that is seldom equaled. His only shortcoming in the eyes of the general public would be his lack of a 6 foot height. MARVIN EDER on the right has one of the most amazing developments to be seen. He has all the bulk that could be desired. In fact, he has so much bulk that it gives him a body formation like no other we have seen. It is hard to find a weak spot in his makeup. His only shortcoming might be considered lack of sufficient definition and it is doubtful if he could acquire any more definition because of a slightly thicker skin. Many people however, prefer the smoother type of development. Photo by AMG.

- Two more poses of ROY HILLIGENN taken at the show by AMG show his exceptional physique to still further advantage. Photo above shows why Roy won the most muscular trophy. He had such exceptional bulk along with unusual definition. Below Roy is smiling with his new trophy. This photo shows the fine legs which won him the best legs title.

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