Beef It: Upping the Muscle Mass

by Robert Kennedy

The author gives his advice to bodybuilders on posing, nutrition, metabolism, motivation, and exercises--all designed to show muscle mass to its advantage

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1983

About the author

Robert Kennedy was a Canadian publisher of fitness and bodybuilding magazines. He founded Robert Kennedy Publishing, one of the largest North American publishers of this type of magazine.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Neville Garth van Wyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books for laying a good foundation for Bodybuilding.
Its a BIBLE for anyone wanting the right knowledge base.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great collection, probably outdated, of numerous tips, recommendations, and strategies for getting the most out of each and every workout; gave me a few great new ideas; the timeframe of the book is evident: Arnold is still a contendah in it's pages. :-)

[Elidor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book when it was first published, and for a 140-lb. 17 year old, it was a revelation. Obviously, training has come a long way since 1983, and sports nutrition, which is barely touched on in this book, now plays a much bigger role. But this is a decent introduction to working out for teens and untrained adults, with simple lessons on working muscle groups and cycling groups and workout intensity. There is probably far too much emphasis on training to failure, and not nearly enough on nutrition and cardio. Perhaps Kennedy expected people to already know that stuff, but the book should have had more on those aspects. Especially for hard gainers, proper nutrition and cycling your muscle groups are key, rather than training to failure all the time.

The best part about this book is the incredible visual history of some of the greatest bodybuilders of all time during the golden age of bodybuilding. It's an excellent snapshot of a particular era that is gone for good, and the many, many photos are very inspirational. I wish I still had my copy. A good gift for that young wannabe bodybuilder, along with 2 lbs of precision-engineered whey powder and a nice set of cast-iron hex dumbbells. And check out that amazing pic of Sergio Oliva drinking wine. Or Lance Dreher's back. Serge Nubret. Tom Platz. Lee Haney. Franco Columbu. Many others I can't remember.