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Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
The seven-time Mr. Olympia winner offers information on training, posing, diet, nutrition, and body-part exercises, plus basic, advanced and competitive training programs designed for bodybuilders of all levels
736 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1985
1577 people are currently reading
7067 people want to read
About the author
Arnold Schwarzenegger
78 books1,058 followersArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, businessman and politician, and served as the 38th Governor of the state of California.
Arnold gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon. Schwarzenegger was nicknamed "The Austrian Oak" and "The Styrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, "Arnold Strong" and "Arnie" during his acting career, and more recently "The Governator" (A portmanteau word of Governor and Terminator, one of his film roles).
As a Republican, he was first elected on October 7, 2003, in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003, to serve the remainder of Davis's term. Schwarzenegger was then re-elected on November 7, 2006, in California's 2006 gubernatorial election, to serve a full term as governor, defeating Democrat Phil Angelides, who was California State Treasurer at the time. Schwarzenegger was sworn in for a second term on January 5, 2007. In May 2004 and 2007, he was named as one of the Time 100 people who help shape the world.
Schwarzenegger was married to Maria Shriver and has four children.
Schwarzenegger's autobiography, Total Recall, was released in October 2012. He devotes one chapter called "The Secret" to his extramarital affair. The majority of his book is about his successes in the three major chapters in his life: bodybuilder, actor, and Governor of California.
Arnold gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon. Schwarzenegger was nicknamed "The Austrian Oak" and "The Styrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, "Arnold Strong" and "Arnie" during his acting career, and more recently "The Governator" (A portmanteau word of Governor and Terminator, one of his film roles).
As a Republican, he was first elected on October 7, 2003, in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003, to serve the remainder of Davis's term. Schwarzenegger was then re-elected on November 7, 2006, in California's 2006 gubernatorial election, to serve a full term as governor, defeating Democrat Phil Angelides, who was California State Treasurer at the time. Schwarzenegger was sworn in for a second term on January 5, 2007. In May 2004 and 2007, he was named as one of the Time 100 people who help shape the world.
Schwarzenegger was married to Maria Shriver and has four children.
Schwarzenegger's autobiography, Total Recall, was released in October 2012. He devotes one chapter called "The Secret" to his extramarital affair. The majority of his book is about his successes in the three major chapters in his life: bodybuilder, actor, and Governor of California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
May 25, 2012
Are you serious?? You want me to critique 7 time Mr.Olympia?? How about you have a good-read of this website of Arnie's bodybuilding resume and then pop off @ the mouth...
http://www.bodybuildinguniverse.com/a...
This book is a must for all weightlifters. Even though the photo's are from the early 90's the tips are straight from the golden horses mouth. Doods' nasty with the iron. Recognize royalty when you see it.
This is a constant reference and is dubbed "the bible of bodybuilding" big up's to Brandon DiCola for one of the most useful birthday gifts ever. Love you, man!
http://www.bodybuildinguniverse.com/a...
This book is a must for all weightlifters. Even though the photo's are from the early 90's the tips are straight from the golden horses mouth. Doods' nasty with the iron. Recognize royalty when you see it.
This is a constant reference and is dubbed "the bible of bodybuilding" big up's to Brandon DiCola for one of the most useful birthday gifts ever. Love you, man!
April 27, 2010
This book really surprised me; I picked it up at the library, on a lark, to see how it differed from my current gym philosophy. I was shocked to find a thoughtful, well researched, and balanced approach to weight training that didn't focus exclusively on bulk, but rather form and to some extent one man's personal journey to achieve the height of his field.
Arnold is strangly free of hype or bombast in these pages, and rarely does he even mention his successes. There is a naked humilty and honest drive towards self improvement that made me read the book cover to cover. I have been doing Crossfit and gymjones.com style workouts for nearly three years and thought I wouldn't find much value here; I was wrong. What was refreshing about this book is Arnold's admitance that there is no one true path towards fitness, there is only one's own personal goal and one should educate themselves on how to achieve it accordingly. The examples, photos, and diagrams provided are excellent. Arnold's tone is encouraging without being preachy or condecending. It is obvious he believes in the positive power of fitness as a tool for self betterment and as a way of life.
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the book is his thankfulness and acknowledement of those who helped him along the way, an his insistance that the single most important factor in determining your success in the gym (aside from your own determination and goals) is a good gym partner; someone to help keep you motivated and visa versa.
As a reference, this work is top notch. If you plan on making the transformation of your body a priority, check this book out.
Arnold is strangly free of hype or bombast in these pages, and rarely does he even mention his successes. There is a naked humilty and honest drive towards self improvement that made me read the book cover to cover. I have been doing Crossfit and gymjones.com style workouts for nearly three years and thought I wouldn't find much value here; I was wrong. What was refreshing about this book is Arnold's admitance that there is no one true path towards fitness, there is only one's own personal goal and one should educate themselves on how to achieve it accordingly. The examples, photos, and diagrams provided are excellent. Arnold's tone is encouraging without being preachy or condecending. It is obvious he believes in the positive power of fitness as a tool for self betterment and as a way of life.
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the book is his thankfulness and acknowledement of those who helped him along the way, an his insistance that the single most important factor in determining your success in the gym (aside from your own determination and goals) is a good gym partner; someone to help keep you motivated and visa versa.
As a reference, this work is top notch. If you plan on making the transformation of your body a priority, check this book out.
November 29, 2012
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger was written in 1992. This is not a comedy or an action book; this book falls into its own category, bodybuilding. As most of you know, Arnold was a professinal bodybuilder and was the first well known bodybuilder. Due to this, this is his only book. There are no sequels, rising action, or climax. Just strictly bodybuilding. This is not a novel that you can read in a few weeks. The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding is over 800 pages and goes over many different topics from Arnold himself including; nutrition, bodybuilding workouts/exercises, history of bodybuilding as a whole and lots of half-naked pictures of the legendary Arnold. The whole concept of this book is all about bodybuilding and expanding the different topics involved. The lengh of this book caught my eye, 800 plus pages all on bodybuilding. I have yet to finish the Encyclopedia, but i am okay with that. I cant get enough of Arnold. I really liked the fact that The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding had so many different topics, for example, exercises and movements. As a reader you can focus on one part you are interrested in and learn do much more about it. One thing that makes Arnold stand out is his additude, he is very serious but fun at the same time. "The worst thing I could be, is the same as everybody else. I'd hate that." A famous qoute from Arnold, fits this book perfectly. Even as a reader you feel different from everybody else. Who do you know that reads a 800 page book on bodybuilding? Beacuse of this, i highly recomend The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding to any bodybuilding fan or bodybuilder. The book will not benenfit you if you are not interested in the sport. Overall, the value of this book is awesome... to fellow bodybuilders.
March 25, 2013
I disagree with his methodology and presuppositions, but this book is a classic. I seriously doubt he wrote most of it, but it's good information nonetheless. Relying on good 1990s scholarship, A.S (I refuse to spell his name) explains basic kinesiology, body types, and strategies for realistic gains.
He goes through the different types of exercises and how to do them safely. He ends with a nutrional guideline, while good, is highly unrealistic for the average budget.
Pros:
1. You really get everything you bargain for. He goes into super detail on essentially every facet of weight lifting (notice I did not say Strength Training).
2. His workout plans are fairly good for the most part, but presuppose ready access to a gym.
Cons:
1. He does'nt really tell you how to work up to a goal. For backs he says to do 50 chin ups a workout at 5x10. I can actually do that, but it took four years to do it. *Convict Conditioning* and even the much-inferior *50 Chin Ups in 7 Weeks* give you much better programs on how to meet goals.
2. You have to be upper middle class to really benefit. Eating 100+ grams of protein a day, along with gym membership (and that is a must; you will not get an "Arnold"-sized chest without bench press) takes a toll on the bank account.
3. His workout schedule is fairly exhausting even for those who are really strong and have good cardio. Burn out is very easy.
4. I think a mix of bodyweight and weightlifting offers the best result for the average male. This way the body muscle groups grow in proportion to each other so that you don't look like a washed-out steroid junkie.
Conclusion:
I offered a lot of criticisms of this book, but that shouldn't leave the wrong impression. This book is the ultimate reference guide for strength training, full stop.
He goes through the different types of exercises and how to do them safely. He ends with a nutrional guideline, while good, is highly unrealistic for the average budget.
Pros:
1. You really get everything you bargain for. He goes into super detail on essentially every facet of weight lifting (notice I did not say Strength Training).
2. His workout plans are fairly good for the most part, but presuppose ready access to a gym.
Cons:
1. He does'nt really tell you how to work up to a goal. For backs he says to do 50 chin ups a workout at 5x10. I can actually do that, but it took four years to do it. *Convict Conditioning* and even the much-inferior *50 Chin Ups in 7 Weeks* give you much better programs on how to meet goals.
2. You have to be upper middle class to really benefit. Eating 100+ grams of protein a day, along with gym membership (and that is a must; you will not get an "Arnold"-sized chest without bench press) takes a toll on the bank account.
3. His workout schedule is fairly exhausting even for those who are really strong and have good cardio. Burn out is very easy.
4. I think a mix of bodyweight and weightlifting offers the best result for the average male. This way the body muscle groups grow in proportion to each other so that you don't look like a washed-out steroid junkie.
Conclusion:
I offered a lot of criticisms of this book, but that shouldn't leave the wrong impression. This book is the ultimate reference guide for strength training, full stop.
July 19, 2023
This is such a weird book. It's not an encyclopedia. It's more like a scrapbook of Schwarzenegger's memories of competition and a shit-tonne of photos.
Coming in at 800 pages round, with the proportions of your standard textbook, it's also enormous.
Introductory material
The first chapter is a "history" of body building, although it's really a memoir for Arnie plus a photobook of astonishing physiques in the past century. You can really tell where PEDs came into the picture and it changed body-building to be less aesthetic. Everyone is just swole. It's boring.
The next section is all introductory (why exercise? why the gym? why body-building?) and a lot of the material could be condensed. It's just Arnie stating over and over that resistance training is healthy as part of a balanced exercise diet. He then goes into why it's healthy for a range of sports and goals.
One minor gripe is the way women are discussed. I think that, given this came out 40 years ago, his statements probably reflected the accepted opinions for the time but in today's world he sounds.. shallow. Essentially: women just want to "tone" and so should train lighter and with more reps. But he contradicts himself a bit later and says women should train like men. So which is it? Another, related annoyance is that there are no women's physique pics - why not? Women were certainly competing at that time, if to a lesser extent.
The Exercises
Then we are onto book 2: training programs! This is basically what I bought the book for, to hear his advice on which exercises to do to grow which muscle groups and how to build a balanced physique. It's organized by strategies and then by muscle groups. The first part, has some interesting ideas:
- Ectomorph vs endomorph training
- Forced reps and shocking
- Staggered- and super- sets
- Isotension and pre-exhaustion methods
I'd be really interested to know how much of this is still recommended in the modern day with what we've learnt about physiology and exercise.
This first segment does suffer from the same editorial woes as the intro, far too long-winded and a lot of repetition.
Then in the second segment we have the exercises by muscle group with TONNES of photos of our Mr Olympia heroes from back in the day.
But for a book about bodybuilding this is weirdly light on technique. Deadlift gets a couple of sentences and pictures - deadlifts! The text does little to explain how to do any of the exercises, nor does it expand upon the mental aspect, e.g. thinking about driving your heels into the ground when raising the bar. Nor does it really help you decide between which of the many many isolation movements it outlines. For example, both preacher and concentration curls are a great bicep isolation, so it would have been nice to see them compared and contrasted and the pros and cons of doing one over the other.
And there's his training programs. Oh lordy. His beginner program is 6-days with 7-11 types of exercise, each 3 sets of 10 reps minimum, many to failure. That is a LOT. That is a lot for a seasoned professional. For a beginner that's looking at over-training/injury risk.
So yeah, this might not be the best book to base beginner training on.
Competition bodybuilding
Next up is the competition segment. A lot of this was surprisingly interesting, especially the stuff about mental fortitude and psychological warfare. I finished the section by watching Pumping Iron and was delighted to see Arnie's mind games in action. He's not a snake, he's very open about his manipulation. It's weird, after reading this book, to see his arrogance and charm so brazenly on display in the film. I can't help but admire it - he might not be someone you want to rely on but he did what he did well and openly.
Food and rest
The last tiny portion is about nutrition and injury. Given how crucial both of these items are I was again surprised at how small a segment they make up. Some of the attitudes, to nutrition especially, in the last 40 years have changed. No longer is fat the devil, sugar has taken over. No longer do we recommend people eat 5-6 times a day but fasting has become popular. It's a great reminder that physiology, sport science, and nutrition are constantly evolving fields. And also a great reminder to not take this book as bible.
So, overall I did enjoy this book but more as a dated historical scrapbook than anything I could really learn from. Read it for the history and the photos.
Coming in at 800 pages round, with the proportions of your standard textbook, it's also enormous.
Introductory material
The first chapter is a "history" of body building, although it's really a memoir for Arnie plus a photobook of astonishing physiques in the past century. You can really tell where PEDs came into the picture and it changed body-building to be less aesthetic. Everyone is just swole. It's boring.
The next section is all introductory (why exercise? why the gym? why body-building?) and a lot of the material could be condensed. It's just Arnie stating over and over that resistance training is healthy as part of a balanced exercise diet. He then goes into why it's healthy for a range of sports and goals.
One minor gripe is the way women are discussed. I think that, given this came out 40 years ago, his statements probably reflected the accepted opinions for the time but in today's world he sounds.. shallow. Essentially: women just want to "tone" and so should train lighter and with more reps. But he contradicts himself a bit later and says women should train like men. So which is it? Another, related annoyance is that there are no women's physique pics - why not? Women were certainly competing at that time, if to a lesser extent.
The Exercises
Then we are onto book 2: training programs! This is basically what I bought the book for, to hear his advice on which exercises to do to grow which muscle groups and how to build a balanced physique. It's organized by strategies and then by muscle groups. The first part, has some interesting ideas:
- Ectomorph vs endomorph training
- Forced reps and shocking
- Staggered- and super- sets
- Isotension and pre-exhaustion methods
I'd be really interested to know how much of this is still recommended in the modern day with what we've learnt about physiology and exercise.
This first segment does suffer from the same editorial woes as the intro, far too long-winded and a lot of repetition.
Then in the second segment we have the exercises by muscle group with TONNES of photos of our Mr Olympia heroes from back in the day.
But for a book about bodybuilding this is weirdly light on technique. Deadlift gets a couple of sentences and pictures - deadlifts! The text does little to explain how to do any of the exercises, nor does it expand upon the mental aspect, e.g. thinking about driving your heels into the ground when raising the bar. Nor does it really help you decide between which of the many many isolation movements it outlines. For example, both preacher and concentration curls are a great bicep isolation, so it would have been nice to see them compared and contrasted and the pros and cons of doing one over the other.
And there's his training programs. Oh lordy. His beginner program is 6-days with 7-11 types of exercise, each 3 sets of 10 reps minimum, many to failure. That is a LOT. That is a lot for a seasoned professional. For a beginner that's looking at over-training/injury risk.
So yeah, this might not be the best book to base beginner training on.
Competition bodybuilding
Next up is the competition segment. A lot of this was surprisingly interesting, especially the stuff about mental fortitude and psychological warfare. I finished the section by watching Pumping Iron and was delighted to see Arnie's mind games in action. He's not a snake, he's very open about his manipulation. It's weird, after reading this book, to see his arrogance and charm so brazenly on display in the film. I can't help but admire it - he might not be someone you want to rely on but he did what he did well and openly.
Food and rest
The last tiny portion is about nutrition and injury. Given how crucial both of these items are I was again surprised at how small a segment they make up. Some of the attitudes, to nutrition especially, in the last 40 years have changed. No longer is fat the devil, sugar has taken over. No longer do we recommend people eat 5-6 times a day but fasting has become popular. It's a great reminder that physiology, sport science, and nutrition are constantly evolving fields. And also a great reminder to not take this book as bible.
So, overall I did enjoy this book but more as a dated historical scrapbook than anything I could really learn from. Read it for the history and the photos.
July 8, 2023
While this book consists of quite a bit of broscience, one should still give credit where credit is due. Arnold is a man with a naturally lanky bone structure who managed to create an extremely aesthethic physique, and beyond that one needs to realize that strength training and bodybuilding are areas where proven experience is superior to "exercise science", because these studies very often have faults.
Here are some main takeaways:
1) Training frequency. I imagined that Arnold, godfather of the gymbros, would advocate for a low-frequency brosplit, but contrary to that he instead advocates for a high frequency approach, hitting the major muscle groups three times a week, and abdominals every training session.
2) Training intensity. In a similar fashion, I thought that just a normal three sets of ten reps would be stipulated in his programs, but instead the calls for a norm of four sets of twelve to six reps with short rest in isolation exercises. Meaning that you can progress the weight as long as you hit within that rep range in each set, with short rest between sets. This is accordance with the idea that full muscle recruitment is caused either by A) having a weight close to your 1RM, or B) getting close to muscular failure. He also advocates for having heavy days in your training programme, hitting maxes on your compound lifts. This means that the distance for a synthesis in training philosophy between Arnold's bodybuilding and powerlifting isn't what certain /fit/ posters would have you believe.
3) Exercise selection. The norm in his training are large compound movements. While he isn't locked onto the idea that one needs to specifically progress the three powerlifts, he still emphasizes that the natural movements patterns (the vertical push, the horizontal pull, etc) should always be done, but that the specific exercises are according to the trainees' needs. With him being a bodybuilder, this also entails that the priority of certain movements is also subordinate to aesthethic ambitions. Thus if one has a lacking upper chest, the incline bench press takes priority to the flat bench press and dips.
4) Psychology. He puts emphasis on motivation through passion and visualization, the importance of a good training partner (often referencing Franco), and not least of all a good gym to train in. Gyms are after all something we have inherited from Ancient Greece, and it is of tremendous weight that there is a good athmosphere in the gym. It is hard to describe the motivational pain of after having trained for years in a fantastic powerlifting gym, to move to a new city and be forced to train in a sterile gym, filled with fatsos, demented old people and young women who seemingly have dressed up for a porn shoot rather than for a workout.
Of course, he also deals with posing, contest preparation and nutrition, but that is all specific to the competitor in bodybuilding and not so much the strength training enthusiast, therefore I will not comment on this.
Here are some main takeaways:
1) Training frequency. I imagined that Arnold, godfather of the gymbros, would advocate for a low-frequency brosplit, but contrary to that he instead advocates for a high frequency approach, hitting the major muscle groups three times a week, and abdominals every training session.
2) Training intensity. In a similar fashion, I thought that just a normal three sets of ten reps would be stipulated in his programs, but instead the calls for a norm of four sets of twelve to six reps with short rest in isolation exercises. Meaning that you can progress the weight as long as you hit within that rep range in each set, with short rest between sets. This is accordance with the idea that full muscle recruitment is caused either by A) having a weight close to your 1RM, or B) getting close to muscular failure. He also advocates for having heavy days in your training programme, hitting maxes on your compound lifts. This means that the distance for a synthesis in training philosophy between Arnold's bodybuilding and powerlifting isn't what certain /fit/ posters would have you believe.
3) Exercise selection. The norm in his training are large compound movements. While he isn't locked onto the idea that one needs to specifically progress the three powerlifts, he still emphasizes that the natural movements patterns (the vertical push, the horizontal pull, etc) should always be done, but that the specific exercises are according to the trainees' needs. With him being a bodybuilder, this also entails that the priority of certain movements is also subordinate to aesthethic ambitions. Thus if one has a lacking upper chest, the incline bench press takes priority to the flat bench press and dips.
4) Psychology. He puts emphasis on motivation through passion and visualization, the importance of a good training partner (often referencing Franco), and not least of all a good gym to train in. Gyms are after all something we have inherited from Ancient Greece, and it is of tremendous weight that there is a good athmosphere in the gym. It is hard to describe the motivational pain of after having trained for years in a fantastic powerlifting gym, to move to a new city and be forced to train in a sterile gym, filled with fatsos, demented old people and young women who seemingly have dressed up for a porn shoot rather than for a workout.
Of course, he also deals with posing, contest preparation and nutrition, but that is all specific to the competitor in bodybuilding and not so much the strength training enthusiast, therefore I will not comment on this.
August 5, 2015
This is "the" reference manual for bodybuilding. I find this book to be very interesting and helpful for any athlete involved in strength training, regardless as to whether you are interested in competitive bodybuilding or not.
April 15, 2017
This well and truly is The Bible of bodybuilding. Anyone considering spending more than an hour a week in the gym should get this book.
Read it once to get the gist, keep it forever as a reference book. I bought the Kindle version, but will probably get the physical version now to keep around.
Read it once to get the gist, keep it forever as a reference book. I bought the Kindle version, but will probably get the physical version now to keep around.
December 5, 2024
Fantastic book that gives you the ultimate 360 view of how to build muscle and train effectively. High recommended for novices as well as seasoned lifters and body builders.
August 29, 2013
Its like learning from the master.
I have had the pleasure to get hold of this book, very early . Because majority of people i know who are also a bit inclined towards fitness, read this book after 3-4 years of struggle in making their perfect physique.
I am still new in this arena of fitness and i read this book. Every thing is presented with full explanations and also science behind weight lifting, muscle growth. How to perform an exercise, what is a set, what time to do exercise, workout routines,etc,. You ask for it and this book has everything in it. From "Mindset of bodybuilder" to "Bodytypes", you can learn everything about bodybuilding .
I loved this book and will always be using this for reference.
I have had the pleasure to get hold of this book, very early . Because majority of people i know who are also a bit inclined towards fitness, read this book after 3-4 years of struggle in making their perfect physique.
I am still new in this arena of fitness and i read this book. Every thing is presented with full explanations and also science behind weight lifting, muscle growth. How to perform an exercise, what is a set, what time to do exercise, workout routines,etc,. You ask for it and this book has everything in it. From "Mindset of bodybuilder" to "Bodytypes", you can learn everything about bodybuilding .
I loved this book and will always be using this for reference.
October 21, 2014
I love Arnie, and I've always been a big fan. This book is big, shiny, and of course has Arnold's name on it, but for stepping into the weight room and getting actual results - there are far better books out there.
If you're looking for results in the weight room, you'll probably find programs like Starting Strength, Tactical Barbell and Wendler 531 far more effective. If you're looking for a nostalgic piece of work by a beloved bodybuilding legend, this book is for you.
If you're looking for results in the weight room, you'll probably find programs like Starting Strength, Tactical Barbell and Wendler 531 far more effective. If you're looking for a nostalgic piece of work by a beloved bodybuilding legend, this book is for you.
March 14, 2017
This is the ultimate guide to classic bodybuilding. I read this 2 years ago and still refer back to it. It only took me a few days to read the entire encyclopedia.
Nothing captures the essence of what bodybuilding is about quite like this book. I would 100% recommend this to anyone with an interest in bodybuilding or even just weight training.
Nothing captures the essence of what bodybuilding is about quite like this book. I would 100% recommend this to anyone with an interest in bodybuilding or even just weight training.
Read
February 18, 2022Forget personal trainers or fitness blogs! Everything I ever needed to know has come from this book. I want to thank my college lifting partner, Scott, for loaning it to me, and my mother for buying it for me for Christmas. Me may not be the best actor, governor, or family man, but Arnold knows how to get you ripped!
December 27, 2016
This book is truly the bodybuilding Bible is pronounces itself to be. Every page is dense with good information , the pictures are drooling and the advice is immaculate. Going to use it extensively to improve my training.
March 29, 2015
Book marked read, body not built yet...
February 3, 2014
Hands down the greatest book out there for bodybuilders from any skill level, and any walk of life.
December 30, 2021
A brilliant resource for any gym bros or fitness people alike. Arnold has always been an inspiration so having this resource is wonderful. This book is filled with lots of useful tips. It breaks down things brilliantly into 4 sections. Section 4, the section on diet, proved the most useful to me. He goes into the essential minerals and vitamins and also provides a good basic meal plan. I will continue to access this resource and I highly recommend it. 10/10 essential for any gym bro
September 8, 2022
An amazing resource for anyone interested in not only just bodybuilding but fitness in general . I highly recommend this to anyone that has an interest in weightlifting . This really has everything from diet and training programs to the mentality and posing.
December 6, 2020
One of the best books that talks about weightlifting
December 2, 2025
Impresionante el estudio y el contenido para la época qué fue escrito.
July 12, 2023
Outstanding book. Wish I read this when I was younger.
September 19, 2023
This is a nice book to have. I wouldn't say that it's a reference book (except for the technique section), I think it reads well back-to-back.
The chapters on the history of the sport and the training methodology are top quality. It also works well as a sort of gallery for the great physiques, the images here are great.
However, the chapter on nutrition near the end is heavily outdated, and it's never not funny when someone seriously begins finger-wagging by saying "Saturated fats are bad for you! Don't eat butter in excess' while wholeheartedly suggesting some delicious sunflower oil instead. Lmao.
The chapters on the history of the sport and the training methodology are top quality. It also works well as a sort of gallery for the great physiques, the images here are great.
However, the chapter on nutrition near the end is heavily outdated, and it's never not funny when someone seriously begins finger-wagging by saying "Saturated fats are bad for you! Don't eat butter in excess' while wholeheartedly suggesting some delicious sunflower oil instead. Lmao.
July 20, 2021
I think to fully enjoy this book you have to be an aspiring professional bodybuilder. If you're like me and you just work out for general health, whole sections of this book will by dry in the extreme. Arnold dedicates probably half of the book to the history of bodybuilding, to how to compete in bodybuilding, and on and on. It's mind-numbing stuff unless you're into it
And while Arnold does provide some good advice (e.g., poached eggs are the healthiest), even his "Level I" workout plan is insane and, if followed to the letter, would shortly put most people in the hospital for exhaustion. And he contradicts himself too. For instance, he'll talk about the importance of rest days, then he'll suggest working out twice a day 6 days a week.
Finally, the list of exercises in the middle of the book is somewhat mediocre. He gives you one black-and-white photo for each exercise and includes very little direction or tips for how to do the exercise safely.
All in all, a rather disappointing book. You can tell Arnold is very passionate about the topic, but the book feels rushed and disjointed, and his advice seems geared towards fellow professionals, who probably already know everything he has to say on this topic anyway.
And while Arnold does provide some good advice (e.g., poached eggs are the healthiest), even his "Level I" workout plan is insane and, if followed to the letter, would shortly put most people in the hospital for exhaustion. And he contradicts himself too. For instance, he'll talk about the importance of rest days, then he'll suggest working out twice a day 6 days a week.
Finally, the list of exercises in the middle of the book is somewhat mediocre. He gives you one black-and-white photo for each exercise and includes very little direction or tips for how to do the exercise safely.
All in all, a rather disappointing book. You can tell Arnold is very passionate about the topic, but the book feels rushed and disjointed, and his advice seems geared towards fellow professionals, who probably already know everything he has to say on this topic anyway.
Read
August 15, 2013Interesting read.
However, one can't help but think that maybe Arnold was a little out of touch with the reality of training for the average guy. After discussing the fact that some muscle groups, in particular the lower back, recover slowly, Arnold gives his Level 1 training program. It includes these exercises (among others):
* Monday/Thursday
Barbell Rows
Deadlifts
* Tuesday/Friday
Clean and Press
* Wednesday/Saturday
Squats
Straight-Leg Deadlifts
Good Mornings
So you're hammering your lower back 6 days a week! It appears that Arnold did not take into account the slow recovery of the lower back he mentioned earlier.
How to explain this? My best guess: Arnold was essentially superhuman, and these kinds of concerns didn't matter to him. In writing the book, he gave lip service to what he knew were widely held beliefs about training... but then gave the types of routines he would do, without really thinking about the incongruity.
However, one can't help but think that maybe Arnold was a little out of touch with the reality of training for the average guy. After discussing the fact that some muscle groups, in particular the lower back, recover slowly, Arnold gives his Level 1 training program. It includes these exercises (among others):
* Monday/Thursday
Barbell Rows
Deadlifts
* Tuesday/Friday
Clean and Press
* Wednesday/Saturday
Squats
Straight-Leg Deadlifts
Good Mornings
So you're hammering your lower back 6 days a week! It appears that Arnold did not take into account the slow recovery of the lower back he mentioned earlier.
How to explain this? My best guess: Arnold was essentially superhuman, and these kinds of concerns didn't matter to him. In writing the book, he gave lip service to what he knew were widely held beliefs about training... but then gave the types of routines he would do, without really thinking about the incongruity.
August 5, 2007
Growing up, my dad was a powerlifter (like a body builder but focused on raw lifting power as opposed to sculpting the body into a perfectly symmetric form) so I pulled down his copy of Arnold's tome and poured over it. In college, I used it as a reference while lifting weights and now, years later, I have the revised edition on my bookshelf and refreshed my knowledge before I started lifting again this year.
As it's for 'modern' bodybuilding, the examples are frequently with machines but since I only lift dumbbells I often need to find a way to convert from various machines to plain dumbbells. Thankfully there are a few good sites on the web to help with that.
As it's for 'modern' bodybuilding, the examples are frequently with machines but since I only lift dumbbells I often need to find a way to convert from various machines to plain dumbbells. Thankfully there are a few good sites on the web to help with that.
January 21, 2015
I mainly picked up this book because of its association to Arnold, who's always been an inspiration. As far as the programming itself, it's the standard fare you'd find in muscle mags and bodybuilding. Mediocre at best for most natural lifters. Far better results are to be had with up to date programs such as Starting Strength, Tactical Barbell, and Madcow.
September 9, 2015
Don't let your love of Arnie fool you. This book contains typical "bro-split" workouts you'd find in any Weider or muscle mag. Some of these workouts would take close to two hours if you were using anything more than beginner poundages.
Stick with practical, proven programs: Rippetoe's PPST, Tactical Barbell, or Wendler's 531.
Stick with practical, proven programs: Rippetoe's PPST, Tactical Barbell, or Wendler's 531.
January 2, 2015
the Real BIBLE!!
October 8, 2019
Not a particular good book for anyone getting started into lifting. Arnold Schwarzenegger is primarily a showman, not a coach.
December 16, 2023
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” is a comprehensive resource for old school bodybuilding.
Schwarzenegger, a winner of seven Mr. Olympia and three Mr. Universe titles, shares his expertise on getting bigger and stronger.
This 800-page monster of a book goes into detail about every area of bodybuilding such as body type, progressive resistance, reps, sets, rest periods, breathing, stretching, training intensity, volume, advanced lifting techniques, injury prevention, nutrition, and so much more.
Schwarzenegger breaks down the anatomy of bodybuilding. He examines the most effective exercises that promote the growth of muscle mass.
This encyclopedia is packed with black-and-white pictures of legends in their primes. Many of them trained with Arnold and competed against him on the stage. They include Tom Platz, Lou Ferrigno, Dorian Yates, Reg Park, Vince Taylor, Robby Robinson, Franco Columbo, Sergio Oliva, and Steve Reeves. They show up as examples of excellence, of self-discipline and commitment, because of the principles they applied to their workouts.
This “bodybuilding bible” is for beginners and experts, for men and women, for the young and old. It is a lifelong reference for anyone determined to improve their health. It is for those who want to master the fundamentals and progress to higher levels.
Schwarzenegger, a winner of seven Mr. Olympia and three Mr. Universe titles, shares his expertise on getting bigger and stronger.
This 800-page monster of a book goes into detail about every area of bodybuilding such as body type, progressive resistance, reps, sets, rest periods, breathing, stretching, training intensity, volume, advanced lifting techniques, injury prevention, nutrition, and so much more.
Schwarzenegger breaks down the anatomy of bodybuilding. He examines the most effective exercises that promote the growth of muscle mass.
This encyclopedia is packed with black-and-white pictures of legends in their primes. Many of them trained with Arnold and competed against him on the stage. They include Tom Platz, Lou Ferrigno, Dorian Yates, Reg Park, Vince Taylor, Robby Robinson, Franco Columbo, Sergio Oliva, and Steve Reeves. They show up as examples of excellence, of self-discipline and commitment, because of the principles they applied to their workouts.
This “bodybuilding bible” is for beginners and experts, for men and women, for the young and old. It is a lifelong reference for anyone determined to improve their health. It is for those who want to master the fundamentals and progress to higher levels.
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