Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men

I have been into physical fitness all my life. Even though I was quite familiar with the use of weights and body building, when I saw this book (Arnold’s Bodybuilding for Men by Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Bill Dobbins) at a super bargain price on Amazon, I immediately purchased it. Even though this book was published in 1981; nevertheless, the information in this excellent book is still of great value for anyone seeking a clear and comprehensive basic bodybuilding course. The text is organized into ten areas. The first part introduces you to fitness and body building principles. The second part covers the basic program series to get you started. The third, fourth and fifth part covers the exercise series to follow. Improvisational training is explained in the sixth section. The seventh section covers teenage training. Competition and bodybuilding is explored in section eight. Diet and nutrition is emphasized in section nine. The final section covers weight training for all ages. The advice given in this excellent text is simple, effective and practical for anyone who desires to learn how to build their strength and fitness level. For those who do not know Arnold Schwarzenegger, he is a seven time winner of the Mr. Olympia title. Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: The Samurai Heart: An old warrior’s poetic tribute).

Don't let old books fool you. This book is great for building lean muscle, no doubt. A friend of mine, some 20 years older, was told by his doctor that he desperately needed to lose 30 pounds. I was in decent shape, in my mid-twenties, but wanted to add some muscle and definition. So I picked up this book one summer and we both agreed to follow Schwarzenegger's Series I and Series II plans. [I believe the workout plans are golden and worth the entire book!] Essentially the plan is weight circuit training that progressively builds - and is one of the easiest workouts to begin and yet one of the most difficult workouts to continue and finish. In the end, my friend and I did both Series I and Series II (never made it to Series III, which, by the way is brutal) - spending some three months dedicated to it. I gained some 10+ of lean muscle, really changing my look, and my friend lost 15 pounds (pretty good assuming he gained muscle as well!). He continued the program for several more months and lost a total of 25 pounds, again, after gaining muscle. So I would encourage anyone to pick this up and give it a three month try and see what it does for you. Top notch book!

As archaic as a book written in 1981 must sound, I'm profoundly impressed. This book is written for the every-man/woman in a manner that is easy to understand. I personally felt that Arnold had a lot of empathy for any person that just wants to get fit and healthy and the structure of the regimen he lays out for us is well explained and cumulative. Even following the first portion would be safe, healthy and attainable for anyone that was inspired and decided to make even a minimal commitment to a weight-training routine. The routine that Arnold has prepared for us gets progressively more intense with super-sets becoming circuits in a 3-stage process (you'll understand all of that as you read the book) and just as a teaser at the very end, he gives us his training regimen that he used in '80 to win his final Mr. Olympia title. All of the exercises with the exception of the sit-up, which can be converted into a crunch, are still completely relevant. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to make a positive change in their life by becoming more fit and healthy. Read the book and see for yourself!

Although it goes somewhat into the science of nutrition, it is not nearly as comprehensive with bodybuilding diet information (specifics on schedule, foods, supplements) as I was hoping. It covers a wide range of exercises. It does well here even leaving room to write notes of your own. Overall I highly recommend this for anyone young or old who want to get to the next level in fitness and weightlifting. Why? Because it grounds you. We are constantly being bombarded with new training techniques and diets that are often times just a gimmick. This book does not do that. It is centered on solid, proven information. The book helps bring one back down to earth when there are so many opinions on what is effective, good or bad for you. That is the biggest thing it brought home from this read. It was a reality check. If you read bodybuilding articles (lifting programs and diets) it seems to me everyone is trying to sell us something. Maybe not always with our best interest in mind. This book isn't selling you anything. It considers itself already sold and just gives you the raw information Arnold wanted to impart to the reader. Although there are some in the back, there aren't pictures of Arnold featured in the training examples of the book. If they ever make an updated version they should consider changing that.

Yes, the excercises are basic. Yes, the knowledge revealed is basic. But the EFFICIENCY of both the knowledge and excercises is amazing. You will do these excercises and see results IF you do them as specified and very quickly. But the problem I ran into was the difficulty. I made progress very rapidly using his system (no joke..it really WORKS even for us skinny guys) and had to drop the ones that put too much pressure on my back but they do indeed work and work well. I even saw results with only doing these twice a week! But I do recommend learning more about diet if you are serious about bodybuilding. Diet/rest/proper quality and quantity of excercise are the keys. As a nerd after doing Arnolds system I gained a whole new respect for bodybuilders. The sheer willpower needed to go into the gym and torture yourself like this day after day is awe-inspiring lol.

Don't let this book intimdate you, it is general information that teaches you how to lift, for health and fitness. You don't have to want to look like Arnold to benefit from this book.

I've just recieved and read this book and I don't have any complaints. It's a good introduction for teenagers (It has a section devoted to teenage training.) and beginners who want to get started lifting weights with simple descriptions and images alongside more indepth information. Arnold doesn't assume that you have any previous experience and starts you out with basic exercises in weight lifting, stretching and aerobic exercises to get a well-rounded body. Some complain about the nutritional information in the book, but I see no real issues with it, and he also states that they're his own views and why.

I first bought this when I was in my twenties and had already been working out regularly with weights. (I was aerobically fit as well.) But the last workout (four circuits of the "Series III") is *brutal* and it took me a few weeks to get to the point that I could even complete it. (I guarantee that most of these reviewers haven't gone that far with this program.) Others noticed within a month and made comments like, "Wow, you're really getting in shape!" On casual-day at work I was wearing a Polo shirt and overheard a girl tell her friend, "He *does* have a nice body." I just came here to see if I could find an old used copy and I'm delighted that it is still in print! It sure beats the free advice from guys who hang out at the gym. Don't rip yourself off! As the author says, "The key is to read the instructions carefully and follow them explicitly. Don't skim over the material." No one can deny that this book is concise, authoritative, and incredibly well organized. (Aside: if you have problems with procrastination check out The Now Habit .)

Beh per me Arnold e' sempre stato un mito fin dalla mia infanzia quando iniziai ad allenarmi non diementicavo nemmeno altri Culturisti dell' epoca del calibro di Tom Platz e Frank Zane, ma Arnold era nei videogames del mio Amiga 500 alla Tv e sulle riviste pertanto acquistai ad 11 anni la sua enciclopedia e da li a poi imparai a diventare istruttore di BB e Fitness. Questo libro l 'ho preso un po' per cambiare allenamenti e un po per trovare un allenamento sulla mezza eta', e' un libro ben fatto consiglio sempre se non siete neofiti in quel caso meglio un istruttore!!!! Ciao

Excelente libro muy buen manual muy detallado

Has a lot of black and white photos of Arnold and other bodybuilders to support the workouts mentioned in the book. Blank tables available where you can record your workouts, weights used and reps done. There is a lot of readable info to support workout and diet plan. Overall book is good but Pricey!.

If you're looking for a workout regime this book has that. It is a practical three series set of exercises that incorporates each muscle group and includes a series of workups and warm downs that put you to the test!

Muy bien explicado con detalle