As a beginning, sleeping/eating/training seriously for 8 months, I browsed Arnold’s Level I Training.
It was very intimidating to me. I think that it’d take me 1.5 hours to finish the routine. Then I don’t know if I’d be ready to work out 6 days per week on this hard plan.
Who is this program geared towards? I want to train heavily because I care seriously about my results and physique.
Give me some tips about this and his programs.
Thanks
It’s geared towards people who are very genetically gifted and/or taking vitamin S…you can get away with doing it for a couple weeks just as shock and to really switch things up for a bit but it is very demanding and will burn you out fast. I did it for one week once and it really takes a lot out of you if your pushing yourself every set.
Spade,
What are your goals and what are you trying to achieve?
If Arnold’s routine is too much Im sure someone can recommend a T-Nation routine for you or at least point you in the right direction.
Best of luck,
B-3
[quote]ratm88 wrote:
It’s geared towards people who are very genetically gifted and/or taking vitamin S…you can get away with doing it for a couple weeks just as shock and to really switch things up for a bit but it is very demanding and will burn you out fast. I did it for one week once and it really takes a lot out of you if your pushing yourself every set.[/quote]
Arnold was the epitomy of this…his genetics were amazing and yes, the “Vitamin-S” helped. His routines aren’t for everyone. You’ll end up burning out way before you make any gains.
[quote]BodyBldgBabe wrote:
Spade,
What are your goals and what are you trying to achieve?
If Arnold’s routine is too much Im sure someone can recommend a T-Nation routine for you or at least point you in the right direction.
Best of luck,
B-3 [/quote]
My goals are increased muscle size and strength, i.e. look like Arnold… maybe my genes will prevent it, however i’ll push myself to the limit
I was doing Waterbury’s SOB Training 3x per week(modified). I’ve never trained 4x per week so I’d like to do so. I would very much like to do Arnold’s routines, but I don’t know if my body can handle it before fatigue sets in…
[quote]SpadeK wrote:
As a beginning, sleeping/eating/training seriously for 8 months, I browsed Arnold’s Level I Training.
It was very intimidating to me. I think that it’d take me 1.5 hours to finish the routine. Then I don’t know if I’d be ready to work out 6 days per week on this hard plan.
Who is this program geared towards? I want to train heavily because I care seriously about my results and physique.
Give me some tips about this and his programs.
Thanks
[/quote]
You want some honest advice? Don’t do Arnold’s programs, especially with only 8 months under the bar. Unless you’ve got genetic recovery abilities like Arnold and are “enhanced”, all they’ll do is burn you out.
What program(s) have you been doing up until this point? How much have your lifts improved since you started? How is your diet/rest?
If you haven’t already done so I’d suggest doing Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” program, then when that’s finished try either Bill Starr’s/Madcow “5x5” program, or WS4SB. Those are both excellent programs for beginner/intermediate trainees and will help you build a good strong foundation. They’ll also allow you to gain some significant strength and, if you’re eating right, muscle as well.
Good luck.
I did the Shut Up Program last year and doubled my lifting numbers in 4 weeks. The 4 day split worked great. I eventually tried the 3 day split but didnt care for it as well.
There’s a link to the routine on my profile if you want to check it out.
Someone sent me updated progress pictures of a routine they were doing from here for bulk and the results were fantastic. I’ll PM him and see which program he did.
What are your current stats and where would you like to be?
It seems nobody likes Arnold’s routines, but have they ever done them? Does anyone last more than a few weeks? I wonder who is offering ‘book’ advice rather than experience.
Well, I did Arnold’s Beginner and Intermediate routines the first two years I lifted. When they got too long, I split them into morning and afternoon routines. I got through them by having the time (I was in college, worked out before and after classes); eating a lot and relatively clean (but probably not according to some of the food ‘scientists’ on this site); and by having a great workout partner. I was not enhanced and this was when creatine was still questionable.
I had good gains and probably limited myself but not eating more. And No, I am not genetically gifted.
If you are intimidated by the routine than it is probably not for you. I like high volume/high frequency. The partner is key for that routine. You cannot enter it with fear or reservations. Having someone there who is supporting, spotting and suffering with you helps.
What routine have you been doing to this point?
{edit} I see you said above.
[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
If you are intimidated by the routine than it is probably not for you. I like high volume/high frequency. The partner is key for that routine. You cannot enter it with fear or reservations. Having someone there who is supporting, spotting and suffering with you helps.
[/quote]
If you can handle high volume/high frequency, then you’ve got pretty good recovery abilities. That’s what I meant about being genetically gifted. So, in that sense, yes, you are.
The majority of people will need to do either high volume/low frequency or low volume/high frequency (unless they’re “enhanced” and even then they have their limits).
Also, I haven’t got anything against Arnold’s routines. But I honestly believe for someone at Spade’s level, he’d be better off doing different programs.
I don’t have the book in front of me, but as I recall most people confuse his “competition” routine with his routines for people still building up their bodies.
In the book I think the first standard routine is something like working every muscle group 2-3 times a week, it’s intense but nothing out of this world.
[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
It seems nobody likes Arnold’s routines, but have they ever done them? Does anyone last more than a few weeks? I wonder who is offering ‘book’ advice rather than experience.
Well, I did Arnold’s Beginner and Intermediate routines the first two years I lifted. When they got too long, I split them into morning and afternoon routines. I got through them by having the time (I was in college, worked out before and after classes); eating a lot and relatively clean (but probably not according to some of the food ‘scientists’ on this site); and by having a great workout partner. I was not enhanced and this was when creatine was still questionable.
I had good gains and probably limited myself but not eating more. And No, I am not genetically gifted.
If you are intimidated by the routine than it is probably not for you. I like high volume/high frequency. The partner is key for that routine. You cannot enter it with fear or reservations. Having someone there who is supporting, spotting and suffering with you helps.
What routine have you been doing to this point?
{edit} I see you said above.[/quote]
[quote]SpadeK wrote:
As a beginning, sleeping/eating/training seriously for 8 months, I browsed Arnold’s Level I Training.
It was very intimidating to me. I think that it’d take me 1.5 hours to finish the routine. Then I don’t know if I’d be ready to work out 6 days per week on this hard plan.
Who is this program geared towards? I want to train heavily because I care seriously about my results and physique.
Give me some tips about this and his programs.
Thanks
[/quote]
Post the routine.
Right, do post it, please.
I’ll post it give me a sec to get the book out
Arnold has a begginners program level 1 and 2, and advanced program level 1 and 2 and a competition program levels 1 and 2. I’m guessing he’s talking about advanced level 1.
Kind of lengthy
Each muscle 3 times per week. Legs are on the same day as chest and back, but are supposed to be done in the evening. The other day is shoulders and arms, calves and abseveryday.
Chest
Bench Press 4sets 10 8 6 4
Inclines DB or BB 4sets 10 8 6 4
Flys 3sets 10 8 6
Dips 3sets 15 10 8
Pullovers 3x15
Back
chins 4sets take to failure
close grip chins 4x10
t-bar rows 4sets 15 12 8 6
Barbbell Rows 4sets 8-12 reps
Thighs
Squats 4sets 10 8 6 4
Front Squats 4sets 10 8 8 6
Hack Squats 3x10
Leg Curls 4sets 20 10 8 6
Standing Leg curls 4x10
Stiff Leg Deads 3x10
Calves
Donkey raises 4x10
Standing Raises 4sets 15 10 8 8
Abs
Crunches 3x25
Twists 100 reps each side
Machine Crunches 3x25
crunches 50 reps
Day 2
Shoulders
Militaries 4sets 10 8 8 6
Laterals 4x8
Bent Over Lateral 4x8
DB Shrugs 3x10
Bis/Tris
BB Curls 4 sets 10 8 6 4
Inc. DB Curls 4x8
Conc. curls 3x8
Lying tricep ext. 4sets 10 8 6 4
tricep pressdowns 3x8
one arm ext. 3x10
Forearms
Wrist curls 4x10
Reverse wrist curls 4x10
calves
seated raises 4x10
abs
reverse crunches 4x25
twists 100 reps each side
vertical bench crunches 4x25
So it’s
Monday = day 1
T= day 2
W= day 1
T= day 2
F= day 1
S= day 2
S rest
?
Yes, that would be a good routine if you live at Mom’s and work 20 hours a week in a studio solely to finance 5000kcal and Vitamin S.
Not doable for a working adult, unenhanced.
[quote]Schwarzfahrer wrote:
So it’s
Monday = day 1
T= day 2
W= day 1
T= day 2
F= day 1
S= day 2
S rest
?
[/quote]
ya that’s how it is, it’s a damn lot of volume.
Yeesh even with being able to workout 2x’s a day (minus the weekends) I’d be hosed doing that…
Getup at 5am b4 work/kids and during lunch at work, but thats a long workout and you’d really need that partner…
I think you’d see some good gains if you can do it with enough calories and good rest though…
[quote]Oldfart wrote:
Yeesh even with being able to workout 2x’s a day (minus the weekends) I’d be hosed doing that…
Getup at 5am b4 work/kids and during lunch at work, but thats a long workout and you’d really need that partner…
I think you’d see some good gains if you can do it with enough calories and good rest though…[/quote]
I think it be a pretty decent program if you could split it up into a 3 day split working each muscle group twice per week. To follow through with this program you’d basically have to eat breath and sleep bodybuilding for the duration of the time you stay on. Sometimes that’s just not practical.