Has anyone tried the programs set out in Arnold’s Encyclopedia of bodybuilding?
Yeah, they are pretty decent actually.
Some of the stuff is strange, like doing the power exercises at the end, but overall the beginner’s 6 day a week routine could probably get most people started.
I will say though, that some people will have a problem growing on a routine like that because they won’t eat enough calories, and they will have trouble gaining strength quickly enough.
What is your level of training experience?
[quote]mr popular wrote:
Some of the stuff is strange, like doing the power exercises at the end, but overall the beginner’s 6 day a week routine could probably get most people started.[/quote]
I think that the compound movements are at the end because the preceding movements would pre-exhaust the target muscle. This makes sense in body-part targeted training.
JDK
6 days a week doesn’t sound like a beginner routine to me, I guess it could depend what the routine looks like.
I made some good progress on this when I first started but I personally think this is a little bit dated.
Still the classic BB book.
Great movement reference but probably sub-optimal programing methodology. You really need to pound back the food food food for those type of progs to get good results. I find that that is super hard for most people who aren’t typically accustomed to eating not only big but huge.
-chris
[quote]mr popular wrote:
Yeah, they are pretty decent actually.
Some of the stuff is strange, like doing the power exercises at the end, but overall the beginner’s 6 day a week routine could probably get most people started.
I will say though, that some people will have a problem growing on a routine like that because they won’t eat enough calories, and they will have trouble gaining strength quickly enough.
What is your level of training experience?[/quote]
ok, thanks for the feedback.
I have actually been training for about 2 years now. Now weigh 175 lbs, 6 ft tall. Have seen great results on Waterbury’s programs, but I think I now need a change to stimulate further growth. I was thinking of going back to a split. I am in college so I’m a bit pressed for time (that’s why I really like the total body sessions). Would Arnold’s program work, or what else could recommend?
I prefer the total body or a push pull split, but I did okay on max-ot.
Ooh I hope it’s good I just ordered a copy! What’s better, Arnie’s encylopedia or Joe Weider’s Ultimate Bodybuilding?
Wow, I can still remember when I bought my copy. I had been training a few months, and this huge paperback monster of a book was only $19 at a Barnes and Nobles. It was a workout itself just carrying it home -lol
S
I never saw the benefit of doing total body workouts when you are pressed for time. I just wouldn’t be able to hit any particular muscle group with a proper amount of intensity anyway…
To me the logical solution would be to spread things out more.
Although I wouldn’t recommend that particular split (bodybuilding ency.), it would probably be beneficial to do something similar to it that was a little more time/energy efficient.
Like the book, espececially the sense of fun and spirit the original evokes of the 60’s and 70’s period. I did leaf through the newer edition and saw more pics of slightly less happy looking 90’s BBer’s but the text seemed largely the same.
The routines always look likely to result in over training for anyone with a job, family and other demands on energy to me but the exercise instruction pages are indeed quite instructive and can inspire.