arnold's encyclopedia recommends 4 sets

[pokerstud]

Arnold in his encyclopedia recommends 4 sets for each of the exercise in a workout, with multiple exercises per body part, and each body part worked out 2 or 3 times a week. The first set should be somewhere from 14 reps, then the 2nd 10-12, 3rd 8-10 and 4th less than 8 reps. This is drastically different from what I do right now. I never do that many reps for one exercise. I am looking for advice from those who have tried something close to this. Does it work?

 

[flippinfreak]

Have you seen Arnold today? For sure the guy was using some sort of doping technique for estrogen to hit him that hard.

PS, how OLD is Arnold's encyclopedia?

PPS, Depending on your physical level and metabolic constistency, this style could work out for a beginner.

 

[[S]alvatore]

Unless you're juicing, there's no point in following any of the pro's routines.

 

[prosemont]

Don't follow Arnie's routines. The information is old old old. You'll only overtrain and you won't grow using that info. Arnold is a genetic mutant AND he juiced up a storm which is why it might have worked for him but would be disasterous for anyone else.

 

[shydude]

Arnold is a great a man, a great actor and a an awsome governor. Howerver he used steroids that made him that big. HOw old is it?? 40YEARS OLD?? i would sugest folowing it unless you are trying to become a pro weightlifter thats on the juice.


When I was a kid, my dream was to become Arnold Swharzenegger(cant spell his last name)

 

[KillaCam]

Do not follow the pro's routines. It's simple.

My PE teacher was a former bodybuilder, and trained alongside Arnie back in his heyday. Steroid abuse was a high priority of Arnie's, and look where it's gotten him now (In terms of his body, not that ridiculous politician deal..).

Keep it natural, and look for some routines built for the "average man". You will get more results that way, without turning to juicing.

 

[brucevangeorge]

Do not follow the pro's routines. It's simple.

My PE teacher was a former bodybuilder, and trained alongside Arnie back in his heyday. Steroid abuse was a high priority of Arnie's, and look where it's gotten him now (In terms of his body, not that ridiculous politician deal..).

Keep it natural, and look for some routines built for the "average man". You will get more results that way, without turning to juicing.

Oh you mean besides the fact that he's a 60 year old man who looked great even in his 50s?

Of course he looks like ****! He's got other things to do other than workout now that he's the governator. And I doubt he "abused" steroids like today's pros do. Steroid use is not steroid abuse.

 

[brucevangeorge]

Arnold in his encyclopedia recommends 4 sets for each of the exercise in a workout, with multiple exercises per body part, and each body part worked out 2 or 3 times a week. The first set should be somewhere from 14 reps, then the 2nd 10-12, 3rd 8-10 and 4th less than 8 reps. This is drastically different from what I do right now. I never do that many reps for one exercise. I am looking for advice from those who have tried something close to this. Does it work?

I do pretty much the same thing. Except I don't hit the bodyparts with different exercises per workout.

3-4 sets of one exercise per bodypart 3 days a week.

Works for me!

And how is this so "drastically" different than what you do now?

 

[far from average]

The volume and intensity of his workouts are too high for somebody who isn't heavily enhanced and genetically inclined to muscle gain. You need to reduce one or the other to make something like that work. That being said, you'd be better off to concentrate on basics-squat, bench, etc, and build up gradually.

 

[suikeisuru]

It's all about genetics. Take the steroids away from the champ and he'll still be a champ. Arnold in particular was winning contests only a year after he started training--that's genetics anyway you look at it.

 

[MindOverMatter]

roids aside, arnold was a champ because he simply was the most dedicated bodybuilder at the time.

most bodybuilders nowdays would not have achieved success in his days. back then, your main source of protein was solid food, and any protein shakes that existed tasted like liquid turd. for him to maintain a championship diet, it took 100x more willpower then it takes today. if you can have that kind of willpower, you can accomplish anything, even become a governor. nowdays you have restaurants that cater to bodybuilders, protein shakes that taste like chocolate covered strawberries, and all sorts of sh!t.

also, arnold lived a very active lifestyle, even outside of the gym. he worked a ton of blue collar jobs which required physical labor (i remember reading about him working as a brick layer in his bio). the guy was a very active person, and as a result his body was able to adapt to his lifestyle. hence him being able to handle that ridiculous amount of sets.

while i do think that any average person would overtrain on his routine in a matter of 2 weeks, i do think that if they had his dedication, they could push their body to eventually adapt to it (it would take them years however just like it took arnold). and i do think that his splits benefit roid users more then any other routine. i remember reading ronnie coleman's site way back before and some of his splits were almost identical in frequency to arnold's.

 

[KillaCam]

And I doubt he "abused" steroids like today's pros do. Steroid use is not steroid abuse.

You doubt, I know. It was abuse, plain and simple.