Customer Reviews

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This is an excellent book for the would be bodybuilder. It provides indepth information on training programmes and outlines a multitude of exercises and training techniques that can help boost your progress. It can also be viewed as more of an inspirational tool because of the fantastically detailed pictures of all the top bodybuilders rather than a concise exercise physiology book but it will provide individuals with a sound base to become proficient 'muscle builders'.

There seems to be a lot of confusion in the earlier reviews concerning the use of 20 set's per body part? If for example you are aiming to build your thighs, this would involve 5 sets of squats, the first set being a warm-up set, 4 sets of lunges, the first set being another warm-up set, 4 sets of leg extensions, 4 sets of hamstring curls and finally 3 sets of deadlifts, which totals 20 sets for your thighs. Arnold clearly advocates the use and gradual progression of his recommended training programmes, that are aimed at beginner level right through to advanced. Now if you follow this as Arnold states, you will not end up doing 20 sets per bodypart until you reach the more advanced levels, which can sometimes take years of training to comfortably achieve.

Bodybuilding can be an extremely difficult and demanding sport depending on what level you are currently participating at. The use of behind the neck presses and behind the neck lat pulldowns etc. is questionable and have been proven to aggravate the shoulder complex but we have to take into consideration the fact that these are actually 'sport specific exercises' and like many other sports like karate which advocate ballistic stretching and athletics with explosive power movements such as heavy partial squats, they belong in the relam of the sports they were designed specifically for and not in recreational training programmes designed to reduce weight and improve tone.

The only downfall I see concerning the book is the sparsity of text in the injuries section, which deserves much more attention. However, this book is excellent and belongs in your bodybuilding arsenal. It will provide you with inspiration, motivation and the knowledge to help you succeed and I highly recommend that you purchase it.

This book has everything you need for a healthy workout, nutritional plan, knowledge about your body and living a healthy life style. I recommend this book to anyone who thinks going to the gym is good idea. Arnold really covers all the bases from beginner to expert level for all aspects of body building and general health. A certified must read.

This book is exactly what it says it is- an encyclopedia. It is divided into no less than five "books." Measuring in at about one and a half inches thick, if the info contained inside doesn't help you get bigger, just try lifting the book!

A quick rundown of each chapter. The first book is basically an introduction to bodybuilding, covering a lot of miscellaneous, but important topics. The second book covers the training programs, the third the body part exercises, and the fourth book competing. The fifth and last book covers nutrition and diets.

As you can tell, there's really only one word to describe this book- comprehensive. Would have liked to see a little more on injuries, for example there only about a half page on shoulder injuries, but then again this isn't exactly a sports medicine book either. Weightlifters who have a shoulder problem or rotator cuff tear might also want to take a look at Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff.

This is one of the BEST BOOKS ever written for body building. It is comprehensive and talks about all aspects of body building. I realize alot of people who hit the gym like me have alot of myths, misconceptions, and confusions about working out. This book helps clear those myths and set your path straight. Inside talks about the why to working out and how to work out. It includes sets Arnold recommend, and illustrations of how to do them. This really helps because it gives you alot of important tips on proper form. Alot of other tips in the book are muscle groups, how to develop those muscles, how to build the muscles. Book also contains alot of important stuff about workout such as number of sets, number of reps, proper terms and alot of psychological advices. YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU HIT THE GYM! No other way around not buying this book. I know excellent muscle guys who gives me false advices. This book helps clear them up.

The background this book provides on bodybuilding is great, and a must for *competitive* bodybuilders. Non-competitive strength trainers will probably find plenty to absorb but will have to filter out all of the competition-oriented stuff.

I do enjoy the descriptions of exercises and how they should be performed. I found this really informative and the pics were nice. Also, I really liked the index & table of contents.. The book is well organized.

Downsides:
Arnold's information on nutrition & supplementation is vague and unscientific.
Regarding the recommended workouts... I started the recommended 6-day/week workout for novices. After doing the workout for a week, I've noticed that several of Arnold's exercises are inferior and/or unsafe: wrist curls, heavy upright rows, etc. I actually screwed up a nerve in my shoulder area when doing the recommended upright rows, only to read a day later (on the net) that this is a common problem and that's why you shouldn't do them. Now I get a "twang" in my shoulder/trap when I move sometimes. Great. So this week I'm starting my *revised* workout...

So there is some good info in this book and I found it really informative. However, there's some bad advice as well. So if you buy, definitely supplement it with information from others before you design workout/nutrition/supplementation routine.

790 pages of excellent advice from the Father of Modern Body Building himself; Arnold Schwarzenegger. This book is a true inspiration to those who wish to lose weight, tone up the body and even pump up their muscles. Body building is not just for men, women need this advice too.
This wonderful encyclopedic text provides motivation, guidance though various work-outs and explains the excersizes clearly.
Nutrition is discussed throughout, and it all falls into helping a person to train themselves back into shape.
It's never too late to get yourself back into good physical condition, and this book stresses the importance of the mind and the body working in unison to achieve the goal of homeostasis and balance.
Arnold encourages women and men to make the effort to get back into shape; he advises to get a gym buddy to help encourage you to go to the gym, or hire a personal trainer - if that's what it takes. Arnold values good health, and his wonderful, heartfelt advice comes through time and time again in this fabulous book.
Read it...read parts of it if you don't have the time to read it page by page, all the way through.
It's full of encouraging words and beautiful pictures of Arnold and all the other body-building greats...my favorites:
Lou Ferrigno
Frank Zane
Dave Draper
Sergio Oliva
Franco Columbo
Robby Robinson
Vince Taylor
Dorian Yates
Flex Wheeler
and my #1 Favorite Bodybuilder: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The original year of publication of this book was 1985,
then it was updated and refreshed in 1998.
Arnold is more popular than ever, now that he is govenor of California, and it is important to see his early rise to popularity in this great nation of ours.
Get this book and keep it near your bed or stuffed in your gym bag. You will learn things about getting into shape -- not just your body but your mind too.
Remember - it's never too late to get back into shape, and
Arnold is quite willing to allow himself to be your own personal trainer, if you wish.
Just get the book -- it's a true winner! You'll love it -
it will change your life for the better if you put it into motion like I did. I read the book, skipping here and there, but I can honestly testify....
It's improved my life in ways I never imagined, and if you are serious about improving your overall health and wellbeing, I encourage you to get this book into your life! Oh and...thank you for reading my review.

I thought the new and revised version of the encyclopedia would have different training, diet and supplementation recommendations with up to date information on the science behind some of the newer techniques and ideas. However, the only thing new in the revised edition is the inclusion of a new preface.

All in all, the book is pretty good for a beginner. Arnold's training routines are pretty outrageous and not for the average person. Some of the supplement recommendations I disagree with also. I think you could easily find most of this information online for free, but it does have some good information on the history of bodybuilding, as well as lots of good pictures and descriptions of specific excercises.

This book is not the final word on every subject mentioned within. That said, it is an EXCELLENT book, and many people reviewing this book must not have read it. To suggest that bodybuilders have "proportionately weak legs" must have missed the entire legs chapter of the book. The current Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman can squat 855 pounds, and the world record is ~1100, so I'd say he's doing pretty well!

Some of the people dismiss the book because of the training routines, but I would question the diligence of their training. If you are a beginner, and you use his advanced training routine for preparing for a world-class bodybuilding competition, IT WON'T WORK! However, if you eat the way the book describes and train in accordance with your level of expertise, you can see fabulous results. I gained 45 pounds of muscle in a year and a half following principles like Arnold's without using a single performance-enhancing supplement - let alone something illegal. Genetics isn't what will hold you back - your desire to succeed will.

Like it says, this book has everything you need to know about muscle fitness. Cardio alone will not keep you strong and healthy into old age; you must pump your muscles. Whether you're a once-a-weeker gym goer or a competition bodybuilder, this is a must-have. Great workout plans which give the quickest results in strength and muscle growth, while staying lean.

The training techniques promoted in this book are training suicide for most of the population. If you are interested in real results look at books by Stuart McRobert and Brooks Kubrik.