The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised Author: Visit Amazon's Arnold Schwarzenegger Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0684843749 | Format: PDF
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised Description
Amazon.com Review
Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't competed as a bodybuilder since he won the Mr. Olympia title in 1980, but he remains the sport's No. 1 icon. He hosts an annual bodybuilding contest in Columbus, Ohio, and allows a column to be ghost-written under his name in a muscle magazine. Today's bodybuilders may have bigger muscles than Arnold ever did, but everyone inside and outside the iron game gives him credit for exponentially broadening the popularity of physique training.
With this updated Encyclopedia (it was originally published in 1985), Schwarzenegger wraps his huge arms around the entire sport. He hits the history of bodybuilding, the champions (he's quite generous in his praise of predecessors, contemporaries, and successors alike), the training systems. Some of the information is more bodybuilding lore than science; for example, exercises are said to "expand the rib cage" or develop the "inner" or "outer" chest, all physiological impossibilities. But they're still good exercises, and the book includes every movement imaginable for every muscle group.
If you love the sport of bodybuilding, you'll want this book in your library, if for no other reason than to feast your eyes on the hundreds of photos of the best physiques in the history of the sport. And, in a pinch, the 800-page encyclopedia can fill in nicely for a missing dumbbell. --Lou Schuler
About the Author
The author of
Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men, and the first edition of the
Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding,Arnold Schwarzenegger has won more bodybuilding titles than anyone else in the world, including three Mr. Universe titles. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Maria Shriver, and their four children.
- Hardcover: 832 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Subsequent edition (December 15, 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0684843749
- ISBN-13: 978-0684843742
- Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 6.5 pounds
This book has everything you need to know about all aspects of bodybuilding. It starts with basic recommendation and training techniques for the beginner and ends with posing for bodybuilding competitions. The book is well organized, so it is very hard to get lost. In the first few pages, you will find the history of bodybuilding, but following it are the actual programs and sets of exercises that you can use for every workout. There is a beginner program, advanced program, and competition program. Each program has 2 levels of training listing exercises most suitable for each level. If you are a beginner, you can start with level 1 of the beginner training and then eventually move up as you see results. Or you can just start with a level that you see fit for your current shape, as I did. After all the programs, you will find information on how to correctly perform each of the exercises listed in training programs, all with big illustrations (you will see a lot of inspiring pictures of famous bodybuilders). You will also find many different exercises that you can use to alternate your workouts, and also nutritional programs to go with your training. Nutritional programs are divided into different levels as well. I have never used anabolic steroids, and I have no problem performing exercises listed in the book. Some of them may be hard, but not in the beginner training. That's why you shouldn't start with advanced training unless you feel comfortable. I started seeing results after as little as 2 weeks after almost no progress for last half a year before I picked up this book. Arnold's training hits all muscle groups, and some that many people simply miss/disregard, but that are essential for building the best physique.
1) Comprehensiveness -
There's not a single book that can boast of the same overall coverage of bodybuilding that this one can. Let's say you aim to take several college courses to assist your bodybuilding knowledge; you'd still have to take one introductory one, one in simple nutrition, one in advanced nutrition, one in general kinesiology, one in exercise physiology, one in advanced exercise physiology, and so on and so forth. The same applies to most other books. This encyclopedia, at 800 chocobloc pages, covers beginner-intermediate and mildly advanced ground comfortably and in a handy cross-indexed reference method, with additional tips thrown in from the man who brought the sport out of its shell: Arnold Schwarzennegger.
2) Value for Money -
800 pages at 17 bucks is a steal. I ordered this item, and with ground shipping had the cost add up to about $21 dollars. Still cheap for an 800 page compendium!
3) Above and Beyond -
Aside from all the valuable textbook-style knowledge, you'll also get Arnie's own special inputs (of course updated in 1998), a nice glimpse at bodybuilding history, some tips on basic supplementation and a great section to help you if you're a competitor. The book is stacked with personal tips; chances are they'll help you pack on muscle faster than before.
4) Indirect Value -
The book also has an indirect value. If you're one of those people who buys muscle magazines for your routines and info, you can happily junk that nonsense. First of all, muscle magazines get kind of tiring, with their 'NEW AND HOT OFF THE SHELVES' this-and-that every month, their juiced-up routines and their annoying Muscletech ads, and, Weider-endorsed or not, they have a hell of a lot less credibility.
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