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

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

Product Description
From elite bodybuilding competitors to gymnasts, from golfers to fitness gurus, anyone who works out with weights must own this book -- a book that only Arnold Schwarzenegger could write, a book that has earned its reputation as "the bible of bodybuilding."

Inside, Arnold covers the very latest advances in both weight training and bodybuilding competition, with new sections on diet and nutrition, sports psychology, the treatment and prevention of injuries, and methods of training, each illustrated with detailed photos of some of bodybuilding's newest stars.

Plus, all the features that have made this book a classic are here:

• Arnold's tried-and-true tips for sculpting, strengthening, and defining each and every muscle to create the ultimate buff physique

• The most effective methods of strength training to stilt your needs, whether you're an amateur athlete or a pro bodybuilder preparing for a competition

• Comprehensive information on health, nutrition, and dietary supplements to help you build muscle, lose fat, and maintain optimum energy

• Expert advice on the prevention and treatment of sports-related injuries

• Strategies and tactics for competitive bodybuilders from selecting poses to handling publicity

• The fascinating history and growth of' bodybuilding as a sport, with a photographic "Bodybuilding Hall of Fame"

• And, of course, Arnold's individual brand of inspiration and motivation throughout

Covering every level of expertise and experience, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding will help you achieve your personal best. With his unique perspective as a seven-time winner of the Mr. Olympia title and all international film star, Arnold shares his secrets to dedication, training, and commitment, and shows you how to take control of your body and realize your own potential for greatness.

I still question some of the training schedules (lifting 6 days per week really seems like a lot to me), but it is worth the money just as an exercise reference -- even if you aren't interesting in competitive bodybuilding. Whenever I am changing my training program or looking to verify my form I consult this book.


Know what it is first. Hundreds of thousands of $$$ of drug use, bad form and overtraining   July 16, 2006
 44 out of 62 found this review helpful

The book got five stars from me in the past. I would still give it five stars for what it is. I have given many of Arnold's books five starts but I have decided to balance all of those reviews with a 1 star review here. Why 1 star? Let me explain. This book contains images of Drug-Users. All of the people in this book are highly genetically gifted and they all regularly stick needles in their muscles. They go on cycles of drugs to expand on their already massive genetically gifted muscles. ALL of them do this. There is not one, not one single picture, of a bodybuilding that has not used more roids in a year than a city hospital gives out in five years. The arm on the cover of the book is $40,000 arm. It was paid for by Joe Weider who sponsored Arnie to drop work and instead train and take drugs to develop the perfect body that mankind would pay to see. Arnold was already very gifted and he was using lots of drugs. He had too because he was being paid to do it full time by the biggest manager of the bodybuilding world at the time, Mr. Weider. Arnold is a God among men. In this book he paired up with other God's among men. People who are genetically gifted and injecting themselves with expensive drugs for lots of cycles over long periods of time. You must understand that this is what you are seeing. You must understand that unless you are genetically gifted and doing lots of drugs you can never achieve the muscle proportions of the World's leading bodybuilding drug users. The worst part is yet to come. These drug-users have absolutely no idea how to train any other way than to use drugs and sit in the gym all day banging out bigger muscles. If you want to spend 6 days a week isolation training without drugs, and have the needed gifts, you are about to throw your life away or end up doing drugs, for an eighth of the results. You will inevitably horribly and miserably fail, crash and burn.

IF,... and this is a big IF... you choose to reject, unconditionally, everything training related that you read here.... And IF... and this is another big IF... you only read the information here for kicks... and IF... you seek advice from non-drug natural bodybuilding books... that promote progressive weight lifting (something Arnold talks about but doesn't explain)... that promote long rest periods... and promote better exercise form... then you can achieve a look in 3-5 years time, that will get you a lot of attention, and may look as good as an athlete who has not taken drugs. Concentrate on progressive compound movements (squat, deadlift, bench press). You also need to learn how to control your calories by eating good food only and getting your BF% around 10-15% for the look, while learning how to BULK and CUT. None of this information is in this book. The exercise form in the pictures is hideous and dangerous. The routines are absurd. Everyone is pumped up on drugs. Never let anyone fool you by thinking differently. Drugs did most of the work not cycles of weekly 6 days of isolation exercises in the gym.

Now the book is five stars for what it is. Amazing motivation and a canon of bodybuilders like you have never seen them before. I love it! But apply extreme caution. Learn about steroid abuse and how drug users have no idea how to train. The form in this book has injured people badly.


The Ultamate bodybuilding reference!   December 25, 2000
 26 out of 29 found this review helpful

This book has it all. It really is an encyclopedia... It covers the history of bodybuilding, nutrition and diet, posing and competition, and of course...training techniques. It goes over each muscle group in detail. If you want to know which exercises to do in order to build up a certain muscle, it lists several type of movements and explains what effect those movements will have on the muscle (ex. working the upper pecs vs. working the lower pecs). Many pages are devoted to each muscle, not just one or two like in other books. -In addition, topics such as motivation and intensity are discussed, key elements for any serious weight lifter/bodybuilder.

Aside from its content, this book is well organized. You can easily pinpoint your area of interest using the table of contents. This is very helpful if you intend to use this as a reference as I do. I have personally read about of the book. However, I am often reaching for it when I want a quick answer or am looking for a different twist on something.

In case you are wondering, this book has a ton of pictures of Arnold and other known bodybuilders. Some illustrating exercises, others of guys working out in the gym. I would say about 1/3 of the book is composed of pictures.