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

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.


Conning the masses   May 31, 2004
 25 out of 39 found this review helpful

I'm just going to tell it like it is. I idolized Arnold while growing up and followed his training methods to the letter for 5 years but i got nowhere near my bodybuilding goals. First and foremeost Arnold is is terrifically gifted genetically for growing muscle and was further bolstered with the most powerful drugs at the time. He does not tell this to his readers. He would have grown no matter what training he did. He has no clue, abslutely no clue on how to train genetically typically people like myself, who can build an impressive physique if the proper training methods are followed. But you will not find these methods in this book. All you will find is routines of the 'champs' who like Arnold are light years away from regular people. There is no way these routines will work for you unless you have similar genetics, (and if you are reading this review then you most likely do not)and that you're ready to get into the mess of drug abuse.
I regret having to give this book only one star cos it really is beautifully presented, but being a personal trainer i'm only going to judge a book on how much it will help a person reach his training goals.I have no vested interest whatsoever so please heed this advice.. If you want to add to your collection of training books please by this book. But if you're really interested in building a big, strong and healthy physique in minimum time please read Beyond Brawn by Stuart McRobert.


Sure...I've Got Nothing Else To Do...Why Not?   December 29, 2006
 24 out of 35 found this review helpful

This is a great workout book if you have nothing else to do but workout. The routines in this book are quite effective but they are also long and demand much of your time. If you don't have any kind of responsibilities, then by all means, follow the routines in this book. Go ahead train, eat, tan, eat some more, sleep, have some sex, but if you have any kind of life this book may not be what you're looking for. I agree with some of the reviewers, it's good for a reference, but if you're looking for something that gets good results in a minimum amount of time, try a Bob Paris book or even a Frank Zane book. You can even use this book, but just cut the amount of sets in half.

If you're in your teens and early to mid-twenties, you can do anything and get in shape. I remember those days. Roll out of bed, smoke a bowl, eat a cupcake and workout. I was ripped, defined, and in great shape. Nowadays, I roll out of bed with a moan, overshoot the toliet bowl, and the only cupcake I can have in my life without gaining weight is my wife. I'm in my forties now. I can't workout like I once did. I can't eat like I once did. I can't do a lot of things like I once did. But I'm still in good shape. If for some reason I can't go to the gym one day, I don't beat myself up over it, I'll do some "invisible training". You might laugh at this, but I "pretend" I'm lifting an imaginary weight. In my mind, I pick out an exercise, let's say dumbell presses. I see a 50lb weight in each hand and I go through all the straining, all the effort as if those weights were actually in my hand. After the seventh rep, I'm breaking a sweat, after ten reps, I'm exhausted. I'll do some "pretend" laterals, same thing, some "imaginary" upright rows, all for 3 sets of ten and y'know what? My shoulders are just as pumped up if I had gone to the gym.

Arnold has always had kind of an "excessive" philosophy about training, anyway. If two hours is good, four must be better. If ten sets per body part does the trick, than thirty sets will make the results come three times faster. If you're young and enthused and inspired, go knock yourself out, but if you're approaching middle age or are already there, don't kid yourself...please, just don't. Go workout. Have fun. Go every other day. Watch your diet. Play with your children. Make love to your wife. Live your life. You can still get in shape without selling your soul to the gym.

May 2007 be a brand new year of blessings to all...




It May Be The Biggest - But It's Definitely NOT The Best!   April 30, 2002
 23 out of 43 found this review helpful

It never ceases to amaze me just how much so-called "professional" bodybuilders know about building pumped-up, functionally useless tissue, as opposed to building real muscle the natural way. This book is a veritable compendium of just about everything that is WRONG in the sport of modern bodybuilding.

As I looked over the workout routines contained within, it became readily apparent that these routines could benefit ONLY those exceptionally genetically disposed for bodybuilding and/or those individuals taking steroids. Of course, I realize that one isn't expected to lift all the workout routines directly from the book, as your workouts should be tailored to your individual needs. However, the amount of revision necessary to make the routines worthwhile to typical drug-free trainees renders this volume worthless. In addition the instructions detailing how the exercises are to be performed are, in some instances, incredibly bad. For example, look at the instructions regarding the bench press. The text clearly states that your feet should be flat on the floor, and is accompanied by a photo of Ahhhnold with his feet on the bench (a DANGEROUS practice). The book is filled with such irregularities, and other downright dangerous exercises as well. The research behind the exercise physiology herein is dubious at best.

There is a plethora of photographs of pro bodybuilders, past and present, which are supposedly inspiring. I strongly suspect that many (if not all) of these bodybuilders used or abused steroids, and this doesn't impress or inspire me in the least (neither do heroin addicts.)

As for the section on nutrition, it's simply outdated. This nutritional advice may have worked for Ahhhnold when he was in his bodybuilding prime, but remember that his prime was QUITE some time ago (and we've all learned a thing or two since he last competed.)

The Bottom Line: Don't waste your money on this book, as it is only useful to genetically gifted and/or drug assisted bodybuilders, and not the general public. If you want SOUND advice regarding building muscle and becoming physically fit, I recommend that you purchase a copy of "Beyond Brawn" along with "The Insider's Tell-All Handbook On Weight-Training Technique" (both authored by Stuart Mc Robert.) Your body will thank you for it in the long run.


A fancinating look at the world of Bodybuilding   January 7, 2002
 21 out of 23 found this review helpful

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.