question on Arnies routine

tonym · 28-Jan-05, 05:00 AM

In a muscle mag out this month
it is showing the routines that Arnie typically used

it was saying that through out his training life he always worked back and chest together on the same day

how would i do this

one chest exercise then one back exercise
or
all chest then all back ?

Clark Kent · 28-Jan-05, 11:27 AM

In his Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, his workouts always had back and chest together and shoulders and arms together. He says it's because of a push/pull theory where since you push with your chest to build it, you should do the opposite and pull for your back at the same time. It's true that you utilize your back more than you think when doing bench press exercises. Same thing with biceps and triceps.

I don't think this is the best way to go. Bodybuilding knowledge has evolved so much over the past 25 to 30 years from when Arnold developed how he liked to lift. Also, he obviously had the genetics to build like nobody else, so just about anything would make him grow.

Personally I think that lifting each bodypart on a separate day is best. Not everyone has time for a 5 day split, however, so they must combine muscle groups. Try different combinations and find what works best your body. Everyone is different.

Klinger · 28-Jan-05, 12:25 PM

You could try chest/back supersetting if you want to give it a shot.

For example, do a set of DB chest press followed by a set of DB rows.

The only thing about supersetting is you usually have to decrease the weight to account for the endurance factor, i.e., all those reps in succession.

**jgriffith** · 28-Jan-05, 12:26 PM

Genetics yes...but also heavy steroids, he was able to recover from heavy chest and back workouts in the same day because of that factor. Thats why I never really buy much into the workouts of professional bodybuilders because the volume that they do cant be matched by normal drug free people while yielding the same results.

Lucky13MN · 28-Jan-05, 12:28 PM

If anyone has nothing to do but eat and workout, you're going to get big... add roids to that and it's almost a sure thing.

grambo · 28-Jan-05, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky13MN

If anyone has nothing to do but eat and workout, you're going to get big... add roids to that and it's almost a sure thing.

I second this, Arnies routines are for guys on juice...you will overtrain quickly from the routines I've seen in the encyclopedia.

Vas85 · 28-Jan-05, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grambo

I second this, Arnies routines are for guys on juice...you will overtrain quickly from the routines I've seen in the encyclopedia.

That's why like said, Bodybuilding is not a sport of "replicate and copy for yourself" but rather, anything you read, take it and mould it to suit your own needs, take what is usefull and learn from your mistakes, and you can get very far.

DustinLati · 29-Jan-05, 06:05 PM

take everything you read about pro's workout routines with a grain of salt. Arnold obviously had great genetics and took more roids than a college football team, so any training methods would have yeilded excellent results.

Besides, even though im sure he used the push/pull theory at one point or another, but its not the only thing he used. The latest issue of whatever workout magazine it is that i have lists his workout reps and sets and they are for a 1 bodypart per day 5 day split....none of which include less than 20 sets per bodypart....once again, something you cant follow without the juice

jukka · 02-Feb-05, 04:33 AM

And I'm yet another agree'er,
Iäm pretty sure dudes in the 70's used less roids than dudes today,
but they still used them and they still had fantastic genetics,
which both together make sure that you can do anything and everything wrong, and still get pretty decent results.

I'ts so cool to see guys realising this,
knowing that young dudes today aren't as ridiculously naive
as I was when I started. I just tried to follow what all
the national level chapms at my gym where doing,
as obviously, it must work. They were the living proof...

02-Feb-05, 04:55 AM

Weider never let the studs in his stable talk about roids and their use to build the physiques the pros had (and have). I read an interview by Larry Scott saying how he was in Europe (I think it was France) after his Mr O win and the question of roids came up. He gave an honest answer about his drug use and was later called on the carpet by the Weider bros. Being honest interferred with the wholesome image of bodybuilders they were trying to project. Knowing this stuff would have saved me a bunch of grief back when I was younger.

jukka · 02-Feb-05, 05:53 AM

Dude!!
You too!
I also thought that the guys' results were because of hard work,
something as vagues as having a solid background in sports,
and being all-around good guys who'd shun any shenanigans,
such as steroids.
and that all that talk about steroids was just because people were jealous.

Heh, saw an interview about Finnish shot putters the other day.
They are currently about one meter behind John Adams, the US shot putter,
but they are not worried, as for some reason, the US shot putters tend to put considerably less in major events than they do during training season...

The shot putter "assumed" with a tongue in cheek that he can only assume
that they just get so nervous before big events...

Made me laugh.