The Real Arnold Schwarzenegger Beginner Programs

[Sleepful]

Is there much of a difference between the reg parks beginner program and strong lifts 5x5?

[LeonEricsson]

So for a new lifter who is fairly skinny would you recommend to start out with the 5x5 beginners workout? And for how many weeks do you keep the programme up? Do you switch over to the Reg Park Power Training after a certain amount of weeks?

[Stevengin]

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Reg Park

At age 15 Arnold glanced in a store room window and saw what was a cover of a magazine depicting the new Hercules movie starring none other than Reg Park. Arnold was not a man to learn from books or abstract ideas but by identifying with what he considered to be admirable individuals. "Reg Park became my idol," Arnold said in 1976. "In time I would base my whole bodybuilding future on Reg."
-Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Cool to be the inspiration of such an inspirational man to many many others. Great post!

[Bane11]

Actually what has been stated here on Reg Park 5x5 is not entirely accurate. According to Reg Park's son Jon Jon Park the way his father did 5x5 was this

First set use 60% of top weight
Second and third set use 80% of top weight
Fourth set use 100% top weight
Fifth set use 60% of top weight for a back off set

This is a far better way of doing 5x5. Start off light for the first set, for the second and third sets use a moderate weight, fourth set use a heavy weight, then on the last set Use the weight used on the first set for a back off set.

[imaguitargod]

The tentative schedule would be:

1. The Reg Park Beginner Routine
2. Reg Park's Power Training
3. The Hard Work 5x5 Routine
4. Reg Park's 9 Month 5x5 Program
5. Reg Park's 1951 Mr. Universe Workout

This would be my preference, but you can pick and choose or use whatever sequence you like.

Going to fire up on this routine. I may have missed it, but how long should you do each routine before moving onto the next?

[noxous]

Have been looking around the forums, getting ideas and a better basic understanding and i was wondering: Are these classic/oldschool routines still relevant or have they been heavily outclassed by a fresher/more modern look? I am referring mostly to the beginner programs

[EjnarKolinkar]

Have been looking around the forums, getting ideas and a better basic understanding and i was wondering: Are these classic/oldschool routines still relevant or have they been heavily outclassed by a fresher/more modern look? I am referring mostly to the beginner programs

Human physiology hasn't changed in the last hundred years. The fundamentals remain. We only have so much time to spend in the gym and the most efficient model that produces the greatest muscle growth is to focus the majority of our energy on large compound movements.

Of course the world's full of suckers and full of people that want to take advantage of them so there's always a lot of nonsense out there in regard to training. The unfortunate thing is there was such an overwhelming body of evidence about what it takes to gain muscle people still won't listen and want to believe in the tooth fairy instead of doing basic hard work.

[OldFartTom]

Many people want to believe the gimmick, wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to do all that hard work with heavy barbells for years and just do some "miracle" 12 week program balanced on a bosu ball doing cable pulls (or whatever). Yes it would be great, sad that the gimmicks are bull. But people get suckered and forget the basics.

Sure there's been plenty of progress in the years since Reg Parks, but so many gym goers haven't yet undersood his old school basics yet

[noxous]

Human physiology hasn't changed in the last hundred years. The fundamentals remain. We only have so much time to spend in the gym and the most efficient model that produces the greatest muscle growth is to focus the majority of our energy on large compound movements.

Of course the world's full of suckers and full of people that want to take advantage of them so there's always a lot of nonsense out there in regard to training. The unfortunate thing is there was such an overwhelming body of evidence about what it takes to gain muscle people still won't listen and want to believe in the tooth fairy instead of doing basic hard work.

Since you guys have probably a better understanding of this, should the routine be followed in the way it was written here?
From beginner to power training etc?

[TAWS6]

Bump. This will answer a lot of the new threads.

[Bane11]

Reg Park’s full body workout

https://youtu.be/vGtkQWkYdrI

[Bane11]

Arnold’s full body workout

Squats 5x8,8,6,6,6
Bench press 5x8,8,6,6,6
Incline press 5x8,8,6,6,6
Chin ups 5x10,10,8,8,8
Barbell rows 5x8,8,6,6,6
Deadlifts 5x8,8,6,6,6
Press behind neck 5x8,8,6,6,6
Barbell curls 5x8,8,6,6,6
Lying extensions 5x8,8,6,6,6
Calf raises 5x12,12,10,10,10
Crunches 2-3x25-50

[blademontane]

There will never be a bodybuilder as influential as Arnold. Dude went from small time, to Multi Mr. Olympia wins, Governor of California, and one of the highest paid Hollywood actors ever.

Going to fire up on this routine. I may have missed it, but how long should you do each routine before moving onto the next?

This is what I'm wondering as well

Also, I'm definitely at least intermediate. Should I even be bothering with the beginner routines?

[Johnnyymac]

I know it wouldn’t be Reg’s true beginning program if I added pullovers, but would it be a bad idea to add them to the beginners program without getting burned out? Or maybe sub them for something? I love the look of the serratus muscles and want to build them.

Thanks for all the great info!

[Rsurf72]

It blows my mind how you guys able to perform squats Monday and front squats Wednesday, or bench Wednesday and incline Friday.

My body cannot recover that fast I need atleast two rest days in-between before I even think about doing compound movements like that lol.

Lucky!!

[EliKoehn]

It blows my mind how you guys able to perform squats Monday and front squats Wednesday, or bench Wednesday and incline Friday.

My body cannot recover that fast I need atleast two rest days in-between before I even think about doing compound movements like that lol.

Lucky!!

Work capacity is something that develops. I'd stick with your two day rest intervals per group for a while, until you feel like it is too long or your lifts start stalling, which increased frequency may remedy.

[STRYDG]

Sorry if I missed it or its somewhere hidden but was there any clarification on wrist work exercises and why they found it so critical?