Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding - Level 1 Begginner workout

[caveman711]

Level 1 Exercise Program

Monday: Chest/Back/Abs
Tuesday: Shoulders/Upper arms/Forearms/Abs
Wednesday: Thighs/Calves/Lower back/Abs
Thursday: Chest/Back/Abs
Friday: Shoulders/Upper arms/Forearms/Abs
Saturday: Thighs/Calves/Lower back/Abs

Note on sets and reps: In the following program, always do 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetiitions each unless otherwise specified.

Monday & Thursday
Chest-
Bench Press
Incline Press
Pullovers
Back-
Chin-Ups (do as many repetitions at a time you can until you reach a total of 50 reps)
Bent-Over Rows
Power Training
Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Abdominals-
Leg Raises, 5 sets of 25 reps

Tuesday & Friday
Shoulders-
Barbell Clean and Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Power Training
Heavy Upright Rows, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Push Presses, 3 sets of 6, 4, 2 reps to failure
Upper Arms-
Standing Barbell Curls
Seated Dumbbell Curls
Narrow-Grip Bench Press
Standing Triceps Extensions with Barbell
Forearms-
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls
Abdominals-
Incline Sit-Ups, 5 sets of 25 reps each

Wednesday & Saturday
Thighs-
Squats
Lunges
Leg Curls
Calves-
Standing Calf Raises, 5 sets of 15 reps each
Lower Back-
Power Training
Straight-Leg Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Good Morninigs, 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps to failure
NOTE: Although these power movements work the lower back directly, they also involve the trapezius and the leg biceps and help to develop overall strength.
Abdominals-
Leg Raises, 5 sets of 25 repetitions each


I've been doing this routine for a full week now. I feel great. I don't feel like I am over training. I get a lot of sleep every night, eat healthy, and I take L-Glutamine. I feel my recovery time is good compared to this routine. I have heard a lot of people saying only people on steroids can do the advanced routines in this book, but never about the level 1 basic program.

[Wildtim]

Its way way to much. You don't overtrain in a week it takes longer than that. Workouts aren't measured in weeks but in pounds added to the bar and body. you won't gain on that workout, you won't get stronger. You will burn out.

/thread.

[mattharrison]

Caveman711, if this is your first training program, you're overdoing. it. Wildtim is right since overtraining doesnt happen in a week. Its not that the routine is bad, because its not. Its just that your body is probably not ready for something that intense and comprehensive. For a beginner, keep it to 2-3 exercises with 3 sets of 8-12 reps for each major muscle group twice a week. Work in minor muscle groups with 1-2 exercises of 2 sets of 8-12. The thing is about this routine that doesnt fit very well with a beginner is the fact that there is only one rest day during the week. I'm not saying its not possible to train 6 days a week 6 hours a day, because it is. the difference between athletes that can do that and beginners is that they worked their way up to that level of intensity. Simply put, this routine is too intense. Your muscles dont need that much stimulation to grow.
One reason why you feel so good may be because of the glutamine you are supplementing with. Glutamine has been shown to support immune function and boost recovery drastically. I know this from experience. If you dont change your workout to something lighter, be sure to keep supplementing with the glutamine to keep your body in one piece. If and when you feel burnt out, try changing your routine to something a little lighter.

[bigtallox]

I've been doing this routine for a full week now. I feel great. I don't feel like I am over training.

A statement like that makes me think you don't understand what over training is. ( It's OK I don't think many people here do ).

I have heard a lot of people saying only people on steroids can do the advanced routines in this book, but never about the level 1 basic program.

It's way too much volume for a beginner.

Thighs-
Squats

Squatting is not a thigh exercise. Your entire lower body does the work, your core transfers that work to your upper body that's holding the weight. It's much much more than a thigh exercise ( and your routine should reflect that, IMHO ).

[bigtallox]

One reason why you feel so good may be because of the glutamine you are supplementing with. Glutamine has been shown to support immune function and boost recovery drastically. I know this from experience. If you dont change your workout to something lighter, be sure to keep supplementing with the glutamine to keep your body in one piece. If and when you feel burnt out, try changing your routine to something a little lighter.

He'd be better off changing now it to something he can do for the long term. Beginners shouldn't be changing their program all the time, it's counter productive, because they need to be learning technique on the fundamental exercises, and that takes time.

[NateDG72]

I like the real beginner routine Arnold did to be honest.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112649251

[raheelrajpoot]

i have dowload this book in torrent and its not complete can you plz send me the diet from the book on page 748 plz raheelrajpoot@yahoo.com

[SuffolkPunch]

i have dowload this book in torrent and its not complete can you plz send me the diet from the book on page 748 plz raheelrajpoot@yahoo.com

Chicken breasts and broccoli everyday brah

[pumplikecuming]

I like the real beginner routine Arnold did to be honest.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112649251

http://beyondstrong.typepad.com/my_w...-reg-park.html

Reg: The invitation came one month prior to the contest, in September 1949.

The contest was to be held October 28, 1949. Actually, it came at a bad time; I was in the process of completing my final business administration exams. After I successfully completed all my exams, less than a month was remaining to the Mr. Britain contest.

IM: Were you still training in the garage at that time?

Reg: No, I had joined Henry Atkin's Viking Gym for the express purpose of training for the Mr. Britain contest. With Henry's help, I was able to increase my bodyweight from 196 lbs. to 226 lbs. in a month. For the first time in my life, I trained twice a day, six times a week. In the morning, I trained the lower body with high repetition squats, hack lifts, calf exercises and sometimes heavy bench presses. In the evening, I worked the upper body. All the squat sets were done in 20 reps with very deep breathing. The upper body work consisted of heavy standing presses, curls, bench presses, both barbell and dumbbell rows at anywhere from 6 to 10 reps per set. At this time, I did no other activity and rested whenever I was away from the weights.

[Casanova3084]

My whole life I've done Arnolds routine I have packed muscle one pound after another. I'm not on steroids and I have done the advanced routine and it works. The only problem with overtraining here is lack of sleep and lack of calorie intake plus protein and carbs. To do these routines you actually have to follow the diet in the book. BUT every body type is different. Pack on the muscle with the beguinner routines which has couple exercises per bodypart. Pack like 15 pounds of muscle than start the intermediate. But please eat and sleep. Don't lack on those.

[qoohhlt]

Beginners can do advanced routines like once awhile infrequently to pack on more mass.=>

[vollric]

Beginners can do advanced routines like once awhile infrequently to pack on more mass.=>

what...?

[jmesse5]

I just love how so many people have so much more knowledge than the king of bodybuilding... this routine works great, and I would recommend it to any beginner. Thanks Arnold...

[CeraDura]

This workout Is for experienced weight lifters who are looking into starting a bodybuilding routine. It includes very high volume and is not the best way to max strength, but is good in terms of bulking. I put on about 10 pounds with this workout, but noticed that my shoulders constantly felt tired. I would be on the lookout for joint pain with this workout.

Level 1 Exercise Program

Monday: Chest/Back/Abs
Tuesday: Shoulders/Upper arms/Forearms/Abs
Wednesday: Thighs/Calves/Lower back/Abs
Thursday: Chest/Back/Abs
Friday: Shoulders/Upper arms/Forearms/Abs
Saturday: Thighs/Calves/Lower back/Abs

Note on sets and reps: In the following program, always do 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetiitions each unless otherwise specified.

Monday & Thursday
Chest-
Bench Press
Incline Press
Pullovers
Back-
Chin-Ups (do as many repetitions at a time you can until you reach a total of 50 reps)
Bent-Over Rows
Power Training
Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Abdominals-
Leg Raises, 5 sets of 25 reps

Tuesday & Friday
Shoulders-
Barbell Clean and Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Power Training
Heavy Upright Rows, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Push Presses, 3 sets of 6, 4, 2 reps to failure
Upper Arms-
Standing Barbell Curls
Seated Dumbbell Curls
Narrow-Grip Bench Press
Standing Triceps Extensions with Barbell
Forearms-
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls
Abdominals-
Incline Sit-Ups, 5 sets of 25 reps each

Wednesday & Saturday
Thighs-
Squats
Lunges
Leg Curls
Calves-
Standing Calf Raises, 5 sets of 15 reps each
Lower Back-
Power Training
Straight-Leg Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Good Morninigs, 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps to failure
NOTE: Although these power movements work the lower back directly, they also involve the trapezius and the leg biceps and help to develop overall strength.
Abdominals-
Leg Raises, 5 sets of 25 repetitions each


I've been doing this routine for a full week now. I feel great. I don't feel like I am over training. I get a lot of sleep every night, eat healthy, and I take L-Glutamine. I feel my recovery time is good compared to this routine. I have heard a lot of people saying only people on steroids can do the advanced routines in this book, but never about the level 1 basic program.

[prodigysy]

You do know that arnold,prior to "BODYBUILDING" did lot of powerlifting as well?

I can workout biceps and triceps alternating everyday for a week and not feel overtrained..
For a month , i ll surely get injured..

When i first read the book I felt i could do this.. Heck arnold did it when he started..

My uncle, who had 7 yrs of experience at that time.. Said "sure.. If you wish to quit working out when you burn out yourself in a month"

Overtraining is a legit thing.. It has happened to me.. But it happened after 3 mnths of following a ****ty routine.. And my brain literally askd me not to step anywhere near a gym.. Result.. A gym membership in vain..

Please.. Do a legit beginner workout Fierce 5 , or simple split routines...or just watever you wish to follow except the glamoured up plans which are posted on the site ,which actually are for advanced lifters..

[SuffolkPunch]

^ what you may have experienced was 'overreaching' not overtraining. There are other explanations too but overreaching is not necessarily a bad thing for progress.

True overtraining is something that need only concern elite athletes and takes place over many months or even years of relentless training

[MUTANTREP]

You can 100% do this routine with out steroids! Keep at it and keep the updates coming.

[TAWS6]

Lol at bumping a 2009 thread

Also didnt Arnold start by using Reg Parks program??

Full body 3x week all day for noobs. Train smarter not harder.

[DIESEL3020]

Its a Mental Process i have always done High Volume work i am drug free. Short Abbreviated programs only make me fat and over weight

[chriswatton66]

I am currently using this routine, have done for the past 6 weeks and plan to run it for 4-5 months.

I like it, it isn't too much (have been training for 20 months, first 12 months using 5x5's). Each session takes either just under or just over an hour (leg/lower body session being the shortest)

I think including the Clean and Press instead of standard overhead Press is great (and then adding the power exercises like Push Press), I had no idea how exhausting the clean and press is, once the weight starts going up.

I think the 'Beginner workout 2' is a bit too much, though - it is doing all the same exercises, but condensing them so you do each body part 3 times per week, instead of two, not sure how I'd fare with that one. But the routine above is fine, and am enjoying it.

ETA - I note the OP states that 5 sets should be done unless otherwise stated. The updated book recommends 4 sets unless otherwise stated (with one additional warm up set for the main compounds)

[SuffolkPunch]

Its a Mental Process i have always done High Volume work i am drug free. Short Abbreviated programs only make me fat and over weight

If you said lots of people think they are overtraining when they aren't, I would have agreed. However, it is not a mental process, overreaching and 'staleness' are down to buildup of fatigue and propensity of the body to downregulate CNS rate coding.

How much training to do is complex. Typically when you are new to a stimulus, you need little volume but the repeat bout effect causes the response to the stimulus to decrease over time so you need to increase volume. There is a ceiling to how much volume you can add before overreaching sets in.

Add too much volume too soon and you waste potential and have to deload or reset sooner.

[Bane11]

This routine is good but does need to be adjusted if needed. For instance I didn't do much of the power lifts as I felt that doing presses for the shoulders were enough. I kept the deadlifts in. To do 5 sets I did a full pyramid instead of half pyramid like recommended. So it looked like this for example

Bench press 5x12, 10, 8, 10, 12

Plus I only took sets to near failure. Not to full failure. Works pretty well.

Workout only takes an hour to do. Keep rest periods down to a minute more or less which keeps the intensity up.

[blue9steel]

Let's try this the Socratic way. How long does it take you to do the routine?

[Nyergk]

it's a very intensive routine, can go to injuries very easyly, be very careful with it.

should find another one or adapted it to be more common:
- less compound and more isolate exercices,
- possible to included more highter series (25rm in set of 5reptitions with short rest).

take also a look to 5/3/1 BBB, or classic 10*10

[Hafizulhariz]

Can this be used when I'm cutting?

Level 1 Exercise Program

Monday: Chest/Back/Abs
Tuesday: Shoulders/Upper arms/Forearms/Abs
Wednesday: Thighs/Calves/Lower back/Abs
Thursday: Chest/Back/Abs
Friday: Shoulders/Upper arms/Forearms/Abs
Saturday: Thighs/Calves/Lower back/Abs

Note on sets and reps: In the following program, always do 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetiitions each unless otherwise specified.

Monday & Thursday
Chest-
Bench Press
Incline Press
Pullovers
Back-
Chin-Ups (do as many repetitions at a time you can until you reach a total of 50 reps)
Bent-Over Rows
Power Training
Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Abdominals-
Leg Raises, 5 sets of 25 reps

Tuesday & Friday
Shoulders-
Barbell Clean and Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Power Training
Heavy Upright Rows, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Push Presses, 3 sets of 6, 4, 2 reps to failure
Upper Arms-
Standing Barbell Curls
Seated Dumbbell Curls
Narrow-Grip Bench Press
Standing Triceps Extensions with Barbell
Forearms-
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls
Abdominals-
Incline Sit-Ups, 5 sets of 25 reps each

Wednesday & Saturday
Thighs-
Squats
Lunges
Leg Curls
Calves-
Standing Calf Raises, 5 sets of 15 reps each
Lower Back-
Power Training
Straight-Leg Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Good Morninigs, 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps to failure
NOTE: Although these power movements work the lower back directly, they also involve the trapezius and the leg biceps and help to develop overall strength.
Abdominals-
Leg Raises, 5 sets of 25 repetitions each


I've been doing this routine for a full week now. I feel great. I don't feel like I am over training. I get a lot of sleep every night, eat healthy, and I take L-Glutamine. I feel my recovery time is good compared to this routine. I have heard a lot of people saying only people on steroids can do the advanced routines in this book, but never about the level 1 basic program.

[milo234]

I know I'm posting to a very old thread at this point, but as I searched and came across it and reread it a couple of times, maybe others will too, so I'm posting the advice that I wish I had had a year ago when I was doing it.

I tried Arnold's workout for two to three months, and ultimately it ended up being too much volume for me, and I was failing to recover and progresssing rather slowly, especially on biceps and bench press, and I had to change things up and read a bunch of other books to figure out how to improve my training. I was an early stage intermediate lifter at the time I tried this and have since gotten quite a bit stronger on variations of the Texas method.

My advice if you want to try this routine is to keep the intensity low. Arnold in his book strongly advocates for going to failure and talks about training with 70%+ of your one rep max. Quite frankly this is bad advice for the volume he recommends.

If you look at what modern research shows, you can get very good hypertrophic effects with weights in the range of 60-70% of your one rep max, and you can do more volume at lower intensity making the volume Arnold recommends more manageable. So I would strongly suggest trying to use around 60% of your 1RM when doing this. And definitely don't go to failure. Going to failure makes it too hard to get more reps in afterwards. Aim to have at least 1 or 2 more reps in you when you finish a set.

Also, if you find yourself failing to recover at some point, plan to deload and use lower volume either for one or two workouts in a row before getting back to hard training. For your deload a rough rule of thumb would be to use 50% of the usual weight with 50% of the normal number of reps with the decrease in reps being the most important thing. You can also try to make one of the two workouts each week just be a lighter workout where you don't do as many sets as well. You will have to tune the number of sets and reps based on your recovery.

All that said though, I have to say that compared to what I've learned from reading other books, Arnold's encyclopedia is actually rather low quality in terms of the advice it gives on how to structure your training. The book makes excellent recommendations in terms of exercise selection and definitely has a lot of good information on bodybuilding and has strongly influenced the way a lot of people in the gym work out, but there are much better books on how to structure your training.

I would strongly recommend getting Rippetoe's Practical Programming for Strength Training, Rennaisance Periodization's Scintific Principles of Strength Training, and going over to the Rennaisance Periodization blog posts by Mike Israetel on Volume Landmarks for Hypertrophy right now to read if you haven't. Those blog posts give a pretty good explanation of why Arnold's recommended volume in all his workouts is likely to be way too high for most people. Also the Reactive Training Manual is pretty good too, and Juggernait Training Systems publishes some good training information as well.

Always be reading, and always be training!

[ironwill2008]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For anyone considering this program, or just buying the book, you'd do well to re-read this (#26) post.

[HD301]

Look. To do this routine, tweaking is in order. It says to take every set to failure, why Arnold recommended this I don’t know for in his earlier writings back in the 70’s, he recommended not going to failure. In fact, he was against it. Now the beginner routine isn’t a bad routine. It’s just people here are doing it wrong. It says to do 4-5 sets per exercise pyramiding/ramping up through the sets until the last heavy set.

Basically the first set is a warm up then the following sets are the “work sets” ramping up on each set.

For example

Squats
Set 1 use 50-60% of your top weight, warm up set, light
Set 2 use 70% of your top weight, work set, medium
Set 3 use 80% of your top weight, work set, medium heavy
Set 4 use 90-100% top weight, work set, heavy
Set 5 same as set 4 but this set is optional

Only the heaviest sets should be close to failure, not to failure.

Also I don’t like the pyramid structure of going from high reps to low reps. It’s too exhausting for some people and trying to do all these rep ranges with one exercise isn’t a great way to do these sets. Instead, if training a muscle twice a week as stated in the routine, it’s best to do a lower rep day then later in the week a higher rep day

For example

On Chest/back on mon do 6-10 reps then on thurs day do 10-15 reps.

So a ramp on bench press would look like this using the percentages from the above example

Heavy day

Set 1 10 reps warm up
Set 2 8 reps medium
Set 3 8 reps medium heavy
Set 4 6-8 reps heavy

Light day

Set 1 15 reps warm up
Set 2 12 reps medium
Set 3 12 reps medium heavy
Set 4 10-12 reps heavy

Arnold also says to rest a minute between sets but I think it’s more realistic to rest 1-2 mins on most exercises, more if needed on the larger exercises such as squats. Hope this helps.

[Fr4me]

On paper these pyramid sets look very exciting and fun but in practice all these sets turn into junk unnecessary volume that does not increase muscle gain, sometimes even worsens this.
Apparently ramp up is good only on first exercises for strength like bench/deadlift/squat, but ramp up should be preformed in manner of warm up and shall not cause any fatigue = minimal reps to just warm up muscles and not like in this program by Arnold, high volume Arnolds warm up interferes with working sets and lessens their potential, working sets are most effective.

[robbiefrancis]

My whole life I've done Arnolds routine I have packed muscle one pound after another. I'm not on steroids and I have done the advanced routine and it works. The only problem with overtraining here is lack of sleep and lack of calorie intake plus protein and carbs. To do these routines you actually have to follow the diet in the book. BUT every body type is different. Pack on the muscle with the beguinner routines which has couple exercises per bodypart. Pack like 15 pounds of muscle than start the intermediate. But please eat and sleep. Don't lack on those.

This is what I do and it works excellently. This post is spot on, and matches my experience doing this same thing.

Don't let the naysayers dissuade you, Arnold's classic routine is proven.