Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't competed as a bodybuilder since he won the Mr. Olympia title in 1980, but he remains the sport's No. 1 icon. He hosts an annual bodybuilding contest in Columbus, Ohio, and allows a column to be ghost-written under his name in a muscle magazine. Today's bodybuilders may have bigger muscles than Arnold ever did, but everyone inside and outside the iron game gives him credit for exponentially broadening the popularity of physique training.
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
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
Need a change in your workout?
Customer Rating:
This is a great book for the average guy trying to build bigger muscles, it is actually a guide for people who want to get in the world of bodybuilding... but for the rest of us it is a great guide on how to adjust your current work outs or change your workout all together. It has a lot of info on health an nutrition among other things.It is packed full of info. I have not finished reading the book but I am about a 1/4 of the way through and am very satisfied with my purchase.
Great book for any gym enthusiast!
Customer Rating:
Long before he was "The Govenator", Arnold Schwartzenegger, was one of the worlds most famous bodybuilders. I am not a bodybuilder myself, nor do I plan to be, but this book helps me to get more out of my gym time. At about 5 pounds and 800 pages this encyclopedia covers the entire topic of bodybuilding. From nutrition and diet to flexing, stretching, lifting and on. You won't be disappointed with this volume, and hey if you don't have time to make it to the gym you can use it for a dumbbell instead.
NO NO NO
Customer Rating:
This book has done immeasurable harm. Anyone who follows routines even remotely close to those that are in this book will just end up, overtrained and frustrated.
Please people get this- arnold had amazing genteics, arnold did huge quantities of drugs and so does everyone else pictured in this book, arnold had unlimited time to train and recover BUT you do NOT.
You can build a tertific physique if you would follow sensible routines buy real world authors- Mark rippetoe, stuart mcrobert, mike mentzer, ellinton darden. Please heed this advice. I have nothing to gain by bashing this book. It is just not helpful for well intentioned people looking to build their body naturally. Please look elsewhere
"The Bible"
Customer Rating:
This book is the most complete book for body builders whether you just started 3 days ago, or are a pro - pre show; looking for tips regarding stripping off excess water. I highly recommend it for everyone who intends on lifting weights for all the benefits related.
Only Book you'll ever beed
Customer Rating:
This book has everything. To include an inspirational history of bodybuilding. Reading about the competitions and Arnold's rise in the bodybuilding world just gets you PUMPED to work out harder. The exercises are documented and easy to read. And the creditials of the author say it all.
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