Arnold did few sets to gain mass

[Anakin]

(Not enough traffic on training board so here it goes...)
With the "how many sets do you do for chest?" thread going on, this might be appropriate. Apparently Arnold only did 8 working sets.

To gain mass, Arnold did relatively FEW sets per bodypart but he trained OFTEN... basically trained six days a week, each muscle twice. Supposedly he only juiced 8 weeks before a show, which was also when he reputedly did 25 sets per bodypart (he probably juiced way more but that's besides the point). What do you all think?

This info is from a reprint of an Ironman article published between 74 and 75.

Here is an example of Back and Chest day. His split was basically doing every bodypart two times a week with one day off per week.

Mon & Thurs
(Every set to failure except for the first set of each excercise, which is done at 70%).
Bench Press 5x10-12
superset with
Wide Chins 5 sets
Flyes 5x10-12
superset with
Cable rows 5x10-12

Tues & Fridays were Shoulders and Arms, and Wednesdays and Saturdays were just legs.

 

[AMGETR]

Interesting concept. I like it, except I would add probably 2 more machines to each day

 

[Dial_tone]

You have to keep in mind they didn't have stationary bikes, treadmills, stair steppers, etc back then so their workout WAS their cardio. It had to maintain muscle AND burn alot of calories. I read some of Mike Mentzer's training logs and he was eating 800-1,000 cals a day with his 4-6 sets per bodypart.

 

[meatneck]

a friend of mine, trainer, also told me that he knew a friend that was close with Eddie (arnolds workout partner) and reportedly said that arnold took anything that came his way..his attitude back then was "I'll try it if it doesn't kill me" lol.. he said that arnold was using insane amounts of gear - anything that he could get his hands on..

 

[Anakin]

You have to keep in mind they didn't have stationary bikes, treadmills, stair steppers, etc back then so their workout WAS their cardio. It had to maintain muscle AND burn alot of calories. I read some of Mike Mentzer's training logs and he was eating 800-1,000 cals a day with his 4-6 sets per bodypart.

Dialtone, if I understand what you're saying, the "justification" for the higher sets during pre-competition was the lack of cardio.
Still, what caught my attention about the article was the fact that he used relatively low volume to stimulate growth.

 

[geoboy]

Dialtone, if I understand what you're saying, the "justification" for the higher sets during pre-competition was the lack of cardio.
Still, what caught my attention about the article was the fact that he used relatively low volume to stimulate growth.

I figured out a long time ago that that was what worked for me, but I thought it was becuz I was an ecto. figured meso's neednt the marathon workoputs to gain.

 

[CrazyK]

Arnold didn't believe in it, and either does Ronnie. The two best BBer's of all time, so I'll take there word for it.

 

[MrRTTB]

could anyone post a typical wokrout for armold then, I mean not preparing for a show but as above when bulking up.

I like the idea of doing same bodypart 2 per week. I'm doing it right now but are using more sets than that.

Maybe this would work
Mon and thu
mon: Flat Bench 5 sets - thu: incline Db press 5 sets
mon: Rows 5 sets - thu: Deads 5 sets
mon: Flyes 3 sets - thu: decline bench 3sets
mon: Chins 3 sets - thu: narrow grip chins 3 sets

Tue and fri
tue: Shoulderspress 5sets - fri: shoulderpressbehind neck 5sets
tue: sculls 5sets - fri: Dips 3sets
tue: BB curls 5 sets - fri: scottcurls 3sets
tue: Side laterals 5 sets - fri: side laterals 3sets

Wedn + sat:
wed: Legkick 3 sets - sat: Legkick 3sets
wed: Squats 5sets - sat: Legpress 3sets
wed: Lying legcurl 5sets - sat: SLDL 5 sets

I guess I might do this 2 weeks, then after 2 weeks I would go with mon: chest, back, tue off, wedn squats + SLDL, thu off, fri arms and shoulds sat + sun off, then go back again to the system..

hmm..might give this a try

 

[gregory]

What worked for Arnold was not any magical routine. It was his version of a workout and a grear set of genetics. If he did more, less, heavier, lighter chest sets he still would have had a great chest, just like Dorian with his back and Ronnie with his well , everything. Just work within your capabilites of recovery and see how your body responds, and how it responds is something you can do nothing about. A good example is Colemans chest, it's rather flat and lacks the full bulging mass of his other body parts, like his back. I'm sure he has tried every routine under the sun but the chest only responds like it's genetically programmed to respond, nothign you can do about it.

 

[gregory]

What worked for Arnold was not any magical routine. It was his version of a workout and a grear set of genetics. If he did more, less, heavier, lighter chest sets he still would have had a great chest, just like Dorian with his back and Ronnie with his well , everything. Just work within your capabilites of recovery and see how your body responds, and how it responds is something you can do nothing about. A good example is Colemans chest, it's rather flat and lacks the full bulging mass of his other body parts, like his back. I'm sure he has tried every routine under the sun but the chest only responds like it's genetically programmed to respond, nothing you can do about it.

 

[JKurz1]

Does anyone have Brad Pitt's routine??


Geezus, who cares about Arnold....he was a genetic FREAK...he trained balls out and he lead the ultimate bb life. Train, eat, sleep, eat, train, sleep........what worked for him and 99% of the other pros, WILL NOT WORK FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Get a solid routine under your belt as well as diet...TRAIN HARD AND HEAVY.....eaat right.....sleep right....and your body will respond!

 

[Tryn2]

I think diet is way too often looked passed....You should be talking about his nutrition. Training is simple....

 

[MrRTTB]

nutrition is always number one. But doing something different and trying new things can be positive. I will try this system, right now I'm working pout 7 days per week for 2 weeks, then I have only one day off. This workes great as I sleep a lot, I eat a lot and do nothing more rioght now than research and do low intense stuff all day. For the first time in ages I'm gaining muscle AND staying lean, to this I feel GREAT. That is the most importat thing, feeling great doing what you do. So this program I wrote I will try out

 

[gjohnson5]

Does anyone have Brad Pitt's routine??


Geezus, who cares about Arnold....he was a genetic FREAK...he trained balls out and he lead the ultimate bb life. Train, eat, sleep, eat, train, sleep........what worked for him and 99% of the other pros, WILL NOT WORK FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Get a solid routine under your belt as well as diet...TRAIN HARD AND HEAVY.....eaat right.....sleep right....and your body will respond!

I'll give Brad Pitt his props , he's got some abs. I bet that why you want his routine.
I see Nelly's trying to get swole too.

Both were skinny punks in past movies/videos.

Anyway these celebrities would also have the Arnold Lifestyle because they have the $$$ to eat , sleep , train for years on end. So they can experiment with pretty much anything and if it doesn't work they have the time to adjust. Me and you on the other had would be set back for a while as we have to work normal jobs.

 

[JKurz1]

I'll give Brad Pitt his props , he's got some abs. I bet that why you want his routine.
I see Nelly's trying to get swole too.

Both were skinny punks in past movies/videos.

Anyway these celebrities would also have the Arnold Lifestyle because they have the $$$ to eat , sleep , train for years on end. So they can experiment with pretty much anything and if it doesn't work they have the time to adjust. Me and you on the other had would be set back for a while as we have to work normal jobs.

Sorry...guess I shoulda said I was joking....

 

[Dial_tone]

I've always done 11-15 sets pretty much; I get burnt out if I do much more and my intensity goes down.

 

[hammertime30]

(Not enough traffic on training board so here it goes...)
With the "how many sets do you do for chest?" thread going on, this might be appropriate. Apparently Arnold only did 8 working sets.

To gain mass, Arnold did relatively FEW sets per bodypart but he trained OFTEN... basically trained six days a week, each muscle twice. Supposedly he only juiced 8 weeks before a show, which was also when he reputedly did 25 sets per bodypart (he probably juiced way more but that's besides the point). What do you all think?

This info is from a reprint of an Ironman article published between 74 and 75.

Here is an example of Back and Chest day. His split was basically doing every bodypart two times a week with one day off per week.

Mon & Thurs
(Every set to failure except for the first set of each excercise, which is done at 70%).
Bench Press 5x10-12
superset with
Wide Chins 5 sets
Flyes 5x10-12
superset with
Cable rows 5x10-12

Tues & Fridays were Shoulders and Arms, and Wednesdays and Saturdays were just legs.

there's no one way to train...some people grow well off training each body part twice per week...while others grow well off training one body part per week...Of course if you train twice per week you will need to lessen the amount of sets per body part or else you will quickly overtrain...however if you are training once per week, then you can add more sets being that you are giving your body extra days to recoupe....You have to find what works for you being that what worked for Arnold doesn't mean it will work the same for you....I'm completely done with copying other people's regimens....my regimen is based on what I've found that makes me grow....Of course there's always a way to critique it and make it better, but if it's working, who cares!!

 

[yomama]

I used to do 15-20sets for everything. Now I switched to 10sets twice a week per body part.

 

[Anakin]

Trial and error is a very inefficient way to learn things. Yes, the same stuff doesn't work for everyone, but you need to have a rational starting point and some basic principles before you start your own trial and error process.

All I'm saying is that even if Mr. High Volume (Arnold) did 8 working sets per muscle group, then who the hell really does 15+ sets to gain mass?
Personally, I've tried a lot of different approaches (giving each one at least 3 months) but I still haven't found something that makes me 100% happy with my results. And if you say you have, but you're always on gear, that doesn't really count because how do you know you would gain naturally with such an approach?

 

[Slyder190]

Fuck what Arnold has to say. His recomendations = overtraining. He's such a lying hypocrite, how can you beleive anything he says?

 

[hammertime30]

Trial and error is a very inefficient way to learn things. Yes, the same stuff doesn't work for everyone, but you need to have a rational starting point and some basic principles before you start your own trial and error process.

All I'm saying is that even if Mr. High Volume (Arnold) did 8 working sets per muscle group, then who the hell really does 15+ sets to gain mass?
Personally, I've tried a lot of different approaches (giving each one at least 3 months) but I still haven't found something that makes me 100% happy with my results. And if you say you have, but you're always on gear, that doesn't really count because how do you know you would gain naturally with such an approach?

Yes you do need a base, however trial and error teaches all...If you listen to what these pros do or have done, 9 times out of 10 you will just overtrain and not get squat for they don't tell you everything (like all the shit they pump into their system to recoupe faster than everyday people), but just what sounds good to sell a product (do they really break down the different body types and why an ectomorph can not train like a mesomorph?)...Nothing is 100% satisfying for once you think you found something, the gains stop...why because the body is a very sophisticated machine and will adjust to just about anything...Stick with the basics and take each set to complete failure you really only need about 3-4 sets per exercise and about 3 different exercises per large bodypart and 2 for smaller...once you see things taper...change it...rather it be the exercise, weight or reps...Once you become more advance and desire to add more dimension then you seek the exercises for that...but building up only requires a small about of compound movements....Training while on gear is a totally different topic all together!!!

 

[psychedout]

Training while on gear is a totally different topic all together!!!

Werd to this. I did 12 sets for triceps yesterday (been off for like 5 days) and they are so sore I cannot move them.

While on I could do 20 sets and not be sore the next day.

 

[yomama]

Werd to this. I did 12 sets for triceps yesterday (been off for like 5 days) and they are so sore I cannot move them.

While on I could do 20 sets and not be sore the next day.

My triceps recover fast, even off gear.

 

[ManOfArms]

Fuck what Arnold has to say. His recomendations = overtraining. He's such a lying hypocrite, how can you beleive anything he says?

LOL

I have his body building encyclopedia, I honestly wouldn't follow any of those routines.

Also, in the mid 70's he was a guest at the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and said he ran 3 times a week and worked out with weights 6 days a week (also in the 25th Anniversary DVD Pumping Iron).

 

[yomama]

LOL

I have his body building encyclopedia, I honestly wouldn't follow any of those routines.

Also, in the mid 70's he was a guest at the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and said he ran 3 times a week and worked out with weights 6 days a week (also in the 25th Anniversary DVD Pumping Iron).

I got the book too. Maybe it was genetics or maybe it was something else. But Arnold isnt going to give it out.

 

[DJ_UFO]

Fuck what Arnold has to say. His recomendations = overtraining. He's such a lying hypocrite, how can you beleive anything he says?

That's true at some point. But I think he's intelligent. For some reason Arnold seems to never tell the truth about his cycles, nutrition, training routines and I don't know why if he can not be Mr. Olimpia anymore. Why not give a chance to new guys. The only way I've learned some old school excersises is watching old videos from these guys..there are some routines, machines, sets and reps that come out as repetitive between them. That's the only way you can get some of the truth. And that routines depends of course on how much cals they are gettin' per day and what kind of roids are they using...so it is almost impossible to do in these days what those dude made in the past.

 

[Debaser]

Who cares how any champion trains? When you're eating 6000-10000 calories every day, using a laundry list of hormonal and medical compounds with insane dosages, while being endowed with one-in-a-million genetics, pretty much all that matters is that you're throwing more iron on the bar week after week, and moving it in some fashion.

 

[Jenetic]

Everyone is diffrent. Muscle fiber type and distribution is genetically predetermined at birth. It is necessary to understad what the different muscle fiber types (type I, type IIA, type IIB, type IIC), the necessary activation sitmulus, fuels (oxygen, glycogen, ATP/CP ect.) and recover timeframes. There is not a single training routine that will work for everyone but there are no excuses as to why an individual can't make progress. Recognize your genetic predisposition and focus on the proper stimulus necessary in order to activate the targeted muscle fibers that pertain to your goal.

Spend more time reading about subjects like this rather than...

Jenetic

 

[mcr]

Who cares how any champion trains? When you're eating 6000-10000 calories every day, using a laundry list of hormonal and medical compounds with insane dosages, while being endowed with one-in-a-million genetics, pretty much all that matters is that you're throwing more iron on the bar week after week, and moving it in some fashion.

You make a fine point, especially about genetics and progressive resistance, but it's not that we care about how a champion trains now that they're taking in a plethora of calories and are just eating, sleeping, training 24x7... we care about how they GOT to that point.

Nobody is born a pro bodybuilder (even with great genetic potential they have to start somewhere and train) - many of them got most of the way to where they are today while leading similar lives to what we do (i.e: while working a day job). I think many people are just curious as to how they trained to get to that point. After all, it's unlikely that they were eating 10,000 calories and taking mega-doses on day 1 of their bodybuilding life.

 

[DIVISION]

Everyone is diffrent. Muscle fiber type and distribution is genetically predetermined at birth. It is necessary to understad what the different muscle fiber types (type I, type IIA, type IIB, type IIC), the necessary activation sitmulus, fuels (oxygen, glycogen, ATP/CP ect.) and recover timeframes. There is not a single training routine that will work for everyone but there are no excuses as to why an individual can't make progress.

Spend more time reading about subjects like this rather than...

Jenetic

You are right, s'all about genetics and predisposition.

I think those are stronger than the variables you can change, namely diet and training and AAS.

DIV

 

[gjohnson5]

Fuck what Arnold has to say. His recomendations = overtraining. He's such a lying hypocrite, how can you beleive anything he says?

He's the governor of California , so he needs to take back alot of what he said and did during those "pumping Iron" days. His job is 180degrees different now.

What would happen to his credibility if he went on TV and said, "All steroid are now legal without a prerscription in California" First he would fail , second they'd be having another vote in California for a new governor

 

[geoboy]

That's true at some point. But I think he's intelligent. For some reason Arnold seems to never tell the truth about his cycles, nutrition, training routines and I don't know why if he can not be Mr. Olimpia anymore. Why not give a chance to new guys. The only way I've learned some old school excersises is watching old videos from these guys..there are some routines, machines, sets and reps that come out as repetitive between them. That's the only way you can get some of the truth. And that routines depends of course on how much cals they are gettin' per day and what kind of roids are they using...so it is almost impossible to do in these days what those dude made in the past.

didnt he say he once told his competition that his secret was huge amounts of table salt, and he had a whole crew of guys scaffing down salt lioke there was no tommorrow?

 

[Anakin]

didnt he say he once told his competition that his secret was huge amounts of table salt, and he had a whole crew of guys scaffing down salt lioke there was no tommorrow?

No I think that was just part of the made-up script in Pumping Iron.

 

[yomama]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone is diffrent. Muscle fiber type and distribution is genetically predetermined at birth. It is necessary to understad what the different muscle fiber types (type I, type IIA, type IIB, type IIC), the necessary activation sitmulus, fuels (oxygen, glycogen, ATP/CP ect.) and recover timeframes. There is not a single training routine that will work for everyone but there are no excuses as to why an individual can't make progress. Recognize your genetic predisposition and focus on the proper stimulus necessary in order to activate the targeted muscle fibers that pertain to your goal.
.

I agree

 

[gregory]

I watched the pumping iron tapes and DVD many times. I also read his Encyclopedia and i noticed that those guys did not train with heavy weights. Sure you see a lot photos of "some" of those guys maxign out on something like Deadlifts and such. But if you watch the scenes in the background of the dvd you see everyone repping moderate weights with full range and partials. Looks to me like they were about making the muscle "burn" then repping for as long as they could take it. So failure to a lot of them seemed to be the pain threshold of their "burn" and NOT cns failure due to heavy lifting. This is just something i observed. Watch them, they are all pretty much repping moderate weights for higher numbers.