Arnold's '74 Olympia workout

[SPORT SCIENTIST]

I was thinking about trying Arnold's '74 Olympia preparation training routine, with a few modifications (throwing in some deadlifts, squats, front squats and clean and jerks) - What do you think? - thinking about doing the power exercises mentioned above on wednesday and Saturday + doing half as many sets on tuesday and friday. + also cutting the machine exercises for legs (my legs are huge, only interested in strength)
Even with this reduction in volume, I'm sure it would be easy to overtrain - but it would be inspiratinal to follow the same routine as big A.

Arnold's Routine

Mon, Wed, Fri

Chest:
Bench press 5 x 6-10
Flat bench flyes 5 x 6-10
Incline bench press 6 x 6-10
Cable crossovers 6 x 10-12
Dips (body weight) 5 x failure
Dumbell pullovers 5 x 10-12.

Back:
Wide-grip chins (to front) 6 x failure
T-bar rows 5 x 6-10
Seated pulley rows 6 x 6-10
One-arm dumbell rows 5 x 6-10
Straight-leg deadlifts 6 x 15

Legs:
Squats 6 x 8-12
Leg press 6 x 8-12
Leg extensions 6 x 12-15
Leg curls 6 x 10-12
Barbell lunges 5 x 15

Calves:
Standing calf raises 10 x 10
Seated calf raises 8 x 15
Oneplegged calf raises (holding dumbells) 6x12

Forearms:
Wrist curls (forearms on knees) - 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls - 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine - to failure

Abs:
ฝ hour of a variety of nonspecific abdominal exercises, done virtually nonstop.

Tues, Thurs, Sat

Biceps:
Barbell curls 6 x 6-10
Seated dumbell curls 6 x 6-10
Dumbell concentration curls 6 x 6-10

Triceps:
Close-grip bench presses 6 x 6-10
Pushdowns 6 x 6-10
French press (barbell) 6 x 6-10
One-arm triceps extensions (dumbell) 6 x 6-10

Shoulders:
Seated barbell presses 6 x 6-10
Lateral raises (standing) 6 x 6-10
Rear-delt lateral raises 5 x 6-10
Cable lateral raises 5 x 10-12

Calves , Forearms & Abs:
Same as Monday, Wednesday, Friday workout


Arnold's Top Form Measurements

Arms 22 inches
Chest 57 inches
Waist 34 inches
Thighes 28.5 inches
Calves 20 inches
Weight 235 pounds
Height 6'2"

 

[Raffaz]

I think thats far to much to be doing, you will just end up overtraining IMO.

Mick

 

[SPORT SCIENTIST]

Yup overtaining is a possibility, but saying that, on my last cycle, I trained 5 days/week, training twice a day on 3 of those 5 days - and I grew 29lbs in 10 weeks!

Last cycle:

weeks 1-4 dbol 30mg
weeks 1-10 sust 250mg e3d
weeks 1-10 decca 200mg e3d

 

[Steve The Bluesman]

Holy crap, that is a lot of work for one day...

But what the hell, see how your body feels, if it isn't draining you down, go for it..

But that is a 30 year old program...concentration curls? 5 sets of pullovers? Wrist roller machine? 11 sets of lat raises?

Maybe a little alteration and it would be a good program...

Later,


Bluesman

 

[javaguru]

In my expereince, even on a cycle more than 20 sets for a major muscle group and 12 sets for small groups is serious overtraining and I've responded best to volume training.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

i can inflict just as much damage with 2 all out sets of squats than doing 30 sets for legs..

most likely your gains will not be like arnold's

 

[black sheep]

Do you have a Job, other than BB?

I know I sure don't have that kind of time! Hell, I don't even think there is enough hours in the day to sleep for me to recover from that 6 days a week!

 

[SPORT SCIENTIST]

Do you have a Job, other than BB?

I know I sure don't have that kind of time! Hell, I don't even think there is enough hours in the day to sleep for me to recover from that 6 days a week!

I am setting up a sport supplement company, and have quit my job teaching English - so yes I have a lot of free time!

 

[slat1]

Everyones bodies react differently to training. I read someplace that Ronnie Coleman never, never, changes his workouts... even precontest. He said he has used the same split since he went pro. He does everything twice a week too! He seems to grow.. LOL.

 

[BOOEY]

Emulating our heroes is very tempting, but can be very dangerous. Arnold was a machine, plain and simple. The Austrian Oak. His routine was specialized to how his body reacts best. Plus he was on massive amounts of gear (I don't buy the argument that pros in the 70's used light cycles .. bullshit, they were on excessive amounts, minus hgh).

Anyway, two-a-days are taxing; I did a similar routine over the summer and after two weeks I was sick of the gym. I sucked it up, and finished a 10 week cycle of it, with OK results. I could have gotten the same by doing 5 day/week, 1 bodypart/day. The key is to go into it slowly and gradually. If you're going all out in the first week, by week 3 you'll be dead. Let us know how it goes