I was looking for a book like this, and it's perfect. 100% recommended. Great pics and great explications on how to execute them.

There is no other book anyone be it bodybuilder or looking to get in shape will ever need besides this one. It is HUGE, illistrated and has everything you need. BUY this and stop wasting your money on other books. This is the one.

Obviously there are many reviewers of this book. This is one of those things that appeal to people but don't really take the time to study or practice the techniques outlined in the book. Take it from someone who has studied Arnold. I'll be brief and share with you some insights that may help you leverage and learn what you need to know a little faster. (1) Don't get the book right now if you don't have much discipline (2) Get the book if you want to learn about discipline and are serious about improving your health. These are not techniques for a slouch. Do you think you have what it takes to be a champion? Do you want to be like Arnold? Those are serious questions to ask yourself and this is particularly a good place to answer those questions. These are items you'll want to get as a supplement if you don't have them already: Pumping Iron (25th Anniversary Special Edition) and a copy of Gray's Anatomy: The Unabridged Running Press Edition of the American Classic. This book is the 2nd edition encyclopedia. Arnold cut a lot of information out of the 2nd edition because it was no longer relevant. Other sections were cut but overall content is not affected. There are errors in the book and sometimes a somewhat better explanation of how to perform certain exercises would have been more helpful. Some errors carried over from the first edition on exercise techniques.

Almost forgot - get Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder to round out your references. Using those sources alone you won't need anything else until you start to make some serious progress and than you can explore other well known bodybuilders of that era for a different approach to the sport. And probably the most important advice. Yes, Arnold used steroids but he will not recommend you use them. Arnold's steroid use has no bearing on the quality of the content in this book. Steroids have side effects. There is no such thing as small, manageable doses. If you're a Catholic steroids are forbidden by the church for this purpose - I checked.

I read the reviews of people that say this book is a waste and I wonder how they approach their workouts and live there lives. One person complains my body was breaking down from 100 minutes of exercise! Come on people, a little over an hour and a half a day and your complaining your body is breaking down. This book is an excellent source for weight training, it comes from a man who was and arguably still is the best Bodybuilder that has walked the planet. Exercising is about learning what works for you with weights, aerobics, diet etc. and this is an great reference book for just these things. Over 300 reviews on the book while I'm typing this so it must be doing something good for people. Do yourself a favor and buy the book and I guarantee you'll learn something you never new before no matter how long you've been working out.

I read the reviews of people that say this book is waste and I wonder how they look and live there lives. One person says my body was breaking down from 100 minutes of exercise come on people a little over an hour and a half a day and your complaining your body is breaking down it sounds like you've got bigger problems than Arnold's book (maybe it's his politics.) This book is an excellent source for weight training not the best I'm sure but it comes from a man who was and arguably still is the best Bodybuilder that has walked the planet. Exercising is about learning what works for you with weights, aerobics, diet etc. and this is an great reference book for just those things. Over 300 reviews on the book while I'm typing this right now so it must be doing something good for people. Do yourself a favor and buy the book and I guarantee you'll learn something you never new before no matter how long you've been working out.

I wish I could provide a video review of this volume, but putting Schwarzenegger's advice into practice takes time. I consider this a prime candidate for the "definitive" work on modern bodybuilding, with advice on exercises, equipment, nutrition, and competition that show both depth and perspective. No matter where I land when I open this book, my fitness plan changes and improves. It's no substitute for a personal trainer, of course, but almost.

I bought this book like four weeks ago and I want to say that I found it very interesting from the beginning to the end. It talks about everything a person who trains wants to know. I definitely recommend it to those who want to exercise and have a good diet and health.

For those ones that are looking for acquire knowledge or for those that already have a good knowledge about body-building this is the book, it cover from very first basic trainings, passing through advanced and competition ones, as do your diet, poses and many more. Is a very, very complete book. The revision was up to 1999/2000, though still very actual. For those body-building lovers is a must.

This is a big, heavy book. It is old school Arnold and goes into great detail on everything. Certainly the pictures go back to Arnold's heyday and are not reflective of the real scary looking bodybuiders of today. I recommend it to those of us who have out grown Arnold's slimmer bodybuilding for Men and want some more variations on appropriate exercises.

This is the mother of all books or guides about body building. It covers everything you need to know about the subject. New developments, equipment, etc., have been made in the sport since the publication of the book, but it's still a great reference. If you apply its contents, you WILL get results.

This book is excellent for aspiring bodybuilders who wish to get a foundation started. Some of the techniques and methods are outdated or no longer used, but it's mainly only the abs being everyday.

It's exactly what I was looking for, a book written by a master of bodybuilding, who is willing to let you know the details of his experiences, and what really works in order to achieve the best body.

i received it in no time with absolutely no problems what so ever plus to me the book looked brand spankin new you could of never tell it was a used book very happy with my purchase and wouldn't hesitate to order from them in the future.

This book is really useful as a guide for self training with weights, although there are sections more interesting than others, in general it is a good guide for beginners like me. It is worth to look for the updated version as it covers topics which were not included in the first book release.

This book is good for anyone interested in bodybuilding. it will answer any questions you may have. EVERY single bit of important information about bodybuilding is in here. check it out

I like this book very much. It has everything you need for working out and bodybuilding and then plus some. It is a great book and I suggest this book to anyone who likes to work out or wants to look better!

Great book. Im 6' 195 lbs benching 350 and squating 450, which took me four years to accomplish (I used to be 5' 10" 140lbs)so I thought I new alot about building muscle. Untill i came across this book. Ive doubled my knowledge on the subject, and forsee great gains in my future due to my new found knowledge. I highly recomend this tis book to any muscle builders out there.

Good book. Taken comprehensively I doubt it has many peers as the "bible of bodybuilding". But...if you are used to doing high intensity training. Breaking up the body parts over 5 days or doing a more popular training split you need to be aware that in order to follow Arnold's recommended workload you will have to alter your training quite drastically. Most people who lift actually overtrain on a given workout. If you bomb your area and don't lift with proper technique controlling the weights through their whole range you will probably suffer. Be absolutely sure to start these programs with much less weight on any given exercise that you are used to. I recommend you gradually increase weights only as comfortable. Good luck.

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised

I first used this book some 15 years ago, when I first embarked on body building and out of all the books on the market, this is the only one that any one should have in their library.

Arnold's explainations and easy writing style was easy to follow and explainations of varying body types and different ways to train makes even the novice an expert....

The only thing the book can not do is motivate you to go to the gym, but all the other tools are there and at your disposal.

It's a manual for the ultimate body......

Yes, it is true this is very comprehensive, it is.

But a lot of the info is out dated or just plain wrong, for example when mentioning lactic acid or when championing stretching before starting your workout; static stretching will cool your muscles and relax them (that is weaken them) what you need is warm muscles, ready to work...this is one of many errors found here.

If you are or are trying to be a bodybuilder, there is some good info here, I guess.

I myself, have decided that trying to induce extra size to my muscles without true strength is a waste of time.

An excerpt from another review I wrote, to drive towards the point that I am trying to make:

"In reality, all you really NEED is the main exercises, the compound ones, like squat, deadlift, press, bench press, clean, and anything else that assist those exercises like rows, pull-ups, dips, etc.

And I have NOT found a book to teach you this fundamental exercises and to guide you towards doing some real work, better than 'Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore'.

Get it and learn the fundamentals, after that you can do whatever you want, but at least get your foundation in order."

If you do not care about strength and all you want is pumped arms with no real practical strength, fine i can see that WANT...just do not get this "New Encyclopedia of BB..." there are better books out here. Might as well subscribe to a magazine, etc.

This book exceeded all of my expectations and is an amazing value. It really is a comprehensive encyclopedia of how to build your body in a proven and safe manner. It also covers how to eat, when to eat, and what to eat in order to maximize your health and strength.

One of the key features of the book is a listing of bodybuilding excercises with a very detailed explaination of how to perfom the excersise with the correct form - maximizing the effect and minimizing injury.

Highly recommended!

This Book is very well written and should be a must for any bodybuilders aspiring to potentially becoming recognized in Bodybuilding. Thank You Arnold for being an inspiration to so many people. Raymond Maher

I absolutely love this book. There is a ton of great information in here. The book is a great resource if you find yourself searching for new exercises, or want to focus your training.

I'm about 99% certain that the majority of the bodybuilders pictured in the book are on the juice, but don't let it discourage you.

This was quickly delivered and in mint condition. It has been very useful so far and I've only read a very small part of it! I'm not personally trying to become a Mr. Universe or end up anywhere near that size, I'm after more of a Tyler Durden from Fight Club look but this book will help you with every aspect. It'll help you determine your body type, the style of training to suit, exercise after exercise, how you should be eating.....the list goes on. If you're into training to any degree really then I think this book will be able to offer you no end of guidance and information. A worthy purchase as far as I'm concerned!

I don't like to type much or ever give reviews for that matter, but this product is one of the few products that i have to write a review for because its so good. This book is like a scientist, who is a bodybuilder (with a pHd in "the human body) wrote it. This book is the Holy Bible of Bodybuilding.

Another five star review. I have had to buy this book three times because I use it so much. Instead of buying all those diet and workout books, simply put the money out and purchase the book by the man who made it all happen. He puts this book together, so that no matter if you are a beginer or a professional bodybuilder and marathoner, you will be able to use it. Arnold discusses pretty much EVERY possible excercise and the benefits of it and what muscle groups it effects. He covers all the vital elements needed to build up, or tone down, lose weight, or even gain weight. Becaues Arnold has such a passion for this topic, it makes as a very useful reference guide. So much 'useful' information that you will catch yourself looking at it over and over and over. Put it to use and you will get results.

This book arrived just in time for Christmas in excellent condition. The person receiving the gift was completely satisfied as I was!

I have not received this book to date. Please advise when I can expect to receive it!

This is a great book whether you want to get into professional bodybuilding or just get into shape. It's broken down very well into sections on training techniques, nutrition, mental preparation, as well as fully detailed descriptions of individual exercises for each body part/muscle group. It also includes a lot of posing techniques and competition advice, which i personally haven't looked into, since i'm not planning on becoming a professional bodybuilder soon. Overall, this book is an amazing value. This is a must have, whether you want to get into bodybuilding, or just get into shape and build a strong healthy physique.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

I call this book a must have.
One, it's huge. Takes up a lot of space on your shelf.
Two, it's huge. It has very good photos illustrating more bodypart exercises and inspirations than most of us will ever use.
The photos are all fantastic quality with lots of inspiration.
The book is not without flaws. The routines, even the beginner routines, would put the majority of exercisers into a state of overtraining.
There also seems to be a lot of the old fashioned "Bulk and Cut" advice.
Putting heavy whipping cream into milkshakes for extra fat calories and such. Not the healthiest way to go.
All in all though, I think that the sheer volume of information and inspiration is worth these issues.
I have yet to find a single, stand alone bodybuilding book that works for everyone.
For me, the perfect routine lies somewhere between the excessive volume here, and the intensity of Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty.
But your metabolism, structure, hormone levels, etc. are not identical to mine. So learn what you can and figure out what makes sense to you.

What a great book by the one and only Arnold! Extremely detailed with so much great information and pictures and examples of just everything you need to know about bodybuilding. This is the Bible of Bodybuilding! I recommend to anyone that wants to get in shape or become a serious bodybuilder or even just the regular joe schmoe!

I have bought many bodybuilding books and this one is not very good. Here is why:
1. It's large and heavy - it's very difficult to keep this book on your lap and read. The only option is to put on the table. If you would like to take this book with you to the gym, or sit comfortably in a chair and read it - forget it, your arm will fall off.
2. Book is filled with photo's - if you enjoy the history of bodybuilding - this could be fine. But I expected photo's just to illustrate the exercises, not the review of American bodybuilding, especially from 20-30 years ago. Better make a dedicated book with photos and instead in this book provide clear examples for exercises.
3. Programs are not easy to adapt if you are starting bodybuilder and there is not enough variety to fit into your needs. I expected clear and simple programs with variations depending on my particular needs. There is a program and it's hard to figure it out how to properly change it for my needs.
4. Nutrition is a very short chapter at the end. I expected more advice and examples which would make it easier for me to understand and adapt. For example program Body for Life offers very easy instructions for meals and protein drinks etc. As far as easy to understand exercises with good and easy to understand photo's I found that Joe Weider's book is much better (and a bit lighter)...

The most thorough book I've seen. Arnold Schwarzenegger did a remarkable job covering any aspect of bodybuilding. From the different exercises, programs and nutrition to the most subtle topics. I read a few other books and this book is definitely the best one I read so far - VERY RECOMMENDED!

I rate this book 5 stars because Schwarzenegger does a great job of organizing all of the conventional strength-training exercises that have accumulated over the years into one book,and he describes them in greater depth and more detail than most other books do. So this book is of great value to anyone (beginner or advanced) who wants to use conventional training methods to get the body they desire.
With that said however, the exercises in this book will not enable you to obtain "maximum results in minimum time", which I believe is what most people want in the ideal workout plan. After all, if I were to ask you what your 3 greatest assets in life are, what might your answer be? You might very well say your body, your health, and your time. Those are assets that you can't put a price on. Like Emerson once said, "The greatest wealth is health". And as Donald Trump has said, "Your life is like a credit card given to you at birth. But money is not what matters here; it's the time you have on that credit card that counts".
So how does one develop a workout plan that truly enables you to obtain maximum results in minimum time? The answer lies in that powerful little word "intensity". In order to get really maximum results in minimum time, you need to be able to generate "maximum intensity". And to accomplish that, you need the "right definition" for intensity, which is one that works in both theory and can be applied practically.
And that's where this book falls short: it does define intensity, but the definition given is too inadequate and vague for practical application, so it is not the "right" definition. And as result, most of the exercises in this book will not enable you to generate maximum intensity, because they are not centered around the right definition for intensity.
To elucidate further, maximum intensity is vital to obtaining maximum results in minimum time for two reasons:
1) The key to building muscle from any weight-lifing plan lies in subjecting your muscles to a higher level of intensity than what they are currently accustomed to. Your muscles then grow bigger and stronger to adapt to that higher level of intensity.
2) Intensity is inversely proportional to duration. The greater the intensity of a weight-lifting exercise,the shorter it has to be in time duration.
Thus, it turns out that the "most effective" way to build muscle is actually the "least time-consuming" way, IF you know the secrets to maximizing your intensity. And of course to do that, you need the right definition for intensity to begin with. Otherwise, you won't know which strategies work best to generate maximum intensity.
Currently, the best published books that I know of for enabling you to achieve maximum intensity are "Static Contraction Training" (Sisco and Little) and "Max Contraction Training" (John Little. Those books are not without their flaws, but they do contain strategies that will enable you to take your weight-lifting exercises to higher levels of intensity than any conventional workout plan will.
Finally, it's interesting (but not surprising) to note what Arnold attributes his well-developed biceps to: he states in this book that he came to the realization that it was largely due to genetics. He says that whatever exercise he did for his biceps, his biceps just seemed to grow huge naturally. He does not attribute his huge biceps to having had the best workout plan for the biceps. And I can assure you that the plan he has for developing the biceps (put forth in this book) is not the the most effective or time-efficient way to develop the biceps. That doesn't mean that Arnold's approach for developing the biceps won't work; it will work, especially if you've got the right genetics, spend a lot of long, tedious hours working out in the gym, and if you take steroids. It's just not the the best appproach to use in terms of effectiveness and time-efficiency. And that's simply because none of these exercises will enable you to achieve maximum intensity, for the reason explained above.

I'm not a body builder or looking to get into body building but I do lift regularly. This book is extremely informative and helpful. There are small things that I've tweaked in how I excercise that have made a big difference already. This book is numero uno!

Buy this book. It is very high quality information from Arnold himself and will teach you everything you need to know about bodybuilding. The nutrition section is also very detailed, which I liked a lot.

a great motivational book with amazingly detailed information. It weighs 7 lbs, you'll get stronger just reading it. It is the best money I've spent in a LONG time.

THE BEST BODYBUILDING BOOK EVER MADE. IF IT WERE A HOTEL IT WOULD BEAT THE 7 STAR HOTEL OF DUBAI!

This book has everything anyone needs to know about sculpting the body. It does not matter if you are wanting to be a bodybuilder or just get into shape this book has everything!!!!

This is really a very good book. 800 pages will keep you occupied for a while. Lots of history, personal stories from Arnold and lots and lots of pictures from back in the day to recent times. Definitely worth buying.

In 70's and 80's when Arnold was competing steroids were legal and as a result to that some individuals were able to train the way he recomends. It is almost certain that if you follow the begginer program he suggests and you refuse to use any suppluments, like creatine, you are going to quit. If you are a beginner like me I believe that you are going to be benefited more from the Bill Pearl's Keys to the Inner Universe. Also have a look at www.billpearl.com , there you will find Pearl's programms for free.

This book is fabulous. Definately the bible of bodybuilding. Book is comprehensive as well, and a good read as well.

its not direct. Basically you have to dissect knowledge here. you also need a dictionary for many words used. Just not for people who don't have the time to do all that reading.

This book is great. Very detailed, and very informative. The book is for the serious reader in that it is roughly 800 pages in length. There is a lot of areas that I skipped (History of Bodybuilding, Posing, etc.) because I wanted to read the info on fitness, exercising, and resistance training. I am not an aspired body builder, just a guy who is looking to change his body for the better and get the proper information from one of the best guys behind the sport.

I highly recommend this book and plan to buy more copies for friends and family members since they cant seem to put my copy down when they come over to visit.

Arnold wrote down everything he knows regarding Bodybuilding. Several exercises, tips, including a training plan for Beginners and for Advanced.

There's a special part including health and nutrition, proving that nutrition is as important as exercising.

There's a chapter where he explains all techniques to improve your strenght, build muscle and be healthy.

There are several explaining photos, curiosities, and even a Bodybuilding history.

Its really a Bodybuilding Bible, and for those who don't want to be a bodybuilder, but want to do weight training, will learn until where they can go.