Book Reviews
Review: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised
 | The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised
Arnold Schwarzenegger
USA Price : $29.99.
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ISBN: 0684857219 |
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger aspires to be the "bible of bodybuilding." And at over 800 pages, it certainly is voluminous enough to qualify as a "bible." That said, however, it unfortunately comes up short as a universal resource.
The main problem with the book is that Arnold lacks the necessary knowledge in exercise physiology to provide quality advice on the subject for the general consumer. No doubt Arnold was a great bodybuilding champion. One of the greatest to ever step on stage. But his achievements were not a result of his vast training knowledge. Rather, they can largely be attributed to superior genetics and anabolic drug use, as well as an incredible drive to be champion. His personal routines consisted of training six days a week, performing double splits (a morning and an afternoon section) with a high volume. These types of workouts neglect the principle that muscle is developed during recovery, and short-changing the recuperative process stagnates muscular growth. While steroids speed up recovery so that training can be performed more frequently, any natural bodybuilder will rapidly become overtrained on such a program -- especially those who are considered "hardgainers."
What's more, Arnold routinely makes claims that either contradict what we know from science, or that show a lack of understanding with scientific research. For example, he states that despite studies showing you cannot spot reduce body fat by performing abdominal exercises, he still believes crunches and other core moves somehow help to whittle away the midsection. This kind of pseudo-science perpetrates the very kinds exercise myths that we should be seeking to dispel.
Despite these criticisms, the book is not without merit. For one, it contains a tremendous number of exercises designed to work all of the major muscle groups, and the exercises are reasonably well explained (although not as well as seen in a number of other books on the subject). Moreover, there is some fascinating insight into Arnold's mindset during his competitive hey day. It is interesting to read about his training practices and competition strategy, if nothing else for a historical perspective of the era. He discusses aspects such as posing and tanning, which have relevance to any aspiring bodybuilder.
In sum, buy The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding for its historical significance, not its training advice. If you're a fan of bodybuilding, that alone will make it an interesting read.
Grade: 4 (out of 10)
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