The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: Book Review

You have to hate “the Governator” even just a little bit. Why, you may ask? Well, as you may very well know, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was a former Mr. Universe, a former Mr. Olympia, a Hollywood box office hit maker, and now he is the author of the newly released The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. What can this bodybuilding champ not do?

Let me tell you what he can do, and very well, at that. Arnold can write a book that’s around 800 pages long, full of information and tips on modern bodybuilding and weight training. Dubbed as “the bible of bodybuilding,” Arnold’s latest release even covers other aspects such as history, diet and nutrition, sports psychology, the treatment and prevention of injuries, competing, and training principles and routines, each demonstrated with wide-ranging photographs of some of the stars of the bodybuilding world these days.

To let you in a bit more on all the information this guide will be providing you when you read it, here is a more in-depth summary of its subsections or Books:

Book 1
This is the section where Arnold takes you back in the history of bodybuilding. This 90-page part prepares you for what’s to come ahead as you read further, showing pictures of past and current bodybuilders.

Book 2
Arnold then becomes thoughtful of the readers who may just be starting to get into bodybuilding, discussing the basic training principles, such as what a rep and a set mean, and what various equipment are used. The different body types are also included in this book, which serve as a guide on what to strive for in bodybuilding that is achievable with the body type that you have.

Book 3
This book is centered in teaching various exercises and techniques, from the basic routines, to the intensity boosting ones such as super-setting, forced reps and slow negatives. Arnold explains step-by-step his training guide by tackling each body part, from stretching the muscles to training the weak points. The exercise guide, equipped with pictures and detailed instructions, is very useful for the beginners and experienced trainers alike. I was able to pick up a number of routines that I would like to incorporate in my regular workout.

Book 4
Arnold then moves on to the competition part of bodybuilding. From the various poses as demonstrated in the generous number of pictures in the section, to the tanning, hairstyles and other aspects that entail competing, this section is very useful for those who really aspire to join hardcore bodybuilding contests. And who to get tips on this but from 7-time Mr. Olympia himself, right? It definitely emphasizes on the advice that not all poses work for all bodybuilders so this section will help you figure out which poses are suited for your assets.

Book 5
The last part of The New Encyclopedia is also equally important because in here the different diets, supplements, vitamins and minerals, and the various injuries you can acquire in bodybuilding and how to treat them are all discussed thoroughly in this section.

Why I would recommend this book

All in all, this new book is an ideal guide and reference for bodybuilders no matter what level you’re in. It covers almost everything if not all aspects of bodybuilding, from the diet, to competing, to training techniques. The photographs from the nice look-back in the history of the sport are also a great highlight of the book. In addition, you get direct motivation and words of encouragement from Mr. Schwarzenegger himself. I personally learned a few more ideas on certain phases of training after reading the whole thing, which I didn’t really give special attention to before, such as Arnold’s emphasis on improving on your weak points in your workout, as well as the general idea that not one routine applies to all is also emphasized in the piece.

Why I wouldn’t recommend this book

What I didn’t like very much about this book would be Arnold’s application of some of his “old school” routines, principles and supplementation. And I don’t mean to disrespect Arnold, but his suggestion to work out 2-3 times a day, six times a week is a little extreme and obsolete. For the exceptionally skilled trainers, who have been in the industry for so many years, this book may not be much of an attraction simply because it just republished many of the facts about bodybuilding that they already know.

My verdict

In general, I still recommend this book for all bodybuilders to read, especially those in the beginner and intermediate levels. I kept reinstating all throughout this review that it’s the Arnold Schwarzenegger who penned this book, and that will be my perfect reason for you to make the $25 purchase. Anyway, it is, after all, an encyclopedia, and it passes with flying colors the must-read criterion, the fact that it provides its target readers the much needed information on bodybuilding.

Get the book here:

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding [NEW ENCY OF MODERN BODYBUILDIN]

If you’re more interested in Multimedia programs that you can download right away, see my reviews of various Muscle Building Programs available online here.

P.S. I had a little fun competition on Twitter the other day (follow me by clicking here) where I asked if anyone could guess the Arnie flick I had just watched before going to the gym. Truly, I was astounded that only one person managed to guess the correct flick – it was of course Pumping Iron! So as a show of gratitude for playing I’ve promised to mention the winner here:

Bryn Moore aka @CalmTheDragon, runs an Anger Management training in North Wales + the North West of England UK. His website is http://angermanagewales.co.uk.

Thanks Bryn!