The Golden Era of Bodybuilding

Gone are the days of symmetry , small waists and the spectacular art of posing. The perspective of Bodybuilding has changed into something less appealing and more toxic to health , sacrificing their health just for the size and more vascularity.
Welcome to the age of Mass monsters and bubble gut bonanzas.

Old school Bodybuilding

The bodybuilders of the 60's , 70's and 80's were much ahead of their time. Despite lacking the improved levels of nutrition and scientific advancements in work out equipment, they still were able to build an astonishing physique with just the primitive equipment and nutrition available back then.

Researchers are still spending a considerable amount of time figuring out the workout routines , nutrition of the old school bodybuilders and only now are we able to understand the science behind it.

Given below are the key takeaways and lessons from each old school bodybuilder which would benefit you in your fitness journey . 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you look at the samples of Arnold’s routines that we’re able to get our hands on these days, it’s clear that high volume work was the lifeblood of his training.

Straight from Arnold’s Modern Encyclopedia Of Bodybuilding, here are two examples of the split he followed.

Training Split 1 

Day 1 – Chest and Back

Day 2 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 3 – Legs and Lower Back

Day 4 – Chest and Back

Day 5 – Shoulders and arms

Day 6 -- Legs and Lower back

Day 7 -- Rest

Training Split 2

Day 1 – Chest, Back and Legs

Day 2 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 3 – Chest, Back and Legs

Day 4 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 5 – Chest, Back and Legs

Day 6 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 7 -- Rest

Takeaway: High training volume, and the frequency in which you hit each muscle is a major key to driving muscle growth. If you’re not growing and you feel your recovery, nutrition, and stress is in check, start by assessing your training volume and frequency. 

Robby Robinson

From the day Robby started training (around age 12) up until he finally made the move to Venice Beach, California, he trained his entire body, everyday, 6 days per week. He stuck to the traditional compound movements of squats, bench press, military press, deadlifts, rows, and so forth. Often for 6-7 sets of 10, pushing the envelope on weight as much as he could.

No matter how you look at it, that’s a lot of years hammering away at the basic movements, and getting really fucking strong.

The Black Prince’s takeaway: If you’re new to the lifting scene, begin by training your entire body, every day, at least 4 times per week. Spend time getting really fucking good at the big compound movements, and watch the mass pile on.

Franco Columbu

Possessing arguably the greatest nickname of the Golden Era aside, before Franco stepped on a bodybuilding stage, he was a Strongest Man competitor, and it clearly shows in his physique.

As such, Franco was a huge proponent of building a sound base of strength before focusing on adding crazy amounts of muscle. This is a line of thinking that’s influenced much of programming over the years.

 Takeaway: Get strong like bull before shifting your focus to muscle growth. Strength feeds muscle, before muscle can feed strength.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Living Legend of Bodybuilding

As a kid i was fascinated by cartoons. To be precise , the one's where the protagonist's had a spectacular physique. Man , who doesn't love to look macho ! He-Man , Goku from DragonballZ , they were my favorites. Damn those ripped muscles ,huge chests,boulder shoulders and breathtaking abs. They were indeed a sight to see , but like i said they were cartoons ultimately. So me and my friends after school were having this highly intellectual conversation on how Goku could beat anybody and lift the planet with just his finger alone and all of a sudden we stumbled upon a picture on our way home. It was a picture of a guy outside a local gym ! He looked unreal , the first person i saw with an incredible physique and more importantly , He was for real and not a cartoon . 

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the man ! That was the day we found ourselves a real world Idol .

Early Days of Bodybuilding 

Arnold had started lifting at the age of 14 . He won his first competition at the age of 18 and guess what , he was in the Austrian army at that period and had to spend a week in prison as he compromised his army training for his competition. Two years later , he went on to become the youngest Mr.universe at the age of 20 and won it three more times later on. He then realized his dream of moving into the US at the age of 21 and went on to train in Gold's Gym in Venice under the supervision of Joe Weider. At the age of 23 , he won his first Mr.Olympia title and won it seven more times later on which etched his name in the Hall of Fame.

    

Bodybuilding Career 

He had won his first bodybuilding title at the age of 18 and won Mr.Europe at 19. He went on to compete in several competitions later on and won most of them. He was 5 Mr.universe titles and 7 Mr.Olympia titles in his arsenal. He also won two weightlifting Contests in 1964 and 1965 as well as two powerlifting contests in 1966 and 1968. 

Personal records 

1. Clean and Press - 120kg
2. Snatch - 110kg
3. Clean and jerk - 135kg
4. Squat- 245kg
5. Bench Press - 240kg
6. Deadlift - 320kg

Arnold Classic

Arnold Classic is a International Bodybuilding event held every year to Honor Arnold. 

It is a prestigious event and at par to the Mr.Olympia. It also has a separate event for the Strongman division called Arnold Strongman Classic. The winner of the Arnold Classic is awarded a Pro Card and a direct Entry to the Mr.olympia event.

Acting Career

Arnold always wanted to move into acting from bodybuilding. He got to debut as the Greek god Hercules in a movie in 1969. Later on , he went on to act in a couple of movies but the roles he got were insignificant. He was also denied certain roles in movies due to his abnormal physique and funny accent. He finally got his breakthrough in the movie Conan -The Barbarian . He later on got fame and recognition from his roles in movies like The Terminator , Predator , Commando and a couple more.

Political Career

Arnold's first appointment was as chairman of the presidents council on Physical fitness and sports and was also a renowned Red Cross ambassador. Later , he went on to become the Governor of California . Because of his Personal wealth from his acting career , he did not accept the salary of $175,000 per year as the governor . Arnold couldn't compete for the Presidential elections as he wasn't a native Ameriacan but yet he still managed to reach great heights in Politics.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has inspired millons across the globe. He is an Epitome of Success and has motivated many in taking bodybuilding as a profession . He has served a Great ambassador for Fitness and Health. He built his way from scratch , and climbed the ladder of success . His success story would forever be remembered and his legacy would live on for years to come.