This is EXACTLY How Old School Bodybuilders Built Mass!

Summary

In the golden era of bodybuilding, icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger crafted impressive physiques with minimal equipment, relying on staple exercises and progressive overload. These pioneers followed straightforward, yet effective training routines, often centered around a few core exercises. This video explores the simplicity and efficacy of the old-school bodybuilding approach, highlighting a basic mass gain routine reminiscent of Arnold's early training systems. Despite modern misconceptions, it's revealed that high volume isn't always necessary for muscle growth, as foundational exercises can be potent for both beginners and advanced athletes.

Highlights

• Arnold Schwarzenegger built his muscle foundation using a simplified training routine 🏆.
• The basic 10-exercise routine focuses on fundamental movements for full-body growth 🌱.
• Emphasizes progressive overload and quality form over increasing volume alone 🏋️.
• Recommends adjusting routines to fit modern equipment availability for best results 🛠️.
• Suggests varying exercises weekly to prevent burnout and support consistent gains 🚀.
• Encourages old-school training methods as effective for both beginners and advanced bodybuilders 🔑.

Key Takeaways

• Old-school bodybuilding relied on basic equipment and exercises to build mass 💪.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger originally built his physique with a simple 3-day-per-week routine 🏋️.
• Key exercises included barbell squats, presses, and deadlifts, performed with precision and progression 🔄.
• The tried-and-true 8x6 and 5x5 set methods were foundational for strength and muscle gains 📈.
• Concerns like high volume are addressed by focusing on quality over quantity and adapting exercises 💡.
• Rotating exercises weekly helps prevent burnout and maintain progress 📅.
• Adapting old-school methods can benefit modern lifters by enhancing recovery and avoiding stagnation 🔄.

Overview

The video dives into the back-to-basic methods of old-school bodybuilding, showcasing how legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger developed massive physiques with minimalist routines. These routines were rooted in core exercises that have stood the test of time.

Throughout the discussion, it's highlighted how simple yet structured training routines using barbell squats, bench presses, and deadlifts can lead to significant muscle growth. The effectiveness of the 8x6 and 5x5 methods are underscored as pivotal for strength enhancement.

Modern adaptations are advised, emphasizing the importance of rotating exercises and integrating new equipment to suit individual needs, helping to prevent fatigue and promote ongoing progress in strength and size.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Old School Bodybuilding The chapter discusses the fundamental approach to bodybuilding in the 1960s and 70s, a time when the sport relied on minimal, barebones equipment and limited knowledge of advanced training and nutrition methods. Despite these limitations, bodybuilders from this era developed some of the most admired physiques in bodybuilding history. They predominantly used staple exercises and followed basic old-school mass gain principles. The routine often consisted of a full-body program repeated three times a week, mainly involving a barbell, dumbbells, a bench, and occasionally, a cable machine.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Training Philosophy Arnold Schwarzenegger is popularly associated with high-volume, six-day-per-week, double split training routines. However, this was primarily his pre-contest training system.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Old-School Mass Gain Routine by Gene Mosey The chapter introduces an old-school mass gain routine by Gene Mosey, highlighting its similarity to Arnold's training system. It was a common style of training during its era, often performed three days a week. The focus is on showcasing a basic yet effective bodybuilding routine from the past.
• 01:30 - 02:00: The 8x6 Method Explained The chapter titled 'The 8x6 Method Explained' delves into the experiences of a former photojournalist who was also an active bodybuilder. His career in the bodybuilding industry was significantly influenced by his work with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Through this collaboration, he adopted several key training principles that were integral to Arnold's success in building his physique. The chapter highlights the similarities between the photojournalist's training methods and those of Arnold. An important takeaway from the chapter is a quote that embodies a fundamental principle in physical training: the need to add 20 or more pounds of basic weight.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Critiques of High Volume Training The chapter titled 'Critiques of High Volume Training' emphasizes the importance of foundational muscle mass building. It addresses both beginners and long-term trainees, stating that building basic muscle mass is crucial regardless of the training duration. The chapter argues that individuals who have trained for a long time but have not developed a solid foundation of muscle mass should be considered beginners. It suggests revisiting basic routines to build muscle effectively.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Adapting the Program for Modern Training This chapter discusses a prescribed training program that utilized exactly 10 exercises, to be performed three times a week. The exercises included were barbell squats, bench presses, incline presses, wide-grip chins, bent-over rows, seated presses behind the neck, barbell curls, lying tricep extensions, deadlifts, and calf raises. Each exercise followed specific sets and repetitions, with a 5x5 approach being a common staple. The adaptations and structure of the program within modern training contexts are highlighted.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Advanced Variations and Recovery The chapter titled 'Advanced Variations and Recovery' discusses a workout method known as the eight by six method, utilized for progressive strength training. In this routine, an initial set begins with eight repetitions using a lighter weight. Subsequently, the weight is increased and repetitions are reduced to six in the second set. The process includes a further increment in weight for a top-heavy working set of six repetitions, repeated for a total of five sets. This method emphasizes progression in weight to enhance strength and performance.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Flexible Training Schedules In the chapter titled 'Flexible Training Schedules,' the transcript discusses the structure of a training session comprised of warm-ups and working sets. The traditional number in many training programs is five sets, as it effectively contributes to strength and size, especially with a heavy load. However, this program aims for six reps, recognizing that fatigue might impact performance in the final sets. Flexibility and allowances for individual variability in fatigue and strength levels are implicitly considered.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Conclusion and Subscription Prompt The final chapter emphasizes the importance of maintaining solid technique and good form in weightlifting. It discusses a sustainable approach to weight progression, where the aim is not to increase the weight every session, but to consistently perform the same lift until strength is gained. The key is to understand that rep counts might decrease due to fatigue, but the focus should remain on sticking to the weight until all sets are completed with proper form. This method is applied to every movement in the program to ensure progressive strength building over time.

This is EXACTLY How Old School Bodybuilders Built Mass! Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 it's no secret that in the era of bodybuilding that was limited to bare bones equipment limited knowledge on bodybuilding training and nutrition methods that some of the most impressive physiques in the history of bodybuilding were built in many cases with only access to a barbell some dumbbells a bench and maybe one cable machine if they were lucky the bodybuilders in the 60s and 70s use very basic staple exercises progressive weights and old-school mass gain principles for many bodybuilders that was in fact the basic old-school full-body routine done three
• 00:30 - 01:00 times per week and despite what many people think arnold schwarzenegger himself was in fact one of them but when you say the name arnold schwarzenegger everyone associates him with those crazy high volume six day per week double split training routines when in fact that was just his pre-contest training system and not only did he build the base of his physique using a more simplified routine he even advocated doing so himself early on in his career this is something that i covered in an entire video which i'll link for you
• 01:00 - 01:30 guys to watch at the end of this video so you can see the exact routine that he suggested and hint it was only three days per week but today i'm going to show you another training routine that's a great example of a basic old-school mass gain routine done in that era this one very similar to arnold's training system this goes to show you just how common this style of training actually was back then despite what many people think and the routine that we're going to look at today was created by gene mosey who was a bodybuilding
• 01:30 - 02:00 photojournalist back then but also a bodyblank competitor he had done lots of work in the bodybuilding industry early on and one of the things he did in addition to that was in fact working directly with arnold schwarzenegger and from that he learned some of the staple training principles that arnold used to build the base of his physique and when you look at his training system you can't help but see the huge similarities to his training system and i want to quote something that i read directly from him that should be a principle that everyone lives by he said if you still need to add 20 or more pounds of basic
• 02:00 - 02:30 muscle mass the following program is for you even if you've been training for one year or ten the basics are what you need to build basic muscle mass is that really hard to understand this is actually something that i've also stated multiple times and the key point here that i want to stress is even if you've been training for 10 or more years but you still haven't built that foundation of muscle mass you are in fact still a beginner so let's dive into the exact routines used back then to build muscle
• 02:30 - 03:00 mass this one called for exactly 10 total exercises nothing more nothing less they were in this order the barbell squat the barbell bench press the incline press the wide grip chin bent over row seated press behind the neck barbell curl lying tricep extension deadlifts and calf raises these 10 exercises were to be done three times per week on monday wednesday and friday all done with very specific sets and reps and as you may know back then 5x5 was a staples set and repski but another
• 03:00 - 03:30 method and one that was used in this routine was the eight by six method done with progressive weights over five sets how this works is done with a lighter weight for the first set you'll perform eight repetitions and then you'll increase the weight on set two while dropping the rep range to six follow that up with another weight increase for again six repetitions that would be your first and top heavy working set of the day and you would repeat that weight for an additional two working sets of six reps that's five total sets the first
• 03:30 - 04:00 two being warm-ups and the last three are working sets many of you might ask why the arbitrary number of six back then in most programs and even many strength programs today five is the staple number as five sets of five done for a total of 25 reps done with a heavy load has been shown time and time again to be an excellent volume protocol for both strength and size and here the goal was to aim for six reps but the program was set up in such a way that in the last two sets fatigue might occur and it
• 04:00 - 04:30 was understood that you might only get five four or maybe even three reps on the later sets but even if reps dropped off due to fatigue the goal was to stick with that weight until you can complete all working sets of six repetitions that's very basic weight progression done over time this was used on every movement in the program and essentially reinforced solid technique good form and the goal wasn't to add weight to the bar every single session regardless if you're stronger or not the goal was to keep hammering that lift until strength
• 04:30 - 05:00 and muscular adaptations occurred and then you'd add weight over time now of course let's address some of the concerns and critiques most people will have on this training style first with 10 total exercises five sets done on each of them we're talking about 50 sets in one workout and i agree 50 sets that's excessive but first let's understand the first two sets are lighter warm-up sets and those are not sets that i would consider working sets so the truth is we're actually at 30 working sets for each session is that
• 05:00 - 05:30 still high volume in my opinion yes absolutely but the one thing that many people don't take into account the question you need to ask is what is the weekly training volume here we're talking about 90 total working sets and i'm not going to say that that's low volume but that's also not far off from what most programs actually call for let's use the basic one body part per session bodybuilding style training split most bodybuilders perform somewhere between 12 and 20 working sets each time they're in the gym at 5 days per week on average that's roughly 60 to
• 05:30 - 06:00 100 sets weekly and i know many bodybuilders that fall in line with that number or way more than 100 sets per week the next concern is obviously doing movements like the barbell deadlift three times per week that argument is something that i 100 agree with and it's not something i'd recommend for most people to do however you have to understand that this system was built around access to equipment and there weren't many other options today we can easily remedy this by picking less invasive movements that would allow for higher training frequencies something like hamstring curls hyperextensions and
• 06:00 - 06:30 even rdls and my personal recommendation would actually be to do all three of them spread throughout the week so there's a different hip hinge variation and hamstring exercise done monday wednesday and friday and that's actually how i would adjust this entire program over time for stronger more advanced bodybuilders many people think the style of training is only for beginners but as you become stronger you don't need to change the program you're running you just need to adjust it for stronger bigger bodybuilders more exercise variations should be used to help with
• 06:30 - 07:00 recovery and to avoid stagnation i would personally pick three variations of this entire workout so that you can keep the frequency high but the exact exercises are only trained once per week again something that really wasn't an option back then for example instead of hitting the flat bench three times per week on monday you can flat bench wednesday you could do a flat dumbbell press on friday you can do a machine press the same thing applies for each movement pick three and rotate them you'll find that by only training that one movement once
• 07:00 - 07:30 per week you'll have more room for consistent progression and less chance of stalling and you'll still have all the benefits of hitting that body part three times per week and still recovering and if training three times per week just isn't your thing and you have four or five days to get in the gym and you prefer a more modified upper lower slash body part split style training routine you can use the same systems that i personally use and recommend to my clients with the four day torso and limb split and the five day old-school mass gain program which you can find both below in the description and as always if you guys
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