Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder

Review – Arnold: The Education of a Body Builder“Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder” (c1977 and 2005) by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Douglas Kent Hall is a wonderful book for Arnold enthusiasts and for body and strength builders in general. There are lots of pictures of Arnold from age 16 up to 1977. Arnold gives lots of personal history, his feelings at various points in his career, personal information, lots of advice, several of his workouts, suggestions for specific muscle exercises.The book is well written and a good read. The story of Arnold is well told, concentrating on his personal experiences and feelings along his path. The pictures are well done, large and plentiful. The advice is good, although some would consider it a little dated. The workout information is again very good, although some would consider it, especially the diet information outdated (this book predates even the pre Rob Wolff version of the Paleo diet).For those wanting to learn how the world's most famous bodybuilder developed himself, and some of the programs and approaches he used, this is an excellent book. For those looking for alternative workouts, this is a good buy. For those interested in entering into a body building career, this book is essential, both as a fascinating piece of history as an attitude adjustment for the reality of that world.In another 25 years, this book will most likely be reprinted again and stand along side many of the old masters books from the eras previous to this one, e.g. Saxon and Calvert.PS. Arnold as retold his story in a newer book “Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story” (c2012) I prefer this older book for both its smaller size and its concentration on Arnold's body building career.

In the age of technology where every chap is writing articles, apps and websites related to health is kind of dangerous if not misleading at times by inundating with fluff aiming to sell their stuff. So I wanted to get the right information on the topic and it was no brainer that I looked on to Arnold's book. This book has detailed information of Arnolds early years and his struggles in the career and vividly illustrated with his pictures and other top bodybuilders from very early age to the time he won his last Mr.O.This book not only shares the Arnold's story but also gives you information on getting started with bodybuilding the right way! I found invaluable gems every now and then inside his story as well where he gives you information based on his experiences while narrating his story. I sometimes re-read the sections and go through the pictures to get psyched up when I feel down. I followed his principle on training legs and with in few weeks I found remarkable development in size of my quads and calves. I haven't seen any training expert( top social media trainers) write articles or emphasize this much on training legs!I think this book is must read for everyone of all ages and experience!!!

This book may be geared to fitness enthusiasts, but, in reality, everyone should enjoy the first half of the book, which is a biography focused on Arnold's training. The second half focuses on Arnold's recommended bodybuilding program and includes tips for bodybuilding contests, so the information may not appeal to a wide audience.The first half of the book should be nothing short of inspirational for nearly every reader. Arnold's effort, dedication, and work ethic are second-to-none. He wanted to be bigger than everyone else--he decided at a young age that this was his goal. He wanted to be big, move to the USA, and be a movie star. To get there, he worked out for 8 hours a day, went AWOL from the Austrian Army to enter a bodybuilding contest, and didn't let his parents discourage him. He road his bike 8 miles one way to get to the gym. You get the idea, his life is a remarkable story.The second half of the book gives you some insight into Arnold's training--gym buffs should note that he recommends months of body-weight only training before touching a barbell. Something to think about.An enjoyable read!

The cover was a bit dirty but it was a good book overall.