Customer Reviews

Joe Weider's Ultimate Bodybuilding

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As someone who has actually been tossing around the iron for longer than I personally like to admit (try 1960 on for size), I have always found this particular book to be a wonderful reference book for the practicing bodybuilder, one he or she can employ to solve persistent problems, answer a technical question, or browse in search of alternative exercises working a particular muscle group from a specific angle. For example, the fact that each exercise emphasizes not only how to correctly perform the exercise, but also stresses which aspects of the muscles are most stressed, hence which are likely to most benefit from regular use of the exercise in a complex routine.

There are many aspects of the book which could use to be revised to improve it, such as its reference to newer machines and new technology in general is a bit lacking, and it also is a bit dated in that it trades heavily on Weider's long association with famous bodybuilders of the classic period of the 1960s and 1970s. For old horses like me, that is neat, but it may not play well to some of the younger enthusiasts. Yet the fundamental facts found in the book are still quite credible, and the fact that it is a paperback issue you can actually drag along to the gym with you is to its credit. I recommend it for the reasons I mentioned, although I would also suggest you purchase a copy of Arnold's own version of a how-to manual, as well as Bill Pearl's superb "Keys To The Kingdom". The more recent Iron Man version is also an excellent resource, especially for the intermediate bodybuilder ready to spread his wings and intensify his workout. Enjoy!

As an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist, I have to give this book a high recommendation. The beginner will get a good introduction to physique development. The more experienced will get ideas for adding variety to their programs. The photos are a bit misleading for the beginner - you'll never look like that unless you use drugs. However, all the technical information is good, and I like the presentation. This book is a real bargain!

Joe Weider destroyed bodybuilding. Prior the rise of the Weider empire, and the drugs and mis-information that are a huge part of it, bodybuilding was a healthy endeavor. Before the early 1960's bodybuilders actually got big and stayed big for deacdes without drugs. Training programs were sensable and healthy. A guy like Grimek or Clancy Ross could compete at a natural 220 lbs., look great for deacades and live to a ripe old age. Weider and the drug culture that he promoted ruined all that. Weider created a system where the only way to win was to get bigger and bigger year after year. Of course this means taking more and more drugs. All the while Weider is raking in the cash while guys like Andreas Munzer and Mohammed Benaziza (sp?) died horrible deaths chasing down that Sandow trophy. Their blood is on Weiders hands. To all the young guns tempted by Weider and the glossy magazines (muscle comics), realize this.....it's all an illusion. You can't have what you see is those ridiculous magazines. There is nothing in those magazines that is going to help you in any way. They exist solely to sell suppliments that you don't even need. There is a better way. Forget Weider and the fantasy he sells. Study the ways of the old timers who got big before drugs were even available. They got big and stayed big. They were as strong as they looked. They were as mentally healthy as they were physically healthy. They didn't wind up killing themselves like DeMayo, or killing others like Bertil Fox or Craig Titus. There was a Golden Age of bodybuilding that existed before you or I were even born. Ironically, this is the only time that Joe Weider, himself, ever had ANY muscle. Back then men got big by using what worked and scrapping what was nonsense. These days no one is getting big. Forget Weider and the unatainable fantasy he sells. Work towards something that you can actually achieve.

I personally thought this book was a real winner. I have read this book many times cover to cover, yes this takes a while. I use it for reference all the time. It spells out exactly what and how to do all exercises. It also contains great photography of the stars in action. This also contains much information, many pages, great pictures, and pure content for the price. The only other book that is comparable is Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

I still can't believe that people get sucked in to the nonsense Joe Weider has been churning out over the years. This book along with his muscle magazines will only waste your time and money. Time= He'll have you training 6 days a week and probably twice a day for zero results unless you want to get in to the mess of drug abuse. Money= He'll make you believe that you can only get results if you use his latest super supplement. Both of the above are highly unnecessary.As a sidenote when i first got into lifitng in the early 90's Mr.Weiders magazines were heavily touting suplements such as chromium picolinate, yohimbe bark, mct oils and a host of others. How many of these are being heavily touted now, NONE. why cos the people who took them realise they don't work so now they need to tou new ones.
Furthermore, most of his "principles' (on this book) are ridiculous- for example the 'instinctive traing principle' where a lifter just switches, chops and changes routines whenever he feels like! This is absurd cos it disregards the most fundamental of weight trainig principles-progressive overload where you stick with an exercise and increae weight streadily and consistenly to stimulate your muscles to it's maximum size, this is the heart and soul of bodybuilding and strength training. Lifitng weights is ridiculously simple, lift progressively bigger weights over time on the big basic exercises and get really strong in the process. Later you can maintain the mass built and refine it using isolation exercises. But read this book and you will be hopelessly confused and waste a chunk of your life in the process. Please read sensible and hardhitting books by stuart mcrobert and ellington darden all available on this site to get great results in minimum time-drug free and you will also have a life outside the gym.

Yes, I've read quite a few: Ironman's Encyclopedia, Arnold's Encyclopedia, Power Factor Training, Bodybuilding 101, and while most of these books do provide great advice, the ultimate game plan for mass and strength is printed in this book, waiting to be read by the confused bodybuilder, like I was.

From what I've read in this book, the training principles like the flaming "supersets" and the blood-gushing "giant sets" can be easily found in this book and I have had excellent results with mass/strength gains from other Weider Principles.

What makes this terrific encyclopedia unique is that you aren't reading any other pro bodybuilder's routine that supposedly makes you gain great mass because it did for them. Not like that here. Weider has split the sections of the book into beginner, with appropriate training principles and great advice on how to increase resistance (weight) within a reasonable amount of time; an intermediate bodybuilder section about supersets/confusion/instinctive principles; the advanced bodybuilder with double split programs and the Tri-Set Principle with even more, like the Resto-Pause Principle--extreme way to pump up your biceps, especially in the motivational advice of Weider.

I also love reading the bodypart sections. You'll read Mike Christian's way of training the back and chest, Samir Bonnout's philosophy of building bigger biceps. They tell you like it is.

There's a very fine line between a bodybuilder who loves to change routines often and a bodybuilder who sticks with it like Arnold and Larry Scott have. I chose to go back into the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" routine, where if a certain exercise works for you at a certain weight/reps, stick with it! If not, follow Lou Ferrigno's intriguing way of varying reps/weight/princples and exercises. You can't decide until you read Weider's principles and advice!

From what I've read, Joe Weider is probably one of the most traditional bodybuilding professionals out there, his advice isn't like the "that's too good to be true". No. His advice has been used by professional bodybuilders from the mid 1960s up to now.

It's working for me, and it should for you too! Really, you will figure out the perfect routine for yourself, all in this book!

When I was a university student 14 years ago, I followed this book to the letter - 3 days in the gym every week for six months and then a split system which got me in the gym 4 days a week for another year or so.

In hindsight, it worked (as any beginner gets a little bigger anyway just by heading to the gym) but I picked up a copy of BRAWN a year later - training twice a week just focussing on the big exercises and realised far better results.

This book is good for motivation, a trip down memory lane for some; it has some good ideas but generally the routines aren't suitable for anyone training without steroids. I wonder why Joe Weider never discussed the issue when obviously so many, if not all contributors, depended on steriods to realize their success...

Being a MAJOR gym rat i have always looked for new angles at which to improve my workouts and my knowledge. My first peice of literature that actually brought tried and tested full proof results was The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised. I bought Joe Weider's "Ultimate Bodybuilding" thikning that since he trained Arnold for a breif period there might be overlapping information between the two books and few things that might have been left out. As far as a walk through, if you know absolutely nothing about a gym, i mean dont even know what a Bar-bell looks like this book will tell you. It is very repeatative, very dumbed down, has to many pictures and is hard to process article information due to the constant citations from interviews with Pros. Up until the advanced training the book holds little value...

BUT! if you are an advanced body builder and need specific info on how to increase your mass, learn overtraining and treat injury then buy this book. The exercise routines are incredibly detailed and very informative, but holds value only to those who understand how to apply these workouts to their already rigorous routines. Part III and IV are the only chapters worth studying, all else is time better spent in the gym.

P.S. You will NEVER get as big as the men in these books that are pictured, it is fact and can only acheive this through Anabolic steroids but that does not deem any peice of lituarature useless. Dont let something like this detour you from ultimate knowledge or health.

This is a comprehensive, fully illustrated, fully described, and straight to the point reference on exercises, principles of training, programs, and nutrition for serious bodybuilders and anyone looking to gain muscular mass without injuring himself.

This book is useful for anyone, no matter how much time you have being lifting weights. It has dedicated chapters with information and tips for novice, intermediate and advanced bodybuilders.

I can not review this because I still have not recieved it. I have been in touch with the seler but still have not gotten it.