Rating: 
Summary: Informing AND Inspiring!
Review: This is one of the best investments I've made in a while. I've been working out for about 2 years now and decided I'd finally buy a book to explain weight lifting in greater detail so I can become more serious. Just after reading a few pages I felt like I knew a lot of the bodybuilding "secrets" and techniques. I've changed my workout, intensity, diet, and dedication all because of this book. It's every bit as inspiring as it is educational. Arnold is my new hero!
Rating:
Summary: This is all you need
Review: with out this book a amatuer body builder would be lost, from explaining nutrition to performing excersises, Arnold's Encyclopedia is the best everything you need to know is in the book including competion stategies and posing. This book was definatly one of the best things i have ever bought for bodybuilding.
Rating:
Summary: Very good!
Review: If you just start getting into working out or bodybuilding, you need to get this book. It has ALOT of informations and TONS TONS of pictures and for the price, it's worth every pennies!
Rating: 
Summary: Great motivational tool, very informative
Review: This book has a TON of information packed into it and you definitely can't beat the price. Not only does it answer all your questions, but the book is an excellent motivator to get off your butt and go work out, it has inspired me to take up bodybuilding as a new sport as well. The only problem that I found with this book is that it does not address overtraining as a serious issue. I believe that the workout schedule in this book CAN lead to overtraining and I have been lifting for 4 years and have very mature muscles. Despite this fact, it is an excellent book, I just recommend reading some other literature along with it to get an idea of how to set up your work out splits to avoid overtraining.
Rating:
Summary: informative and helpful
Review: It has it all in one place. With its 800+ pages, it covers all aspects of the sport, as well as being a great motivational material. If you want to know how to perform an exercise, how much protein should you take, what is ketosis or how to set your training for your body type - it is all inside. Of course you may not agree with everything it is written here. Personally, I don't use Arnold's approach (but HIT routines instead). Still, I like the book for being so extensive and informative.
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Summary: My new found Bible~~~~
Review: I just ordered this book, and oh my gosh, it has become my new bible. I'm 23 years old and first worked out when i was 15, and i have been with 24 hours gym for the past 2 years. i always thought i have been working out hard, but in the past 2 years, even with the gym memebership, i have not seen as much results as i wanted to. This book has everything, from how to work out properly, nutrition, information on sets and reps. Its very easy to follow because each muscle part is categorized. it has many pictures which are useful to see what youre training. the best part is that within each muscle group, the book has different exercises to do, each with explanation of proper form and also what section of the muscles it works (e.g. long head of the triceps). One of the most important things i found about this book was how it taught proper form. I realized in many of my exercises i did not have proper form, which handicapped my workout and growth. I have only had this book for about 10 days but it has changed my life, at least my workout life dramatically. i now know how to get the most out of a workout. My recent workouts have been the best in my life, feeling good burns and getting a desired soreness of the muscles. If you think this book is only for people who want to get big , you're wrong, this book has different workout set ups, from: building a lean body, losing weight, gaining mass, or even getting stronger withouth gaining weight or mass. this book is even for women, since muscle is muscle. If you care even remotely about your body and health, i truly recommend to you, at less than 20 bucks shipped, you cant go wrong with such a great book. I only wished i had knew about this book years before! Good luck :)
Rating:
Summary: How the best got that way
Review: Obiously, a lot of non bodybuilders are writing reviews for whatever reason. Perhaps because Arnold is the #1 box office star of the times.For those of us who do train and have experienced personally the value of this wisdom. Perhaps Arnolds's detractors will feel better if they only knew that a lot of this was handed to Arnold by other champions. For example the Arnold Press. Arnold learned this from Larry Scott who learned it from Vince G. Arnold calls it the Arnold Press.Most of the top bodybuilders who are anything train this way.As for pulldowns and presses behind the neck being dangerous, perhaps this person lacks shoulder flexibility. Or perhaps this persons following the HIT system which is inherently dangerous. I've been doing these exercises for over 25 years and am injury free thank you.Arnold, at his best, was the greatest ever and his wisdom, spawned from experience and picking the brains of the greats is worth following.
Rating:
Summary: Encyclopedia of Body Building Goodness
Review: I have been looking for a book like this for some time. It is chock full of an extraordinary amount of body building information. Nutrition, programs, competition, history and more all wrapped into an 800 page package. I am an amateur body builder and it has helped my training tremendously. I would recommend this to anyone weight training, at any skill level, as the book has helpful programs and hints for all levels of developement. Training a muscle group three times a week (as stated by another reviewer) is not over training when you work up to it. Massive results require massive commitment and routine. Just don't jump into the advanced program if you have never lifted a barbell before. ;)
Rating:
Summary: Good inspiration, but not for the typical trainee
Review: Arnold deserves full credit for his career, bodybuilding and movies. This book is great inspiration and instruction based on what Arnold did to become the best. He writes as though if you do the work you too can achieve, very positive and motivating. However following his routines will not really be suitable for those not genetically gifted, as he was (by his own admition). Also the exercise section needs more explaination for proper form, and some of the exercises are quite bad for your body (eg squats with heels raised). Yes read/buy it, but also read other sources for more info on what will work for you. Books by Stuart McRobert are a must for any trainee.
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Summary: Training wisdom of Arnold....
Review: What I liked most about this book is that if offers a variety of routines and exercises. You won't burn out or get bored. Arnold shows how to develop you body from various angles. For example, upper pecs, lower pecs, outer pecs and inner pecs. You can build beef by doing basics like bench presses or sculpt your body with various forms of flyes and cable moves. Ditto for other bodyparts. I always admired Arnold's thigh shape and development. The "riding pants" outer thighs, "teardrop" lower thighs but with mass to boot. I started using Arnold's methods and the shape is coming. Arnold shows you how to gradually build up the intensity of your workouts. Any doubt that this former Mr. Universe can still get in shape is squelched by looking at the promo pictures from T-3 where beefed up to 220 lbs and looks incredible at age 55! This guy has still got it! If Arnold ever took it into his head to compete in the Mr. Olympia again, he would tear hell out of his competition. That is, if he had any competition.
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