Three Golden Era Greats on Gaining Mass
by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Scott, and Bill Pearl
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I would like to clear up any confusion you may have about anabolic steroids. Every serious bodybuilder should know the truth about steroids. It is my opinion that you can gain all the weight you want without them. Steroids are a very radical departure from physical culture. Far too much emphasis is placed on their value in the quest for an improved physique. Personally, I think the usefulness of steroids is overrated and, needless to day, overdone. Superstars of the past, such as Reg Park, John Grimek, Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, Jack Delinger and Bill Pearl reached the ultimate in massive muscularity without them. So too can you reach your ultimate with proper training and diet.
Some advanced bodybuilders can train three hours a day and show amazing gains, while others cannot make any kind of improvement if they train much more than one hour or so. When I was trying to get bigger in my early days of training, I followed a routine called the Golden Six. I made tremendous gains on this program and do did many others who trained at my gym in Munich. All agreed that this simple system of training produced excellent gains in muscle size and bodyweight. Here are the Golden Six:
1.) Barbell Squats. This exercise not only develops the lower body, but it strengthens the heart and lungs while improving the general circulation as well. Use a weight that will permit you to perform 4 sets of 10 reps. Always lower yourself until your upper thighs are at least parallel to the floor, and keep your back flat.
2.) Barbell Bench Presses. This is my favorite upper body exercise, and almost every training program I've ever used includes it. Take a fairly wide grip -- your hands about 32 inches apart. Inhale as you lower the bar to your nipples and exhale as you push it back to arms' length. Don't bounce the weight off your chest. 3 sets of 10 reps.
3.) Chins. If you have limited training experience you may find chins difficult at first. If you have a lat machine, you can perform pulldowns until you've developed sufficient strength to do chins. Use a fairly wide grip and try to bring your chin over the bar. Do as many reps as you can for 3 sets.
4.) Overhead Presses. This exercise reigns supreme for widening and thickening the shoulders. I prefer to do it seated and often press behind the neck. Use a wide grip -- your thumbs about six inches wider than your delts on each side. Lower the weight slowly and don't pause at the bottom. 4 sets of 10 reps.
5.) Barbell Curls. The triceps have already been thoroughly exercised during the bench press and the overhead press. Use a shoulder width grip and a weight you can curl without any body movement. Don't let your elbows move away from the sides of your body, make sure you straighten your arms completely before each rep and do 3 sets of 10 reps.
6.) Bent-Knee Situps. It's only sensible to keep your midsection firm and toned when gaining muscular weight. Situps also improve digestion and elimination as well. Don't pause between reps and continue for 20 or as many reps as you can do without stopping. Do 3 or 4 sets.
I feel sure that if you use these basic exercises for a minimum of three months without missing any workouts, doing them three times a week on alternate days, you can gain many pounds of new muscle. Paul Grant, former Mr. World, used almost this exact same program and gained 65 pounds of muscle in less than a year. All he did was increase the sets on the first five exercises to four after three months, and after six months he went to six sets. Always strive to continually add more weight to each exercise when you can do two or three more reps over the recommended amount.
