| Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding |
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Q. I’ve been following the 6-day split routine from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding for 6 weeks. In the last 2 weeks, I’ve been feeling really tired and drained. I don’t even feel like training anymore. What’s wrong? A. It sounds like you’ve fallen into the classic trap of overtraining. Which isn’t surprising, considering what you’ve been doing in the gym. If you haven’t read Arnold’s Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding, the advanced level II training programme involves well over 60 sets per workout, six times per week!! And each muscle group is trained not once or twice, but three times per week! It’s no surprise that you don’t want to go to the gym any more. Carry on like this, and you probably won’t want to train ever again. Keep in mind that almost every top bodybuilder since the 1960’s - Schwarzenegger included - used anabolic steroids. Drugs dramatically speed up the recovery process, and allow you to tolerate a far higher volume of exercise than you normally could. What’s more, top bodybuilders can eat, sleep and live for building muscle. They can afford to spend a few hours in the gym each day - it’s their job. You probably have a lot of other “stuff” going on in your life - bills to pay, a job to go, and friends to see. Most people struggle to find even 30 minutes a day to exercise. You’ve done remarkably well to stick with the programme for six weeks! The first thing I suggest is to take two weeks off. I know this might sound hard, but sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward. The idea behind taking time off is to rekindle your enthusiasm for training. Even if you’re tempted to go back to the gym after the first week, don’t. The desire to hit the gym will soon return stronger than ever. When you do return to the gym after your two-week break, start with a basic three-day routine. This highly effective routine is based on the timeless principles that the old-school drug-free bodybuilders like John Grimek, Reg Park and Steve Reeves used to build their incredible physiques. As long as you’re careful to avoid falling into the overtraining trap in the future, you’ll continue to make progress in the months and years to come. |