The Old School 70’s Bodybuilding Routine

The 1970’s bodybuilders had some of the best physiques of all time. During this Golden Era of bodybuilding people like Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, Franco Columbu, Lou Ferrigno, Serge Nebret and Arnold Schwarzenegger reigned supreme.

These guys were extremely fit and looked fantastic. They strived for balanced, symmetrical and proportionate physiques.

One big thing that the 70’s bodybuilders had that today’s bodybuilders don’t have is AESTHETICS.

Golden Era bodybuilders had a classic ‘V-Taper’ – wide shoulders and a thin waist, making the torso look like the letter ‘V’.

Back then, bodybuilding was an art and as well as a science. Golden Era bodybuilders strived for physical perfection. That meant having the perfect blend of muscle size, symmetry, balance, and definition.

They also wanted to look healthy and whole. Like elite athletes with physical strength and power to back it up.

Many men strive for a classic physique look. While you won’t look like the Austrian Oak without drugs, you can achieve a similar look with some old school bodybuilding work ethic and a little guidance.

Golden Era Bodybuilders Trained for Size and Strength

The 70’s bodybuilders were brutally strong. Franco Columbu could deadlift 750 pounds. Columbu would lift cars off the street for fun. He even wrote a book about how to deadlift cars.

Arnold Schwarzenegger bench pressed 450+ pounds in his prime. Their muscles weren’t just for show. These guys moved some serious weight.

Part of their training program was to always try to lift a heavier weight than the previous workout.

They always chased a new personal record. They were competitive and motivated each other to train hard.

They started each workout with the hardest and heaviest lift. This allowed them to attempt a new P.R. while fresh.

Maxing out like this activated their strength. The heavy weight wakes up the nervous system and get you firing on all cylinders.

Once their strength was tapped into the were primed for a great workout.

What was the Golden Era of Bodybuilding?

It was that time in the 1970’s. Before it was the Silver Era with guys like Steve Reeves and Sergio Oliva. After it we saw Lee Haney, Bob Paris run the show until the mass monsters like Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates showed up and blew minds with their freak physiques.

The Old School 70’s Bodybuilding Routine

You could say that the old school routines were a mix of hypertrophy and powerlifting.

All the big dogs of the day trained six days a week with the following workout split:

• Monday – Chest and Back
• Tuesday – Legs
• Wednesday – Arms and Shoulders
• Thursday – Chest and Back
• Friday – Legs
• Saturday – Arms and Shoulders
• Sunday – Rest

The major muscle groups were trained twice per week. Calves, forearms, traps and abdominals were done as needed. Often 4-7 days a week.

This routine was used in preparation for competition to achieve peak condition. Workouts were fast paced and intense.

Old school bodybuilders thrived on high volume training to build muscle. 

Rest periods were short between sets, often less than a minute. This keeps the heart rate up, burns fat and keeps tension on the muscles.

Try to complete each workout in less than 75 minutes. No time to fuck around or fiddle with your phone. Just get in the gym, take care of business, and get out.

Then repeat 6 times per week until you have a chiseled physique.

Every Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe and ultimately, Mr. Olympia has used a training program like this during their career.

Old School Bodybuilder Exercises: Train like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane

The 70’s bodybuilders all built their bodies the same way – With the basic exercises using free weights. They also targeted each muscle group evenly. This is a must for aesthetics. You need each muscle to be in the right proportion to every other muscle.

Each training session they would pick 2-3 muscle groups and perform 2-4 exercises for each. These exercises are tried and true and will never let you down. The best part is any proper gym will have all the equipment you need to complete this workout.

You will also notice that power lifting exercises were the core of their program. Powerlifting exercises like bench press, deadlift, back squat, and floor cleans are essential to build total body power and strength. They are how you build the foundation.

Use a heavy weight you can control when lifting. Consistent application of heavy weights are KEY to grow muscle mass and deep primal strength. You need to tap in to something deep in your mind and soul to truly unlock your latest possible gains.

Sure, you can build muscle doing pump training like Serge Nubret but most of your gains will come from hard fought reps with heavy weights. Lifted over and over and over and over and over and over and over again and again and again.

You’ll also notice an emphasis on compound exercises performed with both barbells and dumbbells. These are the core of the workout. Isolation exercises are thrown in the mix as well. Isolation exercises are a way to bring up lagging body parts and shape the muscles.

Chest Exercises: Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Flyes, Dips, and Pullovers.

Back Exercises: Chin Ups, Pull Ups, Deadlifts, Pull Downs, and Rows of all kinds. (Shrugs for Trapezius muscle development as needed.)

Arm Exercises: Biceps – Incline Curls, Hammer Curls, Concentration Curls; Triceps – French Press, Skull Crushers, Close Grip Bench Press, Cable Rope Press Downs, Overhead Extensions.

Shoulder Exercises: Military Press, Standing and Sitting Overhead Presses, Behind the Neck Press, Lateral Raises, Front Raises.

Leg Exercises: Back Squat, Front Squat, Leg Press, Leg Extension, Leg Curls.

Abdominal Exercises: Sit Ups, Hanging Leg Raises, Leg Lifts, Decline Sit Ups.

Barbells and Dumbbell exercises were both used. Exercises machines were also used. Each exercises was selected to train or shape certain muscle groups.

Old School Chest and Back Workout

Chest Exercises

• Barbell Bench Press 5 sets of 5-12 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press 5 sets of 5-12 reps
• Dumbbell Pullovers 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Cable Cross Over or Dumbbell Flies 5 sets of 10-20 reps
• Push ups to failure

Back Exercises

• Chin Ups – 50 reps using as few sets as possible
• Bent Over Barbell Rows 5 sets of 5-12 reps
• Deadlifts 4 sets 10, 6, 4, 2 reps to failure

Abs Exercises

• Leg Raises or Incline Sit Ups – 5 sets of 25 reps

Training chest and back at the same time results in an aesthetic upper body. Training in this fashion ensures your front and back develop evenly.

Sometimes the chest and back workout was done in ‘super set’ fashion.

For example, you perform the bench press then immediately after you finish benching you do a set of pull ups. No rest in between.  You can take a 1 minute break after the superset.

Super sets are great for burning fat, high-volume training and making muscles ‘flow’ together. Supersets promote muscle symmetry and balance. (More about super sets later in this article.)

Old School Leg Workout

Thigh Exercises

• Back Squat – 5 sets of 5 to 20 reps
• Lunges – 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Leg Curl – 5 sets of 8 to 20 reps
• Straight Leg Deadlifts – 3 sets 10 reps to failure

Calf Exercises

• Standing Calf Raises – 5 sets of 15 reps
• Seated Calf Raises or Calf Raises using Leg Press – 3 sets of 20

As a reminder, calves where trained everyday.

Ab Exercises

• Leg Raises – 5 sets of 25 reps

Old School Shoulder and Arms Workout

Shoulder Exercises

• Standing Military Press: 5 sets of 5 to 12 reps
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Heavy Upright Rows: 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure

Arm Exercises

• Standing Barbell Curls: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Curls: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Narrow-Grip Bench Press: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps (Aka the Triceps Bench Press)
• Standing Triceps Extensions with Barbell: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Reverse EZ Bar Curl 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Wrist Curls: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Reverse Wrist Curls: 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Ab Exercises

• Incline Sit-Ups: 5 sets of 25 reps each

Of course these guys where on steroids which greatly helped their ability to recover from these insane workouts. But at the end of the day a natural trainer can make significant progress with the routine.

Go all out on every exercises. Even if it’s not a main lift give it your all. You don’t have to push you training max every workout but you should be pumping and sweating hard.

NOTE: This program is challenging for even the most experienced trainer. If you get overwhelmed with this workout try one of three things:

• Lighten the weight you use.
• Eat and sleep more to recover better.
• Reduce volume from 5 sets per exercise to 4 or 3.

70’s Bodybuilding Routine Variations

Each bodybuilder had their favorite exercises. Often they modified exercises to suite their body mechanics and physique goals.

One things they all had in common though was that they trained with intensity. Passing out and puking where not out of the question. These guys were hardcore and possessed a ‘do or die’ attitude, which help push them beyond their limits.

Old School Workout Techniques

Old school bodybuilders deployed a number of training techniques to maximize their muscle growth. The following are a few tricks of the trade to attack their bodybuilding workouts with even more intensity.

Forced Reps

Also call ‘partner assisted’ or ‘spotter assisted’ reps. Forced reps are the last few reps of a set where you need help from another person to move the weight. You force yourself to push beyond 100% with the help of a friend.

Drop Sets

Drop sets are when you reach muscle failure with a weight then you immediately grab a lighter weight and perform the same exercise to exhaustion. Then you grab an even lower weight and repeat the cycle until you get the desired effect. Usually 3 to 4 drop sets at the end of an exercise is enough to fully tax the muscle.

Rest-Pause Reps

When you get to the point where you can’t do another rep, you take a rest and pause at the bottom of the movement. You pause and rest for a few seconds to catch your breath, then once you collect yourself you force out another rep. The pause and rest as little as possible to do another reps. Do 3-4 rest pause reps and the end of a set for maximum results. Sometimes it helps to have a spotter here.

Negatives

Negative reps are when you lower the weight as slow as possible. Negatives are great for blasting past plateaus and are good for training mind-muscle connection. Because you have to contract your muscles as hard as possible to resist the weight from dropping.

Negatives can be used in two ways. One is you lift a weight heavier than normal and resist the weight from moving for as long as you can. The other way is to reach total muscle failure: Let’s say you are doing barbell curls and you can no longer curl another rep. Have a spotter lift the weight and you hold the weight up as long as possible. Fight the weight and try to prevent it from lowering. Do this a few times until you can no longer resist the weight. 

Max Contractions

Max contractions are when you squeeze your muscle as hard as you possibly can at the top of the lift. Hold the last rep of your set for 15 seconds. This will ensure your muscles are fully engaged and trained to the brink.

Super-Sets, Tri-Sets, and Mega-Sets

Supersets are when you train a muscle group right after another one. So if you do a set of bench press followed by a set of pull ups, this is a super set.

Super sets have numerous benefits: Supersets technique let’s you train with high volume in a limited amount of time. While one muscle works the other rest.

Supersets keep your heart rate up and improve conditioning. You also sweat and breath heavy when training supersets. Superset training can have the same effect as cardio. You burn more calories and work more muscle in less time.

Tri-sets are just like supersets except with three exercises back to back to back. And Mega-sets are 4+ exercises one after another, after another.

For further reading on bodybuilding training techniques to spark new muscle growth check out Mike Mentzer High Intensity Training methods.

Old School Training Principles

Although old school bodybuilders had their own workout programs, there where a lot of similarities. Old School Bodybuilding Workouts had the following common denominators:

• High Volume Workouts
• Train with Moderate to Heavy Weight
• Train for Power – Work in some powerlifting exercises like power cleans and push press.
• Take sets to Failure and Maximize Muscle Pump
• Get as strong as possible in the 6-12 Rep Range
• Always train harder than the day before – Always add more weight even if it’s only 2.5 or 5 pounds.
• Put yourself at a disadvantage train muscles at a mechanical disadvantage.

Old School Bodybuilding Diet and Nutrition

Old School bodybuilders ate big. They downed food like it was their job. They ate real food in three square meals a day.

Bulk Phase (Off Season)

You need to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle. Carbs are the best way to overeat. Therefore when bulking bodybuilders consume a huge amount of carbs in addition to protein and fat.

Cut Phase (Competition Prep)

Sunday was cheat day where they ate anything and everything they wanted. They’d eat an entire pie or cheesecake. No junk food was off limits. Nutrition for this workout program is critical. Make sure you’re getting enough calories to sustain your energy and grow. Aim for at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day.

Make sure you get a lot of protein, at least a gram per body weight. Eat plenty of wholesome carbs and healthy fats.

Eat your red meat, chicken, fish, tuna, eggs, rice, sweet potatoes, and cottage cheese. The old school bodybuilders loved their meat, dairy and eggs. None of the measured food. They just ate a lot of good, wholesome foods. If they wanted to lose weight, they cut out the carbs.

Golden Era lifestyle

All the classic bodybuilders trained at gold’s Gym in Venice Beach California. That was the bodybuilding Mecca.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Lou Ferrigno, Ed Corney, Ken Waller, Dave Draper, Tom Platz, you name him and they trained at Gold’s.

They all descended on Gold’s Gym as the Olympia Contest approached. This is where they trained together in the 100 days leading up to the Mr. Olympia competition. They fed off each others energy and each wanted to hold the Sandow trophy on top of the podium.

Have some fun in the sun.

Get a tan. Live as naturally as possible. Surround yourself with beautiful surroundings. There was no shortage of these things in muscle beach. You could train hard, get a tan, see beautiful women and cool off in the ocean. They’d feast at all you can eat buffets and eat until they were kicked out.

The cynic will say this is a pipe dream. But the science supports it. All of these things are conducive to building a strong, healthy, athletic physique.

For a look into the golden era lifestyle watch Pumping Iron. It’s a cool documentary showcasing the golden era bodybuilders leading up to the Mr. Olympia competition.

It shows the sport in a new light as it follows Arnold Schwarzenegger, his pal and training partner Franco Columbu, new kid on the block Lou Ferrigno (the Incredible Hulk), Ken Waller as the villain messing with Mike Katz mind during a competition. It’s a fun watch. 

Old School Bodybuilding Meal Plan

The 70s bodybuilders ate 5000 calories a day to bulk up. lots of protein from animal sources, wholesome carbohydrates, and animal fats. Avoid processed foods as they make you inflamed, puffy, and wreck your metabolism.

Old School Supplements

90% of your bodybuilding progress comes from training with intensity at the gym and eating well.

Supplementation isn’t required but can give you an edge. If you do supplement, use the following. Most supplements on the market are garbage. Stick to the tried and true supplements below:

Liver Tabs – Liver tablets are great for muscle and strength gains. They also give you power and stamina. Take 10+ with each meal. Old School trainers took 50-100 liver tabs per day.

Natural Protein Powder – High quality protein powder without fillers or any artificial flavors.

Concentrated Milk – Put powdered milk in a glass or whole milk and drink 2-3 glasses a day for extra protein.

Anabolic Steroids

Yes, the bodybuilding legends took steroids. Most openly admit it. Few bodybuilders would even exist without steroids. Mass monsters of today like Dorian Yates. The guy is an animal and giant freak size humans were fashionable in the sport of body building at that time. Excessive steroid use.

Have Fun and Live Life

Get in the gym, focus hard for 1 hour then get on with your life. Most of the Golden Era bodybuilders had a full time job in addition to being professional bodybuilders. They trained as a labor of love. There wasn’t much money in it back then. But these guys had a blast training and living large.

For more old school bodybuilding techniques, check out Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bottom line is that you should train for overall health and fitness. Get strong, look good and enjoy your life. You only get one go as far as we know.

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The Skinny Guy’s Guide to Gaining Weight, Size, and Building Muscle The Ultimate ‘Skinny-Fat’ Workout and Diet Guide (2024 Edition) The Workout Routines of the World’s Greatest Bodybuilders Mike Mentzer’s ‘Heavy Duty’ Training Routine