Bob Paris is a bodybuilding legend and a fan favorite. His claim to fame was sculpting a lean, strong, beautiful and aesthetic physique. He was also ahead of his years in terms of maturity. By the time he was 25 years old he already launched his apparel line “Paris Fashions” which tailored to the athletic physique. He was thinking well ahead into the future and planning for life after bodybuilding, which many athletes fail to do (leading to their ruin).
Bob Paris smashed the notion that bodybuilders where just a bunch of dumb meatheads. (Actually, all the notable Golden Era bodybuilders had big brains and social skills. But in the 1980’s things were a changin’. Mass monsters like Dorian Yates and Lee Haney hit the scene and changed bodybuilding forever. Bodybuilding went from a celebration of beauty and aesthetics to a ‘roided out freak show. I’m not knocking Haney or Yates’ intelligence, they are both smart guys. I’m saying their physiques where clearly much larger than their predecessors.)
Unfortunately, Bob Paris was a casualty of an evolving bodybuilding culture. He was a man that stuck to his guns and refused to compromise his beliefs when the massive muscle masters hit the stage. Although Paris admitted to using steroids under duress, he did so to a limit and would not sacrifice his athletic looking physique. Throughout the 1980-1990’s bodybuilding went from a celebration of aesthetic physiques to an absolute freak show. Abuse of anabolic steroids was rampant and obvious. Aesthetics and physical beauty of the physique are no longer taken into consideration when it came time to judge the winner of a bodybuilding competition. As a result Bob Paris opted out of competitive bodybuilding and focused on building his business empire.
Bob Paris Bodybuilding Philosophy
True to Bob Paris bodybuilding philosophy, his workout strived to “Create an aesthetic and beautiful physique as well as maximizing your own potential.”
What’s the secret sauce for creating a great body? “It was a combination of hard work, intelligent training, and good genes.”
We’ll supply the intelligent training plan, you supply the hard work and hopefully you picked the right parents.
Let’s get to it.
Bob Paris’ Workout Routine
Bob Paris had a great physique. Similar to that of Frank Zane. Not to mention he had phenomenal abdominals. Great abdominals.
This is the workout as he describes in his book, “Flawless”. He used a 3 days ON followed by 1 day OFF (rest). His split of choice was the ever faithful Push-Pull-Legs (PPL) routine.
3-Day training split, performing 3-4 exercises per muscle group at 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, occasionally straying from those rep ranges on core free-weight lifts, abs and calves.
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs and Cardio
- Incline Bench Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Incline Flyes 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Flat Dumbbell Presses 3 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Across Bench Pull-overs 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Dumbbell Side Raises 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Rear Pulley Crunches 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Barbell Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Bench Dips 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Push-downs 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Two-Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps (tri-set)
- Lying Leg Raises 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps(tri-set)
- Crunches 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps (tri-set)
- Cardio 20 – 30 minutes on the exercise bike or stair stepper.
Day 2: Legs, Calves, Cardio
- Leg Extensions 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Front Squats 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Lunges 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps (each leg)
- Lying Leg Curls 4 – 5 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Stiff-Leg Deadlifts 4 – 5 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Standing Calf Raises 3 – 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
- Seated Calf Raises 3 – 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Tibia Raises 3 – 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
- Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 3: Back, Biceps, Forearms
- Wide-Grip Pulldowns 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Close-Grip Pulldowns 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
- One-Dumbbell Rows 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Half Deadlift/Shrugs 3 sets, 8 – 10 reps
- Hyperextensions 3 sets, 20 – 25 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Curls 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Barbell Curls 3 – 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
- One-Arm Pulley Curls 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Pulley Compound Wrist Curls 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Day 4: Rest, Cardio
- Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 5: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs, Cardio
- Bench Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell presses 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
- Cable Crossovers 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Across-Bench Pullovers 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Dumbbell Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Seated Bent-Over Side Raises 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Lying Compound Side Raises 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Rope Push-Downs 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Overhead Pulley Extensions 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Lying French Prsses 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets, 12 – 15
- Lying Leg Raises 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Crunches 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 6: Legs, Calves, Cardio
- Hack Squats 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- 45-Degree Leg Presses 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Leg Extension 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Standing Leg Curls 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Lying Leg Curls 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Leg-Press Calf Raises 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
- Seated Calf Raises 3 sets, 10 – 12 reps
- Tibia Raises 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 7: Back, Biceps, Forearms
- Wide Rear Pull-Downs 5 sets, 15 – 20 reps
- Low-Pulley Rows 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- T-Bar Rows 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Hyperextensions 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
- Concentration Curls 4 – 5 sets, 10 – 15 reps
- Barbell Preacher Curls 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
- Zottman Curls 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
- Barbell Wrist Curls 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Once Paris was able to hit his top rep number in all sets, he would increase the weight 5 – 10 pounds.
Bob Paris Diet
“Eat 5 or 6 meals every day. The only real way you will make one hundred percent progress…is by eating these meals….If you work away from home—buy several resealable plastic containers—pack all your meals and take them with you.”
Here’s a typical 5-meal daily Bob Paris diet plan.
Meal #1
- 5 ounces ground beef or steak
- 5 ounces lima beans or chick peas
- 4 ounces rice
- 3 ounces spinach
Meal #2
- One whole egg
- 7 egg whites
- 4 ounces oatmeal
- 4 ounces nonfat milk
Meal #3
- 5 ounces turkey or chicken breast
- 5 ounces roasted corn or potato
- 5 ounces green peas or string beans
- 5 ounces brussels sprouts / spinach / broccoli
Meal #4
- 5 ounces scallops
- 5 ounces steak.
- 5 ounces sweet potato
- 3 ounces broccoli
- 5 ounces zucchini or eggplant
Meal #5
- 4 ounces cod
- 10 ounces baked potato
- One whole egg
- Asparagus
There you have it – Bob Paris’ workout routine and bodybuilding diet plan.
I respect Bob Paris’ approach to bodybuilding. His ideal in bodybuilding is to have all the body parts coordinate together and to have an aesthetic, beautiful physique with good size and perfect symmetry. He strived to display the beauty of the human form, and injected a dose of personality into his bodybuilding posing. Paris was much more approachable compared to the bodybuilders today, as his physique had a better appeal to most people.
Bob Paris Books
If you’re looking for further reading, check out Bob Paris other books:
Beyond Built: Bob Paris’ Guide to Achieving the Ultimate Look
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