This guide was written and reviewed by Serge, MSc . As a martial artist and natural lifter with over 10 years of training experience, what I share comes from my own training and from digging into the research behind it.
Long before I ever picked up a barbell seriously, Arnold was the name that made lifting look like something worth doing. The discipline, the self-made drive, the idea that you could build yourself through sheer consistency, that has inspired me for as long as I have trained, and it still does.
So when I talk about his New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, I am not coming at it as a neutral reviewer. This is the man who got a lot of us into the gym in the first place.
I have been lifting for over ten years, and like most people I started without much real knowledge. Wrong exercises, a careless diet, not enough recovery, I made the lot. A solid reference would have saved me a lot of wasted time, and this book is one of the most complete references there is.
Having gone through it, here is my straight take on what it offers, who it suits, and how a natural lifter should read it.
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What This Book Is
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, written by Arnold with Bill Dobbins, has earned its nickname as the bible of bodybuilding. It is a thick, thorough reference covering training, nutrition, injury prevention, mindset, and the history of the sport, illustrated throughout. It is not a quick read or a quick-fix program. It is a deep resource you come back to over time.
A few things stand out from going through it:
The training sections are detailed and cover every muscle group, with methods for building strength, size, and definition. The principles here are foundational, a lot of what you read in modern training advice traces back to ideas Arnold helped popularise.
The nutrition guidance is practical rather than faddish, covering how to eat to build muscle and manage body composition without gimmicks.
There is genuine depth on injury prevention and recovery, warm-ups, treating common issues, training in a way that keeps you in the game.
And running through all of it is the mindset and motivation side, the part Arnold is arguably most famous for. The psychology of staying committed, pushing through plateaus, and building discipline is woven throughout, and for me that is the most valuable thread in the whole book.
How a Natural Lifter Should Read It
I want to be straight about something, because it matters and most reviews skip it. This is a bodybuilding encyclopedia from the competitive bodybuilding world, written by the most famous competitor the sport has ever had. That world has always involved performance-enhancing drugs, and some of the book’s content, the contest-level physique goals, the volume, parts of the supplement and competition material, comes from that context.
I train natural, drug-free, and have for over a decade. So the way I read this book, and the way I would suggest you read it, is to take the timeless fundamentals and the inspiration, and apply the rest with context. The training principles, the work ethic, the mindset, the basics of eating and recovery, all of that is gold and applies to any lifter. The competition-specific and physique-at-all-costs material is worth understanding, but it was written for a different game than the one a natural lifter is playing.
Read that way, it is one of the most valuable training references you can own. You are not trying to copy a Mr. Olympia’s contest prep. You are learning the foundations from someone who understood them better than almost anyone, and drawing on the discipline that made him who he is.
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Who Should Read It
This book suits a wide range of people. Beginners get a complete grounding in how training and nutrition really work, instead of piecing it together from random sources the way I had to. Experienced lifters get a deep reference to return to and a lot of detail on developing specific muscle groups. And anyone who needs a shot of motivation gets it from Arnold’s own words and story.
If you came up admiring Arnold the way I did, it is also just a book worth having on the shelf, the fundamentals from the person who inspired a lot of us to start.
Why I Recommend It
I am not going to pretend this book is a magic shortcut, and it does not claim to be. What it is, is a deep, foundational reference from someone whose discipline and approach have inspired me for my whole training life. Take the fundamentals and the mindset, read the competition-era material with the context that you are training natural, and you have one of the most complete training resources ever put together.
For me, recommending it is easy, because Arnold is a big part of why I started in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding about?
It is a comprehensive guide to weight training and bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger, covering training, nutrition, competition strategies, and the history of the sport.
Who is this book suitable for?
All levels, from beginners starting with weights to advanced and competitive lifters. It also appeals to athletes from other sports who train with weights.
What topics are covered?
Weight training methods, diet and nutrition, sports psychology, injury prevention and treatment, competition preparation, and the history of bodybuilding.
Does it include guidance for specific muscles?
Yes. It gives detailed guidance on how to train and develop each muscle group for a balanced physique.
Does it cover competitive bodybuilding?
Yes, including posing, contest preparation, and handling publicity. Useful for anyone considering the stage, though a natural lifter will read the contest material with that context in mind.
Are there illustrations?
Yes. The book features detailed photos and illustrations demonstrating exercises, techniques, and form.
What makes this book unique?
Arnold’s perspective as a seven-time Mr. Olympia, combined with the depth and breadth of the content, blending training, nutrition, history, mindset, and motivation in one reference.
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