Does this have much to do with training, fitness or any social issues? Not really. I guess I could point to the fact that the film has Arnold Schwarzenegger and use that as training inspiration of some sort…
But the fact is, it’s just an action classic and it’s time to pay tribute to Schwarzenegger at his peak as he was kicking the asses of child-kidnapping terrorists. Here is the theme from the 1985 film Commando, where if Arnold likes you, that only means he will kill you last.
For anyone in need of some training inspiration, this classic image from the 1970s features two of the greatest (if not the two greatest) bodybuilders of all time.
At the height of the golden era of the sport, we see the two kings of the gym, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu, taking a bit of time away from the iron. To the far left and far right, we see two of the benefits of their training.
For anyone in need of some training inspiration, this classic image from the 1970s features three of the most dedicated and motivated individuals of that decade’s bodybuilding scene.
- Former Mr. Universe, Mr. USA, Mr. International and Mr. World champion Ken Waller.
These three men were instrumental in the growth of a young sport and inspiring athletes of future generations to break through the pain barrier in their own training as they pursued their own goals.
For anyone in need of some training inspiration, this classic image from the 1970s features two of the most dedicated and motivated individuals of that decade’s bodybuilding scene.
Here we have, doing the shoulder press:
- Mr. Olympia competitor and Mr. World, Mr. America and Mr. Universe winner Dave Draper;
These two men were instrumental in the growth of a young sport and inspiring athletes of future generations to break through the pain barrier in their own training as they pursued their own goals.
For anyone in need of some training inspiration, this classic image from the 1970s features three of the most dedicated and motivated individuals of that decade’s bodybuilding scene.
From left to right, we have:
- Mr. Olympia competitor and Mr. World, Mr. America and Mr. Universe winner Dave Draper;
- Mr. Olympia competitor and Pumping Iron co-star Mike Katz;
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, the most dominant bodybuilder in history.
These three men were instrumental in the growth of a young sport and inspiring athletes of future generations to break through the pain barrier in their own training as they pursued their own goals.
It’s not very often that I will go out of my way to recommend a book publicly, and even less often that I will do so for a reference / self-help / instructional book. But the fact remains that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding has been for some time and remains today the bible of exercise, weight training and muscular development.
Schwarzenegger revolutionized bodybuilding with his seven Mr. Olympia victories in the 1970s and 1980s. He employed diet and specified training principles to achieve levels of development, definition, proportion and symmetry that had never before been seen, and arguable have not appeared since. In Arnold’s New Encyclopedia, you have the collected wisdom of the Grand Master of muscular development at your fingertips.
Not everybody wants to be the Incredible Hulk, however, and not everybody wants veins popping out of their shoulders and calves. However, Arnold’s writings are not just for aspiring professional bodybuilders. The principles apply to good health and also simply maintaining a healthy and strong physique — they are very easy to apply in “human” proportions. Indeed, there are relatively few people who begin weight training and complain that results are coming too easily and swiftly.
The principles of symmetry, proportion, nutrition, strength training and muscular development and endurance apply to all individuals with varying fitness goals. If you are looking to add just a couple pounds of lean muscle, there is nobody better to ask than the man who virtually perfected the modern art and science of muscle building exercise.
For a well-rounded workout regimen and a good understanding of the body parts and mechanics involved, I can’t recommend Arnold’s New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuliding strongly enough.
TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Today’s training inspiration (to the right) is a man who is credited by many for almost singlehandedly bringing competitive bodybuilding out of the shadows and the dungeon-style gyms and into the mainstream.
At the time the landmark documentary Pumping Iron was filmed, Arnold Schwarzenegger was in the midst of an unprecedented string of six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles (to which he would add a seventh after a brief retirement). At the time, no bodybuilder had ever shown such complete and sustained dominance over his competition.
As Schwarzenegger, already a living legend to the relatively small but enthusiastic bodybuilding fan base, sought to cement his legacy with a victory, we saw other future legends training with almost unimaginable intensity: Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu and Mike Katz, among others.
As he was, virtually always and without fail, Arnold ended up victorious, displaying the results not only of his intensity and focus in the gym, but also the results of his focus and creativity in his training in every regard from posing to personality to grace and balance.
Schwarzenegger would parlay his success in bodybuilding to become the world’s premier action film star, and also take his love and passion for fitness into politics, first serving as the Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, before running successfully for governor himself. All of the above not only cemented his legacy as an achiever of the highest stature, but also did a great deal to legitimize bodybuilding in popular culture.
ON TO TRAINING…
Arnold Schwarzenegger knew that muscles need rest to rebuild and in my training so far, I have been disregarding this wisdom for a few reasons, most of them inadequate.
I have always benefited from quick recoveries following workouts, whether they be weights or cardio or one-off fitness or endurance tests.
But I’ve been stupidly pushing things at a pace that would wear out the Wolverine’s ability to regenerate. And psychologically, I’ve been trying to pack as much as possible into every cardio day, simply because I am starting kind of from scratch (not being a runner) and knowing that race day is approaching quickly.
Even though I have known better all along, I keep succumbing to the mentality that if I pack three times as much into every day, without taking any days off, I will get where I am going three times as fast. Well, that mentality is good to a point (and you can take it pretty far) but there is a line and I have crossed it. My legs are shot.
So in the spirit of “the Austrian Oak” Arnold Schwarzenegger, I am going to be smart today. No running. No biking. No elliptical. No jogging. This is just a good old-fashioned mass and power throwdown.
iPod songs during training (custom): 1. Rage Against the Machine – Do What They Told Ya
2. Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway
3. Rascalz and Shawn Desman – Movie Star
4. Ratt – Round and Round
5. Ratatat – Wildcat
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Can’t Stop
7. Rick Derringer – Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo
8. Rihanna – Umbrella
9. Robert Miles – Fable
10. Robert Tepper – Angel of the City
11. Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me (400 People Mix)
12. Run DMC – Down With the King
INSPIRATIONAL CLIP
The following video is actually a collage someone put together to the end credits song for Rocky V. Much as the end credits of the film show Balboa’s journey through life as a boxer from 1976-1990, this video shows some of the highlights of Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding career. The song is Measure of a Man by Elton John.
To this day, Sylvester Stallone is pretty hard on himself for inflicting Rocky V upon the world. Undoubtedly, it was the weakest film in the series. It had some downright awful and laughable moments. But it also had its winning moments, though they were not as frequent as one would have liked. Still, he was a bit harsh when he gave the film a “0 out of 10.” It at least had some decent montages.
In one of the better choices in the film, Elton John was brought on board for the end credits and contributed Measure of a Man to play over the titles, which featured a still collage of the key moments from Rocky through Rocky V.
Present through the sequence are all of the notable opponents, from Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) to Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan), from Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) to Clubber Lang (Mr. T). And this sequence also goes to prove that you can even end a movie with a montage.
In a related vein, an avid Arnold Schwarzenegger fan took the same song and put together some of the key stills (and video) of his bodybuilding career. In much the same way that the end credits of Rocky V told the story of that character, so does this collage provide some highlights of the earlier career of “the Austrian Oak.”
I am a longtime fitness advocate and a veteran of many grueling battles in the gym.
You never know when you might be struck by lightning, so I am gladly sharing the knowledge and experiences I have accumulated over the years.
Here you will find articles about fitness, nutrition, motivation and bodybuilding. I write about and track my own training and progress in varied activities such as weightlifting and distance running.
I am also an avid sports fan, and write from time to time about hockey, mixed martial arts and other athletics, as well as film, music and occasionally social issues that pique my interest.
The following is a select collection of readings and publications by the best of the best in the bodybuilding world - nothing but champions and innovators.
