Old School Series: 1970s Bodybuilding Routine
The 1970s was a dynamic era in bodybuilding. Physiques grew in size but also in personality. Many notable legends etched their legacies upon the world of bodybuilding during this decade:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Sergio Oliva
- Frank Zane
- Franco Columbu
- Lou Ferrigno
- Mike Mentzer
It was during this era that training began to aggressively evolve away from full body workouts. Many lifters, including Arnold and Sergio, took the fullbody workout and morphed it into a high volume protocol.
It was not uncommon for these Herculean beasts to train 6 days per week as follows:
- Monday - Chest and Back
- Tuesday - Shoulders and Arms
- Wednesday - Legs
- Thursday - Chest and Back
- Friday - Shoulders and Arms
- Saturday - Legs
- Sunday - Rest
1970s Bodybuilding Routine
The following workout is based upon the structure listed above. Make no bones about it: this is a brutal, taxing training style. It certainly is not for everyone.
If you consider running a program like this I strongly recommend backing it with plenty of rest and food. If at any time you feel worn down, take a complete week away from the gym.
Understand that this is my variation of a 1970s workout. It's what I would do if I were training using this template.
Note on the Landmine Press. The landmine press is performed with one end of a barbell secured in a corner, perhaps under the middle of a heavy dumbbell. The lifter presses the other end overhead with one arm.
| Monday | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest and Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cable Crossovers | 5 | 10-15 |
| Low Rack Pull | 3 | 6-8 |
| Wide Grip Pull Ups | 5 | 15 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10-15 |
| Barbell Ab Rollout | 3 | 8-12 |
| Hanging Knee Raise | 3 | 12-15 |
| Tuesday | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders and Arms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Upright Rows | 3 | 10-15 |
| Bent Over Reverse Fly | 5 | 10-15 |
| Cable Tricep Extensions | 4 | 10-15 |
| Skullcrushers | 4 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Curls | 4 | 8-12 |
| One Arm Cable Curls | 4 | 10-15 |
| Wednesday | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squats | 5 | 6-12 |
| Hack Squats | 3 | 10-12 |
| Leg Extensions | 3 | 10-15 |
| Good Mornings | 3 | 8-10 |
| Leg Curls | 5 | 10-15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12-15 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 12-15 |
| Thursday | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest and Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Chest Dips | 3 | 10-15 |
| Dumbbell Flyes | 5 | 10-15 |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 8-10 |
| Lat Pull Down | 5 | 8-12 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10-15 |
| Plank | 3 | 60 seconds |
| Dumbbell Side Bend | 3 | 10-12 |
| Friday | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders and Arms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Military Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Side Lateral Raise | 5 | 10-15 |
| Landmine Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Seated French Press | 4 | 8-10 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension | 4 | 10-12 |
| Seated Dumbbell Curl | 4 | 10-12 |
| EZ Bar Preacher Curls | 4 | 10-12 |
| Saturday | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Leg Press | 5 | 20 |
| Walking Barbell Lunge | 3 | 10-12 |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 10-12 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlifts | 3 | 8-10 |
| Single Leg Curl | 5 | 10-15 |
| Floor Barbell Calf Raise | 4 | 12-15 |
| Leg Press Calf Press | 4 | 12-15 |