It must have been ’95 or ’96 I think. I already had a year or two of training behind me and at that time it was my belief that having a biceps like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s was the most important thing in life.

Like all teenagers I had a poster of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 1980 Mr Olympia contest. It was in black and white, but very good quality ! It was a front double biceps pose with a slight twist in the torso and a bend in the waist – the champion’s trade mark.

Of course I was obsessed with the idea of building this body, but first those massive biceps like Arnold’s. Such were the times. His book, “The Secret to My Success”, was my personal vademecum and I’d learned it by heart. I even knew all the errata and mistakes in translation.

I’d borrowed it from a friend and I was definitely in no rush to give it back, at least not before I’d achieved said 57 cm biceps. Just like Arnold’s. Honestly I don’t believe I ever asked myself if it were possible or not.

The book contained certain methods and schedules for beginners, upper intermediates and of course for those who wanted to become the next Mr Olympia. I was one of them. What struck me the most was a piece of advice that Arnold gave the reader: if you really want to build a world class massive physique, be prepared for at least 5 years of systematic training !!! Yeah, that’s what I thought.. 😉

 

I had no intention of wasting 5 years, so I decided to create my own training program based on Arnie’s models, Mr Olympia or not.

So, Arnold’s competitive programme:

Monday – Wednesday – Friday – Chest; Back; Calves,
Tuesday – Thursday – Friday – Legs; Arms; Abs,
Sunday – Recovery.

And mine, after some adjustments:

Monday – Wednesday – Friday – Arms, Shoulders, Abs;
Thursday – Chest, Legs, Calves.

The same number of repetitions as in Arnold’s programme. That’s 5 sets of 10/10/8/8/6 repetitions in the timeless pyramid training system. I also did supersets for arms (4 exercises for biceps + 4 for triceps in supersets with 30 seconds for recovery inbetween).

Those were:

Biceps – barbell curl, dumbbell curl, cabel curl and concentric curl with one arm.
Triceps – close grip bench press, French extension, one arm over head extension and triceps extension on the machine.

As for chest, back, shoulders and legs, I did a basic exercise or two, but my main focus was really on arms.

Which resulted in little to no evident change in my body. It should be noted that I had no specific diet whatsoever at that time and was inclined to simply go for the occasional snack. I neither had gainers/protein supplements nor any other quick means of recovery.

What proved a complete failure for my body was a real triumph for my arms. Over the course of two or three months (not sure when it actually occurred) they grew an astounding 8 cm !!!

Looking at it now, 20 years later, I would never have gone for such foolishness. But it did work out for me, so why wouldn’t it work out for you too?  Science could explain that with the accelerated recovery and supercompensation of a young organism. I must have been 16 or 17 back then after all.

Though I would certainly advise most of you against this, it was my intention to share my personal experience with you, dear reader, and in doing so probably inspire you to follow your heart, not just in the gym, but in life as well. It somehow already knows what’s best for you.

There are no two identical physical builds, just as there are no two identical paths in life. There is only trial and error. Your only way to understand what works best for you.

Best,

Stan Sabev