Paul Reese was a miracle. I had read a number of books about people that walked across America, but a marathon a day?!?! You will be inspired. Written in a very straight forward manner, it won't be the poetry of the words that get you, it will be the poetry of this man's amazing spirit that will make you a fan. I highly recomend this book.

I found this book totally addictive. It was a day-to-day journal of Paul Reece's Run X USA and the things he saw and did with his wife! This book sucked me right in and I wasn't able to put it down!! Lots of tips for wana-be runners and those who are veterans! Great tips for getting on the open road and what to watch out for! Fantastic book! Made me want to RUN!!

THis book is different from his other bodybuilding books, it is a good change. Everyone should go and buy this book it is great!

I started using this book as soon as I received it. Although this book is from the 80's, it contains excellent information and great tasting reci.

Sorry, but I was never one to buy into the "myth" of Ar-NOLD. His physique was too exagerated, and his image too he-man for my tastes. But friend after friend kept reccomending this book to me. After finishing it, I understand why.
"The Education" is really two books, and a self-help guide, all wrapped up in a couple of hundred easy to read pages. The book begins with Arnold's growing up in Austria, and discovery of the weight room, and follows his progression from small bodybuilding shows in Europe through his immigration to America, and his ascension to the top of the world of muscle. It was in these pages that I found the real value of this book, because Arnold talks about common sense approaches to involving the mind in every single workout, from motivation and visualization techniques, through mental imagery and strict concentration. Having lifted a few pounds in my day, I was greatly impressed by Arnold's discussion of how important the mind has always been to his training, and how mental discipline in the gym has given him the fortitude to become a success in America. While his physique still doesn't rank among my favorites, I developed a sense of respect for his training methods after reading this book.
Part two, which includes a number of "split" variations for ironheads, is a little passe in this day of ever-evolving weight lifting strategies, and fails to spend enough time stressing (or even teaching) excellent form. There are many other (and better) books to use as a resource for this - though form should always be honed with a certified trainer, not studied from a book.
After reading this, I'm tempted to study more about Arnold, and look forward to reading "The Encyclopedia Of bodybuilding", another one of his publications. But I won't be rushing out to rent Terminator 2 - I'm still not that sold on him.

I bought the original version of this book back in 1977 before Arnold became a household name.The first part is the best part of this book. It's not just an autobiography, but it's a story of drive and determination. A burning desire. A passion to be the best.In Arnold's own words, he tells how he had to overcome the negativity from family members to pursue his dream. HE TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL IMAGERY - Seeing success. In part one, Arnold talks about the evolution of a bodybuilder [Arnold], changing techniques, trial and error, early bodybuilding contests, his initial european (NABBA) title wins, his first American contest 1968 IFBB Mr. Universe (in which he loses to Frank Zane) and then the incredible transformation, a near loss to Sergio Oliva in the 1969 Mr. Olympia and on to the winningest bodybuilding reign ever.If the only thing you get from this book is Arnold's mindset, you will become a winner in anything you do.Part two is a training system and even includes some free hand exercises that can be done without weights.Then there is a weight resistance program and a split routine. The training part is a little lame. I would recommend Arnold's Encyclopedia for more details.Education of a bodybuilder is a good book for bodyuilders fitness enthusiasts or anyone who wants a winning attitude.

In this exciting book Arnold reveals not only his bodybuilding secrets, but also how his mind works: his SUCCESS secrets. I bought the original edition years ago, and have probably read it twenty times. This book will become one of YOUR favorites, because you'll learn the secrets of Arnold's drive, self-confidence and hard work. You'll understand HOW to become successful at whatever you do. And the book is loaded with great photos. Thanks, Arnold, for a great book! By the way, keep a pen or highlighter handy...because you'll want to mark all the great success principles Arnold reveals!

If you keep your perspective in check, this is an excellent resource. Good, basic advice. I was struggling training my girlfriend (I am advanced, she a beginner), and this book made it much easier to convince her that I wasn't crazy with my training advice. It is a simple and clear book, pretty basic, but I am a big believer that 90% of the results come from the basic stuff, and the last 10% is for when you hit sticking points, or reach an advanced level. But the book is getting on in age these days; still, don't let that disuade you if you can pick up a copy.

I came across this book at a used book store and love it. It is one of the best pure women bodybuilding books for females available.

And who is more qualified than the greatest bodybuilder of all time?

I understand that Arnold used to run a gym in Germany back in the 60's and he was one of the first to promote bodybuilding for women to develop a shapely figure.

Some people think you will build big bulgy muscles like a man, as Arnold explains, that is not possible since women have different hormones than men and are not likely to train with the intensity of a male competitive bodybuilder; 6-7 days a week, twice a day plus three to four days of running 3 miles per day and a spartan diet.

For me, I found Arnold was right. I developed a more shapely figure. Better tone and looked more feminine.

Arnold has another winner her. I think other women avoid it because they don't understand it.

I also recommend Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding to help break plateaus and get more exercise variations.

My wife has several workout books but as she states, "not one matches Arnold's". This book not only covers subjects like what to eat, it also goes into great detail on what workouts work what muscles. Great book!

This book is crippled by a couple of factors, including the author's fetish for mocking Arnold's accent about twice a page. More seriously, no one close to Arnold cooperated in its writing (a fact that the author acknowledges and laments.)

That understood, however, the books does offer a compelling version of Arnold's rise to prominence first as a bodybuilder and then as an actor. Written from a reasonably neutral standpoint -- the author comes across as more gadfly than antagonist, while certainly not a sycophant -- it seems fair in its criticisms and appropriate in its praise.

I used to think Schwarzenegger was great... now I'm not so sure!!

This book makes you realise that he is just one big marketing ploy. You also get to see that he is not a nice person - he tramples over people to get what he wants, and makes you realise that most of the charity work he does is only to make him look like a good person...

I think this quote from the book sums him up, "I admire people like hitler..."

EEK. Will change the way you see him drastically. I preferred my blind opinion of him before!!

This is the best comedy i've ever seen, the part where the bunny finds arnold and kicks him in the nuts is THE funniest thing!

When I first got this book (shortly after it was published) I was a bit skeptical because it seemed to go against a lot of what I had been reading. Now that I've had it for a while I really believe it is a fantastic reference guide and one of the most complete bodybuilding books around. It covers virtually every exercise you can think of in great detail -- how to perform the exercise, which part of the muscle is used, etc. Beyond this it contains a wealth of information about designing training programs for different body types and skill levels and how to prepare to be a competitive bodybuilder.

I still question some of the training schedules (lifting 6 days per week really seems like a lot to me), but it is worth the money just as an exercise reference -- even if you aren't interesting in competitive bodybuilding. Whenever I am changing my training program or looking to verify my form I consult this book.

I really think this book is one of the best so it is hard to decide where to begin!

1. Demonstrates how to execute numerous (LOTS) of exercises
2. Describes different body types and why it is important to train for your body type (ie, if you are tall and skinny, you need to eat lots (good protein, whole grains, etc.), and make sure to get plenty of rest between workouts). So don't waste your money on BRAWN!)
3. Clearly explains how to prepare for competition
4. Describes different methods to help you get results if you have plateaued.
5. The nutrition section is updated and very helpful (he lays out three different sample menus...you move to the next level when you fail to make gains)
Okay, you can see I think this is a top reference book and highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about bodybuilding.

This book is a masterpiece. The motivation you will gain from reading this book is worth the price alone, even if you don't follow Arnold's routines. I feel like Arnold is speaking directly to me when I read this book. This book inspired me to become a serious bodybuilder in my spare time. To the reviewers who complain about the routines in this book causing overtraining, you have a lot more to learn about bodybuilding and how training for it evolved. The fact is people must condition their body to handle more intense training. If you suddenly go from a zero to two hours a day program then your body will not respond because it is still too weak! The notion today that hitting the muscles three times a week is overtraining is incorrect. Bodybuilders who DIDN'T take steroids to achieve their success (Bill Pearl, winner of several Mr. Universe titles) train 3 days a week. The body will adapt. Also, Arnold stopped using steroids several years ago. He still looks awesome and he obviously is probably training under the same programs he advocates.

I like the section on the history of bodybuilding. It shows how people went from being fat powerlifters to creating a cut physique. Most of these guys are big but don't have veins all over them, which is better than some of today's "champs." I have to commend Arnold for building a big but still proportionate body. Arnold's "beginner" programs will kill a beginner and may even stress an experienced bodybuilder into overtraining. Good book, lots of different exercises, good photos, interesting history.

Many people will tend to argue about this book and how some things are no good, the pictures are great, this and that. We must really look at what this book is and was. when this book was written many of today's scientific principles in lifting were not even known. Also,in this time bodybuilding and even general fitness were not held in such a good light as now, they were considered freaks. I think that this book is great for the new enthusiast, one who wants to know some history of bodybuilding, and general fitness information. I am a certified personal trainer and think this book is great reading.

This is a book that will be useful for the beginner as well as the advanced bodybuilder. Arnold shares his thoughts and routines. He meticulously documents what exercises work which specific muscles. A must have for any serious bodybuilder

I bought this book for my boyfriend and he loves it. The book is broken down in to specific areas and along with the pictures, make exercises easy to understand and do correctly. The pictures are VERY outdated which makes for a good laugh, but overall the book is great. NO FLUFF! And you can never go wrong with Arrrrnnnold.

This is a great, no frills, concise set of routines from the legendary Arnold. He covers the major muscles areas, stretching, diet, etc. My only fault with the book is the lack of variations in the exercises. I have created my own routines based on his sequence, however, and use his routines as the cornerstone of my workouts. For a huge choice of variations for each muscle group, check out Getting Stronger by Bill Pearl. I use Arnolds sequence and get my variations from Pearl's book. Arnold recommends three times through the workout, and when time permits I do that, but I've had decent results with 2x, adding a few reps to each set. This is a great addition to anyones fitness library.

The information presented in the book is no-frills weight training and practical advice. Perhaps that is why some people don't like it. They are usually the ones who are taken in by the allure of protein shakes, supplements of dubious value, and exotic weight training routines. It is unfortunate that Arnold, like most bodybuilders, got his huge gains from steroids. He is clear, however that his massive gains took many years to achieve. People still believe they can go from flab to male model muscle in 12 weeks or 6 months. Muscle takes work, time, and dedication, more than most people are willing to devote. Arnold's dietary advice is practical and no-nonsense. He deflates the standard ideas of high protein diets and vitamin supplements as a way to speed muscle gains. His recommendations are pretty standard, lots of fruits & veggies, small amounts of meat, avoid heavily processed foods. Not a very marketable point of view but at least a logical one. His blurbs about daily nutrition requirements were most likely lifted straight from the FDA, but that info comes from scientists, so its better information than what you read in muscle magazines.

The pictures are of course dated. Nobody wears calf socks and skimpy shorts with white piping anymore, and the models are like normal folks, hairy, balding, shaped funny. Today we are so used to shaved, tanned and sculpted models in magazines and books it is somewhat disconcerting to read this older tome.

His routines are brutal, so don't expect to be able do them completely. Mutiple sets are at the core of his training regimen. I tend to do only 2-3 sets per muscle group, but that is what I am comfortable with. Vary the routines to your liking and ability, because not everybody can keep up with Arnie...

The book offers a comprehensive factual recounting of Schwarzenneger's films through 1996, including synopses and summaries of each one's critical reception. But it offers no analysis, no discussion of Schwarzenegger's development as an actor and no insight into how various roles relate to one another, which is what I was hoping for. Bare facts such as the plot of a film or its cast list are readily available for free on the Internet.

There are a few historical tidbits, but the lack of anything resembling analysis, coupled with bad writing, lazy editing and repetition (including some passages appaearing word-for-word in multiple places) make this one to pass on.

Do you have the entire "Predator" screenplay memorized? Do movies like "The Running Man" and "Kindergarten Cop" hold a special place in your heart? Then this is the book for you. John Flynn gives every Arnold film (up to 1996's "Eraser") focused attention, complete with plot synopsis, critical reviews and behind the scenes production details which I found extremely interesting and entertaining. The book suffers, through no fault of its own, from being slightly outdated. Example: In the final pages, Flynn gives his forecasts for "Jingle All The Way" and "Batman & Robin", both movies not yet released at the time of publication. (And I am I alone wishing that they never were?) On the topic of Arnold playing the villan Mr. Freeze opposite George Clooney's Batman, the author seculates, "How can it miss?" Oh, if only he knew. Both of these flicks turned out to be the two biggest cowpies in Arnold's otherwise distinguished career. But that's in the past. Here's to the future. Buy this book! No true Arnold fan should be without it.

The book is simply about the movies of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The thing is this, this is the most interesting book that I' ve ever read. That was because of Arnold becuse he really inspires me.