Old School Bodybuilding Diet and Exercise

Build Muscle Naturally

If you’re looking to build a strong physique, the best way to do it is to look at those with the type of body you want. Me, I always admired the bodies of the 1950s-1980s.

This is what I considered to be the golden era of bodybuilding. In this article, I discuss Old School Bodybuilding Diet and Exercise.

Ready to start and old school bodybuilding diet and exercise routine to build serious muscle?

Past and Present

If you’ve seen recent bodybuilders, you’ll notice they are more massive than anyone would ever want. This is due to a large number of calories they consume and the big elephant in the room, anabolic steroids.

Bodybuilders then

Bodybuilders now

I am not judging anyone on their path, but the general population would not want to look like modern bodybuilders. So by using some of the principles of the past combined with the technology/knowledge of today, you can achieve an amazing physique similar to those of the golden era of bodybuilding and fitness.

Sample Meal Plan for the Day

Bodybuilders from the 1950s-1970s generally followed a low carb, high protein, and high-fat diet. Check out this outtake from the bodybuilding documentary pumping iron. Arnold and his crew would all eat in a similar fashion

• Steak and eggs
• Hamburger patty and eggs
• Tuna omelet and steak

Here is a sample meal plan of what the golden era bodybuilders would eat

Breakfast- Steak and three whole eggs

Lunch- Tuna or Chicken Salad with a hard-boiled egg mixed in

Afternoon snack- Protein Drink- Heavy cream mixed with two scoops of whey protein (check out the natural whey protein powder we recommend)

Dinner- Hamburger Patty and Cottage Cheese

Before Bed Snack- Protein Drink- Heavy cream mixed with two scoops of whey protein (check out the natural whey protein powder we recommend)

Not only will this way of eating build muscle, but it will also help the body burn body fat. After all, what’s the point of big muscles if a layer of fat covers them up?

One thing to consider is adding some more fiber to this diet. Whether you add some more vegetables or a fiber drink, both could be beneficial for proper digestion.

Cheat days

Because of the low amount of carbs the body will be taking in with this type of low carb diet, many of the bodybuilders of the 1970s would go out to the house of pies and fill up on apple pie and vanilla ice cream on a Sunday night.

This is known as a “refeed” day nowadays.

I think a cheat meal or two can be beneficial every once and a while but try to keep it to a minimum to help keep body fat low.

Old School Bodybuilding Workout

This great workout will give each body part plenty of time to rest and recover before the next workout. Remember that the body grows while resting and not while stressing the muscle in the gym.

As Mr. Olympia Lee Haney once say, you need to stimulate the muscle, not annihilate it.

Regarding form, try to have a tempo of counting 1, 2, and 3 on the negative portion of the movement, and count 1 and 2 on the positive portion.

For example, on a bicep curl, when curling up, count to 2. Then as you’re letting the weight back against gravity, count to 3. This will stress the eccentric portion of the movement, which helps muscle growth.

Make sure to rest for 1 minute between sets to keep the heart rate up.

Monday Workout (Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps)

Warm-up

• 100 crunches
• 100 leg raises

Working Sets

• Bench Press 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Chest flys 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Shoulder Press – 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Shoulder lateral raises – 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Tricep Extensions – 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Wednesday Workout (Legs)

Warm-up

• 100 crunches
• 100 leg raises

Working Sets

• Squats or Leg Press 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Lunges 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Leg Extensions 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Leg Curls 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Calf Raises 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Friday Workout (Back and Biceps)

Warm-up

• 100 crunches
• 100 leg raises

Working Sets

• Chin Ups 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Bent-over Rows 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Lat Pull Downs (Wide Grip) 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Bicep Curls 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Reverse Bicep Curls (forearms) 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Wrist Curls (forearms) 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Supplementation

Back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, there were supplements that bodybuilders used, but nothing like the variety that we have today. Unfortunately, that is both a blessing and a curse.

Because there are so many options, many supplement companies focus more on making a profit versus creating an effective product.

These are the three staples of my old school bodybuilding routine, and they work. You can click the links below to check the current prices for each recommended supplement.

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Powder – Check current prices below

Optimum Nutrition Multi-vitamin– Check current prices below

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate– Check current prices below

Do you know of any other old school bodybuilding diet and exercise routines that have worked for you? Let me know in the comments below.