I’ve designed an Old School Bodybuilding program for beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters.
These routines are inspired by early Mr. Olympia champions like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Scott, Franco Columbu, Sergio Olivia, Frank Zane, and Mike Mentzer.
It involves all the popular and common exercises of bodybuilding’s Golder era, from 1960 to 1980.
If you’re a fan of old-school bodybuilding training, you can follow the program I’ve outlined below.
The Old School Bodybuilding Strategies
Loading Progression
Old-school bodybuilders start their workouts with light dumbbells or barbells. This helps activate their muscles and prepares them for lifting heavier weights.
They keep adding weight set after set and week after week to challenge their muscles to work hard continuously.
This loading progression helps them build muscle and strength over time.
High Volume Training
To be a bodybuilder, Arnold says you have to train like one. Bodybuilders usually do high-volume training, which involves performing various exercises, reps, and sets for every muscle group.
Inter-Set Stretching
Bodybuilders like Frank Zane used to perform dynamic stretches in between sets while training the large muscle groups, such as the back, chest, and legs.
For example, he used to perform two-arm lat stretches during back exercises, doorway stretches during bench presses, and standing quad stretches during leg exercises.
You can do any dynamic stretching as long as you feel that helps enhance your performance and minimize muscle soreness.
Use of Heavy Free Weights
Old School bodybuilders mostly uses free weights, primarily barbells and dumbbells. They mostly perform heavy free-weight exercises, such as deadlifts, bent-over row, bench press, military press, lunges, barbell curl, and skull crusher.
Free weight and machine exercises both provide similar results when it comes to building strength and mass.1 Schwanbeck, Shane R et al. “Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research vol. 34,7 (2020): 1851-1859. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003349, 2Heidel KA, Novak ZJ, Dankel SJ. Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2022;62(8):1061-1070. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12929-9
Beginner Old School Workout Program
- Monday: Upper Body
- Tuesday: Thigh and Calves
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Upper Body
- Friday: Thigh and Calves
- Saturday: Cardio and Abdominals
- Sunday: Rest
Keep the rest time between sets as short as possible.
Monday – Upper Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press | 3 | 10-15 |
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 10-15 |
| Machine Fly | 3 | 10-15 |
| Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-15 |
| Front Pulldown | 3 | 10-15 |
| T-Bar Row | 3 | 10-15 |
| Bar Dips | 3 | 5-15 |
Tuesday – Thigh and Calves
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Extension | 4 | 15-20 |
| Leg Press | 4 | 10-15 |
| Front Lunges | 3 | 8/leg |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 15-20 |
| DB RDL | 3 | 8-10 |
| Standing Calf Raises | 4 | 15-20 |
Thursday – Upper Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-up | 3-4 | 4-8 |
| Seated Row | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Parallel Cable Fly | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| DB Front Raises | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Rear Delt Fly | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Curl | 3-4 | 10-12 |
Friday – Thigh and Calves
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Front Hack Squat | 3 | 10-15 |
| Reverse Hack Squat | 3 | 10-15 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 15-20 |
| Low Back Extension | 3 | 10-15 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 3 | 15-20 |
Saturday – Cardio and Abdominals
| Exercise | Activity |
|---|---|
| Treadmill | 20-minute Jog x 1 set |
| Bicycling | 10-minute x 1 set |
| Elliptical | 5-minute x 1 set |
| Kneeling Cable Crunch | 4 sets x 20-25 reps |
| Hanging Knee Raises | 4 sets x 10-15 reps |
Intermediate Old School Exercise Program
- Day 1: Chest
- Day 2: Legs
- Day 3: Back
- Day 4: Abs
- Day 5: Shoulder
- Day 6: Arms
- Day 7: Rest
This program involves training one muscle group per day, making it easy to follow and a straightforward routine.
Perform low-intensity cardio in the morning to enhance your endurance.
Keep the rest time between sets as short as possible.
Day 1 – Chest
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench Press | 4 | 12-10-8-6 |
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 12-10-8-6 |
| Flat Dumbbell Flyes | 3 | 12-10-8 |
| H2L Cable Fly/Crossover | 3 | 12-10-8 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3 | 12-10-8 |
| Parallel Bar Dips | 3 | Till failure |
Day 2 – Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| BB Squat/Leg Press | 4 | 12-10-8-6 |
| Barbell Lunges | 3 | 10/leg |
| Leg Extension | 4 | 20-15-12-10 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 12-10-8 |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 20-15-12-10 |
| Calf Raises | 3 | 25-20-15-10 |
Day 3 – Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Chin-Up/Pull-up | 3 | Failure |
| Deadlift/Bent-Over Row | 4 | 12-8-8-6 |
| T-Bar Row | 4 | 12-10-8-6 |
| Lat Pulldown | 4 | 15-10-8-6 |
| Seated Row | 4 | 15-12-10-8 |
| One-arm DB Row | 3 | 10-12/arm |
Day 4 – Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Hanging Knee Raises | 4-6 | 10-20 |
| Roman Chair Sit-ups | 4-6 | 20-30 |
| Cable Crunches | 4-6 | 20-30 |
| Oblique Crunch | 4-6 | 10-12 |
Day 5 – Shoulder
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Smith Machine Overhead Press | 3-4 | 12-10-8 |
| Behind The Neck Shoulder Press | 3-4 | 12-10-8 |
| Lateral Dumbbell Raises | 3-4 | 12-10-8 |
| Alternating DB Front Raises | 3-4 | 12-10-8 |
| Bent-Over Lateral Raises | 3-4 | 12-10-8 |
| Cable/Barbell Upright Row | 3-4 | 12-10-8 |
Day 6 – Arms
| Superset | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Two-Arm Barbell Curl + Close Grip Bench Press | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl + Skull Crusher | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Concentration Curl + Overhead Triceps Extension | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Nautilus Preacher Curl + Barbell Triceps Kickback | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl + Wrist Curl | 3-4 | 10-12 |
Advanced Old School Bodybuilding Training Plan
- Monday – Chest, Back, and Abs
- Tuesday – Shoulders, Arms, and Abs
- Wednesday – Thighs and Calves
- Thursday – Chest, Back, and Abs
- Friday – Shoulders, Arms, and Abs
- Saturday – Thighs and Calves
- Sunday – OFF
This routine involves training each muscle group twice a week. It is for experienced lifters who want to gain strength and size and build symmetrical physiques.
Perform low-intensity cardio in the morning to enhance your endurance.
Take 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.
Monday – Chest, Back, and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench Press | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Flyes | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Bent-Over Barbell Row | 3-5 | 10-15 |
| Front Lat Pull Down | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| T-Bar Row | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| Abdominal Crunches | 4-5 | 25-30 |
Tuesday – Shoulders, Arms, and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Push Press | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| Lateral Raise | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Upright Row | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Curl | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Overhead Extension | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Triceps Dip | 3-4 | 15-20 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Reverse Crunch | 4-5 | 20-25 |
Wednesday – Thighs and Calves
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Extension | 4-5 | 15-20 |
| Leg Press/Hack Squat | 4-5 | 10-15 |
| Front Lunge | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3-4 | 15-20 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3-4 | 15-20 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3-4 | 20-30 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 3-4 | 20-30 |
Thursday – Chest, Back, and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Pec Deck Flies | 4 | 10-12 |
| Cable Crossover | 4 | 10-12 |
| Bar Dips | 4 | 10-20 |
| Conventional Deadlift | 4 | 6-10 |
| Seated Cable Row | 4 | 6-12 |
| Wide Grip Pull-up | 4 | 6-12 |
| Dip Bar Leg Raises | 4 | 10-20 |
Friday – Shoulders, Arms, and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Behind The Neck Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Military Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-12 |
| Rear Delt Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
| Preacher Curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| EZ Bar Biceps Curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| EZ Bar Skull Crusher | 3 | 10-15 |
| Press Downs | 3 | 10-15 |
| Kneeling Cable Crunches | 4 | 20-30 |
Saturday – Thighs and Calves
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 4 | 8-14 |
| Barbell Lunges | 3 | 8-12 |
| Seated Leg Curl | 4 | 15-20 |
| Good Morning | 4 | 10-12 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 5 | 15-20 |
Download The Old School Bodybuilding Workout PDF
References
- 1Schwanbeck, Shane R et al. “Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research vol. 34,7 (2020): 1851-1859. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003349
- 2Heidel KA, Novak ZJ, Dankel SJ. Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2022;62(8):1061-1070. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12929-9
