Beginning Bodybuilding

Put “Beginning Bodybuilding” on your to-get list immediately. It’s one tape that every weight trainer—no matter what his or her level of experience—should own. For one thing, it’s always good to bone up on the basics—training, eating, recuperation, motivation—and this is the real thing, straight from the storehouse of knowledge that is IRONMAN magazine. Second, if you have some muscle on your frame, you probably get asked the burning question at least a few times a week: “How do I get started lifting?” Now instead of feeling guilty because you don’t have time to explain, you can hand the inquisitive individuals a video—just make sure you tell them you want it back.

Getting it back may be difficult, however, because of all the information that’s packed into this 30-minute tape. It begins with a playful intro showing swimsuit model Ahmo Hight flirting with a lucky male bodybuilder—that lucky guy being me. (I actually got paid to do it; is this a great country, or what?) The purpose of the segment is to motivate you to hit the gym and demonstrate how muscle can attract beautiful women. Ahmo will spike your motivation—I can almost guarantee it.
The other drug-free bodies on this video will inspire you as well. Clark Bartram, who appears on Kiana Tom’s show, “Flex Appeal,” is a competitive bodybuilder who has great camera presence and a well-proportioned, attainable physique. Then there’s Mike O’Hearn, one of the most popular drug-free bodybuilders/powerlifters around. He’s the buff guy who poses for all those romance-novel covers, and he was in ripped condition for this shoot.

While motivation is an important aspect, information is the primary thrust of “Beginning Bodybuilding,” which includes the following: what you should take to the gym for a great workout (did you know a hand towel can be one of your most important items?); how to set up a training journal; how to set up a home gym; your break-in routine, with live-action demonstrations of every exercise, plus common errors to avoid; how to progress sensibly so you build the most muscle without overtraining; complete beginning and intermediate routines, once again with demos of every exercise along with the don’ts; and a sample eating schedule that helps pack on size. There’s even a free workout card that you can photocopy and instantly create a workout diary.

The routines on this tape are great because they can be done in a commercial gym or home gym. They’re centered around the proven muscle-building exercises, and the beginning program is based on research concerning maximizing neuromuscular efficiency, so you get your muscles contracting to the max in the shortest time possible. That means your muscle size starts increasing sooner because your nervous system gets up to speed after only a few weeks.

The intermediate routine comes into play after 10 weeks and is a rather interesting three-day split—you split your body over Monday and Tuesday and then do a full-body workout on Friday. Intermediate bodybuilders tend to jump into a full-blown split too early, and this is a great way to transition into a four-day split, which the tape also covers. Intermediate bodybuilders will do much better if they use this type of routine for a while before they move on.
IRONMAN did a great job producing the video, packing a tremendous amount of bodybuilding knowledge into a half hour. You’ll want to keep this one in your video library forever. In fact, you may want to order some extras, because when you loan this baby out, it probably won’t be coming back. Just think of it as your contribution to a great cause—sensible, result-producing bodybuilding.

Pros: Plenty of solid training info, suggestions and techniques. Plus, the home-gym-setup section will be worth the price of the video to those who can’t afford a gym membership.

Cons: My physique isn’t as impressive as Bartram’s and O’Hearn’s, which makes me feel like the low man on the totem pole—then again, I was the one who got to be in the scene with Ahmo, so I can’t complain.