Franco Columbu’s Complete Book of Bodybuilding Read online

  Table of Contents

  A Note From The Publisher

  Foreward

  Preface

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  A BASIC HEALTH & FITNESS PRPOGRAM

  Introduction to the Training Program

  Level 1: Warm-up and Conditioning Exercises

  Level 2: Beginning Resistance Exercises

  Level 3: Weight-Training Exercises

  A Primer on Nutrition

  Suggestions for Eating Out

  Other Factors Affecting Weight Control

  A Final Word

  Chapter 2

  GETTING STARTED ON THE BODYBUILDING LIFESTYLE

  Weight Resistance Equipment

  Anatomy

  Skin

  Bones

  Joints

  Muscles

  Central Nervous System

  Circulatory System and the Heart

  Body Types

  Application of Anatomy to Training

  Number Ones — Exercises by Priority

  Training Intervals

  Training Partners

  Attitude

  Chapter 3

  TRANING PROGRAMS

  Beginning Level Program

  Intermediate Level Program

  Intermediate Level Exercises

  Advanced Level Program

  Advanced Level Exercise Routine (Series One)

  Advanced Level Exercise Routine (Series Two)

  The Bodybuilding Lifestyle

  Chapter 4

  PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDING

  Training Techniques

  Supersets

  Split Routines

  My Mr. Olympia Blitz Routine

  Training Strategy

  Posing

  Posing at Contests

  Preparing for Contest

  Sportsmanship

  Chapter 5

  BODYBUILDING FOR WOMEN

  Chapter 6

  BODYBUILDING FOR OTHER SPORTS

  Football

  Basketball

  Baseball

  Soccer

  Boxing and Karate

  Hockey

  Running

  Amateur and Professional Wrestling

  Tennis and Other Racquet Sports

  Skiing

  Weightlifting

  Powerlifting

  Chapter 7

  SPORTS INJURIES — PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

  Causes of Injuries

  The Need for Protein

  Overtraining and Incorrect Training

  Injury Prevention

  Exercises That Should Not Be Done

  Treatment of Injuries

  Chapter 8

  NUTRITION

  Food Combining: The Right Way to Eat

  My Background in Nutrition

  Other Examples of Poor Eating Habits

  Food Combining

  The Basic Nutrients

  Protein

  Fats

  Carbohydrates

  Vitamins and Minerals

  Water

  Glandular Supplements

  Thyroid Medication

  Diuretics and Salt Pills

  Cigarette Smoking

  Marijuana

  Caffeine

  Alcohol

  Chapter 9

  STEROID AND OTHER DRUGS

  Chapter 10

  BODYBUILDING FOR GOOD HEALTH & LONG LIFE

  Benefits of Training

  My Personal Wish for You

  Exercise Glossary

  Back Leg Stretch (Hamstring Stretch)

  Barbell Rowing

  Bench Press

  Bent-Leg Raises

  Bent-Leg Sit-ups

  Bent-Over Lateral Raises

  Between Door Presses

  Breathing

  Calf Stretching

  Chins Behind the Neck

  Chins in Front of the Neck

  Clean

  Clean and Jerk

  Clean and Press

  Concentration Curl

  Cross Flyes

  Crunch Sit-ups

  Deadlift

  Dips

  Donkey Raises

  Flyes

  Forward Bends

  Front Calf Raises

  Front Dumbbell Raises

  Front Squat

  Incline Barbell Press

  Incline Dumbbell Press

  Jumping Rope

  Jump Squat

  Lateral Raises

  Leg Curl

  Leg Extension

  Leg Press

  Leg Raises

  Lunges

  Lying Side Leg Raises

  Lying Triceps Extension

  Narrow-Grip Bench Press

  One-Arm Rowing

  One-Arm Triceps Extension

  Preacher’s Bench

  Press Behind the Neck

  Pulldowns/Behind Neck

  Pulldowns/Front Neck

  Pulley Rowing

  Pullovers

  Running

  Running in Place

  Seated Dumbbell Curls

  Shrugs

  Side Bends

  Sitting Barbell Triceps Extension

  Sitting Calf Raises

  Sit-ups

  Squat

  Standing Barbell Curl

  Standing Calf Raises

  Standing Dumbbell Curl

  Standing Dumbbell Press

  Standing Leg Stretch

  Standing Side Bends

  Straight Leg Deadlift

  Triceps Extension

  Triceps Pushdown

  Triceps Push-ups

  Upright Rowing

  Weight Boxing

  Wrist Curl

  Appendix

  VITAMINS AND MINERALS

  Vitamins

  Fat Soluble Vitamins

  Water Soluble Vitamins

  B-Complex Vitamins

  Minerals

  Recommendations

  PAST AND PRESENT

  About the Author

  Franco Columbu’s Complete Book of Bodybuilding

  Dr. Franco Columbu

  Creators Publishing

  Hermosa Beach, CA

  Franco Columbu’s Complete Book of Bodybuilding

  Copyright © 2017 Dr. Franco Columbu

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  The majority of the photographs in this book were taken by Art Zeller. Other photographers include: John Balik, Albert Busek, Richard Ortiz, Bill Dobbins, Jimmy Caruso, George Butler, Benno Dahmen (Athletic Sport Journal), George Rodriquez, and Robert Gardner.

  CREATORS PUBLISHING

  737 3rd St

  Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

  310-337-7003

  Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

  ISBN: 978-1-945630-63-7

  Third Edition

  Printed in the United States of America

  To my good friends:

  George Lois

  Nick Masiello

  Ben Weider

  Joe Weider

  I would like to thank Arnold Schwarzenegger for his assistance throughout my career.

  A Note From The Publisher

  In 1981, I w
as working out casually and not making a whole lot of progress. One day, I bought a copy of Joe Weider’s popular magazine, Muscle & Fitness. In the back was a full-page ad for courses by Dr. Franco Columbu, which included an office address and a phone number. I knew that Franco was a successful chiropractor but was not sure whether he offered advice for training programs.

  When told that he did, I made an appointment and saw him on July 30, 1981. I remember the date because I regard it as the start of a lifetime commitment to health and fitness. His suggestions and advice were so profound — with timesaving techniques to achieve maximum efficiency — that I continue to follow them to this day. Also, he is uniquely upbeat and encouraging to anyone who tries hard.

  Franco was a pioneer with his early books. He has a wealth of knowledge about health and fitness. Along with his best friend, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his mentor, Joe Weider, Franco has helped change the world since he arrived in America in the 1960s.

  He offers advice, encouragement and wisdom that, if followed, will change your life.

  His books were best-sellers at the time, and their advice is timeless, which is why Creators Publishing is so excited to bring them back into publication as paperbacks and e-books. We are reprinting them exactly as they appeared when they were first published in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

  At the time Franco wrote this book, very few hotels offered gyms; people who lifted weights were considered oddballs and muscleheads; and almost no one paid attention to health and fitness. Since then, of course, we have had a worldwide revolution that includes a new language with terms such as cardio, aerobic, anaerobic, CrossFit, boot camp, dinosaur training and a hundred other expressions aimed at the same thing — becoming healthier, stronger, fitter and better-looking through exercise and proper nutrition.

  Franco achieved bodybuilding success that puts him at the very top of that field, including multiple Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles, and the same with powerlifting; he broke all strength records for bodybuilders. The reason this is important is that the physique he built in his teens and 20s is basically the same as he has in his 70s. He built solid muscles within a solid framework through hard work, heavy training and always challenging himself. At the same time, he knew the importance of making your workouts fun — so you will keep going back to the gym. As he wrote at the time, “No one has ever just plain enjoyed training the way Arnold and I did, and I’m convinced to this day that that was a major factor in our becoming the two best of all time.”

  Too many of the modern bodybuilders rely on chemicals and drugs as substitutes for hard work. There were bodybuilders in Franco’s time who did the same, and today they are a physical wreck, or dead. The handful who trained like Franco are still in great shape today and aging gracefully.

  I consider Franco Columbu to be the next generation’s Jack LaLanne. Just as Jack did, Franco advocates challenging your body with vigorous workouts and eating a sensible diet. Franco is better educated than Jack, and his early years in Sardinia — spending vast amounts of time alone in the fields with his thoughts (and the sheep, of course) — gave him a serenity and peace of mind that is unique in today’s world, which at times seems hectic and frantic.

  But Franco Columbu has the same enthusiasm for fitness as Jack LaLanne. I read this book when it was first published decades ago and found it helpful and inspiring. After rereading it in the 21st century in advance of our publishing it, I found my enthusiasm for training rekindled. You can’t help but be inspired by this book. If you follow Franco’s advice, you will achieve all of your health and fitness goals.

  Rick Newcombe

  Creators Publishing

  Hermosa Beach, CA

  Foreward

  By Arnold Schwarzenegger

  Dr. Franco Columbu is one of the most remarkable men I have ever met. He is also, I am proud to say, one of my very closest friends.

  We first met in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1965. I had come from Austria to compete in the European Bodybuilding Championships, and Franco from Italy for the powerlifting Contest being held at the same time. As two foreigners, we got to talking and immediately hit it off.

  A couple of years later, Franco and I wound up training in the same gym in Munich. In 1967, I won my first Mr. Universe title. Afterwards, Franco came up to me and surprised me by saying, “Arnold, I want to do the same thing. I want to become Mr. Universe.”

  There were a lot of people around the gym who laughed at this idea. Certainly, Franco didn’t look like Mr. Universe material back then. He was very strong, but his small stature and relative lack of development seemed to indicate he lacked the genetic potential to become a champion bodybuilder.

  But I knew Franco well enough not to underestimate him. Once he makes up his mind to do something, he brings to bear a force of will that lets nothing stand in the way of reaching his goal. So we began to train together, and soon Franco was putting such enormous energy into his workouts that even I had trouble keeping up with him.

  And all that work soon paid off. In 1970, only three years after Franco decided to switch from powerlifting to bodybuilding, he captured the Mr. Universe title. Almost overnight, he had made himself into one of the great bodybuilders of all time.

  But Franco didn’t accomplish this feat just by hard work alone. He had to learn to use all the resources of his mind as well as his body. For somebody like me, with a large bone structure and a 6’2” frame, training has always been relatively easy. All I ever had to do was train, and the results came quickly.

  Ben Weider, president of the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), congratulates Arnold on winning the Mr. Olympia title and Franco on winning the Mr. Universe title.

  For a bodybuilder like Franco, with a totally different kind of physical structure, this just wasn’t enough. And so Franco learned about diet and nutrition, began using vitamin and mineral supplements long before it was Common practice, and studied the way his body responded to different kinds of training programs.

  Early on I could see that Franco had an interest in how the body worked that went far beyond my own. When we both came to live in the United States, I found myself more and more interested in business while Franco’s desire to develop more understanding of the body led him to attend classes and seminars on nutrition, physiology, and kinesiology. While other bodybuilders spent hours lying around on the beach, Franco studied. And one day he came to me and announced, “I have decided what I want to do with my life. I want to become a Doctor of Chiropractic.”

  And that is just what he did. In 1976, Franco Columbu became a doctor of chiropractic. Soon he was swamped by body builders seeking his help. They wanted to know what they could do to develop their bodies to the ultimate, how to diet, and what nutritional principles they should follow. And they came with all sorts of muscle pulls, strains, sprains, and training injuries that they wanted the Drs. Columbu to help them with.

  Before the 1981 Olympia, Arnold brings Franco a slice of pizza for energy and John Milius (director of CONAN THE BARBARIAN) asks if the pizza will make Franco look better for the contest.

  The Columbu Chiropractic Center has continued to grow. At the same time, Franco has found the energy to combine his career in chiropractic with active participation in bodybuilding, and to write a series of books that make his special knowledge available to everyone.

  Nowadays, there are any number of “expert” who are writing books on training and nutrition. But few of them can claim to speak with any real authority. However, Franco has the background of his chiropractic education, and constantly reviews research coming out of hospitals and laboratories all over the world. So when he tells you something, you know you can believe it.