Question: I’m 31 years old and in great shape. I have been working out with a combination of free weights and machines for about 6 years. About a year ago I decided to really engross myself in a serious routine to boost my physical development as well as confidence. Upon searching the web I stumbled across “20 Months to a Champion Physique” at www.billpearl.com. Initially I was excited by the routines because the program was designed by a 5-time Mr. Universe. However, as I struggle to complete month 8, I am concerned. I find myself spending a minimum of 2.5 hours in the gym. To truly complete each session of month 8 I ideally need 3+ hours. The gym is usually closing before I can complete the entire session. My cardio days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, tend to be spent completing at least a quarter of what I didn’t get to finish plus 20-30 minutes of cardio. My only true off day is Sunday.Though I am pleased with the physical results thus far, would you mind reviewing this program and sharing your thoughts?
Answer: Bill Pearl is a heck of a guy! He’s been involved the bodybuilding and fitness game longer than just about anyone and he knows his stuff! At 68 years young, Pearl is a five-time Mr. Universe and the author of several books. At his peak as a competitive bodybuilder when he last won the Mr. Universe in 1971, he weighed 242 pounds at a height of 5’10” and his arms measured 21 inches!
What I admire so much about Bill is that he seems to be one of the few who never get caught up in the “glamor” and hype (B.S.?) that surrounds modern bodybuilding today. To me, Bill Pearl is a true pro who represents what is pure about this sport – not to mention he had a mind-blowing physique before steroids were even invented! (He won the Mr. America competition back in the 1950’s – check out the classic photos on his website)
Everyone should own a copy of Bill’s book,”Keys to the Inner Universe” for their reference library. This book is one of a kind – there is simply nothing else like it. This hefty encyclopedic volume packs 642 pages and contains more exercise variations than you ever knew existed. I bet you didn’t know there were 265 different tricep exercises, did you?
Anyway, to answer your question, “20 Months to a Championship Physique” is a really neat series you can find on Bill’s website at www.billpearl.com. What I like about it so much is that he presents, in a series of 20 articles, not just the written routines, but illustrations and descriptions of each exercise. The downside, as you mentioned, is the length of time it may take to complete some of the workouts.
Bill is so dedicated to training, for years he’s been getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning every day to workout for 2 or 3 hours. I think what has driven Bill to train like this is a deep-down passion and love for the sport of bodybuilding. Bill may enjoy and thrive and grow on this type of program, but marathon workouts aren’t for everyone. Generally, most people would be better off with weight training sessions lasting 45 – 60 minutes at a time. Longer workouts can be counterproductive and lead to over-training or injury. More is not necessarily better – better is better.
I would suggest following his program with a slight modification. Use the same split routine and body part groupings, just reduce the number of exercises and the number of sets. For example, if the advanced biceps routine consists of three exercises such as barbell curls, seated dumbbell curls, and cable curls for four or five sets each, just reduce the sets to three per exercise and /or select two only of the three exercises.
You don’t need to spend all day in the gym. Even two exercises per muscle group for three sets each can yield excellent results. You can’t always copy someone else’s routine verbatim and expect to get the same results that they did. You have to adjust the workout to fit your schedule, your lifestyle and your physical capabilities. Besides, I don’t think any of us could keep up with Bill anyway, even if we tried.