The Diet Of Arnold & The Golden Age Gang

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1970's Bodybuilding Nutrition



By Ric Drasin

They say we are what we eat. Never a truer word has been spoken and you can look around and pretty much tell who eats right and who doesn’t. I look at today’s society and see obesity all around me starting with the kids right on up to the adults. TV reality shows are all popping up now with those like The Biggest Loser, Jillian Michael’s Losing It and specials on obesity and diabetes.

I don’t remember seeing this much coverage on weight in the 70s as it wasn’t as big a problem then or at least it wasn’t in the media. Today more people are on the run and want to eat quick so they pick those items that are full of sugars and fats and don’t stop to analyze what’s in it and what it will do to them. Some gain 100 lbs in no time and don’t even realize it until it’s there. Then they’re on to their 2nd 100 lbs.

When I was in school, we had cafeterias that took pride in their meals and were cooked by little old ladies in the back. Each meal was balanced and came with a lot of flavor as well. Today’s schools package meals and stick them in vending machines for the kids. It’s a no thought process.

I started my 70s diet in the 60s so you might say I was ahead of my time. But, I got most my information out of reading muscle magazines, which the average person would never read and even laugh at me for doing it. These articles began my structure to eat right and get results in my body.

The main diet for bodybuilding in the 70s was high protein and low carb. It was Protein to build the muscle and less carb to reduce body fat. It made perfect sense to me and the others that trained. However when you would try to explain this to someone on the street, it would be an argument about how they liked to eat all the other foods. This wasn’t a case of like or dislike, but we would eat for results even if we didn’t like the food.

This diet started way back maybe even beyond the 50s but I do remember in 1967 many of the bodybuilders on the beach drinking quart containers of extra rich milk or even cream. Some would go to restaurants and drink the cream right out of the containers on the tables. This was pretty extreme but they did it. The reason for this was of course the extra protein and the fat content for energy, which I’ll get into later in this article.

Supplements were just breaking ground around then and the main things to take were liver pills that were extreme in building stomach gases and Soy protein, which really didn’t work that well. Some of us would add powdered milk to our regular milk just to get more protein. I would also see protein cans on the shelves in stores but the spelling was PROTEEN. I was never sure what was in that so I didn’t try it. But, I did use dehydrated fish powder as it was considered pure protein. I wasn’t easily digested and tasted like vomit but it did have its value.

We depended most on ‘real’ foods such as the diet below and this was very basic.

Breakfast - Beef patty and 3 eggs, cottage cheese and vitamins.

Lunch - Chicken or Fish, or Beef patty, small salad, option eggs and cottage cheese. Or Tuna.

Mid afternoon snack – Can of Tuna or chicken breasts or protein drink.

Dinner -Steak, or Chicken with small salad, cottage cheese and sugar free jello and vegetables.

Bedtime – Cheese omelet

This was considered high protein, low carbohydrate and the fats came from eggs and cheese and for some of the other people, extra rich milk or cream. In fact we were supposed to mix our protein with cream which was the Rheo H. Blair theory.



Rheo had his own supplements which were expensive but were deemed to get results for bodybuilders like Larry Scott and Don Howarth to name a couple.

Fats were used to burn as energy in the gym and would not be stored on the body as fat whereas carbohydrates are stored as fat and burned later. You would need a certain amount of calories to burn and the fat would increase those. But, going without carbs for long periods of time can deplete your body and your brain and can make you very angry.

You do need some sugar and one day a week it was ok to go off the diet and have a junk day. This day to many was usually Sundays were we could eat anything we wanted all day long. The belief in that was you cannot get fat in one day. Everything you eat will pass right through and not stick, but it will retain water so by Monday you could be up in weight 5 lbs. or more and back to normal by Wednesday.

We always looked forward to Sundays, as many of us would down whole pizzas, half gallons of ice cream, cookies, cheesecakes, spaghetti and meatballs and just about any sugar we could find. I even went as far as to suck out the cookie crumbs from the empty box. It was an uncontrollable craving that was not really healthy at all.

I remember crawling away from the dinner table at night so bloated that I could hardly walk. This was the case of many but then right back on the diet the next day.

Many of us would eat at ‘smorgys’, all you can eat places in fact the sign said, “all you can eat.” We’d eat as much as 12 pieces of chicken in one sitting just to get the protein. Some of the guys would bring in their gym bags and tin foil and sneak out another dozen chicken breasts for later. Soon the management was losing money and discouraged all bodybuilders from coming in and changed the sign to ‘the best you can eat.”

In today’s world we are asked to watch our fats because of heart and artery problems and cholesterol build up. This makes a lot of sense and I do believe that everything should be done in moderation.

Fad diets came along later in the 70s like the Atkin’s diet, Zone diet which were complete knockoffs of our bodybuilding diet. I tried to explain this diet to several people back then but they felt more convinced by reading about it when it became the Aitkin’s diet. I guess they didn’t think that we as bodybuilders knew much.

I think some of the biggest issues with this diet were mood swings from feeling starved from carbohydrates and also elimination because of the high protein and no bulk. The mood swings could be reversed by a little sugar and the elimination was balanced out by taking a form of fiber at least once to twice a day.

On a diet like this, you can get very lean and muscular in a short period of time but, if you reverse it and go back to eating carbs, your body will tend to get heavy and blow up way beyond where you were when you started. Fat cells don’t disappear, but instead shrink in size, so when you feed them again, they blow up to original size and bigger.

I’ve found that over the years, it’s best to do this in moderation. No more junk days but instead a little carbs every few days. I don’t get fat and can stay hard plus keep my sanity as well. I don’t eat a lot and space my meals just as I did back then. If I feel a pound or two start to come on, then I’ll cut back even more but always try to maintain where I look good in the mirror. The scale doesn’t tell the truth, because you can lose weight and still look fat, but the mirror doesn’t lie.

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love this part. anyone that has dieted for a long period knows how absolutely amazing this day feels and then how horrible you feel once its all said and done. lol

We always looked forward to Sundays, as many of us would down whole pizzas, half gallons of ice cream, cookies, cheesecakes, spaghetti and meatballs and just about any sugar we could find. I even went as far as to suck out the cookie crumbs from the empty box. It was an uncontrollable craving that was not really healthy at all.

I remember crawling away from the dinner table at night so bloated that I could hardly walk. This was the case of many but then right back on the diet the next day.

Many of us would eat at ‘smorgys’, all you can eat places in fact the sign said, “all you can eat.” We’d eat as much as 12 pieces of chicken in one sitting just to get the protein. Some of the guys would bring in their gym bags and tin foil and sneak out another dozen chicken breasts for later. Soon the management was losing money and discouraged all bodybuilders from coming in and changed the sign to "the best you can eat.”

[rado]

love this part. anyone that has dieted for a long period knows how absolutely amazing this day feels and then how horrible you feel once its all said and done. lol

So so true! !!

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The "Arnold Era" Diet
Before the Bullsh*t

Bodybuilding experienced a meteoric rise in popularity during the 1970s due to the balance Arnold Schwarzenegger presented between the natural and supernatural. He did not look alien to the public; he was the avatar of every hero in comics and pulp novels. Arnold's physique during his prime was impressive due to his size, muscularity and symmetry. Unquestionably, he benefited from his (overstated) height and attractive features, as well as his charisma. Relatively less stunning was the degree of definition— especially when compared to modern-day bodybuilding. Heavy training, genetics, anabolic steroids and protein-rich diets allowed these men to attain tremendous muscular size— however, the vascularity and striations common in amateur shows today is missing from this early time. If you want to know what these men ate, go back to the 1960s. There was little nutritional awareness; people didn’t talk about protein and carbohydrates— it was “meat and potatoes.” Forget about all the supplements in your cabinet, they did not exist. At best, there were predigested proteins from gelatin and soy, along with desiccated liver tablets; athletes were chewing dextrose tablets, which are basically SweeTARTS.

Most bodybuilders were marginally employed (very few were sponsored), typically coming from blue-collar backgrounds. Their background and resources were closer to what the average reader has— far from what today’s pros enjoy. This caused bodybuilders to be dependent upon cheap, regular food— and lots of it. The situation was worsened if they traveled for competition, especially to a foreign country. Mike Katz, who appeared in the movie “Pumping Iron” as one of Arnold's competitors, recalled eating kabobs purchased from a bazaar booth with fellow competitors prior to one competition; there was no other option.

Tight Clothing and Fit Bods

Obesity was heavily stigmatized in that era, so no self-respecting bodybuilder would have allowed himself to “bulk”-up to walrus-like proportions. The typical diet will seem ignorant in some ways compared to what even young bodybuilders understand today— seemingly deficient in vital nutrients, and excessive in calories, fat and sodium. Its relatively high calorie content was offset by more physical recreation and occupational activity compared to the media-based, sedentary trends of today.

There was a focus on meat, be it beef (including dairy), chicken (including eggs) or fish (nope, no caviar). Though nobody talked much about individual amino acids, everyone knew you needed “meat” or protein for your muscles to grow. The importance of leucine was unrecognized, and it certainly wasn't available in half-kilo tubs. Along with the protein, of course, came fat. While the men living on the coast could obtain fish regularly, it was not a staple for those in the Midwest or Mountain regions, or parts of Europe. Hence, much of the fat was saturated; trans fats were just appearing in the margarines used as butter substitutes. Perhaps it was the inclusion of flesh and non-hydrogenated fat that allowed these men to gain the size they did (on conservative anabolic regimens), whereas so many people now avoid fat overzealously.

Sugary drinks were not regularly consumed, and sodas came in 12-ounce glass bottles. Given that the sugar came from cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup, the impact of sugar during the 1960s may not have been as detrimental.3,4 The only artificial sweetener available was saccharin, so low-calorie “diet foods” were available. Bodybuilders generally did not rely on low-calorie sweets, realizing the need for habitual restraint and timed carbohydrates to maximize the training response. The limited exposure to chemicals from plastics and fertilizers may also have contributed to their success. Pans were made of iron, and coated with butter or lard; Teflon and other non-stick surfaces were only just being developed. There are undoubtedly many environmental factors that will never be realized, though they are discussed in the obesity literature as “endocrine disruptors” (e.g., BPA, phthalates, alkylphenols).5

Low-carb, Not Ketogenic

The general diet of these men can be classified as “low carb,” though not ketogenic.6-8 Typically, carbohydrate intake was limited to less than 100 grams per day; essentially keeping with the low-glycemic load design. This is based more on recall than any planned intake, as food weighing wasn't common, and nutrient labeling was not mandated at that time. Instead, the men avoided pastries, bread and sweets. Carbohydrates came primarily from fruit, rice and potatoes, as well as honey. It is impressive what these men learned through trial and error, sharing their findings throughout the collective community. It is similar to how traditional medicine (e.g., Ayurvedic, TCM) practices learned the value of herbs.

Breakfast First, Then Cardio

Generally, there was no first of the morning cardio or workout. Breakfast came first, after a full night’s sleep. For Arnold, that was six hours of sleep; others slept longer hours. Arnold credits much of his success to being more productive every day, and having two extra hours allowed him to do more.9 Remember, he is a not a one-dimensional person. He worked on language skills, education, investing, acting and many other talents that most people never even explore. It is interesting that breakfast was such a universally consumed meal, as research has shown time and again that eating a breakfast improves weight management.

The breakfast varied a bit, depending upon the background of the person. In those days, European and other international competitors were as prevalent as U.S. champions. They all gravitated to the United States eventually, just as budding actors view Hollywood as the Mecca of opportunity. Off-season, U.S. bodybuilders would eat simple, low-carbohydrate meals. Eggs, sausage and lean cuts of ham would adorn the breakfast plate, garnished with some fruit or a small bowl of oats or Cream of Wheat. Those who did not work during the day would head to the gym mid-morning for a workout. Most of these men trained with at least one partner, so after the workout it was common to head to a local diner or restaurant for the fullest meal of the day.12,13 This is when the carbs were consumed, just as has been found to be the best timing by science. Again, breads were typically avoided; instead, rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes were piled on the plate.

No Snacking Allowed

Snacking was not a component of the bodybuilding diet, nor did people “graze” as some do today. Instead, meals were consumed— whole-food meals. A late-afternoon lunch or barbecue with friends was related frequently, again with a preponderance of meats. Some of the comments make one wonder just how many chickens there are in the world; certainly fewer, thanks to these men. The evenings generally did not involve hedonistic debauchery, but they were relaxed. Television viewing was not a big part of the downtime— there were only three channels in those days and they stopped broadcasting shortly after the late news (around midnight). Instead, time with girlfriends and spouses, working or studying was the “everyday” routine.

Supper was generally not a large meal, and not consumed immediately prior to going to sleep. Not only did this provide for better sleep, but it also allowed the body to experience a normal circadian rhythm.17 It was interesting to note that many of the bodybuilders mentioned the importance of vegetables— for fiber, nutrition and (unknowingly) low-glycemic index carbohydrates. Occasionally, a glass of milk before bed was drank; this would provide a slow-release protein for the overnight fast.

Thank You, Arnold

It was during the 1970s that bodybuilders began to learn more about nutrition. In part, it is thanks to Arnold— as he set the standard so high that natural ability would no longer account for success. His focus, dedication and efforts caused the other bodybuilders who desired to unseat him to forage further into the science of nutrition (as well as pharmacology). Success in managing nutrition was evident during the mid-1970s forward. The physiques became more defined, chiseled and symmetric. Judging allowed for smaller men with stunning physiques to defeat larger competitors.

For the young people of today, Arnold's impact on bodybuilding is underappreciated. He is thought of by some youths as being ancient history, or an actor who started in bodybuilding. It is important to realize that if he had not achieved a level of unprecedented greatness in his time, the motivation and standards for other competitors would not have been as extreme. He and his contemporaries learned to manage food through observation, trial and error, and communication with their peers. Along with relatively primitive protein powders, they demonstrated that achieving an enviable physique is possible through basic nutrition and discipline. Of course, the muscular strength and mass were augmented by the use of anabolic steroids. However, these gains were possible by sitting down at the table rather than shaking and stirring whey shakes, along with handfuls of capsules. Their diets were low-glycemic load diets, high in protein, and rich in fruits and vegetables. This is a practical approach for natural and enhanced bodybuilders, as well as those wishing to manage their weight for health purposes.