Steve Reeves Workout Training Routine for Beginners

For those of you that don't know who Steve Reeves is, he was Mr. Universe in the 1950's and is still considered one of the best BodyBuilders of all time.  There are some fringe reports suggesting that Steve had participated in a small amount of experimental steroid use since he was competing at the same time as steroids were being developed but those reports are few and far between.

Most people view Steve Reeves as having one of the best, if not the best physique of any completely natural BodyBuilder.  While his genetics were definitely awesome, his training routine was also amazing and allowed him to drastically improve his body in just a matter of months. 

Since Steve used a routine of three full-body workouts each week, I highly recommend any beginners to try out his routine with some minor changes. 

One of Reeves' favorite training regimens was: 

Upright Rows - 3 sets, 15-20 reps

Bench Press - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Dumbbell Flyes - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Incline Press - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Triceps Pushdowns - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Barbell Curls - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Seated Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Full Squats - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Pullovers - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Breathing Squats - 1 set, 20 reps

Deadlifts - 2 sets, 8-12 reps

Good Mornings - 2 sets, 8-12 reps

If you are truly a beginner, meaning that you have less than a year of training under your belt, then I recommend making some changes to the Steve Reeve's routine. 

Instead of having multiple exercises per muscle group, I would suggest having just one exercise per muscle group.  So the routine would look more like this:

Upright Rows - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Bench Press - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Triceps Pushdowns - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Barbell Curls - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Squats - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Deadlifts - 3 sets, 8-12 reps

This routine will be more manageable for a new trainee than Reeves' would be, so if you are just starting out, I do recommend my variation slightly more.  Let me know how the routine works for you! 

Processed Milk is not beneficial for muscle growth

BodyBuilders love to promote milk as being one of the best sources of protein as well as being one of the easiest ways to meet your daily protein requirements (especially when bulking.)  Combine the rhetoric from BodyBuilders with the constant bombardment of "Got Milk" advertisements and you begin to create a culture, especially in the United States, where everyone thinks that drinking milk is great for you.

Unfortunately, this is only a half-truth.  Milk, in and of itself, is great!  But, cow's milk that has been processed (pasteurized and homogenized) loses almost all of its actual benefits and is practically worthless.  Multiple studies have shown this to be true, and those same studies have prompted people to start drinking raw milk instead of processed milk like you would normally find in a grocery store.

The biggest issue however, is that in the United States, you are not allowed to sell raw milk as it is considered unsanitary and unhealthy.  But, in many other countries, it is perfectly legal to sell raw cow's milk.

It seems incredibly absurd that a country would not allow something that is normally healthy to be sold but for most of you that are in the United States, that is how it is.  So, for now, I highly recommend not buying up cartons of milk in order to try and use it as one of your main protein sources despite what many BodyBuilders will tell you.

Not only is milk relatively expensive, but it is not a great way to get your protein in when compared to other completely natural sources like chicken, beef, turkey, tuna, etc.