Bob Paris is a bodybuilding legend and a fan favorite. His claim to fame was sculpting a lean, strong, beautiful and aesthetic physique. He was also ahead of his years in terms of maturity. By the time he was 25 years old he already launched his apparel line “Paris Fashions” which tailored to the athletic physique. He was thinking well ahead into the future and planning for life after bodybuilding, which many athletes fail to do (leading to their ruin).
Bob Paris smashed the notion that bodybuilders where just a bunch of dumb meatheads. (Actually, all the notable Golden Era bodybuilders had big brains and social skills. But in the 1980’s things were a changin’. Mass monsters like Dorian Yates and Lee Haney hit the scene and changed bodybuilding forever. Bodybuilding went from a celebration of beauty and aesthetics to a ‘roided out freak show. I’m not knocking Haney or Yates’ intelligence, they are both smart guys. I’m saying their physiques where clearly much larger than their predecessors.)
Unfortunately, Bob Paris was a casualty of an evolving bodybuilding culture. He was a man that stuck to his guns and refused to compromise his beliefs when the massive muscle masters hit the stage. Although Paris admitted to using steroids under duress, he did so to a limit and would not sacrifice his athletic looking physique. Throughout the 1980-1990’s bodybuilding went from a celebration of aesthetic physiques to an absolute freak show. Abuse of anabolic steroids was rampant and obvious. Aesthetics and physical beauty of the physique are no longer taken into consideration when it came time to judge the winner of a bodybuilding competition. As a result Bob Paris opted out of competitive bodybuilding and focused on building his business empire.
Bob Paris Bodybuilding Philosophy
True to Bob Paris bodybuilding philosophy, his workout strived to “Create an aesthetic and beautiful physique as well as maximizing your own potential.”
What’s the secret sauce for creating a great body? “It was a combination of hard work, intelligent training, and good genes.”
We’ll supply the intelligent training plan, you supply the hard work and hopefully you picked the right parents.
Let’s get to it.
Bob Paris’ Workout Routine
Bob Paris had a great physique. Similar to that of Frank Zane. Not to mention he had phenomenal abdominals. Great abdominals.
This is the workout as he describes in his book, “Flawless”. He used a 3 days ON followed by 1 day OFF (rest). His split of choice was the ever faithful Push-Pull-Legs (PPL) routine.
3-Day training split, performing 3-4 exercises per muscle group at 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, occasionally straying from those rep ranges on core free-weight lifts, abs and calves.
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs and Cardio
Incline Bench Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Incline Flyes 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Flat Dumbbell Presses 3 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Across Bench Pull-overs 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Dumbbell Side Raises 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Rear Pulley Crunches 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Barbell Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Bench Dips 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Push-downs 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Two-Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps (tri-set)
Lying Leg Raises 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps(tri-set)
Crunches 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps (tri-set)
Cardio 20 – 30 minutes on the exercise bike or stair stepper.
Day 2: Legs, Calves, Cardio
Leg Extensions 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Front Squats 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Lunges 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps (each leg)
Lying Leg Curls 4 – 5 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts 4 – 5 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Standing Calf Raises 3 – 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
Seated Calf Raises 3 – 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Tibia Raises 3 – 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 3: Back, Biceps, Forearms
Wide-Grip Pulldowns 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Close-Grip Pulldowns 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
One-Dumbbell Rows 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Half Deadlift/Shrugs 3 sets, 8 – 10 reps
Hyperextensions 3 sets, 20 – 25 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curls 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Barbell Curls 3 – 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
One-Arm Pulley Curls 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Pulley Compound Wrist Curls 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Day 4: Rest, Cardio
Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 5: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs, Cardio
Bench Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Incline Dumbbell presses 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
Cable Crossovers 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Across-Bench Pullovers 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Dumbbell Presses 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Seated Bent-Over Side Raises 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Lying Compound Side Raises 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Rope Push-Downs 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Overhead Pulley Extensions 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Lying French Prsses 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets, 12 – 15
Lying Leg Raises 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Crunches 3 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 6: Legs, Calves, Cardio
Hack Squats 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
45-Degree Leg Presses 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Leg Extension 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Standing Leg Curls 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Lying Leg Curls 4 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Leg-Press Calf Raises 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
Seated Calf Raises 3 sets, 10 – 12 reps
Tibia Raises 3 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Cardio 20 – 30 minutes
Day 7: Back, Biceps, Forearms
Wide Rear Pull-Downs 5 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Low-Pulley Rows 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
T-Bar Rows 4 sets, 8 – 10 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Hyperextensions 4 sets, 20 – 25 reps
Concentration Curls 4 – 5 sets, 10 – 15 reps
Barbell Preacher Curls 4 sets, 6 – 8 reps
Zottman Curls 4 sets, 12 – 15 reps
Barbell Wrist Curls 4 sets, 15 – 20 reps
Once Paris was able to hit his top rep number in all sets, he would increase the weight 5 – 10 pounds.
Bob Paris Diet
“Eat 5 or 6 meals every day. The only real way you will make one hundred percent progress…is by eating these meals….If you work away from home—buy several resealable plastic containers—pack all your meals and take them with you.”
Here’s a typical 5-meal daily Bob Paris diet plan.
Meal #1
5 ounces ground beef or steak
5 ounces lima beans or chick peas
4 ounces rice
3 ounces spinach
Meal #2
One whole egg
7 egg whites
4 ounces oatmeal
4 ounces nonfat milk
Meal #3
5 ounces turkey or chicken breast
5 ounces roasted corn or potato
5 ounces green peas or string beans
5 ounces brussels sprouts / spinach / broccoli
Meal #4
5 ounces scallops
5 ounces steak.
5 ounces sweet potato
3 ounces broccoli
5 ounces zucchini or eggplant
Meal #5
4 ounces cod
10 ounces baked potato
One whole egg
Asparagus
There you have it – Bob Paris’ workout routine and bodybuilding diet plan.
I respect Bob Paris’ approach to bodybuilding. His ideal in bodybuilding is to have all the body parts coordinate together and to have an aesthetic, beautiful physique with good size and perfect symmetry. He strived to display the beauty of the human form, and injected a dose of personality into his bodybuilding posing. Paris was much more approachable compared to the bodybuilders today, as his physique had a better appeal to most people.
