A Retired Professional Bodybuilder & American Actor Known for Its Mass & Symmetry
Lou Ferrigno (Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr.) is an American actor popular for his role in The Incredible Hulk and retired professional bodybuilder. He’s known for his winning for an IFBB Mr. America and IFBB Mr. Universe titles twice consecutively among many bodybuilding wins. He has also appeared in the bodybuilding documentary movie Pumping Iron, and he’s popularly known as one of the ultimate behemoths of bodybuilding.
Lou Ferrigno is an actual hulk with a huge massive muscular body for which he trained very hard. Like other tall bodybuilders, he has a perfect height of 6’5. Unlike others, Lou Ferrigno also carried mass proportionately pleasing symmetrical body that other bodybuilders of his height struggled for.
He has followed various workout routines that were very intense and heavy. Like Arnold, Lou Ferrigno is also popular among youngsters who were aspired to become professional bodybuilders.
From many of Lou Ferrigno’s workout routines, one which we are aware of is here below. If you’re interested to know how Lou Ferrigno’s training looked like or want to train like him. Then, here’s one workout routine that you can look into.
Workout Split of Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno has competed in many bodybuilding shows, including Mr. Olympia. So, it’s not right to say that he followed any specific workout routine throughout his career. Like other bodybuilders, he has also changed his workout from time to time. And, one such popular workout split he used to follow is:
- Day 1 – Chest & Back
- Day 2 – Shoulders & Arms
- Day 3 – Legs
- Day 4 – Chest & Back
- Day 5 – Shoulders & Arms
- Day 6 – Legs
- Day 7 – Rest Day
Let’s get into details and find out the actual workout he used to do for each body part.
Lou Ferrigno Workout Routine for Mass Gain
Below is the mentioned Lou Ferrigno’s workout routine that you can follow to get the feel of how the ultimate behemoth of bodybuilding used to train in his hay days.
Day 1 – Monday: Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press (Flat) | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Barbell Bench Press (Incline) | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| DB Pullovers | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| DB Chest Flys | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| T-Bar Rowing | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Dips | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Barbell Dead Lifts | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Barbell Bent Over Rowing | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Chin – Ups | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Pull-Ups | 5 | 6 – 8 |
Day 2 – Tuesday: Shoulders & Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Military Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| DB Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Barbell Behind The Neck Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Front DB Raises | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Side DB Raises | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Barbell Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Scott Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| DB Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| DB Concentration Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Pull Downs W/ Cable | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Push Downs W/ Cable | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| DB Curls (Incline) | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| French Press – Standing | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Skull Crushers | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
Day 3 – Wednesday: Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Leg Extensions | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Leg Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Squats | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Hack Squats | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
Day 4 – Thursday: Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| DB Chest Flys | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| T – Bar Rowing | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Dips | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Barbell Deadlift | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Chin – Ups | 5 | 6 – 8 |
| Pull-Ups | 5 | 6 – 8 |
Day 5 – Friday: Shoulders & Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Scott Press | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| DB Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Cable Pushdowns | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Cable Pulldowns | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| French Press – Standing | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| DB Curls – Incline | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
| Concentration Curls | 4 – 5 | 8 – 10 |
Day 6 – Saturday: Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Curls | 5 | 10 |
| Squats | 5 | 10 |
| Leg Extensions | 5 | 10 |
| Hack Squats | 5 | 10 |
| Leg Press | 5 | 10 |
Day 7 – Sunday: Rest Day
Some Recommendations by Lou Ferrigno
- To build muscle mass, burning fat, or improve athleticism, multi-joint exercises are much beneficial.
- Resting is equally essential to practice effective weight lifting.
Sample Diet Plan of Lou Ferrigno
When Lou was preparing for Mr. Universe, he kept his diet according to his AM/PM workout routine during his competition days. For instance, he opts for low calorie and high-carb diet plan. Later, during his comeback into professional bodybuilding (192 – 1993), Lou ate around 5 – 6 meals each day. He mostly goes for meat, eggs, fish, vegetables, and fruits while not eating more than 3500 calories each day.
Here’s the typical sample diet of Lou Ferrigno:
Meal 1:
- Milk – 1 to 2 Glasses
- Egg Whites – 4 to 5
- Toast (Whole Grain)
- Fruits
Meal 2:
- Raw Nuts – 3 Ounce
- Milk – 1 to 2 Glasses
- Meat – 2 Slices W/ Whole Grain Toast
Meal 3:
- Milk – 1 to 2 Glasses
- Yogurt W/ Fresh Fruits
- Tuna Fish Salad
Meal 4:
- Fruit
- Protein Shake (Whey Protein)
Meal 5:
- Milk – 1 to 2 Glasses
- Baked Potato
- Vegetables
- Steak
Meal 6:
- Sunflower Seeds W/ Milk – 1 to 2 Glasses
- Low carb Protein Shake or Cheese – 3 oz
Lou Ferrigno Physical Statistics
- Height – 6 Feet & 4 Inch
- Competition Weight – 275 Lbs (125 KG)
- Off-Season Weight – 310 Lbs (140 KG)
- Arms – 23 Inch (58 CM)
- Chest – 58 Inch (147 CM)
- Waist – 34 Inch (86 CM)
- Thighs – 29 Inch (74 CM)
- Calves – 20 Inch (51 CM)
Titles Won by Lou Ferrigno
- 1971 – Mr. America (WBBG Pro Teen)
- 1973 – Mr. America (IFBB)
- 1973 – Mr. Universe (IFBB)
- 1974 – Mr. International (IFBB)
- 1974 – Mr. Universe (IFBB)
Olympia Results – Mr. & Masters
- 1974 –Placed 2nd in Heavyweight Category (Mr. Olympia – IFBB)
- 1994 – Placed 3rd in Heavyweight Category (Mr. Olympia – IFBB)
- 1992 – Placed 12th in Mr. Olympia (IFBB)
- 1993 – Placed 2nd in Masters Category (Mr. Olympia – IFBB)
Wrapping Up
Professional bodybuilding isn’t an easy career. Like other famous bodybuilders, Lou Ferrigno has also started early and has changed his workout routine and diet plan according to the results he wanted to achieve.
Here, we’ve one of the workout routines that he has used somewhere in his career. If you’re interested in following his workout routine or want to know his training philosophy, you can train with this workout routine to gain a better understanding.
