Below Mohamed Makkawy explains his workouts as he prepares for 1983 Mr. Olympia contest in an article he wrote:
"This is the way I am currently training. Every morning, Monday to Friday I work my legs completely. On every afternoon of these same days I work my back. On Monday and Thursday nights I work my chest. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights I work my arms. And if you think I take a rest on Sundays you're mistaken! As the contest season comes around I do not allow myself this luxury. Most Sundays I will do some miscellaneous exercises, training any area that I feel needs extra attention. Currently I am doing some back and shoulder work during these Sunday sessions."
"The last time details of my training routine were published I was performing most exercises for twelve reps each set. Right now I am doing eight reps in most exercises, handling a little more weight than I used to with twelve reps. I am noticing that my calves, as well as my back and arms, are all growing well. Of course this does not mean that eight reps are necessarily better than twelve. It is probably the shock value of the change–over."
"I may well go back to higher reps again one day and enjoy yet another growth cycle. I train at a pretty fast pace aiming to keep a good style in every exercise. I do not perform heavy duty style training, neither do I perform forced or negative reps to increase basic power. Remember that back home in Egypt I used to be an Olympic weightlifter, and that's where I paid my dues with endless heavy, power workouts."
Workouts
Chest
* Flat bench press (to neck): 5 x 8
* 20° Bench press (to neck): 5 x 8
* Incline bench press 40°: 5 x 8
* Bent arm pullover: 5 x 8
* Wide grip "Gironda" dips: 5 x 8
* Straight arm pullover: 5 x 10
Back
* High bench rowing: 5 x 8
* Pullups to waist: 5 x 8
* Wide grip chins behind neck: 5 x 8
* Wide grip pulldowns to chest: 5 x 8
Legs
* Hack squat: 5 x 8
* Seated pulley leg squeeze: 5 x 10
* Thigh curl: 5 x 10
* Thigh extension: 5 x 8
* Roman chair: 5 x 10
* Flat thigh extensions: 5 x 8
* Seated calf raise: 5 x 15
* Standing calf raise: 5 x 15
Abdominals
* Lying leg raise: 5 x 15 to 25
* Hanging leg raise: 5 x 15 to 25
* Hanging knee–in: 5 x 15 to 25
* Bent knee situps: 5 x 15 to 25
* Twisting situps: 5 x 15 to 25
* Cross ankle crunches: 5 x 15 to 25
Shoulders
* Wide grip rows: 5 x 8
* 45° lateral raise: 5 x 8
* Kneeling cable raise: 5 x 8
* Bent over cable raise: 5 x 8
* Lateral raise: 5 x 8
* Cable lateral raise: 5 x 8
Biceps
* Incline dumbbell curl: 5 x 8
* EZ Bar curls: 5 x 8
* Cable short range seated curls: 5 x 10
Triceps
* Parallel bar dips: 5 x 8
* Bent over triceps kickbacks: 5 x 8
* Triceps rope pulls: 5 x 8
Diet
Below Mohamed Makkawy explains his diet:
"My diet has been the same as it always is when preparing for a contest. In other words I start out by eating only meat, chicken and fish (zero carbohydrates), then as the contest gets nearer I reduce the amount of food and take amino acids and liver tablets instead until in the last week when I live entirely on amino acids and liver tablets and no food."
