The secret behind Arnold Schwarzenegger’s swollen muscles? Exceptional genes, stubborn determination, and good-old-fashioned hard work. (Oh, and the occasional performance-enhancing drug, but those were legal at the time). Because Arnold was determined to better than everyone else, the professional bodybuilder knew he had to work harder than everyone else. Legend has it that when the Austrian Oak worked out, the sight was so impressive that it’d have drawn a crowd of gaping Gold’s Gym members by the end of the warmup.
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Arnold was a winner of seven Mr. Olympia titles. To prepare for the word-famous bodybuilding competition, the Austria native would swill protein shakes while training six days a week: twice daily on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and once daily on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
As you might have guessed, Arnold’s training routine was pretty intense. The legendary lifter followed a high-volume training program, working out for hours with a seemingly infinite number of reps. The bodybuilder revealed his diet plan and workout program in the book, “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding”, as well as a 1991 issue of Muscle Magazine. His full-body workout routines were comprised of supersets targeting opposing muscle groups. The routines included a variety of muscle-building exercises, incorporating a blend of body weight and free weight-training moves categorized by body part.
So, without further ado, here is the workout Arnold used to bulk up, build muscle, and ultimately win seven Mr. Olympia competitions:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Plan A: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Chest (Morning)
Bench press (with a shoulder-width grip): 5 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Flat bench flies: 5 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Incline bench press (using a Universal Machine): 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable crossovers: 6 sets, 10 to 12 reps
Dips: 5 sets until tired
Dumbbell pullovers: 5 sets, 10 to 12 reps
Upper & Lower Back (Morning)
Front wide-grip chin-ups: 6 sets until tired
T-bar rows: 5 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Seated pulley rows: 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows: 5 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Straight-leg deadlifts: 6 sets, 15 reps
Legs (Morning)
Squats: 6 sets, 8 to 12 reps
Leg presses: 6 sets, 8 to 12 reps
Leg extensions: 6 sets, 12 to 15 reps
Leg curls: 6 sets, 10 to 12 reps
Barbell lunges: 5 sets, 15 reps
Calves (Afternoon)
Standing calf raises to 10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raises: 8 sets, 15 reps
One-legged calf raises (holding dumbbells): 6 sets,12 reps
Forearms (Afternoon)
Wrist curls (forearms on knees): 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls: 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine: until tired
Abs (Afternoon)
Leg Raises: 5 sets, 25 reps
Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Plan B: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
Biceps
Barbell curls: 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Seated dumbbell curls: 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curls: 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Triceps
Close-grip bench presses (for all three heads): 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Tricep press-downs (exterior head): 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Barbell French presses (interior head): 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (exterior head): 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Shoulders
Seated barbell presses: 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Lateral raises (standing): 6 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Rear-delt lateral raises: 5 sets, 6 to 10 reps
Cable lateral raises: 5 sets, 10 to 12 reps
Calves and Forearms
The same as Workout A
Abs
Incline sit-ups, 5 sets of 25 reps each