Arnold Schwarzenegger's Bodybuilding Tips to Gain Muscle Mass

All bodybuilding fans know who is the most famous bodybuilding legend - Arnold Schwarzenegger. We all know that he is very famous as a bodybuilder, actor, and of course - governor. 

Arnold started lifting at the age of 15 and he won the first Mr. Universe title when he was 20. After that, he won 7 Mr. Olympia titles. Those are some well-known facts, but did you ever thought about how did he build such a muscular and defined physique? 

If you are interested in Arnold Schwarzenegger's tips for building a lot of muscle mass continue reading this article.

1. Arnold's Training Tips for Muscle Building

The Austrian Oak knew that it is not everything in training hard, he knew that he also need to train smart. One of his main tips for building muscle mass is: "To get big, you have to get strong."

In order to build his muscles, Arnold focused on multi-joint movements (compound exercises) more than on isolation exercises.

If you want to know which compound exercises are best for muscle building then check out another article:

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass

To get stronger and build muscle mass fast, compound exercises must be a foundation of your training plan.

2. Heavy weights and low number of reps

That is a key to building muscle mass and he knew it better than Arnold Schwarzenneger. Best rep range for muscle growth is from 8 to 12. To ensure muscle growth Arnold recommends starting with a few warm-ups and then pyramid the weight up from one set to next while decreasing the number of reps and going to failure. Arnold never performed a workout with less than 6 reps and more than 12 reps. 

3. Experiment with training routines

Never let your muscles to get used to the same workout routine. One of the best ways to make your muscles to grow is to shock them, confuse them. Don't let your muscles know what is coming next. 

Arnold was often switching his workout routines if he found that his routine is no longer producing muscle gains. Doing the same routine over and over without any significant changes will stop making results and your muscles will get comfortable with that workout routine, which means they won't grow anymore. 

4. Don't overtrain your muscles

This principle is very important for building muscle mass. You need to let your muscles to rest and recover after hard training sessions. Arnold said that too much can be as bad as too little in bodybuilding training. 

Overtraining one muscle can lead that muscle to lag behind other muscles. Don't overtrain your muscles, give them a chance to rest and grow. Remember, muscles don't grow in a gym, they grow while we rest.




5. Fuel your muscles with a lot of protein


In the time when he was competing, Arnold consumed a lot of protein. He knew that the most important macronutrient for muscle hypertrophy is protein. He used to say that for one pound of a body it is enough to consume one gram of protein.


Arnie used to split his 250 grams of protein into five meals a day. 



Here is an example of one of Arnold's meals:


3-4 whole eggs
2 pieces of bacon
2 pieces of Ezekiel bread



This was often his breakfast and after two to three hours he was ready to eat more. He was also a fan of protein shakes as part of his meals.