How to Train Like Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Austrian Oak's Muscle Building Routine

Who knows how to build a perfect physique better than Bodybuilding "king" - Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many people that are involved in bodybuilding still look up to him and trying to follow the routines and diets that Arnold followed when he was competing.

Arnold often said that the biggest mistake that many lifters make is that they avoid the basic exercises, they don't want to move out from comfortable zone. And this is one very sad truth. When you enter many fitness centers you can see that people mostly exercise on machines or doing light dumbbell curls which isn't bad to isolate some muscles but not so good for those that want to build muscle.

Some of the best exercises that you should do to build muscle mass need to be performed with barbell and they are also called compound exercises. You can check out more about best muscle-building exercises in another article:

Best Muscle-Building Exercises - Build Muscle Mass Fast

Arnold Schwarzenegger recommends performing heavy, compound movements and high intensity of training. "Never save yourself for the next set, go all-out in every set that you perform," Arnold used to say very often.

Of course, Arnold tried many workout variations, as many other bodybuilders. He never let his body to adapt for same type of workout for too long. I will present you one of his routines that he followed and which can be found in his book - The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

 Monday and Thursday - Chest, Back and Abs

Barbell Bench Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps)

Incline Bench Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps)

Dumbbell Flyes - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps)

Dumbbell Pull-Over - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Wide-grip Chin Up - 4 sets (reps to failure)

Hanging Leg Raises - 5 sets of 25 reps

Bent-Over Barbell Row - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Bent-Over Row with Dumbbells - 5 sets 

 Tuesday and Friday - Shoulder, Arms and Abs

Clean and Press - 5 sets of 5 reps

Standing Dumbbell Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Front Dumbbell Raises - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Lateral Raises - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Upright Row - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Barbell Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Incline Dumbbell Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Concentration Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Close-Grip Bench Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Barbell Skullcrushers - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

One-Arm Triceps Extension - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Reverse Wrist Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, and 6)

Decline Sit-ups - 5 sets of 25 reps

Wednesday and Saturday - Legs, Calves and Abs

Barbell Squat - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Stiff-legged Deadlift - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Barbell Lunges - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Leg Extensions - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Seated Leg Curls - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Standing Calf Raises - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Seated Calf Raises - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Kneeling Cable Crunches - 4 sets of 25 reps

Sunday is the day for rest

Don't get confused by the pyramid sets that Arnold used in his workouts, just start performing the exercise with lighter weight and 30 reps for first set, then put more weight to do maximum 12 reps in the second set, 10 reps in the third, 8 in the fourth and 6 in the last set. Always rest 45 seconds between the exercises and don't forget to consume enough calories and macro nutrients - proteins, carbs, and fats to fuel your muscles. You can also check out the list of the best muscle-building supplements that can be very helpful to recover your muscles faster after hard workout like this:

Best Muscle-Building Supplements to Build Muscle Mass Fast

ONE RECOMMENDATION:

Don't follow this workout routine if you are a beginning lifter, this routine is designed for advanced lifters and Arnold didn't perform this workout when he started lifting. He was a great fan of Reg Park's 5x5 Workout Routine which I recommend for beginning lifters and you can also find it on this website:

Reg Park's 5x5 Workout Program for Muscle and Strength Gain

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.