Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mass-Building Workout Routine - 'The Golden Six'

I have written many times about benefits of full-body workouts for building strength and muscle and 'The Golden Six' is the routine that got 'The Austrian Oak' started in bodybuilding. 

It is certainly one of the best workout routines for muscle growth that I recommend to all beginners and to lifters that are looking to change their routine that stopped producing new muscle gains.

Same as his idol and mentor Reg Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger also built his impressive foundation on full-body workouts. Many years later Arnold became famous as a fan of the high volume body part split routines, but honestly, I think that he gained most of his muscles by following  Reg Park's 5x5 Workout Program and his own full-body routine 'The Golden Six'. And he started favoring these high volume split routines in the time when he was experimenting with anabolic steroids.

This workout program was nicknamed 'The Golden Six' for its straightforward focus on six of the most basic exercises. This may not be a routine that you will use forever but it is great for beginning lifters and those who want to get back to basics with one of the simplest workouts. Also, one of the good things is that you only need to visit gym three times per week.

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS
Barbell Squat	4	10
Wide Grip Bench Press	3	10
Chin Up	3	Max
Behind The Neck Press	4	10
Barbell Curl	3	10
Bent Knee Sit Up	3-4	Max

Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended performing "The Golden Six" workout routine 3 times per week for a 3-month cycle. Once you become able to do 2 or more reps above the reps given in this workout plan increase the weight. It is very important to add more weight plates whenever possible to force your muscles to adapt and grow.

This classic full-body routine is ideal for beginners and hardgainers that are looking to gain muscle mass fast. It is simple and effective like most full-body workouts and doesn't leave any muscle group unattended.

Best Full-Body Workout Routines for Muscle Mass Gain

It is a common problem for many beginning lifters to decide what workout routine to follow to start making their first gains. Also, they want to know should they train every day, three or four times a week and should they start with Full-Body Routine or Split Workout Routine. All that differs from person to person, but generally, Full-Body workouts are a great way for beginners to make some visible muscle gains. Many legends of Bodybuilding started with Full-Body workouts and they even continued with them because there was no reason to change it, it worked for them. 

One of the most famous Full-Body Workout Routines is Reg Park's 5x5 Workout:

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

It is a great way to start with Reg Park's workout to put on some muscles and increase strength, but after that, you can try some other workout programs for muscle hypertrophy.

Full-Body workouts are the best for muscle growth because they allow you to train all major muscle groups more often which leads to more stimulation for muscle growth over time. Full-Body workout routines mostly consist of compound exercises which are best muscle builders.

Best Muscle Building Exercises

Upper/Lower Body Alternating Workout

Upper Body Workout will be Workout A, Lower Body Workout will be B and you will alternate between these workouts and perform them both twice a week. That not mean that you will train only those body parts on that days, you will just focus on one body part more than on other.

Monday: Workout A

Tuesday: Workout B

Wednesday: Rest Day

Thursday: Workout A

Friday: Workout B

Saturday and Sunday: Rest Days

WORKOUT A

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Barbell Squat	8 - 10	2
Bench Press	8 - 10	3
Bent-Over Barbell Row	8 - 10	3
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	10 - 12	3
Biceps Barbell Curl	10 - 12	2
Weighted Triceps Dip	10 - 12	2
Side Lateral Raise	10 - 12	2

WORKOUT B

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Incline Barbell Press	8 - 10	2
Lat Pulldown	8 - 10	2
Barbell Squat	6	4
Barbell Deadlift	6	4
Dumbbell Lunges	8 - 10	3
Standing Calf Raises	10 - 12	2
Crunches	10 - 15	2

Besides Reg Park's Workout Routine and Upper Body / Lower Body Alternating Workout you can also try one of the workout programs for muscle mass that you can find on this site:

Mass-Building Workout Program - Gain Muscle Mass for Four Weeks

If you decided which program you will choose to start with, check out also what foods are best for muscle building:

Best Healthy Foods to Gain Muscle Mass