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:
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:
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:
