Workout Summary
Main Goal:
Build Muscle
Workout Type:
Split
Training Level:
Advanced
Days Per Week:
6
Equipment Required:
Barbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, EZ Bar
Target Gender:
Male
Author:
Workout Description
The following are two typical workouts and split structures used by 7 time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. They features a high frequency and high volume approach, training each major muscle group 2-3 times per week.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Stats
- 7 time Mr. Olympia - 1970-75, 1980
- Height - 6'2"
- Weight - 235 lbs
- Arms - 22 inches (Many sources claim this number to be inflated)
- Chest - 57 inches
- Waist - 34 inches
- Deadlift - 710 pounds
- Bench Press - 440 pounds
- Squat - 470 pounds
Arnold Schwarzenegger Eating Plan
Arnold backed up this hardcore style of training with plenty of food, and a focus on good nutrition. He structured his eating plan using the following principles:
- Frequent Feeding - 5-6 feedings per day: 3 whole food meals and 2-3 whole food "snacks".
- Calories - Up to 5,000 calories per day.
- Protein Intake - 300 plus grams of protein.
- Post-Workout Carbs - Carbs within 30 minutes after finishing a workout.
- Protein Shakes - Use if needed to get in your daily protein.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Variation #1
Each major bodypart is trained 2 times per week. This Arnold Schwarzenegger workout variation was featured in the book The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Dobbins.
- Day 1 - Chest and Back
- Day 2 - Shoulders and Arms
- Day 3 - Legs and Lower Back
- Day 4 - Chest and Back
- Day 5 - Shoulders and Arms
- Day 6 - Legs and Lower Back
- Day 7 - Rest
Notes: Attempt to reach failure around 10 reps for your first set of each exercise.
| Days 1 & 4 - Chest and Back | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Bench Press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Incline Bench Press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Pullovers | 3-4 | 10 |
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Chin Up | 3-4 | 10 |
| Bent Over Row | 3-4 | 10 |
| Deadlift | 3-4 | 10 |
| Abs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Crunches | 5 | 25 |
| Days 2 & 5 - Shoulders and Arms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Barbell Clean and Press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3-4 | 10 |
| Upright Row | 3-4 | 10 |
| Military Press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Arms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Standing Barbell Curl | 3-4 | 10 |
| Seated Dumbbell Curl | 3-4 | 10 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Standing Barbell Tricep Extension | 3-4 | 10 |
| Forearms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Wrist Curls | 3-4 | 10 |
| Reverse Wrist Curls | 3-4 | 10 |
| Abs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Reverse Crunch | 5 | 25 |
| Days 3 & 6 - Legs and Lower Back | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Squat | 3-4 | 10 |
| Lunge | 3-4 | 10 |
| Leg Curl | 3-4 | 10 |
| Lower Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3-4 | 10 |
| Good Mornings | 3-4 | 10 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3-4 | 10 |
| Abs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Crunches | 5 | 25 |
Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Variation #2
Each major bodypart is trained 3 times per week. This Arnold Schwarzenegger workout variation is a typical example of his higher frequency workouts.
- Day 1 - Chest, Back and Legs
- Day 2 - Shoulders and Arms
- Day 3 - Chest, Back and Legs
- Day 4 - Shoulders and Arms
- Day 5 - Chest, Back and Legs
- Day 6 - Shoulders and Arms
- Day 7 - Rest
| Days 1, 3 & 5 - Chest, Back and Legs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Bench Press | 5 | 6-10 |
| Dumbbell Flye | 5 | 6-10 |
| Incline Bench Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| Cable Crossovers | 6 | 10-12 |
| Dips | 5 | Failure |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 5 | 10-12 |
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Wide Grip Pull Up | 6 | Failure |
| T Bar Row | 5 | 6-10 |
| Seated Pulley Row | 6 | 6-10 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 5 | 6-10 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 6 | 15 |
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Squat | 6 | 8-12 |
| Leg Press | 6 | 8-12 |
| Leg Extension | 6 | 12-15 |
| Leg Curl | 6 | 10-15 |
| Barbell Lunge | 5 | 15 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Standing Calf Raise | 10 | 10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 8 | 15 |
| One Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise | 6 | 12 |
| Forearms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Wrist Roller Machine | 4 | Failure |
| Abs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Non-Stop Abs Training | 30 Minutes | By Instinct |
| Days 2, 4 & 6 - Shoulders and Arms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Biceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Barbell Curl | 6 | 6-10 |
| Seated Dumbbell Curl | 6 | 6-10 |
| Dumbbell Concentration Curl | 6 | 6-10 |
| Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| Tricep Pushdown | 6 | 6-10 |
| Barbell French Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension | 6 | 6-10 |
| Shoulders | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Seated Barbell Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| Lateral Raise | 6 | 6-10 |
| Rear Delt Lateral Raise | 5 | 6-10 |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 5 | 10-12 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Standing Calf Raise | 10 | 10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 8 | 15 |
| One Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise | 6 | 12 |
| Forearms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Wrist Roller Machine | 4 | Failure |
| Abs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Rep Goal |
| Non-Stop Abs Training | 30 Minutes | By Instinct |
Comments (90)
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Posted Mon, 03/12/2012 - 17:29
Av been searching sites and googling just to get the 7 times winner his way of training, now that i have found it, i see myself growing to be an musculine ellephant.
Posted Tue, 03/20/2012 - 08:30
I'm sorry but how the hell is it possible to do 125 sets in a single gym session?? And then 100 (assuming my counting was correct) sets the next day, both 3 times per week? That's 675 sets a week. And that's without even mentioning the ab training. That's insane.
Even on steroids I just can't see how this isn't ridiculous overtraining!?
I'm not questioning the legend that is Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I would genuinely like to know how it's possible to get results from a routine like that...
Posted Fri, 03/30/2012 - 22:27
Yeah, he was know for doing a very high number of sets. Something that seemed very unusual to many. But I guess after awhile it took a lot of beating on those muscles to get them to want to grow.
Posted Tue, 01/01/2013 - 04:46
If you're a pro and on a cycle this is staus quo. Stop hating.
Posted Wed, 01/02/2013 - 08:06
We are talking about Conan.
Posted Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:05
dont be afraid off overtraining those guys that work front sun rise to sun set in farms they still get big arms, etc... so workout like a warrior not like a little girl and the arnold used to eat about 5000 calories per day so u have to eat like a lion to. in the bodybuilding golden age the dont ever do cardio they only eat and pull iron every day usually twice a day
Posted Tue, 01/08/2013 - 11:31
It's not in a single gym session,but it is twice a day he was hitting the gym...
Posted Sun, 01/20/2013 - 12:31
He did two training sessions. A.M and P.M
Posted Fri, 01/25/2013 - 15:38
5hours a day
Posted Mon, 01/28/2013 - 10:49
He was genetically gifted sure, but he has and continue to admit that he took steroids. If you doubt that, you can watch the documentary Bigger Faster Stronger: the side effects of being American. Try his workout and see how you feel. I can tell you that he also spent more than an hour in the gym.
Posted Wed, 02/06/2013 - 17:18
Yes It's is posible but u only need to go to gym and sleep properly and what I am talking about is no job included or any hard manual !!!! No late nights with alcohol and girls !!!! Or any other drugs !!!! First u make sure u have recovery stretching and massages because that's the key.
Our body (unprofesional body builder) get recovery in 5-7 days each muscle. Un til u get title profesional and our body and lifestyle change.
Lukas Filip
Posted Tue, 02/12/2013 - 11:47
It takes 48 hours to fully recover any given muscle group.
Posted Fri, 02/15/2013 - 11:35
Its possible because you keep the muscles in a state of lactic acid flush. When lactic acid is greater in the muscles for an extended period of time your body produces more Growth Hormone to attempt to heal the muscles. The longer period of time your body stays in this period of its lactic acid flush the more growth hormone your body produces giving you the "Steroid" like results. Most people refuse to work hard enough these days to achieve this, that is why body builders in the "Steroid" era use them is to chemically induce this.
So yes doing this routine will get you stronger and larger then you have ever been in your life. But remember you must eat enough protein and supplement properly. Glutamine, Potassium, Creatine. Stay away from Pre-Workouts if you can the caffeine will make your second workout that day harder and SLEEP! is the key make sure you sleep well every night for at least 6 hrs cause this is when your GH levels will spike! if you don't sleep you will not grow!
Posted Sun, 02/24/2013 - 14:08
man up dude. this is an excellent routine, you just need to grow a pair and work harder
Posted Mon, 03/04/2013 - 22:52
one word....steroids
Posted Wed, 03/20/2013 - 14:23
He used to do two sessions a day. Morning and Afternoon.
Chest/Back in the morning; legs and abs on the afternoon.
And so on..
Posted Wed, 04/10/2013 - 10:32
The first routine is for beginners not the second one. Once your advanved enough which isnt going to be anytime soon then you can try the second but your probably should wait till u start to look like arnold
Posted Fri, 05/03/2013 - 13:23
Mass building is all about high reps high sets, with lesser weight. I do this workout and im tiny, but the results are fantastic.
Posted Sun, 05/12/2013 - 16:05
I'm not sure if anyone has responded to you in the past. But, I randomly found this.
This workout was part of his 6 day a week 2 a days.
He would do Chest/Back in the Am and the leg workouts in the evening
As well as the shoulders/arms in the am, and legs in the evening on the other days
Posted Sat, 05/18/2013 - 12:25
In the Army we trained every day pushups situps pullups run. Your body definately gets used to it.
Posted Tue, 03/20/2012 - 10:39
A lot of Protein intake to recover the over training of the muscles. 300+ Protein.
Posted Sat, 03/31/2012 - 10:50
everything everybody is saying is true. and in regards to the comment of doing 100+ sets a workout, arnold schwarzenegger did what is known as a "double split" that was all the rage in the 70's. he would do chest and back early in the morning and then come back later in the evening around 7 or 8 pm and do legs. same principle with shoulders and arms. i advise anyone wanting to do this to do something else, whether they are on drugs or not. arnold schwarzenegger was a one of a kind man, with or without drugs (: its very unlikely that even 1% of the population is anything close to him.
Posted Sat, 11/03/2012 - 10:07
Thanks for saying we can't do it. Your just one of the naysayers now. We all know he was great at what he did, doesn't mean we cannot achieve greatness also.
Posted Sat, 01/05/2013 - 08:33
Ht isnt mentioned is how long it took arnold to work up to this amount of training. It wasnt like he just One day woke up and Started doing 5 Hour sessions. He Worked Up to it. it Takes years To do that and Train The body To Cope. But it Is possible.
Posted Sat, 03/31/2012 - 10:52
you would be way better off picking up your local musclemag or muscle and fitness magazine and tapering the volume down a little bit. (:
Posted Wed, 05/09/2012 - 01:52
ive been using this workout for about 3 months and i love it, 6 double sessions a week, about 2 and a half hours per workout. ive gained more muscle in 3 months than i have in my entire lives. if you get over the fact that its a lot of reps and stop being afraid to work, then this is the best way to get muscle.
Posted Sun, 07/29/2012 - 18:03
lookin at them programmes, ow many weeks do u spend on the 1st variation before u switch to the variation 2. and do u stop half way through ur 2 n a half hour sessions to consume protien or cabs. also do u have a set 30min workout for your abs, if so what is it please.
Posted Sat, 08/04/2012 - 22:22
These routines are unlike any that I have seen accredited to Arnold S. Where did these routines come from? By the way, he could deadlift over 700 lbs at 19 yrs old. He could bench press over 500 lbs just as Reg Park did.
Those poundages you listed are from a powerlifting contest he won when he was young.
Posted Sun, 08/05/2012 - 18:06
ok one... this workout isnt his exact workout. he says to add weight each set and lower reps.
set 1 15 reps
set 2 12 reps
set 3 10 reps
set 4 8 reps
set 5 6 reps
set 1 is a light weight warm up set.
just get his book if you like him and are serious about his type of training. is $20 on amazon search Arnold bodybuilding encyloedia
and second...for everyone saying this doesn't work... you need to try it before you say that... it just depends on your body type and how you eat there are people, many that can do this if the think like he did "mind over matter.... and take 1.5 to 2x your body weight in protein.....
I can say for sure it can work, it has worked for me.
Posted Mon, 08/20/2012 - 01:10
THX
Posted Sun, 09/09/2012 - 10:18
arnold is good.that solve
Posted Tue, 10/02/2012 - 17:30
Just to be clear...any natural bodybuilder would be retarded to attempt that many sets in there weekly routine!
Posted Wed, 10/03/2012 - 03:02
take it there is no cardio in this! LOL
Posted Sat, 10/20/2012 - 08:54
He defined the meaning of body building
Posted Wed, 10/24/2012 - 13:56
Arnold did this so i did.im 15 and ive won north brit and great brit under 17s.most pros do the same less reps now.there is no proof of Protein shakes working at all that why they eat as much.money making saying they do ive been told by pros.do you think arnold did bullworker lol no way.the things that help me get to where i am today is
get yor weight in lbs x it by 20 ie (18 stone is 252lb x 20=50,420 intake of cal aday i could not eat the meals or get the intake so i asked a guest poser at a show in which i found
make a Protein shake like this.4x 50ml Protein powder 4 pints of whole milk 2 full spoons of pea nutter butter one banana 50ml oats 2 slices of brown bread 4 eggs half bar of dark choclate to taste lush cheap food boost
this is for sizing up only anyone needs help let me no
Posted Sat, 11/10/2012 - 12:03
Cool
Posted Thu, 11/01/2012 - 11:12
I got Arnold's biography as a gift in high school and foind this routine, but didn't start it until junior year of college. I got the entire football team doing it; 12 years later it's still the staple workout. If you are ectomorphic, meaning you're a naturally muscular person, this is the routine for you. It takes focus, time and dedication, but after a 6 year gym layoff I'm still stronger and in a lot better shape than many regular gym goers. You can knock it out in 2-2 1/2 hours if you circuit train and keep your cardio up. I don't do cardio during the weekI move from a set with arms/chest/back to calves or abs; the time it takes to do the other set is the perfect 60-90 seconds between sets with chest etc. no rest. That's how you get big. Plenty of sleep, tons of protein, stretching, a few pushups, plus a light jog and some medium heavy bag work on the weekends will have you tip top.
Posted Thu, 11/15/2012 - 12:39
do this workout
Posted Fri, 11/16/2012 - 16:05
Tried this workout and ended up injuring myself.... (too soon, to quick)
Posted Tue, 11/27/2012 - 13:28
This workout is very intense and very packed, i LOVE it! Everyone complaining about the amount of sets it contains is obviously not serious in pushing to the extreme limits. As long as protein intake is appropriate to your body weight (I prefer 1.7g- 2g per lb) this workout will show great results and you will be feeling it. I deffinitely recommend it to anyone serious and looking to add some serious size!
Posted Wed, 11/28/2012 - 19:34
i kno ur say how does it work im 17 nevrr done a single drug but protien shakes and im i got 17 inch arm because of this workout plan
Posted Fri, 11/30/2012 - 17:38
is there a more intense ab workout i can do with the variation 1 workout?
Posted Fri, 12/28/2012 - 03:22
what if that is wrong advice
Posted Sat, 01/12/2013 - 15:13
This is all well and good IF you have 5 hours in a day to work out. I scrounge 4 hours a week and do the following: Monday/Thursday Upper body Bench/Seated Rowing warm-up with bare bar & about 40 lbs on the rowing 20 reps each. Then superset the two Going 10/6/4/2 adding 20 lbs. each time. Next- Inclined bench/Lat pulldowns same program. Next- bicep curls/standing rowing same except adding 10 lbs. each set. Wrap up with some forearm work.
Tuesday/Friday Warm-up as before with first 2 exercises and superset squats with deadlifts, then seat calf raises with sit-ups (not pryamiding the sit ups) then standing calf raises with oblique twisting on the machine. Finish the hour on the treadmill. I do a shock treatment monthly with different exercises to accomplish the same goals. i.e. replace bench with flys/tricep pushdowns etc. Is it perfect? No. Is it lacking in some areas? Sure. But it's reasonable; and that works for me.
Posted Sun, 01/13/2013 - 13:25
I love these things, people read how Arnold trained and say it was to many sets, over training etc etc!
Maybe that's why he is a multiple Mr Olympia winner and you're just another gym member! Lol
Posted Wed, 01/16/2013 - 19:21
The routines above are similar but not the same as those listed in Arnie's Encyclopedia (at least not the same in my edition, which is hardback from about 20 years ago).
In the book, he puts emphasis on power lifts being a big part of any good routine and they are listed within the routines. (Unbeleivably, that means more sets!!)
From memory both routines run on 5 sets of each excersise, for muscle size, with lower reps for power.
There are a few other programs in the book, too. Again from memory, I think they're mainly advanced and competition ones.
I'll check the power components to these routine's if anyone's interested?
Posted Sat, 01/19/2013 - 19:47
How long are you meant to stay on variation 1 before you change to variation 2 or are you meant to choose 1 or the other?
Posted Sun, 01/20/2013 - 06:57
with these workouts are you meant to do both on alternative weeks or do you pick 1 or the other? also is it pyramiding or is it max weight for all the sets?
Posted Fri, 01/25/2013 - 13:12
Bulldog- It's interesting that you mentioned that because as I became more efficient at getting through my pyramid sets, there was about 15 minutes left in the hour I allow myself, so I've dropped the treadmill for the most part and added 3 rep sets of powerlifting lifts at the end of my workout. Upper body days bench with the forearm work as before, and supersetting squats with deadlifts on lower body days. I'm adding 5 lbs. per week and going to failure of the 3 reps. Then I drop that final set. I read this technique somewhere else on here, for bench press, so picked that up. It's nice at the end of the workout because you aren't changing plates every set.
Posted Mon, 02/11/2013 - 09:41
I found my copy of Annie's encyclopedia. I thought I'd remembered right. I git this book as a birthday present about twenty years ago and stuck pretty faithfully to the principles. I remember it being tough but that's as it should be I think. I was a pure ectomorph, extremely skinny, and fairly tall. This routine really helped me put some meat on and get stronger. I stopped body building for years as I concentrated on martial arts if various kinds, so really used weights as conditioning for fighting, but recently have begun lifting for size again. I've been using 5×5 type programs and more recently Steve's great four day combo routine. But today ive decided to give Arnie's routine a go again.
The routine listed above is almist as it's published but with a few really important differences.
Here's Monday and Thursday's Chest and Back:
"In the following program, always do 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps each unless otherwise specified.
Chest
Bench press
Incline bench press
Pullovers
Back
Chins (as many reps at a time as you can until you reach 50 reps)
Power Training
Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps to failure
Abs
Leg raises, 3 sets of 25 reps"
So that's how its organised in the book. As you see slightly different, with deadlifts becoming a three set power excersise. Better that way in my opinion.
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