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Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Split
Advanced
16 weeks
6
60-75 minutes
Barbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, EZ Bar
Male
Download WorkoutWorkout 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's 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's 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 |
269 Comments+ Post Comment
How much sleep and water is recommended?
You should at list get 7-9 hours sleeps after working out .And about 2 liters of water after or before your workout .
This doesn't mean you have to drink 2 liters of water just in seconds .you have to drink within at least 5-10 minutes difference .If you drink too much you might get your stomach filled up .That is bad for you and also your workout .
How would you go about warm ups for workout 1? Number 2 is too long, I would probably just take the workouts n set them like number 1 n do them twice a week instead of 3.
I’ve done some push pull legs routines in the past in which you pretty much train each muscle twice a week. In that first program the second time your training a body part that week is it the same
Excersises or would it make more sense to switch the excersises the second time in the week?
Hey guys, don't take the variation 2 for granted, there is actually a better more official version with much less volume in The Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding book. There is a workout very similar to variation 2 in the book and it is called "Advanced Training Level II", however like I have mentioned there is much less volume and it only takes an hour MAX. Also, I have slightly modified the split so you only do two body parts per day, very similar to the Push Pull Legs split. It goes like this:
Day 1 - Chest, Back, Forearms & Abs
Day 2 - Shoulders, Arms & Abs
Day 3 - Thighs, Calves & Abs
Day 4 - Chest, Back, Forearms & Abs
Day 5 - Shoulders, Arms & Abs
Day 6 - Thighs, Calves & Abs
So instead of doing Chest and Back, Thighs and Calves in the morning and evening, I have spread the volume out over two days so each body part is being worked twice per week instead of 3 times. Steve has recommended to do 5-6 sets, however in the book Arnold suggests to do 4 sets per exercise as it states in the book: "You need to do at least 4 sets in order to have the volume of training necessary to fully stimulate all the available muscle fiber. If you do more sets per exercise, your total training volume will be so great that you risk overtraining." I'm not saying that Steve is wrong, I'm just saying that this seems like the better option imo. I've been lifting for 3-4 years now and the advanced workout in the book left me completely destroyed and I would recommend it to anyone beginner or advanced who are desiring some serious gains.
So about second variation
Shouldn’t we train 2times a day one doing chest and back and the second leg plus lower back??
And what sets should be do like supersets? any ideea
I think the first training is real but this second shit will be 6-8 hours long.
Nobody including steroid users can't traing that long with a normal intensity basically everyday.
You will be overtrained
It’s two sessions a day. A.M and P.M so after breakfast and before dinner for example.
HEY I AM 15 years old and i use to bench 225 till i did the workout and now i can bench 275 wow i know
Hey!
could i do this routine in a calorie deficit? or is it to heavy in terms of recovery? should i superset back and chest when they are on the same day? it looks like i will be in the gym for 9 hours a day with chest, back and legs
I like the idea of stretching. Do you think it’s a good idea to stretch in between sets, so that i don’t have to stretch out all the muscles used in the workout. Cause today i had to stretch for 20-30 minutes, and I would like to stretch in between and then only stretch for 10 minutes after
Oh god no, try to keep stretching at the end of a workout as it can impact negitively on power output. I would only really suggest a warmup and dynamic stretches before a workout, saving static stretching for afterwards or later it the day (I prefer before bed)
This is for workout variation number 2. Okay this is a LOOONG workout and then I thought, lets take the chest, legs and back workout. Do you think I should switch it up so on Monday I start with chest, and then on Wednesday I start with legs, and then on Friday I start with back, so that it's not chest that gets worked the hardest every time and then the others maybe not legs but back get worked a little less because I'm a little tired?
This is program number 2. It’s a long program, and I get kinda tired at the end of the workout. Do you think I should e.g. 2, 4 and 6 work shoulders first and some days triceps. So that they can get worked when I got most energy?
It says that you work calves and forearms every workout day is that too much or should I trust the legends program
Hi John,
You can train both those muscle groups pretty frequently. Obviously, the frequency will depend on your individual ability to recover.
Are you supposed to do the chest all together and then the back exercises all together or should you do a chest exercise then a leg exercise then calf excercise?
Hi Lachlan,
Yes, perform them all together.
So starting this program soon, but then I noticed it says you need to work calves and forearms everyday. This is the variation 2. I wondered if this isn’t too much or what
What do you think are the best supplements in the dry volume period?
How long will i need to do variation 1 and 2? Do i do variation 1 for 16 weeks then switch to variation 2 for 16 weeks?
Hi Mond,
Yes, that would be solid.
Manuel
I dont get it.. So, on varation #2, it trying to say that on 1,3,5 Day you'll do chest,back at A.M. and legs,calves,forearm,abs at P.M. ? Also, on Day 2,4,6 shoulders,Arms at A.M. and calves,forearm,abs at P.M.?
Please, explain it!
What's the rest time in between sets. 45 seconds, 60, 90, 2 minutes ? Thanks all
Hi Hunter,
I'd probably go with 60 secs in between smaller accessory lifts and 90 secs on larger lifts.
How long will i need to do variation 1 and 2? Do i do variation 1 for 16 weeks then switch to variation 2 for 16 weeks?
Is variation 2 for mass building?
Hi Debarjya,
Both will help you build mass.
what amount of weights shoud be used?
Ok dude you should use the amount of weight that will make you struggle a lot at the the last set and or before the last set MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE PROPER FORM increase the weight if it’s getting easier MAKE SURE to have a proper diet and track your macros and have 7-8 hours of sleep for recovery
Hope this helps buddy good luck with your training
How long does a gym session last for each day for variation 2?
It took me about 24 minutes to do Chest, Back, and Leg day and about 14 minutes to do shoulders and arms.
Is it okay if I run this program while doing a semi cut and do a lot of cardio after each lifting sessions
What would be the percentages for this ?
Hi Chris,
75-85% of your working max for each rep range.
Hope this helps!
Hi all, I've chosen to give this routine a try for the first time.
Is it better to do all of the chest exercises, followed by all of the back exercises? Or should I be staggering them back-and-forth? So far I've chosen to go back-and-forth between chest exercises, so that one muscle group can be rested while the other group is being worked, but I don't know if this is the best way to do the routine.
There is no wrong way to do this split. Get in there and throw some weights around! Punch your mom in her face and use her vagina as a protein source! It doesn’t matter we’re all gonna be in FEMA camps next year anyhow! Gainz!
I was just wondering for variation 2 should I do chest and back in morning then legs later or all at once? Same for arm day....?
Hi Chase,
You can do it either way depending on your schedule. The way it is written, it is meant to be performed all at once.
Hope this helps!
Why is it meant to do everything in 1 workout when arnold himself did and said that you train chest and back in morning and legs later on
How can I get bigger and wht work outs can get me bigger and can u please send me the workouts
Hi David,
Start here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workout-routines
In my 6-7 ,my wish was to get big muscles like him,now i train just like him.
Thanx so much for this training!
Arnold was already training when he was 14 years old and trained very often, like everydag. Thats why he is used ti go 6 times a week at the gym. But guys don't take anabols, because your dick is going to be smaller en tinier and if you are old you are just a swallowed man.
im 21 years and i started training last year 2017 so need to be motivated about bodybuilding
So how would you do the advanced routine? Would you use pyramid sets, straight sets? Is every set to failure or near failure?
Hi Rob,
You can do either or. Whichever your prefer. Both will help you get to a similar goal.
You don't want to take your sets to failure. Try to finish each set feeling as though you have one more rep left in the tank.
Hope this helps!
How long should I stay with variation 1 before moving to variation2
Hi Raymond,
Personally, I'd perform each variation for 8 weeks at a time.
Hope this helps!