Written by Kiel DiGiovanni | Co-founder
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
The man, the myth, the legend; Arnold Schwarzenegger is the most famous bodybuilder to ever live. However, to understand how he became one of the all-time greats, you need to look at how he got there.
Arnold's training tenacity and his workout split enabled him to be so dominant. In this guide, we'll cover what the "Arnold split" is, what exercises he did for each muscle group, and how he approached training to become the ultimate champion.
Table of Contents:
- What is the Arnold Split?
- A Brief History of Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Arnold's Muscle-Building Workout Routine Explained
- Arnold Workout Plan Spreadsheet*
- Arnold's Training Tips & Tricks
- Arnold's Diet & Supplementation
- FAQs about Arnold Schwarzenegger Workouts
WHAT IS THE ARNOLD SPLIT?
The Arnold split is not for the fainthearted; it consists of training six days a week.
If you look online for Arnold Schwarzenegger's split or workout plan, you're bound to see some conflicting information, but the consensus is that it's intense (should go without saying).
The split we will present is the 'Arnold Blueprint for Mass Phase One,' a 4-week workout plan focusing on building muscle growth. It can be extended into 8-weeks if your recovery is on point.
The routine emphasizes high-volume training, featuring a variety of exercises for all major muscle groups.
This program, created by MusclePharm, is part of their collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger for their supplement line. It's inspired by Arnold's own training methods. While Arnold and MusclePharm eventually parted ways, this workout is still based on his famous bodybuilding techniques, most notably, his intensive split.
The Arnold Workout Split looks like this:
- Monday: Chest, Back, Abs
- Tuesday: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, Abs
- Wednesday: Legs, Calves, Abs
- Thursday: Chest, Back, Abs
- Friday: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, Abs
- Saturday: Legs, Calves, Abs
- Sunday: Rest
Level: This routine is designed for more experienced bodybuilders and lifters. 6 days a week, high volume training is best saved for when you are truly ready.
Novice lifters or those just getting back into the groove of things can simply run the same routine above with a rest day or two between each 3 main sessions.
We will breakdown the specifics of the routine below, but first a quick look at the path that took Arnold to greatness to simply show respect. Scroll ahead if you already know his history.
A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Born on July 30th, 1947, in Austria, Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger first became interested in lifting weights in 1960. Arnold's father was an athlete and hoped one day that his sons would become Bavarian curling champions. We would like to think that Arnold far outdid what his father had hoped for.
At 14-15 years old, it became clear to Arnold that he wanted to focus on weightlifting, although he was already involved with multiple sports. He started attending a gym in Graz, Austria, and in 1961 he crossed paths with Kurt Marnul, former Mr. Austria.
Marnul took Arnold under his wing and started training him at the local gym. Over the next few years, Schwarzenegger trained hard and was so dedicated to lifting that he broke into the gym to train on weekends when it was closed.
In 1965 Arnold joined the Austrian Army as all 18-year-old men were required to serve one year. During this time, he participated and won the Junior Mr. Europe contest. However, Arnold's hunger to be the best was displayed as he went AWOL to attend the competition, resulting in a week spent in military prison.
Arnold's name in the bodybuilding community was becoming more popular after being voted best-built man in Europe. Since childhood, he had often watched famous Hollywood movies in Graz; he was determined to move to the USA one day. He recognized his best chance of getting into the states was to win the Mr. Universe title.
In 1966, he flew to London to compete in the NABBA Mr. Universe competition and took second place, losing to American Chester Yorton.
At this competition, Arnold caught the attention of Charles Bennet, who was one of the judges. Bennet offered to coach Schwarzenegger and even took him in to stay with his family who lived above one of Bennet's gyms.
It was at this time when Arnold's training started to become dialed in. His loss at the 1966 competition was due to his less-defined legs compared with his upper body. Therefore, Bennet went to work and put together a training program to help Arnold bolster his weak areas.
A year later, in 1967, Arnold competed and won his first Mr. Universe (amateur) title at the age of 20, the youngest to have achieved such a feat. He then won the title again the following three years. Finally, in 1968 Arnold fulfilled his dream of moving to the US and began training in the legendary Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. Here, Arnold began training under Joe Weider, who is one of the most recognizable characters in bodybuilding history.
By the age of 23, Arnold won his first Mr. Olympia title in New York. He ended up winning this title a total of seven times, with the last being in 1980.
Arnold is synonymous with when you think of the best and biggest bodybuilders. He's become a fixture in the world of fitness with the Arnold Classic and his numerous businesses that intertwine into supplements, gyms, and media.
This is just a brief synopsis of his bodybuilding career; as you came here to read about the Arnold split and workouts, we won't go into his movie or political career. Let's just say the man excels at everything he does.
ARNOLD WORKOUT ROUTINE BREAKDOWN
In Arnold's words, "the last three months before a competition you have to shock the muscles, shock the muscle and shock the muscles with different training principles. Expose your weak points. You're gonna go and hit those marks; then you move the bar higher. Then you move the bar higher, and you feel that with hard work, you can achieve the goals and you can become successful".
He says the major mistake bodybuilders make these days is that they aren't doing the basic exercises.
That's what this plan does. It follows basic exercises and an intense routine that work for building muscle.
Rather than looking at the muscle-building Arnold workout plan by daily workout sessions, we will breakdown down the routine based on each muscle group (with the correlating days of the week). This way, you can focus on the muscles first, like Arnold would.
It's important to think about hitting each muscle group like its own workout, giving each muscle enough attention for an aesthetic physique, and so, we will look at Arnold's training plan from this prospective first.
We have the full weekly spreadsheet for this 4-week Arnold workout plan as well for those who want to get right to it and have it laid out simply into a weekly & daily format. We will provide links again further down as well.
The Arnold Workout Routine By Muscle Group & Day:
- Chest: Monday & Thursday
- Back: Monday & Thursday
- Biceps: Tuesday & Friday
- Triceps: Tuesday & Friday
- Shoulders: Tuesday & Friday
- Forearms: Tuesday & Friday
- Legs & Calves: Wednesday & Saturday
- Abs: Everyday (except Sunday)
Keep in mind, there are nuances for the different days, so look at each muscle group's workout day carefully. We will now go through them in the order as shown above.
Arnold Chest Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Monday & Thursday |
Flat Barbell Bench Press |
5 |
Week 1: 30,12,10,8,6 Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 Week 3: 30, 5, 5,5,5,5,5 Week 4: 20, 15, 12 |
|
Incline Barbell Bench Press |
5 |
||
|
Superset: Dumbbell Flys & DB Pullover |
5 |
Note: Incline change bench angles each week: Low, Medium, High
There were three exercises that Arnold swore by when training the chest; bench press, incline bench press, and dumbbell flys. Arnold thought it vital to hit bench press and incline press at low medium and high inclines.
He also believed that dumbbell flys were crucial to expanding the chest. Dumbbell flys allowed him to move through a full range of motion while getting the optimal stretch and contraction. He would go out as far as he could until his elbows almost hit the ground, then come in towards the center where the dumbbells would touch while contracting the pectoral muscles as much as possible.
Schwarzenegger believed you couldn't replace these three chest exercises with machines, and it's hard to argue with one of the best chests in the history of bodybuilding (to this day, "Arnold Schwarzenegger chest workout" is among the most common workout searches online).
Going back to the point above, Arnold believed to get the muscle growth he desired; he needed to shock the muscles. So once his body knew a routine he was doing, like starting with bench press 135 then jumping to 225 to 275 then 315, he would switch it up.
For example, he would change it to starting with 315 at 20 reps, then stripping plates to go to 225, then performing ten reps, then take off more plates to do 135 for up to 15-20 reps. He did this to confuse his pectoral muscles and torture his muscles to grow.
Arnold Back Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Monday & Thursday |
Wide Grip Chin Ups |
4 |
To Failure |
|
Superset 2 of the following: Bent-Over Rows, Dumbbell Rows, T-Bar Rows |
5 |
Week 1: 30,12,10,8,6 Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 Week 3: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 Week 4: 20, 15, 12 |
Arnold considered back exercises like bent-over rows with the barbell and T bar row as his go-to exercises to add thickness to his back. Next, he looked to the stiff-legged deadlift, bent over rows and deadlifts to help create the striations in the lower back.
These exercises lack the component of supporting the chest so that the lower back has to hold the body upright. Finally, Arnold often speaks about doing bent-over rows with 315 lbs off the side of a bench to produce thickness, width, and strength.
Arnold Bicep Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Tuesday & Friday |
Barbell Curls* |
5 |
Week 1: 30,12,10,8,6 *Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 *Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 Week 4: 20, 15, 12, 10 |
|
Superset: Seated Incline Two-arm Dumbbell Curl & Concentration Curl |
5 |
Note: *Barbell Curls Week 2 & 3 use 1-10 method (do max rep, lower weight 2 reps, lower weight 3 reps, until you get to 10 reps)
Schwarzenegger had some serious guns; he attributes this to barbell curls, dumbbell curls on an incline bench, concentration curls, and "bicep 21s". He would start with a heavy barbell curls up to 275 lbs. Arnold employed drop sets when doing curls. He would start with a heavyweight, then do one rep, pull some plates off, do two reps, strip a few more plates, and then do three and then four reps.
He wouldn't put the bar down the whole time, so that he kept shocking his biceps with new stimuli and increased time under tension. The concentration curl with heavyweights allowed him to form the massive peaks outside the biceps; this was especially important for posing during competition with the back shot view.
Arnold Tricep Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Tuesday |
Close Grip Bench Press |
5 |
Week 1: 30,12,10,8,6 Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 Week 4: 20, 15, 12, 10 |
|
Superset: Barbell Skull-Crushers & One Arm Overhead Dumbbell Ext |
|||
|
Friday |
Close Grip Bench Press |
5 |
|
|
Superset: Triceps Pushdown & One Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension |
When training the triceps, Arnold primarily focused on the narrow bench press, overhead triceps extensions, triceps pushdowns, and triceps dips. With some of these compound exercises, he would lift with maximum training intensity.
Arnold might've been more well-known for his massive biceps, but his triceps were also impressive. As a result, he would often train supersets of biceps and triceps pre-competition.
Arnold Shoulder Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Tuesday |
Clean & Press |
5 |
Clean & Press/Arnold Press: 5 sets x 5 reps
Week 1: 30,12,10,8,6 Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 Week 4: 20, 15, 12, 10 |
|
Superset: Dumbbell Press & Full-Frontal Raise |
|||
|
Superset: Lateral Raises & Upright Rows |
|||
|
Friday |
Arnold Press |
5 |
|
|
Superset: Behind The Neck Press & Full-Frontal Raise |
|||
|
Superset: *Rear Delt Flys & Upright Rows |
Note: *Rear delt flys while lying face first on incline bench.
When it comes to shoulder training, Arnold is among the most influential. To build up the deltoids, he did exercises such as barbell presses in both the front and back of the neck, military press and dumbbell press. He even has a shoulder exercise named after him, the Arnold Press, which you can learn more about in our article comparing the Arnold press vs shoulder press.
To do the Arnold Press, he increased the range of motion to stretch the lateral deltoid compared with a regular dumbbell shoulder press. He would start with his elbows tucked into his sides while holding the dumbbells with an underhand grip, then press up and rotate the wrist so that at the top of the movement, his palms were facing away from him. This tweaking of the traditional shoulder press gave him the added stretching tension and full flex of the deltoids.
Lateral raises on the bench set at a 45-degree angle were an exercise that Arnold picked up at Vince Gironda's gym. They even had a bench with a cutout in it similar to a massage table so they could keep their neck straight while doing this exercise. The main point Arnold talks about to hit the rear deltoids is that he would turn the wrists outwards at the top of the movement.
Sometimes Arnold would do shoulders by doing drop sets with dumbbell shoulder presses. Starting with 110lb dumbbells, he would complete six reps, then pick up the 100lb dumbbells to do another six.
He would continue doing six reps while dropping 10lbs each time until he got to the 40 lb dumbbells. That equates to a whopping 48 reps! After all that, he said he was in pain and didn't know what to do with his arms, which brings it back to his goal of shocking the muscle.
Arnold Forearm Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Tuesday & Friday |
Superset: Wrist Curls & Reverse Wrist Curls |
5 |
30,12, 10, 8, 6 |
Note: Switch up rep ranges every week. Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2. Week 3: 30,5,5,5,5,5,5. Continue to play with rep ranges as you progress.
In the Arnold split, forearms are hit on the same day as shoulders, biceps and triceps for a complete shoulders and arms workout. He would work his forearms through supersets until the flexors and extensors were torched.
As the forearms are one of the smaller muscle groups, they were done towards the end of the workout, working them through a wide range of reps to stimulate the most growth.
Arnold Leg Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Wednesday |
Squats |
5 |
8-12 |
|
Straight Legged Deadlifts |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Good Mornings* |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Lunges |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Superset: Leg Ext & Leg Curls |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Superset: Standing & Seated Calf Raises |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Saturday |
Front Squats |
5 |
8-12 |
|
**Deadlifts |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
*Good Mornings |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Lunges |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Superset: Leg Ext & Leg Curls |
5 |
8-12 |
|
|
Superset: Standing & Seated Calf Raises |
5 |
8-12 |
Note: Arnold stayed within 5 sets of 8-12 reps on major leg exercises.
**Deadlifts: Choose from: 10, 6, 4, 3, 2 reps; 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 reps; or 12, 10, 8, 6, 5
*Do Good mornings only once a week. Choose either Wednesday or Saturday*
Arnold's legs may not be his most talked about body part, but they were certainly very impressive. Regular back squats and variations were the most important exercise for Arnold to build big, thick thighs. After that, he focused on other leg exercises: leg extensions, lunges, stiff-legged deadlifts, good mornings, and leg curls.
He then would shock the leg muscles by changing from squats to leg presses with extremely heavy loads. Arnold sometimes would do ten sets of ten reps on squats or leg curls, doing every rep in every set with maximum intensity.
He would train legs in two sessions on many occasions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This two-a-day split ensured he could push himself to the absolute limits with each rep.
Another anomaly found in Arnold's leg workouts was his short rest periods between sets. This allowed him to retain as much blood in his leg muscles for an extended period.
Exposing your weak points is a favorite saying of Arnold's, and that is exactly what he did when it came to his calves. When training calves, Schwarzenegger commented that he felt that the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle had a mind of their own and that from workout to workout, he would have to adjust his training to what felt best that day.
Arnold Ab Workout:
|
Days |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Monday & Thursday |
Decline Sit-ups |
5 |
25 |
|
Wednesday & Saturday |
Kneeling Cable Crunch |
4 |
25 |
|
Tuesday & Friday |
Leg Raises |
5 |
25 |
Note: You can do Roman Chairs instead of Decline Sit-ups if you want.
The mainstays for Arnold's (famous 4-pack) ab routine were leg raises with straight legs and bent knees, sit-ups, and up to 500 reps of Roman Chair sit-ups and crunches. The abdominal area wasn't Arnold's best feature, but he managed to figure out ways of turning this weakness into strength.
During competitions, you can notice how his posing affected the way his waist looked to the judges. He was a master at smooth movements that took advantage of certain angles to make his waist appear smaller. Arnold's training split would involve working the abs every day he trained.
Arnold Workout Spreadsheet (Day & Week Schedule): Download the Arnold Workout Spreadsheet!
ARNOLD WORKOUT SPLIT TRAINING TIPS & TRICKS:
Here are some important training methodologies from the legend himself.
1. Full Range of Motion
Arnold trained a number of exercises through an extended range of motion so that he could stretch the muscle fibers under tension as much as possible. Arnold performed exercises with an exaggerated range of motion because he believed it led to superior gains and helped him keep his muscles limber.
2. Maximum Intensity
Arnold was a big believer in going 100% on all reps of all sets. He often comments about people that focus too much on the workload ahead of them. Therefore, making it easy on the early sets and reps to make sure there's enough in the tank to complete the desired work.
3. Full Spectrum of Rep Ranges
To achieve strength and muscle gains, it's necessary to work your muscles with various sets and rep ranges. As you can see in Arnold Schwarzenegger's split, he used both high volume and low volume rep ranges.
4. Supersets
Arnold was notorious for using the superset method with several exercises. Supersets are when you'll do two different exercises back-to-back without a rest in between. For example, on chest days, he would superset dumbbell flys and dumbbell/barbell pullovers. Arnold famously trained using supersets of chest and back exercises to get a high volume of lifting done in a short amount of time while he produced more muscle density by working opposing muscle groups at the same time.
5. Pyramid Sets (1-10 Method)
Arnold would find a weight that he could lift with maximum effort for one rep. Then he would lower the weight just enough to barely pull off two reps then follow this procedure until he got to 10 reps. He did this without rest apart from changing or lowering weights. This is a brutal one; beware!
6. Drop Sets (Strip Sets)
Arnold frequently used drop sets in his training, although he didn't necessarily follow the conventional way of dropping 20-25% of the total weight of each set. Instead, he had his lifting partners strip weights after his final working set. To do this, after the plates were pulled off the bar, he would do 5-10 reps, then keep reducing the weight while completing 5-10 reps each time without any rest in between. Finally, he would end up with just the bar while trying to hit 20 reps at the end.
7. Max Effort Reps
When it came to max effort reps Arnold would choose a specific exercise then see what he could do for a one-rep max after completing several sets beforehand. He would follow somewhat of a reverse pyramid where he took rests between sets of 20, 15, 10, 8, 5, 3, 1, 1, then 1 to get his max. Be careful with this method; it’s sure to test your limits.
If you decide to do the Arnold split, employ these tried and true training variables to accelerate your fitness goals.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Diet & Supplement Recommendations
Arnold said that he always ate five meals throughout the day because he didn't like to overstuff himself. He wasn't a big eater, but he did focus his diet heavily on nutrient dense foods and muscle building foods.
Arnold preferred eating meals like a 10oz steak or chicken breast with some vegetables and healthy carbs. For breakfast, he would eat a few scrambled eggs with sausage or bacon and some tomatoes and onions. After training, he would have a whey protein shake with milk.
Pretty standard - healthy foods, high protein. And, of course, he made sure to meet his macros. He generally went by the rule of consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. This means he would be consuming 230-250 grams of protein daily.
In terms of supplements, Arnold has always been a big proponent of supplements. He once said “We have to recognize that we would not get all the nutrients- the vitamins, minerals and proteins and all the stuff that the body needs just with regular meals."
In a famous 2015 interview by Bodybuilding.com detailing his Blueprint Training Program, he laid out some of the most important aspects of using supplements to bolster his workouts (though he didn't mention the super supps he was using at the time to help him achieve his god-like appearance).
We've timestamped the part where he discusses this in the video below (so just click play!):
Arnold recognized the crucial role of supplementation to meet the requirements of his body if he wanted to grow.
The three major supplements for enhanced results are protein, creatine, and pre-workout.
- Protein: Fundamental for muscle repair and growth; it provides the essential amino acids needed to rebuild muscle tissue that is broken down during exercise. View our top protein recommendations.
- Creatine: A naturally occurring substance in muscle cells, boosts physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise, making it valuable for strength and power activities. It also helps increase muscle mass by drawing more water into muscle cells, enhancing protein synthesis. View our top creatine recommendations.
- Pre-workout: Typically contain a blend of ingredients like caffeine and l-citrulline and Alpha-GPC, which are designed to increase energy, focus, and endurance during workouts. This allows for more intense and prolonged exercise sessions, leading to greater muscle stress and, consequently, muscle growth. View our top pre-workout recommendations.
Together, these supplements support different aspects of muscle building: protein for repair, creatine for strength and muscle volume, and pre-workout for enhanced workout performance.
Arnold Workout FAQs:
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Arnold's training and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Split.
Did Arnold do two-a-day workouts?
Arnold was known to have done brutal twice-a-day workouts that most people walking this planet wouldn't be able to do. That's a lot of energy and time.
However, Arnold may have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), which notably were not illegal at the time, contributing to his ability to train intensely, like doing two-a-days. However, PEDs aren't necessary for hard training and achieving great results. Everyone's fitness journey is unique, and while Arnold's path included PEDs, it's possible to work hard and see amazing results without them. Ultimately, the choice to use or not use PEDs is a personal decision best consulted with a doctor.
How many hours did Arnold Schwarzenegger workout a day?
At the high end of the spectrum, Arnold would workout 5-6 hours one day, but this isn't sustainable long-term. So, for the most part, Arnold trained 1-2 hours a day unless he was close to a competition where he had to turn it up a notch.
How many times did Arnold workout a day?
Arnold would work out one or two times daily, depending on how far out from competition he was. But, generally speaking, he would have one intense training session per day. He would train six days a week then have one rest day on Sunday.
Arnold Split vs PPL, which is better?
The Arnold split and Push Pull Legs Split (PPL split) can share a similarity in doing each as a 6-day workout split, and legs are done on a single day, but training frequency is just about all they have in common. The Arnold split doesn't work by targeting pushing and pulling muscles on separate days. Instead, the Arnold split focuses on working for antagonistic muscle groups like the chest and back within one workout session.
We can't say that Arnold's training program is better or worse than the PPL; they're just different. We've used both these workout routines to achieve some great results. It comes down to your end goals and how your body reacts to these training methods. Fitness is an individual journey, and what worked for Arnold might not be the best for you. You'll have to experiment to find what suits you and your end goals, then get after it.
Download the Arnold Workout Spreadsheet!
FINAL NOTE ON WORKING OUT LIKE ARNOLD:
Arnold is an outlier, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be able to follow the blueprint that he's laid down for building muscle mass. Whether you are a professional bodybuilder or not, with grit, sacrifice, and a desire to make your dreams a reality, you can build a body that you never thought possible.
If you decide to give the Arnold Schwarzenegger workout split a try, let us know how it goes and if you're able to make any significant progress in your training.
More Workout Routines From Other Legends:
- Ronnie Coleman's Workout Split
- Chris Hemsworth's Workout Routine
- Big Ramy's Workout Split
- Mike Tyson's Workout Routine
- The Rock's Workout Split
More Workout Splits:
Kiel DiGiovanni
Author