Arnold Schwarzenegger is a million-dollar idol. He managed to reach great heights through his hard work. Find out what advice Arnie has for aspiring athletes. Perhaps few athletes know that even before Arnie began to pay several million for participation in one film, he wrote for the magazine Joe Weider, the founder of modern bodybuilding. His work was interesting not only to athletes but also to critics, who more than once awarded Schwarzenegger a prestigious award in journalism. Much later, Arnie decided to put all his ideas together. As a result, a work called “The New Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding” was born, which became an instant bestseller.
This book is pervasive and contains about 800 pages. Today we invite you to familiarize yourself with the main tips of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
General recommendations of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tip #1: Choose the proper exercise for growth
It is recommended to replace all insulation exercises (polymer) with polymer. Deadlifts, bench presses, bent-over rows, and squats are just a few activities requiring multiple muscle groups. They can and should be the backbone of complete training.
Undoubtedly, the technique of multi-joint exercises is more difficult to master than isolated ones. However, they have an undoubted advantage – you can work with large weights when performing them. Isolation exercises are best used to strengthen specific muscles.
Tip #2: Use heavy weights for low reps
Arnie is convinced that he must approach the choice of ideal weight in the same responsible way as the choice of exercise. It is difficult to argue with this because with 8 squats weighing 165 kilograms, muscle mass will grow much faster than with 40 repetitions weighing 50 kilograms.
Exercise should begin with a few warm-up sets (they should not be performed to failure), gradually increase the weight, and approach muscle failure.
Tip #3: Don’t stay in your comfort zone for too long
If the training program remains the same for a long time, its value will quickly decrease, and the athlete will soon reach a plateau. It is always necessary to experiment with new exercises or apply different techniques. For continuous progress, the athlete must be in constant search.
Tip #4: Break the Deduction Threshold with High Strength Training
Throughout his book, Arnold emphasizes the importance of high-pressure training methods to strengthen the remaining muscles. Don’t be afraid to use negative training, drop sets, forced repetitions, and other techniques in your training program. Observe your feelings after performing various techniques and leave some of the most effective ones.
Tip # 5: beware of being too trained
Suppose you want to increase the remaining muscles. In that case, you can make a severe mistake by increasing the intensity of the exercise. It can lead to overtraining, which should not avoid. Often specific muscles lag due to fatigue. Simply giving them more time to rest and recover is enough, and progress will be evident. It is important to remember that there is a lot of strength training, which can be as bad as very little.
Schwarzenegger’s shoulder muscle exercises
Tip #1: Press to gain mass
As mentioned above, multi-joint exercises are efficient for mass training. The overhead press and the vertical row are the best exercises for the shoulder muscles. Arnold performed them often and tried to do this at the beginning of the workout when the body still had maximum energy.
Tip #2: Explore different options for performing the same movement
Any slight change in a known movement can stress the muscles differently, which is an excellent stimulant for muscle growth. Another exercise that can load the target muscles at different angles should be sought. So, say, Arnold used dumbbells when performing a bench press, but not the bar, and lowered them just below the starting position for the bad press. He also brought his hands together at the top of the track and increased the measurements.
Tip #3: Isolation Exercises for Delta Head Training
Arnie used isolation exercises to complement the overhead press. Thus, each delta head is isolated. It is also necessary to look for minor differences in technique, which in the long run leads to rapid weight gain. An example is sided arm extensions in a cable trainer. Can perform exercise both in front of the body and behind it. It gives a different feeling.
Tip #4: The upper traps should be trained at the same time as the deltas
Since the upper traps are involved in several exercises for training the muscles of the shoulder group, they can be prepared in conjunction with the deltas. The main activity for this was a shoulder but should use other exercises for full development. Since the shoulder has a low range of motion, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s advice was to sacrifice weights. He believes it is better to increase the amplitude by reducing the working weight.
Arnold Schwarzenegger tips for training biceps
Tip #1: Mass Gain – Standing Barbell
The standing deadlift was one of Arnie’s favorite exercises. When choosing movements to gain mass, he chose those that allowed using heavy working weights, using maximum amplitude, and performing from 6 to 8 heavy repetitions. It is one of the main reasons for having such biceps.
Tip #2: Don’t quit with muscle failure
Using lifts for biceps, Schwarzenegger always reached failure but never stopped. He used a slight boost to continue the approach when he found himself in a “dead” spot. Such exercises with cheats allowed him to do additional methods, which significantly stimulated mass muscle growth.
Tip #3: Supinated grip when lifting weights
Arnold’s workout routine has always had room for at least one dumbbell workout. He felt the maximum effect when the hand was supinated (turned upwards when bent). It is because the writing, in this case, remains in a neutral position, and all the load falls on the muscles of the shoulder group. It is also worth noting that when switching to lifting equipment, you can focus more on performing the movement and give your muscles some rest.
Tip #4: Use multiple repetitions for several exercises
Not every bicep exercise had 6 to 8 reps. Arnie pointed out some moves he called “relief exercises” but did 8 to 12 repetitions. However, he did not use the maximum working weight. When performing these exercises, the main focus was on contraction and contraction of the muscles and maintaining a maximal contraction for a certain period of time. His favorite exercises were alternating dumbbell lifts, concentric curls, and single curls.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Triceps Tips
Tip #1: Experiment with strong muscles
Arnie had a solid chest and triceps. Their training was significantly different from the biceps. When his triceps were strong enough, Arnie did 20 reps per set to cause an excessive muscle pump.
Tip #2: Look for an exercise purpose
Arnie believed it was incorrect to perform exercises, for example, for triceps, without understanding which part of the muscle it was intended for. All novice athletes should remember Arnold Schwarzenegger’s simple advice. After doing 20 sets of any exercise, you should leave this muscle group alone. The next day, look at which part of the muscle hurts more; that’s why it got the main load.
Tip #3: Do partial reps after failure
Arnie was very fond of using fractional repetitions in a high-intensity workout. For example, after completing a set of extensions on a maximal amplitude block, he did not stop. He continued the approach, using approximately 6 partial repetitions. There was no power left to perform a maximum amplitude movement. Still, he “finished” the target muscle thanks to partial repetitions.
Tip #4: Use supersets to increase your pump
Schwarzenegger often overdid triceps and biceps exercises. Simply put, he performed all the moves one after the other. It allows you to supply the muscle tissue with more blood and, as a result, improve their nutrition. Thanks to this technology, he also created a powerful pump.
Arnold Schwarzenegger workout tips
Tip #1: prioritize the weakest link
Most athletes who pump up mighty breasts will never deny themselves the pleasure of showing off. In the classroom, they pay special attention to this muscle group. But Arnie had a different take on the matter. Once, when he noticed that his shins were significantly behind in development, he did not hide this defect but began to wear shorts to show his weakness. In training, he paid more attention to them. Consequently, he became the best athlete in the world by working hard on his lower leg and bringing his muscles to the desired level.
Tip # 2: take advantage of the knee machine
Motorized squats may not be more effective than free weights, but Arnie made them even harder. To do this, he used a shortened movement curve – a quarter below the top point of the trajectory and three quarters below. Arnold called the technique he created the “squat under pressure.” Thanks to this, he loaded his muscles very skillfully.
Abs workout by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tip #1: Don’t forget the press
Arnie had some of his favorite abs exercises. They performed them with a large number of repetitions. Although if you look at all his training, it can assume that he did not need much special training for the media. The main load on the abdominal muscles decreased when performing multi-joint exercises, but not specific training for this muscle group.
It is only a tiny part of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s advice, and those athletes who want to know his training method better should read the great athlete’s book. However, this should be done by all bodybuilders and especially beginners.