Arnold Schwarzenegger is the idol of millions. He managed to reach great heights by his own labor. Find out what advice Arnie gives to aspiring athletes. Perhaps few athletes know that even before Arnie began to pay several million to participate in one movie, he wrote for the magazine Joe Weider, who is the founder of modern bodybuilding. His works were of interest not only to athletes, but also to critics, who more than once awarded Schwarzenegger with prestigious awards in journalism. Much later, Arnie decided to put all his ideas together, and as a result of this, a work called "The New Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" was born, which instantly became a bestseller.
This book is quite voluminous and contains about 800 pages. Today we invite you to get acquainted with the main tips of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
General recommendations of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tip # 1: Choose the Right Exercise for Growth
It is advisable to replace all isolating exercises (multi-joint) with multi-joint ones. Deadlifts, bench presses, bent over rows, squats are just a few of the exercises that require multiple muscle groups. They can and should form the basis of an entire training program.
Without a doubt, mastering the technique of multi-joint exercises is an order of magnitude more difficult than isolating. However, they have an undoubted advantage - when performing them, you can work with large weights. Isolation exercises are best used to tighten certain muscles.
Tip # 2: Use Heavy Weights for Low-Reps
Arnie is convinced that the choice of the optimal weight must be approached as responsibly as the choice of exercise. It's hard to argue with this, because with 8 squats with a weight of 165 kilograms, muscle mass will grow much faster than with 40 repetitions with a weight of 50 kilograms.
The exercise should start with a couple of warm-up sets (they should not be performed to failure) and gradually increase the weight, approaching muscle failure.
Tip # 3: Don't stay in your comfort zone for a long time
If the training program remains unchanged for a long time, then its value will quickly fall and the athlete will soon reach a plateau. It is always necessary to experiment with new exercises or apply alternative techniques. For continuous progress, the athlete must be in a constant state of search.
Tip # 4: Break the Threshold of Rejection with High Intensity Training
Throughout his book, Arnold reminds us of the importance of all kinds of high-intensity training techniques for tightening up lagging muscles. Do not be afraid to use negative training, drop sets, forced reps, and other techniques in your training program. Watch your own feelings after performing various techniques and leave a couple of the most effective ones.
Tip # 5: be wary of being overtrained
If you want to raise the level of lagging muscles, you can make a serious mistake by increasing the intensity of your workout. This can lead to overtraining, which should not be avoided. Oftentimes, certain muscles lag behind due to fatigue. It is enough to simply give them more time to rest and recover, and progress will become 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 workout
Tip # 1: Overhead Press to Gain Mass
As mentioned above, multi-joint exercises are very effective for mass training. The overhead press, as well as the vertical row, are the best exercises for the shoulder muscles. Arnold often performed them, trying to do this at the very beginning of the training session, when the body still had a maximum supply of energy.
Tip # 2: Explore different options for performing the same movement
Any slight change in a well-known movement can put a strain on the muscles in some other way, which is a great stimulant for muscle growth. Alternative exercises should be sought that can load the target muscles at different angles. So, say, Arnold used dumbbells when performing the overhead press, and not the barbell, lowering them just below the starting position for the barbell press. He also brought his hands together at the top of the trajectory, increasing the amplitude.
Tip # 3: Isolated Exercises to Train Your Delta Head
Arnie used isolated exercises as complementary to the overhead press. In this way, each delta head is isolated. It is also necessary to look for minor differences in technique, which in the long term led to rapid weight gain. An example is lateral arm extensions in a cable trainer. Exercises can be performed both in front of the body and behind it. It gives a different sensation.
Tip # 4: Upper traps should train at the same time as deltas
Since the upper traps are involved in a large number of exercises when training the muscles of the shoulder group, they can be trained in conjunction with the deltas. The main exercise for this was shrugs, but other exercises should be used for full development. Since shrugs have a small amplitude of movement, Arnold Schwarzenegger's advice was to sacrifice weights. He believes that it is better to increase the amplitude by reducing the working weight for this.
Schwarzenegger's tips for training biceps
Tip # 1: Mass-Gaining Exercise - Standing Barbell Lifting
The standing barbell lift was one of Arnie's favorite exercises. Choosing movements for gaining mass, he preferred those that allowed using a large working weight, using the maximum amplitude and performing from 6 to 8 heavy repetitions. This is one of the main reasons for having such biceps.
Tip # 2: Don't Stop With Muscle Failure
Using lifts for the biceps, Schwarzenegger always reached failure, but did not stop there. When he found himself in a "dead" point, he used a slight impulse to continue the approach. Such exercises with cheating gave him the opportunity to do a couple of extra approaches, which significantly stimulated the growth of muscle mass.
Tip # 3: Supinated grip when lifting dumbbells
Arnold's training program has always had room for at least one dumbbell exercise. When the hand was supinated (it is turned upward when bent), he felt the maximum effect. This is due to the fact that the hand in this case remains in a neutral position and the entire load falls on the muscles of the shoulder group. It is also worth noting that when performing alternate lifting of a sports equipment, you can better concentrate on performing the movement and give your muscles a little rest.
Tip # 4: Use Multiple Reps for Some Exercises
Not every biceps exercise had 6 to 8 reps. Arnie identified several movements and called them "relief exercises", while doing 8 to 12 repetitions. However, he did not use the maximum working weights. When performing these exercises, the main focus was on contracting and contracting the muscles, as well as maintaining the maximum contraction for a certain length of time. His favorite exercises were alternating dumbbell lifts, concentrated curls, and single-joint curls.
Arnold's Triceps Tips
Tip # 1: Experimenting with Strong Muscles
Arnie had very strong chest and triceps. Their training was significantly different from the biceps. When his triceps were strong enough, Arnie did 20 reps in each set to cause muscle hyperpumping.
Tip # 2: Look for an Exercise Purpose
Arnie believed that it would not be correct to perform exercises, for example, for triceps, not understanding which part of the muscle it was intended for. All novice athletes should remember the simple advice of Arnold Schwarzenegger - having done 20 sets in any exercise, you should leave this muscle group alone. The next day, look at which part of the muscle hurts more, therefore, it got the main load.
Tip # 3: Do Partial Reps after Failure
Arnie was very fond of using partial reps during high-intensity training. For example, after completing a set of extensions on a block with a maximum amplitude, he did not stop and continued the approach using about 6 partial repetitions. There were no more forces left to perform the movement with the maximum amplitude, but thanks to partial repetitions, he “finished off” the target muscle.
Tip # 4: Use supersets to boost your pumping
Schwarzenegger often made supersets of triceps and biceps exercises. Simply put, he performed all the movements one after the other. This allows you to supply muscle tissue with more blood, and, consequently, improve their nutrition. Also, thanks to this technique, he created a powerful pump.
Schwarzenegger's tips for leg workouts
Tip # 1: prioritize the weakest link
Most athletes, pumping up powerful 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 opinion on this matter. Once, noticing that his shins were significantly behind in development, he did not hide this shortcoming, but began to wear shorts to see his weaknesses. In training, he paid increased attention to them. As a result, by working hard on the lower leg and bringing the muscles to the desired level, he was able to become the best athlete in the world.
Tip # 2: take advantage of the squat machine
It may well be that machine squats are not more effective than free weights, but Arnie made them even more difficult. To do this, he used a shortened trajectory of movement - a quarter below the top point of the trajectory and three quarters below. Arnold called the technique he created "squats under pressure." Thanks to this, he loaded the muscles very well.
Abs workout by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tip # 1: Don't Forget the Press
Arnie had several of his favorite abs workouts. They performed them with a large number of repetitions. Although if you look at all of his training, then we can assume that he did not have a great need for a separate training for the press. The main load on the abdominal muscles was during the multi-joint exercises, and not special training for this muscle group.
This is just a small part of Arnold Schwarzenegger's advice and those athletes who want to know his training method better should read the book of the great athlete. However, this should be done by all bodybuilders and especially beginners.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's interview, history of his training and victories in the following video:
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