Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Routine and Diet Plan

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, politician, author, businessman and former professional bodybuilder born on 30th July 1947. He also served as the 38th Governor of California. He won Mr Olympia title seven times. He is recognised as the most prominent bodybuilder of all time. Hence an important professional bodybuilding event is named after him as ‘Arnold sports festival’.

He also became a very popular Hollywood action film icon. He is a great source of inspiration and a guide for young bodybuilders. Study of Arnold’s diet plan and workout routine can be an amazing guideline to peruse bodybuilding as a profession.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding, Workout Routine and Diet Plan

Arnold Schwarzenegger has written many books about bodybuilding like ‘ Encyclopaedia of modern bodybuilding’. And his autobiography is named as ‘ Total recall’. In his books, he has mentioned his workout and diet routines.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Routine

Arnold has followed regular workout routines to achieve greatness in the bodybuilding field. His daily workout routine is very interesting! He has mentioned his workout routine in his book ‘‘ The new Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding” as follows. He used to follow two workout schedules. The first schedule is training each major body part two times per week. Second is the higher frequency workout by training each major body parts three times per week. In a week he used to work-out for six days and no work out on Sunday!!

Workout schedule 1

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

Chest exercise

Bench press: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Incline bench press: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Dumbbell pullovers: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Back exercise

Chin up: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Bent-Over Row: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Deadlift: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Legs exercise

Squat: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Lung: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Leg curl: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Calves exercise

Standing calf raise: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Arms exercise

Standing barbell curl: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Seated dumbbell curl: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Close grip bench press : 3- 4 sets, 10 reps
Standing barbell triceps extension–: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Forearms exercise

Wrist curls: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse wrist curls: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Shoulders exercise

Barbell clean and press: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Dumbbell lateral raise: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Upright row: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Military press: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Lower back exercise

Stiff leg deadlift: 3-4 sets, 10 reps
Good mornings: 3-4 sets, 10 reps

Abs exercise

Crunches: 5 sets, 25 reps

Workout schedule 2

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

Chest exercise

Bench press: 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Dumbbell Flyer: 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Incline bench press: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable crossovers: 6 sets, 10-12 reps
Dips: 5 sets, to failure
Dumbbell pullovers: 5 sets, 10-12 reps

Back exercise

Wide grip pull-up: 6 sets, to failure
T-bar row : 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated pulley row: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell row: 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Straight-leg deadlift : 6 sets, 15 reps

Legs exercise

Squat: 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg press: 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg extension: 6 sets, 12-15 reps
Leg curl: 6 sets, 10-12 reps
Barbell lunge: 5 sets, 15 reps

Calves exercise

Standing calf raise: 10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raise: 8 sets, 15 reps
One leg dumbbell calf raise: 6 sets,12 reps

Forearms exercise

Wrist curl: 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curl: 4 sets, 8 reps
Wrist roller machine: 4 sets, to failure

Biceps exercise

Barbell curl: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated dumbbell curl: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curl: 6 sets, 6-10 reps

Triceps exercise

Close grip bench press: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Triceps pushdown: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Barbell French press: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extension: 6 sets, 6-10 reps

Shoulders exercise

Seated barbell press: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Lateral raise: 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Rear delt lateral raise: 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable lateral raise: 5 sets, 10-12 reps

Abs exercise

Nonstop instinct Abs training for 30 minutes

Arnold Schwarzenegger Diet Plan

Arnold followed strict diet plan. His daily diet was based on the following principles.

Eating frequently ( 5-6 times) with supplements each day
Consuming high protein each day. Protein shakes each day
Consuming carbohydrates within half an hour of workout

Hid diet plan for a single day was as follows :

Meal 1: 3-4 whole eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, 1-2 pieces of Ezekiel Bread with cashew/almond butter, or ¼ cups of oats with honey, or ¼ avocado, multivitamin supplement

Pre-Workout: Creatine – free supplement with agmatine to improve workout (1 serving)

Post-Workout: Creatine powder for recovery (1 serving), weight gain powder containing BCAA nitrates, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats (2 scoops with whole milk)

Meal 2: 10 ounces of red meat or grilled fish, 1 cup vegetables or salad containing avocado, macadamia, or olive oil as a base, 1-2 sweet potatoes, 2-3 ounce of cashews, walnuts, or almonds

Meal 3: Weight gain powder comprising of BCAA nitrates, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats (2 scoops with 6 ounces milk)

Meal 4: 12 ounces of grilled lean meat, 1-2 cups of brown rice, 1-2 cups of vegetables or large salad comprising avocado, macadamia nut, or olive oil as a base

Meal 5: 2 cups of cottage cheese, 2-3 ounces of cashews, almonds, or walnuts

Before Bed: Nighttime support powder with 5-HTP to improve sleep cycle and to increase muscle growth

Arnold advises that you should know how much you are eating every time when you are having food; because consistency is an important factor in the world of bodybuilding. And he also suggests to take care of quality of food you are eating. Young body builders can go through his diet chart to schedule their diet plan perfectly!