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Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout

He had a few simple reasons for employing supersets: One, it saved time and allowed him to train chest and back in just one hour combined; two, he felt he could handle more weight this way and develop greater muscle density (as is the logic behind training opposing muscle groups together);

and, of course, he relished having both his chest and back--essentially, his entire upper body--pumped up at the same time.

"When the chest and the upper back are pumped simultaneously, there is an indescribable feeling of growth stimulation and massiveness," he said.

But Arnold warned beginners about this style of training, recommending that they work into it slowly because of the demands it places on endurance and stamina. Even non-beginners can struggle. Arnold once told a story about how he introduced his chest/back workout to several experienced bodybuilders while visiting South Africa. According to The Oak, two of his training partners "passed out cold and a third became so ill that he lost his breakfast!

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Bench Press 1 30-45(warm-up)
Bench Press 5 20-6*
Incline Barbell Press 5 10-15
Flat-Bench 5 10-15
Dumbbell Flye
Weighted Dip 5 15

*Pyramid up the weight and lower your reps set to set.

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Wide-Grip Pull-Up 5 15-8*
T-Bar Row 5 10-15
Bent-Over Barbell 5 10-15
Row
Chin-Up 5 12
Barbell Deadlift 3 6-10

*Pyramid up the weight and lower your reps set to set. 

Arnold wasn't afraid to cheat on arm exercises, especially standing curls. He felt that going very heavy was the best way to gain size, and if a little body english was required to get the weight up, so be it.To achieve full development, Arnold always included at least one exercise in his routine, like a dumbbell curl, in which he rotated his palm up (supination) as he lifted the weight.

 

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Barbell Cheat Curl    6-7    6-8 Incline or
Seated     6-7    6-8
Dumbbell Curl Preacher Curl         6-7    6-8
Concentration Curl    5      6-8
FOREARMS Barbell Reverse Curl  5      8-10
Reverse Preacher      5      8-10
Curl Barbell Wrist Curl    7     10

Arnold kept barbell work to a minimum when training shoulders. He reasoned that all the bench and incline presses he did, which also hit the delts to some degree, would suffice. For a good while, he trained delts first in a workout that included arms, citing that his delts were naturally weak and needed to be worked when fresh.The trapezius muscles were never neglected in Arnold's training, despite not always being mentioned. He was apt to work his traps with his delts.

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Barbell Clean and 1 20-30
Press (warm-up)
Arnold Press 5 6
drop set*
--compound set with--
Bent-Over Lateral 5 8-10
Raise
Lying Lateral 5 12
Raise**
Cable Lateral Raise 5 12
Alternating Dumbbell 3 12
Front Raise

Arnold started with 95-pound dumbbells, then descended in 10-pound increments without resting,

finishing with 55s, doing six reps at eachweight. Lying sideways on an incline board

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Barbell Squat 5 8
Front Squat 5 8-10
Leg Press 5 10
Leg Extension 5 10
Lying Leg Curl 8 10 

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Hanging Knee Raise 3 25-50
Roman Chair Sit-Up 4 25-30
Lying Leg Raise 3 25-30
Side-to-Side Twists 3 50
Back Extension 3 15
Seated Leg-Up 4 25-50 

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Donkey Calf Raise 5 15-30
Standing Calf Raise 5 15-30
Leg-Press Calf Raise 5 20-30
Standing One- 3 15-30
Legged Calf Raise
(with a dumbbell)