Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Workout Routine in 2025
The Old-School Exercise Plan That Still Delivers Results
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most well-known names in bodybuilding. His workouts helped him build the strong and muscular body that made him a champion. The Arnold Schwarzenegger workout routine is still followed by many people who want to build size, strength, and discipline. This article will give a simple overview of the Arnold Schwarzenegger workout plan, including the exercises he used for different muscle groups and how he structured his training.
- Last Updated: July 28, 2025
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High Volume Training
Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t just aim to lift heavy or train hard. He believed in overwhelming the muscles with intense volume and variety. His approach was all about challenging the body to grow by doing more sets, more reps, and pushing through fatigue.
- Free-weight foundation: He relied on classic movements like squats, bench presses, and barbell rows as the core of his workouts, using them to build mass across all major muscle groups.
- Brutal drop sets: During exercises like the bench press, Arnold would start with heavy weight for high reps, strip plates mid-set, and continue with lighter weights until failure, repeating this cycle multiple times.
- Superset combinations: To create more intensity, he paired opposing muscle groups in the same workout, such as biceps with triceps or chest with back, performing exercises with minimal rest in between.
- Shocking techniques: Whenever his progress slowed, he would switch up rep ranges, tempo, and exercise order to force his muscles to respond to new demands and avoid stagnation.
- Focused arm training: In preparation for contests, Arnold would do multiple rounds of supersets, such as barbell curls followed by tricep pushdowns, repeating this cycle until complete muscle exhaustion.
- Mind-muscle connection: He stressed proper form and deep contraction, especially in chest exercises, making each rep count by fully stretching and squeezing the muscle.
- Heavy back movements: Arnold trained for both width and thickness using pull-ups, bent-over rows, T-bar rows, and deadlifts, often stacking several of these in a single session.
- Complete shoulder development: He trained all three heads of the deltoid using a mix of overhead presses, lateral raises, upright rows, and his signature Arnold Press.
- Volume-based biceps training: His sessions included heavy barbell curls, alternating dumbbell curls, and concentration curls, repeated for many sets to build fullness and shape.
- Aggressive leg workouts: He tackled squats, lunges, leg presses, and leg curls with relentless intensity, sometimes doing double sessions to bring up weaker areas like his quads and hamstrings.
- Calf specialization: Arnold viewed his calves as a weak point early in his career and addressed them by doing more than ten sets of raises, both standing and seated, several times per week.
- Consistent ab training: Abs were trained almost every day with a mix of crunches, leg raises, and twists, often done for 30 minutes straight with no rest between exercises.
- Double workout days: When preparing for shows or trying to improve specific areas, he would train twice a day, using the extra volume to trigger faster results and sharper definition.
The Arnold Schwarzenegger bodybuilding workout style was built around effort, consistency, and an aggressive training volume that few could match. His ability to push through long, intense sessions helped define the workout plan that inspired generations of lifters around the world.
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Chest/Back Days (Day 1 & 4)
These upper body training days were built around maximum effort and total muscle engagement. Arnold didn’t just train chest and back separately. He combined them in a way that pushed both to the limit in the same session. This method kept his workouts intense and helped develop thickness and definition at the same time.
- Heavy pressing for chest: The flat barbell bench press formed the core of his chest work, done for three to four sets of around ten reps. It helped him build dense muscle across the lower and middle chest while also improving overall pressing strength.
- Incline movements for upper chest: He included incline barbell bench press to develop upper chest fullness and improve the upper-pec line, especially important for stage presence and symmetry.
- Pullover movements for expansion: Dumbbell pullovers were used not just for chest stimulation but also for expanding the ribcage. He performed these over a bench with deep breathing to stretch the chest muscles fully.
- Finishing sets for fatigue: Dumbbell flyes or chest dips were added at the end of his chest workout to isolate the muscle fibers and exhaust the pecs completely before moving on to back exercises.
- Pull-ups for width: Wide-grip chin-ups were a non-negotiable back exercise for Arnold. He did them for three to four sets, often to failure, to target the lats and increase upper-back width.
- Bent-over rows for thickness: Using a barbell, he would pull with strict form for three to four sets of ten, targeting the mid-back, rear delts, and spinal erectors for overall thickness.
- Rotating row options: T-bar rows or cable rows were sometimes substituted to change the angle of resistance and hit the back from different positions, keeping the workout fresh and balanced.
- Deadlifts for power: On certain back days, Arnold added deadlifts for three to four sets of ten reps. These worked his glutes, hamstrings, and spinal support muscles, contributing to full-body strength.
- Chest-back supersets: He often alternated chest and back movements, like bench press followed by pull-ups, to maintain a fast pace, pump more blood into both muscle groups, and save time.
- Ab work to finish: Every chest/back day ended with high-volume ab training. He did crunches, leg raises, or sit-ups for five sets of 25 or more reps, keeping his midsection tight and defined.
This push-pull structure was a key part of the Arnold Schwarzenegger workout split, helping him build a powerful upper body and stay stage-ready throughout his career.
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Shoulders & Arms Days (Day 2 & 5)
These training days were focused on shaping and strengthening the smaller upper body muscles. Arnold gave these sessions just as much attention as his chest or back days, using high volume and supersets to maximize intensity. He trained with a clear goal of building complete arm and shoulder development that stood out on stage and in photos.
- Primary shoulder press: Arnold relied on variations of overhead pressing, including behind-the-neck barbell presses and his signature Arnold Press using dumbbells. These movements were done for four to five sets to hit the front delts with heavy, controlled reps.
- Lateral work for side delts: To build width, he used lateral raises with strict form. These were often performed with moderate weight and higher reps to burn out the side delts and create a broader appearance from the front.
- Rear delt focus: He included bent-over or rear delt flyes in every session to strengthen the back of the shoulders and balance out the overall look, ensuring the rear delts weren’t overshadowed by front and side development.
- Additional compound lifts: Upright rows were used to hit the traps and delts simultaneously. Arnold frequently paired these with other shoulder exercises in supersets to increase time under tension.
- Heavy barbell curls for biceps: Standing barbell curls were his go-to mass builder for biceps. He typically did six to ten reps with heavy weight, focusing on controlled movement and avoiding momentum.
- Dumbbell curls for shape: He used seated incline dumbbell curls to stretch the biceps at the bottom of the movement, allowing for deeper muscle activation and more pronounced peaks.
- Concentration curls for definition: Arnold included these in nearly every arm workout to isolate the biceps. He performed slow, focused reps to squeeze every contraction and emphasize shape.
- Compound triceps lifts: To build thick triceps, he used close-grip bench presses and weighted dips. These exercises let him push heavier loads and target the long head of the triceps for added mass.
- Isolation triceps work: Skull crushers and overhead dumbbell extensions were added to bring out the full triceps muscle, often done for five or more sets to drive complete fatigue.
- Superset technique: Supersetting biceps and triceps was a key part of these sessions. He would do curls followed immediately by triceps work to maximize blood flow and achieve a strong pump in less time.
- Grip and forearm work: Arnold didn’t neglect his forearms. He used wrist curls and reverse curls for high reps, knowing that a strong grip and developed forearms added to the overall look of the arms.
- Consistent ab training: Abs were trained on these days too. He would usually end his session with crunches, leg raises, or twisting movements, aiming for several sets of 25 or more reps.
This focused training plan helped define one of the most well-known physiques in history and remains a core part of the Arnold Schwarzenegger arm workout.
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Leg Days (Day 3 & 6)
These sessions were designed to build dense legs from top to bottom. Arnold didn’t hold back when it came to lower-body training. His focus was on lifting heavy, using high volume, and pushing through long sets to bring up every part of the legs, including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
- Deep squats for overall size: He started most leg days with barbell squats, going for five to six sets of eight to twelve reps. These were performed deep to fully activate the quads and glutes while also improving balance and control.
- Leg presses for added volume: After squats, he moved to leg presses to continue targeting the quads with more weight. He would do five to six sets, often stacking plates and pushing to the limit.
- Lunges for glutes and quads: Lunges were added for extra tension across the legs, especially the glutes and inner thighs. They also helped with stability and conditioning.
- Leg curls for hamstrings: He used the lying or seated leg curl machine for six sets of ten to fifteen reps, keeping tension on the hamstrings through the full range of motion.
- Stiff-legged deadlifts for hamstring stretch: These were sometimes included to improve flexibility and strengthen the hamstrings and lower back at the same time.
- Good mornings for posterior chain: Occasionally, he replaced deadlifts with good mornings to hit the spinal erectors and stretch the back of the legs.
- Standing calf raises for volume: At the end of his session, Arnold would do up to ten sets of ten reps on standing calf raises, loading heavy weight and using full range.
- Seated calf raises for detail: He followed up with eight sets of fifteen reps on the seated machine to isolate the soleus muscle and round out his lower leg development.
- One-legged calf raises for balance: He added these for six sets of twelve reps per leg to build symmetry and focus on weak spots.
- High weight and partials: Arnold often used the entire stack on calf machines and finished with partial reps after failure to get every last bit of work out of the muscles.
- Abs to finish the day: He ended each leg workout with ab exercises like crunches or leg raises, going for high reps to keep his midsection lean and defined.
Few bodybuilders trained legs with the same intensity Arnold brought to these sessions. The volume, weight, and consistency behind his leg workout made it a standout part of his overall training style.
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Double Split Workout Routine
During contest prep, Arnold turned up the intensity by training twice a day, six days a week. These double split sessions allowed him to hit every muscle group multiple times per week while keeping the workouts focused and intense. It wasn’t just about lifting more, it was about training smarter, giving weak points extra attention, and staying stage-ready with unmatched consistency.
- Chest and back in the morning (Monday, Wednesday, Friday): Arnold started the day with his upper-body push-pull sessions, alternating between chest presses, flyes, rows, and pull-ups. These workouts built upper-body thickness while setting the tone for the rest of the day.
- Legs, calves, and abs in the evening (Monday, Wednesday, Friday): The second session hit his lower body with squats, lunges, and leg presses, followed by targeted work on calves and core. He used this time to push hard on volume and detail work.
- Shoulders, biceps, and triceps in the morning (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday): These sessions focused on shaping the arms and shoulders using presses, curls, extensions, and frequent supersets to increase intensity without dragging out the session.
- Calves and abs in the evening (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday): The day closed with shorter, high-rep sets for calves and abdominals, allowing Arnold to fine-tune definition in key areas that often lag in other lifters’ routines.
- Weekly rest day on Sunday: He took Sundays off from training to recover, reset, and prepare for the next six-day stretch. This single day was essential to keep his energy and performance high.
- Two 90-minute sessions each day: Each workout was intense and lasted up to two hours, meaning he spent around four to five hours training per day, with recovery and meals planned in between.
- Outdoor movement for variety: Between sessions, Arnold often went to the beach for outdoor bodyweight exercises like chin-ups or dips. He enjoyed training under the sun and used it to stay active while giving his mind a break.
- High-frequency ab and calf training: These muscle groups were trained six times per week, sometimes in both sessions. He believed they could handle more volume and responded better to frequency than other areas.
- Adjustments based on needs: If his goal was more size, he might reduce cardio and focus on heavy compound lifts. If he wanted more definition, he added supersets, increased reps, or trained certain areas three times a week.
- Discipline across the day: Arnold’s schedule was strict but balanced. He trained, ate, rested, and even took classes during the afternoon before his second session. The consistency helped him stay lean and build serious muscle.
This intense two-a-day format was the core of the Arnold Schwarzenegger workout split during contest prep, demanding full commitment from start to finish.
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Golden Six Workout
Long before the advanced volume splits and two-a-day sessions, Arnold relied on a simple full-body program to build his foundation. Known as the “Golden Six,” this workout focused on big, compound movements that trained the entire body in every session. It was designed to be repeated three times per week, making it especially effective for beginners looking to build mass, strength, and consistency.
- Barbell squat: This was the base of the routine, done for four sets of ten reps. It targeted the legs and lower back, helping build strength, stability, and size from the ground up.
- Wide-grip bench press: Three sets of ten reps helped develop chest thickness and pressing strength. This movement also worked the shoulders and triceps, making it a complete upper-body push exercise.
- Chin-ups or pull-ups: Performed for three sets to failure, this bodyweight movement strengthened the upper back and biceps. If someone couldn’t complete enough reps, barbell rows were used instead.
- Behind-the-neck overhead press: Arnold used four sets of ten to build the shoulders and upper back. This variation emphasized control and balance while working all three deltoid heads.
- Barbell curl: With three sets of ten, this exercise directly targeted the biceps and helped develop overall arm strength and thickness early in Arnold’s training journey.
- Bent-knee sit-ups: These were done for three to four sets to failure to build core endurance and abdominal definition. High reps helped condition the midsection while keeping it strong.
The Golden Six wasn’t flashy, but it delivered results. It laid the groundwork for his main workout routine, proving that progress starts with consistency and effort over complexity.
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Current Workout Habits
Even in his 70s, Arnold has stayed consistent with training. While he no longer lifts the same weights he did during his bodybuilding days, he still follows a structured and disciplined routine. The focus now is on maintaining strength, staying mobile, and building daily habits that keep him feeling sharp and active.
- Early start each day: Arnold usually begins his mornings around 5:00 AM. After having coffee and feeding his pets, he gets right into his workout, proving that consistency starts with routine and not excuses.
- Daily morning cardio: Cycling has become his preferred method of cardio. He often rides outdoors or on a stationary bike for 45 to 60 minutes, using it to build endurance and improve cardiovascular health.
- Moderate weight training: Following his cardio session, Arnold lifts weights for 30 to 45 minutes. Although the weights are lighter than in his prime, he still trains with purpose, focusing on form, control, and full range of motion.
- Upper-body split routine: His current routine follows a two-day rotation. One day targets shoulders and arms, and the next focuses on chest, back, and calves. This approach gives each area enough work without putting too much stress on his joints.
- Ab training every day: Arnold includes abs in every session. Sit-ups, crunches, and other core exercises help maintain posture, protect his back, and keep his midsection lean.
- Second workout session: In the evening, he often adds a short cardio session. This might involve 30 minutes on the treadmill, air bike, or another low-impact option to keep his metabolism active and his weight under control.
- Training six days a week: He trains nearly every day of the week and only skips a session if he truly feels like his body needs rest. The habit of staying active remains just as strong as it was decades ago.
- Emphasis on mobility and maintenance: Flexibility and control now take priority. He uses slow, deliberate movements and pays attention to how each exercise feels rather than how heavy it is.
- Simple daily habits: Walks, push-ups, and stretching are often part of his day, even outside the gym. These small activities help maintain momentum and reinforce discipline.
- Discipline over motivation: Arnold often says he never asks himself if he feels like working out. He just does it, because daily training is part of his identity and has been for most of his life.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s workout routine today may look different from his competitive years, but the principles behind it remain the same: structure, commitment, and never skipping the basics.
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