{"id":341946,"date":"2026-03-12T07:04:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/341946\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T07:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:04:14","slug":"the-evolution-of-arnies-training-and-the-workouts-keeping-him-strong-and-lean-at-78","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/341946\/","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Arnie’s Training \u2013\u00a0and the Workouts Keeping Him Strong and Lean at 78"},"content":{"rendered":"

From old-school bodybuilding plans<\/a> to unique takes on mindfulness<\/a> and polarising TikTok fitness trends<\/a>, Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a> is a font of training knowledge. <\/p>\n

At 78, Arnie has been lifting weights for over 60 years \u2013 starting at 15-years-old \u2013 and in a world of science-based trainers and fitness creators with six-figure subscriber bases, he’s still regarded as one of the most knowledgeable bodybuilders of all time. <\/p>\n

However, that’s not to say that he’s still training the same way as he was when he earned his reputation as the ‘Austrian Oak’ \u2013 a time in which many of his sessions were not only two hours long and repped out twice a day, but for nascent lifters looking to replicate his training philosophy, were published with ‘a serious warning<\/a>.’<\/p>\n

Yet, to understand exactly how Schwarzenegger trains for longevity today, we must first explore how he trained in the early 1970s to 1980s \u2013 a time that would see him win seven Mr. Olympia titles, his last in 1980, and his transcendence into Hollywood.
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\"jeffBettmann\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jeff Bridges and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Stay Hungry<\/p>\n

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Golden Era Workout Split<\/p>\n

It’s widely reported that Schwarzenegger would follow an intense style of training, hitting Los Angeles’ Golds Gym twice a day for high-volume<\/a> sessions that would still be analysed and scrutinised almost four decades later, even by himself. ‘I sometimes trained five hours a day with weights,’ he told Business Insider. ‘That’s a lot of stress on the body \u2013 and clearly the body was not meant to do all that.’<\/p>\n

Working out with friends, including Frank Zane<\/a>, Dave Draper and the late Franco Columbu \u2013 each bodybuilding legends in their own right \u2013 Schwarzenegger would follow an A\/B pattern, alternating between days in a six-day split. The first day would see Schwarzenegger training chest <\/a>and back for his first session, then legs, calves<\/a> and abs in the second session in the afternoon or evening. The following day followed a similar format, this time focusing on shoulders<\/a>, triceps<\/a> and biceps<\/a> first, then calves and abs again in the afternoon or evening. On the seventh day, as we all must, he would rest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

‘When the chest and the upper back are pumped simultaneously,’ he said of the training format, ‘there is an indescribable feeling of growth stimulation and massiveness.’ Here, Schwarzenegger is referring to using super sets<\/a> \u2013 when multiple sets of two exercises are completed in succession with little or no rest in between \u2013 a method that not only saves time, but also can build greater muscle density. The science backs it up. Research published <\/a>in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests that individuals aiming to maximise their workout efficiency should strongly consider incorporating superset training into their workouts.<\/p>\n

Schwarzenegger would also use elements of pyramid training<\/a>, in which he would increase the weight on exercises \u2013 on chest day especially, training as heavy as he could \u2013 while decreasing the reps to elicit a greater muscle-building response. As he transitioned from the pro bodybuilding circuit and onto the film sets of Hollywood<\/a>, he used his frame as another part of his repertoire. ‘I\u2019ll want my back muscles<\/a> to bristle with power,’ he said. ‘If my back is writhing and rippling during fight scenes, the public will know that I am a rugged fighter.’ <\/p>\n

The ‘Golden Six’ Workout<\/p>\n

Schwarzenegger credits his seven Mr Universe trophies and tremendous gains<\/a> to ‘The Golden Six,’ a programme that he used to start packing on size at the start of his career.
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Barbell Bench Press x 10 reps and 3 sets\"barbell<\/p>\n

Lie flat on a bench<\/a>, with your knees bent and pushing your feet into the floor. Take the weight off the rack, locking out your elbows. Lower the bar slowly until it touches your chest. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle, pause here before explosively pressing back up.
<\/p>\n

Pull-Up x max reps and 3 sets\"human<\/p>\n

Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip with your hands over shoulder-width apart. Lift your feet from the floor, hanging freely with straight arms. Pull yourself up by flexing the elbows, while pinching your shoulder blades together. When your chin passes the bar, pause before lowering to the starting position.
<\/p>\n

Behind-the-Neck Barbell Press x 10 reps and 4 sets\"barbell,<\/p>\n

Take the barbell behind the neck with a wide grip. Take a breath and brace your core. Press the barbell overhead while keeping the chest open. Lower under control to your shoulders and repeat.
<\/p>\n

Barbell Bicep Curl x 10 reps and 3 sets\"muscular<\/p>\n

Stand tall, gripping a barbell with palms facing upwards. With minimal momentum, curl the barbell upwards, until your little fingers are near your shoulders. Squeeze here and lower the weight under control.
<\/p>\n

Sit-Up x max reps and 3 sets\"arm,<\/p>\n

With your legs bent and your soles on the floor, lie with your arms at your sides. Tense your abs as you lift up, and touch your hands to your knees. Reverse the move, slowly and under control.<\/p>\n

How Arnie Stays Strong at 78 <\/p>\n

It should go without saying that what works for a competition-winning bodybuilder in his mid-twenties won’t necessarily work for a 78-year-old actor, businessman and politician. These days, you’re more likely to see Schwarzenegger riding an e-bike on the Santa Monica promenade than you are hitting five-hour workouts, but that doesn’t mean he’s stepped away from the gym. <\/p>\n

These days, Schwarzenegger’s workouts last for around 90 minutes \u2013 a marked difference from the five-hour sessions he was known for often doing \u2013 and often revolve around pin-loaded machines. These, he says, are kinder on his joints and, compared to free weights, give him a better range of motion due to existing injuries from his bodybuilding days.<\/p>\n

‘For me today, the machines are better simply because there are certain movements I can’t do because of shoulder problems or knee problems,’ Schwarzenegger said to Business Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a separate interview <\/a>with influencer-turned-fighter Logan Paul<\/a>, Schwarzenegger also compared his daily training to fundamental biological needs like eating and sleeping.<\/p>\n

‘For the same reason why I am having breakfast today,’ he said. ‘I had breakfast yesterday, I had breakfast 10 years ago, why am I still having breakfast? Why am I still sleeping<\/a>? I slept 20 years ago, I slept 10 years ago, so I’m still sleeping every night… It’s the same with training. Training is a part of my life. It’s that simple.’<\/p>\n

‘Nothing will ever change; until I die, I will be working out, and I will be having a great time in the gym, and I will be getting the pump, and I want to feel good,’ he continued. ‘It’s tough enough as it is when you get older, but you have to hold on as much as you can.’<\/p>\n

As someone who’s now been lifting for six decades, the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion regularly shares his knowledge through his ‘Pump Club’ newsletter, and once explained how a morning workout still remains a vital part of his<\/a> day. ‘I’m addicted to training, and I have to start my day in the gym,’ he said. ‘So today, even though my body won\u2019t react the way it did 50 years ago, I can maintain as much as I can and it brings me great joy… I\u2019ve chosen to adapt to my age, make my workouts a little bit different and focus on staying lean and avoiding injury.”<\/p>\n

How He Fuels for Longevity <\/p>\n

Since 2017, Schwarzenegger has maintained a mostly plant-based diet to improve his heart health and reduce bad cholesterol. That said, he’s not gone fully vegan<\/a> and still allows for 30 to 40% of his diet to be animal-based, rotating between a few dishes for a varied base of nutrition. <\/p>\n

‘People are very passionate about their nutrition<\/a> practices,’ he said<\/a> on his Arnold’s Pump Club podcast. ‘Sometimes it almost feels like religion or politics, with people arguing about what is best. But, research makes it very clear that many different styles of eating can lead to healthy outcomes.’<\/p>\n

‘In the morning, after my workout, I usually have oatmeal or Greek yoghurt with granola,’ he continued later into the episode. ‘For lunch I always have a salad, sometimes with a plant-based burger or maybe with salmon or chicken; other times it’s with a scramble or omelette,’ and ‘for dinner I always have soup. I like to eat light for my last meal.’<\/p>\n

More Schwarzenegger tips:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From old-school bodybuilding plans to unique takes on mindfulness and polarising TikTok fitness trends, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":341947,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[133281,131990,1105,156543,1107,499,103,61,60,1135,156542],"class_list":["post-341946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-collection-celebrity-workouts","tag-collection-fit-for-life","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-c7fa6c37-24f3-4099-8664-30d7ab9667a2","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-the-evolution-of-arnie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=341946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/341947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=341946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=341946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=341946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}