At 76, Arnold Schwarzenegger remains passionate about training and sculpting his physique. He still hits the gym nearly every day at Gold’s Venice, the place that helped launch his unbelievable bodybuilding career.
And Arnold Schwarzenegger loves passing on his wisdom to anyone lucky enough to work out alongside the Austrian Oak.
During a recent training session, Arnold revealed 3 of his exclusive secrets that can help maximize muscle growth and avoid injuries.
Even though he no longer trains with the same ferocious intensities of his prime, Arnold Schwarzenegger provides invaluable advice for getting the most out of every rep.
You can build noticeable muscle like a champion bodybuilder by implementing his tips. Let’s examine Arnold’s three workout secrets for unlocking your ultimate physique potential:
Get Super Warm
Arnold Schwarzenegger is adamant about properly warming up before lifting severe weight. He starts every exercise with at least one high rep “feeder set” to prime the target muscle group.
For example, before starting a superset of machine dips and preacher curls, Arnold Schwarzenegger bangs out 30-50 reps with a light load on each movement. This lets him focus on perfect form and get a great muscle pump.
According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, high-rep warm-up sets serve multiple benefits:
- Assess how your body is feeling during that training session
- Improve mind-muscle connection
- Increase blood flow to muscles and joints.
- The increased blood flow lubricates the tendons and ligaments, reducing injury risk when you go heavier.
- Warm-up sets also reduce delayed onset muscle soreness over time.
Arnold Schwarzenegger recommends doing 1-2 feeder sets of 15-20 reps before heavy training on big lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
Select a weight approximately 50% lighter than your working sets to activate the movement pattern without fatiguing yourself.
Head Up for Bigger Shoulders
In Arnold’s Schwarzenegger view, perfectly executed technique separates the pros from amateurs. He constantly critiques every aspect of each rep.
Arnold Schwarzenegger noticed that leaning too far forward shifts tension away from the rear delts onto other back muscles on the posterior delt fly machine.
Arnold Schwarzenegger advised keeping his head up and chest protruding to isolate his rear shoulders better. The upright posture prevents you from resting your chin on the machine pad.
Arnold Schwarzenegger warns that a slumped position allows other muscles to assist the movement rather than directly targeting the rear delts.
You’ll need to lower the fly machine weight to focus on the rear delts in an upright position. But this strict form builds complete shoulder development in the long run.
Arnold Schwarzenegger recommends performing both styles – leaning forward and upright – for optimal rear delt stimulation. Do 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps on rear delt flyes by alternating your torso position.
Full Range of Motion
Arnold Schwarzenegger constantly preaches using a full range of motion (ROM) to prompt maximum muscle growth. He’ll call you out for cutting ROM short even a millimeter, believing it robs potential gains.
On the lateral raise machine, Arnold Schwarzenegger expected audible contact between the weight stack plates on each rep.
This meant lowering the arms ultimately until the stack gently clinked on every agent. According to Arnold, failing to use full ROM equates to less time under tension for the target muscle.
It also prevents fully loading the power in a stretched position, which could limit growth. On compound lifts, Arnold Schwarzenegger touched his chest every rep on bench presses and went hip-crease-below-knee on squats.
He advises connecting all ROM endpoints regardless of using a barbell or machine. Arnold argues shortchanging ROM by even an inch could sacrifice gains over time.
This compels him to perform every exercise through its complete range for maximum effectiveness.
Incorporating Arnold’s Tips in Your Training
It’s hard to argue with Arnold’s methods considering his otherworldly success in bodybuilding. While genetics played a key role, Arnold Schwarzenegger mastered every training variable.
Here are some simple ways to integrate Arnold’s tips into your workout program:
Perform 1-2 high-rep warm-up sets before lifting heavy. Choose 30% lighter weight for 15-20 reps. Constantly analyze your lifting technique and posture. Identify minor tweaks for better target muscle isolation.
Vary positioning, grips, and angles to hit muscles from all sides. Attack weak points from multiple approaches. Touch every possible ROM boundary on exercises. Don’t sell yourself short, even 1 inch on reps.
Use lighter weight and higher volume for shaping and definition. Arnold relied on both heavy and more lightweight training. Focus on feeling the working muscle. Establish a mind-muscle link through mental cues.
At his advanced age, Arnold Schwarzenegger realizes he cannot train with the same extreme intensity as during his prime.
But he makes up for this by perfecting each rep, maximizing time under tension, and using strict form.
Arnold proves you can continue making impressive gains decades into your training career through intelligent adjustments.
He tailors his workouts to fit his recovery abilities and targets specific weaknesses. Everyone can adopt Arnold’s wisdom to take their physique to the next level.
While your genetic potential plays a role, applying these proven training principles optimizes the results your genetics allow.
Just remember, Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t win 7 Mr. Olympia titles by accident. He became the greatest bodybuilder ever through a relentless work ethic and unwavering attention to detail.