The legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger won the first of his seven Mr. Olympia titles after moving to Santa Monica (California, USA) and starting classes at the local club Gold’s Gym. The main problem of the future star then was the lack of experience and knowledge – like many of his other rivals, because bodybuilding at that time was a new sports direction. However, Schwarzenegger stubbornly went to success, increasing their total muscle mass by 20 pounds per year.
Classes at Gold’s Gym under the guidance of the “guru” of that time, Joe Vader, and a personal acquaintance with the idol of bodybuilders Reg Park, as well as many other eminent bodybuilders, helped Schwarzenegger not only learn from the experience of older colleagues but also develop his view on training.
“Secrets” Arnie
Impeccable simulators and the safety of classes in the famous club allowed him to experiment with weights and develop his main principle: “Any standard exercise needs to be “twisted”, making it more effective.” Thus, several of his “signature exercises” appeared, which took their place in the training of bodybuilders around the world. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s traditional training program included the following exercises:
- For the deltoid muscle – “big shoulders”. This is a variation of the dumbbell press. Performed in a sitting position on a bench with a vertical back. The press is performed vertically upwards in combination with twisting movements of the hands. In the lower position of the press, the backs of the palms are turned towards the body, in the upper position they are outward.
- For the calf muscles – “strong calves”. Schwarzenegger had to develop this exercise on his own to get the title of “Mr. Olympia”, which was missed in 1966. Then the weak “inflatedness” of the legs became the cause of their defeat, which he decided in just a year, rising on his toes with a weight of up to 450 kg. In the course of his training at Gold’s Gym, he deduced the formula: a weight that cannot be lifted more than 10 times is sufficient for training.
- For pectoral muscles – “wide chest”. Before Schwarzenegger, the classic dumbbell raise was done to the very top. Schwarzenegger began to raise the dumbbells a third of the usual arc, lingering in this position for one second and lowering the weight. He proved that during such training, the muscles tighten even more, once holding a glass of water on his chest in a standing position.
- For the back muscles – “V-shaped back”. These are multiple pull-ups with a wide grip. Schwarzenegger believes that in this case, it is enough to set a goal for yourself and gradually go towards it. That could be 30 wide-grip pull-ups, which you’ll end up starting with five. “Work out” the back with this exercise quickly enough.
Everything ingenious is simple, but not so…
Despite the seeming simplicity of the recommendations of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who always reminds you of the value of the simplest exercises, it is best to do it in specialized gyms under the guidance of a trainer. Schwarzenegger himself admits that it was with the move to America that he began to give the correct shape to the muscle mass he had gained and to work thoughtfully on his body. In all the exercises recommended by him, it is important to observe the smoothness and form of movement, without jerks and jerks.
In addition, it is necessary to choose the right load. Only the involvement of experienced trainers and thoughtful work in comfortable conditions can bring you closer to tangible results without harm to health.