Arnold Schwarzenegger Biography

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a 7 times Mr. Olympia and certainly does not need any introduction to his prolific movie career and dramatic political career serving 4 years as the 38th governor of California. From a bodybuilding point of view Arnold changed the face of bodybuilding permanently.

Arnold grew up in the Au city of Graz which is in Austria, he was christened Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger born into a very strict Roman Catholic family. Before he started weightlifting at the age of 15 his father had drilled into him a discipline and work ethic that continued to be the best gift his father would give him.

He competed as a bodybuilder for the first time when he was in the Austrian Army. He won the first time he stood onstage winning the junior Mr. Europe in 1965, despite sitting in detention barracks for 3 weeks after going AWOL to attend the competition.

A year later he went on his first plane ride when he flew to London to compete in the 1966 NABBA Mr. Universe competition. He came in second just losing to Chester Yorton. But attending this competition changed his life because one of the judges called Charles "Wag" Bennett invited him to come a stay with his big family at Forest Gate in London UK.

Wag was a strength coach and he knew exactly why Arnold was beaten by Chester Norton. He lived above the gym he trained at so he locked into the strict lifestyle of a competitive bodybuilder. It was at this gym that he met his mentor Reg Park who taught him about strength training.

Arnold applied himself completely and in 1967 became the youngest competitor to ever win a Mr. Universe title. He was 20 years old and bursting at the seams and decided to go to where bodybuilding was born, California. He moved in with Franco Columbu and they joined Gold's Gym in Venice Beach where all good bodybuilders train.

Their lifestyle was strict, disciplined and neat. The two of them kept the neatest apartment in town as they had developed a system of meal preparation all mixed in with a tough workout routine. They needed money to feed their demanding sport so they opened a business handing out business cards and flyers that said "European bricklayers. Experts in marble and stone."

When they trained it was serious, they would train a twice daily split because if they were busy doing a paying job laying bricks they would train early before work and then afterwards. Arnold worked hard and at the age of only 23 in 1970 he won his first Mr. Olympia contest in New York.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Routine

Arnold believes in volume training but the workout below is done with a maximum of 90 seconds rest between sets. The start of each set of 10 reps should be taken to the point of failure on the first set. The workout below is only a variation on which Arnold would change every 4 to 6 weeks.

Day 1 and day 4 Chest and Back
Chest
Bench Press 3-4 X 10
Incline Bench-press 3-4 X 10
Dumbbell Pull-overs 3-4 X 10
Back
Chin-ups 3-4 X 10
Bent-over rows 3-4 X 10
Deadlifts 3-4 X 10
Abs Crunches 5 X 25

Days 2 and Day 5 Shoulders and Arms
Shoulders
Clean and Press 3-4 X 10
D/B Lateral Raise 3-4 X 10
Upright rows 3-4 X 10
Military Press 3-4 X 10
Arms
Barbell Curls 3-4 X 10
Seated D/B Curls 3-4 X 10
Close-grip bench-press 3-4 X 10
Barbell Triceps Ext 3-4 X 10
Forearms Wrist Curls 3-4 X 10
Reverse wrist curls 3-4 X 10
Abs Reverse Crunch 5 X 25

Days 3 and Day 6 Legs and Lower Back
Legs
Squats 3-4 X 10
Lunges 3-4 X 10
Leg curls 3-4 X 10
Standing Calf Raises 3-4 X 10
Lower Back
Stiff Leg Deadlift 3-4 X 10
Good Mornings 3-4 X 10
Abs
Crunches 5 X 25