Unlock Arnold Schwarzenegger's 70s Diet and Workout Secrets for a Legendary Physique!

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the name synonymous with bodybuilding excellence, dominated the sport in the 1970s and beyond. His physique, a testament to dedication and strategic planning, set the gold standard for aesthetics and muscularity. This article delves into the details of Arnold Schwarzenegger's diet and workout regimen during his prime, offering insights into how he achieved his iconic form.

The Foundation: High-Volume Training

During the 1970s and 80s, bodybuilders primarily followed Arnold’s approach to training. High-volume training was the blueprint. Other than Mike Mentzer, nearly every top-level pro trained this way. Arnold trained his chest and back at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings during his Olympia reign. The chest and back routine is the quintessential Arnold workout. It’s what I picture when I think of Arnie training. The push-pull nature of the movements fit in perfectly as supersets, which is one of Arnold’s favorite techniques. Arnold started the workout with two old-school staples: the bench press and the wide-grip pullup. Next is the incline dumbbell or barbell press for the upper chest with close-grip pullups. You could balance a cup of water on Arnold’s upper pecs. After the first two supersets, Arnold did four exercises in a row as straight sets-two movements for the chest and two for the back. The chest and back workout lasted two to three hours. After a grueling morning workout, Arnold returned to the gym for an evening leg session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. How do ten sets of squats sound to start your leg workout? Well, that’s on the schedule - six sets of back squats and four sets of front squats. By then, the quads had nothing left to give, and it was time to move on to hamstrings. Calves were a weak point early in Arnold’s bodybuilding career. He famously cut all his sweatpants off at the knee to always keep the calves visible. For a time, he even started every workout with calves to prioritize them. However, Arnold’s calves did not look out of place in his prime, so he trained them after quads and hamstrings. The last part of the workout was abs. At first glance, Arnold’s Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays seem mild. He only trains once on those three days. However, when you see the workout, you will understand why. It’s 19 exercises. That’s a lot, even for Arnold. So much so that he sometimes moves this workout’s calves and abs portion to an evening session. The session starts with an exercise few people do anymore: the behind-the-neck barbell press. Old-school bodybuilders swear by it, but it is a little more risky than a traditional barbell overhead press to the front. But hey, no risk it, no biscuit. The rest of the shoulder workout consists of two supersets. The arm portion of this workout is my favorite part. It is an excellent workout on its own for us, mere mortals.

Key Training Principles

Emphasis strength first: This might seem counterintuitive, but get strong before focusing on size.
When in doubt, add more volume: If you want to train like Arnold, there is no way around it; you must do marathon workouts. There is a time and place for intensity (see Mike Mentzer), but volume workouts are highly effective, too. That said, don’t just jump right into Arnold’s routine.
Use supersets: How can you do marathon workouts without being in the gym all day? One word: Supersets. Arnold made supersets famous.
Prioritize weak body parts: If you have a body part lagging behind the rest of your body, prioritize it. Early in Arnold’s career, his calves were tiny. To circumvent this issue, he started every workout with calves for a few years until they caught up with the rest of his body.
Get a training partner: Arnold always believed in having great training partners. Modern-day lifters often neglect this area, opting to train by themselves. Get yourself a Franco Columbu and watch your training intensity naturally increase.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger Diet: Fueling the Machine

Arnold Schwarzenegger, during his bodybuilding days, followed a diet plan that was all about high calories and high protein to fuel muscle growth and recovery. He focused heavily on a macronutrient balance tailored to his intense training regimen. While he is more or less vegan these days, he used to be the exact opposite. At the height of his physical prowess, he abided by the rule that for “every pound of bodyweight, needed one gram of protein.” Needless to say, when you weigh 250 pounds as he did, that amounts to a lot of protein. However, he didn’t shy away from grains, vegetables, micronutrients, and fats either. In that regard, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s diet plan isn’t all that different than what’s being recommended for today’s bodybuilders. On the other hand, he did go much heavier on saturated fats, not that we’re here to argue with egg yolks, red meat, and bacon. The ultimate goal is to add quality mass to the body by way of quality calories. Quantity matters too, of course, and Schwarzenegger didn’t slouch when it came to caloric intake. Not only did his diet consist of five to six small meals a day, but he supplemented with protein shakes and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Put it all together and you end up with a grand total of 3825 calories per day, which Schwarzenegger burned through at the gym. And while he did play a terminator, the man was no robot. That’s why he incorporated a cheat meal on Sundays, chowing down on the occasional cheeseburger with fries or slice of pizza. Oh, who are we kidding, he probably at the whole pie.

Macronutrient Balance

Proteins: Arnold consumed a lot of protein, about 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of his body weight daily. This was key for building and repairing muscles.
Carbohydrates: Carbs were essential for energy. He included sources like oats, brown rice, and whole grains to sustain his energy through workouts.
Fats: Fats weren't overlooked; they were crucial for hormone balance and long-term energy. He incorporated healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and oils.

This structured approach to macronutrients helped Arnold maximize his muscle gains and maintain peak performance throughout his bodybuilding career.

Sample Meal Plan

Here are examples of the specific foods that Schwarzenegger ate on a weekly basis.

Whole Eggs - Eggs are a tremendous source of protein and amino acids. It’s then no surprise that Schwarzenegger ate three to four eggs every morning, yolks and all.
Bacon or Sausage - One doesn’t exactly associate bacon and sausage with lean mass, but both foods will definitely help add calories to your diet. Plus, they’re super tasty.
Ezekiel Bread - Most experts say that Ezekiel bread-aka sprouted whole grain bread-is the healthiest kind you can eat. Given that it contains a range of cereal grains, two types of legumes, no added sugars, and no refined wheat, we’re inclined to agree.
Avocado - A bona fide miracle food, avocado delivers nearly 20 vitamins and nutrients, as well as healthy monosaturated fat. It also happens to be delicious, hence the miracle.
Oats - Whole grain oats contain both soluble and insoluble fibres, and have been known to improve both cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels. Schwarzenegger took his with a little honey.
Grilled Fish - It doesn’t take an Arnold Schwarzenegger diet plan to learn about the benefits of grilled fish.
Red Meat - Sure, it might have saturated fat, but a lean steak also has tons of protein, natural creatine, and all essential amino acids.
Grilled Lean Meat - Among bodybuilders, lean meat like chicken breast is as popular today as it was decades ago.
Vegetables - Everyone needs to eat their vegetables and Schwarzenegger was no exception. He also chowed down on salads.
Nuts - Schwarzenegger wents nuts for nuts, specifically almonds, cashews, and walnuts.
Sweet Potato - With each serving of sweet potatoes, you get healthy amounts of iron, fibre, B vitamins, vitamin C, and an anti-oxidant by the name of beta-carotene, among other things.
Brown Rice - This popular source of whole grains is not only nutritious and packed with fibre, but it reportedly decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes. What’s there not to love?
Full Fat Cottage Cheese - In addition to an assortment of vitamins and nutrients, cottage cheese comes loaded with protein. That it’s part of the Arnold Schwarzenegger diet plan makes perfect sense.

Here is an example of a daily meal plan:

Breakfast: Whole eggs, bacon or sausage, Ezekiel bread, avocado, oats. Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Pack.
Mid-Morning Snack: Cottage cheese with nuts.
Lunch: Grilled lean meats (chicken or steak), brown rice or whole grain pasta, green vegetables (broccoli or spinach).
Afternoon Snack: Greek yogurt with fresh berries, a handful of almonds.
Dinner: Fish (salmon or tuna) for omega-3 fatty acids, sweet potato, salad with avocado and olive oil dressing.
Evening Snack: Casein protein shake or scrambled eggs and avocado.

This meal plan provided the nutrients necessary for muscle growth and recovery, aligning with his high protein, balanced carbs, and healthy fats dietary strategy.

Supplementation

Arnold strategically used supplements to enhance his performance, recovery, and overall health.

Protein Powders: Whey protein for fast absorption post-workout and casein protein for slow digestion before bed to support muscle repair and growth.
Creatine: To boost energy during intense workouts and improve strength and power.
BCAAs and Amino Acids: To aid in muscle recovery, reduce muscle fatigue, and support protein synthesis, often taken before and after workouts.
Vitamins and Minerals: Including multivitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids to ensure overall health, support metabolic processes, and immune function. Also Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Pump and Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron CRE3.

Arnold's Dietary Wisdom

Study Nutrition: Knowledge is power, literally in this case.
Eat Protein: Yeah, I think we got that part.
Calculate Your Protein Intake: According to Arnold, you should consume one gram of protein for every one pound of body weight.
Supplement with Protein: In other words, remember to drink your shakes.
Egg Yolks Are Fine: Hooray!
Skip the Fat-Free Foods: Fat-free foods usually supplement the fat with sugar, and virtually anything is better than sugar. Plus, mono and saturated fats help build testosterone.
Take a Multi-Vitamin Daily: You got it, Dr. Schwarzenegger!
Eliminate Sugary Foods: Schwarzenegger said if he could recommend one dietary change over all others, it would be to rid your body of things like corn starch, high-fructose corn sweetener, maltodextrin, and other sugary foods or ingredients.
Choose Your Foods Carefully: Quality matters.
Make Your Post-Workout Meal Count: When you hit the gym as hard as Schwarzenegger did, you must immediately replenish with vital nutrients. He also suggests eating carbs 30 minutes after a workout.
Eat More to Gain Mass: Still not packing in the extra pounds? Up your caloric intake. Protein shakes will help.
Skip Dessert: This one pretty much speaks for itself.

Acknowledging Steroid Use

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been open about his steroid use during his bodybuilding career. He has stated that his regimen included testosterone and Dianabol (D-Bol). “One hundred milligrams a week,” he says of his testosterone usage, “and then three Dianabol a day, so that was 15 milligrams.”

Schwarzenegger does not want anyone duplicating his regimen. He pointed out that his usage of the drugs in the 1970s was very different: Steroids weren’t illegal until Congress passed the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990. Schwarzenegger also stressed that he only used steroids under doctors’ supervision. That’s not how he sees the drugs being used by lifters today. “Bodybuilding always, always was considered a safe sport,” he says. “But now, it’s not. Now people are dying. They’re dying because of overdoses of drugs, and they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. And they’re listening to charlatans. If I want to go and get medical advice from a legitimate doctor, I go to UCLA, or I go to the Cleveland Clinic.”

Read also: Wellness Guide: Arnold, MO

Read also: Ingredients in Arnold Keto Bread

tags: #arnold #schwarzenegger #diet #and #workout #70s