Arnold Schwarzenegger is still the global icon of bodybuilding and fitness. “The Austrian Oak” has inspired generations of young people to get fit, build muscle, and flex their physique. Countless folks want to know about the workout routine and diet plan of Arnold Schwarzenegger to achieve a monstrous body.
In this post, we’ll try to break down the diet and workout of Arnie that helped him win the prestigious Mr. Olympia title seven times and then transform his bodybuilding career into a highly successful Hollywood stint. Even after years of staying away from the stage, Arnold has a body better than half the people in this world.
The “Terminator” star has given two key mantras for people trying to get in shape. “If you don’t find the time, if you don’t do the work, you don’t get the results” and “Don’t be afraid to fail. You can’t always win, but don’t be afraid of making decisions.” Focusing on these, let’s have a look at how Arnold build his physique.
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How is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Diet?
Arnold Schwarzenegger has undergone drastic changes in his diet with his age progressing over the years. He is mostly a vegan these days. However, he was completely different during his prime bodybuilding years. These days, Arnold takes an 80% vegan diet which has helped him lower his cholesterol levels.
Still, his go-to protein sources are eggs, salmon, chicken, veggie burgers, and protein shakes. He has always followed the rule that one must take at least one gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Arnold weighed around 250 pounds when his bodybuilding career peaked, so it required a lot of protein.
Moreover, the “Austrian Oak” also consumed a significant amount of grains, vegetables, micronutrients, and fats. He didn’t even shy away from lots of saturated fats in the form of red meat, bacon, and egg yolks. His ultimate goal was to add quality mass to the body with a good amount of calories.
Arnold used to take at least five to six meals every day along with supplements, protein shakes, and lots of vitamins and minerals. All of this calculates to around 3,825 calories per day. On his cheat days (Sunday), this would go higher up when Arnold ate a cheeseburger with fries, pizza, pie, and other junk foods.
Which Carbs did Arnold Eat?
When bodybuilders are preparing for competitions, they cut down on carbs and go high on proteins and fats. However, during their bulk days, carbohydrates make up the major portion of their sites and Arnold followed the same principle. These are the foods that Arnold Schwarzenegger had for carbohydrates:
- Bread/ Ezekiel Bread: Ezekiel bread (sprouted whole grain bread) is always preferred by Arnie as they release energy slowly, has no added sugars or refined wheat, and contains a range of cereal grains. However, he also had regular bread sandwiches at the time.
- Cereals: Arnold often had cereal with milk for breakfast to get fast-releasing energy for workouts.
- Rice/ Brown Rice: This is one of the most important sources of carbs for Arnie. Brown rice also contains additional fibers and has high-quality carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.
- Potatoes: Arnold has revealed several times that he liked to have baked potatoes for bulking.
- Green Vegetables: Bodybuilders include green vegetables and other veggies such as broccoli, cabbage, spinach, etc, in their diets to fill them up, add micronutrients, and keep digestion good.
- Fruits: Arnie loved having fruits whenever he had time to add good quality sugar, vitamins, minerals, and other essential elements.
- Pasta: Arnold also included pasta with cheese sometimes to have a high-carb meal.
What are Arnold’s Protein Sources?
Protein is the most important part of any bodybuilder’s diet. Arnie used almost all the mainstream sources to fulfill his daily protein requirement, which was 1 gram for every pound of body weight. He usually weighed around 250 lbs, so consumed at least 250 grams of protein every day.
These are the food items that Arnold had to make sure his daily protein requirements are fat:
- Meat: Beef was a persistent part of Arnold’s diet as 20% fat-cooked minced beef has around 23 grams of protein per 100 grams.
- Poultry: Chicken was another regular part of Arnold’s meal plans. He preferred having chicken breast pieces which contain around 32 grams of protein per 100 grams.
- Bacon/ Sausage: The Austrian Oak also liked to have bacon and sausage to add calories to his day despite them not being lean mass sources.
- Fish: Arnold also had salmon, tuna, and other fish-based meals in his diet plan.
- Eggs: Schwarzenegger also had a lot of eggs in his diet. He had revealed in multiple interviews that his mornings started with 4 to 5 whole eggs.
- Dairy Products: Arnold consumed a lot of milk, cottage cheese, and other daily products regularly.
Which Fats & Fibres did Arnold Consume?
Arnold Schwarzenegger also had multiple fat sources and fibers in his diet plan. He even included the yolk of the eggs in his diet to get high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Apart from that, he consumed the following fats and fibers regularly:
- Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, and peanuts were highly preferred by Arnold as they contain good fats and fibers that help boost our friendly gut bacteria.
- Avocados: Arnold liked to have avocados as they are a great source of unsaturated fats.
- Oats: Arnie regularly had oats in his diet and he ate it with a little honey.
What is the Workout Routine of Arnold Schwarzenegger?
With an enormously calorie-rich diet, it’s normal that Arnold Schwarzenegger must follow a brutal and exhausting workout routine. However, he has dwindled it down a bit due to old age recently. Still, if you’re looking for inspiration, we’re sharing the workout plan that Arnie used in his prime years.
Arnold revealed in his autobiography “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” that he always used a workout program that made him focus on the most important muscles twice a week. He also explained the whole routine in a 1991 issue of Muscle Magazine and we’ve shared it below.
During his prime years, Arnold used to spend around four to six hours a day in the gym exercising each part of his body. He still goes to the gym even at the age of 76. However, he only spends around 1.5 hours a day with 30 minutes of weight lifting and 45-60 minutes of cycling.
Arnold’s Workout Plan A: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday:
Split: Morning and afternoon training sessions
1 – Chest Exercises:
- Bench press: 5 sets of 6-10 reps
- Cable crossovers: 6 sets of 10-12 reps
- Flat bench flyes: 5 sets of 6-10 reps
- Dumbbell pullovers: 5 sets of 10-12 reps
- Incline bench press: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Dips: 5 sets, each one to failure
2 – Back Exercises:
- Wide-grip chin-ups: 6 sets of to failure
- Pulley rows: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- T-bar rows: 5 sets of 6-10 reps
- Straight-leg deadlifts: 6 sets of 15 reps
- One-arm dumbbell rows: 5 sets of 6-10 reps
3 – Legs Exercises:
- Leg presses: 6 sets of 8-12 reps
- Leg curls: 6 sets of 10-12 reps
- Barbell lunges: 5 sets of 15 reps
- Leg extensions: 6 sets of 12-15 reps
- Squats: 6 sets of 8-12 reps
4 – Calves Exercises:
- Standing calf raises:10 sets of 10 reps
- Seated calf raises: 8 sets of 15 reps
- One-legged calf raises (with weights): 6 sets of 12 reps
5 – Forearms Exercises:
- Wrist curls: 4 sets of 10 reps
- Reverse barbell curls: 4 sets of 8 reps
- Wright roller machine: 4 sets to failure
6 – Abs Exercises:
Different types of crunches: 5 sets to failure
Arnold’s Workout Plan B: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday:
Split: Morning and afternoon training sessions
1 – Biceps Exercises:
- Barbell curls: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Seated dumbbell curls: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Dumbbell concentration curls: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
2 – Triceps Exercises:
- Close-grip bench presses: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Pushdowns: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Barbell French presses: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
3 – Shoulders Exercises:
- Seated barbell presses: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Lateral raises: 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Rear-delt lateral raises: 5 sets of 6-10 reps
- Cable lateral raises: 5 sets of 10-12 reps
4 – Calves Exercises:
- Standing calf raises: 10 sets of 10 reps
- Seated calf raises: 8 sets of 15 reps
- One-legged calf raises (with weights): 6 sets of 12 reps
5 – Forearms Exercises:
- Wrist curls: 4 sets of 10 reps
- Reverse barbell curls: 4 sets of 8 reps
- Wright roller machine: 4 sets to failure
6 – Abs Exercises:
Different types of crunches: 5 sets to failure
You can also split this routine according to your body and schedule. The ideal split is to work out a certain part of the body in the morning session and the remaining in the afternoon.
Which Supplements does Arnold take?
Alongside diet and workouts, Arnold Schwarzenegger also used supplements to keep his body shining and chiseled as one would imagine him. Here are the supplements that Arnie used regularly:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Pack (Multivitamins)- After his morning meal
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Pump– Before starting his workout
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron CRE3– After his workout
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Mass– After his workout and after the third meal
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Dream– Before sleeping
Supplements help our body to recover better, gain muscle, and maintain our overall health. If you’re also focused on having your dream body, adding good-quality supplements will surely help.
Final Take:
There are numerous things that fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts can learn from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s diet plan and workout routine. He is an inspirational legend who shaped the modern bodybuilding scene. You can also find his books, interviews, podcasts, and other stuff to learn from his life.
Here are some of the key takes that we were able to learn from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lifestyle:
- Study nutrition.
- Calculate and eat protein.
- Eggs are better with yolks.
- Eliminate sugary and fat-free foods.
- Measure and note your macros.
- Get disciplined and push yourself to work out.
- Never let failure stop you.
- Take your supplements, especially multivitamins regularly.
- Rest is as important as exercise.
- A good sleep is the key to being productive.
That’s all for this guide. If you’d like to add some more learnings, share them in the comments.
Frequently Answered Questions:
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger vegan now?:
Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is 80% vegan these days. However, his go-to protein sources are still eggs, salmon, chicken, veggie burgers, and protein shakes as revealed in a recent interview. His vegan diet has helped him lower his cholesterol levels.
How many calories did Arnold eat in a day?:
Arnold Schwarzenegger consumed around 3,825 calories every day during the prime years of his bodybuilding career. He revealed this in a Reddit Q&A session. Arnie used to have five to six big meals along with supplements, protein shakes, and snacks. It was common for bodybuilders to have up to 5,000 calories a day back then.
How much protein did Arnold eat a day?:
Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed at Entertainment Tonight that he ate around 250 grams of protein a day because he weighed 250 pounds. He followed the rule of a gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Hence, he ate a lot of eggs, meat, and other sources of protein.
How many hours a day does Arnold Schwarzenegger work out?:
Now that he is old, Arnold only trains for an hour and a half every day which includes 45-60 minutes of cycling and 30 minutes of weight lifting. However, during the prime years of his career, Arnold used to spend around 4 to 6 hours in the gym every day.
How many hours a day does Arnold Schwarzenegger sleep?:
Arnold Schwarzenegger used to sleep only six hours a night to get around 18 hours of productive work in a day when he was a bodybuilder and actor. However, Arnold gets around seven to eight hours of sleep a night as he has sufficient time these days.
Does Arnold still gym?:
Arnold Schwarzenegger regularly goes to the gym every day even at the age of 76 years. He goes to Gold’s Gym in Venice, California every weekday. He consistently works out with weights for 30 minutes and goes cycling for 45 to 60 minutes. Arnie only takes a rest on Sundays.
Santhan, known to many as Linda, combines her personal training expertise with exceptional motivational coaching skills. Her articles are not just informative but also incredibly inspiring, encouraging readers to take action and pursue their fitness goals. Linda’s unique approach to writing integrates practical fitness guidance with motivational elements, making her content both useful and uplifting.