What does it take to build a physique like Arnold Schwarzenegger? We’re referring to the man who dominated bodybuilding, thrived in Hollywood, and even governed California. His success wasn’t merely due to genetics; it stemmed from discipline, strategy, and a carefully designed approach to diet and training.

Arnold’s workout routine isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s old-school, intense, and built around the fundamentals that sculpted his legendary physique. However, just lifting heavy isn’t enough. His diet is just as calculated—packed with protein, balanced macros, and a no-nonsense approach to fuelling muscle growth.

Whether you’re looking to bulk up, get shredded, or learn from the best, this breakdown of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s diet and workout plan equips you with the tools to train like a legend. Are you ready to adopt the mindset of a champion? Let’s dive in.

Currently, Arnold Schwarzenegger adheres to a largely vegan diet, yet during his peak bodybuilding days, his nutritional strategy was quite different. He adhered to a straightforward but potent guideline: one gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Weighing 250 pounds, this translated into a massive daily protein consumption, sustaining his chiseled physique and demanding training routines.

While protein was his primary focus, Arnold didn’t overlook grains, vegetables, healthy fats, and essential micronutrients. His diet wasn’t significantly different from contemporary bodybuilding standards, except for one key aspect—he fully embraced saturated fats. His meals were abundant in eggs, whole milk, red meat, butter, and cheese, maximizing calorie intake for muscle growth and recovery.

A notable feature of Arnold’s diet was his low-carb strategy, typical of Golden Era bodybuilders. Rather than consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, he focused on fats as his main energy source, which helped him stay lean while increasing his muscle size.

During his prime, Arnold ingested roughly 3,825 calories daily, a figure he effectively burned off through rigorous weightlifting. His diet comprised five to six meals daily, along with protein shakes, vitamins, and minerals to enhance performance and recovery.

Yet, even the Austrian Oak allowed himself some indulgences—he valued balance. Once a week, he treated himself to a cheat meal, typically a cheeseburger with fries or a whole pizza (let’s face it, he definitely wasn’t limiting himself to just one slice).

Here’s an overview of what Arnold’s typical daily meals may have included during his prime:

• 4-6 eggs
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 or 2 slices of whole-grain bread with butter
• 1 piece of fruit

• 20oz whole milk
• 1/4 cup protein powder
• 4oz cream
• 2 eggs
• 2tsp lecithin granules

• 8-16oz red meat, fish, chicken, or turkey
• 1 or 2 slices of whole-grain bread with butter
• 1 piece of fruit

• 20oz whole milk
• 1/4 cup protein powder
• 4oz cream
• 2 eggs
• 2tsp lecithin granules

• 8-16oz red meat, fish, chicken, or turkey
• Baked potato
• Steamed veggies or green salad

Day 1 – Chest, Back & Abs (Monday)

Chest Exercises

• Flat Barbell Bench Press
• Incline Barbell Bench Press
• Superset: Dumbbell Flyes with Dumbbell Pullover

Chest Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 (Low Angle Incline)
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 (Medium Angle Incline)
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5 ,5 ,5 ,5 (High Angle Incline)
• Week 4: Max out on either incline or flat, then 20, 15, 12 on the others (Low Angle Incline)

Back Exercises

• Wide Grip Chin Ups
• Superset 2 of the following: Bent-Over Rows, Dumbbell Rows, T-Bar Rows

Back Rep Ranges

• Wide Grip Chin-Ups: 4-Sets to Failure
• Deadlifts: 10, 6, 4 OR 5, 5, 5 OR 12, 10, 8
• Bent-Over Rows – Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6, Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2, Week 3: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6, Week  4: 20, 15, 12

Abs 

• Leg Raises (5 Sets of 25 Reps)
• Decline ¾ Sit-Ups (5 Sets of 25 Reps)

Day 2 – Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Forearms (Tuesday)

Shoulder Exercises:

• Clean & Press
• Superset 1: Dumbell Press with Full Frontal Raise
• Superset 2: Lateral Raises with Upright Rows

Shoulder Rep Ranges:

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others
• Clean & Press/Arnold Press: 5 Sets of 5 Reps

Bicep Exercises

• Barbell Curls
• Superset: Seated Incline Two-Arm Dumbbell Curls with Concentration Curls

Bicep Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others
• Barbell Curls: Week 2 and 3: 1-10 Method

Tricep Exercises

• Close-Grip Bench Press
• Superset: Barbell Skull-Crushers with One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension

Tricep Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others

Forearm Exercises

• Superset: Wrist Curls with Reverse Wrist Curls

Forearm Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others

Leg Exercises

• Squats 
• Straight-Leg Deadlifts
• Good Mornings (Do Once A Week)
• Lunges
• Superset: Leg Extension with Leg Curls
• Superset: Standing Calf Raises with Seated Calf Raises

Leg Rep Ranges

• 5 Sets of 8-12 Reps for Each Exercises
• Deadlifts: 10, 6, 4; 5, 5, 5 or 12, 10, 8
• Good Mornings: Only do once a week, choose a day
• During Week 4, choose one day to try a 1-Rep Max

Abs

• Kneeling Cable Crunch (4 Sets of 25 Reps)

Chest Exercises

• Flat Barbell Bench Press
• Incline Barbell Bench Press
• Superset: Dumbbell Flyes with Dumbbell Pullover

Chest Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 (Low Angle Incline)
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2 (Medium Angle Incline)
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5 ,5 ,5 ,5 (High Angle Incline)
• Week 4: Max out on either incline or flat, then 20, 15, 12 on the others (Low Angle Incline)

Back Exercises

• Wide Grip Chin Ups
• Superset 2 of the Following: Bent-Over Rows, Dumbbell Rows, T-Bar Rows

Back Rep Ranges

• Wide Grip Chin-Ups: 4-Sets to Failure
• Deadlifts: 10, 6, 4 OR 5, 5, 5 OR 12, 10, 8
• Bent-Over Rows – Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6, Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2, Week 3: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6, Week 4: 20, 15, 12

Abs 

• Leg Raises (5 Sets of 25 Reps)
• Decline ¾ Sit-Ups (5 Sets of 25 Reps)

Shoulder Exercises

• Arnold Press
• Superset: Behind-The-Neck Press with Full Frontal Raise
• Superset: Rear Delt Flyes with Upright Rows (Lying Face Down on Incline Bench)

Shoulder Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others
• Clean & Press/Arnold Press: 5 Sets of 5 Reps

Bicep Exercises

• Barbell Curls
• Superset: Seated Incline Two-Arm Dumbbell Curls with Concentration Curls

Bicep Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others
• Barbell Curls: Week 2 and 3: 1-10 Method

Tricep Exercises

• Close-Grip Bench Press
• Superset: Tricep Pushdown with One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension

Tricep Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others

Forearm Exercises

• Superset: Wrist Curls with Reverse Wrist Curls

Forearm Rep Ranges

• Week 1: 30, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Week 2: 30, 8, 6, 4, 2
• Week 3: 30, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
• Week 4: Max out on ONE major exercise then 20, 15, 12, 10 on the others

Leg Exercises

• Front Squats  
• Deadlifts
• Good Mornings (Do Once A Week)
• Lunges
• Superset: Leg Extension with Leg Curls
• Superset: Standing Calf Raises with Seated Calf Raises

Leg Rep Ranges

• 5 Sets of 8-12 Reps for Each Exercises
• Deadlifts: 10, 6, 4; 5, 5, 5 or 12, 10, 8
• Good Mornings: Only do once a week, choose a day
• During Week 4, choose one day to try a 1-Rep Max

Abs

• Kneeling Cable Crunch (4 Sets of 25 Reps

• Every training day targets a specific muscle group, with exercises allocated accordingly. For example, chest workouts are planned for Monday and then repeated on Thursday.
• The rep ranges change weekly to progressively challenge the muscles, so it’s crucial to adhere to them as closely as possible for optimal results.
• Some exercises involve supersets, which means that two movements are performed back-to-back without any rest. This method improves muscle engagement and endurance, aligning with the structure of the program.
• The routine aims to balance intensity and recovery by training each muscle group twice a week, while ensuring ample time for rest and growth. This structured method encourages both muscle development and recovery, preventing overtraining while sustaining a high training frequency.