Bodybuilding Workouts: The Schwarzenegger Principles
Arnold didn’t become one of the most renowned bodybuilders in the world by accident. He followed a strict set of principles with his bodybuilding workouts. This article shows you the principles.
Arnold has given us many quotes that many people use in jest, and this may be partly down to his Austrian accent that’s so apparent in his movies. Away from the movie set, one quote has stuck with me for many years, “the worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else”.
This tells me that he had has no interest in conformity and his achievements both onset as well as offset are a testament to this. The bottom line is I cannot think of any other man that has reached Arnold’s heights in terms of physique and gym performance.
Hard Work, Persistence and Determination
Over the years, Arnold has done many interviews and written articles for Joe Weider and one thing that stands out from these interviews and articles is the fact that Arnold isn’t keeping any great big secret that contributed to his success. It all boiled down to hard work, persistence and determination.
Arnold claims that one of the most important ingredients for his success is self-confidence.
Remember that Arnold became a seven time Mr. Olympia and made his mark on Hollywood like no other muscle freak before him.
Success in the Gym Requires Brain Work
Arnold understood very well the importance the brain plays in bodybuilding workouts.
Every time he trained, he gave it his 100% mental focus which enabled him to achieve incredible intensity levels.
He believed that simply believing that becoming really big is possible gives you a good start. If he could imagine that his biceps were as big as the Himalayas and if he managed to harness this imagination, this would take is physique to incredible new heights.
Train Harder Than the Next Man
Arnold always wanted to be better than everybody else, and this realization pushed him to train harder than those around him. If you look at some of his old videos in the gym, the whole gym stopped and watched Arnold train, such was his intensity.
He relied on basic movements. He relied heavily on barbells and dumbbells instead of cables and machines. For Arnold giving it less than 100% was not an option. He was a big believer of using correct form at all times. Adding workout supplements, giving you the extra edge you need at the gym.
Choosing the Right Routines
Arnold didn’t just train hard, he also trained smart. He was a firm believer that if you want to get big you have to be strong. This mentally focused on single joint isolation moments instead of multi-jointed routines.
Heavy Weights and Low Reps
For Arnold choosing the right routines was just as important as choosing the correct weight. He focused on feeling the weight. Arnold wanted to make sure that the weight corresponded with muscle failure in a particular range. He never performed less than six reps per set in most of his routines and never went over 12 reps.
Varying Routines
Arnold recognized that doing the same work out for too long without varying things meant that exercise’s value diminished over time that’s when most people including himself hit plateaus. He constantly changed his exercises and preferred to shock his muscles regularly rather than settling into the same routine and becoming complacent.
Arnold made sure that he did his homework when it came to planning his training sessions and quickly picked up on routines that stopped giving him gains and swapped these for alternatives. He wasn’t afraid to experiment with different exercises always trying out new routines.
Always Aim for the Pump
Arnold believed that if there was no muscle pump there was no muscle growth. Use the best supplements for muscle growth and muscle pumps. He famously said that muscle pump was just as pleasurable as having an orgasm.
Look for Your Weaknesses
If you’ve got massive pecks, chances are that you’d like to show them off. As a direct result of this, you probably work on your chest a bit harder than anything else because it’s your pride and joy.
But in Arnold’s case, when he recognized that his calves were not as pumped as the rest of his physique and instead of ignoring this fact, he set himself a constant reminder by regularly wearing shorts so he can see his legs more often. This is made him train his calves even harder.
Increase Your Knowledge and Go with Your Gut Instinct
According to Arnold, one of the best ways to success in and outside bodybuilding is possessing as much knowledge as possible. By constantly seeking new information he was in a better position to recognize what worked and what didn’t.
As everybody is different, Arnold’s methods or at least some of them may not be suited to everyone.
In today’s world, there are many more ways of attaining information especially on the web. This sometimes this gets confusing for the best of us. Your best chance of keeping it simple would be to regularly visit your favorite legal supplements site and go straight to the exercise section and try out new bodybuilding workouts.
