Arnold Schwarzenegger Complete Profile: Biography, Workout And Diet

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a retired professional bodybuilder, actor, politician, environmental activist, and businessman. He is one of the most crucial figures in the history of competitive bodybuilding and is best known for winning the prestigious Mr. Olympia title seven times. While Arnold has been successful in different walks of life, we’ll primarily explore his bodybuilding life in this article, which is his complete profile, biography, workout routine, diet, and statistics.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Austrian Oak)

Birthday: July 30, 1947
Birthplace: Thal, Graz, AUSTRIA
Residence: California, USA
Nickname: The Austrian Oak, Schwarzy, Arnie, Arnold Strong, Ah-nuld
Height: 6′ 2″ (188 cm)
Off Season Weight: 260 lbs (118 kg)
Competition Weight: 235 lbs (106 kg)
Arms: 22″ (56 cm)
Chest: 57″ (145 cm)
Waist: 34″ (86 cm)
Thighs: 28,5″ (72 cm)
Calves: 20″ (51 cm)

Arnold Schwarzenegger Biography

Early Life

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal Styria, Austria. He was the second child of Gustav and Aurelia Schwarzenegger. Gustav was a local police official who also served in World War 2.

As a child, Arnold struggled with learning disabilities and was later diagnosed with dyslexia. His father was also an athlete and encouraged both of his sons to pursue sports. At 13, Arnold was exposed to weight training by his football coach and chose to make it a priority over football.

He was influenced by European bodybuilding stars like Reg Park, who played a pivotal role in his choosing bodybuilding as a career. Former Mr. Austria Kurt Marnul mentored Schwarzenegger and trained him to become an elite professional bodybuilder.

After turning 18, Arnold completed the mandatory 1-year military service and focused on bodybuilding in the years that followed.

Bodybuilding Career

Arnold Schwarzenegger started dominating local bodybuilding competitions in the 1960s and his big break came in the form of 1966 NABBA Mr. Universe. The then 19-year-old lacked the necessary muscle definition and lost to Chester Yorton. Charles Bennett, who was one of the judges, saw massive potential in the young Austrian bodybuilder and offered to coach him. Schwarzenegger moved to London and under Bennett’s guidance, took his career to the next level.

The efforts yielded the desired results as Arnold Schwarzenegger won the 1967 edition of the NABBA Mr. Universe competition, becoming the youngest competitor to achieve the feat.

His time with Bennett and his family served him well as Arnold was able to improve his grip on the English language. Decades later, it helped him explore career opportunities in acting and politics.

In 1969, Schwarzenegger moved to the U.S.A. and trained at the Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California – where he trains to this day. His Mr. Olympia debut came the same year and he finished second behind the formidable Sergio Oliva.

The move to the US proved fruitful for his bodybuilding career as Arnold went on to win the prestigious Mr. Olympia title in all seven of his subsequent appearances – from 1970 to 1975 and in 1980.

Acting and Political Career

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the few bodybuilders who enjoyed huge success in the film industry after wrapping up with bodybuilding career. Although he gained popularity initially with documentaries like Pumping Iron, the Austrian-American became one of the biggest action stars in the 1980s and 1990s.

He is best known for starring in movies like The Terminator, Predator, and Commando, which became global blockbusters. In recent years, Arnold has appeared in several cameos and was also seen in the The Expendables franchise alongside his peers like Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren, to name a few.

Arnold Schwarzenegger became a naturalized US citizen in 1983 and has been registered as a member of the Republican party. He classifies himself as ‘fiscally conservative and socially liberal’. The legendary bodybuilder served as the chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1990 to 1993.

The 75-year-old had openly expressed the desire to run for the office of the Governor of California and announced his candidacy for the 2003 recall elections and won by securing 48.6 percent of the votes. He came back to the office by winning the 2006 elections and served as the Governor of California with 56.8 percent of the votes.

Competition History

1966 Mr. Europe – 1st place

1966 NABBA Mr. Universe, Tall – 2nd place

1967 NABBA Mr. Universe – 1st place

1968 IFBB Mr. Universe – 2nd place

1968 NABBA Pro Universe – 1st place

1969 IFBB Mr. Europe – 1st place

1969 IFBB Mr. International – 1st place

1969 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 2nd place

1969 IFBB Mr. Universe – 1st place

1969 NABBA Pro Universe – 1st place

1970 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

1970 NABBA Pro Universe – 1st place

1970 AAU Mr. World – 1st place

1971 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

1973 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

1974 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

1980 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st place

Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training routine, workout methods, and principles have been documented in several articles and documentaries. He sheds more light on them through his newsletter. Here is a summary of how he built and maintained the massive physique that set the standard for competitive bodybuilders of the later generations.

Training principles

Shocking the body

When you follow the same training routine for prolonged periods, the body adapts to the specific sequence of exercises and the resistance profiles. According to Arnold, shocking the body with routine modifications to the training routine is of utmost importance to make sustainable gains.

“If the body knows I’m going to start with 135 pounds and then I go to 225 pounds and then do 275, I’m going to go and start now with 315 (to shock the body) and I’m gonna do 20 reps with 315 pounds and then I’m going to tell the guys to pull off the plates and then have 225 left, then 135… and let’s see if the muscles are used to that!”

Adhering to basics

Schwarzenegger suggests perfecting the basic movements like squats, bench presses, two am curls, bent over rows, clean and presses, etc. to build a solid foundation for growth. The 7-time Mr. Olympia believes doing these exercises, especially during the last three months of competition prep, helps shock the muscles to enable growth.

This is also one of Arnold’s major complaints against the modern bodybuilding scene.

“Today when I go to the gym, I don’t see anyone… The kids learn about the clean and press or do the two-arm snatch… I don’t see them do any of these exercises that are so important to create the traps and the lower back.”

Don’t avoid the weak areas

Training methods, exercise sequences, or scientific principles can help you become a complete bodybuilder or a fit person unless you bring the weak areas to par with the stronger ones.

“You’re going to hit those marks, then you move the bar higher and you feel that with hard work, you can achieve the goals and you can become successful.”

Bodybuilding principles are for everyone

Arnold believes that bodybuilding principles and techniques can be applied to your training irrespective of your profession. Only some people want to be the Mr. Olympia or a competitive bodybuilder. Whether for general fitness or any other purpose than competition, bodybuilding principles when applied consciously, can help you achieve your goals.

Train hard

All the training principles mentioned above would not yield the desired results when combined if you don’t train hard enough. Arnold believes that most people make the mistake of preserving their strength for the next set and don’t push hard enough in every set.

According to him, training to failure in each set is the key to making faster and more sustainable growth.

“Each set ought to be going all out.”

Go-to Exercises

Chest

Regarding the chest, Arnold leans heavily toward three exercises for development – Bench press, incline presses at different angles, and dumbbell chest flyes.

“To me, flyes was the exercise that gave me the full pectoral muscle development because I went all the way out, almost hitting the ground.”

Getting a good stretch and flexion in the muscles is the key to muscular development. Arnold feels that no machine can replace the amount of stretch and flexion you get through exercises like dumbbell chest flyes.

Back

It is essential to incorporate vertical and horizontal pulling movements to build a wide and thick back. Bent over barbell rows and T-bar rows are Arnold Schwarzenegger’s go-to rowing exercises.

The 75-year-old feels that a lot of bodybuilders have underdeveloped lower backs. According to him, exercises like stiff-leg deadlifts and bent-over rows are crucial to bring up this part.

“When you train the back, you need the width and you need the thickness, but you need the thickness in different parts of the back [lower, center, upper, and peripheral] so you need to find the exercises for all those different things.”

Arms

Arnold worked the biceps with different variations of biceps curls. He would use the ‘shock principle’ to stimulate the biceps with different weights on the barbell curls without putting the barbell down.

Apart from barbell curls, the Terminator star used Incline dumbbell curls to add size to the arms and concentration curls to give thickness to the outside of the bicep – which helped tremendously with back poses.

For the triceps, the close-grip bench press was the preferred exercise in the early years of training. However, Schwarzenegger incorporated triceps pushdowns and overhead dumbbell triceps extensions in the training routine as he progressed.

Shoulders

Although some may feel that Arnold Press would be the primary shoulder movement in the legendary bodybuilder’s routine due to its name, that’s not quite the case. Arnold built his shoulders with basic and effective exercises like barbells and dumbbell shoulder presses. He also used the behind-the-neck variations of these exercises to a great extent.

For lateral and posterior deltoid development, Schwarzenegger relied on dumbbell lateral raises and incline lateral raises. He credits the technique of doing incline lateral raises to Vince Gironda’s gym.

“We, many times, went to the gym just one time in a week where we went to 110-pound dumbbells and did six reps… We picked up 100, 90, and went all the way down to 40 pounds and barely could do six reps with the 40s. But I can tell you I did not know where to put my arm because my deltoids were screaming! It was in pain because I shocked the muscle!”

Legs

According to Schwarzenegger, barbell squats and their variations like front squats, and back squats are the meat and potatoes of building huge legs. Apart from this, isolation and compound movements like leg extensions, stiff-legged deadlifts, and leg curls contributed significantly to the legendary bodybuilder’s lower body development.

“To shock the boy and muscles, we would switch from squats to leg press – We would just load up the leg press machine and do a lot of leg press and stuff like that.”

Abs

Arnold’s broad shoulders and a well-sculpted narrow mid-section gave him the perfect god-like appearance which became the gold standard of bodybuilding. To achieve flawless abs, the seven-time Mr. Olympia used different variations of leg raises – straight leg and bent knee.

“Also sit-ups, Roman chair sit-ups which gives you the 500 reps which was an absolute necessity that we all believed in, and then crunches.”

Workout Split

Here is an example of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s workout split during the peak of his bodybuilding career:

Monday and Thursday – Chest and Back

Bench Press – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Incline Bench Press – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Pullovers – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Chin-Ups – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Bent Over Rows – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Deadlifts – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Crunches – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Tuesday and Friday – Shoulders and Arms

Barbell Clean and Press – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Upright Rows – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Military Press – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Standing Barbell Curls – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Seated Dumbbell Curls – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Close-Grip Bench Press – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Standing Barbell Overhead Triceps Extensions – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Wrist Curls – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Reverse Wrist Curls – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Reverse Crunches – 5 sets of 25 reps

Wednesday and Saturday – Legs and Lower Back

Barbell Squats – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Lunges – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Lying Leg Curls – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Good Mornings – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Standing Calf Raises – 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps

Crunches – 5 sets of 25 reps

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s workout routine now

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s commitment to training and fitness has not faded. At 75, Schwarzenegger trains every day at the Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California. He starts the day with a 45-minute weight training session – ideally from 7 AM to 7:45 AM.

It is followed by 45 minutes of cycling outdoors. On some days, the the veteran actor visits the gym at night for a second training session too.

The 7-time Mr. Olympia trains his full body at least three days a week. He kept the intensity high until a few years ago. However, he now trains with moderate intensity on the doctor’s advice after getting heart surgery.

While Schwarzenegger’s name has been associated with heavy and intense training, he prefers working with lighter weights with higher volume at this stage of his life. The veteran bodybuilder believes that it is essential to accept reality and do the best you can.

Apart from the heart surgery, the Terminator star has received several surgeries on knees, shoulders, and other parts of his physique. Avoiding training injuries ranks high among Schwarzenegger’s priorities as recovery can be a long and arduous journey in old age. As a result, he has made some crucial adjustments in training style:

“I’ve chosen to adapt to my age, make my workouts a little bit different, and focused on staying lean and avoiding injury. This is why I’ve moved away from free weights and stick to the workout machines.”

All in all, training is not just a chore or an activity that Arnold does to reap its benefits. It is an anchor that keeps his life in balance, even if the direct results of training are not what they used to be:

“I’m addicted to training, and I have to start my day in the gym. So today, even though my body won’t react the way it did 50 years ago, I can maintain as much as I can and it brings me great joy.”

Arms

• Machine Preacher Curls – 1 set of 30 reps, 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps
• Machine Dips – 1 set of 30 reps, 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Shoulders

• Machine Overhead Press – 5 sets of 10 to 12 reps
• Machine Lateral Raises – 5 sets of 10 to 12 reps
• Machine Rear Delt Flyes – 5 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Arnold Schwarzenegger Diet

Arnold Schwarzenegger followed a high-protein bodybuilding diet to build muscle and get the correct body composition for achieving competitive success.

Protein is undoubtedly the most important macronutrient for building muscle. There are several contradicting opinions on the amount of protein required to build and maintain muscle. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger does not indulge in any of these debates and has followed a simple principle – one gram of protein per pound of body weight.

But ingesting the requisite amount of protein is one-half of it. Making sure that most, if not all, of it gets absorbed is the other important aspect. Arnold ensured this by following a few simple rules:

“I felt like, for me, it worked best when I had five meals a day. There’s some people that can work with three meals. But for me, five meals was the answer. The reason is that I never was  a big eater.”

At the peak of his bodybuilding career, the Austrian bodybuilder started his day with three scrambled eggs with bacon and sausages. The next meal followed a couple of hours later and consisted of a protein shake (typically milk and whey protein powder).

A typical lunch for Schwarzenegger consisted of a ten-ounce steak with sliced tomatoes and a few vegetables on the side. He would consume one more protein shake and conclude the full day of eating with a modest dinner.

The legendary bodybuilder adhered to the meal pattern irrespective of social, personal, and professional commitments and made sure that he got the necessary nutrition to fuel growth.

But being realistic and understanding the limitations is also necessary to avoid derailment and slow pace of muscle gain. Arnold said:

“We have to recognize we would not get the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein, and all the stuff that the body needs just with regular meals. This is why we have supplements and that’s why they are called supplements because we don’t get enough from regular meals no matter how healthy and how good you eat.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s diet now

According to a 2022 edition of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s email newsletter, he has switched to following a mostly vegan diet over the last few years. The seven-time Mr. Olympia said that he feels much younger and healthier with the new diet and that his LDL cholesterol levels were brought down to healthier levels.

However, following a diet that suits your palette is also important to be able to follow it for longer durations. Arnold has kept room for an occasional meal of steak or Austrian wiener schnitzel in his vegan diet as well. 

Personal Life

Arnold Schwarzenegger was in a long-term relationship with Barbara Outland Baker until 1974. He then met Sue Moray in 1977 and broke up shortly after.

Schwarzenegger married journalist Maria Shriver on April 26, 1986, in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The couple has four children together. After 25 years of marriage, Shriver filed for a divorce in 2011.

It was later revealed that Arnold had fathered a son with one of their household employees – Mildred Patricia Baena approximately 14 years before the divorce. Arnold had taken the financial responsibility of the child.

He now lives in his house in Los Angeles, California, USA.

To Conclude…

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a generational talent and an individual who transcended different disciplines, and professions to grow into one of the most successful bodybuilders, actors, and even politicians of our times. His story proves to us that you don’t need to confine yourself to one area of interest. If you work hard and stay the course, it is possible to find success in any discipline of your choice.

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