I Tried Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Classic Bodybuilding Routine for 30 Days — Here’s My Transformation

Watching Commando (1985) ignited a fire in me. The physique of the face-painted warrior on screen mesmerized me. I couldn’t believe the guns on the guy; he could probably launch a grenade with a flex. My uncle told me this Arnold guy used to be a bodybuilder. From that moment, my life was forever transformed.

I rushed to my computer and waited for the dial-up internet to connect. Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Mr. Olympia contest seven times, the most prestigious competition in the sport of bodybuilding. It was proof that his training, nutrition, and recovery programs worked.

As someone who has been strength training for over 17 years, I’ve tried numerous workout programs. In the summer of 2024, I decided to ditch my usual programming and dive headfirst into Schwarzenegger’s classic bodybuilding routine for 30 days.

In this article, I share my experience following the Austrian Oak’s bodybuilding workout and nutrition program for 30 days and my results.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Transformation Program Blueprint

Alright, let’s now dive into the meat and potatoes of Schwarzenegger’s workout blueprint. Make no mistake, this is no fad routine. It’s a relic from the golden era of bodybuilding, a time when the sport was less about extreme size and more about achieving that balanced, aesthetically pleasing physique.

Arnie is a cerebral bodybuilder whose bodybuilding philosophy goes beyond sets and reps. It’s about discipline, mental fortitude, visualization, and pushing your limits.

Core Principles of Schwarzenegger’s Training Program

Below is everything you need to know about the program:

1. High Volume: The golden era giants favored doing a higher number of sets and reps to maximize hypertrophy and strength gains; Arnie was no different. Volume is typically measured by multiplying sets, reps, and weight.
2. Intensity: Most people use volume and intensity interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing. While volume is the total work done in a workout, intensity refers to how hard you work during each set — think RPE (rate of perceived exertion).
3. Compound Movements: The Governator favors multi-joint movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses over isolation lifts.
4. Split Training: This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Schwarzenegger favored training one to two muscle groups daily instead of doing full-body workouts.

“A beginner does eight repetitions of a certain exercise with his maximum weight on the barbell, but he thinks about stopping as soon as it hurts. I work beyond this point, which means I tell my mind that as soon as it starts aching, it is growing. Growing is something unusual for the body when you are over 18. The body isn’t used to 10, 11, or 12 reps with a maximum weight.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

My 30-Day Schwarzenegger Schedule

Now that you know the programming principles, let’s talk about my training schedule.

Day	Muscle Group	Exercises	Sets	Reps
1	Chest & Back	Bench press, incline dumbbell press, rows, pull-ups, lat pulldowns	4-5	8-12
2	Shoulders & Arms	Overhead press, lateral raises, bent-over rows, biceps curls, triceps extensions	3-4	10-15
3	Legs	Squats, leg press, leg extensions, hamstring curls, calf raises	4-5	12-15
4	Rest

I trained each muscle group twice weekly. Since four weeks is a relatively short time, I stuck with the same exercises throughout the challenge to allow enough time for optimal adaptations.

“I do the same exercises I did 50 years ago, and they still work. I eat the same food I ate 50 years ago, and it still works,” said Schwarzenegger.

When I wrote this program, I realized this routine would be challenging, but that’s the point. If a Schwarzengger-inspired workout program doesn’t push you past your comfort zone and spark new growth, you’re doing it all wrong.

Nutrition & Rest

As the old bodybuilding adage puts it — you cannot out-train a bad diet. Schwarzenegger favored whole, protein-rich foods to meet his calorie objectives.

Since I’m not Arnie (and neither are you), I had to adjust the diet to my own needs. Use a TDEE calculator to find the ideal calorie and macronutrient intake based on your activity levels, current body composition, and fitness objectives.

My 30-Day Experience With Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Classic Bodybuilding Routine

Below is a week-by-week breakdown of my experience following an Arnie-inspired transformation routine:

Week One — The Shock to the System

I felt pretty stoked walking into the gym on Day One of the program. I got the Conan the Barbarian vibes, I won’t lie.

My gym has a big Schwarzenegger poster, which gave this 30-day challenge a whole new meaning. With Arnie watching over me, I had to make the most of each rep.

Before starting this challenge, I was following the bro-split, which included doing a total of 15 sets per muscle group. However, the first Austrian Oak-style workout completely shocked my system as the total set tally hit the 25 mark.

I got a lat cramp trying to soap my back. Although painful, it was a testament to my giving the workouts everything I had got.

Shoulders and arms would be easy—or so I thought. Training like Arnie means lifting heavy, and even the bicep curls felt like a gruesome set of squats. On the second day, I experienced a significant shift in my metabolism, as I had to eat more to fuel my body.

Like always, I got hit by delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on Day Three, which was not good news, as I was scheduled to train my legs. With clips of Pumping Iron (1977) playing in my head, I got through the most intense leg workout I had in a while.

Day Four was a much-needed (and deserved) break. However, I went out for a 20-minute jog to promote recovery. (1)

Weeks Two & Three — Finding My Rhythm

The initial shock of Arnie’s high-volume and intensity routine started to fade at the start of the second week. While I still got DOMS after the leg workout, it was much less painful than the first time.

I also experienced much better muscle pumps in the second week as my body adapted to the exercises and training volume (2). During a set of heavy bench presses, I also understood what Schwarzenegger meant by ‘chase the pump.’ It’s not just about moving the weight but consciously contracting the muscles with each rep and feeling the muscle fibers tear under the iron’s stress.

I also incorporated a 10-minute cardio session at the end of each resistance training workout to shed the excess fat and reveal muscle conditioning. The cardio training helped me push harder, longer, and with greater intensity in the weight training sessions.

The second week saw me increase my protein intake to support muscle growth and repair. I also increased the carb content in my pre-workout meals to ensure I had enough energy to get through the session.

On the recovery front. I aimed for seven to eight hours of sleep each night. I also prioritized foam rolling and stretching to ease muscle tension and prevent injuries. The third week put me in a solid spot for a full-send effort in the final week of the 30-day transformation.

Week Four — The Final Push

The fourth week felt like a race against time. I ramped up the intensity to maximize hypertrophy and strength gains. In the exercises where I couldn’t increase the weight, I performed a few extra reps to push my limits and avoid plateaus.

“Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we’re never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow?” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

The DOMS had pretty much disappeared during the third week. However, they were back in full swing in the final week.

Surprisingly, despite pushing myself to the limit in the gym, I somehow had more energy throughout the day. Not to mention, my sleep quality had improved tremendously.

30 Days Later — The Results

 

I started the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic bodybuilding 30-day challenge with the hope of gaining strength and muscle mass. Boy, this program didn’t disappoint at all. Below are my numbers:

Measurement	Before	After
Weight	175 lbs	182 lbs
Chest	40 inches	41 inches
Waist	32 inches	31 inches
Arms	14 inches	15 inches
Bench Press (1 Rep Max)	225 lbs	255 lbs
Squat (1 Rep Max)	275 lbs	315 lbs

I added serious muscle tissue while also trimming excess fat from my waistline. That said, your results can vary depending on your training volume, intensity, and experience level.

Beyond the Numbers

Resistance training offers several benefits beyond improving physique aesthetics. Here are the broader advantages you can expect:

Boosts Confidence 

Lifting weights can improve your posture significantly. My posture is better, my shoulders are broader, and my stride is more purposeful. These changes have helped improve my confidence and self-image.

Discipline

Transforming your physique demands military-like discipline. Furthermore, when you are following a Schwarzenegger-inspired training program, you are motivated to go above and beyond.

Sticking to a training program hones your ability to focus and persevere, both in the gym and in other areas of your life.

Energy

Regular resistance training can boost energy levels, lower fatigue, and increase vitality (3). This training program is more than just a muscle-building program; it’s a life-energizing regimen.

The Road Ahead

The improvements I have seen in my physique by training like Schwarzenegger for a month are too good for me to return to a vanilla bro-split. The principles of this program have become a foundation for my new training program.

I’ll continue to cycle through high-volume and intensity phases to avoid hitting strength and muscle plateaus and ensure consistent progress.

That said, I’ve added isolation exercises to my routine to get in some focused work and identify and fix imbalances. This 30-day challenge has re-ignited a passion for all things fitness and nutrition. I’m constantly exploring new avenues and researching training methods to take my physique to the next level.

Conclusion

I hit several weight and rep PRs on this 30-day train-like Arnold Schwarzenegger challenge. I also gained a newfound respect for this sport, for the dedication, commitment, and hard work it demands.

I highly recommend trying this 30-day challenge and experiencing the results for yourself. Lifters of different experience levels can scale the workout program according to their abilities. If you have any questions about this program, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

Read also: How Strong Was Arnold Schwarzenegger?

References

1. Ortiz, R. O., Jr, Sinclair Elder, A. J., Elder, C. L., & Dawes, J. J. (2019). A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Active Recovery Interventions on Athletic Performance of Professional-, Collegiate-, and Competitive-Level Adult Athletes. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33(8), 2275–2287.
2. Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364.
3. Wender CLA, Manninen M, O’Connor PJ. The Effect of Chronic Exercise on Energy and Fatigue States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials. Front Psychol. 2022;13:907637. Published 2022 Jun 3. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.907637

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