Leg strength is a crucial factor in achieving longevity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In a recent Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter shared on July 22, 2025, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed a squat tweak that can lead to significant gains in explosive strength.
In a world where fitness advice is constantly thrown at us, Schwarzenegger aims to provide only accurate and trustworthy information. In his prime, he won the Mr. Olympia title seven times, tied for the second-most ever behind Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman.
Retirement has undoubtedly changed the way Schwarzenegger approaches training. Having just had a pacemaker installed, longevity has never been more important for the bodybuilding legend. Powerful legs can mean the difference between graceful aging and struggling with every step, prompting Schwarzenegger to break down how to build a stronger lower body.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1 Key Squat Tweak to ‘Build a More Powerful Lower Body’
In the newsletter, Schwarzenegger spoke on why chains during squats provide a greater boost in power, jump height, and explosiveness compared to traditional squats.
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“How To Build A More Powerful Lower Body
You don’t need to do complicated movements to see incredible results. A simple technique tweak to your squat could lead to bigger gains in explosive strength within minutes.Using heavy chains during squats may provide a greater boost in power, jump height, and explosiveness compared to traditional squats.”
Researchers tested participants’ performance metrics during squats with and without chains.
“Researchers compared heavy squats to heavy squats with chains on lower body performance. They studied trained participants who performed both types of squats at 90 percent of their one-rep max in a randomized crossover design. To measure performance, the researchers tested vertical jump height, peak power, and rate of force development.”
According to the study, both squat styles led to improvements, but squatting with chains yielded a significant boost in athletic performance. They believe this benefit stems from the chains that challenge the muscles differently throughout the movement.
“Both squat styles led to improvements, but chain squats produced significantly better results in athletic performance. The researchers believe the advantage of chain squats comes from the way they challenge your muscles differently at various points in the movement.”
Using chains during squats forces the body to recruit more stabilizer muscles, which can enhance strength and control throughout the range of motion
“Chains provide variable resistance, forcing your body to engage more stabilizers and produce more force throughout the full range of motion.
This likely primes your nervous system better for post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE)—the short-term window where your muscles can perform at a higher level after heavy loading.”
If you aim to jump higher and develop lower body power, Schwarzenegger says to replace one set of squats per week with heavy squats using chains. Afterward, perform explosive drills for 4-8 minutes for optimal gains.
“If you want to jump higher or develop more lower-body power, try this: once or twice a week, replace one of your squat sets with a heavy chain squat. Then, 4 to 8 minutes later, perform your explosive drills—like jumps or sprints—to take full advantage of the effect.”
Quality of life and autonomy are top priorities for Arnold Schwarzenegger at 77 years old. He recently explained how simply standing up throughout the day can help reduce the risk of mortality by up to 55%. He also emphasized that people who led sedentary lifestyles with uninterrupted stretches of inactivity were most at risk.
Squatting remains crucial in everyday life, whether you’re picking up an object or tying your shoes. Schwarzenegger believes squatting with chains is an easy lever to pull if you’re chasing lower body strength gains.
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