Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 6-Day Split: Are You Terminator Tough?

Most consider Arnold Schwarzenegger the greatest bodybuilder of all time. He had the perfect blend of muscle mass, symmetry, and conditioning. Schwarzenegger’s physique aesthetics helped him conquer seven Mr. Olympia titles — the most prestigious title in competitive bodybuilding.

Competitive bodybuilders follow various training programs, with some elite athletes sticking to a three-day split. However, Arnie loved to train and followed a high-volume and intensity six-day workout regime, which helped him build his legendary physique.

Arnie hit multiple muscle groups on a single day, allowing him to train each muscle twice weekly. Research shows working each muscle multiple times weekly promotes muscle fiber stimulation and growth. (1)

As a veteran personal trainer, I’ve put several people through Arnold’s six-day training split, and not many have been able to handle its volume and intensity.

In this article, I take you over “The Austrian Oak’s” six-day training split and break down his training philosophy, making it easier for you to follow along. By the end of this article, you’ll also determine if this training program is right for you.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 6-Day Training Split

Schwarzenegger did not follow a vanilla exercise regimen. His workouts were meticulously crafted to target each muscle from varying angles, promoting maximal muscle fiber recruitment and adaptations.

Here is his exact six-day training split. Refer to the notes in each section for better clarity, as you’ll be changing the sets and reps in each training session over a four-week period to ensure progressive overload:

Day 1 & 4: Chest, Back & Abs (Monday & Thursday)

“The Governator” trained antagonistic muscle groups, for example, chest and back and triceps and biceps, on the same day. This approach ensures that working one muscle group doesn’t tax the opposing group, allowing you to give your maximal effort in each set.

Training antagonistic muscle groups in a workout is also incredibly beneficial for people with jam-packed schedules, as they can reduce their training time by almost half. (2)

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, and 12 on the others (Low Angle Incline)

Back Exercises:

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

Since this workout trains the target muscle groups from multiple angles, Arnie stuck to it for the second workout of the week as well. Your goal for the next workout would be to push yourself to lift heavier while maintaining a picture-perfect form.

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

This workout has a decent chunk of supersets, which involves moving from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between. It is a potent way to max out your muscle pumps and promote new growth. (3)

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, and 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, and 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, and 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, and 10 on the others

Day 3: Legs, Calves, Abs (Wednesday)

Although this training regime has a set structure, feel free to tweak the exercise order depending on your personal preferences and goals. For instance, folks with lagging hamstrings can open the workout with straight-leg deadlifts or good morning instead of the conventional barbell squats, which bias the quads and glutes.

Abs are back on day three. However, you’ll only be doing one exercise, so you are not fatigued and can hit them again on Day Four.

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 Exercise
  • 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)

Day 5: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, Abs (Friday)

This is arguably the most high-volume workout of the week. Carry an intra-workout supplement with you to ensure you have enough energy to last through the training session.

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, and 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, and 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, and 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, and 10 on the others

Day 6: Legs, Calves, Abs (Saturday)

This workout has minor changes compared to the first leg day of the week. Front squats replace the back squats, and conventional deadlifts replace the stiff-legged deadlifts.

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 Exercise
  • 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)

Day 7: Rest Day (Sunday)

Don’t use the rest day as an excuse to turn into a couch potato. Instead, use active recovery strategies like an outdoor walk, hiking, swimming, or yoga to flush out the metabolites from the muscle tissues and promote recovery.

Can You Handle the Intensity of Arnold’s 6-Day Split?

So, can anyone handle the intensity of Arnie’s workout routine? Not really. Let me explain.

If following Arnold’s routine were so easy, everyone would be walking around with a physique like his. Arnie’s bodybuilding regime demands serious commitment, dedication, and discipline. However, if you are ready for the challenge, the results will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

Things To Consider While Adopting Arnold’s 6-Day Training Split

Be mindful of the following factors before starting this training regime:

Experience Level

Simply put, this isn’t a beginner-friendly training regime. The overall workout volume is too high for beginners. Plus, you must already have polished movement mechanics to make the most of the exercises while limiting injury risk. Hence, this training program is best suited for intermediate and advanced lifters.

Goals

This six-day Arnold split is best suited for trainers aiming to gain muscle mass and strength. The high volume and intensity of this regime will maximize muscle stimulation and growth.

However, since this is a six-day-a-week training program, it might not be suitable for folks with a jam-packed schedule. Those who can’t make it to the gym daily should look for a different training regime.

Adapt the Routine

Instead of following Arnie’s workout to the T, use it as a blueprint and adjust the training volume per your experience level and objectives.

Make no mistake; training six days a week can lead to significant systematic fatigue. Learn to listen to your body. Stop the workout immediately if something feels weird, unnatural, or painful. Seek a medical professional help if the pain doesn’t subside within a couple of days. Also, feel free to take extra days off if you feel overly exhausted.

Pushing yourself every day of the week for an extended period increases the risk of overuse injuries. Warm up properly before a workout, prioritize proper form, and cool down after finishing a workout to boost recovery and muscle, joint, tendon, and ligament health.

Progressive Overload and Recovery

I have put these two factors together for a reason. Although you must push yourself in each session to maximize your gains, avoid biting off more than you can chew. Gradual progression is crucial to ensure consistent challenges and gains.

Furthermore, make sure you’re eating a balanced diet and hitting your ideal daily calorie and macronutrient goals for optimal results. Sleep for at least eight to nine hours daily to give your muscles enough time to rest and recover.

Conclusion

Arnold’s six-day training split is no joke. The high-intensity routine requires serious commitment and discipline for maximal gains. Finally, although you now have Arnie’s training program, don’t expect to achieve the same gains as him.

Instead, set realistic goals and don’t give up when things get tough. You will be rewarded with the best physique of your life.

If you have any questions about Schwarzenegger’s six-day training split or need help implementing it into your own routine, post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

More Workout Splits:

• The 12 Best Workout Splits
• Creating Workout Splits for Specific Body Parts
• Functional Training Into Your Workout Splits
• What is a Workout Split? 
• 2-Day Split Workout
• 5-Day Workout Split Routine
• Workout Split For Women
• 6-Day Workout Split

References: 

1. Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(24):4897. Published 2019 Dec 4. doi:10.3390/ijerph16244897
2. Robbins, D. W., Young, W. B., Behm, D. G., & Payne, W. R. (2010). Agonist-antagonist paired set resistance training: a brief review. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(10), 2873–2882. 
3. 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.

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