Arnold’s Mr. Olympia Chest Workout

Ask any bodybuilder over the age of 40 what motivated them to get into the game, and likelihood is excessive they’re going to cite {a magazine} cowl that includes Arnold Schwarzenegger. In these pre-internet days, pictures of the Austrian Oak, whether or not posing or informal, had been awe-inspiring. And, whereas there isn’t any doubt that these Swiss Alps-like biceps had been spectacular, it was Arnold’s huge chest that really blew us away.

4 a long time later, Arnold’s Seventies pec growth nonetheless ranks among the many greatest ever. On this article, we’ll uncover precisely what Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chest exercise appeared like – the units, reps, frequency, weights, and strategies that propelled Arnold to seven Mr Olympia titles.

Desk of Contents:

• Arnold’s Chest/Again Superset Routine
• Arnold’s Higher Physique Break up
• Drilling Down on Arnold’s Chest Exercise
• Postworkout Posing
• Arnold’s Keys Suggestions For a Large Chest

Arnold’s Chest/Again Superset Routine

Heat-Up Superset:

• Bench Press – 1 x 30-45 reps
• Huge Grip Behind the Neck Pull-Ups* – 1 x 15 reps

Superset #1:

• Bench Press – 5 x 20-6 reps
• Huge Grip Behind the Neck Pull-Ups* – 5 x 15-8 reps

Superset #2:

• Barbell Incline Press – 5 x 10-15 reps
• T Bar Row – 5 x 10-15 reps

Superset #3:

• Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye – 5 x 10-15 reps
• Huge Grip Barbell Row – 5 x 10-15 reps

Superset #4:

• Weighted Dip – 5 x 15 reps
• Shut Grip Chin – 5 x 12 reps

Stiff Arm Pullover – 5 x 15-20

*We do not suggest doing behind the neck something because of the elevated likelihood of shoulder damage. As an alternative, follow common wide-grip pull-ups.

If that appears like a number of work, that is as a result of it’s; 9 workouts for a complete of 45 working units! And people units are completed with no relaxation throughout supersets and not more than 60 seconds between them.

Amazingly, Arnold and Franco obtained via all this in about an hour. Usually, this exercise can be completed between 10 and 11 am. Then, they’d return to the health club at round 6 pm for his or her second exercise of the day – thighs, calves, and abs. So, at his peak, Arnold was coaching chest, again, and quads on the identical day!

Arnold’s Higher Physique Break up

Arnold’s favourite cut up was to mix chest and again. He believed that the muscle groups responded extra favorably if you happen to did a pushing train, just like the bench press, instantly adopted by a pushing train, equivalent to pull-ups. Performed in superset model, with no relaxation between workouts, this was a grueling strategy to prepare – but it surely produced exceptional outcomes.

Supersetting chest and again allowed Arnold and his coaching associate, Franco Columbu, to maximise their health club time. It additionally gave them that unbelievable pump that Arnold famously claimed to be higher than intercourse!

In response to Arnold, coaching chest and again in superset style additionally produced higher definition and muscle separation. Here is what he informed Flex journal in a 2011 interview, “One of the vital vital the reason why a chest-back superset program works so nicely is the truth that most chest workouts are pushing actions, whereas all again workouts are pulling workouts. The chest muscle groups are resting throughout the lats workouts and the lats are resting throughout the chest motion. Whereas every muscle is alternately resting and dealing, it stays totally flushed and pumped up … when the chest and higher again are pumped concurrently, there’s an indescribable feeling of development stimulation and massiveness.”

Drilling Down on Arnold’s Chest Exercise

This text has a chest focus, so we’ll be passing over every superset’s again element. Simply know that Arnold put as a lot depth and energy into working the again as he did the pecs.

Heat Up: Barbell Bench Press + Huge Grip Pull-Up

The exercise begins with a single set of flat bench presses with a light-weight weight, and wide-grip pull-up . On the bench, Arnold would load a single 45-pound plate on every finish (135 kilos, together with the bar) and pump out 30-45 fast reps. The concept is to get the blood pumping and each a part of the pectoral muscle engaged.

Superset #1: Barbell Bench Press + Huge Grip Pull-Up

Arnold’s first working set for the chest had him pile extra weight on the bar for 15 reps. This was the primary of 5 units, shuttling forwards and backwards with pull-ups. The everyday rep scheme can be 15, 15, 12, 8, 6 reps. By way of weight lifted, Arnold would enhance the poundage on every successive set to a most of between 330-350 lbs on the ultimate set of 6 reps.

Arnold and Franco would enable themselves only a minute’s relaxation between supersets or sufficient time for the opposite one to finish his set. Throughout this relaxation interval, Arnold would take deep breaths and flex his chest and again muscle groups.

Superset #2: Barbell Incline Press + T-Bar Row

After finishing his first superset, Arnold would transfer to the incline bench. Within the authentic Gold’s Gymnasium, the T-bar row noticed proper alongside, permitting for quick and livid supersets.

In response to Arnold, the incline bench press is the last word train for constructing the higher chest. He advocated going as heavy as attainable on this train, even when it meant lowering the rep rely. However he additionally cautioned ensuring that you have a good spotter who is aware of what he is doing.

Arnold’s rep scheme on the incline bench press was 15, 12, 12, 10, 10.

Superset #3: Flat Bench DB Flye + Huge Grip Barbell Row

Arnold seen dumbbell flyes as his secret weapon when it got here to shaping and defining his pectoral muscle groups. He was very explicit about how he did the motion. In contrast to how most bodybuilders do the dumbbell flye, Arnold centered on bringing his elbows down so far as attainable in order that the dumbbells attain bench stage. He would then return them again up in an ideal arc, stopping once they had been a couple of foot aside. This was the purpose the place the strain within the pecs was lowering.

Arnold described the motion as replicating ‘hugging a tree.’ He would carry out 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps on this train. The load would enhance because the reps dropped, however Arnold would be certain that the dumbbells weren’t so heavy that he misplaced management of the motion at any time.

Superset #4: Weighted Dip + Shut-Grip Chin

At this level of the exercise, Arnold’s pecs can be on hearth. However that did not cease him from heading to the dip station, strapping as much as 80 kilos to a dip belt and pumping out 5 units of 15 reps on weighted dips. Here is what the Austrian Oak informed Flex journal about how his physique responded at this stage of the exercise:

“By the point I get to the fifth set, the pecs and lats are completely engorged with blood. And I’ve such a colossal pump that the muscle groups really feel like they’ll burst via the pores and skin!”

Stiff Arm Pull-over

Arnold’s ultimate train on this marathon chest-back exercise was the stiff arm pullover. The science of whether or not you’ll be able to develop your ribcage is doubtful, however again within the day, most bodybuilders, together with Arnold, believed that you possibly can. The motion to do it was the stiff-arm pullover.

Even when his efforts on this train did not truly make his ribcage bigger, they did work each the lats and the serratus, whereas additionally giving the chest a nice stretch. Arnold’s most popular technique was to lie throughout the bench, permitting his hips to sink low, enabling most thoracic stretch.

Arnold and Franco would commute with 5 units of 15-20 reps to cap off the mammoth exercise.

Postworkout Posing

Regardless that he simply accomplished a marathon 45-set higher physique pulverizing exercise, Arnold wasn’t completed but. he’d spend 10-Quarter-hour in entrance of the posing mirror, flexing and posing his chest and again. In addition to prepping for the stage, this follow pushed much more oxygen-rich blood into the chest and again. Arnold was satisfied that these iso-tension contractions contributed to the definition and hardness of his pectorals.

We have all marveled on the photos of Arnold’s 57-inch pecs, offering ample proof that his chest and again superset exercises labored wonders. However how did they make him really feel? Here is what he informed Flex …

“As I head to the bathe, I really feel exhausted however exhilarated, like a boxer who has gone 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion and overwhelmed him with a knockout within the ultimate spherical!”

Arnold’s Key Suggestions for a Large Chest

• Use pyramid units for development, growing the reps and lowering the load on each set,
• Pair chest and again with supersets for an unbelievable higher physique pump.
• Use a full vary of movement on each train that gives an entire chest stretch on the finish of the motion and a full contraction on the high of the motion.
• Go heavy however not beneath six reps; tremendous low reps will construct energy however not muscle.
• Embody dips in your chest exercise; they flush your complete chest, particularly the decrease portion.
• Use comparatively heavy weights for flyes, ensuring you’ll be able to keep correct type.
• Embody compelled reps to take your units to the restrict.
• Make the most of peak contraction, the place you squeeze the pecs on the high of every rep.
• End your exercise with a couple of minutes of iso-tension, the place you maintain poses for 20-30 seconds.

(All picture credit to their authentic house owners)