Arnold

by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sit-Ups

  Leg Raises

  Twists

  For your waist training, do sit-ups, leg raises and twists in exactly the same way you did Monday-Thursday. In the next chapter you’ll be doing them differently.

  Do five sets of 50 repetitions of each exercise.

  Forearms

  WRIST CURL—Do five sets of 12 repetitions. On the final rep allow the bar to remain cradled in your open fingers for as long as you can stand it, to stretch the muscles and force in more blood.

  Pacing

  Let’s talk a little bit about time. These exercises should be done fairly rapidly. Although you are working with single sets and not supersets, you should not give yourself more than 30 to 45 seconds of rest between each set. You want to get a pump and make the muscles grow. If you don’t tear down muscle tissue, you don’t rebuild it, and your muscles don’t grow. The only way you can get a pump is by going through your workout at a fast pace. I don’t mean to do the individual exercises fast, but to move from one set to the next without undue delay. If you sit around for two minutes after each set and wait until your body relaxes, you’ll never get the tight, full feeling of the pumped-up muscle. It’s better to handle less weight and move fast than to handle more weight and exhaust yourself.

  The entire workout in the accelerated program should not take longer than an hour and a half. If you spend more time than that on any of the routines I’ve outlined, you’re doing something wrong.

  Chapter Six: The Superset Program (Six-Day Schedule)

  When I started bodybuilding in Austria, I did only single sets. I had learned no other method of working out. I did a set, rested a minute, did another set, rested, and did another set. Then I’d change exercises and keep training the same muscle. That was it. In fact, I did single sets until I moved to Germany and started working out with some advanced bodybuilders. One of them, I remember, was Reinhart Smolana, who was already Mr. Europe and had won his height class in Mr. Universe. Another was Poldi Mercl, who had also won Mr. Universe in his height class. I noticed they were training differently. I saw them going rapidly from one piece of equipment to the next, and I wondered why they felt they needed to hurry. I though perhaps they weren’t concentrating on the exercises. I asked them about it. They explained that it was to save time. They told me there was no reason to train six hours a day, that you can do the same amount of work in three hours or four hours. I started training with them, going through this routine, combining certain exercises, cutting out rest periods. And I got incredible pumps. It was a fantastic feeling to experience a pump in the biceps and triceps or in the pecs and the lats at the same time. The pump, the combined pump, came about because we were supersetting those muscles and tying them together.

  When a lot of bodybuilders pose, you can see they have great pecs, great calves and great thighs, but their bodies don’t flow together. It’s because they’ve never stopped training their muscles individually. In supersets the pump connects the muscles you are combining. Your body becomes a unit; it flows and comes together. With the combined pump, the muscles tying together, you create a need for more oxygen in your bloodstream; and when your body adjusts to that your energy level will go up, and your heart and your cardiovascular system will work better.

  At this point you should have been training for at least a year. You ought to be sufficiently built up to endure a more rigorous training schedule. This is called the superset program. Supersets require an energy level high enough to allow you to go instantly from one set to the next. If you have done your foundation training faithfully, your heart and lungs should be able to handle it. What you will be doing is building your body to its ultimate size and training it for maximum definition. You will encounter mostly exercises you’ve been doing all along; however, you will now put them together, superset them.

  There is no reason not to superset if you’re in good shape. You can do more exercises in a shorter period of time, and you can get into opposite movements—pushing and pulling. You will train faster and become more accomplished. You will train muscles that are logically connected with each other or muscles on opposite sides of your body—such as the front thigh and the back thigh. Supersets will give you the feeling of progress. You’ll get a double pump. You’ll begin to really appreciate the condition of your body. You’ll want to take it further. Having come this far, you are no longer just staying in shape, you are now changing the form of your body.

  MONDAY AND THURSDAY PROGRAM

  Thighs

  Calves

  Waist

  1. SQUATS AND LEG CURLS—By supersetting the squat with the leg curl, you will be continually pumping the entire leg. Begin with the heaviest exercise, the squat, and do a warm-up set; move immediately to the leg curl machine for 10 light reps. Rest for about a minute, or long enough to let your heart slow down. However, you should not allow yourself to relax.

  Repeat this cycle—squats and leg curls—for five sets, 10 repetitions per exercise per set.

  2. LEG EXTENSIONS AND LUNGES—This superset will get to every muscle in your legs. Both extensions and lunges are superb for the lower thigh and the area around the knee. Lunges work the leg biceps in both the stretch and flex positions, and they warm up the calves. As I’ve indicated before, the effectiveness of these exercises depends largely on form. Be sure you make full repetitions.

  Begin with the extensions; they will prepare your knees for the stress that lunges will put on them. Go directly to lunges. You should only rest between supersets. While you are resting, stand in front of a mirror and flex your thigh muscles. You ought to feel a deep burning sensation in the lower thighs.

  Do ten supersets, 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  3. STANDING CALF RAISES AND SIT-UPS—The theory behind a superset program is to save time, therefore I have combined calf raises with sit-ups. Calf raises isolate the calf muscles and take very little from the rest of the body. You can go directly from the calf machine to the bench and do 30 to 50 bent-leg sit-ups while resting your calves. Then, without a break, return to the calf machine.

  Do five supersets of 15 repetitions of each exercise with no rest periods.

  4. LEG RAISES AND SITTING CALF RAISES—This superset is similar to the last one. Combine your sitting calf raises with another waist exercise, the leg raises. Load the calf machine with weight and do a set of calf raises. Move directly to a bench and do leg raises with bent legs. Return, without a rest, to the calf machine.

  Do five supersets of 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  5. TWISTS—Do your twists in one continuous set of 50 to 100 repetitions. Assuming a bent-over position, concentrate on turning your waist in a complete half-circle and really squeezing off the inches. Then move without stopping to wrist curls.

  6. WRIST CURLS—Take a weight you can handle for about 15 full reps. Then push yourself with some partial reps, even if you are able to move the bar only an inch.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions and include a few burns at the end of each set.

  TUESDAY AND FRIDAY

  Back and Chest

  Shoulders

  1. BENCH PRESS AND CHIN-UPS—Most of the upper body strength is in the chest and back, and no superset hits both these body parts as thoroughly as the bench press combined with chinups. After using this superset for a few weeks you will find your power in the bench press has increased considerably.

  Begin with the bench press and go immediately to the bar for a few reps of chins. At the conclusion of your chins let your body hang and stretch. This pulls at the lats and pecs at the same time. Rest for a short time and return to the bench.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise.

  2. BARBELL INCLINE PRESS AND WIDE-GRIP BARBELL ROWING—A variation of the previous superset, another push-pull combination that keeps the torso completely pumped. The incline press is the paramount movement for developing the upper pectoral muscle, and rowing adds thickness to the back. In this superset it is imperative to move from
one exercise to the other without rest. Pause only after a superset has been completed.

  Do five sets of 12 to 15 repetitions for each exercise.

  3. DUMBBELL FLYES AND T-BAR ROWING—With this combination you will hit different areas of the chest and back. The flyes provide a stretching in the pectorals necessary to counteract the constant flexing they get from the bench press. T-Bar Rowing works the inner portion of the back which is close to the spine. I attribute much of my upper back detailing to T-Bar rowing. I can’t think of a much more satisfying feeling than to have the pecs and the back pumped at the same time. This superset, done without pause, will give you that double pump.

  Do five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise.

  4. PULL-OVERS—A pull-over is already a combination of movements. There is no other exercise that works as directly on the rib cage, the intercostals, and the serratus muscles. It gives you additional lung capacity and increases the height of your chest carriage. If you do it with your arms fairly straight you will feel not only a stretching in the pectorals but also a pump in the latissimus.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions with very little rest between sets.

  5. PRESS BEHIND NECK AND LATERAL RAISES—It may appear strange to be putting together two deltoid exercises, but there is a good reason. The press behind the neck develops the front deltoid and the lateral raises develop the side deltoid. You are training one muscle, but it is divided into three parts and these exercises isolate two of those parts.

  Do five sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  6. BENT-OVER LATERAL RAISES AND WRIST CURLS—The reason I combine these two movements is that the bent-over lateral raise is an exercise that takes a lot of concentration to maintain the proper style, while the wrist curl is a relatively easy movement that you can do to fill the time gap between sets. Doing lateral raises in a bent-over position often calls for lighter weights; as a result, many bodybuilders tend to become sloppy in their movements. Concentrate on form. Keep your thumbs pointing down and lift the dumbbells slightly to the front. Proceed to the wrist curl without a rest.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  7. CALF RAISES AND SIT-UPS—Finish the day with a vigorous workout for your calves and waist. Do a total of five sets of 15 repetitions on the standing calf raise machine. After each of these sets, go immediately to the slant board and do 50 bent-leg sit-ups.

  WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY PROGRAM

  Arms

  The Wednesday and Saturday routine concentrates on one area, the arms. I have divided the arm into three parts—the biceps, the triceps and the forearms.

  1. TRICEPS PULL-DOWN ON MACHINE AND DUMBBELL CURL ON INCLINE BENCH—The triceps pull-down works on the upper part of the triceps. The dumbbell curl on the incline bench builds thickness in the biceps.

  Begin with triceps pull-downs on the lat machine, using a light weight. As soon as you finish that set, pack up two dumbbells, sit on an incline bench, and do dumbbell curls for the biceps. When the superset is completed you can rest briefly. Remember, with arm work you must do full movements and get all the stretch you can.

  Do five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for each exercise.

  2. TRICEPS EXTENSION WITH DUMBBELL BEHIND NECK AND PREACHER BENCH CURL—The triceps extension with the dumbbell behind your neck gets to the whole triceps, from the elbow up. The Preacher bench curl stretches the biceps and gives them more length and flexibility.

  Work on your triceps first because that’s the biggest and most important muscle in the arm. Do not let your upper arm move away from the side of your head. The Preacher bench curl should be done at a 75-degree slant. Doing it this way gives you more pressure in the lower biceps when the weight is down. Do not rest between sets. After you’ve completed a superset you can take 45 seconds. By then you should be feeling a good pump in both triceps and biceps.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  3. TRICEPS PRESS LYING DOWN WITH BAR AND CONCENTRATION CURL—The triceps press lying down with the bar warms up the entire triceps, but it is more for the lower part of the muscle in the elbow area and the outside triceps. The concentration curl in the bent-over position brings peak and finish to the bicep.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  4. REVERSE CURL AND WRIST CURL—The reverse curl and wrist curl are forearm exercises. The reverse curl cuts and defines the outside and the top of the forearm, and the wrist curl builds the inside of the forearm.

  The reverse curl is a new exercise. It is similar to the barbell curl except you do it with a reverse grip: refer to the photograph. Start your superset with it. Then move to the bench and do wrist curls. Burn in the last 2 or 3 reps. Take only a brief rest between supersets and stand with your hands hanging open.

  Do five sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise.

  Calves and Waist

  On Wednesday and Saturday you should accelerate your calf and waist training. I would combine standing calf raises with bent-leg sit-ups for one superset, and alternate that with a superset of sitting calf raises and bent leg raises. Remember, to really explode the calves it takes a lot of weight. Don’t skimp. Challenge yourself.

  Do five sets of 15 reps of each of the four exercises.

  Some Words of Advice

  Do not decrease weight in any exercise. In the beginning you might feel tired as you move from bench press to chin-ups, and maybe you can only do 6 or 7 chin-ups. But that’s no reason to change the weight on the bench press. Keep the weights up and try to increase your number of repetitions in the chin-ups. Push yourself. Supersetting is a tough program, but in a month or so you will adjust to it.

  It’s important for you to go instantly to the second exercise after you’ve finished the first one. Then at the conclusion of each superset you can rest 45 seconds to a minute. No longer. Otherwise you won’t get the full benefit from supersetting. Not resting between sets also saves time, and this has a positive effect on your mind. Allow yourself an hour and 15 minutes for each workout. That is a total of 50 sets in 75 minutes. When you’ve done that much, you know you’re getting stronger. If you can’t finish your workout within this time you should punish yourself by leaving the gym. I did that in the beginning. I saw that I could handle 50 sets in an hour and 15 minutes. The next week there was a day when the hour and 15 minutes had passed and I still had 10 sets left. So I split. The whole next day I was so pissed off I’d missed doing my wrist curls and my waist that my body felt punished. From then on I got the entire program completed on time.

  Importance of Positive Mental Attitude

  You must approach all of your training with a positive mental attitude and the firm conviction that you will succeed. This is especially true of the superset program. Visualize the body you want and then train relentlessly until you get it. Be explicit. See yourself with that body, cut up and toned to an ideal state. Tell yourself it’s possible. Then work to make it happen.

  Mentally, supersetting puts an additional strain on you. Suddenly you have to focus your mind on two muscles—visualize two muscles—visualizing, for instance, how you want to pump the back and pump the pectoral muscles at the same time. You have to set your goals differently than before. The way you think and feel about your body and the way you put your mind into your muscles is entirely different now. You have to split up your attention. Sooner or later you will get used to it; you’ll see the logic in making a single unit of two muscles. Gradually you will be able to go a step further and think of your whole body as a single unit over which you have complete control.

  Afterword

  I have set down in this book a program I know from my own experience will provide you with everything you need to develop your body to its fullest potential. The process of bodybuilding does not, in my estimation, stop with the body. Seeing tremendous growth and change in yourself can open new worlds for you. Plato wrote that man should strive for a balance between the mind and the body. There sho
uld be a harmony between the two. Without a well-conditioned body, Plato felt, the mind would certainly suffer. Having worked as a bodybuilder for most of my life, I believe I have been able to create that balance within myself. I know that building the body does make the mind reach out. Strength and confidence, plus a firsthand knowledge of the rewards of hard work and persistence, can help you attain a new and better life.

  Yours in good health,

  Mr. Olympia, 1971; with Joe Weider

  With Ed Corney

  Training with Father

  Mr. Olympia, 1973; with Joe Weider

  Mr. Olympia, after beating Lou Ferrigno; 1974

  Practicing posing

  Fooling around during the filming of Pumping Iron

  Learning to play the violin during shooting of Stay Hungry (Courtesy of United Artists)

  Working out in top form, 1973

  Prejudging poses for Mr. Olympia, 1974

  Posing on a mountain in California called Muscle Rock, 1974. All the top bodybuilders of the past thirty years have been photographed on this spot.

  Palm Springs, 1974

  Studio posing, 1974

  With Reg Park

  Oiling up

  Santa Monica, 1975

  Prejudging for Mr. Olympia, South Africa, 1975