Every ambitious strength athlete and bodybuilder knows Arnold Schwarzeneggerwho dominated the bodybuilding scene for years with his countless titles as Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe. But what does this exceptional athlete actually look like? Arnold Schwarzenegger never wanted to be like any other strength athlete. Arnold wanted to stand out from the crowd and this has impressively succeeded with his extraordinary successes. Arnold was not satisfied with conventional training methods. He experimented with new training techniques and created individual and highly efficient workouts, which are still integrated by the professionals in their personal training program. Arnold confirmed in many interviews that his sporting success did not result from a mysterious training plan, but that only sweat and an extremely hard training in the gym bring in the end the success. But the most important feature for a hard workout is a great self-confidence in yourself and your own physical ability. Below we have listed the eight training principles of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which led the top athlete to win seven times the title of Mr. Olympia and five Mr. Universum titles.
1. The mental attitude controls successful weightlifting
Arnold spoke very often about the importance of mental strength, which can be decisive for the sporting success. Arnold always focused 100 percent on the process and technique of each exercise. The first step to success is the belief that you are actually becoming strong and muscular. You have to put yourself in the muscle and tell him to grow. Arnold often uses a visualization technique that mentally suggests that his biceps grow as tall as a mountain. He used these mental techniques for all muscle groups. The success proved him right.
2. Train harder than any other athlete
Arnold's athletic goal was better than any other athlete from the start, so he also had to train harder and more intensively than the other athletes. In practice, it looked like all the athletes were finishing their training in the gym because they wanted to watch Arnold training him. Arnold tried to train every exercise with the highest intensity. Important was the training with the so-called Basics, which consist in weight training from bench press, squats and deadlifts. Arnold preferred only free weights for his training.
3. Pick the right exercises
The successful athlete trains not only hard but also intelligent. If you want to lift heavy weights, you have to get strong first. These rules apply to both beginners and advanced athletes. Isolation training and workouts for individual muscle groups were not important to Arnold's training program. Arnold was a friend of the so-called multi-joint exercises. This type of exercise trains several muscle groups at the same time, which in the end brings you faster success for your training success. Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts or Power Clean are typical examples of multi-joint exercise workouts. Increase the weight continuously and stay disciplined until the end, then the success will come in the desired muscle.
4. Train a few repetitions with heavy weights
For a successful training program Arnold was not only the right exercise important, but also the right weight on the bars. For Arnold, training was more efficient when he trained squats in a set of eight repetitions and 180 kilograms of weight, than a set of 40 repetitions and only 65 kilograms of weight. Those who train with heavy weights have to warm up well. Arnold always trained with very heavy weight at least 6 reps and never more than 12 reps per set. This rule applied to all exercises and muscle groups, including the calves.
5. Vary your training
Arnold quickly realized that a monotonous workout with always the same exercises leads to a stagnation of muscle building. This is a point where many bodybuilders resign and pause with the exercise program. For a constant growth of the individual muscle groups, the body always needs new stimuli. This was also the reason why Arnold was constantly experimenting with new training variants and exercise sequences. Arnold wanted to "shock" the muscle so it grows. He achieved this through a varied training program with ever new exercises.
6. Train for the pump
Arnold was a friend of the so-called muscle pump. The pumping up of the muscle was just as important to him as an orgasm. Without muscle pumping, the muscle can not grow. Arnold practiced this pumping of individual muscle groups always between the sentences and at the end of training in front of the mirrors in the gym. The muscle pump is a training method of the bodybuilder, which inflate the muscle by the tightening of the muscles in such a way that the volume and definition of the muscle become more visible.
7. Put the priority in training on your weaknesses
If the bodybuilder has a particularly large biceps, then he wants to show this too. The result is focused training for this muscle to make it bigger and more massive. Arnold trained exactly the opposite. He analyzed exactly the weak points of his body, trying to improve the aesthetics and the overall visual image. For example, he noticed that his calf muscles were too narrow compared to the thighs. So he began to intensively train his calf muscles. He used this principle in all muscle groups, which in the end earned him the body of a Mr. Universe.
8. Knowledge and instinct
Arnold is firmly convinced today that the success of bodybuilding comes from knowing the right training method and diet. The more you know, the greater the success. This is also the reason why Arnold wanted to learn and master every kind of exercise for strength training. You have to find out which exercise program is best for your body. Therefore try to train as much as possible different training methods and experiment with weight and repetition numbers. Then you too will ultimately achieve your personal success in your sport.
