Arnold Schwarzenegger, an actor, politician, bodybuilder, powerlifter, businessman, author etc. etc., whatever you might call him. If you are in the fitness world, then you have definitely come across this name and personality. There are very few who don’t recognize him. He began lifting at age of 15 and within 5 years, got his Mr. Universe title. A 7 time Mr. Olympia, the greatest feat for bodybuilding, he is a personality on his own. Let’s walk through Arnolds 6 day split workout that is popular among all fitness enthusiasts.
Arnold Workout Summary
| Goal | Muscle building |
| Workout Type | Split workout |
| Level of Training | Advanced |
| Duration | 2 months |
| Training Days | 6 days a week |
| Time | an hour to hour and half |
| Equipment | Barbell, dumbbell, cables, body-weight |
| Target Gender | Male |
| Supplements | Protein, Creatine, Mass Gainer, Multi-Vitamin |
Description
This workout split is very much similar to what Arnold followed back in his Mr. Olympia days. This routine is a high volume training style hitting all those major muscles 2-3 times a week. It might not be suitable for everyone on the first go, but it surely will benefit everyone in long run.
Arnold’s Stats
| Height | 6’2″ |
| Weight | 235 lbs |
| Arms | 22 inches |
| Chest | 57″ |
| Waist | 34″ |
| Squat | 545 lbs |
| Bench Press | 500 lbs |
| Deadlift | 710 lbs |
Arnold’s Meal Stats
Arnold always emphasizes on the quality and quantity you must eat. Meal is all he puts focus on. His training was always backed by the disciplined and well maintained diet. The general overview of his meal looks like this:
| Number of meals | 5-6 meals |
| Calories | upto 5000 per day |
| Protein | 300+ grams |
| Post workout | carbs right after workout |
| Protein Shakes | Only if your diet doesn’t provide enough |
6 Day Workout Split
This workout split was mentioned by Arnold himself in one of his publishes. The split looks something like this:
| Day 1 | Chest and Back |
| Day 2 | Shoulders and Arms |
| Day 3 | Legs and Lower back |
| Day 4 | Chest and Back |
| Day 5 | Shoulders and Arms |
| Day 6 | Legs and Lower back |
| Day 7 | Rest |
Chest and Back
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Bench press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Incline Bench Press | 3-4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3-4 | 10 |
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Chin Up | 3-4 | 10 |
| Bent Over Row | 3-4 | 10 |
| Deadlift | 3-4 | 10 |
| Abs Crunches | 5 | 25 |
Shoulders and Arms
| Shoulders | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Clean and Press | 4 | 10 |
| Lateral Raises | 4 | 10 |
| Military Press | 4 | 10 |
| Upright rows | 4 | 10 |
| Arms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Curl(Seated) | 4 | 10 |
| Close grip bench press(tris) | 4 | 10 |
| Triceps Extension | 4 | 10 |
| Forearms | ||
| Wrist Curl(Normal + Reverse) | 4 | 10 |
| Reverse Abs Crunches | 5 | 25 |
Legs and Lower back
| Legs | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squat | 4 | 10 |
| Lunge | 4 | 10 |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Lower Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Stiff Legged Deadlift | 4 | 10 |
| Good Mornings | 4 | 10 |
| Calves | ||
| Standing Calf Raises | 4 | 10 |
| Abs Crunches | 5 | 25 |
Arnold Workout Variation
There is another variation to the Arnolds 6 Day Split Workout. This focus on training each body part 3 times a week. It is high in both intensity and volume.
| Day 1,3,5 | Chest, Back and Legs |
| Day 2,4,6 | Shoulders and arms |
| Day 7 | Rest |
Chest, Back and Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Chest | ||
| Bench press | 5 | 6-10 |
| Incline Bench Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| Dumbbell Flye | 5 | 6-10 |
| Cable Cross Overs | 6 | 10-12 |
| Dips | 5 | Failure |
| Dumbbell Pullovers | 5 | 10-12 |
| Back | ||
| Wide grip pull up | 6 | Failure |
| Seated Cable Row | 6 | 6-10 |
| T-Bar Row | 5 | 6-10 |
| Single Arm Dumbbell row | 5 | 6-10 |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 6 | 15 |
| Legs | ||
| Squat | 6 | 8-12 |
| Leg Extension | 6 | 12-15 |
| Leg Curl | 6 | 10-15 |
| Leg Press | 6 | 8-12 |
| Barbell Lunges | 5 | 15 |
| Calves | ||
| Standing and Seated Calf Raises | 10-10 | 10-15 |
| One Leg Dumbbell Calf Raises | 6 | 12 |
| Forearms | ||
| Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Wrist Roller Machine | 4 | Failure |
| Non-stop Abs | 30 minutes | Feel the burn |
Shoulders and Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Biceps | ||
| Barbell Curl | 6 | 6-10 |
| Dumbbell Curl(Seated) | 6 | 6-10 |
| Dumbbell Concentration | 6 | 6-10 |
| Triceps | ||
| Close Grip Bench Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| Triceps Push Down | 6 | 6-10 |
| Barbell French Press | 6 | 6-10 |
| Single Arm Dumbbell Extension | 6 | 6-10 |
| Shoulders | ||
| Shoulder press(Barbell) | 6 | 6-10 |
| Lateral Raises | 6 | 6-10 |
| Rear Delt Raises | 6 | 6-10 |
| Cable Lateral Raises | 6 | 6-10 |
| Calves | ||
| Standing and Seated Calf Raises | 10-10 | 10-15 |
| One Leg Dumbbell Calf Raises | 6 | 12 |
| Forearms | ||
| Wrist Curl | 4 | 10 |
| Reverse Barbell Curl | 4 | 8 |
| Wrist Roller Machine | 4 | Failure |
| Non-stop Abs | 30 minutes | Feel the burn |
Summary of Arnolds 6 Day Split Workout
Arnold is a living legend. He has multiple personality traits to explore. A 7 time Mr. Olympia isn’t made in chill, it needs hard work and dedication. Discipline is key to success. High intensity and volume workout split like arnolds 6 day split workout is very much favorable for adding on size and conditioning. With the backing of high quality diet, all your dreams will be turn to reality.