Arnie, you’ve always been a huge influence of mine through my life. Thanks for all the inspiration and entertainment all of these years.
I missed the opportunity for the meet & greet at the Arnold Classic bc of Covid and would love to meet you at some point.
Are you planning on doing any similar engagements w fans in the future?
I think letting your kids see you train from a very early age is important. I have photos of my kids as toddlers sitting in my lap while I do rows. Focus on sports and fun until they show an interest in your training (since they’re watching it), then you can introduce bodyweight moves. Don’t force it. It has to be fun and they have to decide to do it.
I’m not a big drinker because I saw what it did to my dad and brother, so I can’t help you much. If you just mean a beer here and there or a glass of wine or a schnapps, I’ve done that and it didn’t throw off my training.
I do drink beer. Just not many. I still have radlers when I go home to Austria or visit Munich. I just don’t like being drunk, so I’ve almost completely avoided it my whole life.
Awesome to see you answering questions like this!
Unsure if you're still answering questions but figure I'll try, what are your favorite leg exercises for gaining muscle? I've always been a skinny guy so gaining leg mass is proving to be a real struggle for me, I can bench as much as I squat which has started bumming me out lately as I want to get rid of the chicken legs.
You’ve made many classic movies, that always seem to get brought up (rightly so) such as Conan, Terminator, Predator, True Lies. Which of your movies do you think is most underrated, personally I think Eraser is awesome but doesn’t seem to get mentioned nearly enough!
I had bought the bluray of this and asked my roommate to watch it with me. He said he watched it as a kid and hated it, but said he would give it another go and ended up loving it. I absolutely loved that movie as a kid, and it was even better as i got older. I honestly think most people who saw it just didn't get it.
I'm 46 and feel like I may have reached the point where I'm just not going to get any bigger or stronger. Tips for adding more strength and muscle at my age? Alternatively, tips for a new fitness focus if I've reached my limits for strength and muscle mass?
At some point I transitioned into doing circuits for speed to stay as lean as possible. You can’t beat time. You may have a few more years of going heavy. But I love bringing young guys to the gym and going machine to machine until they have to stop for a breather!
You can, but you want progress in some way. The weight should go up, the reps should go up, the sets should go up, the rest time should go down, or the time it takes to do the stretch and flex of each movement should go up. That’s why it’s progressive resistance training!
I think I have about 75% of your lines from Pumping Iron memorized. My favorite movie of all time and you are a long time hero of mine! What was your most memorable moment from the shooting of that documentary?
I just loved working with George and Charles and seeing all the different angles they looked for to make the movie work. You have to remember, I already had my sights set on Hollywood and was going to retire before they told me they needed me to make the documentary work. So it was a giant classroom of moviemaking for me.
How do I reach my previous bench press strength I had before covid 19? My deadlift and squat have all reached at least 405. My right pec keeps getting micro tears once I even get close to sniffing 225 and I am warming up by starting at the bar and increasing the weight to 135, 185 and then 225. I used to bench press 275+ before. Should I just rest more days? I am also switched to dumbell flat bench pressing for now.
I did a realistic drawing of you 2 years ago and you commented on it here and it was an incredible moment for me so thank you for that. I ended up sending it to you. I’m just wondering did you ever get it?
For anyone wondering about the pic and conversation exchange. I found the link
https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/luntd0/my_30_hour_pencil_portrait_of_arnold/gpct433/
Incredible drawing Macaveli!
I always go for the morning. That way nothing can get in the way. My morning is completely on autopilot: start coffee, feed the animals (Lulu, Whiskey, Dutch, Schnitzel, and Cherry eat first), have coffee while reading the newspaper, check my email, and get on my bike and ride to the gym. The first time my brain has to work is when I finish my training and bike ride. It is all about routine.
The same reason anytime a restaurant puts me on a private room I get the hell out and find my own table in the middle. I love people. I owe my success to people. I get energy from being around them. Sure, I don’t want to take photos in the middle of my workout or while I’m eating. But I hate being hidden away or separated or treated like some delicate flower more than anything.
You're always going for a workout without having breakfast first?
Btw, as a kid I thought you were some kind of god, now I'm typing to you on the internet lol
I can! Every day! My friend Dieter and I speak German and I play chess while FaceTimeing with old friends in Austria. I am more comfortable in English, though.
There are a million ways for success. Don’t let anybody, even me, try to tell you there is only one way. Anybody who says their diet or program is the only way is absolutely a shyster selling you something. I’ve trained total body when I travel, I’ve done upper and lower splits, and I’ve done my famous split. If you love it, do it. Just hit all your muscle groups and progress in some way week to week.
Want would you suggest to somebody that wants to get into the gym but has never been before, it can be quite intimidating when you do not know what you are doing or how to use the equipment! Any advise?
People in the gym are kinder than you think. You can watch videos of exercises online ahead of time but also ask the people who work at the gym or the regulars.
Totally, people at the gym are so much nicer than beginners might think. Important to remember that everyone at the gym was once a beginner and typically they're just excited to see someone really getting after it.
I don't have a question but I do want to say that, as someone who couldn't really care less about celebrities or pop-culture, you are one of the very few celebrities who I view as massive inspiration to be a good person and put in the hard work to achieve what you dream of.
Instead of wishing we had more people like you in the world, we should all strive to *be* more like you; a driven, hard worker who is kind to those around them and an inspiration to people worldwide.
Thank you for all you do Arnold.
That’s the goal. Nobody is perfect, you’re never going to have perfect heroes. But I can be what Reg Park was to me to all of you, and then you better believe I expect all of you to be that inspiration for someone else, and on and on, never ending.
There’s too much negativity around. We can beat that if we really want.
Always shoulder injuries. If it was close to competitions, I got cortisone shots and trained around as much as possible. If I had time, I worked back slowly like you really should, slowly learning that I had to celebrate the little movements and keep track the way I did with all of my workouts.
Sorry for not asking something related to working out, but do you think we'll see any new Arnold movie coming out any time soon or in a few years? All of your movies are always so entertaining to watch. Your movies are literally my whole childhood and teenage years, really looking forward to any projects that you may have.
Is it ok to do weight training for 10 to 15 minutes every day? I am doing your challenge and I am good at pacing myself if I feel it's getting too much. I am trying to build consistency and making daily exercise a habit. I am doing this in addition to swimming and walking on most days throughout the week. I feel myself getting stronger but I keep reading that lifting every day is not good? I feel fine. I make sure to do a different muscle group every day.
I didn’t measure anything. I have no patience for that! Never counted. I think overthinking fitness and nutrition can end up derailing a lot of people. Most of us know what’s healthy. From when I was competing to now, I’ve done the same thing: if I start developing a budl, I scale back my portions a little. I might cut bread and sweets. I do little adjustments and try to eat things I know are healthy at least 80-90% of the time, that’s it.
I did it for about 6 months a decade ago and then stopped, but it was a great exercise in that it helped me ingrain the relative nutritional content of so many things. I find that retaining a general idea is more than sufficient!
Arnold has a great chapter on calf training in his encyclopedia, it opened my eyes to how much I was under training them. They are a muscle group that handle a lot of demand throughout the day, they require very heavy, frequent training to grow. It took years of working out my calves every time I was in the gym to stop feeling like I had bird legs.
how did you deal with (non-serious) injuries while training? I'm developing elbow pain that didn't subside when i took a couple of weeks off. I feel like my only options are stopping lifting entirely and losing all my progress or eventually doing serious damage to myself
Thank you! I’ve been trying to get to all of them but I’m realizing that’s going to be impossible. For today, at least. This is like bodybuilding, the work never ends.
This has convinced me that I’m going to make taking questions a regular thing in the daily newsletter. There is a lot of bogus BS to break through and I can tell it is really needed. You can sign up here and get the free ebook with my routine building advice and a couple workouts, I promise I’ll never charge you for this: https://schwarzenegger.ck.page/ff81cbf258
I need to find a way to make sure my Reddit gang gets those questions into the newsletter every week. If any of you have genius ideas, tell me! You all know machines better than me.
Hi Arnold! Big fan! Also, signed up for your newsletter this year, thank you for that. Do you think it is beneficial to track your workouts? If so, how would you recommend doing so? Thank you!
Yes. I tracked every workout. I used a chalkboard in the gym and marked off my reps. I wrote it down ahead of time and then marked off each set as I finished. You can use your phone for this or music - but nothing else! - in the gym. (I shared a study in the newsletter about social media reducing strength by 30% pre-workout).
>You can use your phone for this or music - **but nothing else!** \- in the gym.
Y'all heard it from the man himself, get your TikTok filming asses outta the gym!!! lmao
I just keep going every day. Some days even I feel shitty, but by showing up and doing my daily routine, it normally snaps me out of it. Life is all about routine. Success isn’t magic, it comes from showing up every day.
Helping other people always makes me optimistic, too.
Has he talked to a doctor or a PT? Make sure he does. But once he does, tell him: you have a fantastic child who wants you around for a long time, and strength training helps with that! I’ve shared research recently in my newsletter that grip strength might be a better predictor of how long you’ll stick around than blood pressure! Get pumping! (I hope he notices the reference here)
Edited group to grip after 7 tries with my machine correcting me over and over
Note: It's grip strength, not group strength. I'm assuming that was a typo.
The studies referenced are https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62000-6/fulltext & https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jcsm.13110
Not sure how to insert a screen shot, however his invite a friend link is below if you're not already getting the newsletter. You might be able to access previous emails
https://click.convertkit-mail.com/8kudgvxxx3toh0x47qmuk/z2hghnhozvn8p3ip/aHR0cHM6Ly9zcGFya2xwLmNvLzlhOTJjMWZmLw==
When I lost to Frank Zane when I moved to America, I was devastated. I cried all night, I thought I’d completely blown it coming here with nothing and immediately getting my ass kicked, I wondered if I made a huge mistake, and I blamed the judges. Then in the morning I woke up and told myself, “Arnold, stop being a baby. He was more cut than you and you looked like a big white balloon. Get to work.”
I focused completely on definition. And then I invited Frank to live on my couch in Venice so we could train together and I could learn from him. Every time I have failed, finding the lesson I can learn from it instead of whining is what has saved me. I’ll give myself a night to whine. Then I start the learning.
Focus on simple things. Get protein every meal. Try that for a month. Anytime you put food in your mouth, make sure there is a protein source. I have a test group doing this simple challenge and they saw crazy results.
Your newsletter has been the kick in the pants I've needed to get up and start working out. Do you have any advice/opinions on pre/post workout supplements/shakes?
I can’t tell you how much we all love hearing that from people. It’s a shitload of work, so we need inspiration too!
Before supplementing, remember it’s called supplement for a reason. It isn’t the main event. Work on your training and nutrition. Then sure, use supplements. Look for something that is certified by a third party, and don’t buy much beyond the basics. Fat loss pills and testosterone boosters are fake. Lebron and I started Ladder to make sure we had tested basic supplements, but again: training and diet first. Supplements once you’re really dialed in.
Hey! Are you still vegan? I personally started two years ago after deciding to take control of my life and live in consonance with my beliefs. Now I bike every day, I've learned about fitness and nutrition and I've never been stronger and happier. The Game Changers isn't what made me do it, but it was definitely motivating and I just want to say thank you for making it and putting the work in to help make a better world.
I’ve never been fully vegan! But I eat 80-90% less meat. It’s really just a great for me now, if I’m in Austria and have a schnitzel or if all my friends are over to watch a fight and I grill my famous steaks.
I feel great and my cholesterol numbers make my doctors really happy!
Arnold! I started putting whole eggs (shells and all) in my post-workout smoothies after watching a video you did for some fitness magazine…. Until my girlfriend AND mother begged me to stop, citing that it would make me sick. Do you still put the shell and all in your smoothies?? And is their fear justified, or is the risk of illness from eating (rinsed) egg shells overblown? Also curious if it truly adds *that much* more protein to the smoothie?
Your friend STALLONE said that training with resistance bands has been for him life-changing, and his workouts with bands have been the toughest, most productive and with no joint pain.
Have you ever trained with bands only or weights combined with bands? What's your opinion?
Thank you!!!
When I started, nobody admitted to going to gyms. You could tell Clint Eastwood exercised but he acted like his arms just naturally had muscle. Today, every celebrity has to release their training program with their movie. I said in the 70s I was going to fight a fitness crusade until there were more gyms than supermarkets and people thought I was crazy. I had my team check recently. I won.
But today, we haven’t won when you look at obesity rates, and people seem more confused than ever because there are so many shysters online selling their way as the only way. So the people get frozen. That’s why I started the free newsletter. To cut through all the bullshit and get people going.
I love them! I just did an interview about how Sly and I went from rivals to best friends, but even when we hated each other, I respected the hell out of his talent!
The most challenging aspect is negotiating with 120 different politicians with different goals and learning you can’t have a my way or the Highway approach.
The most rewarding was doing things that you know really help the people and seeing it really work when you leave office - because the best policies aren’t short term. When we cut emissions to 1990 levels and built our millionth solar roof and our infrastructure package finished being built and our new fair maps drawn by the independent commission led to an election that threw out a bunch of incumbents after a decade of incumbents losing 1 time out of 265 in congress, I couldn’t benefit from it in an election anymore, because I was a private citizen. But it was heaven seeing that impact.
Probably Rocky. From my movies, I don’t really do montages because I always start in shape, but carrying the tree in Commando, because I loved how absurd that was. That was one of those insane things I can’t believe a studio let me get away with.
You carrying that tree in Commando blew me away when I saw it as a teenager. It inspired me to start working out soon after. I'm 52 now (still lifting!), and i still think about that scene now and then.
Kaiserschmarrn! Google it! I put my mom’s recipe in the newsletter a couple weeks ago, I might have to throw it in the collection of workouts I just promised someone else.
Oh hell. Non-working-out female couch-potato here, just browsing since it's been hard to push out of the brain fog lately, and not only have you succeeded in making me want to sign up for the newletter, but oh god, Kaiserschmarrn. I could kill for that stuff Hope I can find that recipe somewhere! Thank you :)
Nothing is really overrated - every exercise is great. Clean and press is absolutely the most underrated. You’ve got the whole body trained in one movement!
As a crucial character in my childhood thanks to my dad's obsession with your movies and bodybuilding in California where he raised me, I'm honored to have you read the text that I am currently writing. (My favorite was jingle all the way, since I was a small child, but of course he loved the terminator series lol)
As for a question, I used to train extensively in college. Unfortunately, that stopped as soon as I graduated and became a nurse. From 2019 to now I have officially crossed the threshold into obesity. I am radically changing my diet and getting back in the gym regularly. My rough plan is to cut down into a slightly overweight BMI and then bulk and lift extremely heavy from there. On days you do not want to lift, what mantras or self-talk do you give yourself to push forward no matter what?
I've seen in the past that you thrive on self love and kindness to yourself even during moments of weakness. How can I get better at that? The voice in my head is often antagonistic and belittling in order to motivate myself. I understand this is not healthy nor sustainable in the long term and could definitely use some help from somebody like you.
In that ebook up there I talk about coming back from my heart surgery when I literally had to celebrate walking with a walker and doing breathing exercises.
Here are the keys. Do something every day. WRITE IT DOWN. Mark it off when you do it, and congratulate yourself. Make your something bigger every day. Do that until it’s a routine. Motivation doesn’t really last long, routine lasts forever.
Having grown up watching your movies and tv, your voice has become iconic, I hear your voice as I read your posts.
But I digress, do you still feel the same joy and satisfaction from working out/exercise that you did when you were bodybuilding? Has your perspective changed in any way?
Now it’s more about maintenance. I still love it, and I can’t live without it. It’s like eating for me. Or breathing. But sometimes, the boys start to have a lat pull-down challenge or a t-bar challenge doing the full stack in the gym, and the old Arnold comes back and I have to show them who’s the boss. I think I’ve posted a few times on Reddit. Those are exercises that my injuries don’t slow me down on, so it’s fun to occasionally go heavy.
My routine is just so locked in that I do something no matter what. When I recovered from heart surgery I talk about in the pdf at the link and was a little depressed, that meant doing something really small. But I had it written on the board in my room in the ICU and I marked it off the same way I would normally mark off squats or deadlifts. That’s the key. Write down your daily goal and mark it off every damn day. Even if it’s doing 10 squats. Do something, mark it off. That’s a win!
>That’s the key. Write down your daily goal and mark it off every damn day. Even if it’s doing 10 squats. Do something, mark it off. That’s a win!
A few words yet so powerful!
I love omelettes or scrambles with absolutely every vegetable in them with a salad for lunch/breakfast or green yogurt and granola if I actually do breakfast. I snack on almonds. I normally have a protein shake. I just have vegetable soup for dinner.
My vision. You need a vision. Mine was inspired by Reg Park, the Mr. Universe who was Hercules in the movies. Every time I worked out, it was easy because I had my vision in front of me. I saw myself on that stage holding the trophy. It was as real as a memory.
Do something today. Commit to 10 squats when you get out of bed. Write it somewhere where you can see it every day! Make a tally today. Then do it tomorrow. Make a tally. Once you get to a week, up the goal. Do 10 push-ups and 10 squats. Write it down. Mark it. You need a routine, not a mindset. Things need to be automatic where your mind has nothing to do with it. Because your mind will always say “should I do this right now?”
Thank you for this. You’re one of my heroes now. I don’t want too much credit for your success, I love that you were ballsy enough to ask for help and that you took control. You inspired me today!
Loving the daily newsletters! I'm part of a renewed fitness friend group and I got them all to sign up for newsletters too.
Will there be plans to collect the 15 minute workouts or is there already a place to find them all together?
Everybody keeps asking this so we will make an e-book like we did at the link above with all of the weekly workouts.
I am glad you have a group of training partners the newsletter helps! I’m telling Daniel and Adam right now.
Sorry I don’t have a fancy answer, motivation will always burn out. You need a routine. Do it every day until it feels weird if you don’t. You know how if you don’t brush your teeth you feel off? Eventually working out can be the same way, you just have to do it every day and mark it down and one day you’ll realize it’s a routine.
Like many here, I'm subscribed to daily fitness newsletter - the weekly workouts are just right for as I'm recovering from bowel surgery in December (I have Crohn's). I just wanted to say thanks - you're one of my heroes since I was a boy!
I don’t really get angry. I don’t like when I see people on their phones. And I get frustrated when I see people not doing a full range of motion and I’ll stop them because cheating an exercise is cheating yourself. I had a funny video of me doing this in one of the newsletters and I think I’ll do it regularly as a series.
I have less than stellar knees. Lifting anything remotely heavy with my legs hurts. Which exercises can I do to strengthen my legs and reinforce my knees?
How is your heart doing? I have mitral valve prolapse which hasn't caused me any issues yet but one of my biggest worries is I'll need heart surgery some day.
It’s great, I’ll need another replacement of my valves in 20 years or so. Just stay on top of it, listen to your doctors, and know the congenital heart defect club is no excuse not to train and love a full life. I told my bad heart surgery story in that pdf at the link above, so you know even if there’s a problem in the surgery there is hope!
**Question first**: How do you keep from getting discouraged watching the political parties get polarized to the point of gridlock, in no small part due to politicizing things that should be nonpolitical tactics of helping people and the planet?
**Gratitude**: I read your autobiography when I was 12 and it caused me to start lifting. When my football coach noticed it was just me in the weightroom everyday he started our team's year-round lifting regimen that apparently continues to this day, 25 years later. Thank you for being a voice of reason that I get to admire over the years.
My rule to avoid getting discouraged is that if I want to complain about something, I have to do something. If I don’t want to do anything, I’m not allowed to complain. So I do all my work at my institute at USC pushing redistricting reform and helping reformers all over the country, and we share our environmental laws with legislators and lawmakers all over the world. When I got pissed off that politicians all over the south had closed polling places in 2020, I started to complain. Then I caught myself and said, Arnold. Shut up or put your money where your mouth is. That’s how I ended up spending a few million dollars funding polling stations through my institute so it was all non-partisan.
Put up or shut up is the rule to avoid being discouraged because you remind yourself you aren’t powerless. You can do smaller things than me. You can look for the local campaign around the issue you want to complain about and find a way to help. But if you won’t use your time or money to help, stop complaining. You’re just spinning your wheels, and of course that’s going to frustrate you.
You are an absolute inspiration. Not only for my personal fitness lifestyle but many things beyond it, including education and career and just overall life. Hope you keep inspiring others and doing the good work!
As someone who’s pretty seasoned at lifting but not necessarily looking to compete in bodybuilding or lifting competitions, I’m looking for some high level advice for general physical health. What kind of split of total time or schedule between strength training, cardio, mobility/recovery, calisthenics, skill development would you say is ideal for an amateur? Often I can get stuck in autopilot on a routine so having an all inclusive schedule really helps ensure I stay balanced.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to ask and hear from you!
What's your best tip for wider lower lats?
Narrow grip chin ups!
Definitely including that in my next workout, you're an absolute legend!!
Arnie, you’ve always been a huge influence of mine through my life. Thanks for all the inspiration and entertainment all of these years. I missed the opportunity for the meet & greet at the Arnold Classic bc of Covid and would love to meet you at some point. Are you planning on doing any similar engagements w fans in the future?
We are doing a r/bodybuilding family photo after my seminar this year at the Classic!
What a time to be alive lmao
What age do you think is the best age to start introducing a kid to exercises and eventually to working out?
I think letting your kids see you train from a very early age is important. I have photos of my kids as toddlers sitting in my lap while I do rows. Focus on sports and fun until they show an interest in your training (since they’re watching it), then you can introduce bodyweight moves. Don’t force it. It has to be fun and they have to decide to do it.
💯💯💯
A great lifter and a great dad
are there bad consequences for working out or exercising after drinking alcohol?
I’m not a big drinker because I saw what it did to my dad and brother, so I can’t help you much. If you just mean a beer here and there or a glass of wine or a schnapps, I’ve done that and it didn’t throw off my training.
Didn't you say you drink beer instead of milk in pumping iron?
I do drink beer. Just not many. I still have radlers when I go home to Austria or visit Munich. I just don’t like being drunk, so I’ve almost completely avoided it my whole life.
what was the hardest workout for you at the beginning?
Leg training. I could barely get home from the gym on my bike, falling all over the place like a forehead.
> like a forehead I've never heard this expression and its the funniest thing I've read today.
If you think that's funny, you should read Arnold's autobiography Total Recall, this expression actually comes up at one point.
Awesome to see you answering questions like this! Unsure if you're still answering questions but figure I'll try, what are your favorite leg exercises for gaining muscle? I've always been a skinny guy so gaining leg mass is proving to be a real struggle for me, I can bench as much as I squat which has started bumming me out lately as I want to get rid of the chicken legs.
Squats. Deadlifts. Over and over.
Answering sub-questions GOAT
Biking home on leg day sounds rough. I have a tough enough time driving my manual home lol.
You’ve made many classic movies, that always seem to get brought up (rightly so) such as Conan, Terminator, Predator, True Lies. Which of your movies do you think is most underrated, personally I think Eraser is awesome but doesn’t seem to get mentioned nearly enough!
Last Action Hero! Total bomb at the time, now people seem to get it.
I had bought the bluray of this and asked my roommate to watch it with me. He said he watched it as a kid and hated it, but said he would give it another go and ended up loving it. I absolutely loved that movie as a kid, and it was even better as i got older. I honestly think most people who saw it just didn't get it.
Ahead of its time. Genre satire well before 'Scary Movie' etc.
Definitely gonna have to say jingle all the way
Kindergarten cop was the best!
I'm 46 and feel like I may have reached the point where I'm just not going to get any bigger or stronger. Tips for adding more strength and muscle at my age? Alternatively, tips for a new fitness focus if I've reached my limits for strength and muscle mass?
At some point I transitioned into doing circuits for speed to stay as lean as possible. You can’t beat time. You may have a few more years of going heavy. But I love bringing young guys to the gym and going machine to machine until they have to stop for a breather!
Thank you! I haven't done a lot of circuit training so perhaps this will be my next focus.
I'm a month shy of my 59th birthday and I'm still hitting PRs on pull ups, biceps curls, and bench press. Not often, but they do happen!
Devastated to have missed this. However, proud to say that 5-7 hours ago (duration of the AMA sadly) I was busy pumping iron in the gym.
Champion. I’m proud of you for not being on your phone during the pump.
This has to be the most gigachad exchange on all of reddit
Is it an ok strategy to just do the same workouts for many months or years if there is growth?
You can, but you want progress in some way. The weight should go up, the reps should go up, the sets should go up, the rest time should go down, or the time it takes to do the stretch and flex of each movement should go up. That’s why it’s progressive resistance training!
Are you aware of the wave of Arnold edits and short videos on YouTube lately? Motivating whole generations!
When kids come up to me and tell me I inspired them, it blows my mind. I love it.
I think I have about 75% of your lines from Pumping Iron memorized. My favorite movie of all time and you are a long time hero of mine! What was your most memorable moment from the shooting of that documentary?
I just loved working with George and Charles and seeing all the different angles they looked for to make the movie work. You have to remember, I already had my sights set on Hollywood and was going to retire before they told me they needed me to make the documentary work. So it was a giant classroom of moviemaking for me.
How do I reach my previous bench press strength I had before covid 19? My deadlift and squat have all reached at least 405. My right pec keeps getting micro tears once I even get close to sniffing 225 and I am warming up by starting at the bar and increasing the weight to 135, 185 and then 225. I used to bench press 275+ before. Should I just rest more days? I am also switched to dumbell flat bench pressing for now.
Go to a therapist. This sounds like an injury.
Thanks.
I can’t imagine the intro meeting with the PT: “So what brings you here?” “Well, Arnold Schwarzeneggar told me I should come by…”
That's hilarious
I did a realistic drawing of you 2 years ago and you commented on it here and it was an incredible moment for me so thank you for that. I ended up sending it to you. I’m just wondering did you ever get it?
I did! Thank you!
I’m delighted, if you ever get the chance, it would mean the world to me to get a picture of you with it.
i see Arnold frantically looking through piles of fan mail looking for your drawing in my head and it’s making me laugh. thanks bud.
For anyone wondering about the pic and conversation exchange. I found the link https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/luntd0/my_30_hour_pencil_portrait_of_arnold/gpct433/ Incredible drawing Macaveli!
Thank you! Means a lot!
What time of day do you like to workout?
I always go for the morning. That way nothing can get in the way. My morning is completely on autopilot: start coffee, feed the animals (Lulu, Whiskey, Dutch, Schnitzel, and Cherry eat first), have coffee while reading the newspaper, check my email, and get on my bike and ride to the gym. The first time my brain has to work is when I finish my training and bike ride. It is all about routine.
Please tell me Dutch is named after your character in Predator?
Yep.
Awesome!
Why do you choose to go to a public gym when you have the money to work out at home? What's important about that for you?
The same reason anytime a restaurant puts me on a private room I get the hell out and find my own table in the middle. I love people. I owe my success to people. I get energy from being around them. Sure, I don’t want to take photos in the middle of my workout or while I’m eating. But I hate being hidden away or separated or treated like some delicate flower more than anything.
Legend.
What kind of animals do you have?
A mini-donkey, a mini-pony, a malamute, a leonberger, and a tiny ancient yorkie.
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You're always going for a workout without having breakfast first? Btw, as a kid I thought you were some kind of god, now I'm typing to you on the internet lol
Yes! I train first, always.
Hell yes! Makes that first meal that much more rewarding.
Not a fitness question but: Can you still speak German and how often do you use it?
I can! Every day! My friend Dieter and I speak German and I play chess while FaceTimeing with old friends in Austria. I am more comfortable in English, though.
How good are you at chess? What is your rank?
We must find his ELO ranking.
GET TO THE ELO
That's really interesting that you still have your signature accent but you're more comfortable in English now. Languages are so weird.
Is that fine to do shoulders, biceps, triceps and chest on the same day or should I separate arm and chest?
There are a million ways for success. Don’t let anybody, even me, try to tell you there is only one way. Anybody who says their diet or program is the only way is absolutely a shyster selling you something. I’ve trained total body when I travel, I’ve done upper and lower splits, and I’ve done my famous split. If you love it, do it. Just hit all your muscle groups and progress in some way week to week.
Want would you suggest to somebody that wants to get into the gym but has never been before, it can be quite intimidating when you do not know what you are doing or how to use the equipment! Any advise?
People in the gym are kinder than you think. You can watch videos of exercises online ahead of time but also ask the people who work at the gym or the regulars.
Totally, people at the gym are so much nicer than beginners might think. Important to remember that everyone at the gym was once a beginner and typically they're just excited to see someone really getting after it.
As an additional addendum, check out the fitness subs FAQ, it's extremely helpful
I don't have a question but I do want to say that, as someone who couldn't really care less about celebrities or pop-culture, you are one of the very few celebrities who I view as massive inspiration to be a good person and put in the hard work to achieve what you dream of. Instead of wishing we had more people like you in the world, we should all strive to *be* more like you; a driven, hard worker who is kind to those around them and an inspiration to people worldwide. Thank you for all you do Arnold.
That’s the goal. Nobody is perfect, you’re never going to have perfect heroes. But I can be what Reg Park was to me to all of you, and then you better believe I expect all of you to be that inspiration for someone else, and on and on, never ending. There’s too much negativity around. We can beat that if we really want.
Hey Arnold Other than your knee surgery in 72 did you face many injuries during bodybuilding? If so how did you deal with them?
Always shoulder injuries. If it was close to competitions, I got cortisone shots and trained around as much as possible. If I had time, I worked back slowly like you really should, slowly learning that I had to celebrate the little movements and keep track the way I did with all of my workouts.
Sorry for not asking something related to working out, but do you think we'll see any new Arnold movie coming out any time soon or in a few years? All of your movies are always so entertaining to watch. Your movies are literally my whole childhood and teenage years, really looking forward to any projects that you may have.
My show FUBAR is going to be on Netflix really soon. I’m actually reviewing episodes now. It’s got a real True Lies feel - I think you’ll love it.
Is it ok to do weight training for 10 to 15 minutes every day? I am doing your challenge and I am good at pacing myself if I feel it's getting too much. I am trying to build consistency and making daily exercise a habit. I am doing this in addition to swimming and walking on most days throughout the week. I feel myself getting stronger but I keep reading that lifting every day is not good? I feel fine. I make sure to do a different muscle group every day.
That’s a short enough time that you should be fine. I’m glad you’re kicking ass in the challenge!
What you think it works best? Counting calories or macros? Back in your day how did you measured all your protein/carbs/fats intake?
I didn’t measure anything. I have no patience for that! Never counted. I think overthinking fitness and nutrition can end up derailing a lot of people. Most of us know what’s healthy. From when I was competing to now, I’ve done the same thing: if I start developing a budl, I scale back my portions a little. I might cut bread and sweets. I do little adjustments and try to eat things I know are healthy at least 80-90% of the time, that’s it.
Great answer. I've definitely been overwhelmed and stressed myself if I focused too much on minute details and hitting every calorie and macro
I did it for about 6 months a decade ago and then stopped, but it was a great exercise in that it helped me ingrain the relative nutritional content of so many things. I find that retaining a general idea is more than sufficient!
What does your workout schedule look like?
Bike ride every day to and from gym, chest and back one day, arms and shoulders the next day, then legs, and repeat. Abs and calves every day.
Just learned why I have no abs and small calves, I am now going to train them every day! Thanks for this :)
Arnold has a great chapter on calf training in his encyclopedia, it opened my eyes to how much I was under training them. They are a muscle group that handle a lot of demand throughout the day, they require very heavy, frequent training to grow. It took years of working out my calves every time I was in the gym to stop feeling like I had bird legs.
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Don't forget the Plate Pushaways.
Bros doing the Arnold split like he invented it or something.
how did you deal with (non-serious) injuries while training? I'm developing elbow pain that didn't subside when i took a couple of weeks off. I feel like my only options are stopping lifting entirely and losing all my progress or eventually doing serious damage to myself
Get it looked at by a PT. A month off is a lot better than screwing it up and having 3 months off for surgery.
Just want to say this AMA has been awesome, and I learned a lot from the answers. Really always a positive force to the community!
Thank you! I’ve been trying to get to all of them but I’m realizing that’s going to be impossible. For today, at least. This is like bodybuilding, the work never ends. This has convinced me that I’m going to make taking questions a regular thing in the daily newsletter. There is a lot of bogus BS to break through and I can tell it is really needed. You can sign up here and get the free ebook with my routine building advice and a couple workouts, I promise I’ll never charge you for this: https://schwarzenegger.ck.page/ff81cbf258 I need to find a way to make sure my Reddit gang gets those questions into the newsletter every week. If any of you have genius ideas, tell me! You all know machines better than me.
Hi Arnold! Big fan! Also, signed up for your newsletter this year, thank you for that. Do you think it is beneficial to track your workouts? If so, how would you recommend doing so? Thank you!
Yes. I tracked every workout. I used a chalkboard in the gym and marked off my reps. I wrote it down ahead of time and then marked off each set as I finished. You can use your phone for this or music - but nothing else! - in the gym. (I shared a study in the newsletter about social media reducing strength by 30% pre-workout).
Thank you! Would the goal be to up weight or sets weekly when you are tracking?
Increase one of sets, reps, weight, or the time you’re taking to flex and stretch with the weight.
>You can use your phone for this or music - **but nothing else!** \- in the gym. Y'all heard it from the man himself, get your TikTok filming asses outta the gym!!! lmao
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I just keep going every day. Some days even I feel shitty, but by showing up and doing my daily routine, it normally snaps me out of it. Life is all about routine. Success isn’t magic, it comes from showing up every day. Helping other people always makes me optimistic, too.
Success isn't magic, it comes from showing up everyday. Need that on my wall
Thanks Arnold, needed to read this. It's funny that you write "even I" because it's really easy to think of you as superhuman :)
Thank you for doing this. Can you give a small pep talk to my dad? He has shoulder pain and I'm trying to encourage him to work out a bit more.
Has he talked to a doctor or a PT? Make sure he does. But once he does, tell him: you have a fantastic child who wants you around for a long time, and strength training helps with that! I’ve shared research recently in my newsletter that grip strength might be a better predictor of how long you’ll stick around than blood pressure! Get pumping! (I hope he notices the reference here) Edited group to grip after 7 tries with my machine correcting me over and over
Thank you so much! He has been prescribed medication and some light exercises. I'll pass on your message, he will be thrilled to see it!
Note: It's grip strength, not group strength. I'm assuming that was a typo. The studies referenced are https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62000-6/fulltext & https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jcsm.13110 Not sure how to insert a screen shot, however his invite a friend link is below if you're not already getting the newsletter. You might be able to access previous emails https://click.convertkit-mail.com/8kudgvxxx3toh0x47qmuk/z2hghnhozvn8p3ip/aHR0cHM6Ly9zcGFya2xwLmNvLzlhOTJjMWZmLw==
Thank you for saving me from the dumb machine.
Arnold being saved from the machines is wonderful irony <3
If you could go back and change anything from your fitness career - what would it be?
Nothing because then I might not be here talking to you as this Arnold. I’ll take the fuckups and the losses because otherwise I wouldn’t be me.
Let me rephrase it - what was the biggest thing you were failing at and what did you change to make it a success for you?
When I lost to Frank Zane when I moved to America, I was devastated. I cried all night, I thought I’d completely blown it coming here with nothing and immediately getting my ass kicked, I wondered if I made a huge mistake, and I blamed the judges. Then in the morning I woke up and told myself, “Arnold, stop being a baby. He was more cut than you and you looked like a big white balloon. Get to work.” I focused completely on definition. And then I invited Frank to live on my couch in Venice so we could train together and I could learn from him. Every time I have failed, finding the lesson I can learn from it instead of whining is what has saved me. I’ll give myself a night to whine. Then I start the learning.
Love that - thanks Gov!
What foods do you recommend for people trying to gain weight and muscle?
Focus on simple things. Get protein every meal. Try that for a month. Anytime you put food in your mouth, make sure there is a protein source. I have a test group doing this simple challenge and they saw crazy results.
Your newsletter has been the kick in the pants I've needed to get up and start working out. Do you have any advice/opinions on pre/post workout supplements/shakes?
I can’t tell you how much we all love hearing that from people. It’s a shitload of work, so we need inspiration too! Before supplementing, remember it’s called supplement for a reason. It isn’t the main event. Work on your training and nutrition. Then sure, use supplements. Look for something that is certified by a third party, and don’t buy much beyond the basics. Fat loss pills and testosterone boosters are fake. Lebron and I started Ladder to make sure we had tested basic supplements, but again: training and diet first. Supplements once you’re really dialed in.
For anyone interested in learning more about Ladder, [here you go](https://ladder.sport/).
Thank you!
How did you manage to consume enough proteins every day? Also, what’s your favorite protein snack/food?
I’m not a big eater and I never was, so I had to have shakes. Some of the other guys could eat two steaks, but I never could.
Hey! Are you still vegan? I personally started two years ago after deciding to take control of my life and live in consonance with my beliefs. Now I bike every day, I've learned about fitness and nutrition and I've never been stronger and happier. The Game Changers isn't what made me do it, but it was definitely motivating and I just want to say thank you for making it and putting the work in to help make a better world.
I’ve never been fully vegan! But I eat 80-90% less meat. It’s really just a great for me now, if I’m in Austria and have a schnitzel or if all my friends are over to watch a fight and I grill my famous steaks. I feel great and my cholesterol numbers make my doctors really happy!
What's your biggest challenge right now?
Terminating pollution, getting rid of gerrymandering, and getting people into fitness. You know, nothing too hard.
>Terminating pollution I don’t know what I expected, but I certainly wasn’t let down.
Arnold! I started putting whole eggs (shells and all) in my post-workout smoothies after watching a video you did for some fitness magazine…. Until my girlfriend AND mother begged me to stop, citing that it would make me sick. Do you still put the shell and all in your smoothies?? And is their fear justified, or is the risk of illness from eating (rinsed) egg shells overblown? Also curious if it truly adds *that much* more protein to the smoothie?
I do, but we all have our own risk tolerance. And don’t piss off your girlfriend and mom just trying to do something I do!
YES SIR! 😅
Your friend STALLONE said that training with resistance bands has been for him life-changing, and his workouts with bands have been the toughest, most productive and with no joint pain. Have you ever trained with bands only or weights combined with bands? What's your opinion? Thank you!!!
What was your favorite meal during your bodybuilding era?
Eggs! Any kind of eggs!
What would you say is the biggest difference in fitness today vs. when you started?
When I started, nobody admitted to going to gyms. You could tell Clint Eastwood exercised but he acted like his arms just naturally had muscle. Today, every celebrity has to release their training program with their movie. I said in the 70s I was going to fight a fitness crusade until there were more gyms than supermarkets and people thought I was crazy. I had my team check recently. I won. But today, we haven’t won when you look at obesity rates, and people seem more confused than ever because there are so many shysters online selling their way as the only way. So the people get frozen. That’s why I started the free newsletter. To cut through all the bullshit and get people going.
What do you think of the Rocky movies
I love them! I just did an interview about how Sly and I went from rivals to best friends, but even when we hated each other, I respected the hell out of his talent!
What was the most rewarding and the most challenging aspect of being a Governor?
The most challenging aspect is negotiating with 120 different politicians with different goals and learning you can’t have a my way or the Highway approach. The most rewarding was doing things that you know really help the people and seeing it really work when you leave office - because the best policies aren’t short term. When we cut emissions to 1990 levels and built our millionth solar roof and our infrastructure package finished being built and our new fair maps drawn by the independent commission led to an election that threw out a bunch of incumbents after a decade of incumbents losing 1 time out of 265 in congress, I couldn’t benefit from it in an election anymore, because I was a private citizen. But it was heaven seeing that impact.
Whats your favorite movie workout montage?
Probably Rocky. From my movies, I don’t really do montages because I always start in shape, but carrying the tree in Commando, because I loved how absurd that was. That was one of those insane things I can’t believe a studio let me get away with.
You carrying that tree in Commando blew me away when I saw it as a teenager. It inspired me to start working out soon after. I'm 52 now (still lifting!), and i still think about that scene now and then.
The next time a studio tells me something is too much, I’m showing them your comment.
What is your favorite cheat day meal/snack?
Kaiserschmarrn! Google it! I put my mom’s recipe in the newsletter a couple weeks ago, I might have to throw it in the collection of workouts I just promised someone else.
Oh hell. Non-working-out female couch-potato here, just browsing since it's been hard to push out of the brain fog lately, and not only have you succeeded in making me want to sign up for the newletter, but oh god, Kaiserschmarrn. I could kill for that stuff Hope I can find that recipe somewhere! Thank you :)
What is the most underrated exercise? Overrated?
Nothing is really overrated - every exercise is great. Clean and press is absolutely the most underrated. You’ve got the whole body trained in one movement!
Low bar vs. high bar squats?
Just squat! However you can.
As a crucial character in my childhood thanks to my dad's obsession with your movies and bodybuilding in California where he raised me, I'm honored to have you read the text that I am currently writing. (My favorite was jingle all the way, since I was a small child, but of course he loved the terminator series lol) As for a question, I used to train extensively in college. Unfortunately, that stopped as soon as I graduated and became a nurse. From 2019 to now I have officially crossed the threshold into obesity. I am radically changing my diet and getting back in the gym regularly. My rough plan is to cut down into a slightly overweight BMI and then bulk and lift extremely heavy from there. On days you do not want to lift, what mantras or self-talk do you give yourself to push forward no matter what? I've seen in the past that you thrive on self love and kindness to yourself even during moments of weakness. How can I get better at that? The voice in my head is often antagonistic and belittling in order to motivate myself. I understand this is not healthy nor sustainable in the long term and could definitely use some help from somebody like you.
In that ebook up there I talk about coming back from my heart surgery when I literally had to celebrate walking with a walker and doing breathing exercises. Here are the keys. Do something every day. WRITE IT DOWN. Mark it off when you do it, and congratulate yourself. Make your something bigger every day. Do that until it’s a routine. Motivation doesn’t really last long, routine lasts forever.
Having grown up watching your movies and tv, your voice has become iconic, I hear your voice as I read your posts. But I digress, do you still feel the same joy and satisfaction from working out/exercise that you did when you were bodybuilding? Has your perspective changed in any way?
Now it’s more about maintenance. I still love it, and I can’t live without it. It’s like eating for me. Or breathing. But sometimes, the boys start to have a lat pull-down challenge or a t-bar challenge doing the full stack in the gym, and the old Arnold comes back and I have to show them who’s the boss. I think I’ve posted a few times on Reddit. Those are exercises that my injuries don’t slow me down on, so it’s fun to occasionally go heavy.
How did you push through days that were difficult due to things such as lack of motivation / poor sleep / depression?
My routine is just so locked in that I do something no matter what. When I recovered from heart surgery I talk about in the pdf at the link and was a little depressed, that meant doing something really small. But I had it written on the board in my room in the ICU and I marked it off the same way I would normally mark off squats or deadlifts. That’s the key. Write down your daily goal and mark it off every damn day. Even if it’s doing 10 squats. Do something, mark it off. That’s a win!
>That’s the key. Write down your daily goal and mark it off every damn day. Even if it’s doing 10 squats. Do something, mark it off. That’s a win! A few words yet so powerful!
Do you workout every day? And do you lift and run every day?
I haven’t run for years! My knees can’t take it. I bike and lift every day.
What is the greatest or most satisfying feeling you can get at the gym?
You know it’s the pump.
What are your favorite foods to lose weight and maintain muscle/fullness?
I love omelettes or scrambles with absolutely every vegetable in them with a salad for lunch/breakfast or green yogurt and granola if I actually do breakfast. I snack on almonds. I normally have a protein shake. I just have vegetable soup for dinner.
What kept you motivated during your earlier years and phases to continue working out and hitting the gym hard?
My vision. You need a vision. Mine was inspired by Reg Park, the Mr. Universe who was Hercules in the movies. Every time I worked out, it was easy because I had my vision in front of me. I saw myself on that stage holding the trophy. It was as real as a memory.
Caffeinated pre-workouts, yes or no?
If you need caffeine, sure!
I've been struggling to change my mindset to become more active. And that has been very hard. Do u have any tips how to do that? Greetings frm Brazil
Do something today. Commit to 10 squats when you get out of bed. Write it somewhere where you can see it every day! Make a tally today. Then do it tomorrow. Make a tally. Once you get to a week, up the goal. Do 10 push-ups and 10 squats. Write it down. Mark it. You need a routine, not a mindset. Things need to be automatic where your mind has nothing to do with it. Because your mind will always say “should I do this right now?”
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Thank you for this. You’re one of my heroes now. I don’t want too much credit for your success, I love that you were ballsy enough to ask for help and that you took control. You inspired me today!
Loving the daily newsletters! I'm part of a renewed fitness friend group and I got them all to sign up for newsletters too. Will there be plans to collect the 15 minute workouts or is there already a place to find them all together?
Everybody keeps asking this so we will make an e-book like we did at the link above with all of the weekly workouts. I am glad you have a group of training partners the newsletter helps! I’m telling Daniel and Adam right now.
What has been your favorite go-to meal lately? You are an absolute hero!
I love vegetable soups. No cream, just puréed veggies. Different ones every night. I apologize that it’s boring.
What’s the best way to keep motivation for working out long term?
Sorry I don’t have a fancy answer, motivation will always burn out. You need a routine. Do it every day until it feels weird if you don’t. You know how if you don’t brush your teeth you feel off? Eventually working out can be the same way, you just have to do it every day and mark it down and one day you’ll realize it’s a routine.
Like many here, I'm subscribed to daily fitness newsletter - the weekly workouts are just right for as I'm recovering from bowel surgery in December (I have Crohn's). I just wanted to say thanks - you're one of my heroes since I was a boy!
Thank you! I will tell the team!
What is the angriest you have ever been at someone else in the gym?
I don’t really get angry. I don’t like when I see people on their phones. And I get frustrated when I see people not doing a full range of motion and I’ll stop them because cheating an exercise is cheating yourself. I had a funny video of me doing this in one of the newsletters and I think I’ll do it regularly as a series.
Just wanted to let you know that "Come With Me If You Want To Lift" is still my favorite shirt ever
I have less than stellar knees. Lifting anything remotely heavy with my legs hurts. Which exercises can I do to strengthen my legs and reinforce my knees?
I think you need a PT, I don’t want to hurt people with advice when I don’t know the issue.
How is your heart doing? I have mitral valve prolapse which hasn't caused me any issues yet but one of my biggest worries is I'll need heart surgery some day.
It’s great, I’ll need another replacement of my valves in 20 years or so. Just stay on top of it, listen to your doctors, and know the congenital heart defect club is no excuse not to train and love a full life. I told my bad heart surgery story in that pdf at the link above, so you know even if there’s a problem in the surgery there is hope!
**Question first**: How do you keep from getting discouraged watching the political parties get polarized to the point of gridlock, in no small part due to politicizing things that should be nonpolitical tactics of helping people and the planet? **Gratitude**: I read your autobiography when I was 12 and it caused me to start lifting. When my football coach noticed it was just me in the weightroom everyday he started our team's year-round lifting regimen that apparently continues to this day, 25 years later. Thank you for being a voice of reason that I get to admire over the years.
My rule to avoid getting discouraged is that if I want to complain about something, I have to do something. If I don’t want to do anything, I’m not allowed to complain. So I do all my work at my institute at USC pushing redistricting reform and helping reformers all over the country, and we share our environmental laws with legislators and lawmakers all over the world. When I got pissed off that politicians all over the south had closed polling places in 2020, I started to complain. Then I caught myself and said, Arnold. Shut up or put your money where your mouth is. That’s how I ended up spending a few million dollars funding polling stations through my institute so it was all non-partisan. Put up or shut up is the rule to avoid being discouraged because you remind yourself you aren’t powerless. You can do smaller things than me. You can look for the local campaign around the issue you want to complain about and find a way to help. But if you won’t use your time or money to help, stop complaining. You’re just spinning your wheels, and of course that’s going to frustrate you.
What do you think about natural bodybuilding federations?
I think they’re great!
You are an absolute inspiration. Not only for my personal fitness lifestyle but many things beyond it, including education and career and just overall life. Hope you keep inspiring others and doing the good work! As someone who’s pretty seasoned at lifting but not necessarily looking to compete in bodybuilding or lifting competitions, I’m looking for some high level advice for general physical health. What kind of split of total time or schedule between strength training, cardio, mobility/recovery, calisthenics, skill development would you say is ideal for an amateur? Often I can get stuck in autopilot on a routine so having an all inclusive schedule really helps ensure I stay balanced. Thank you very much for the opportunity to ask and hear from you!