He didn't rest on his considerably muscular laurels after that record-breaking win, either. Schwarzenegger continued to compete, and went on to win the Mr. Universe title a staggering four more times before retiring from bodybuilding at age 33 in 1980.
Bodybuilding legend and action star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been pumping iron in the gym for going on six decades now—and he has no intention of stopping any time soon.
Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger stop building muscle? With no competition to compete for, he focused on more cardiovascular training rather than building muscle. Training from the age of 14, Arnold was crowned the Junior Mr. Europe in 1965, and soon after, many more accolades followed.
Arnold Schwarzenegger now does cardio
He isn't going for the Mr Olympia or Mr Universe competition at his age. So he has ditched his muscle-building workouts for cardiovascular training , leaving his competitive past behind.
Arnold Schwarzenegger kicked off his birthday this morning by reflecting on some of his fondest bodybuilding memories. In his monthly newsletter, he looked back on his days working out with Italian bodybuilder Franco Columbo, and revealed his career max bench press: 525 pounds.
He commented, "I've chosen to adapt to my age, make my workouts a little bit different and focused on staying lean, and avoiding injury. This is why I've moved away from free weights and stick to the workout machines."
#1 Sergio Oliva
Olympia in 1969, Arnold was defeated by the reigning Olympia champ Sergio Oliva. As the second ever crowned Mr. Olympia, Oliva went toe-to-toe with a young Arnold and beat him to take home his third Mr. Olympia title in a row.
The 72-year-old explained that he's always found solutions to working out without a gym. Growing up in Austria, Schwarzenegger would do pull-ups from a tree branch and chop wood to build strength. Even as a fitness professional, he would run up the stairs of a hotel to exercise.
Arnold trained hard, and there were no secrets to his gains other than pounding out the sets and reps with good heavy weights. Of course we all eventually had injuries to deal with that changed the game, but in the early days, there was nothing more fun than intense, heavy training with classic movements.
He puts in an hour and a half daily, cycling for 45 to 60 minutes and lifting weights for another 30. That's a hell of a daily workout, especially for a 75-year-old, though it's down considerably from his peak bodybuilding days. When he was competing, he would lift weights for five hours a day.
Life is reps
Arnold worked out five hours a day, six days a week. Most of us train 45 mins, and we're exhausted.
Arnold Schwarzenegger started pumping iron at the age of 15. By the time, he was 20, the Austrian native had won his first major bodybuilding event, Mr. Universe.
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At his bodybuilding peak and on his way to becoming a seven-time Mr Olympia, the Austrian Oak could bench press 500 pounds (226kg), deadlift loads more while showing feats of strengths that saw him hold numerous lifting records all over Europe.
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Arnold worked hard and he worked heavy, hitting his chest three days a week and would often work his back on the same day, relishing the feel of a fully pumped upper body at the end of the workout. (Schwarzenegger employed a six-days-on/one-day-off double-split routine throughout much of his professional career.)
Chins with an underhand grip and pull-ups were a big part of Arnold's approach to building wide lats. He also varied his grip width, went up to the bar behind his head and to his chest, and sometimes used added resistance or simply his bodyweight.
While preparing for bodybuilding contests, Arnold would frequently train six days a week, twice a day, with an aim to target each muscle group three times a week — a staggering amount of volume, even for professional bodybuilder standards.
Ronnie Coleman, the winner of Mr. Olympia 8 years in a row, is considered by many to be one of the best bodybuilders to ever live. While he has currently gone through some major changes with his health, he still has a significant role in the world of bodybuilding.
Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. Olympia competition eight consecutive times, tying the record set by Lee Haney. Coleman, nicknamed "The King", is widely regarded as the greatest bodybuilder in Olympia history and began the mass monster era.
"I make a point of never doing less than 6 repetitions per set with most movements, and nothing higher than 12. The rule applies to most body parts, including calves," Arnold said.
Update: In his July 30, 2021 email newsletter, Arnold claimed his best bench press was 525, but because he said 500 previously on multiple occasions we'll go with that. Arnold says his best gym powerlifts were: squat 545 lbs. (247 kg.), bench press 500 lbs. (227 kg.), and deadlift 710 (322 kg.).
Arnold Schwarzenegger's “sleep faster” strategy
The former Mr Olympia sleeps just six hours a night so that he has at least 18 hours of productive time during the day. The seven-time bodybuilding champion reportedly spent as much time in the gym as he did in bed during his early career.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had 22 inches at his peak. Hulk Hogan had 24-inch pythons.