💪 Arnold's Arm Workout (Explained)

Welcome to Wednesday. Summer is time for our two favorite "H" words: Hydration and Hypertrophy.

Let's cut to the chase: Here’s how to build arms like Arnold (yes, THAT Arnold), no matter your experience level.

Short on equipment, or maybe you're traveling? Don't let proximity to a gym compromise your gains. Here are some of our favorite bodyweight bodybuilding workouts.

And bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler draws a line in the sand in the dirty vs. lean bulk debate.

Get your tilapia (or chicken breast, or other lean protein), because it's time for your favorite lunchtime read.

TRAINING

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Arm Workout

They're the arms that launched a thousand ships. Or at least, a thousand bodybuilding careers.

A bodybuilder’s arms are their calling card. You could make a case for other muscles being more important in the eyes of a judge at a physique show, but nothing drops jaws and turns heads like a pair of thick, muscular arms.

Arnold Schwarzenegger knew that. It inspired him to make his arms among the best ever seen on a bodybuilding stage, and his arms undoubtedly contributed to his legendary run at the highest echelons of the sport.

Luckily for the layman physique enthusiast, Schwarzenegger publicized his approach to biceps and triceps training for current and future generations to study and learn from. We've collected two of the many different arm routines that Schwarzenegger published throughout his career, so you can get guidance from one of the best to ever do it. 

WORKOUTS

The Best Bodyweight Bodybuilding Workouts for Gaining Muscle

Speaking of Ahhhhnold...

The 1977 documentary Pumping Iron is chock-full of footage of bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu preparing for the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition. There’s a lot of on-screen clanging and banging of weights, but very little calisthenics to be found.

Nearly five decades later, resistance training still reigns supreme for building muscle — whether you’re a professional physique athlete or a first-time gymgoer. What are you to do, then, if you’re trying to bulk up but can’t make it to the gym (or don’t have a well-furnished facility at home)?

Thankfully, you can still tax your muscles without a fully stocked rack of weights. Take this quick, at-home leg workout as an example:

• Bodyweight Squat: 3 x 15

• Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 x 12-15

• Single-Leg Suitcase Deadlift: 2 x 8-10

• Single-Leg Glute Bridge: 2 x 12-15

• Stair Sprint: 3-4 rounds

We also break down the best ways to grow your shoulders, arms, back, and chest without a single barbell or weight plate.

NUTRITION

Jay Cutler on Dirty Bulking Versus Lean Bulking

How do you bulk: Squeaky lean, or dirty dirty? 

Four-time Mr. Olympia champion Jay Cutler opened up about bulking in the off-season leading up to a pro show on his YouTube channel on July 30, 2022, for his most recent “Jaywalking” vlog.

Cutler used to be one of the top mass monsters during his glory days atop the Men’s Open division, alongside the likes of eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Nowadays, he isn’t interested in having a physique as large as it was in his prime, and he believes there's a societal shift toward people aiming to be leaner.

THE DROPSET

Everything Else Around the Web

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• Lee Labrada shows off some seriously shredded quads at age 62.

• Extra, Extra! We've got Tampa Pro results!